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

Chapter 272 "Like yourself"

Liu Heng cried and beat his chest and feet. The tears on his face slid down his cheeks and into his clothes. He looked completely collapsed, and his hair fell to the ground, like a shrew crying on the street.

Chen Bi looked at Liu Heng's "performance" and felt helpless, but the look on his face was still sad.

"Why is your Majesty doing this?"

His voice was sonorous and powerful, as if expressing his firm beliefs.

In fact, that's exactly what happened.

Chen Bi just looked at Liu Heng and said, "Your Majesty, the four disciples who were sacrificed by the Chen family still passed on messages before they died."

He handed the letter in his hand to Liu Heng. Liu Heng was stunned for a moment, then took the letter from Chen Bi's hand and looked at the content written in the letter carefully.

The letter is simple.

It only described what the four disciples encountered after arriving in Guiyang County, and stated the difficulties they encountered and what they might encounter.

There was a sentence that made Liu Heng feel real heartache for a moment.

He clenched his fists suddenly, and veins popped out on his hands.

That sentence goes like this.

"Something may happen unexpectedly, but I won't regret it. Mrs. Chen is a person with a clear conscience. I hope my parents will forgive me and I will bow to you again."

This is the letter home from those few people who wrote to their parents. Before they died, they had already seen that something bad might happen to them, but they did not regret it or step back.

Even at the end it was just a simple sentence.

"I hope my parents will forgive me."

Five words describe the loyalty in these people's hearts.

A drop of tear fell from the corner of Liu Heng's eye. This time, there was no wailing or expression, but a real drop of emperor's tear.

He was truly sad at this moment.

"Mr. Chen, how could this happen?"

Although Liu Heng understood, he still asked incomprehensively: "Can't they escape? If they want to leave, I don't believe those traitors in Guiyang County would dare to attack them."

"Can't you leave first, then return to the court to report, and then I will order my troops to attack this place?"

"Why sacrifice yourself?"

Chen Bi's expression remained unchanged. He looked at Liu Heng and said, "Your Majesty."

"If these young men leave, then the people of Guiyang County will have countless time to eliminate the evidence and treat all of this as if it never happened."

"At that time, what excuse will your Majesty use to send troops to fight against the chaos?"

Chen Bi closed his eyes. These children of the Chen family who died were all top figures in the Chen family. Doesn't he feel distressed? No, of course he was distressed.

but.
Just as these four people said in their letters, to quell chaos and eradicate traitors for the people, they can wash it all with their own blood.

Liu Heng sighed, looked at Chen Bi and said softly: "That's it, that's it."

"I can't help Mrs. Chen."

In the third year of the A.D. Yuan Dynasty, it was winter and November.

On a snowy day, the emperor did something that surprised everyone but seemed normal. He issued an edict.

The emperor ordered that the tombs of the four disciples of the Chen family be moved and buried with them in the imperial mausoleum.

Yes.

Today's imperial mausoleum has not been built, or even started, but the location has been chosen. At this time, Liu Heng gave these four people the great honor of being buried with the imperial mausoleum!
But what happened next made everyone in the world look at him with some eyebrows.

The local elderly people in Guiyang County guarded the graves of the Chen family's children, and they did not allow anyone to disturb the sleep of these four children.

In this relatively backward southern region, people do not understand the honor of being buried with an imperial mausoleum. They only know that digging up a person after being buried in the soil is a grave excavation!
This is a huge insult! It’s also a big deal!
Even if they die, they will not allow such a thing to happen.

After this incident spread, people all over the world turned their attention and everyone was amazed.

Qufu, Confucius

The current head of the Kong family couldn't help but sigh, even if he and the Chen family were enemies at this time.

"Ugh--"

His long sigh echoed in the hall: "The people there don't know what kind of honor it is to be buried with the imperial mausoleum, but they don't want anyone to disturb the peace of the Chen family's children."

"For this reason, they would rather risk beheading than disobey the imperial edict."

"I heard that the old people there wore shrouds and put their coffins aside, ready to be buried at any time after they were killed. They were even prepared to be buried next to the four children of the Chen family after death, and to protect them after death. them."

"This is enough to show the virtue of these four disciples of the Chen family!"

In front of him, the current head of the Yan family, who had always been at odds with him, was also feeling a little emotional.

Yan Kun, a descendant of Yan Hui.

He adheres to the same "law" that Yan Hui insisted on back then, be careful in what he says and do, say less and do more.

Even he couldn't hold it back at this time, with admiration in his voice: "The four disciples of the Chen family must have done the same thing as the ancient sages to make the local Guizhou leader behave like this!"

"Even if our ancestors are reincarnated, I'm afraid they will still be praised for their noble virtues!"

This is truly noble conduct. Even their enemies couldn't help but praise them when they heard their actions.

This matter was quickly reported back to Chang'an City, and Liu Heng was also lamenting this matter. He did not expect that the local Guizhou leaders would do such a thing.

He lowered his head and looked at the embroidered messenger below: "Did these four disciples do anything else when they went to Guiyang County?"

The messenger of embroidered clothes honestly explained every move of these four people.

After listening, Liu Heng closed his eyes and felt emotional.

Can these four people work so hard for the Liu family?

He doesn't know that the children of the Chen family have never fought for the world of a certain family or a certain surname, but for the head of the world! But for the sake of Zhuhua and Zhuxia!

He praised again and sighed: "It's time for me to establish a prince."

Liu Heng said softly: "Pass on my decree, make Liu Qi, the emperor's eldest son, the crown prince, make Liu Wu the acting king, and order the acting king Liu Wu to go to Guiyang County to pay filial piety to the four sons of the Chen family."

"Return to Kyoto in three years."

Liu Heng closed his eyes.

Then the voice continued softly: "The fourth son of the Chen family was posthumously granted the title of Qingzi Salary Doctor, and he was also granted the title of Marquis Zhongwu. A temple and monument were erected for the fourth Marquis Zhongwu in Guiyang County to commemorate it. On the day when the temple is completed, I will personally mention the inscriptions."

Zhongwuhou Temple!

This is the highest honor.

The chamberlain beside him whispered: "No."

Spring, fourth year of the Yuan Dynasty. The emperor issued an edict to build a temple for the four loyal Marquis Wu of the Chen family, and ordered the acting king Liu Wu to go to Guiyang County with a festival to observe mourning for the four of them for three years. This almost made Liu Wu the heir of those four.

Everyone in the world was filled with emotion after hearing this.

The emperor was too benevolent. Knowing that the eldest of the four children was only three years old and the youngest was still in infancy, he would definitely not be able to keep filial piety for the four sons of the Chen family, so he ordered Liu Wu to go.

Some courtiers had other emotions surging in their hearts.

The emperor pardoned and made his second son Liu Wu the acting king?
What does it mean?
Someone is starting to have new ideas.

After all, if one were to discuss which king was more noble nowadays, then everyone would definitely say "the acting king". Why?

Because "Acting King" is the title given to the emperor before he ascends the throne!

Could it be that the emperor intended to let the acting king take over? But why did Liu Qi become the crown prince at this time?

This is really a problem.

At this time, people began to think about another issue, another traditional skill of the old Liu family.

"Like oneself".

East Palace
Chen Tuo is the prince's junior master, so he can naturally enter and leave the East Palace at this time. In fact, the East Palace is equivalent to a small court, and all kinds of officials are very clear about it.

At this time, Liu Qi's face looked a little uncomfortable.

Not too sad, not too gloomy.

He just asked Chen Tuo's opinion calmly: "Teacher, my father has lamented many times that I am not like him, but I feel that Liu Wu is more like him."

"At this time, Liu Wu has been named acting king. What do you mean by father?"

"Does the father think that Liu Wu is suitable to be the prince again?"

"But why did my father allow me to become the crown prince and live in the East Palace?"

Liu Qi really couldn't understand Liu Heng's logic and thoughts, so he decided to simply give up and ask his teacher directly.

Yes, at this time Liu Qi had officially become a disciple of Chen Tuo, and he was a real apprentice.

The kind where he could call Chen Tuo "master" instead of "teacher".

Chen Tuo looked calmer. He probably understood Liu Qi's thoughts, so he didn't have any doubts. He just said lightly: "Your Highness, don't worry."

"No matter how much your Majesty boasts about the person who acts as king, no matter how much you pardon or favor him, the person who becomes the prince will only be you, and it must be you."

His brows were light: "Your Majesty was just trying to make up for the anger in his heart back then, but he happened to forget another thing."

"Your Majesty's situation is different from that of Emperor Gao."

To make up for the anger in your heart?
Liu Qi had a look of confusion on his face: "Teacher, what does this mean? Are there any old stories about Emperor Gao in it?"

Chen Tuo smiled slightly: "Your Highness, you should know that Emperor Gao once boasted many times in front of the late emperor that "Liu Ruyi" was like himself, and accused the late emperor of being "not like himself", right?"

Liu Qi nodded: "That's true."

The smile on the corner of Chen Tuo's mouth became even more sarcastic, but there was a little helplessness in these sarcasms.

"Everyone felt that these words only hurt the late emperor, but they did not expect that he would not only hurt the late emperor, but also all other highnesses who are not similar to Emperor Gao."

"Including the present His Majesty."

"In the past, he was just an unloved prince. He probably didn't even get a chance to hear "This son is not like me"."

"Now that I have achieved the highest position, of course I want to find a prince who is "similar to myself" and praise him greatly."

"However, the emperor's character is very peaceful. Even under such circumstances, he would not find a child to praise that was not the daughter of the queen and not a sibling of His Highness's mother. So he praised the acting king, even if the acting king was more like It’s not His Majesty, but Emperor Gao.”

Having said this, Chen Tuo paused for a moment, then raised his eyebrows: "Perhaps it is because of the acting king, Emperor Leigao, that your Majesty praised me."

Liu Qi was confused after listening to Chen Tuo's words. He looked at Chen Tuo and asked, "So, what the teacher means is that my position as crown prince is very stable?"

"Whether my father is boasting about his younger brother Wu or naming him acting king, it's all because the old events of that year have affected his emotions, but my father won't have any problems with business matters?"

Chen Tuo nodded: "Yes, that's exactly it."

He smiled and said: "Don't worry, I can guarantee this."

After Chen Tuo finished speaking, he changed the topic, looked at Liu Qi in front of him and said, "Your Highness, how come you still have time to think about such trivial matters?"

"Now your time should be used to think about the affairs of the court."

His voice was serious: "For example, the current disaster in the Han Dynasty, and the fact that the head of the Confucian family and the great Confucian scholars came together to prepare "Confucianism" as orthodoxy."

When Liu Qi heard this, his expression became serious.

He should indeed care more about these things than trivial matters like "like oneself".

After all, no matter how much you don't like yourself, it's of no use.

At that time, Emperor Gao also felt that the late emperor was not like himself, but didn't the late emperor still become the emperor?
To be disrespectful, Emperor Gao even felt that apart from Liu Ruyi, there was no human being, including the current emperor, his father, but didn't his father still become the emperor?
As for the self-like Liu Ruyi?

Now he is imprisoned in the deep palace.

Such a comparison shows that Liu Qi actually has less advice on the matter of "like oneself".

He looked at Chen Tuo and asked: "Teacher, Shangshan Sihao is also in Chang'an at this time. The head of the Confucian family and the Confucians may not have a simple purpose in coming here."

"If Confucianism is orthodox, it will probably occupy more "power" in the court."

"After all, if you want to promote one doctrine as orthodox, you may have to sacrifice some other doctrines."

Liu Qi looked at Chen Tuo and said softly: "Teacher, we all know that the most powerful one in the court today is the doctrine and thought of "Chen Zi", even though this thought has not yet had a completed name."

He sighed: "Confucianism, I'm afraid it's for the teacher."

"Aiming at Chen."

Chen Tuo was not as angry as Liu Qi thought, but was calmer.

He just said calmly: "Let them do it."

There was a strange look in his eyebrows: "A few days ago, a clan brother sent me a letter, saying that something they researched has produced results."

"I was thinking about how to make this result come out, and now I happened to have an opponent."

"It's a kind of fate."

Liu Qi looked at his teacher's expression, and for a moment he didn't know who to sympathize with.

After all, the last time this guy showed such a smile, the entire Tax Temple was hurt.
Posthouse
Shangshan Sihao, Kong Yun, Jia Yi and others sat facing each other, with incomprehensible expressions on their faces.

Zhou Shu sighed slightly: "Do we have to do this?"

"Why can't we live in peace with the Chen family?"

He does not want to be an enemy of the Chen family. This is not because of the good character of the Chen family, but because the Chen family is too powerful!

(End of this chapter)