I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 521 Liu Hong has no backbone?
Perhaps in the entire Chang'an City, and even in the entire Han Dynasty, except for Liu Che himself and Su Wen, who was closest to him, Liu Ju was the only person who had never thought that Liu Che might be about to die.

Because whether it was Liu Hong before or Wei Qing later.

This also includes people who had contact with him, such as Dong Zhongshu, Ni Kuan, etc., whose death dates are exactly the same as recorded in history books.

The reason why Liu Hong was able to live until now was only because Liu Ju took the risk of using the "surgery" of later generations to change his fate. Otherwise, he would have died early several years ago as recorded in history books.

Therefore, Liu Che's life span was also certain.

And this is because he still has hope in seeking immortals and ghosts, and still often eats some miscellaneous jade chips and elixirs. If he gets rid of these bad habits, maybe he can have a chance to extend his life.

So, even if Liu Che was really sick.

Even if it is a serious illness, he will definitely not die at this time. He can live for at least another ten years.

However, this is a huge incentive for those with ulterior motives!

Especially those who covet the throne, I'm afraid they have already become restless because of this.

After all, Liu Che had been on the throne for many years. Although he had been sick and ignored state affairs before, he had never directly handed over government affairs to Liu Ju for full disposal.

Historically, Liu Che did this after the Fengshan Ceremony, when he was obsessed with continuous sacrifices and parades.

But in this life, Liu Che's Fengshan Ceremony was delayed by several years and had not yet reached that stage.

Moreover, when Liu Che did this for the first time in history, not only was he retaining some power, but he also did not go to Ganquan Palace for recuperation because he suddenly fell ill. There is a fundamental difference between the two.

Moreover, even if Liu Che was sick and needed to rest, he would not ignore everyone. He would still listen to important reports from the inner court...

"My father got sick at the right time..."

Thinking of this, Liu Ju shook his head and chuckled.

There is a saying in later generations: "When the tide goes out, you will know who is swimming naked."

Liu Che's illness was a receding tide. Now, the Qin Dynasty has just been destroyed for a hundred years, and the tragedies that occurred during the power transition between Qin Shihuang, Fusu, and Hu Hai still have a huge impact.

As a prince, he needs to learn a painful lesson from this matter.

For those who are interested, they will only draw successful experiences from this incident.

However, unlike Prince Fusu, Liu Ju has now reinstated the crown prince and returned to Chang'an from the Western Regions thousands of miles away. He has also received an imperial edict from Emperor Liu Che to prepare to attend government affairs, rather than just being a "assistant in government" in the background.

Therefore, even if Liu Che is really terminally ill now, the advantage lies with Liu Ju, not "Hu Hai".

And as he officially begins to govern the country, he can take the opportunity to dismiss and deal with some officials, support and promote some of his own confidants, and thus gain a greater advantage in the court.

As for "Hu Hai", if he did not take any action and continued to delay like this.

No matter how much planning and preparation one has done in the early stages, even if it has never been exposed, one will still be on the road to slow death, making all the planning and preparation go to waste, and from then on one will completely miss the chance to be emperor.

Therefore, now is the time when "Hu Hai" is closest to success.

If we don't take action, we will be left with only one dead end in this power struggle where we either advance or retreat...

"In that case, my father didn't get sick on purpose, did he?"

Liu Ju could not help but make such a guess.

"After he received the secret letter, he has been urging me to act as soon as possible. Seeing that I still didn't take any action, he even sent Su Wen to inquire about it once."

"Now a few days have passed, and I still haven't felt moved. He might have become a little anxious."

"So you resorted to this method, to give me some motivation, and also to give Liu Hong and those who were secretly colluding with him some motivation, while you yourself just watched the fire from the other side of the river in Ganquan Palace?"

"It is indeed possible..."

"My father's core method of ruling people is to raise Gu. Previously, he asked Su Wen to bring the secret letter to me, and said that as long as I can handle this matter properly, my future ascension to the throne will be completely secure. This is also the idea of ​​raising Gu."

"If not, why didn't he handle such a serious matter himself, but let me do it, without even the slightest intention of intervening?"

Just as I was thinking about it.

Guo Zhen's voice came from outside the door:

"Report! Your Highness, Master Shi De wants to see you and is waiting in the guest hall."

"Is something finally going to happen?"

Liu Ju came back to his senses and immediately said to the outsiders,

"Got it. Tell someone to entertain them first. I'll be there later."

"promise……"

Guo Zhen responded through the door, hesitated for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.

He was also present when Liu Ju met Liu Hong's attendant Sun Bao, and had seen the list written on the lining.

The list includes not only the name of the current prime minister Shi Qing, but also the names of several ministers of the historian, including Shi Qing's second son, Shi De, who is visiting now.

Although the list may not be completely credible, since Shi De is on the list, he cannot be free of suspicion and at least needs to be verified.

Also.

What made Guo Zhen even more puzzled was that he had clearly sent Sun Bao to Bowang Garden, but then the news that Liu Ju had ordered him to be "beheaded" was spread to Zhumu Garden.

Why has Liu Hong not made any move?

What kind of psychological quality is this?
Anyway, if it were him, he would have felt guilty and panicked after learning about this.

Regardless of whether Sun Bao's words were true or false, even if he was completely framed by others, he would definitely come to Bowang Garden immediately to explain the misunderstanding, or find a way to cover up the facts. At the very least, he would try to test Liu Ju's attitude, instead of acting as if nothing had happened like he is now, being more patient than Liu Ju and keeping his troops on the sidelines.

In comparison, Shi De's behavior of coming to pay a visit to Liu Ju immediately after he took power seemed more like that of a normal person.

Moreover, he could foresee that in the coming period of time, more princes and nobles would come to pay a visit and try their best to show goodwill to Liu Ju, and among them there would definitely be many people on the list.

After all, these people in official circles are best at changing their attitudes according to the situation, and many of them like to bet on both sides.

It's all about interests. They will help whoever wins...

But on second thought, Liu Ju is no longer the same person as before, and he has his own ideas in mind. He can think of Liu Ju more clearly than he does, so why does he need to remind him?

So just shut up and do what you're told.

……

At the same time, Zhu Muyuan.

"Prime Minister, things have turned out like this, what should I do now?" Liu Hong frowned on his delicate face with increasingly distinct edges and corners, looking completely at a loss as he looked at Prime Minister Shi Qing who had entered Zhumu Garden disguised as a servant.

Bu Shi, who was standing by, also looked at Shi Qing eagerly and asked with a worried look:

"Yes, Prime Minister. Previously, the King of Qi followed your instructions and did these things, but unexpected things happened repeatedly."

"First, Liu Ju was suddenly reinstated as the crown prince by Your Majesty, and then he rushed back from the Western Regions without mentioning when he would return. A few days ago, something went wrong with the Fengshan Ceremony, and the person who should have died didn't die, but An Yu's life was lost. And no one knows whether our plan has been exposed."

"Now that His Majesty has suddenly fallen seriously ill, and has handed over all political affairs to Liu Ju, this is tantamount to letting him take power in advance to prepare for his ascension to the throne... If His Majesty really dies soon, how can the King of Qi have any chance?"

"You and the people below don't want Liu Ju to be the successor to the throne, right? Do you have any other plans to deal with it?"

Shi Qing nodded and said thoughtfully:
"Your Highness, Prime Minister Bu, please be patient. I took the risk to come here today just for this matter."

"Then please tell us the plan quickly, Prime Minister Shi!"

Bu Shi asked anxiously.

"Before that, I need to confirm one thing with King Qi."

Shi Qing then looked at Liu Hong and asked in a questioning tone,
"Your Highness, I just received a secret report this morning. I heard that a servant ran away from Prince Qi's mansion a few days ago, and he ran to Bowang Garden. Is this true?"

"This……"

Liu Hong avoided Shi Qing's gaze with a guilty conscience and answered vaguely,

"Don't worry, Prime Minister. Although this attendant ran to Bowang Garden, he rushed through the gate in a hurry. Before he could see Liu Ju, he was hit by the shield and killed by the crown prince."

"Sure?"

Shi Qing frowned, as this was quite different from the secret report he had received.

All he knew was that Liu Ju ordered the attendant to be beheaded only after he met Liu Ju.

"Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. It concerns not only the lives and property of me and those who support the King of Qi, but also the lives of the King of Qi and Prime Minister Bu!"

Shi Qing emphasized,
"Therefore, King Qi, please tell me the truth. Otherwise, how can I accurately judge the current situation and formulate a proper response strategy?"

"Well, although this attendant met Liu Ju, he was beheaded by Liu Ju's order not long after. I thought it shouldn't be a big deal, so I didn't say much."

Liu Hong then lowered his head and told the truth like a child who had done something wrong.

"How much does this attendant know about us?"

Shi Qing frowned even more and then asked again.

Liu Hong's words were still evasive:
"I don't know what..."

"Your Highness!"

Shi Qing finally couldn't help interrupting him, his eyes becoming stern.

Liu Hong's body trembled, and he said with frightened eyes:

"It's my fault for trusting the wrong person. This attendant is my personal attendant. Although he was not present when I conspired with the Prime Minister, I did tell him a lot about our plans in private..."

"Oh, it's over, it's all over!"

Shi Qingyi's beard was shaking with anger, and he said in extreme disappointment,

"I have long advised Your Highness not to trust anyone in the mansion except Prime Minister Bu. Even if someone accidentally overhears a few words, it must be dealt with as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary trouble. Why is Your Highness so confused?"

"During the Fengshan Ceremony, An Yu accidentally exposed himself and took poisoned fish to commit suicide. The last person he saw was Liu Ju. At that time, I suspected that Liu Ju had asked something from An Yu. After all, this Nanyue wizard was a coward. He didn't seem like someone who would commit suicide to keep a secret. On the contrary, he was more likely to betray us in order to save his life."

"Now the King of Qi has another retainer who knows more secrets and has defected. He has also fled to Bowang Garden and met Liu Ju..."

"I can now assert that Liu Ju must have known our plan, but for some reason he has not yet attacked Your Highness!"

Liu Hong blinked his clear and stupid eyes and asked unconfidently:

"Prime Minister, do you think it is possible that Liu Ju is not confident of victory?"

"how do I say this?"

Shi Qing's emotions stabilized a little, and he asked with a sidelong glance.

"That attendant knows a lot about people and things. If he tells Liu Ju everything, Liu Ju will know that there are many people in the court who support me, but few who support him, so he will not dare to act rashly."

Liu Hong seemed to have suddenly become much smarter, and his suppressed voice had a bit more momentum.
"After all, he has alienated so many princes, dukes, and ministers. Even if he can ascend the throne, it will be difficult for him to carry out his orders unless he has the means like my father."

"So, he wants to use this as a bargaining chip to subtly intimidate and win over those who support me, and then use his overwhelming advantage to eliminate me and some of the key figures involved in this matter, to avoid turmoil in the Han Dynasty and criticism between the government and the public?"

"This……"

After hearing what Liu Hong said, Shi Qing looked at Liu Hong with admiration and fell into deep thought again.

I have to admit that what Liu Hong said makes a lot of sense.

Without Liu Che's superb means, even if he becomes the Son of Heaven, if he wants his policies to be implemented, he must make some compromises with the majority of princes, dukes and ministers in exchange for their support. Otherwise, he will easily become a canary whose policies cannot leave Chang'an, and the Weiyang Palace will be just a cage.

However, those who can understand this principle have found the key to grasping core power. Even if they do not have the superb means of Liu Che and cannot concentrate power as highly as he did, they can still sit firmly on the throne.

The reason why Shi Qing and many princes, dukes and ministers were able to work together and decide to support Liu Hong.

It is because Liu Hong looks weak and not very smart, and Liu Ju's previous performance is more like a copy of Liu Che...

They had really had enough of Liu Che's reign over these years.

In addition to the officials in the inner court, including him, the prime minister, the imperial envoys who were also one of the Three Dukes, as well as the Nine Ministers and the provincial governors, all of them were excluded from the core power circle. Even so, they often had to take the blame for Liu Che, and their lives were in danger if they were not careful.

There were also policies such as the Enfeoffment Order, the Deprivation of Titles by Pounding Gold, the State-run Salt and Iron Industry, the Equalization of Transport Prices, and the Relocation of Maoling Mausoleum, which were also aimed at people like them. They had been constantly weakening their power, cutting off their financial resources, and breaking their comfort zone in a way that was like boiling a frog in warm water.

Therefore, they absolutely could not accept another Liu Che taking the throne!
Among these princes, there are only two suitable candidates:
One was Liu Bo, born to Li. He was still a child, and Li was not strong in the court, so he was naturally easier to control.

Unfortunately, they tried to find out through indirect methods.

They discovered that the Li family was not only weak, but also a hopeless case. Whenever Liu Ju was mentioned in front of them, they began to avoid him frantically and did not even dare to respond.

The other one is Liu Hong.

Liu Hong was not only the second son, but also quite loved by Emperor Wu of Han since childhood. If it were not for Liu Ju, he would have been the prince with the greatest hope of succeeding to the throne. Moreover, he was given the title of "General Tianlu" a few years ago, which gave him the attribute of "legitimate" status.

Most importantly, they discovered after testing.

Liu Hong seems to have no backbone...

(End of this chapter)