Thousand-year-old family: its rise began with Shang Yang’s reforms

Chapter 249 Liu Heng: Run!

Those who have a plan for what they do are the best people to control, at least for Liu Bang.

He can clearly understand what Han Xin, Xiao He and others want, and he also knows how much to give them to keep them hanging without letting them be disappointed and decadent.

But Liu Bang didn't know what Chen wanted.

In other words, Liu Bang knew what Chen wanted, but he didn't believe it.

For the sake of Guizhou?

A wealthy family for the sake of Guizhou? Is such a huge aristocratic family just for the head of Guizhou? Who would believe it?

At least Liu Bang definitely didn't believe it.

What the Chen family did was unreasonable in the eyes of all feudal emperors. After all, they didn't know that death was not the end of the Chen family, nor did they know that this family's goal was to "last for thousands of years."

Of course, if Liu Bang and others knew about this "goal", they would only laugh more and think it was a joke.

How can anyone put the words "clear conscience" and "lasting for thousands of years" together?

Which family wants to last for thousands of years and can last for thousands of years, but which one is not "heavily in debt" and full of blood?

Chen Bi looked into Liu Bang's eyes, and the two looked at each other, which made Chen Bi even more calm.

"Your Majesty, whether you believe it or not, Chen will not stand by Empress Lu or anyone else, and it is impossible to stand by their side."

"If you trust Chen, Chen can become the prime minister of the Han Dynasty. If you don't trust Chen, Chen can live in seclusion in the mountains or become an official."

"Chen's wish is to save the common people, but saving the common people does not necessarily have to be done in the court."

Chen Bi sat there, accepting Liu Bang's review calmly.

In fact, Chen was so clear, understanding, and understanding of the thoughts of these emperors that they gradually didn't care.

After Liu Bang was silent for a while, he said with a smile: "Actually, it's not that I doubt you, nor that I don't trust you."

He said lightly: "I actually don't know how to deal with this matter."

Liu Bang walked slowly in the hall with his hands behind his back. At this time, he stood barefoot, feeling the coldness of the ground with his feet. He sighed slightly: "The prince is my son, and everyone else is also my son."

"Chen Qing, I am not a god-like person. I also have selfish motives."

He raised his lips in a self-deprecating tone: "You and the many ministers in the court should be aware of this. After all, I have begun to favor Ruyi over the years, and my desire to make Ruyi the prince has never stopped."

"I don't deny it."

"I want to make Ruyi the prince. On the one hand, it is because he is indeed favored by me. On the other hand, it is also because Ying'er is not like me."

"Who doesn't want his successor to be like himself?"

Liu Bang looked at Chen Bi and asked seriously: "If one day, sir, I have many children, one is more like me and the other is not like me."

"At this time, some outsiders told you that you should let someone who doesn't look like you replace you."

"What would you choose?"

He was silent for a long time, and then asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time, and it was also a question that seemed to have no answer throughout history for thousands of years: "Sir, do you think it is better to establish a virtuous person or to establish a direct descendant?"

Chen Bi stood behind Liu Bang and was also silent. He sighed.

Liu Bang slowly put on his shoes and walked out with light steps.

Chen Bi followed him.

At this time, the sunlight above the head was shining in the palace, and many delicate flowers were blooming in the surrounding grass. There was still a little morning dew on the grass and the many delicate flowers.

Liu Bang asked again: "Sir, do you think there is a standard answer to this question?"

"why?"

Chen Bi did not hesitate this time. He just smiled and asked: "From what point does Your Majesty start?"

"Whose perspective are you looking at?"

"Are you from Liu Bang's perspective, from His Majesty's perspective, or from a father's perspective?"

Liu Bang turned back and looked at Chen Bi with squinted eyes: "Are there different answers from these three angles? Aren't they still the same?"

"Isn't it all me?"

Chen didn't look away when they met each other. On the contrary, the fact that he directly called Liu Bang by his name violated a taboo, but he didn't care, and of course Liu Bang didn't care much either.

"Of course it's different."

"Of course you are you, a person, but you have different identities, and different identities have different purposes."

"Is not it?"

He said softly: "If you are Liu Bang, just look at it from your own point of view, of course you should choose the one you like, regardless of the superiority or inferiority of his direct eldest son."

"Are you the eldest son?"

"But don't you still have such a large family property?"

When Chen Bi said this, Liu Bang had a smile on his face, but in an instant Chen Bi's next words made Liu Bang's expression darken.

"From Liu Bang's perspective, the most important thing is to be happy."

"So don't think about the danger of the big man in the future."

"After I die, I won't care about the flood."

"This is the answer to this question if you think about it from Liu Bang's perspective."

Liu Bang's expression was a little gloomy. He heard the meaning of Chen Bi's words and immediately said: "Then, what about other perspectives?"

"What about from the perspective of an emperor?"

Chen Bi followed Liu Bang's footsteps and smiled more peacefully.

"If you look at it from the perspective of an emperor, then the answer is also very simple."

"Build up the eldest, not the virtuous, and establish a healthier system so that this system can continue to carry this huge country forward."

"And establish certain rules so that future generations cannot destroy such a system."

Liu Bang asked silently: "Why?"

He knew the answer to this question, but he still wanted to ask Chen Bi.

Chen Bi said more frankly: "Because the emperor is different from ordinary people, especially the founding king. He is even more different from the people who followed."

"What an emperor or a founding king needs to consider is the survival of the country. What needs to be considered is the continuation of the dynasty, and even how long it can last."

"The emperor is also a human being, but a person who becomes an emperor cannot be just a "human being". He needs to overcome and restrain various desires and preferences in his heart."

"It's like a meal."

Chen Bi looked at Liu Bang and said, "Your Majesty, if you like a meal, will you show any special preference?"

"Like eating there often?"

"More than eating other things?"

Liu Bang shook his head slightly: "No."

"When I eat, it's mostly customary. I eat a little of everything."

"I understand what you mean."

"After you have your own preferences, you will have weaknesses, and such people are easily targeted."

"Is it?"

Chen Bi nodded: "Yes." He said softly: "You must also know the difference between establishing a legitimate leader and establishing a virtuous person."

"It's a simple, no-brainer answer."

"When you appointed your eldest son as emperor or crown prince, everyone else knew one thing, that is, this position was determined at birth."

"It doesn't inherently belong to them, and there's no one in their ear nudging them to compete for this position."

"Because only the direct eldest son is established."

"This is a rule that no one can break."

"So your Highnesses will not say that they will definitely stay on their own terms, but they will definitely not kill each other or fight against each other, because they know that even if they kill their eldest brother, the throne will have nothing to do with them."

"The saliva of the people in the world will drown him."

"But it would be different if it were Li Xian."

Chen Bi smiled slightly: "What exactly is a virtuous person? This is a huge question."

"Who decided?"

"How do you know I'm not a virtuous person? I can't become an emperor?"

"Then the princes will want that position. In order to get that position, they will work hard to win over the courtiers. In order to get that position, they will try their best to kill their brothers."

"Everyone except the prince will regard the prince as his opponent, and they all want to drag him down."

"Your Majesty."

"Xunzi once said that human nature is inherently evil."

"When people's desires continue to amplify, they can't see other things."

"At this time, they will not care about morality or brotherhood. They will definitely kill each other and bleed with scalps in order to compete for that position."

"What's the end of this?"

Chen Bi said a very scary thing very calmly.

"Such an end is very simple. If one of these brothers is talented enough to conquer everyone, then Your Majesty will only die one or two of his sons."

"But if these people are evenly matched, then the big man will definitely cause chaos."

"And after that, even if someone can suppress everyone, the country of Han Dynasty will be riddled with holes."

"So, if you look at it from the perspective of an emperor, you must not be able to establish virtuous people."

"Of course, the prerequisite for doing this is that there must be a perfect system. Otherwise, when a foolish emperor appears, the Han Dynasty will also decline."

Liu Bang walked in front silently. After a long time, he sighed and continued: "Okay."

"Then what about the third one you mentioned, from the perspective of a father?"

Chen Bi blinked: "It's even simpler from the perspective of a father. Even if Prince Ying doesn't like you very much, isn't he still your son?"

"There won't be any problem with that."

"Then, does it make any difference which son you make as your successor?"

"You love Ruyi and want to make Ruyi the crown prince and take over as the emperor. Will he be of any benefit to you after he ascends the throne?"

Chen Bi spread his hands: "No."

"You don't like Liu Ying. After Prince Ying ascends the throne, will he not be filial to you and not recognize you as his father?"

"That's impossible."

"So why are you getting involved in a fight that has absolutely nothing to gain for you?"

"They are all your sons."

When Liu Banggang heard Chen Bi's words, he couldn't help but sneer. He sighed and let out all the bad breath in his heart, and then said softly: "I mean, Chen Qing, what you said really moved me."

"I have made my decision and will no longer insist on it."

"I just have a request."

Liu Bang turned around and looked into Chen Bi's eyes, which were full of determination and seriousness.

Yes, the founder of the Han Dynasty and now the King of Kings said the word "please": "Give Ruyi and the other children another chance, and give me, this old man, another chance." "

A trace of self-deprecation flashed across Liu Bang's face: "I know, I am a person who saves face. I have known this since I was a child."

"But this is how I am, and I don't want to change it now."

"If I am easily persuaded by Chen Qing and give up my previous thoughts, how will the people in the world view me?"

"So, let's continue as before and give them and me a chance. Whoever can catch your eye and become your disciple will be the next emperor."

Liu Bang said silently: "If you can teach Ying'er well, then let Ying'er become the emperor."

A flash of cruelty flashed in his eyes: "If you don't teach well and other children fall into your eyes, you Chen can't do it, but I can do this."

Liu Bang's voice was extremely cold, like the ice of the twelfth lunar month.

"I can make Lu Fei die of illness quickly, and Prince Ying can also die of illness after his death."

"Then, you can support a new queen."

He said a little arrogantly: "The queen is not fixed. As long as she is my wife, she is the queen."

"And since she became the queen, her child will naturally be the legitimate eldest son!"

This was Liu Bang's final compromise.

Chen Bi thought for a moment and then nodded slightly: "I obey the order."

In Bo Ji's Palace
Liu Heng told his mother everything that happened today with a bitter look on his face. Bo Ji also looked confused after hearing these things.

When was being too clean a sin?

She pressed her forehead, thinking about the problem in her mind.

"I think this won't affect you soon, and your father won't really deal with all these things from top to bottom."

Bo Ji said: "At this time, those people should be unable to protect themselves, and it will be difficult for them to have the strength to deal with us."

She pondered slightly: "I will find a time in the near future to ask His Majesty to let you return to the fiefdom."

Bo Ji looked at Liu Heng with a mother's determination in her eyes: "No matter what, whether I can escape from this palace in the end, mother will definitely send you out."

"At that time, you must protect yourself and be cautious,"

"Don't let any more problems arise. Especially stay away from the Chen family!"

Liu Heng also had some tears in his eyes, and he nodded slightly: "Mother."

in the palace

Liu Heng walked in the garden, his expression even more depressed and sad.

At this time, a figure walked over slowly not far away, with a calm look on his face and a very relaxed step.

"Your Highness, we met by chance."

Chen Bi looked at Liu Heng and smiled slightly.

At this time, Liu Heng's body was a little hairy, and a voice shouted in his head.

"run!!!!"

(End of this chapter)