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

Chapter 319 Liu Che's Footsteps

The long river of time keeps fluctuating, and this fluctuation makes people feel depressed.

But from Chen Ye's perspective, these so-called fluctuations were nothing more than some unnecessary struggles of fate.

Fate wanted to revise the changed history, but all the people in the Chen family were rewriting history again. At the very beginning, fate, or the illusory historical rut, did not take the Chen family seriously.

In his eyes, the Chen family is nothing more than one of the countless ants who want to change history.

So at the beginning, the fate of Duke Xiao, King Huiwen, and even King Zhaoxiang were successfully changed by the Chen family, and the Chen family did not pay enough price.

When the course of history reached the time when the Qin State was unified and had become the Qin Dynasty, history once again cast its gaze upon the country. It saw the role of the Chen family and realized how "powerful" the Chen family was.

But at this moment, in the eyes of fate, Chen was just a stronger ant.

Those ants who try to change history, change their destiny, and become stronger.

Fate secretly gave a part of the "price".

At what cost?
The price was that emperors of all dynasties began to suspect the Chen family, especially starting from the First Emperor. The emperors' suspicion never ended, and even intensified. This is also the control of fate over the human world.

If "destiny" is too exaggerated and too mysterious, it is better to call it "the corrective power of history."

There is a very interesting theory in physics or philosophy.

You can't change anything in the past because history cannot be modified.

This is a definite answer.

Now, what force determines the emphasis in this answer that “history cannot be changed”?

Isn’t it just “fate” or the so-called “corrective force of history”?

If you want fantasy, there are some fantasy statements; if you want history, there are some historical statements; if you want materialism, there are some materialism statements. You can choose one that you think is appropriate to believe.

Chen Ye exhaled lightly and looked at the sky above his head.

With a little admiration on his face, he said, "I have finally sat down opposite "history". From now on, I no longer have no other chess pieces in my hands."

In the beginning, Chen Ye’s influence on “history” was actually very small, so he could not use more power in the game with history. But now, with the gradual development of the historical process, Chen Ye can control more and more power.

The Chen family of Guandu, the Zhao family of Shangdang, the Qin family of Guanzhong, and now the Liu family!

The emperor stood next to Chen, symbolizing that the established imperial power and the "human rights" represented by Chen stood together.

The Taichu period, or the reign of Emperor Wu, was the first time that the Chen family and history began to strategize.

There was a twinkle in Chen Ye's eyes.

It's numerous fun to fight the destiny.

He cast his gaze again, and this time it was not just a gaze, but also a fragment of his soul.

Prince An's Palace

Chen Wushi is organizing his theories so that they can influence more people.

However, a sudden drowsiness overwhelmed him, and then he fell into a deep sleep.

A strong light seemed to appear in front of Chen Wu Shi's eyes. Chen Wu Shi opened his eyes, but the scene he saw made him tremble all over.

Any descendant of the "family head line" of the Chen family has heard of a rumor that their ancestor, the great "King Wu of Han, the Great Saint for Safeguarding the Country" has never left this world and has always lowered his eyes to look favorably upon the people living on earth.

Before, although Chen Wu Shi still believed in this rumor, he had never actually seen it and regarded it more as a belief of the Chen family.

now
Chen Wu Shi knelt on the ground subconsciously, with an extremely pious starlight in his eyes.

"The ninth-generation eldest son of the Chen family, honored to meet the ancestor."

"May our ancestors live forever and enjoy endless happiness..."

The peach blossoms around kept flying and falling to the ground, but Chen Ye just smiled, waved his hand gently and helped Chen Wu Shi up.

Even in the Peach Blossom Spring, he could not tell Chen Wu Shi more for the time being.

So he just smiled and said softly: "No need to be so polite."

Chen Ye's eyes were calm. He looked at Chen Wushi and said, "My struggle against history and your generation is the key."

His voice was gentle, and seemed to contain countless mysteries.

"Teach Liu Ju and Chen Ming seriously. The revisionist nature of history will change some things, but it will never change other things."

When these words were spoken, the entire Peach Blossom Land began to rumble, and countless thunders exploded in the huge river in the sky, as if they wanted to punish Chen Ye who had leaked the secret.

Chen Wu Shi stood there, feeling subconsciously afraid, but Chen Ye's expression remained unchanged. He didn't even glance at the long river that seemed to be raging!

He just looked at Chen Wushi: "Remember."

“Put it in your heart and do it.”

As he spoke, a gust of wind blew by, and Chen Wu Shi fell asleep again.

When Chen Wushi's figure disappeared in this paradise, Chen Ye sneered and looked up at the sky. He just said disdainfully: "Whether it is fate or history, or even the so-called great God, there is no emotion or powerful external force."

"You can only influence some things in history to make history go in the direction you want it to go."

"In that case, don't make loud noises all day long."

Chen Ye closed his eyes again. He was waiting and waiting.

After falling into a deep sleep, this paradise became quiet again. The long river of time above was still flowing, and the sound of thunder in it slowly disappeared.

Both history and Chen Ye are waiting.

Waiting for the years to pass.

An Wangfu
Chen Wushi, who had just woken up from his coma, sat up abruptly with a look of astonishment on his face. Next to him sat his father, the current head of the Chen family - Chen Qiu.

Chen Qiu's face was full of envy.

"Did you see the ancestors?"

Chen Wushi sat there in a daze. He nodded and answered subconsciously, "Yes, I met the ancestor of the King of Han."

Chen Qiu's voice was filled with regret and envy: "Why didn't the ancestors send me a dream? Is there something that you can do but I can't do?"

Chen Wushi seemed to have just woken up from his daze. He looked at Chen Qiu and said, "Father, do you know that this is true?"

Chen Qiu sighed: "In fact, it was when I saw you sleeping in this study that I realized that the rumors in my family were all true. It turns out that my Chen family really has ancestors who are still alive and living in the nine heavens!"

Chen Wu Shi swallowed his saliva. In fact, judging from his previous strategy, he himself did not really believe in this so-called "theory of gods".

So when Chen Wushi saw the mention of the so-called "harmony between heaven and man" in Dong Zhongshu's policy essay, he was disdainful and felt that Dong Zhongshu was really a wild man who actually used these supernatural things to influence the emperor.

But now, Chen Wu Shi, who had seen his ancestors with his own eyes, could no longer say such words.

He could only mutter to himself: "So, death is really not the end of Chen?" The autumn of the second year of Taichu arrived quickly.

After a brief period of decline, people began a new farming life, but Dong Zhongshu always felt something was wrong these days.

He seemed to always see another person when he was giving a lecture, someone who should not have time to watch his lectures, nor should he watch his lectures.

Chen Wushi!
What's more, Dong Zhongshu discovered something that surprised him even more. When Chen Wushi showed up every day to listen to his lectures, it was when he was teaching the two theories of "The Correspondence between Heaven and Man" and "The Divine Right of Kings".

Later, Dong Zhongshu observed carefully and wanted to know what was wrong with Chen Wushi.

The results of observation are even simpler.

Every time Chen Wushi heard it, his face was conflicted, as if he believed it but also as if he didn't want to believe it. However, it seemed as if there was some evidence that made him have to believe it.
This day.

After the lecture, Dong Zhongshu came directly to Chen Wushi with a curious look on his face.

"Brother Ercheng, what's wrong with you these days? Don't you dislike the part about 'Heaven-Man Induction' in my theory the most?"

He looked confused: "When I talked to you in the past, you always said that as a Confucian disciple, I didn't understand what Confucius said about "supernatural powers". But these days..."

Chen Wu Shi's expression was even more complicated. He looked at Dong Zhongshu and sighed. In the end, he said nothing. He just sighed again and left.

The second year of Taichu passed in such days. When winter came, everything in the Han Dynasty seemed to be back on track.

As expected, the emperor, after eliminating all external enemies, began to attack the Han Dynasty from within.

The first butcher knife is called "cutting down the vassal states."

Of course, after going through the stages of Emperor Xiaoren, Emperor Wen, and Emperor Jing, the princes now have the mentality of "I'll just lie down. Anyway, I can't beat the court that's clinging to the Chen family, so why should I struggle?"

After all, from Emperor Xiaoren to the current emperor, there have been three emperors in total, and a total of nearly sixty years.

Have they succeeded once in sixty years?

Even once?
No.

Did they ever come close to failure? Even once?
No.

Have they ever seen any hope, even a tiny ray of hope?
No.

Therefore, when the emperor showed his "cutting down the vassal states" mentality, the princes all responded with an "OK, then you come on."

"I want to see what else you can do."

This attitude also made the imperial court and the emperor very embarrassed. Could the emperor really eliminate all the princes?

Is it possible?
impossible.

Because at this stage, the princes are still needed to stay in the local areas.

The territory of the Han Dynasty was so large that it was impossible for the royal family to control all places by relying on the power of the central court.

Therefore, princes must exist.

Weiyang Palace
The emperor said to Chen Wushi in a speechless manner: "Ercheng, what should we do?"

"I originally thought that after spreading some rumors, I would make these people dissatisfied with the court, and then see if there would be a few kings who would join in the rebellion. In this way, I could reduce the fiefs of some of the kings again."

"But now, under what pretext should I reduce the fiefs of the kings?"

“They are so well behaved!”

"It has even reached the point where even if I were to reduce their fiefdoms for no reason at all, they would agree."

Liu Che held his forehead with his hand. It was precisely because of this situation that he felt it was difficult to reduce the power of the princes.

Otherwise, would he still have a good reputation in history?
Liu Che of this era, this version of Liu Che, still cherished his reputation. After all, he did not build a palace, and after all, he drove away the Huns - although it was his subordinates who did it.

Although he still clung to Chen's thigh.

But no matter what, he made an unprecedented contribution. No matter how many years pass in the future, no matter how dynasties change, his name, Liu Che, must be mentioned.

He, Liu Che, is a legend.

Under the circumstances, how could he be willing to tarnish his almost "perfect" reputation?

Chen Wushi paused for a moment, then whispered, "Your Majesty, do you still remember the dispute between Chao Cuo and Uncle Chen Tuo?"

His face was a little solemn: "At that time, my father took out a memorial from my great grandfather, which contained the countermeasures for today. How about extending the favor?"

Extend favor!

This word finally appeared.

Spring of the third year of Taichu.

The emperor issued an edict, expressing his emotion that he had so many sons and daughters, but he didn't know who to favor.

He even said frankly that he himself had gone through such torture, so what about the princes? He pitied those heirs who had no right to inherit, so he allowed multiple kings to appear in one fiefdom.

However, having multiple feudal kings in a country would affect the rule of the country and its fiefdoms, so the emperor deliberately allowed the establishment of another feudal state within this fiefdom.

Everyone knew that this was an open conspiracy.

But no one of the crowned kings was willing to refuse

How to refuse?

Theoretically, his throne and country should be inherited by his eldest son, but what about his youngest son? What about his other favorite sons?
People are always partial.

The eldest son is always favored more than the youngest son.

so.
In the third year of Taichu, everyone accepted the Enfeoffment Order.

During this year, several kings died, and their vast kingdom began to be divided into several parts.

Many countries that could have competed with the imperial court disappeared just like that.

And this time, no one resisted.

Destiny seemed to be following its predetermined trajectory.

The fourth year of Taichu.

When the spring of that year just arrived, the emperor issued another edict.

The request of King Chen Qiu of An to retire and return to his hometown was granted.

After Chen Qiu returned to Guandu, he began to build the city in Guandu.

In the city of Chang'an, Chen Wu Shi also stepped onto the stage of history and began to show his own strength.

(End of this chapter)