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

Chapter 234 Are you satisfied now?

"kill!"

"Fight in!"

Shouts of killing filled the palace, axes split into skulls, long knives stabbed into eye sockets, chaos took place in every corner, and the coup came suddenly and was extremely violent.

Looking around, the once glorious palaces and red roofs and green tiles are now filled with swords, sabers, and brutal killings.

He stood at the bottom of the steps, dodging arrows from left and right, holding up his sword, and shouted to the crowd of soldiers behind him: "Follow me and charge in!"

"The one who bravely takes the lead will be rewarded with a hundred gold coins, and he can choose any concubine in the harem!"

"kill!"

Puff, Yu Shan chopped down a chaotic soldier who rushed forward with a knife, but when he looked up, there were more fanatical rebels rushing up from the stairs.

He wiped the blood off his face, his expression ferocious, and he roared unwillingly: "Jugu! You bastard! Have you forgotten your last name?!"

"I didn't forget!"

King Yue Yao stood behind the chaotic army and shouted, "I have not forgotten that I am a descendant of the Zou family, and I have not forgotten that you cut off your brother's head with your own hands that day!"

"When you killed your brother to seize the throne, did you think of your last name?!"

"I want to avenge the late king!"

Yu Shan laughed out loud upon hearing this. Blood spurted out around him and swords flew around him. The King of Dongyue laughed miserably.

He laughed at his cousin's hypocrisy, laughed at his subjects for having no king or father, and he laughed at himself for being born at the wrong time!

"Come! Come—"

"You want to surrender to the Han court with my head? Come on!"

King Yu Shan of Dongyue roared, tightly grasped the scabbard, swung the blade, and once again fell into an endless battle.

His heroic appearance of sacrificing himself did not affect the speed at which the rebels swung their swords, and the Dong Yue generals who colluded with King Yue Yao to rebel against him did not feel the slightest bit of guilt.

First of all, this was a coup.

From the moment you draw the sword, there is no turning back.

Secondly.

The current King of Dongyue, Yu Shan, is notorious and cannot really stand up to the image of a man who "sacrifices himself heroically".

In the sixth year of Jianyuan, the Minyue Kingdom sent troops to attack Nanyue. Nanyue asked the Han court for help, and the Han emperor then sent troops to attack Minyue.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yu Shan, the king's younger brother, instigated the nobles to launch a coup, murdered his elder brother, the King of Minyue, and presented his head to the Han Dynasty.

It is obvious what Yu Shan wants - the throne of Minyue!
but.

Emperor Liu Che chose not to make him king, but instead made another member of the Minyue royal family the king. Yu Shan was dissatisfied, so he took control of most of the Minyue Kingdom and made himself king.

What happened afterwards is well known to everyone. The Minyue Kingdom was divided into two, one was the Yueyao Kingdom and the other was the Dongyue Kingdom.

After that.

Today has come the moment when the two armies meet.

The catalyst that led the two royal members of the Zou clan to turn their swords against each other was still the military attack from the Han Dynasty.

The Han army was divided into three routes and surrounded the Dongyue Kingdom from the east, west and northeast. Yu Shan had long harbored rebellious intentions, and when he heard that the Han army was approaching, he took the initiative to attack.

He sent troops to attack the border fortresses of Baisha, Wulin, Meiling, etc., beheaded three Han captains, and after the success, he immediately proclaimed himself emperor in the capital!

From here.

Liu Che's accusation of treason against the Dongyue Kingdom was not too unfair...

just.

You can only do what you are capable of. To guard the Kingdom of Dongyue, a place that was a must-have for military strategists (Fujian region in later generations), and to want to use it to compete with the Han Dynasty is really like looking at the world from a well.

If the king makes a mistake, the ministers who have been outside the "well" will not follow him.

At the same time when the Han army entered the Dongyue Kingdom, Wu Yang, Marquis of Yue Yan, who had stayed in the Han Dynasty for many years, returned to Dongyue on the order of the Han Dynasty to persuade it to surrender.

The rest of the good ones were not surrendered.

His minister Wu Yang did not tolerate this either and led his troops in rebellion.

Attacked from all sides, the King of Dongyue had no choice but to retreat back to the capital, but karma always comes back to haunt him, and the same thing he did back then is happening to him today...

"Puff! Puff! Clang!"

The sword blade came at the neck, but it didn't cut it off. He snatched the soldier's axe and chopped it again with force. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, until a sound of metal hitting the ground was heard, and the head and body were finally separated.

King Yueyao held the head by its hair, raised it high, and shouted to the soldiers who were still fighting in the palace: "Yu Shan is dead!"

"Those who lay down their weapons will be forgiven!"

"Yu Shan is dead!"

"Yu Shan is dead——!"

The rebellious generals followed suit and shouted, with each wave louder than the last.

The king is dead, and any further resistance is futile. Soon, scenes of weapons falling to the ground appeared one after another. This palace coup started quickly and ended quickly.

Early the next morning.

On the plains along the coast east of the capital, a large banner with the Chinese character "韩" broke through the fog, followed closely by an endless army.

Before approaching the city wall, only two miles outside the city, the leading Han general ordered the army to stop advancing. He looked at King Yueyao who was kneeling on the ground with his head in his hands.

Jugu raised his hands high and shouted: "I am a wicked man, and I am willing to surrender!"

Hear this.

Han said he used his whip to push his helmet, was stunned for a moment, and uttered a sound: "Ha!"

Han said, General Henghai.

Starting from Juzhang, they crossed the sea by boat and marched from the east. The army advanced, but the battle ended without even fighting a single battle?
Yes, it's over.

Two days later, General Li Gan's troops, who had set out from Meiling and marched towards the western part of Dongyue, arrived late and looked at the big flag with the word "Han" flying over the city.

Tsk! Li Gan spat on the ground. His current mood can be described in two words:

"Oh shit!"

Gongsun Ao, the general who set out from Baisha to attack the northeast of Dongyue, arrived later, and his reaction was more realistic:

"Oh, my title of marquis!"

When the troops were sent out, they didn't encounter any tough battles, let alone a decent war. The Dong Yue people did all the killing, and Han Shuo got the credit for accepting the surrender. What did the other two generals get?

Not even a hair on it!
The battle report was sent to the capital at an accelerated speed of 800 miles. Upon hearing the news, the emperor issued an edict, saying: "The East Yue is narrow and has many obstacles. The Min Yue are fierce and have repeatedly rebelled. I order the military officials to relocate their people to the area between the Yangtze River and the Huai River."

Since then, the land of Dongyue has been empty...

……

Chang'an City.

In a teahouse at the intersection of Xishi Street.

"At the beginning of the summer, the king of Yue something, Zuo Jugu, was deeply impressed by the prestige of the Han Dynasty, and led his Yue something and Dongyue countries to surrender to the Han Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty is pleased and has specially conferred upon him the title of Marquis of Dongcheng. The generals of Dongyue who helped him to restore order, Wu Yang, were conferred the title of Marquis of Shi, Ao Feng..."

"Alright, alright!"

"It's just a bunch of barbarians surrendering. I want to ask you, Wu Laoer, can you read the whole thing?"

"Hey! This is the official newspaper that the shopkeeper bought with great difficulty. If you don't listen, I won't read it to you!"

"Oh!"

"Stop arguing. Your shopkeeper relies on this to attract customers. Read it quickly!"

"Hmph, I won't bother with you guys... In late summer, the former prime minister of Jiaoxi and great scholar Kong Anguo resigned from his post less than a month after taking office."

"Eh? Didn't you hear this great scholar Wu Lao Er recite it some time ago?"

"Yes, I remember that too. He was said to be so good at that time."

"Be loyal to the king and govern diligently!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Why are you suddenly resigning now?"

"I heard that the King of Jiaoxi in the east is not easy to deal with. I guess that great scholar is a bit timid..."

“Isn’t he a great scholar?”

"Well, I said I was invincible in the world. Everyone can brag, but being a great scholar is great..."

"Stop making such a noise, I just bought a bowl of tea and I haven't heard enough!"

"Bang! Who are you calling me?"

"What about you!"

"Bang! Bang! Stop hitting me. If you continue, I'll report you to the police—"

Well, just when the city of Chang'an was peaceful and prosperous, at the same time, in the Weiyang Palace and the Xuanshi Hall, a scene of harmony between the emperor and his subjects was also being played out.

Han Shuo was granted the title of Andaohou for his meritorious service in recruiting the surrendered, with a fief of 600 households. As for Li Gan and Gongsun Ao, the emperor gave them a chance to be compensated for their loss of titles, but unfortunately they did not seize it.

Keep up the good work and keep up the good work in the future.

Gongsun Ao handed in his post and stood in the back row with a look of regret. Li Gan, the Imperial Guards, also looked depressed and went to the front row...

"His Majesty."

Dongfang Shuo, who had just taken over the post of Grand Chancellor a few days ago, reported: "Handan Qin clan reported that Zhao Guang, a native of Cangwu County, was willing to serve the court and wanted to ask for a title for him."

"allow."

The emperor on the dragon couch said in a deep voice: "The Prime Minister drafted an imperial decree to confer Zhao Guang the title of Marquis of Suitao, with a fief of 3,000 households."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhao Guang, a native of Cangwu County, is described as Dongfang Shuo in a very subtle way. To be precise, it should be - King of Cangwu, Zhao Guang!
This title was bestowed upon the former King of Nanyue. After the Han Dynasty annexed the Nanyue Kingdom, Zhao Guang, an old man, was the one who caused the most trouble.

You can get a glimpse of it from the name.

Cangwu County, Cangwu King, Cangwu Tribe, the name of the county established by the Han Dynasty, all have the same name as Zhao Guang’s tribe, which shows that its power is deeply rooted!

Zhao Guang has the same surname as the Nanyue royal family, but they are not from the same clan. Zhao Guang was given the surname as a means for the King of Nanyue to win him over.

After the Han Dynasty occupied Nanyue, Zhao Guang made a fuss. In essence, he also wanted the Han Dynasty to win him over and show some respect...

The former Queen of Nanyue, Qin, made the deal.

Easy.

It was precisely because of this that Dongfang Shuo was promoted from the second in command of the Grand Executive Office to the first in command.

The report at today's grand court meeting was already the final stage of the process. The title of nobility was finalized, and Dongfang Shuo returned to his original position.

As soon as one side finishes talking, another side starts talking.

General Huo Qubing stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, a few days ago, Zhuoli Houyi came to report that a large number of Xiongnu in the northern desert went south and found his tribe, intending to seek refuge with them."

"Please give us some rules."

Oh?
This was the first time he had heard of this. The emperor frowned and pondered for a while, then looked to the person on his right, "Prince, what do you think of this?"

Liu Ju perked up slightly, bowed to the main seat, and then looked at his cousin, "Chapter? You want a promise?"

"Not bad!"

Huo Qubing said bluntly: "The two great khans of the Xiongnu are fighting fiercely. The large tribe that went south does not want to serve as a vanguard and intends to join the Han Dynasty to avoid disaster."

"From what Yi Jixuan said, the other party wants to be a marquis."

The words fell.

There was a buzzing sound in the hall. Without exception, all of them were shaking heads, rejections, belittlements, and even scoldings.

The ministers' logic is easy to understand. Either they are indifferent to the Huns and are instinctively on guard against them, or they are extremely crazy and despise those guys.

But the emperor was asking the prince, so the officials did not interrupt rashly.

Liu Ju thought for a moment, then bowed to the dragon couch and said, "Father, I think I can promise you a title of nobility."

"Why?" asked the emperor.

"There are two reasons. First, the Xiongnu are currently in internal strife. This move can attract more Xiongnu tribes to join the Han Dynasty, which has the intention of disintegrating them. Second, after the other side surrenders, the tribes will be gradually dispersed and scattered to various border counties and outside the Great Wall, which can also serve as a barrier."

"…Let's do as the prince says."

The emperor waved his hand, indicating that the next item should be discussed. For some reason, the court officials suddenly looked at each other in confusion.

There was a moment of silence.

Imperial Censor Bu Shi stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, local counties have recently reported that many iron officials in various places are in chaos, corruption is rampant, and they cut corners."

"Most of the farm tools they made were crude and unusable, and the people suffered greatly from them. What's worse, they cheated and closed the official shops for a long time, leaving the people with nowhere to buy farm tools, causing serious harm. Some local people have suggested abolishing the iron official..."

It is normal for problems to arise after the state-run salt and iron system has been in operation for so long, but the meaning of the last sentence of the Grand Censor is not quite normal.

What do you mean by there are voices in the local area calling for the abolition of the iron official system?

Being able to say it in the court and convey that attitude means that it is one's own political view. Can one just say casually about abolishing the iron official system?
Why didn’t the other ministers say anything?

Salt and iron are inseparable. If the iron officials are abolished, will the salt officials be far behind?
Want to move into the salt and iron state-run enterprises?

The emperor looked at it, his mind racing, but he rarely expressed his opinion directly, instead he asked, "Prince, what do you think about this matter?"

Liu Ju raised his eyebrows.

This rhythm seems a little familiar...

Complaints aside, Liu Ju had to answer questions about state affairs. He turned to look at Bu Shi, who had a wealthy appearance, and pondered for a while:
"If I remember correctly, since the Shuiheng Duwei Mansion announced the iron smelting process, there has been no shortage of strong iron among the people. The reason for the chaos is still because of people?"

"It's the iron official." The Imperial Censor corrected.

"Yes, to be more precise, it's because of the corrupt officials!" Liu Juxian confirmed, then changed the subject and continued:
"Since local officials are corrupt, we should eliminate corruption!"

talking.

Liu Ju turned to the main seat, clasped his hands and said loudly: "Father, the local iron officials are in chaos. I think it is due to poor supervision!"

"Of course, there are too many local counties and the imperial court is unable to reach them, so I think we should curb the space for corruption from the root and the system!"

Okay.

After he finished speaking, Bu Shi's eyes widened. I was saying that the state-run salt and iron industry was inappropriate, and you linked it to corruption, and finally you linked it to me?

The Imperial Censor is the supervisory office of the imperial court...

but.

Bu Shi’s thinking is shallow.

Just a gentle tap on him was enough. Some old hands who had served in the court for many years sensed something was wrong from the prince's last sentence.

Sure enough, Liu Ju's next sentence was: "The reason why the iron officials were corrupt was mostly because they were local county officials, or they were originally from local tyrants or wealthy families."

"They used to control the salt and iron industry privately, but now they control it for the imperial court. How can they not be corrupt and collude with each other?"

"I suggest that the salt and iron officials should follow the example of the equalization and equalization officials and prohibit local people from taking up the post. This policy can also be implemented for other officials."

"It would be best if the court issued a written decree!"

"Secondly!" Liu Ju's venomous tongue continued to speak as the ministers stared in amazement, "It still comes down to the word supervision."

"The supervision of the central government is beyond our reach, so we should establish a set of regulatory agencies at the local level to achieve the goal of strict and prompt punishment of corruption!"

"Father, I have finished speaking."

After hearing his words, all the civil and military officials in the hall fell silent.

Everyone first looked at the Crown Prince in astonishment, and then immediately turned their displeased attitude towards the Imperial Censor Bu Shi, which clearly meant:
Why do you mention the state-run salt and iron industry?

Are you satisfied now?

Don't you have any descendants in your family serving in the local government? Who in the officialdom today is not greedy? Are you bored?

Bu Shi was so embarrassed and humiliated by the look that he quickly raised his sleeves to cover his face. He could never have imagined that the prince would come up with such a cruel move in a hurry...

It’s better to be ruthless.

Liu Ju wanted to take advantage of the public anger to give him a severe beating!
"Hahahahaha!" The silent Xuanshi Hall suddenly burst into laughter. The emperor stood up, flicked his sleeves, and said with difficulty, unable to hide his joy:
"Okay, the court is adjourned. Next time there is such corruption, the Imperial Censor should think about how to deal with it and not bring everything to the court."

"Otherwise, what do I want you to do?"

"Dismiss, Prince, follow me..."

Liu Ju had no idea what the ministers discussed after the court session. He only knew that familiar memories once again came to his mind.

After leaving the Xuanshi Hall, immediately turn into the Chengming Hall.

The emperor's first question was about government affairs. "You said that there should be written restrictive laws for officials to take office. Do you have any mature ideas?"

Let’s put this aside for now.

Looking at the emperor's excited look, Liu Ju bared his teeth and asked an immature question: "Father, are you going to run away again?"

"What are you running for?"

Liu Che, who had just sat down behind the imperial desk, frowned slightly, but in an instant he realized what the prince was talking about, and immediately said unhappily:

"That's the Eastern Tour. Why are you running away? Who told you that I'm going on another tour? Why do I ask you to handle some government affairs before I leave Beijing?"

"Cut the nonsense!"

The emperor pointed to the seat next to the imperial desk and said, "Sit down. I want to ask you about the restrictions on the appointment of officials. Do you have any mature ideas?"

"Also, I am also very interested in that local supervisory agency. Please tell me more about it."

The emperor's love was never aimless. Looking back at the past, it is not difficult to find that every time "father's love" came, the filial son must have done something.

Either for the country, for the people, or simply to grow from a boy to a man.

This time is no exception.

Not long ago, the emperor saw what he wanted to see. The prince finally showed his fangs in the court...

That's right!
Everyone shows their fangs, but if you don’t, others will not think you are humble, but will only think you are weak and can be bullied!
While showing his prowess, he was also able to advance and retreat properly and control himself freely. In a word, in one sentence - I am very satisfied!
I am satisfied and you are capable.

As for the state affairs, I dare you to let go and fight for them!
(End of this chapter)