My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 299: My country is small and narrow, not enough to maneuver
The kings were transferred!

Almost immediately after the previous emperor and the kings arrived in Chang'an, this news spread quickly inside and outside the court, and even to the streets and alleys of Chang'an City.

Since it is public opinion, it is inevitable that some strange remarks will appear.

——Some people say that the current emperor, Rong, has just been crowned and is in power, full of fighting spirit. He intends to further promote the "Plan to Reduce the Powers of the Feudal States" which the previous emperor had not yet completed by suppressing the blood of his brothers!
As for the specific measures, it was nothing more than enfeoffing the previous emperor's kings, namely the twelve kings of the previous emperor, such as Hejian, Linjiang, etc., to be kings in small places, and actively requesting the court in Chang'an to extend favors to the princes and vassal sons in accordance with the story of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen's extension of favors to the State of Qi.

Some people also say that the current Emperor Rong fought with the Huns just after he ascended the throne, which made it clear that he wanted to be a martial emperor!
This time, it is highly likely that he will send three or five brothers to the north to provide certain assistance to the Chang'an court in the decisive battle between Han and Xiongnu that is bound to break out in the near future.

Others said that the emperor had just been crowned and was in power, and that his transfer of titles to the kings was an attempt to "rebel" against the previous emperor.

It is said that the current emperor Rong could not bear to see his brothers being granted a county, or even half a county, as kings;

However, during the time of the previous emperor, Liu Rong, who was still the Crown Prince Regent, was not in a position to interfere in such state affairs.

Now that he has become the emperor and holds great power, he will definitely overturn the arrangements made by the previous emperor for his sons and find better places for his younger brothers to be enfeoffed.

Public opinion was heated and discussions were boiling;
Although it did not affect the court or any decision made by Liu Rong, it unsurprisingly attracted the attention of the two empress dowagers of the Eastern Palace, especially Empress Dowager Dou.

Therefore, half a month after the kings returned to pay homage and all arrived in Chang'an, Empress Dowager Dou held a banquet in Changle, the Eastern Palace, to invite the sons of the late emperor, as well as the relatives and maternal relatives of the Liu clan.

In other words: This is a family dinner...

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"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you~"

"I only wish that our emperor will live forever and enjoy eternal happiness~~~"

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"Your subjects, pay homage to the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother~"

"I wish the Empress Dowager good health and peace~~~"

Changle Palace, Changxin Main Hall.

Although it was a family dinner, it was after all a long time since he had left Chang'an. It was the first time in his life that he appeared in a relatively formal political occasion as a political figure other than a prince.

Facing their grandmother Empress Dowager Dou, their stepmother Empress Dowager Li, and their elder brother Emperor Rong who were sitting on the imperial couch, the late emperor and the other kings did not dare to skimp on etiquette and all stood up and bowed deeply.

As for the minor flaw that the kings first bowed to the emperor and then to the East Palace, Empress Dowager Dou did not pay much attention to it. She just smiled and waved her hand, as if she was greeting her grandchildren.

Empress Dowager Li had lived in the harem for many years, and this was the first time she had seen such a grand scene, or rather, the first time she had felt the treatment that a 'legitimate mother' deserved. She smiled so hard that her teeth were showing, and her face showed an indescribable gentleness and kindness.

However, Liu Rong stood up with a smile after his brothers greeted him. He did not put on airs of an emperor at all and bowed to his brothers in a very serious manner.

"The kings have come from afar, and their carriages and horses are exhausted."

"Today, the Empress Dowager is hosting this family banquet to invite all the kings to join in the fun."

"The kings act recklessly and without any taboos..."

As soon as Liu Rong said this, the only serious atmosphere in the hall disappeared.

——The kings act recklessly and without any taboos.

This certainly does not mean that with Liu Rong's words, the kings at the banquet could really be unrestrained and even cause trouble under the influence of alcohol;

Rather, it means that with Liu Rong's permission, people no longer need to use official titles such as "Grand Empress Dowager", "Your Majesty", and "Brother Prince" when chatting and laughing, and can instead use colloquial terms such as "Grandmother Emperor" and "Brother Emperor".

In short: Liu Rong's words were tantamount to permission for this family dinner, which did not need to abide by the etiquette and legal systems of formal political occasions - there was no need to observe the hierarchy between the emperor and his subjects, only the order of seniority.

Since there is no need to abide by the hierarchy between the monarch and his subjects, then for some things, everyone can just use the excuse of "I spoke out of turn after drinking and dared to speak nonsense" and try to say something euphemistically to Liu Rong and the two queen mothers...

"The emperor is absolutely right."

"Since the third year of Emperor Xiaojing's reign, the princes left the capital to become vassals. It has been nearly four years since we last met."

"——According to the ancestral system, the kings should have paid homage to Chang'an last year;"

"Unexpectedly, Emperor Xiaojing passed away, and the kings had to postpone their visit for another year until this year."

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"It's all because of me, a blind old woman, who has watched a baby grow up from a palm-sized baby to a pillar of the ancestral temple and the arm of the country~"

"After several years of separation, he has become my husband!"

"If there is anything that is inconvenient to report to Chang'an on weekdays, or that you dare not tell the emperor, you can speak out today."

"As a grandmother, I dare not say that I can protect all my grandchildren, but I will not sit idly by and watch my grandchildren, the bloodline of the late emperor, live alone in Guandong and lead a hard life that is worse than that of the powerful and wealthy..."

After hearing the old queen mother's words, the kings felt relieved and immediately started to use their brains and organize their words.

It was obvious that before the family dinner, Empress Dowager Dou and Emperor Rong had already discussed the matter with each other.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Empress Dowager Dou to be so open-minded and say: If you have any grievances, just tell me, grandma, don’t be afraid!
At this moment, what other grievances can the kings express?
You are already a royal relative and a vassal king, how can you endure any injustice?
It's just the hot topic nowadays...

"We, your humble servants, have enjoyed the grace of your majesty and the kindness of the Empress Dowager, so we dare not ask for anything."

"Only this time when I entered the court, I also learned about some of the major government policies. Sometimes I have different opinions, but I dare not speak out because of my status."

"——Today, Your Majesty has allowed us to do whatever we want, and the Queen Mother has also granted us the permission to speak freely."

"I, your Majesty, would like to take the liberty of telling you what I have seen about the hidden flaws in the government of our country. Please let the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother know..."

After a while, Liu De, the oldest, wisest and most steady king among all the kings, was the first to step forward.

As soon as Liu De stood up, the other kings understood: the throne of King Zhao might even tempt His Royal Highness the Prince of Hejian, who had been king for only three years but whose reputation spread across Qi and Zhao...

"In the third year of Emperor Xiaojing's reign, the four kings, Liu Bi, King of Wu, Liu Wu, King of Chu, Sui, King of Zhao, and Qi, raised their armies to rebel and bring disaster to the world."

"——This has been called by historians: the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu."

As soon as Liu De opened his mouth, the kings secretly said, "As expected," and then they each raised their wine cups and pretended to taste the wine.
In fact, everyone pricked up their ears to gain some nutrition from the second brother's next speech.

——There are simply not many people here who are qualified to compete for the throne of King Zhao!

Even if we do not consider the special characteristics of Zhao State, which requires the King of Zhao to possess the trait of "absolute trust from the emperor";

Just by the process of elimination, most of the former emperors and kings present here can be eliminated.

The fourth prince, Liu Yu, led politicians to the land of Lu. His fiefdom was not bad, and the land was not small. There was no reason to move his fiefdom.

There are rumors that the fifth brother, King Jiangdu Liu Fei, has already reserved a position as a king guarding the border!
And what about being in a situation?

The border of the fiefdom overlaps with the border of the Han Dynasty, and it borders directly on the Huns. He is the border guard king located at the forefront of the Han and Hun frontiers!

Although it is not known whether it was the already-claimed King of Dai or King of Yan, or a newly-appointed king in Shangjun or Beidijun, it is impossible that it was the King of Zhao who hid south of Yan and Dai to "coordinate the overall situation". The sixth prince, Liu Fa, King of Changsha, was in a similar situation to Liu Yu, King of Lu: he was also a vassal with a politician.

Although the fiefdom was indeed a bit inferior, after all, it was born to a palace maid who was favored by the previous emperor, so his status was really low;

Even if we want to move the blockade from Changsha, there is no room for maneuver.

——Someone has to be the King of Changsha~
If you, Liu Fa, don’t go, who will go?

It is only natural for a prince of the lowest status to be king in the worst place.

The seventh brother, Liu Pengzu, King of Changshan, and the ninth brother, Liu Sheng, King of Zhongshan, were both good at speaking eloquently and harshly, and their mouths were the best in Chang'an.

If Zhao State is really sealed, even if Handan City is turned upside down by this person, I am afraid that with his eloquence, he can turn black into white and death into life.
The younger one is a more decent person, but he is a brother from the same mother after all, and he is somewhat influenced by his elder brother's bullying.

What Zhao State needs is not a non-stick pan that is eloquent and can guarantee that it has nothing to do with the matter even if a hole is poked in the sky.

As for the eighth elder Liu Duan and the tenth younger Liu Zhi, they were the kings of Jiaoxi and Jiaodong respectively.

——The former's physical defects are too serious, and there are obvious hidden dangers of character defects;

The latter was once caught up in the political turmoil of the struggle for succession, and it was really inconvenient for him to control the military power.

As for the three smaller ones, there is basically no difference between enfeoffing them to Zhao State and leaving the throne of Zhao vacant and allowing the Zhao court to operate independently - enfeoffing them is the same as not enfeoffing them.

After eliminating them one by one, they counted on their fingers: the only ones qualified to compete for the throne of King of Zhao were Liu Rong's two brothers from the same mother: Liu De, King of Hejian, and Liu Yu, King of Linjiang.

If the former is not interested, then it is likely to be the latter;
Just looking at the situation, Liu De seems to be determined to fight for the position of King of Zhao?

In this case, who will be the King of Zhao depends entirely on Emperor Rong's consideration.

——If a king of Zhao with qualified political wisdom and steady character is needed, then Liu De should be transferred to the throne;
If you need a puppet who is easy to control, easy to command, more reliable, and does not have much autonomy, then choose Liu Yu.

How to choose depends entirely on what kind of King Zhao Liu Rong needs.

As for Liu De's striving, it was not so much to add bargaining chips for himself, but rather to simply express his position to Liu Rong: Big brother, I am not completely uninterested in the State of Zhao;
Big brother, please don't think that I am not interested and just slap my forehead to transfer the third brother to the title of King of Zhao.

At least consider me, your younger brother. If it doesn't work, just eliminate me...

Unexpectedly, the kings expected that Liu Rong seemed to be listening carefully to Liu De's next words, but in fact, he was just listening symbolically.

——In the end, it was just that during the Wu-Chu Rebellion, the King of Zhao put up a desperate resistance, and the Marquis of Quzhou was forced to flood Handan, causing the people of Zhao to be angry.
Now, three years have passed, and the State of Zhao can no longer be without relatives and vassal kings to suppress the rebellion on behalf of the court in Chang'an.

The words sound nice, but in the final analysis it all comes down to: Me, me, me, me!
I also want to be the King of Zhao!

"What the King of Hejian said is not without reason."

"——Back then, the Marquis of Quzhou was so angry that he diverted the water of the Yellow River, flooding all the fertile fields in Handan, causing great resentment among the people of Zhao. The people complained bitterly."

"The late emperor could not bear to take drastic measures, so he temporarily did not establish a king of Zhao, but let the counties govern the land of Zhao, hoping to adopt a policy of appeasement to calm the people of Zhao."

"Now, three years have passed, and the State of Zhao is no longer in existence. I'm afraid the court should have a good discussion: After the State of Zhao is completely abolished and turned into a county, if there is a war on the north wall, what should be done with the land of Zhao..."

Liu Rong only responded ambiguously to his second brother Liu De's self-recommendation, and then threw the matter to Empress Dowager Dou for consideration.

——When it comes to matters concerning clan princes, whether it is a new title or a transfer, in fact, the Lord of the East Palace has to make the final decision.

If he had been in the past and it concerned the selection of King Zhao, Liu Rong would have been happy to use his "right to advise" and have a good talk with Empress Dowager Dou.

But now, Liu Rong has made up his mind to deprive King Zhao of his wartime command and military autonomy. The once extremely sensitive King Zhao has become a rather leisurely and risk-free high-quality fiefdom.

But the benefits should not be wasted on outsiders.

First, he excluded his other half-brothers on the grounds that 'King Zhao was sensitive';

Then, by reducing the privileges of King Zhao, the threat posed by Zhao to the court in Chang'an could be resolved.

As for which of his two younger brothers would be the lucky one to be named King of Zhao, Liu Rong left it to the old queen mother to worry about it.

——There was only one Zhao State, but Liu Rong had two brothers;
If one of them is granted a title, the other will definitely feel unhappy.

Rather than letting one of my brothers resent me for this, it would be better to let them resent the old queen mother...

"The kings are very interested, but my fiefdom is far away and I have nothing to offer;"

"I wish to dance to liven up the atmosphere and congratulate the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother for a long and happy life, and a long and happy life..."

In the silence, Changsha King Liu Fa timidly spoke, causing everyone in the hall to look at him sideways;

After coming to his senses, it was thought that Liu Fa knew that there was no hope for him to be transferred to a new title, so he did this to please the two empresses dowagers to see if he could get other kinds of compensation or rewards.

With the permission of the two empress dowagers, Liu Fa bowed and then danced in the center of the hall to the accompaniment of elegant palace music.

Soon, Liu Rong discovered something unusual.

——Liu Fa, it seems like he is entangled by something dirty!

Every time he turned around or stretched his arms, Liu Fa felt as if there was an invisible wall on his side. He had to either lift the hem of his robe or hunch his shoulders and turn sideways to avoid it.

At the end, he even pressed his entire upper arms against the sides of his chest, swinging only his lower arms in front of his body;

It seemed as if the feet were nailed to the ground, not moving at all, only taking small symbolic steps on the spot?
Probably realizing Liu Fa's plan, Liu Rong had no choice but to lean back leisurely and watch this show slowly and leisurely.

The rest of the people were frightened by Liu Fa's appearance and were confused.

——This is Changle Palace!

According to legend, during the time of Empress Dowager Lu, Concubine Qi was cut into pieces alive in a palace in Changle Palace!
Liu Fa is like this, could it be...

"Why is Changsha acting so foolishly?"

Finally, Empress Dowager Li, who could no longer hold her temper, asked a question, causing Empress Dowager Dou to frown in confusion.

But in the center of the hall, Changsha King Liu Fa stopped dancing in fear and immediately knelt on the ground!
He said slowly, "My fiefdom is too small and the land is too narrow."

"When I was practicing dancing in Changsha, I didn't dare to turn my body too much, for fear that I would accidentally step out of my own fiefdom, thus violating the rule set by Emperor Taizu Gao that 'no princes should leave their fiefdoms without permission'."

"If this continues for a long time, the dance you practice will inevitably become like this..."

(End of this chapter)