When Ji Han and his men traveled to the Three Kingdoms crew

Chapter 624: Establishing a Crown Prince and Seeking an Official Position
Liu Yuanqi, Liu Deran, Liu Bocai, Lu Zhi and others arrived in Chang'an by train. As soon as they got off the train, the imperial guards led the way and officials from the Ministry of Rites greeted them with smiles.

Such a grand ceremony made Liu Bocai's eyes widen. He had lived for decades and had never seen the imperial guards, let alone a minister whose status was equal to that of the Nine Ministers.

It is all thanks to Xuande that he can enjoy such an honor, and it must be Xuande's good intentions.

Someone was specially sent to greet us!
Regent, haha!

Liu Bo was no longer nervous. He was a little nervous before he set out. Now he saw that Liu Bei still had the uncles and brothers of the same clan in his heart. Brother Hong, brother Hong, my nephew has made progress, my nephew has made progress! In this way, that thing will be assured!
Lu Zhi frowned and looked at Xu Jing, the Minister of Rites beside him. He lowered his voice, with a hint of blame in his tone: "Why is there such a big show?"

"Lord Lu, you are the teacher of the emperor and the regent, and all the ministers respect you. The extra people came here spontaneously to greet you, which is actually in line with etiquette." Minister of Rites Xu Jing smiled at Lu Zhi, looking calm.

Lu Zhi's expression did not improve. He said in a low voice, "Tell the truth!"

Minister of Rites Xu Jing thought to himself: It is indeed not easy to fool my lord and mentor.

He sighed and said frankly: "It was Your Majesty, it was an imperial decree issued by Your Majesty himself."

Lu Zhi muttered, "I've been wasting my time on useless things," but his expression eventually softened a little.

At the same time, Lai Min, who had been waiting for a long time in front of Chang'an Railway Station, did not see Liu Yuanqi and Liu Bocai. He wondered, "That's not right. According to common sense, it should be this time. Why can't we see anyone?"

"Family order! Family order!"

A guard ran up to Lai Min, panting. He gasped and said, "I found out. I found out. Lord Liu. Lord Liu and the Grand Tutor were taken away by the Ministry of Rites!"

"It seems that I am still a step too late. Sigh." Lai Min sighed, "In this case, I can only go home."

"Haha, Master Lu, you are finally here. I have missed you for a long time!"

In the bedroom, Liu Xie forced a bright smile when he saw Lu Zhi and others.

Lu Zhi saluted Liu Xie like an ordinary courtier. Liu Xie laughed awkwardly twice. He knew that Lu Zhi was complaining about his show.

Fortunately, Master Lu didn’t take out his shoes.

Liu Xie, who was afraid of shoes, did not bother Lu Zhi anymore. He called the palace servants to take Lu Zhi to the North Palace and turned his attention to Liu Yuanqi, Liu Bocai and Liu Deran.

He asked curiously, "Are you three Liu Yuanqi's great-grandfather, Liu Bocai's great-grandfather, and Liu Deran's uncle?"

Liu Xie's address shocked the three of them. "Grandfather/uncle?" How could they deserve to be called "grandfather/uncle" by the current emperor?

Just when the three were shocked, Liu Xie turned his head and looked at Liu Biao, the current Minister of the Imperial Clan and Marquis of Zuoxiang, and said, "Minister of the Imperial Clan, am I right?"

"Your Majesty, it is indeed so according to the family tree." Liu Biao nodded.

Hearing Liu Biao's affirmation, Liu Bocai's surprise was instantly replaced by joy. Wow, the emperor even called him grandfather. The Han royal family of their Lousang Village Liu family was finally useful!

Just when Liu Bo was considering whether to ask Liu Xie for help, he hesitated and a palace servant came hurriedly and told him that the sacrifice was ready.

Liu Xie restrained his expression and said seriously: "My two great grandfathers and uncle, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and the ancestral temple is ready. I can no longer meet with my two great grandfathers and uncles. I will have a good talk with them at the family dinner."

After saying this, Liu Xie handed over full authority over the three people to Liu Biao, the Minister of Zongzheng Temple.

"Uncle, uncle, dear brother De Ran, please come this way."

The three followed Liu Biao into the palace. The huge palace dazzled them. If Liu Biao hadn't led the way, they would have been dizzy.

After a long journey, we finally arrived at the sacrificial site of Beigong.

This place was already crowded with people, and all officials above the rank of county governor gathered here. Thanks to their status as relatives of the Han Dynasty, the three were assigned a nearby seat.

As the sound of bells and drums rang out, Liu Xie, wearing a crown, and Liu Bei, wearing court robes, appeared in the sight of Liu Yuanqi, Liu Bocai, and Liu Deran.

The three men were all mediocre in literary talent, and even if they were put together, they could not even form a Liu Bei. They only knew that Liu Xie asked Liu Bei to preside over the sacrifices with full authority, and Liu Bei made an edict to the heaven and earth on Liu Xie's behalf, hoping to obtain the heaven's consent and make Liu Chan the crown prince in accordance with the will of heaven.

The ceremony of enthroning the crown prince lasts for several days.

On the day of the official enthronement, the palace set up the positions of the emperor, the crown prince, and the civil and military officials, and arranged the ceremonial guards and palaces. Two minutes before sunrise, the palace maids put on a crimson gauze robe for Liu Chan. Under the escort of the Grand Tutor and the officials of the Prince of Yan's Palace, the team came to the palace for enthronement. At sunrise, Liu Xie arrived at the palace in a carriage and conveyed the order to enthronize Liu Chan as the crown prince.

Then, the Left Prime Minister Zhuge Liang presented the seal and sash to the crown prince, and Liu Bei bowed and expressed his gratitude on behalf of the young crown prince.

Then all the civil and military officials paid homage to the prince and offered their congratulations. Finally, the crowned heir paid homage to the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

This is the ceremony.

After the enthronement ceremony, the family dinner that Liu Bocai had been waiting for for a long time was finally held in the Prince of Yan's Mansion.

It's just strange that, when they all say it's a family banquet, why are Duke of Duxiang Gongsun Zan, Left Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, Shangshu Ling Fa Zheng, Zhang Bao, Zhang Shao, Guan Xing and others all there? !
Compared with these people, there are not many relatives of the Han Dynasty. Apart from Liu Xie, Liu Bei and Liu Biao, there are also Taiwei Liu Yu, Chen Wang Liu Chong, Liu Yao Liu Dai and the sons of the previous emperor.
Is this really a family dinner?!

Liu Bocai couldn't care less. Liu Bei had been busy these days and it was a luxury for him to see him.

If I don't make things clear today, I'm afraid there won't be any good opportunities later.

Liu Bocai gritted his teeth and found Liu Bei while preparing for the family dinner.

"Prince Regent, please come here for a moment."

"Hmm? Uncle? Just call me Xuande."

Liu Bei forced a smile as he looked at the energetic Liu Bocai. Although Liu Bocai did not fully support him like Liu Yuanqi did, he also received help from his uncles and cousins ​​when he was young, including Liu Bocai, when he followed his mother to weave mats and sell shoes.

Liu Bei was not an ungrateful person. Since he became an official in the court, he used a considerable portion of the money awarded by Liu Bian and Liu Xie to help Zhuo County and Lousang Village, and to help his uncles and brothers in the clan get rid of poverty and become rich and live a good life. He not only covered the tuition fees for the children in the clan to go to school, but also rewarded students with excellent grades.

Without violating public order, good morals and laws, do your best to help the Liu family of Lousang Village.

Looking at my uncle Liu Bocai's current expression, has he encountered some difficulties?

"Uncle, what can I help you with?"

After hearing what Liu Bei said, Liu Bo stopped hiding his words and said, "Xuan De, as the saying goes, brothers fight together to fight tigers, and fathers and sons fight together in battle. You see, Adou has become the crown prince, which means that Adou will become the emperor sooner or later. If you want to sit firmly on the throne, it is better to rely on your own people than on outsiders. In the future, Adou will have the help of the Lousang Liu family, so why worry about not being able to sit firmly on the throne?"

When Liu Bocai was halfway through his speech, Liu Bei frowned. He understood the hidden meaning of Liu Bocai's words. He was looking for him to seek an official position.

If the person who said this was not Liu Bo but someone else, Liu Bei would definitely not give the other person a good face. Even if the emperor was present, he would kick the other person out.

But Liu Bocai did help his uncle after all.
Liu Bei sighed, "Uncle, it's not that I don't want to help. The Han Dynasty today is not the same as it was before. Being an official is not based on reputation. If the talented people in the clan have ambitions, they can enter the officialdom through examinations."

"Isn't it too slow to take the exam? With just one word from you, Xuande, there is no need to waste time. Look at Liu Deran, he has been an official in the county for many years and has only become a postal inspector. If you just say it, wouldn't he be promoted?"

Looking at Liu Bocai's flattering smile, Liu Bei finally shook his head at him. Yes, he could just assign official positions to the clan members as he did when selecting soldiers. Even so, Liu Xie might not say anything.

but.
The greater the power, the more cautious Liu Bei became. He was not trying to avoid suspicion, but was afraid that a bad apple would spoil the whole pot of porridge. How could he know that all his uncles and brothers were suitable for official positions? If there was a mediocre person among them who did not do his job, the people under his rule would suffer!

Not to mention my uncle Liu Bocai, even if my father Liu Hong were to be resurrected, he would never agree!
"Uncle, I cannot agree to this. I will ask Yuan Zhi to send an imperial censor to investigate whether De Ran's achievements were embezzled by his superiors. If you are short of money, you can take the money from my house. But I hope you will not mention this matter again."

Seeing Liu Bei's refusal, Liu Bocai's face froze and became even uglier. He was about to say something bad.
Liu Xie's loud voice instantly attracted their attention.

On the other side, when Liu Bei and Liu Bo had just started talking, Fa Zheng nudged Liu Xie and said, "Your Majesty, aren't you going to discuss important matters with the cousin of the King of Yan? The King of Yan is chatting with his uncle from the same clan. Why don't you chat with them next to him?"

"Just as the Shangshu Ling said!" Liu Xie didn't think much and started to act immediately.

So Liu Xie asked Liu Deran loudly before Liu Bocai could speak, "Uncle! I see that you are not only the brother of the emperor's uncle, but also a disciple of Master Lu, both the emperor's uncle and I. What is your current official position?"

"Your Majesty, I am now the postmaster of Zhuo County."

"Inspector?!" Liu Xie raised his eyebrows, his words revealing a murderous aura, "Why is he still just an Inspector?! Could it be that someone embezzled the credit for your uncle's work?! Uncle, don't be afraid, I will do justice for you! I will promote you!"

Liu Deran was so frightened that his expression changed drastically. He shook his head repeatedly, "No, no! Your Majesty, it's not that someone has embezzled my credit. Over the years, under the supervision of the censor, the county government has been politically clear, and all those who have made contributions will be rewarded. I am stupid and my talent is mediocre. I have been an official in the county for many years before I was promoted to the post of Inspector. I dare not deceive Your Majesty. Just the post of Inspector requires me to use all my strength to complete it. If you let me get promoted, I will only make a mess."

"Wonderful! You are a rare talent who can recognize yourself! Since you don't want the official title, I can give you a reward, right? What do you want, uncle?"

"What do you want?" This question really stumped Liu Deran. His family had surplus food every year, his parents were still alive, he had a virtuous wife, and his wife had given birth to two sons. There was really nothing he wanted.

If you must
Liu Deran thought about it seriously and said, "I hope that the land tax will not increase, and there will be no additional taxes."

When these words came out, everyone present was stunned. Even Liu Xie put away his playful expression. He patted his chest and assured Liu Deran: "Don't worry, uncle. I swear that the land tax will not increase in the future, let alone increase the levy!"

After listening to the conversation between the two, Liu Bei looked at Liu Bocai, who lowered his head in shame. Although no one was slapping him, he felt the sound of being slapped on the face. He sighed and said, "I am far inferior to Liu Deran. Xuande, I am sorry to have embarrassed you. Just treat what I said just now as a fart."

(End of this chapter)