gnovel Chapter 9: Set clear goals and make a firm decision to open a new chapter for the Han Dynasty!
Chapter 9: Set clear goals and make a firm decision to open a new chapter for the Han Dynasty!
"His Majesty and His Highness are father and son."
"Why did it have to come to this!"
Zhang He was terrified and cried out in a broken voice.
"hehe!"
However, Liu Ju smiled, stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a deep voice, "Your father, Zhang Tang, rose through the ranks to become Grand Master of the Palace, Minister of Justice, and Grand Censor."
"He governed the country by adhering to the ancient principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, and his cases were tried in accordance with the emperor's will. He assisted in reforming the currency system, implementing state monopolies on salt and iron, cracking down on the fraudulent activities of wealthy merchants, and thus made great contributions to the country."
"As a result, he was framed by Li Wen, the Censor-in-Chief, Zhu Maichen, the Chief Secretary of the Chancellor, and others, and was ultimately forced to commit suicide."
"How could you utter such naive words?"
"The struggles in the imperial court are far more bloody than battles on the battlefield; it is a life-or-death struggle."
"I...."
Zhang He's lips felt dry, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Yes, his father, Zhang Tang, was loyal to the emperor and loved his country all his life, but in the end he committed suicide. Is there any morality or human ethics left in this world?
"The whole world is spitting on the likes of Zhu Fuyan, Dongfang Shuo, Zhang Tang, and Sang Hongyang."
"But they served the Emperor and made unparalleled contributions to the Han Dynasty."
"How many scholars, knights-errant, and talented individuals have been recruited to my Bowang Garden?"
"But what can they do for me?"
"Even the Grand Tutor only knew to advise the Emperor to stop the war and allow the people to rest and recuperate."
"The world is vast. The Xiongnu have not yet been tamed. No one can say how many enemies there are in the Western Regions, the Southwest, the Northeast, and overseas."
"Without the valiant and skilled Han army, how could the people of our great Han Dynasty enjoy the peaceful life we have today?"
"Barbarians are nothing but beasts; they fear power but do not cherish virtue!"
"Only by completely conquering them and destroying their civilization can the threat entrenched around the empire be eliminated."
"What I have never opposed is Your Majesty's military campaigns; what I oppose is the pursuit of endless wars."
"Since the founding of the Han Dynasty by Emperor Gaozu, through the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, the Han Dynasty has enjoyed a prosperous era with full treasuries and people living in peace and contentment."
"At the beginning of Your Majesty's reign, the granaries in both the capital and the countryside were full, and the treasury was overflowing with goods and wealth. The money in the capital was so abundant that the strings holding the coins together had rotted and could not be counted. The grain in the imperial granary was piled up in layers, overflowing and exposed to the elements, to the point that it was rotten and inedible. The population reached 3600 million."
"And now?"
"The population of the country has decreased by one-third, the number of refugees has surged, uprisings have broken out in many places, the people are suffering unbearably, and there have even been tragic cases of cannibalism."
"With the national treasury empty, the government had no choice but to implement measures such as state monopoly on salt and iron, equalization of transport and price stabilization, taxation of wealth, and selling official positions to raise funds."
"The negative consequences were very significant, with private commerce declining and official corruption further intensifying."
"If this continues, the country will cease to exist and will repeat the mistakes of the tyrannical Qin Dynasty."
"These problems are before us, and Sang Hongyang and others are doing their utmost to solve them, but what are the Grand Tutor and the others doing?"
"The saying 'empty talk harms the country, while hard work builds it' is absolutely true!"
One cold sentence after another came from Crown Prince Liu Ju's mouth, piercing through the hypocritical reality.
Zhang He, the Crown Prince's advisor, felt a chill run down his spine. Indeed, those standing around the Crown Prince were all trying their best to persuade him to be a wise and benevolent ruler, but none of them could offer a concrete solution to the world's distress and suffering. These people kept criticizing His Majesty for his aggressive military campaigns, but what were they doing?
"How can I expect such ministers to uphold the Han dynasty?"
At this point, Liu Ju's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile.
"Your Highness!"
Zhang He didn't know what to say.
"Do you know that Father Emperor is old and his obsessions are hard to quell?"
"Fighting the Xiongnu and expanding territory were everything he dedicated his life to."
"My desire to pacify the four seas, establish the country, and care for all people cannot surpass that of my father, the emperor."
"If one could do this with a peaceful demeanor, then what have I been all these years for?"
Liu Ju posed a soul-searching question: for so many years he had been constantly advising Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, but not a single word had been heeded.
If Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, had listened to even a single word, the Han Empire would never have become what it is today.
"Your Highness!"
Zhang He's lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Father has too many things he has no choice but to do, and I also have many things I must do."
"Among all the people in the world, nobles, feudal lords, merchants, and commoners, the commoners are the most numerous, and they also live the most bitter and tiring lives."
"The downfall of Qin was not due to the rise of the six states, but to the disloyalty of the people."
"The Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising was a spark that ignited a prairie fire that led to the downfall of the Qin Dynasty."
"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?!"
"This saying not only circulated at the end of the Qin Dynasty, but is still known to many people today."
"The empire of my Liu family was not passed down through generations of nobles and officials, but was established by our ancestor who rose from humble beginnings."
"If we do not take the suffering of the common people seriously today, the Qin Dynasty will serve as a cautionary tale for our Han Dynasty!"
"Your Highness, I am willing to die for you!"
Zhang He suddenly knelt down, his eyes filled with reverence and a resolute determination to die for his cause.
At this moment, he truly and willingly became a vassal of Crown Prince Liu Ju, and was willing to give everything for him.
"Let us, ruler and subject, forge ahead together, seeking a broad and prosperous path for this world!"
With a smile, Liu Ju reached out his right hand and helped Zhang He up.
"promise!"
Zhang He responded loudly, as if a raging fire had been ignited in his heart.
"Zhang Qing."
Liu Ju instructed, "The discussion at Ganquan Palace must not be spread."
"After the court assembly, everything will become clear."
"Your subject understands."
Zhang He nodded solemnly.
The execution by caning was merely a trigger, a seed of anxiety planted prematurely in the hearts of everyone in the Crown Prince's palace.
He knew that the Crown Prince wanted to use the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai to completely intensify the conflicts within the Crown Prince's palace. The Confucian scholars of the Guliang School and the unrestrained knights-errant were not useful to the Crown Prince, so there was no need for them to stay in Bowang Garden.
"I need you to do something."
"Please give your orders, Your Highness!"
Zhang He straightened his back, his expression turning solemn, ready to be ordered at any moment.
"Emperor Gaozu enfeoffed 143 marquises, Emperor Xiaohui (Liu Ying) enfeoffed 3 marquises, Emperor Taizong (Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng) enfeoffed 30 marquises, Emperor Jing (Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi) enfeoffed 30 marquises, and Emperor Dazong alone enfeoffed 127 marquises during the Yuanshuo era (128–123 BC)."
"Go and count how many of these marquises' descendants do not hold official positions or titles, and which ones are truly outstanding."
"Does Your Highness wish to recruit the sons of marquises as guards of the Crown Prince's palace?"
Zhang He saw through Liu Ju's plan at a glance.
"I am the Crown Prince, the future ruler of the empire."
"Aren't they qualified to serve?"
Liu Ju was confident and composed.
These sons of marquises who had been stripped of their titles were already in dire straits. Let alone being a palace guard for the crown prince, they wouldn't necessarily refuse even a minor official position.
In the fifth year of Yuanding (112 BC), Emperor Wu of Han stripped 106 people of their marquis titles in one fell swoop. These people hated Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, to the bone, and they were Liu Ju's natural allies.
Moreover, these sons of marquises came from distinguished backgrounds, some were skilled in horsemanship and archery, others were well-versed in the classics of the ancient sages, and the eight hundred guards of the Crown Prince's palace needed just such talents.
"promise."
Zhang He readily accepted the order.