Shuhan

The night was as dark as ink, slowly pouring over the sky above Chang'an City, gently wrapping this ancient capital.

The moonlight was dim, the stars were hidden, and the whole city seemed to have fallen asleep. Only the occasional sound of drums and the firm footsteps of patrolling soldiers broke the silence.

There are sparse lanterns on both sides of the street, and the faint light sways in the wind, like ancient candlelight, telling a thousand-year-old story.

Deep in the imperial city, the Pepper Palace alone shines with brilliant light.

The outline of the palace appears particularly solemn in the night, with flying eaves, carved beams and painted buildings. Every brick and tile reveals the royal majesty and luxury.

Inside the hall, the lights were on brightly and the candlelight was flickering, making every inch of the space warm and bright, as if it could dispel all the haze in people's hearts.

In the outer hall, a grand banquet was ready.

A long table was spread out, on which were placed all kinds of delicacies. Gold and silver utensils sparkled brightly under the candlelight, and fine wines emitted an enticing aroma, making people salivate.

Palace servants were moving around, some were busy adding wine and serving dishes, while others were carefully adjusting the candlelight to ensure that the atmosphere of the banquet remained warm and lively.

Sitting in the main seat, Liu Chan was wearing a gorgeous dragon robe, sitting there with a solemn yet gentle look.

His eyes swept across everyone present. There was a kind of majesty that was like a king dominating the world, but it also contained a deep concern for his family.

There was a faint smile on Liu Chan's lips, and he seemed to be enjoying this rare family reunion.

Queen Zhang Peilan sat on the right side of Liu Chan. She was wearing a golden phoenix robe, a phoenix crown on her head, and was surrounded by pearls and jade. She was dignified, elegant, and had a noble temperament.

Her face is gentle and her eyes reveal the kindness and wisdom of a mother of the country.

Zhang Peilan gently stroked the jade cup in her hand, occasionally looking up and exchanging a gentle glance with Liu Chan. The tacit understanding and affection between them could be felt without words.

Zhaoyi Guan Yinping sat below the empress. She wore a lavender palace dress and a simple jade ornament on her head. Although not as gorgeous as the empress, she also had a fresh and refined beauty.

There is a heroic spirit between Guan Yinping's brows, which is her unique temperament as the daughter of a military general.

She looked at Liu Chan from time to time, with both admiration and tenderness in her eyes.

Princess Zhurong, a concubine, was dressed in colorful exotic clothes and a crown inlaid with gems, looking mysterious and charming.

She was a princess from the Southern Barbarians, with a straightforward, passionate and unrestrained personality, completely different from the women in the Central Plains.

Princess Zhurong had a hearty laugh and joked with the concubines around her from time to time, adding a lively atmosphere to the banquet.

Ronghua Zhen Mi, dressed in a simple and elegant white palace dress, is like a solitary orchid in a valley, pure and elegant.

She has a pretty face and a hint of melancholy in her eyes, yet she is gentle and tenacious.

Zhen Mi sat there quietly, occasionally lowering her head to gently stroke the baby in her arms. The radiance of her motherly love moved everyone around her involuntarily.

The beauty Sun Luyu, wearing a light green palace dress and a simple wreath on her head, looks fresh and lovely.

She has a sweet smile, a gentle personality, and gets along well with people around her.

Sitting next to Sun Luyu was a little girl, her daughter. The mother and daughter were whispering to each other from time to time, and the scene was warm and harmonious.

In addition to these high-ranking concubines, there are also concubines of various levels, such as the Eighth Son, the Seventh Son, the Chief Eunuch, and the Junior Eunuch. They are either dignified, charming, or pure, each showing a different style.

They either brought young boys and girls in brocade clothes, or held babies in their arms, making the entire Pepper House full of life and vigor.

At the banquet, palace servants kept serving all kinds of delicious food, musicians played melodious music, and the sounds of singing, laughter, and conversation intertwined together, making it very lively.

Liu Chan occasionally raised his glass to drink with everyone, or chatted quietly with the concubines around him. His eyes were full of cherishment for his family and expectations for the future.

In this joyful atmosphere, everyone's face is filled with happy smiles.

Empress Zhang Peilan gently took Liu Chan's hand and said softly, "Your Majesty, it is a gift from heaven that we can be reunited today."

When Liu Chan heard this, a warm current surged in his heart. He held the queen's hand tightly and responded affectionately: "The queen is right. I hope our family will be harmonious, our country will be prosperous, and our descendants will be happy and healthy."

As the night deepened, the banquet gradually reached its climax.

The palace servants brought out the last dessert, which was an exquisite lotus cake with a unique shape and a fragrant aroma.

After tasting the food, everyone praised it highly and congratulated Liu Chan and the Queen.

Time passes quietly amid laughter and joy.

When the last piece of music ended, the banquet gradually came to an end.

Liu Chan stood up and raised his glass to everyone, saying: "Today's banquet is what I really want. With you here, I will always have such a reunion in the future to share the joy of family."

Upon hearing this, everyone stood up and returned the greeting.

After a long time.

The banquet was over and the Pepper Room regained its peace for a moment.

In the inner hall, Liu Chan summoned his male descendants.

Liu Chan slowly stood up and looked towards the palace gate with gentle eyes. There, his descendants were entering one by one, with the innocence and vitality unique to children, injecting vitality into the palace again.

The eldest son, Liu Si, was dressed in exquisite brocade clothes. Although he was only three years old, his behavior showed signs of his potential. His calmness beyond his age and the smartness in his eyes made people take a few more glances.

He walked up to Liu Chan in small steps and bowed respectfully. He looked like a little adult, which made people laugh.

Liu Chan reached out his hand and gently touched Liu Si's head, his eyes full of love and expectation: "Si'er, you are becoming more and more like me."

Soon after, the second son Liu Rui also walked in. He was about the same age as Liu Si, but was more robust, with a heroic look between his brows. It was obvious that he had inherited Guan Yu's genes for bravery.

Liu Rui was lively and active. When he saw Liu Chan, he ran over excitedly and almost knocked over the vase next to him.

Liu Chan smiled and picked up Liu Rui, feeling the strength in him, and thought to himself: This child will definitely become a military general in the future.

The third son Liu Zhao, the fourth son Liu Xiang, and subsequent descendants were either learning to walk or needed to be led by their wet nurses. They looked at Liu Chan with curiosity or shyness, their eyes flashing with curiosity and yearning for the unknown world.

Liu Chan called them to his side one by one, hugged them or caressed them, and every child received his equal love and attention.

Looking at this group of lively and lovely children, Liu Chan's heart was filled with ripples.

As an emperor, having many offspring is both a blessing and a curse.

How to educate them so as to train their abilities without forming factions or even causing conflicts among brothers is a problem he must seriously consider.

He would never allow the historical lesson of the nine sons of the Qing Dynasty competing for the throne to be repeated among his descendants.

The next day, at the break of dawn, a gentle blue appeared on the horizon. Inside the Pepper Room, the gauze curtains swayed gently, and it seemed that even the air was filled with a lazy and ambiguous atmosphere.

Liu Chan slowly sat up from the warm quilt, his eyes showing a hint of fatigue after satisfaction, but he could not hide the aftertaste of last night's joy.

Beside the bed, the queen lay quietly. Her face looked even more delicate in the morning light, and her skin was like newly blooming petals, with a faint luster, which was the result of two consecutive nights of love and affection.

There was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, as if she was still savoring every intimate moment with Liu Chan in her dream.

Although Liu Chan felt a little tired and had hardly rested last night, his dissatisfaction disappeared when he saw the queen looking so radiant. The queen was always gentle, virtuous, and considerate in front of others. She was a model of a mother of the country in the eyes of everyone.

However, in this private palace, she seemed like a different person, becoming passionate, bold and unrestrained. This huge contrast made Liu Chan feel both surprised and a little uncomfortable, but it also added a bit of indescribable excitement to him.

He gently stroked the queen's hair, his eyes showing both doting and confusion, as if he was trying to explore the secret behind this dual personality.

After dressing neatly, Liu Chan walked out of the Pepper Room slowly. Although his steps were heavy, his eyes had regained their former clarity and determination.

He walked through the winding corridor and entered the Xuanshi Hall.

Inside the Xuanshi Hall, the ministers were already lined up waiting, and the atmosphere was heavy and solemn.

Liu Chan stepped onto the dragon throne, looked around, and finally his eyes fell on Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang was dressed in court robes, with a stern expression on his face. He held a roll of secret reports in his hand and walked steadily towards the emperor, presenting the latest intelligence about the Wei State with both hands.

The eunuch Huang Hao took the report and handed it to Liu Chan.

The emperor looked at it for a while.

Shangshu Ling Fa Zheng followed closely behind him and spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful: "Your Majesty, the new king of Wei, Cao Rui, has not been on the throne for long, and the government is turbulent. Although he wants to take power, there are many obstacles. In addition, Wei has been defeated repeatedly in recent years and is surrounded by enemies. Although the threat of Xianbei has been temporarily quelled, there are still frequent wars in Qingzhou, Yuzhou, Sili and other places, and the national strength has been greatly damaged.

However, Cao Rui was a man of considerable ability. He skillfully assigned important ministers to the border areas, which not only stabilized the situation in the border areas but also weakened the power of dissidents in the court.

At the same time, he compiled the Book of Han, ostensibly to honor the ancient sages, but in fact to secretly adjust the positions of officials, gradually consolidate his own power, and gradually control the government. "

Liu Chan listened quietly, his hands folded lightly on his knees, his eyes deep. There was no obvious change in his expression, but his heart was already turbulent.

Cao Rui is still capable.

But his ability is to maintain the status quo. Can he really take control of the current situation?

but
The changing situation in Wei State is both a challenge and an opportunity for the Han Dynasty. How to grasp it depends entirely on one's thoughts.

At this time, a slight discussion was heard in the hall. The ministers either lowered their heads in thought or exchanged glances, each of them thinking of countermeasures in their hearts.

Liu Chan raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to be quiet. His voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard throughout the hall: "My dear ministers, the affairs of Wei are related to the safety of our Han Dynasty, so we need to make long-term plans."

Zhuge Liang stood in front of the hall, wearing the prime minister's court robes, his sleeves fluttering in the wind. Although his face was expressionless, his deep eyes sparkled with wisdom and determination.

He spoke slowly, his voice low and powerful, as if every word carried the weight of history and the future: "The world has been at war for a long time, and the people are exhausted. They all hope that the Holy King will unify the world. Your Majesty, the current situation is increasingly unfavorable to Wei. The way we treat Wei must also adapt to the times and change."

Liu Chan was slightly stunned when he heard this. He looked up at Zhuge Liang, his eyes showing both doubt and expectation. He asked softly, "What kind of changes do you think are needed, Prime Minister?"

Zhuge Liang had no expression on his face, but his eyes were extremely firm. He continued, "Your Majesty, my intention is to use all available forces to defeat Wei. As far as I know, there are many people in Wei who are loyal to the Han Dynasty and want to rebel against Wei and surrender to Han.

However, your majesty's attitude towards the nobles in the past has made them fearful and they dare not easily surrender. If you can dispel their doubts and give them enough trust and respect, perhaps the road to attacking Wei will be much easier. "

After hearing this, Liu Chan was silent for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, as if thinking about Zhuge Liang's advice.

His eyes were sometimes solemn, sometimes flickering, and his heart was full of contradictions and struggles.

Finally, he took a deep breath and said slowly: "I have no intention of treating the nobles harshly, but sometimes the policy requires it and I have to do it. In this way, if the nobles of Wei are willing to submit to the Han Dynasty, they can also enjoy their original privileges in the Han Dynasty.

However, the Han Dynasty has its own rules, and they must abide by them. The Han Dynasty is different from the Wei Kingdom. Our official system is composed of poor children trained by the gentry, the Military Academy, and local schools. "

Liu Chan was still wary of the gentry.

But it’s not impossible to make concessions first.

When the time is ripe, the imperial examination system will be used to gradually weaken the power of the aristocratic families. This is a long-term plan.

Nowadays, in order to unify the world, it is not impossible to make some necessary compromises.

People are always fickle. Even a strong man like Chairman Mao made many compromises with Chiang Kai-shek's surrendered troops when he was formulating the national unification strategy. Didn't he?

It will be easy to clean up later.

Now, the sooner the world is unified, the less suffering the people will have to endure.

After hearing this, Zhuge Liang nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes.

Although Your Majesty is young, the depth and perspective of handling state affairs and looking at problems are not much worse than his.

Zhuge Liang bowed to Liu Chan and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty is wise and wise. It is a blessing for the Han Dynasty to be able to understand justice so well. I will do my best to assist Your Majesty to unify the world and let the people escape the suffering of war as soon as possible."

After that, Zhuge Liang turned and walked to the table, took out a scroll of secret reports from his sleeve, gently unfolded it, pointed at the map and text on it, and explained in detail to Liu Chan the situation of Wei and possible strategic deployment. Liu Chan listened attentively, nodded from time to time, and occasionally asked a few questions, and Zhuge Liang answered them one by one. The cooperation between the two was seamless.

As the discussion deepened, the atmosphere in the Xuanshi Hall gradually became heated. The ministers, standing or sitting, gathered around Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang, expressing their opinions and discussing the plan to attack Wei. Some proposed strengthening the border defense to prevent Wei's surprise attack; some suggested joining forces with the Eastern Wu to fight against Wei; others advocated developing the economy, strengthening national strength, and making full preparations for the attack on Wei.

Just as the atmosphere in the Xuanshi Hall was getting lively and the ministers were offering suggestions for the attack on Wei, Fei Yi slowly stepped forward.

He was dressed in a Taifu official robe, the corners of which swayed gently with his movements, and his face was serious and focused.

Fei Yi bowed slightly, saluted Liu Chan, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I have something to report. Wei has recently started to compile the "Book of Han" in order to demonstrate its orthodox status. How can our Han Dynasty, as the orthodox Han Dynasty, lag behind? I suggest that our Han Dynasty should also start to compile the "Book of Han" to show the world that the orthodoxy of our Han Dynasty cannot be questioned."

When Liu Chan heard this, his eyes flashed. He knew very well the importance of compiling history books to consolidating his regime.

He nodded slightly and glanced at the ministers present, seeing that none of them had any objections.

Then, Liu Chan said in a loud voice: "What Fei Yi said is very much in line with my opinion. Compiling the "Book of Han" to show the orthodoxy of our Han Dynasty is a great cause for generations to come. I have decided that the Prime Minister, Shangshu Ling, Taifu, and Taipu will jointly edit it, recruit historians from all over the country, and set up a national history institute to be responsible for compiling the "Book of Han."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers in the Xuanshi Hall were delighted and obeyed the order one after another.

They knew that compiling history books was not only a good job, but also a great opportunity to showcase their talents and leave their names in history.

For a moment, an indescribable excitement and anticipation surged in the hearts of all the ministers.

Fei Yi was secretly pleased when he saw this.

Compiling the "Book of Han" can not only demonstrate the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty, but also unite people's hearts and enhance the cohesion of the country.

Compiling the "Book of Han" was an arduous task that required a lot of manpower and material resources, but it was all worth it for the fight for orthodoxy.

"Your Majesty, we will do our best to compile a Han Shu that will be passed down through the ages."

The ministers who were appointed to edit the document expressed their opinions one after another.

"My dear ministers, the compilation of the Han Shu is related to orthodoxy. I hope that you can work together to complete this great cause that will last for thousands of years. When the history book is completed, I will definitely reward you generously!"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers knelt on the ground and responded in unison: "We obey your orders and will do our best to live up to your majesty's high expectations!"

The world is unified.

Only then can we develop the economy and technology.

We must plant the Han flag on four continents and five oceans.

There is still a long way to go~ (End of this chapter)