I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 303: A group of people who have made meritorious contributions while serving their sentences and two ministers of state, I don’t believe that I can’t keep an eye on you!

"Your Highness already knows?"

Gongsun Jingsheng's tone paused and he looked at Liu Ju eagerly.

"I just heard that my uncle really cheated on me and was discovered by my father, the emperor?"

Liu Ju evaded the question and then asked.

"No!"

Gongsun Jingsheng immediately started to cry again, with a look of grievance on his face,
"Your Highness, this is really unfair. Your Highness knows that I was also conferred the title of Marquis last year. This time, I need to contribute to the zhujin together with my father."

"Moreover, my father and I are both marquises of 1,300 households, and one is a marquis of 1,200 households. According to the Zhujin Law, the amount of Zhujiu and tribute we contributed is the same. Therefore, I will prepare both the Zhujiu and tribute. No matter the quantity or quality, I guarantee that they will be higher, not lower."

"Otherwise, how could it be that only my father was singled out by His Majesty to be deposed as a marquis, while I was able to remain in peace? Could it be that I deliberately tampered with this matter and harmed my father?"

After hearing this, Liu Ju was basically certain that, whether it was that time in history or this time, Liu Che's "using money to seize the title" was probably just a deliberate attempt to find trouble.

Of course, it is also possible that only people like Gongsun He were deliberately framed by Liu Che.

After all, if Liu Che wanted to do this, he would still need to consider the issue of convincing the people.

In order to convince the people, he could not just target those external officials. He should also pick out two close officials in the inner court as examples, which could also demonstrate Liu Che's impartiality and selflessness and blur the real target group of this incident.

Gongsun He is a good example.

He had served as the Prince's attendant when Liu Che was still the crown prince, and he married Wei Junru, the sister of the current Queen Wei Zifu, and was also the Grand Coachman, one of the Nine Ministers. He could definitely be regarded as Liu Che's "own man" and an important official in the court.

Liu Che was not partial even to his own people, so why should the others who were stripped of their titles feel aggrieved?
Of course, Liu Ju's speculation was not without basis.

Because a few months after "being stripped of his title by drinking wine", Emperor Liu Che gave Gongsun He a chance to regain his title as a marquis, and ordered him and Zhao Po Nu, who was also stripped of his title, to lead 15,000 cavalry each to attack the Huns from Jiuyuan. Unfortunately, Gongsun He traveled more than 2,000 miles without encountering a single Hun, and ultimately returned empty-handed.

Even so, Liu Che later conferred the title of Ge Yihou on Gongsun He and appointed him as prime minister, while Gongsun Jingsheng took over Gongsun He's position as grand coachman.

The father and son, one is the head of the Three Dukes and the other is one of the Nine Ministers, how glorious is that?
This "Zhu Jin Seizing the Title" had no impact on him at all. It seemed like a show for the outside world...

Thinking about this, Liu Ju was not worried at all. Instead, he smiled and asked:
"Then according to what my cousin said, my father wronged my uncle, and my cousin came to me today, hoping that I would point out my father's mistake to his face and advise him not to depose my uncle's title of marquis?"

"This……"

Gongsun Jingsheng was stunned when he heard this, and opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

No matter how dumb he was, he would be able to hear the question in Liu Ju's words:

To protect Gongsun He's title of marquis now is to prove that Liu Che wronged Gongsun He and that it was Liu Che who made the wrong decision. But Liu Che is the emperor, can the emperor be wrong?
And if Liu Che wronged Gongsun He, then it is possible that the remaining marquises who were to be stripped of their titles were also wronged?

"Cousin, you came to me today to ask for mercy. I guess you didn't discuss it with my uncle, right?"

Liu Ju said again,

"I suggest you go back and discuss it with my uncle first. Maybe you will have some different opinions on this matter. If my uncle can't figure it out, let him go to my uncle to discuss it. My uncle should be able to figure it out."

"I can only tell you now that my father has his reasons for doing this. My uncle just needs to endure it silently. My father will remember who has suffered injustice for him."

In addition to Gongsun He and Zhao Po Nu whom he just thought of, Liu Ju still remembered one person, his future father-in-law, Han Ling's father Han Shuo.

Han Shuo was also stripped of his marquisate in the "Zhoujin Marquisate", but he got the chance to be restored to marquisate a few months later. The only difference was that he was changed from "Marquis Longyi" to "Marquis Andao".

I just don't know if Han Shuo can keep his composure and whether he will let Han Ling come to him to beg for mercy?

There was also Prime Minister Zhao Zhou. In this incident, Zhao Zhou was accused of knowing that the gold offered by the marquises was insufficient but not reporting it. He was arrested and imprisoned, and later committed suicide.

His son Zhao Guo was recommended to Liu Che by Liu Ju not long ago, and he implemented the "Daitian Law" in the capital and the three auxiliary areas...

……

The Mansion of Marquis Longyi.

"Sister, father was awake all night because of this matter. Why don't you go and ask the prince for mercy?"

The eldest brother Han Xing found Han Ling with a bitter face and said sadly,

"Although you have not yet married the prince, the engagement has not been cancelled. You will still marry the prince after the mourning period is over. You are considered half a family member, so at least you can have a say."

"I'm not going, and neither are you!"

Han Ling's pretty face turned cold and she spoke in a stiff tone.

"Sister, father is already quite old. If he continues to worry like this, what will happen if something unexpected happens to him?"

Han Xing didn't dare to say harsh words to his sister, so he could only continue to appeal to her emotions.
"Besides, my father is the only marquis in our family. If he loses his title, and has no fiefdom and fiefdom, how can he support the family? When you finish your mourning, I'm afraid you won't be able to marry into the prince's mansion in a grand manner..."

While talking.

"Father." Han Ling suddenly looked behind Han Xing, stood up and bowed.

Han Xing turned around and saw that his father Han Shuo had been standing behind them at some point, with a look of haggardness and sadness on his slightly pale face.

"Father, your daughter is coming to find you."

After the greeting, Han Ling stepped forward and supported Han Shuo, helping him to the stone bench where he had just sat, and then asked,

"My daughter would like to ask you, father, whether the wine and tribute money you contributed this time are really insufficient in quantity and quality as written in your majesty's edict?"

"Ling'er, do you think your father has the courage?"

Han said shaking his head and smiling bitterly.

"Based on my understanding of my father, he really doesn't have the courage to do that."

Han Ling nodded, his obsidian eyes becoming deeper.

"Your Majesty has stripped 106 people of their titles this time, more than half of the Han Dynasty's marquises. The scope is so wide, and the number of people punished is so large. How can the matter be as simple as claimed to the outside world?"

"My daughter recalled what happened recently and has made some guesses."

"The biggest event recently was the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince's trip to the land of Yan and Zhao. Then, His Majesty is preparing to send troops to defend Korea."

"Father also knows something about the affairs of Hejian State. Not only are local officials and officials of vassal states involved, but even the King of Hejian is involved."

"From this, it can be seen that although Your Majesty has previously implemented the Enfeoffment Order, in some counties and states, the collusion between the marquises and local officials is still rampant, and has even reached the point where they dare to unite to deceive the emperor and assassinate the crown prince. Faced with such a serious problem, how can Your Majesty remain indifferent?"

"In addition, His Majesty has sent troops to defend Korea this time, and has ordered Your Highness to leave Beijing and go there."

"The assassination of the crown prince happened not long ago. Your Majesty must also take strict precautions to prevent similar incidents from happening again."

"Adding the two together, your majesty's purpose of 'taking the title by drinking gold' is obvious. Don't you think father can figure it out?"

"..."

Han Shuo and Han Xing fell into silence after hearing this.

After a moment, Han Xing asked more puzzledly:

"Even so, Your Majesty should not include my father in this. You are already engaged to the Crown Prince, and my father is the Crown Prince's future father-in-law. How can he still hinder the Crown Prince..."

Han Shuo seemed to have figured something out. He raised his hand and pressed Han Xing's shoulder to interrupt him, then asked:

"Then according to your opinion, what should I do now?"

"The daughter thinks that her father should not do anything now."

Han Ling said,

"Your Majesty, this is an inevitable national policy. Any obstacles that stand in your way will be ruthlessly eliminated by you."

"Your Majesty has wronged my father this time, and there must be a reason for it. As long as my father cooperates with Your Majesty, Your Majesty will remember my father's contribution. But if my father cries out for injustice, he will become an obstacle to Your Majesty, and in the end it will only hurt others and yourself."

"in addition."

"As my daughter has just analyzed, your Majesty's move will only benefit His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Since it is beneficial to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and has no harm, my daughter is already engaged to the Crown Prince, so I will support it with both hands."

"And father is the future father-in-law of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally came to rescue mother before. It is only natural for father to make some sacrifices for this."

"Now if my father orders his daughter to go to the Crown Prince's Mansion to plead for him and hinder this matter that will benefit His Royal Highness, what difference would that make him repay kindness with hatred?"

……

Five days later.

"Su Liu" asked someone to deliver a secret letter to Liu Ju.

The officials who would accompany him to the Korean Peninsula this time had already been decided. When Liu Ju saw the list, he instantly understood Liu Che's "good intentions":
Prime Minister Zhao Zhou, who was supposed to be arrested and imprisoned for "drinking wine and seizing a title", did not commit suicide as recorded in history books. Instead, he was dismissed from the position of prime minister and accompanied Liu Ju to the Korean Peninsula as a "Jinmamen attendant" to make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence.
Han Shuo, who was stripped of his title of Marquis of Longyi, was given the title of General Hengbo and led 50,000 troops to Liaodong County with Liu Ju to wait for orders, thus making up for his crime with meritorious service.

Gongsun He, who was stripped of his title of Marquis of Nanhuan, was given the title of General of Fuju and was ordered to lead 10,000 cavalrymen out of Jiuyuan to patrol the area around Fujujing to prevent the Xiongnu from taking the opportunity to attack. He thus redeemed himself for his crime.
Zhao Po Nu, who was stripped of his title of Cong Piao Marquis, was appointed General of the Xiong River and led 10,000 cavalrymen out of Dai County to patrol the Xiong River area to prevent the Xiongnu from taking the opportunity to attack, thus making up for his crime...

They are all trying to make up for their crimes and are eager to perform meritorious service. You can imagine their morale!

Besides.

The remaining few officials who accompanied him were even more troublesome. Later, two of the four ministers appointed by Emperor Liu Che were from the same clan. It was simply terrible...

(End of this chapter)