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

Chapter 324 Caged Bird

Liu Ju shook his head slightly.

In fact, the current political situation is very stable.

His mother was the empress, and she had remained in the emperor's favor for decades. Even though she was old and ugly now, the emperor's love for the empress had not diminished in the slightest. In fact, in the eyes of those who cared, the empress's position was more stable now than before.

Even when the queen was extremely beautiful, she probably wasn't favored like this.

Because the emperor has become accustomed to the existence of the queen and has classified the emperor as one of "his own people".

Don't underestimate the scope of your own people.

For the current emperor, talent is a truly difficult category to enter.

Did Madam Li, who died two years ago, fall into the category of the emperor’s “own people”?

In fact, in Liu Ju's view, Lady Li had become half of Liu Che's personal acquaintance, but Lady Li was already dead. Was a dead person still important to the emperor? Important.

But are the dead more important than the living?
Have.

but--

The dead are more important than the living because this person is already dead. It does not mean that the emperor's favor to her will involve other people. On the contrary, the emperor will express immense "hatred" towards her relatives.

It would be fine if her relatives were unknown, but if this person's relatives were still alive, would the emperor let them be unknown?
The emperor would transfer his love for this person to his relatives.

Is this a good thing?
No, this is not a good thing, or rather, it is not only not a good thing, but it is a huge bad thing.

The emperor's favor always comes and goes quickly. If that person is still alive, he can naturally generate new love continuously, like a pool of living water with a spring. But when that person dies - the water is dead.

The water poured out like love, leaving only the mud that was about to show at the bottom of the pool.

At this point, if the favored person suddenly stopped, was very sensible, and willingly became an ordinary person, the emperor's stagnant favor might still allow this family to maintain its prosperity for a while.

But people are always so unsatisfied.

Thinking of this, Liu Ju sighed slowly and shook his head helplessly.

Li Guangli, the brother of the deceased Madam Li, was really too ignorant, even to a certain extent.

He lowered his head and looked at his son beside him and said, "Do you remember the incident a few days ago when Li Guangli spoke rudely to Marquis Guanjun at the banquet?"

Liu Jin was slightly stunned, then nodded: "I know."

"But didn't my father scold Li Guangli at that time? And my grandfather also picked it up high and put it down low."

Liu Ju sneered: "A general should not be better than Wei Huo, and a family should not be better than Guandu. Do you know the status of Marquis Guanjun in your grandfather's heart? If you knew, you would not say such a thing."

"When Li Guangli made the decision to challenge Guanjun Hou, his death was already determined. It was just a matter of dying early or late, or even when he would die."

Liu Ju's eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment: "I have been feeling uneasy these past few days."

"Go to Ganquan Palace and show filial piety to your grandfather on my behalf."

Liu Jin bowed and saluted, then said softly, "Yes."

"Don't worry, father. I will take good care of you."

Liu Ju waved his hand and put the pen on the table, with a hint of sadness in his brow.

Footsteps sounded outside the hall, and Chen Ming walked in, looking very gentle. She asked someone to put the medicine aside, and sat down next to Liu Ju: "How did it come to this?"

"You don't have to worry so much."

Liu Ju held Chen Ming's hand and whispered, "I'm wondering what my father is thinking."

"Li Guangli, Jiang Chong, Madam Gou Ge, and Liu Fuling."

"I always feel like there is a big net slowly opening up, waiting for me to enter."

He closed his eyes and leaned slightly against Chen Ming. "Madam, I am already this old, and Jin'er is also growing up. I haven't even taken that position yet, but I can feel the threat from my young son, not to mention my father."

There was a hint of helplessness on Liu Ju's lips.

"Our father, what kind of person is he?"

"Even a man as talented and ambitious as my father-in-law was willing to serve under my father. Not to mention my uncle and two cousins, who are both extremely talented. When this huge empire was handed over to my father, the Huns still dared to try. Although the kings were honest, they all had their own ideas."

"And now?"

"My father has been on the throne for more than 30 years. All the people in the world have submitted to him. I heard that the Huns have been driven to Europe and continue to serve him as his vanguard. The Han Dynasty's reputation in the Western Regions has reached an unprecedented level."

Liu Ju felt tired in his eyes and body.

"do you know?"

"Some time ago, I thought about setting up the Western Regions Protectorate to completely consolidate the Han Dynasty's control over the Western Regions. The area I drew is larger than what my father wanted to draw back then, but the Western Regions countries dared not react at all."

"They even wrote to the emperor, asking him to know that they were willing to do so sincerely."

"What about the kings of the world?"

"A few days ago, my father even said that he fell because the King of Yan was resentful, so he was reminded by the immortals and gods, and therefore he wanted to reduce half of the King of Yan's fiefdom."

Liu Ju's voice was filled with silence: "God knows how ridiculous I felt when I saw this reason, but the King of Yan actually wrote a letter to confess his crimes and willingly handed over half of his fiefdom. He even knelt outside the royal city facing Chang'an for three days and three nights to atone for his sins!"

"It's not just the King of Yan. Which of the kings of the Han Dynasty is not like this now?"

"In my grandfather's time, the King of Wu even dared to report a rebellion. What about now? All these great countries are lying in wait for death, and trying to have as many sons as possible."

Liu Ju slowly recovered his strength while complaining.

This was his unique way of "recharging" himself, completely relaxing himself in front of his Crown Princess and saying things that he could not say.

"Why give birth to more sons? Isn't it because when they are gone, the Emperor's Enfeoffment Order can play the greatest role???"

"Prince Liang is even more outrageous."

This King of Liang was no longer the King of Liang who had fought with his grandfather and his father for the throne, but he was as intelligent as that King of Liang later on.

"He even asked the imperial physician in the kingdom to find a way to have more children. He already has more than 30 children!"

"At this rate, the territory carved out from his fiefdom will be barely larger than that of a "county marquis"!"

Chen Ming listened to Liu Ju's complaints, and the gentle expression on his face did not disappear at all, but became even softer: "Isn't this a good thing for us?"

"Why are you sighing?"

Liu Ju sat up straight, his spirit had calmed down a lot. "It's not that I don't want to see the Han Dynasty stabilized, but I am worried about my father."

He was helpless: "Father first favored my fourth brother, and then favored my sixth brother. Li Guangli was also confused by Father's "favor", but he did not see the danger!"

How smart is Chen Ming?

She understood what was going on at once, and said in astonishment, "You mean, whether it's favoring the fourth brother, the sixth brother, or even the favoring of Li Guangli, it was all intentional by the emperor?"

Liu Ju nodded.

Chen Ming frowned: "Your Majesty's favor for my husband has not disappeared, but has become even stronger. Even now that His Majesty is living in Ganquan Palace to recuperate, most of the affairs of the court have been handed over to you. What do you have to worry about?"

"But I really don't understand why your Majesty does this."

Liu Ju's eyes filled with more tears. He shook his head and sighed, "Father was trying to protect me."

"You should know that even when I watched my son grow up, become the crown prince and start to get involved in the government affairs, I felt a little jealous. This is the uncontrollable envy of the elderly for the young."

"That's exactly what my father did."

"But my father is more powerful than me. He is powerful enough to control this kind of "envy"."

"My father set up a scheme. He favored Liu Fuling and Liu Yan, so that the ministers in the court could not see the direction clearly, so that Liu Yan and Liu Fuling could have the power to fight against me, so as to balance the "power imbalance" between me and him."

In the original trajectory, no one knew what the emperor was thinking, and the aging Liu Che also did not want to express his thoughts. He wanted his son to know his thoughts.

However, according to the original trajectory, the final outcome was that the son did not know the father, and the father did not know the son.

It was different this time. Whether it was Huo Qubing, Wei Qing, or even Chen Qulu, Chen Wushi and others in the court, these four people could guess the emperor's intentions. With these four people and Chen around, the prince was not worried that his throne would be threatened.

On the one hand, someone hinted at it, and on the other hand, there was no demon in his heart. How could Liu Ju not see the sincerity hidden in it?

Chen Ming fell into silence again.

She sighed quietly and said, "This is a good thing for both my father and my husband."

"only."

She held Liu Ju's hand: "I understand what you mean."

Liu Ju had tears in his eyes. In fact, if he really could not leave Ganquan Palace, he would even be willing to go directly to Liu Che's side to serve.

"My father thought a lot about me, but the only thing he didn't consider was his own feelings."

"Fourth brother and sixth brother are both my children. Could it be that these two really fight and do something rebellious? Wouldn't my father be sad?"

"Now my father's health is not as good as before. If these two people really encounter rebellion, I am afraid that my father's health will be in danger."

The grief in Liu Ju's heart was real because he firmly believed that his father loved him.

His wife beside him is the best proof of this.

The daughter of Chen and the son of Liu, if these two people were together, it would be impossible even if the emperor wanted to take action.

Ganquan Palace
Liu Che sat on the bed like a fading tiger, with a tired and sleepy look on his face. He listened to the report of the embroidered-robed envoy below the stage, feeling a little dazed.

"Did the prince really say that?"

The messenger in embroidered clothes nodded slightly and recounted the conversation between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Then he stopped and waited for Liu Che's instructions.

Liu Che closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating.

"Prince!"

This long sigh echoed in the hall, and then Liu Che asked: "How is Li Guangli doing?"

"What about the Sixth Prince?"

The embroidered robed messenger continued to answer like an emotionless robot: "Jiang Chong has been buried next to Li Guangli and the Sixth Prince, and according to your wishes, he only said a few words without any excessive provocation."

"Li Guangli seems to have been persuaded and is preparing to send a message to the palace to contact the Fourth Prince. Madam Gou Ge in the palace also seems to have made some moves and is preparing to catch the cicada in the process."

Liu Che nodded: "Go ahead."

"Do everything carefully."

The candles in the hall kept burning, illuminating the hall as if they were igniting life. Some bronze candlesticks reflected Liu Che's dazed face.

The emperor is really old.

In Chang'an City
Marquis Changxin, also known as Li Guangli, was uneasy at first because he was testing the emperor.

What kind of person is the current emperor?
Is it something that ordinary people can test?

But the result of his test made him very excited. Not only did the emperor not get angry with him for provoking the Marquis of Guanjun, but he raised it high and put it down gently. The favorite minister "Jiang Chong" who followed the emperor was also contacting him.

Jiang Chong's reason was simple. Neither the Crown Prince nor Chen liked a cruel official like him, so it was impossible for him to join the Crown Prince's camp.

So when the prince ascended the throne and lost the emperor's protection, his fate was obvious.

Jiang Chong took the initiative to state that he could be a knife in the hands of the new emperor and even help the fourth prince become emperor. Li Guangli naturally could not agree to what Jiang Chong asked for, after all, he was neither a prince nor an emperor.

But Liu Xun can.

So, at Liu Xun's suggestion, Li Guangli told Jiang Chong about this matter.

Jiang Chong officially surrendered to Liu Ju, and the first idea he came up with for Liu Ju was to launch the "Witchcraft Disaster" so as to completely make Liu Ju lose his favor and even completely eliminate all the forces of the Crown Prince's lineage!
Of course, although Li Guangli was stupid, he was not that foolish. He said that the prince and Chen were relatives, so what would happen if Chen asked for help?

Jiang Chong’s answer was even simpler.

The Crown Princess is the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince. The Crown Princess is a daughter of the Chen family, but a daughter of the Chen family is not necessarily the Crown Princess.

The plan he designed seemed simple, with only a few steps, but once implemented it would be irreversible and the possibility of failure was extremely high.

The first step: to sow discord between the Crown Prince and the Crown Grandson - all it takes is a beauty to make the Crown Prince lose his mind due to lust and make the Crown Princess lose the Crown Prince's favor, and the Crown Grandson will naturally be anxious.

Step 2: Deceive the Crown Princess and tell her that she is willing to support the Crown Prince to ascend the throne, bypassing the Crown Prince.

Third: Creating witchcraft and using the stories of gods and ghosts to deceive the emperor, and planning a witchcraft tragedy to kill the prince.

Fourth: Stir up relations between Chen and the Crown Prince, and then make the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince lose Chen's help, and then support the Fourth Prince to ascend the throne.

Simple, straightforward and clear.

(End of this chapter)