Shuhan

After the ministers left the court, Liu Chan waved his hand gently, signaling his attendants to go to the Lingyun Terrace.

The spring sunshine is gentle and bright, shining on the magnificent palace, adding a touch of solemnity and peace.

Lingyuntai towers into the clouds, surrounded by carefully trimmed flowers and trees. The spring breeze blows gently, bringing with it a faint floral scent, making people feel relaxed and happy.

Standing on the stage and looking around, you can see the prosperous scene of Luoyang City. The well-arranged buildings, the bustling streets and the winding Luo River form a vivid picture.

At this time, a young man dressed in gorgeous prince's robe slowly walked forward. He was Liu Si, the eldest son of Liu Chan.

The prince's robe was embroidered with intricate cloud and dragon patterns, with gleaming gold threads, highlighting his noble status.

Liu Si had a handsome face, with a heroic look between his brows, but his eyes still had a bit of immaturity and childishness.

He walked steadily to Liu Chan, bowed respectfully, and asked in a clear voice: "Father, your Majesty has summoned me, what is the matter?"

Liu Chan turned around, his eyes deep, as if he could see into people's hearts.

He stroked his beard gently and asked in a deep voice: "Today in the court, all the ministers reported the capital's affairs one after another and discussed them a lot. What do you think? Is Chang'an better as the capital, or is Luoyang better as the capital?"

As he spoke, a barely perceptible trace of consideration flashed across Liu Chan's eyes.

When Liu Si heard this, he was stunned.

Although he was the crown prince, he was more exposed to poetry, books and etiquette in his daily life. Although Liu Chan had cultivated his ability to handle affairs, he did not have many ideas of his own regarding the political affairs of the court, especially such an important issue as the selection of the capital.

What's more, he knew very well that his father's mind was unpredictable, and for a moment, he didn't know how to answer.

He was stunned for a moment, then calmed down and replied respectfully: "Chang'an and Luoyang are both fertile lands of our Han Dynasty and can both be capitals. This matter concerns the fate of the country and it all depends on your father's thoughts. Whatever your father means, I will mean it."

After hearing this, Liu Chan shook his head slightly, with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

He knew very well that although the prince was intelligent, he was still too immature in politics and lacked sufficient decisiveness and independent thinking.

He sighed and said earnestly: "The affairs of the capital are not so simple. They concern the safety of the country, the well-being of the people, and even the future of our Han Dynasty. As the crown prince, you will shoulder heavy responsibilities in the future. How can you be so careless?"

When Liu Si realized that what he said was not what Liu Chan wanted to hear, he couldn't help feeling a strange emotion in his heart.

He was a little annoyed as to why he couldn't give his father a satisfactory answer.

He bowed his head, saluted respectfully and said: "I am a stupid person, please teach me, father."

Liu Chan looked at Liu Si, with both expectation and blame in his eyes.

He said slowly: "Go down and ask your teacher what he thinks. The selection of the capital city is not a one-day job. It requires comprehensive consideration of geography, economy, military and other factors. As the crown prince, you need to learn more so that you can take on great responsibilities in the future."

When Liu Si heard this, he was startled.

He knew that his father was dissatisfied with him and it was also a kind of spur to him.

He secretly made up his mind to study hard, improve his political literacy and decision-making ability, and not let his father down.

So he bowed respectfully and said, "I will obey your order and ask for your advice with an open mind, and live up to your father's expectations."

After saying this, Liu Si turned and left.

Liu Chan looked at Liu Si's back, feeling filled with emotion.

Although the prince is intelligent, he is still too immature in politics.

As a monarch, one must not only have wisdom, but also decisiveness and courage.

And these are what Liu Si currently lacks.

He shook his head, feeling both hope and worry.

He hoped that the prince would grow up quickly and take on great responsibilities; but he was also worried that he was too immature to cope with the complex political situation.

The spring breeze continued to blow over Lingyuntai, bringing a hint of coolness.

Liu Chan stood on the stage, gazing at the Luoyang city in the distance, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

The selection of the capital is indeed a major event, which concerns the future and destiny of the country.

As the future monarch, the prince must also shoulder this responsibility.

At this time, an attendant came forward and reported softly: "Your Majesty, the prince has left. Should he return to the palace?"

After hearing this, Liu Chan came to his senses and nodded slightly.

After returning to the palace, Liu Chan sat on the dragon throne and after pondering for a moment, he summoned several important ministers to discuss matters concerning the capital.

He listened carefully to the opinions of each minister, sometimes nodding in agreement, sometimes frowning and thinking.

The choice of the capital is related to the destiny of the country and cannot be decided lightly.

He must take all factors into consideration and make the wisest choice.

After Liu Si returned to the Eastern Palace, he immediately summoned his teacher.

After he bowed respectfully to the Master, he told him everything that had happened in the court.

After hearing this, the Master pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "Your Highness, the choice of the capital is indeed a big deal. Chang'an and Luoyang each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and we need to consider many factors, including geography, economy, and military. As a prince, Your Highness should study more, think more, and form your own opinions. Only then can you take on great responsibilities in the future and share the worries of Your Majesty."

When Liu Si heard this, he suddenly felt enlightened.

As the crown prince, I cannot just rely on the opinions of my father and ministers, but should have my own views and opinions.

So he began to study and think seriously about the selection of the capital.

He consulted a large number of historical books, geographical records and other materials to gain an in-depth understanding of the geography, economy, military and other aspects of Chang'an and Luoyang.

Huang Chong walked on the cool morning dew and passed by the majestic and solemn Prince's Palace. The palace walls were high and mottled with red paint, revealing the traces of time, while the palace was shaded by green trees and fragrant flowers, and seemed full of vitality.

He walked steadily, but felt a bit relaxed in his heart. He was about to find a quiet place to take a rest, but he inadvertently caught a glimpse of the half-open window of Crown Prince Liu Si's study, with a soft light shining through.

Liu Si sat upright in front of his desk, his posture straight, but a barely perceptible sadness was revealed between his brows.

He held a scroll in each hand, one was the county annals of Luoyang, and the other was a detailed geographical map of Chang'an. His eyes wandered between the lines, sometimes frowning, sometimes lost in thought, a look of doubt appeared on his face, as if his mind was disturbed by the contents of the book.

Huang Chong was curious, so he stepped forward, stood outside the door, and asked softly, "Your Highness, why are you reading these books so intently?"

Although his voice was soft, it was particularly clear in this quiet study.

Upon hearing this, Liu Si looked up at the door, and seeing that it was Huang Chong, he sighed slightly and put down the book in his hand.

There was a hint of fatigue in his eyes, mixed with a bit of helplessness, as if he was carrying a heavy burden in his heart.

"Huang Chong, you don't know that I was summoned by my father yesterday to inquire about the matter of establishing the capital."

He opened his mouth slowly, his voice low and powerful, and described in detail the scene when the emperor summoned him.

Huang Chong laughed when he heard this, and the laughter echoed in the study, with a bit of free and unrestrainedness.

"Your Highness is wrong. How can you decide to make Chang'an and Luoyang the capital just by looking at these books?" He said as he walked into the study, picked up a copy of Luoyang County Chronicles, flipped through it for a few times, and then put it back in its place with ease.

"In other words, none of this matters. What matters is who wants to make Chang'an the capital and who wants to make Luoyang the capital."

Liu Si was stunned. He didn't expect Huang Chong to say this so directly.

There was a trace of confusion in his eyes, as if Huang Chong's words had hit him hard. "What do you mean?"

He demanded, a hint of urgency in his voice.

Huang Chong smiled slightly when he saw this, and that smile revealed some wisdom and depth.

He walked to the desk, stood side by side with Liu Si, pointed at the map on the table and said, "Your Highness, have you ever thought about what the people in the Three Auxiliary Regions think? They have lived around Chang'an for generations and have long been accustomed to the local customs and practices here. If the capital is established in Luoyang, wouldn't they have to buy new property and adapt to the new environment? Moreover, the same is true for your Majesty's Yuan Cong. They have already bought land and houses in Chang'an and settled down there. How could they give up easily?"

His words were as gentle as spring rain, and every word made sense, which made Liu Si nod in agreement.

Huang Chong saw this and continued, "Establishing the capital in Chang'an or Luoyang is not just a geographical choice, but also represents the future direction of the Han Dynasty. Establishing the capital in Luoyang will allow for better control of the Nine Provinces, allowing the court's orders to be quickly transmitted to all regions and strengthening central power; while establishing the capital in Chang'an will allow for the dispatch of troops outside the region, expanding the territory of the Han Dynasty and demonstrating the prestige of the Han Dynasty."

Having said that, he turned and looked at Liu Si, his eyes flashing with determination.

"Your Highness, have you ever thought about why His Majesty is so hesitant? In fact, what His Majesty is worried about is not only the location of the capital itself, but also the various changes and impacts that will come after the capital is established. Chang'an and Luoyang, one is for internal affairs, and the other is for external affairs. The choice of where to establish the capital means the future development direction and focus of the Han Dynasty."

Liu Si's mind suddenly became clear when he heard this. He had been entangled in the details in the county annals and geographical maps of the two places, but had never thought about the deeper reasons behind it.

Huang Chong smiled slightly when he saw this, and said softly: "Your Highness is the future crown prince of the Han Dynasty, and the burden on your shoulders is as heavy as Mount Tai. The decision of the capital is related to the rise and fall of the Han Dynasty. Your Highness must think carefully and not be confused by superficial phenomena."

Liu Si nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination. He knew that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, and he also knew that establishing a capital was no joke.

"Listening to you is better than ten years of reading!"

The matter of establishing a capital is indeed very troublesome, like a tangled tangled mess that is difficult to cut and sort out.

Liu Chan sat in the magnificent palace, with an imperceptible firmness in his brows.

He was dressed in gorgeous clothes and a dragon robe. The golden silk threads sparkled brightly under the candlelight, just like the persistence and determination in his heart.

According to Liu Chan's intention, he naturally wanted to make Chang'an the capital.

Chang'an, the ancient and solemn city, carries the glory and honor of the Han Dynasty, and also holds the sea of ​​stars in his heart.

In his view, making Luoyang the capital would mean focusing on the interior and being trapped in a corner, like a bound eagle, unable to spread its wings and fly high.

But his mind is on the boundless starry sky and the unknown distance. How could he allow such a thing to happen?
He slowly stood up, walked to the window, looked at the hazy night outside, and an inexplicable impulse surged in his heart.

However, if the internal affairs are not stable, how can we focus on the external affairs?

Liu Chan understood this principle very well.

The strength of a country lies not only in external development, but also in internal stability.

If there are constant internal disputes and the people are demoralized, then even if the external forces are strong, they will only be short-lived.

But Liu Chan did not worry about this matter for too long.

As the ruler of a country, I cannot do everything myself and I cannot worry about everything.

Naturally someone will jump out, and we will just have to deal with it when the time comes.

He believed in his ministers and believed that they were capable of handling these matters.

What he was thinking about now was something else, something more important.

He turned around, walked to the desk, picked up a scroll of bamboo slips, and looked at it carefully.

The bamboo slips were densely written with the methods used by the Military Academy to select talents.

The Military Academy was a place he founded personally to train future generals of the Han Dynasty.

However, the way of selecting talents in today's Han Dynasty is still too simple and too outdated.

Many talented and capable people are not given important positions because of their poor backgrounds.

However, some children of prominent families can hold high positions even if they have no talent or virtue because of their prominent family background.

Liu Chan had long been dissatisfied with this situation.

If the Han Dynasty is to become strong, this hereditary system must be broken and talented and capable people must be given important positions.

Therefore, he thought of a way, which was to promote the talent screening method of the Military Academy and implement the preliminary examination of the imperial examination.

The first imperial examination was an unprecedented innovation.

It breaks the monopoly of aristocratic families and gives more people the opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities.

However, this move would inevitably affect the interests of the aristocratic families and would encounter tremendous resistance.

Liu Chan understood this in his heart, but he was not afraid.

Only after going through the baptism of wind and rain can the Han people become stronger; only after going through the tempering of challenges can the Han people become more glorious.

He wanted them to rebel, thereby stabilizing the powerful forces of the domestic aristocratic families!

He put down the bamboo slips, walked out of the palace gate, looked at the bright moonlight, and felt an inexplicable sense of pride in his heart.

On the second day, Liu Chan formally put forward this proposal in the court.

He stood on the high dragon throne, dressed in gorgeous clothes, with a firm and solemn expression.

His voice resounded throughout the court, shaking everyone's heart like thunder.

"My dear ministers, I have something to discuss with you today. I want to promote the method of selecting talents in the Military Academy and implement the preliminary examination of the imperial examination. This move is to recruit more talents for our Han Dynasty and give more people the opportunity to show their talents and abilities."

As soon as Liu Chan finished speaking, the court exploded.

Many ministers stood up to oppose it, claiming that this move violated the ancestral system.

The system of recommendation is very good and does not need to be changed.

Some people stepped forward to recommend the Wei State's Nine-Rank System.

Some knowledgeable people expressed their support, believing that this move was the hope for the future of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Chan listened to their argument quietly, and an inexplicable smile welled up in his heart.

This debate is just the beginning, the real challenges are yet to come.

He waved his hand, signaling the quarrel in the court to stop.

Then, he slowly said: "My dear ministers, I have made up my mind. The first imperial examination must be held. I hope you can put the future of the Han Dynasty first and the people of the world first, and support this matter together. If you have any objections, you can write a letter to express your opinions, but I hope you can treat it rationally and not ruin the future of the Han Dynasty because of your own selfishness." (End of this chapter)