My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 258 Am I wrong?
Liu Rong was not sure how many emperors in Chinese history had personally visited people in prisons.

But certainly not much.

At least in this era, in the current Han Dynasty, it is still an incredible thing for the emperor to visit the Tingwei Prison and specifically meet a prisoner detained in the prison.

Especially from Han Anguo's point of view, Liu Rong's intention was completely unpredictable.

——Adding insult to injury?
Han Anguo thought he had some self-awareness and knew that he was such a small character that there was no need for Liu Rong to come to the Tingwei Prison and add insult to injury.

To put it bluntly, even if Liu Rong wanted to kill Han Anguo, he would never do it himself.

The reason is simple - it's just a loss of status.

If it's not about adding insult to injury, then it should be the matter of Han Anguo being imprisoned, and perhaps there is room for mediation.

But when he thought about it this way, Han Anguo found it even more strange.

If this is the case, it seems that Liu Rong still has no need to go there in person;

Just send a palace official, or even a eunuch nearby, to announce the decree and take the person out.

But Liu Rong did not hesitate to lower his status to this point, just to come and see Han Anguo, a "foreign minister"?
Especially, Han Anguo, who had worked for Liang Xiao Wang Liu Wu and made great contributions to his fight for the throne...

"The last time I saw Lord Changru was in the first year of Emperor Xiaojing's reign, right?"

The long silence was finally broken by Liu Rong's slightly emotional reminiscence;

Han Anguo was kneeling inside the wooden fence. He looked up at the sound and saw Liu Rong sitting on a wooden chair outside the fence with a relaxed look on his face. One of his hands was even supported on the armrest of the chair with his elbow, which was quite inappropriate. His hand was also raised to his mouth, and he gently rubbed his jaw with the tip of his index finger.

"Back then, the Empress Dowager did not hesitate to fast, forcing Emperor Xiaojing to disobey the rules of his ancestors and allow Uncle Liang to attend the funeral."

"At that time, the one who followed Uncle Liang and gave him advice was Lord Changru?"

"Um……"

"If I remember correctly, Lord Changru was only a senior official at that time?"

Changru is Han Anguo's courtesy name.

Unlike most eras in later generations: In the Han Dynasty today, not everyone has a courtesy name, and people are not used to addressing each other by their courtesy names.

Liu Rong kept calling him Chang Ru Gong - and he used the ambiguous honorific "Gong" as well, which made Han Anguo even more confused.

After thinking for a while, he realized that Liu Rong was starting the topic by talking about the struggle for the throne between King Xiao of Liang and Liu Wu, and he immediately had some guesses.

——It's just to embarrass people~
He kept calling him Chang Ru Gong, which was clearly a mockery of him for helping King Xiao of Liang in the fight for the succession, but in the end not only did Liu Rong sit on the throne, but even Han Anguo himself fell into Liu Rong's hands.

If it were someone else, Han Anguo would have to show off his Liu Han character. Even if he didn't fight, he would at least walk away and say something harsh like "You boy are not worthy of being my advisor."

But after all, he was in front of the emperor, especially since he was still in prison. Han Anguo thought for a moment, and finally lowered his head with a little humiliation.

"Of course."

"Back then, the second and third princes, now known as the Princes of Hejian and Linjiang, were sent by Your Majesty to be with the late king and me respectively."

"——The former king loved literature and poetry. Even though I repeatedly advised him against it, he still fell into Hejian's trap."

"Fortunately, no disaster occurred;"

"At least the late king never said anything he shouldn't have said in front of He Jian..."

Seeing Han Anguo being so open and not at all ashamed of what he had done in the past, Liu Rong couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

This is the biggest difference between the current Han Dynasty and later dynasties.

——In later generations, loyalty to the Son of Heaven and the Emperor is an iron rule that cannot be negotiated, and it is even the way of heaven!

But in this era, the ministers talked about eating the emperor's food and being loyal to the emperor, and a wise bird chooses a tree to roost in.

Take Han Anguo for example: You, King Liang Liu Wu, respect me, give me a salary, and give me a stage to display my talents. Even if you want to go against the emperor, I will definitely help you!

Today, King Liu Wu of Liang has long since returned to dust, and Han Anguo has fallen into the hands of Liu Rong, who is also not shy about his actions.

The reason is simple, each serves his own master.

"Chang Ru's words are a bit too much."

Outside the wooden fence, Liu Rong still looked relaxed and carefree, as if he was chatting with a friend;
As soon as he said this, under Han Anguo's suspicious gaze, he did not blush or feel nervous, and said: "The King of Xiao likes prose and poetry, and Hejian likes scriptures - even now, this is still well known to the world."

"King Xiao and Hejian became good friends through literature, and the relationship between uncle and nephew was close, which became another good story among the people."

"——I heard that even at his deathbed, Prince Xiao still felt extremely regretful for not being able to see Hejian again."

"When Emperor Xiaojing was still alive, even Hejian would often mention Prince Xiao's literary talent to me, and regarded him as a close friend regardless of age difference."

···
"Mr. Changru, you have been so absorbed in your schemes for so long that you have become obsessed with it."

"Even such pure friendship can be understood by Lord Changru as a scheme and strategy;"

"How can it not be judging a gentleman by one's own mean character?"

The inexplicable and sarcastic words made Han Anguo feel annoyed for no reason. However, he couldn't vent his anger, so he could only turn his body to the side with a stern face and sulk on his own.

We are all thousand-year-old foxes, what are you talking about with me?
It’s a pure friendship, a friendship that transcends age differences!

Why did you go early?
Just as Prince of Liang Liu Wu was about to seize the throne, you, the second son of the emperor, Liu De, came right up and wanted to exchange literary works with Prince of Liang Liu Wu?
It would be fine if it was just you, but the third prince also appeared next to Han Anguo, and shamelessly insisted on making friends with Han Anguo, and you can't drive him away?
It can only be said that Liu Rong's defense still needs to be carefully polished even if it wants to fool a three-year-old child.

But after thinking about it carefully, Han Anguo was stunned again.

Liu Rong, what exactly are you going to do?
First, he was imprisoned for the crime of "discussing marriage without authorization", and then he came to the cell in person, but all he talked about was these irrelevant gossips...

As a politician, Han Anguo certainly knew that Liu Rong's visit was definitely not to chat with him.

But after thinking for a long time, Han Anguo still felt that he could not see through Liu Rong.

At least he couldn't see what Liu Rong was thinking at the moment, nor the intention implied in his words just now.

Unable to hide his hesitation, he raised his head, only to see Liu Rong looking at him meaningfully, as if he wanted to see through his soul, as if he wanted to express something to him...

"Your Majesty is coming soon, isn't it for something from the past?"

"Especially, it's something that has already passed and is meaningless."

Unable to guess Liu Rong's intention for the time being, Han Anguo could only wait and see.

However, he did not forget to take this opportunity to implicitly tell Liu Rong that he had "let go of the past."

——At this moment, I am still imprisoned in the Tingwei Prison!
Although he was not sure what was going on in the court of Chang'an at the moment, Han Anguo had some vague guesses from the reaction of the jailer Tian Jia just now.

Empress Dowager Dou of the Eastern Palace may still be noble;

But the good days when one could just send a minor official or even a doorman to deliver a letter to Empress Dowager Dou simply by using the title of "Liang Nei Shi" are probably gone forever.

As for Empress Dowager Dou's extra-palace office: Princess Guantao Liu Piao, it is very likely that she has lost her power!

Although this speculation was too shocking, Han Anguo had to admit that if Liu Rong really reached some kind of compromise with Empress Dowager Dou of the Eastern Palace based on something, then Princess Guantao Liu Piao might not be the point where Empress Dowager Dou chose to make concessions.

It is true that Princess Guantao Liu Piao's position in Empress Dowager Dou's heart was indeed transcendent to a certain extent;

Especially after the death of King Liu Wu of Liang and the former Emperor Liu Qi, Empress Dowager Dou of the Eastern Palace must have valued this only surviving child even more than before.

But the new emperor Liu Rong also "valued" Liu Piao. It can even be said that the more Empress Dowager Dou valued and loved Liu Piao, the more Liu Rong feared and could not tolerate this aunt.

Under this premise, Han Anguo no longer has any connections he can use in Chang'an.

In the past, there was a Tian Fen and the Changling Tian family behind him.

But now - after Liu Rong ascended the throne, such connections are more like evidence of guilt than connections...

"Back then, Uncle Liang had Changru's help, which also allowed me to get a few nights less sleep..."

With a self-deprecating smile, Liu Rong implicitly acknowledged the talents Han Anguo had shown during the struggle for the throne with Prince of Liang Liu Wu, and brought the topic back on track.

But when Liu Rong asked Han Anguo in a serious tone why he knowingly committed a crime and mentioned the marriage again, Han Anguo's temperament suddenly changed!
If Han Anguo had faced Liu Rong before, he was half humble as a prisoner and half suspicious of Liu Rong's intentions;
At that moment, Han Anguo's whole body was filled with awe-inspiring dignity.

"Your Majesty, don't you agree with what I said?"

"In the next twenty years, the Han Dynasty must not abolish the marriage system, and must not engage in a major war with the Xiongnu and northern barbarians. Isn't this an obvious fact?"

"Your Majesty was personally chosen by Emperor Xiaojing, the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and the crown prince who was carefully cultivated for many years."

"Does it need a minister like me, a foreign official with limited knowledge and mediocre talents, to remind you of such a simple fact in this prison?"

Talking about business, Liu Rongzi put away his previous lazy attitude of watching a good show.

He stood up slightly, his expression became serious, and the look he gave Han Anguo became even more solemn.

However, he did not rush to interrupt, but stretched out his hand and made a "please" gesture, indicating Han Anguo to continue.

Han Anguo took a deep breath and said with a sad face: "In the sixth year of Emperor Taizu Gao, Maodun Chanyu of the Xiongnu attacked the border in large numbers. Han Wangxin was afraid before the battle and turned against his side in the battle. "

"Emperor Taizu was furious and led the army in person. Although he recovered most of the border counties lost by Qin, he was still besieged at Baideng."

"After the war, the Emperor Taizu Gao first proposed a marriage alliance, and even wanted to marry his own daughter, Princess Lu Yuan, in exchange for peace on the Han-Xiongnu border."

"If it weren't for Empress Dowager Lu's desperate resistance, the Han Dynasty's system of marriage would not have been to marry off daughters of the royal family - instead, it would have been the ancestral system of marrying off the eldest princess as early as during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao..."

As he spoke, Han Anguo's face became even more sad, and his eyes were filled with humiliation and anger.

People in later generations often say: Soldiers and generals who have actually been on the battlefield and know the cruelty of it are the ones who most advocate peace and oppose war.

The same goes for Han Anguo.

Precisely because he knew how powerful the Huns were and that the chances of a decisive victory were too low at this time, Han Anguo firmly believed that marriage was the only option for the Han Dynasty in the past twenty years.

On the contrary, those Confucian scholars who have never been to the battlefield and don't even understand the specific situation, talk big all day long, saying things like "the king's army is invincible" and "the Huns are just chickens and dogs, there is nothing to be afraid of".

If it were three or five years ago, when Liu Rong heard Han Anguo's remarks, even if the late emperor was not present, he would have to praise him: Han Changru, the Internal History of Liang, is truly a minister who is devoted to the country!
But now, Liu Rong doesn't think so.

"Changru, do you know how long it has been since Emperor Taizu Gao was trapped in the siege of Baideng?"

"How long has it been since the Han dynasty first entered into an alliance with the Xiongnu?"

Seeing that Han Anguo had no intention of continuing to elaborate, Liu Rong took over the conversation;

He asked two questions and answered them himself without waiting for Han Anguo to speak: "Since the sixth year of Emperor Taizu Gao, when the Han-Xiongnu Battle of Pingcheng lasted for fifty years!"

"Fifty years, Chang Ru knows, what does it mean?"

"Do you know what these fifty years mean to our Han family?"

Liu Rong's sudden serious tone naturally made Han Anguo startled;
Liu Rong took a deep breath and said with a very serious expression: "For men in our Han family, when they are twelve or thirteen years old, they get married, when they are fourteen or fifteen years old, they have children and they start to teach them;"

"At twenty, one is crowned; at thirty, one is strong; at forty, one is old; at fifty, one is dead."

"——That being said, how many people can live to be fifty?"

"At least among all the previous emperors of the Han Dynasty, except Emperor Taizu Gao, no one else could live to fifty."

"As for the common people - unless they are from a wealthy family and have never had to worry about food and clothing since childhood, otherwise, if they can have a complete set of teeth by the age of 35, they are already very lucky."

"Fifty years old is the age that most people dream of living to..."

···
"So what do the past fifty years mean?"

"——It means that in the sixth year of the Han Dynasty, when the Han and Xiongnu fought a decisive battle in Pingcheng, the people who were already alive, even those who were born that year, were already fifty years old."

"In other words: the vast majority of Han people who experienced the Han-Xiongnu Battle of Pingcheng have been buried in peace."

"Their son is getting old;"

"Their grandsons have also married and had children, and have grown up."

"Their great-grandchildren have even come into this world..."

Liu Rong said this in an extremely serious tone, not forgetting to take a breath. He raised his head and stared deeply into Han Anguo's eyes.

Seeing that Han Anguo still did not look thoughtful, Liu Rong did not hesitate any longer and said, "I have heard that a person can only remember what he has experienced when he is about three or four years old."

"That is to say, the Han people who experienced the Battle of Pingcheng and the first marriage between Han and Xiongnu - even the youngest ones, have passed away;"

"Their sons probably heard about that incident from their fathers."

"Their grandchildren may still be able to hear from their fathers and grandfathers about the past that was a source of shame for the people of Zhuxia."

···
"What about their great-grandchildren?"

"Do the children who are being born, or are already babbling or learning to walk, know that there was a battle of Pingcheng between the Han and Xiongnu?"

"Do you know that the marriage between the Han and Xiongnu began after the Battle of Pingcheng?"

At the end, Liu Rongzhijin frowned and shook his head with a look of sorrow.

"will not."

"As the saying goes: The kindness of a gentleman will be cut off after five generations."

"——Fifty years, three generations, is enough for all Han people to forget the word 'marriage alliance'. It originated from the Battle of Pingcheng between Han and Xiongnu."

"They would think that marriage alliances are destined by heaven and have existed since the beginning of time, after the chaos."

···
"They will think this is the way of heaven..."

"Fifty years will be enough for everyone in the world to believe that marriage is the inescapable fate of the Han people—and even the people of other countries."

"What about next?"

"Since marriage is destiny, is being weak also destiny?"

"We cannot fight the Xiongnu. If we fight, we will definitely lose. We absolutely cannot fight. We must marry the Xiongnu. Will this also become the 'destiny' of our Han family? Will it become the destiny that millions of Han people have never thought about, but have accepted by default?"

Having said this, Liu Rong finally stood up from the wooden chair that obviously did not belong to this era.

Standing outside the wooden fence, with his hands behind his back, he looked down at Han Anguo in the cell;

After a long while, he finally uttered a sentence: "Lord Changru, do you still think that I was wrong?"

(End of this chapter)