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

Chapter 309: Kou Kequn, (?)
The second year of Jianyuan, spring and summer.

Overjoyed.

Perhaps this news was not a big surprise in the past, but at this moment, it is indeed a great surprise.

Urgent news came from the border that the Hun army was invading. General Wei Qing, the General in Charge of the Northern Expedition, led his army to fight and defeated the nearly 10,000 Hun troops with three cavalry routes. The invading Hun general was captured on the spot, and now General Wei Qing has been taken back to Chang'an city.

The common people in Chang'an City found it somewhat unbelievable.

Didn’t the urgent report sent a few days ago with an express delivery of 800 miles said that the Huns were invading on a large scale, and the Han army was unable to resist and fell into the enemy’s trap when they were not careful, so the army was in danger of being defeated and even asked for help?

How come in just a few days, our army was able to show its might and capture the Huns?
People began to speculate.

Sometimes, if the truth about something is told to you from the very beginning, then the discussion about it may come to an abrupt end, because people already know the truth and there is no need to discuss it anymore.

Without discussion, the matter will gradually cool down.

If you want something to spread quickly throughout Chang'an City, or even throughout the world, what should you do?

Keep people guessing.

By the way, spread some specious news.

In the wine shop in Chang'an City
A storyteller stood in front of the tavern with a flattering smile on his face. The shopkeeper ignored him, just nodded and let him start.

This is a skill used by some people who are good at flattering others to make a living, and it is also a means for these taverns to attract customers.

The storyteller stood in front of the tavern and started talking mysteriously about the most exciting thing happening in Chang'an city recently - Wei Qing's defeat of the enemy army.

"Speaking of Wei Qing, before he joined the army, he was just a horse slave, that is, a horse breeder!"

As soon as these words came out, some people in the crowd immediately started to refute: "How is it possible! How dare you, a stinking storyteller, slander General Wei Qing like this??!!"

There were some rangers in the crowd who immediately drew their swords from their waists with angry looks on their faces.

He glared at the storyteller in front of him with an angry look. The sunlight shone on the sword in his hand, emitting a cold glow. At this moment, someone around him suddenly recognized him.

"It's Mr. Jing!"

"That's right! It's Mr. Jing!"

People in the crowd kept recognizing Jing Cong's identity, and some even introduced him to others.

"This is a great ranger! He once single-handedly wiped out all the horse thieves outside a county!"

"That's right, Master Jing killed those bandits outside our county!"

Among those who recognized Jing Cong's identity, there were naturally those who had been saved by Jing Cong. They immediately knelt on the ground with their faces full of emotion and tears. They were deeply moved by Jing Cong's behavior.

There are many knights in the world, but not many of them are willing to speak up for the people.

The anger on Jing Cong's face was suppressed a little by the people around him, but his eyes were still filled with anger.

He stared at the storyteller in the distance: "What kind of hero is Jing?"

Jing Cong laughed somewhat self-deprecatingly, then sighed: "We rangers violated the law with force, and sometimes the imperial court even wanted to encircle and suppress us. Some people even did some heinous things in the name of rangers."

His face was filled with admiration: "All my life, I have wanted to join the army and serve my country, just like General Wei Qing, going to the battlefield and killing the Huns!"

Jing Cong said this and pointed at the storyteller: "But today, I heard someone slander General Wei Qing, saying that he was just a horse slave! How can Jing Cong tolerate this?"

"Today, even if it violates Han law, we must seek justice for General Wei Qing!"

The storyteller was not in a hurry, with a respectful look on his face: "Oh, sir, you really misunderstood, I have evidence for this."

He said proudly: "I know someone who used to be a servant in Princess Pingyang's mansion. He once met this Wei Qing. At that time, Wei Qing was indeed raising horses for the princess. How dare I lie about this?"

When Jing Cong and many other people heard the news, they were all shocked.

Now that this matter involves the royal family, it won't be so easy to end.

Jing Cong's eyes flashed with solemnity: "Could it be that what you said is true? But..."

The storyteller's expression became serious. "In the past, when Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started the uprising, they said, 'Are kings, dukes, generals, and ministers of different species?' Have you forgotten this now, sir?"

"In the past, Emperor Gao was only a village headman in Pei County. He entered the Xianyang Academy and later became the Duke of Pei, and established our great Han Dynasty."

He took a step forward and glared at Jing Cong. At this moment, he seemed to have gained courage and confidence: "What can a horse slave do?"

"Can't a horse slave become a general?"

"Can't we go on the battlefield and kill the enemy?"

"How dare you look down on the heroes of the world!"

When Jing Cong heard this, he was immediately filled with shame. He bowed and said, "It is just as you said, sir. I was reckless."

The storyteller then smiled and continued to tell everyone present the story of "a horse slave who gained the trust of the emperor, was personally selected by the emperor who had a keen eye for heroes, was able to hold an important position, and then fought for the country in the war against the Huns and gained territory."

Such stories about people who came from the common people, or even from the poor, becoming generals, or even having the possibility of being granted a title of nobility in the future, are most loved by the common people at the bottom of society.

Because everyone has the same dream.

Will I be the next Wei Qing?
As for Wei Qing, is he the younger brother of Wei Zifu, the wife in the harem of the current emperor?
This insignificant piece of news was not suitable to be spread at this time. When Wei Qing made great contributions again and truly became a pillar of the Han Dynasty, the story of an emperor getting talented people because of his romanticism quietly appeared again.

The Wei Qing who appeared at that time was not Wei Zifu's younger brother.

The person who appeared in the story at that time was Wei Qing's sister, Wei Zifu.

Although these two sentences seem to have no difference, there is actually a big difference.

Their focus is on Wei Zifu and Wei Qing respectively.

If the focus of this story is on Wei Zifu, then it is about the current emperor's "stupidity", "appointing the brother of the favored woman", and "allowing the power of external relatives to run rampant".

But if the focus of the story is on Wei Qing, then this story is about the current emperor being "the greatest emperor of all time" and "the mind of an emperor". Using Wei Zifu to win Wei Qing's heart is also a favor to Wei Qing!

Weiyang Palace
The "Jing Cong" who had just spoken in the crowd, the storyteller, and the common people who echoed Jing Cong and proved his identity, all knelt in the hall, and people were walking in one after another outside the hall.

A crowd of people knelt in the hall, waiting for the emperor's orders.

Yes.

These people, whether they were playing the good cop or the bad cop, and even some of the "onlookers" were all members of the Embroidered Uniform Messengers. They were ordered to spread Wei Qing's identity and make it public.

After everyone came back, Liu Che waved his hand. He was reading a book in his hand.

"Go down."

His voice echoed in the hall: "Remember to do everything better and don't let any accidents happen." "Yes"

After everyone had left, Liu Che put down the book in his hand, with a hint of solemnity in his eyes.

He didn't know whether what he did was right or not, but he spread Wei Qing's identity in advance to attract the "attention" of everyone in Chang'an City. In this way, no matter what the court thought about this matter, Liu Che would have enough time to deal with it.

Of course, some of the words spread by these embroidered robe messengers were truly the emperor's thoughts.

For example, the sentence "Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers born into a certain class?"

These people certainly cannot be appointed only by those from wealthy families. After all, if this continues, won’t the emperor gradually lose his power?
Losing power is not a good thing for an emperor.

As for this sentence involving the emperor?
Is it involved?
He said, what do kings, princes, generals and ministers have to do with the emperor?

The emperor is the emperor, and all the kings, princes, generals and ministers are appointed by the emperor. As long as the emperor is willing, they can be mass-produced.

Liu Che raised a faint smile and put the book in his hand on the table: "It's time, it's time to change everything."

In his hand he held a book called "Chen Zi Quotations", which recorded every word and deed of Chen Ye back then. When Chen Shen was recording these, he also recorded some remarks that seemed a bit "heretical".

Later, after the First Emperor unified the world, he actually wanted to burn the book, but in the end, whether out of respect for the Chen family or for some other reason, he did not burn the book and even allowed it to continue to circulate.

However, Liu Che saw the "ambition" in this book.

He slightly changed Chen Ye's "ambition", making it more like a product of this era, that is, "everyone is equal under the imperial power" and "under the imperial power, are there any special breeds of kings, princes, generals and ministers?"

Liu Che took the emperor out, placed him on top of everyone's head, and then used Chen Ye's "Quotations".

He had a preliminary idea of ​​his own conception in his mind.

Thinking of this, there was a slight smile on the corner of his mouth.

All the theories in this world should be used by the emperor and serve him, whether it is Confucianism or political science, whether it is the Chen family or other noble families, or the people of the world.

Liu Che stood up, and his figure looked extremely tall.

The sunlight from behind shone in, as if to illuminate all the darkness. The sunlight hit Liu Che's face, half of his cheek was in the sunlight and the other half was in the shadow.

This is the Emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Che.

The news that Wei Qing was born in the mansion of Princess Pingyang and was originally a horse slave spread quickly in the city of Chang'an, and everyone knew about it, whether they were the common people or the wealthy.

But there was no news at all in the palace.

People began to discuss whether this matter was true or false.
Of course - because of the series of conversations between Jing Cong and the storyteller, people were not so resistant to the identity of "horse slave".

In the second year of Jianyuan, in June, another major event occurred.

At a banquet, Princess Pingyang, perhaps drunk, admitted Wei Qing's identity as a horse slave when asked, but she did not admit everything.

While drunk, Princess Pingyang told everyone the truth.

Wei Qing was originally born into a military family and was indeed a commoner at first. After his parents died of illness, the young Wei Qing had no choice but to sell himself as a slave in the Princess's mansion in order to bury his parents.

However, the princess was moved by Wei Qing's filial piety and did not register him as a slave.

Just let Wei Qing raise horses.

Wei Qing himself requested this job, saying, "Since I have sold myself as a slave, how can I accept the princess's money for no reason?"

So I asked for a job that was relatively dirty and tiring.

When she was moved, the princess even shed tears, her face full of excitement. She even said loudly that Wei Qing was devoted to the country and had made great contributions this time. She would like to lead the horse for Wei Qing in person as a princess!
If anyone mentions in the future that Wei Qing was a horse slave in the Princess's Mansion, then they would be making an enemy of the Princess's Mansion and the Liu family!
Once this rumor came out, it added fuel to the flames of the clamor.

Although the Princess's Mansion supported Wei Qing in this matter, it also proved another thing, that is, Wei Qing was really a horse slave in the past!

Everyone could see that the eldest princess' clarification and the final act of leading the horse were just attempts to cover up Wei Qing's past.

But people were not discouraged, but became even more excited.

Many truly capable people in the world are looking excitedly in the direction of Chang'an City. They want to serve the country and serve the emperor!
Because they discovered that now is different from the time of the previous emperor, or even the time of Emperor Wen. As long as one is truly capable, even a horse slave can gain the trust and reuse of the emperor!
What about them?

Their identities are still Chinese citizens and they are of good nationality.

Aren't their status higher than Wei Qing's?
In an instant, the world was boiling.

Jianghou Mansion

Zhou Yafu sighed and said softly, "Your Majesty is really calculating, completely different from the late emperor."

Yes, it is different.

The late emperor was kind and merciful, and although he had some calculations, he was not so cruel.

"Think of change, think of change."

Zhou Yafu sighed: "Is it time to retreat?"

The second year of Jianyuan, late summer.

A heavy rain washed the city of Chang'an clean, as if welcoming Wei Qing's arrival.

The news coming from the palace made the people even more excited.

The emperor said, how could he let his own sister do something like leading Wei Qing's horse?

He will personally lead the horse for Wei Qing!
Outside the city of Chang'an, all officials were waiting, and the emperor himself was standing in the front waiting.

When Wei Qing's army arrived, they saw the young emperor standing at the city gate, and he immediately dismounted.

Liu Che laughed and held Wei Qing down, taking the reins of the horse under him.

He looked into the distance and laughed, with a hint of recklessness in his voice.

"General Wei."

"Although we have won a great victory this time, the actions of the Xiongnu have angered me."

"I just want to ask you one thing."

"The enemy can go, can I go too?"

(End of this chapter)