My father is Emperor Wu of Han, how can I be different from him?

Chapter 205 Lack of Courage
In late autumn, the imperial court decided on the candidates for the diplomatic envoy to South Vietnam as well as the letter of reprimand, but before the official departure, it had to inform the east.

Dongfang Shuo, Zhongjun and Li Guangli were the three people who could make decisions on their own in the court headed by the crown prince. But before the mission, Liu Ju added Lu Bode, Marquis of Fuli, and ordered him to lead troops south to provide support.

When it comes to mobilizing troops, you have to ask the emperor...

When the news reached the emperor, the eastern tour team had already arrived in Dongjun, and the emperor made some adjustments to the arrangements for the prince.

First of all.

Li Guangli was appointed as the chief envoy, Dongfang Shuo and Zhongjun as deputy envoys. Secondly, Lu Bode was appointed as General Fubo to lead troops to garrison Guiyang in case of any emergency.

The latter one was not mentioned. Liu Ju selected a general from Huo Qubing's old subordinates to lead the army, and the emperor agreed. But the former one...

Liu Ju originally appointed Dongfang Shuo as the chief envoy, but the emperor replaced him with Li Guangli...

Ouch.

All I can say is that the Han Dynasty’s in-laws are awesome.

The prince has his subordinates to take care of, and the emperor has his "brother-in-law" to support. Faced with the two conflicts, the prince has no choice but to take a step back.

Dongfang Shuo was not discouraged. On the day he left Beijing, he was full of fighting spirit and was determined not to return until Nanyue was conquered.

"Morale can be used."

On the tower of Weiyang Palace, Liu Ju saw them off from afar. Only after the delegation had left did he walk along the palace wall towards the East Palace.

As they walked, Liu Ju asked, "Did your father mobilize 80,000 soldiers in Dongjun just to control the flood?"

"Yes."

Su Wu replied in a deep voice, "Including the civilians from various counties, there are already hundreds of thousands of people working to control the flood. Your Majesty and the general and others are personally carrying mud and rocks to block the breach in the Huzi River."

When communicating about the selection of members for the diplomatic envoy, Liu Ju specifically sent Su Wu to act as a messenger, just to see what his father the emperor was doing.

From the news brought back by Shangguan Jie, Liu Ju had roughly guessed the emperor's thoughts. Going to Dongjun, what important event in Dongjun required the emperor to go there in person?

It’s nothing but water control!
But Liu Ju guessed the purpose, but he did not guess how determined the emperor was.

Carrying the mud and rocks personally with the general and others?

This is like the emperor personally plowing the fields during the spring festival. It may not have much practical significance, but it has a strong symbolic meaning!

Liu Ju thought to himself: "Is this why Lao Liu is so anxious to go on the tour to the east? Not really, he is not the kind of person who loves the people like his own children..."

Thinking about it.

Suddenly, Liu Ju had an idea in his mind... no, it was a flash of lightning.

Before the emperor's hurried tour to the east, an incident closely related to the Yellow River bursting its dike occurred in Chang'an. Luan Da threatened to control the flood, but was struck by lightning!

this moment.

Liu Ju looked towards the east, took a deep breath, and thought to himself: "Is it possible that I was struck by lightning? Did I scare Old Liu?"

Hey!
Why is it that the more I think about it, the more similar it is?
At the same time when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was getting close to the truth in Chang'an City.

Dongjun, Puyang County.

If you look down from the air at the Huzikou section of the Yellow River, which has burst its banks since the third year of Yuanguang, you can see dense crowds of people all over it.

Noisy shouts were heard one after another, people were carrying things on their backs and shoulders, and occasionally large equipment such as slide cranes were interspersed among them, and baskets of soil and stones were transported to higher places.

The huge rift that once surged southward with river water has now been blocked by a wide river embankment.

On the levee.

The emperor led his ministers to stand on the bank of the Yellow River, with envoys from vassal states among them. It was bright under the sky. Today, Liu Che, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, sank a white horse and a jade disk into the river to pay tribute to the river god.

The emperor sang: "What can I do if the Hu Zi breaks the law? The rivers are all flowing and turning into the river. The earth is in turmoil because of the river..."

Bow again and bow again.

Another song goes: "The river is surging and gurgling, it is difficult to dredge the dirty water to cross the north... The bamboo forest is covered with rocks and trees, the house is blocked and a thousand blessings are coming!"

In early winter, a palace appeared on the embankment that blocked the breach. This palace was named:
Xuanfang Palace!
Regardless of whether Liu Ju's guess was right or not, the emperor might have been frightened by the "thunderbolt", but after all, some of Liu Ju's actions had an impact on the emperor. Because the Xuanfang Palace, which stood on the river bank, came into being six years earlier than the original historical time and space...

The purpose of the emperor's eastern tour was indeed to control floods. After the river burst and was blocked, the tour was considered a complete success.

While snowflakes are flying.

The emperor's troop passed through Luoyang and Hangu Pass and finally returned to Chang'an City, which he had been away from for a long time.

By this time, what the emperor had done in Dongjun had spread throughout the country, and every civil and military official in the capital knew about it.

The subsequent reaction was predictable.

Memorials of praise flew into the Weiyang Palace like snowflakes, and there was no stopping them. The last time someone received this kind of treatment was when they denounced the cruel official Zhang Tang, who had committed many evil deeds...

but.

It’s different in the past.

The protagonist this time is the emperor. The emperor went personally to the place where the river broke its banks to control the flood, and even carried stones and soil with the Grand Marshal and the General. If this had happened in a later dynasty ruled by Confucianism, Liu Che would have been praised to the skies!

Of course.

The Confucian school, which is now the only school of thought in power, is still quite influential.

Officials of Confucian origin were the most active in flattering the emperor, and other ministers were not far behind.

Even Liu Ju submitted a congratulatory message.

No matter what purpose or motivation the emperor had in personally controlling the floods, his action itself was undoubtedly a good thing!

What works first and what works next.

Don't underestimate the power of these four words in the Han Dynasty...

Great court meeting.

At the first court meeting after the emperor returned to Chang'an, officials in charge of river and canal affairs vied with each other to request the construction of water conservancy projects.

The Imperial Censor Shi Qing also reported that the prefects and county magistrates of Shuofang, Hexi, Jiuquan and other places had submitted petitions to the court, requesting funds to dig artificial canals and divert river water to irrigate farmland.

The emperor always approved any request related to water conservancy!

The court on that day was filled with joy and excitement, as if it was a time of prosperity...

It is in this environment.

The Imperial Counselor Kong Anguo petitioned the Emperor to grant him the Fengshan title!
After Huo Qubing was conferred the title of Lord of the Wolf's Lair, Sima Xiangru presented his will, and Luan Datian was struck by lightning, the product of the accumulation of all these events was finally brought to the court.

just.

The emperor's attitude was very ambiguous. He neither agreed nor refused clearly, which seemed like he was asking and declining three times...

After the court meeting.

On the palace road leading to the Greenhouse Palace.

The eunuchs followed at a distance, while the emperor and the prince walked together. At the beginning, it was mostly Liu Ju who was talking and the emperor who was listening.

When he finished talking about his various actions during his time as regent, they arrived at the Greenhouse Palace. After the father and son entered the palace, the emperor commented:

"The Yi Zong case was handled too rigidly. The attempts to win over and divide the people were done in a proper manner, but the pressure was not strong enough."

Liu Che handed the fur coat to the eunuch Ling beside him. After he sat down in the main seat, he pointed at Liu Ju and said, "The first time you were regent, the officials in the court dared to force you, using both kindness and force. You only learned one kindness."

"Where's Wei?"

Liu Ju wanted to complain at this moment, "The ministers who oppose me are relying on your power, how can I be powerful?"

The emperor didn't care what the prince was thinking and continued, "The procedures for the Nanyue Kingdom were correct and handled properly."

“But it lacks courage!”

(End of this chapter)