My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 331 The Art of Compromise

"I understand what the emperor means."

"I see……"

As a qualified politician, Empress Dowager Dou naturally understood Liu Rong's true intention.

It was just about the reputation of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, especially the right and wrong of Emperor Taizong's 27 years on the throne, and even the political characterization;
Even though she knew that what Liu Rong said was true, Empress Dowager Dou was still hesitant for a moment.

——Naturally, Empress Dowager Dou had no suspicion that Liu Rong intended to restore the true mausoleum system for the Han family in a way that might damage the reputation of Emperor Taizong.

Again, the same thing;
As the emperor of the Liu family, Liu Rong must be the person in the world who least wants Emperor Taizong's reputation to be damaged, especially his political prestige to be damaged.

Since even Liu Rong, the biggest vested interest, the Han emperor who needed Emperor Taizong's glory and righteousness the most, felt it necessary to adjust the existing Han mausoleum system in this way;
The situation must have really reached the point where it had no choice but to do so.

Liu Rong's next words undoubtedly confirmed this point.

"Grandmother, you should know that during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, it was not just the local tyrants who were forcibly relocated to Changling by the Prime Minister's Office."

"——There is the Tianqi royal family, now the Changling Tian family;"

"There are also the old people and young people from the six kingdoms, and even those after Zhou Dynasty."

"Even the families of the founding heroes and marquises were relocated to Changling Town by Emperor Taizu Gao in the name of 'guarding the emperor's spirit for generations.'"

"Compared to those who were born into royal or marquis families, local tyrants are the least important details that need to be paid attention to."

"Even so, no one in the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao has ever said that after the Han Dynasty implemented the mausoleum town system, there are still local tyrants in the Guandong counties who are rich and powerful and cause trouble to the people."

···
"now what?"

"Grandmother, do you know how many powerful families are there in Guandong today that are too powerful to be eliminated, and even the officials of the counties and states, or even the relatives and princes, cannot do that?"

"How many powerful families are there? Even the imperial court in Chang'an is willing to take action, but we have to be cautious and timid..."

Seeing that Empress Dowager Dou was in a dilemma, Liu Rong did not wait for the Empress Dowager to make a decision, but quickly began to provide evidence for his own judgment.

As expected - when hearing Liu Rong talk about how during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, royal and marquis families often moved to Changling Town, and that there was no problem of powerful local tyrants in Guandong at all, but the current situation was completely the opposite, Empress Dowager Dou immediately showed a look of worry and motioned for Liu Rong to continue.

——Emperor Taizong reigned for twenty-seven years. Whether the world became better or worse is naturally a political question that concerns the lifelong achievements of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen.

But Empress Dowager Dou also understood: Compared with the political characterization of "whether Emperor Taizong was right or wrong" and "whether Emperor Taizong had planted the seeds of disaster for the ancestral temple and the country during his 27 years in power", it is undoubtedly more important to know how serious the problem is and how to solve it.

Regardless of whether Emperor Taizong was right or wrong, and whether he left hidden dangers for the Han family, this is an established objective fact;

If we turn a blind eye to the objective problems or even cover them up in order to maintain the reputation of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, it would be putting the cart before the horse.

Issues like these, which concern the ancestral temple, the country, and the foundation of the nation, cannot be deceived at all.

No matter how those in power try to cover it up or ignore it, the problem is clearly there;

The problem has been solved, the hidden danger has been eliminated, and everything is easy.

However, if we blindly cover up and ignore the existence of problems, or even hold the idea that "the best way to solve a problem is to solve the person who discovered the problem", the final result will only be to follow in the footsteps of the "tyrannical Qin Dynasty".

Therefore, even though this matter concerned the reputation of her late husband, Emperor Taizong Xiaowen Liu Heng, during his lifetime and after his death, Empress Dowager Dou was still full of worries and was willing to listen to Liu Rong continue.

It was precisely because of the rare clarity of Empress Dowager Dou that she exposed the dark world hidden under the prosperous surface to the eyes of the current emperor Liu Rong...

"Xuanqu Renshi, there is no need for your grandson to say more, the Imperial Grandmother also knows something about it."

"——During the Qin Dynasty, Ren was the governor of Qin;"

"During the chaotic period at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Ren family seized the Qin granary and obtained a million shi of grain overnight!"

"Even during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, a stone of rice in Guanzhong was sold for eight thousand coins, and the common people had to trade their children for food to make a living."

"And the fact that a clan, especially a provincial governor with a rank of 1,000 dan, could store a million dan of grain without losing it during the chaotic times at the end of the Qin Dynasty speaks volumes."

Speaking of Xuanqu Ren, even though he had already mastered the art of cultivating his Qi and was no longer the young man who would grit his teeth and glare at anyone, there was still a hint of brutality flashing between Liu Rong's brows.

Just as Liu Rong said: The Xuanqu Ren family, a family that was not even a small shrimp in the Qin Dynasty and was merely an inspector general with a salary of a thousand stones from the Qin court, was able to manage a million stones of grain in the chaotic world at the end of the Qin Dynasty!
Even Liu Bang, the old rogue who was infamous for thousands of years, was helpless against the Xuanqu Ren family. He could only let his troops drool at the Xuanqu Ren family's granary, but he could not even think of anything inappropriate!
Xuanqu Ren Family, why?
How could a small family protect more than one million dan of grain in that chaotic era, when grain was more precious than gold and surrounded by wolves?

A great man in later generations once said: Political power comes from the barrel of a gun.

In fact, the confidence that enabled the Xuanqu Ren family to hold on to the one million shi of grain at the end of the Qin Dynasty was precisely the gun.

——During the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, Queen Mother Mi Yue took part in the game and completely integrated the Yiqu tribe into the Chinese civilization.

A branch of the Yiqiu tribe was settled in the Changshui area by King Zhaoxiang of Qin.

This is the origin of the "Changshui Huqi" that became famous in later generations.

The Changshui Huqi was also the first real cavalry unit that the Qin court possessed after it obtained the Hetao horse-breeding area.

Later, as Qin successively launched wars of annihilation against the six states in the Guandong region, and after unification, it launched wars of expansion against the northern grasslands and southern Lingnan, as well as the suppression of rebellions after the establishment of the Second Emperor, the Changshui Cavalry, which had made great contributions to Qin, gradually disappeared from the vision of Chinese civilization.

Historically, it was not until Emperor Wu of Han restored the glory of China and brought one Hu cavalry after another from the grasslands into the embrace of China that the Changshui Hu cavalry were able to return to the stage of Chinese history.

But few people know that the Changshui Hu cavalry of Qin did not die with Qin II, but completely disappeared from this world.

That’s right;

The last remnant of the Qin-affiliated Changshui Hu cavalry was controlled by the Ren family of Xuanqu.

During the Qin Dynasty, there were tens of thousands of Changshui Hu cavalrymen, and they were cavalry units throughout the Qin court, serving as mid-level generals;

As the supervisory official, Xuanqu Ren legally owned a Changshui Hu cavalry of several hundred people for the purpose of "ensuring the stability of the main transportation routes", and no one thought there was anything wrong with it.

But in today's Han Dynasty, the situation has become somewhat serious.

——A Changshui Hu cavalry with a strength of 800 people and superb riding skills!
Although there are only 800 people, the combat effectiveness of this Hu cavalry may have reached the sum of all the existing cavalry units of the Han Dynasty!

However, such an army of Hu cavalry was in private hands - in the hands of a grain dealer.

How could Liu Rong, the emperor of Liu Han, accept this?
What's more, the business done by the Xuanqu Ren family is the grain business, which has a great influence on the stability of the ancestral temple and the country.

With just a flick of their fingers, the Ren family of Xuanqu could cause turmoil and even storms in Guandong!
Liu Rong has only one attitude towards a family that possesses weapons that a dead person should not possess and influence that a private individual should not possess.

——The first Emperor Xiaojing once said: It is not important whether a person wants to rebel or not;

The key is whether he has the ability to rebel. If he doesn't have the ability to rebel, then even if he is born to rebel, he doesn't need to be taken seriously.

But if he had the ability to fight back, even if he was as loyal as Zhuge Wuhou, he could have nipped the hidden danger in the bud in the bud in order to avoid unnecessary risks.

This is what is meant by: A man is innocent, but guilty of possessing a treasure...

"Although the Ren family of Xuanqu was praised by Emperor Taizong as 'a family of loyal and good people', the 800 Changshui Hu cavalrymen they possessed were absolutely unacceptable to the Han family."

"——Today, I, the grandson, will also come clean with the Royal Grandmother;"

"Xuanqu Ren family, you must not act so recklessly!"

"If you cannot disperse all the 800 Changshui Hu cavalry and relocate them to my town of Maoling, I will not allow a single person from this tribe to survive in this world even if I have to mobilize 100,000 soldiers!"

"As for the reputation of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, I do not wish to disobey my ancestors, but I also do not wish to be constrained by their casual words."

"Emperor Taizong has a good reputation. I will do my best."

"If this is impossible, grandson, I will have to apologize to the Empress Dowager first..."

While speaking solemnly, Liu Rong did not forget to stand up from the couch and bowed deeply to the old empress dowager.

While sitting on the imperial couch, Empress Dowager Dou's heart sank when she heard the palace maid beside her talk about Liu Rong's actions. She completely understood the seriousness of the situation.

——Even the Ren family of Xuanqu!
Even the Xuanqu Ren family, who was endorsed by Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, could not make Liu Rong feel even a little fearful!
Liu Rong was determined to eradicate even the Xuanqu Ren family, which had the greatest influence in Guandong and was the most difficult to deal with!

The rest...

"Even the Ren family of Xuanqu could not escape the emperor's sharp eyes;"

"I think that after this, there will be no more troubles from powerful people or clans in Guandong for the next ten or so years?"

Hearing the dissatisfaction in Empress Dowager Dou's tone, Liu Rong nodded solemnly with a serious face.

"The Xuanqu Ren family is a typical example of the powerful families who were forcibly relocated to Guandong this time!"

"In addition to the grain merchants, Ren family from Xuanqu, there are also carriage and horse merchants, Shi family from Luoyang, steel merchants, Cheng Zheng family and Zhuo family from Shujun, and heroes from Linzi, Daojian, etc."

"——My grandson hopes that this hard work will bring at least ten years of peace to Kanto!"

"And the court in Chang'an can also concentrate on governing Guanzhong and fighting the Xiongnu in the next ten years, without worrying about Guandong..."

Liu Rong spoke frankly, and Empress Dowager Dou's emotions were basically written all over her face.

——Xuanqu Renshi, that is Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, who specially erected an entire archway for the folk customs of "thrift" and "duty" that he advocated.

As the wife of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, everything that Empress Dowager Dou has today - whether it is status, wealth and honor, or the admiration of the people of the world and the evaluation in history, all comes almost entirely from Emperor Taizong Xiaowen.

If there is anyone in the world today who does not want Emperor Taizong's reputation to be damaged more than the current Liu Rong, it must be Empress Dowager Dou.

Therefore, Empress Dowager Dou was naturally unhappy that Liu Rong had no intention of letting Xuanqu Ren go and even planned to use Xuanqu Ren as an example.

However, no matter how unhappy she was, Empress Dowager Dou knew in her heart that in this matter - in maintaining the reputation of Emperor Taizong, the interests of Liu Rong and Empress Dowager Dou were completely consistent.

Since Liu Rong has made this decision, the situation has most likely reached a point where this is the only way out.

So, after much deliberation, Empress Dowager Dou finally gave in very reluctantly.

"Xuanqu Ren family, who were blessed by Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, did not think of repaying the emperor's kindness, but instead used their business to bring disaster to the local area and oppress the people in the village;"

"——If it is allowed to exist in the world, it will damage the good reputation of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen!"

"Considering that he had been praised by Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, he could be spared the death penalty, but could not escape the punishment of life;"

"The whole clan should be relocated to the tomb of Emperor Taizong Ba, where they will stand guard over the spirit of Emperor Taizong for generations to comfort the spirit of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen in heaven!"

···
"The Ren family of Xuanqu, the Shi family of Luoyang, the Dao family of Linzi, the Cheng Zheng family and the Zhuo family of Shuzhong all moved to Jingling Town, Xiaoyang."

"——Dao Jian is causing trouble in Linzi. The King of Qi is a relative of the princes but cannot bring order. He has failed the Emperor Taizu Gao and the Emperor Taizong Xiaowen!"

"Punish the King of Qi for thinking too much in the ancestral temple and confess his crime in front of the spirit of King Daohui."

"I hereby inform the counties and states in the Kanto region that any local tyrants who bully the people and commit crimes, and the counties and states who know about it but do not report it, and act as accomplices to the tyrants, will be charged with conspiracy to rebel!"

Empress Dowager Dou has many faults except this one good thing.

——When you can’t figure it out, you feel very reluctant and unwilling;
But once you have thought it through and made a decision, you will never hesitate or drag your feet.

After hearing the old empress dowager describe the Xuanqu Ren family's golden signboard - the praise from Emperor Taizong Xiaowen - as 'basking in the emperor's grace but not knowing how to repay', Liu Rong naturally understood: this was already the biggest concession that the old empress dowager Dou could make.

At the same time, it is also the only way to minimize the impact of Xuanqu Ren's family on the reputation of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen.

After a brief thought, Liu Rong slowly nodded, agreeing with what Empress Dowager Dou said.

——In terms of decision-making, Liu Rong inherited the decisiveness of Empress Dowager Dou.

No one could force Liu Rong to do anything he didn’t want to do;

But once Liu Rong accepts it, he will no longer make any unnecessary efforts or procrastination.

"That's it, grandson. I will obey the order of my grandmother."

After finishing the business, Liu Rong, as usual, respectfully bowed to Empress Dowager Dou and made a gesture to leave.

Unexpectedly, Liu Rong's instinctive respect caused Empress Dowager Dou to feel a little awkward...

Compliment?

"What is the imperial edict or not?

"——The emperor has remembered to come to Changle Palace to inform and discuss with a blind old woman like me. This has already fulfilled the way of loyalty and filial piety."

"As for the imperial edict, the emperor can issue it as he sees fit."

"To prevent people from saying that I, a blind old widow, am dictatorial and authoritarian, and that I am not allowing the emperor to rule the country personally..."

(End of this chapter)