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

Chapter 258: Patience and Cruelty

Not at home, I don't know how expensive Chai Mi is.

Ever since the Nine Ministers system was reformed, the Grand Minister of Agriculture has been the court's all-round financial manager, with great power and responsibility. Especially recently, Sang Hongyang has been under tremendous pressure.

He has been saying this a lot lately: "When the Crown Prince abolished the Gao Min Order, I should have spoken out strongly in opposition. Alas!"

"I regret it!"

It is true that the "Gao Min Order" caused local unrest, but it also greatly eased the pressure on the national treasury.

Even though he knew it was a poisonous fruit, Sang Hongyang couldn't help but eat it, and he still remembers it to this day. It's really...

No way.

At the beginning of the year, the emperor personally led 180,000 cavalrymen to the north of the grassland. Although there was no actual fighting, the national treasury's money and grain were not spent less.

180,000 cavalrymen, including horses, need food and fodder every day. From the moment the army begins to assemble and mobilize before the war, huge amounts of food and fodder are spilled out!

During the Battle of Mobei, the entire country was mobilized to recruit county soldiers and civilians to ensure logistics. When Your Majesty led the army in person, the scale of the force was even larger than that of the Battle of Mobei. Didn't you also recruit civilians?

Yes, I have.

The mobilized county soldiers and corvée labor were even more than before...

When the emperor returned to the capital, he said to the ministers outside the city of Chang'an: "I have gained something in the north this time, and it is inseparable from your overall planning in Chang'an."

This is not just a polite remark, it is a real affirmation.

Last year, the Qiang people rebelled and the Han army beheaded more than 47,000 people. For some reason, the court erased the reward for Huo Qubing, the commander-in-chief who suppressed the rebellion.

The military merits of upper-level generals in deploying troops can be erased for political reasons, but the military merits and rewards of lower-level soldiers cannot be erased in any way!
More than 47,000 levels.

The numbers are clearly laid out here, one head corresponds to a certain amount of reward, and these all need to be exchanged for real money!

and also.

Previously, Wuyuan County was attacked. In order to strengthen the border defense, the imperial court built beacon towers and fortresses in various places in Yinshan Mountain, and at the same time increased the number of border troops in Shuofang and Bingzhou.

All of these things, one by one, which one of them doesn’t cost money?

Sang Hongyang never complained about these things in the court. If he did, it would only upset His Majesty and make him look incompetent...

but.

The problem was indeed here. Money was needed everywhere, and everyone was asking Sang Hongyang for money, but where was the money? Where was the money in the treasury?

How could Sang Hongyang have any money?
The national treasury was not rich to begin with, and after several setbacks, it has shrunk significantly. As a result, Your Majesty now wants to build a palace.

That’s no ordinary palace!

The court officials were still unclear about it, but Sang Hongyang, who had received the emperor's order, knew clearly that it was a palace even larger than the Weiyang Palace.

A palace that is bigger and more magnificent than the entire Weiyang Palace!

Corridors, eaves, pools, gardens, birds and beasts, beautiful scenery of water and mountains, everything is available. I ask, which one of them doesn’t cost money?

They all cost money.

Sang Hongyang never told anyone about the above ramblings. It would be useless to tell others. Not only would others be at a loss as to what to do, they might even ask him in return:
"You are the Minister of Agriculture. Isn't it your fault that the court is short of money?"

Sang Hongyang anticipated this situation, so he did not complain about himself. Others could not help him, nor could they help the national treasury.

He alone can help himself.

As long as it could increase the revenue of the national treasury and allow Xiongnu women to enter the Han palace, Sang Hongyang would accept it with a pinch of his nose. It didn't matter if others were hesitant about the prince's advice.

He, Sang Hongyang, stood up to support!
No matter how much you insult me, I will stand up. I am the Minister of Agriculture. Since you can't share my worries, I will just treat your thousands of words as noise and wind around my ears...

"No rudeness."

Someone in the hall lost his dignity and uttered foul language. The prime minister stopped him. Shi Qing looked at Xu Yan, the doctor of the Imperial College who had the most intense reaction, and frowned:

"How can you behave in front of a foreign envoy? Stick to the facts and stop criticizing the minister!"

Even though the people the prime minister glanced at still showed anger, they did not do anything extreme. Xu Yan had a cold expression and first bowed to the prime minister as an apology.

immediately.

He turned to the main seat and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I oppose the admission of Xiongnu women into the Han palace!"

"I second the motion!" others followed closely behind.

However, this time it was not one-sided. Previously, the scholars and teachers criticized Sang Hongyang, and some ministers did not interrupt. But now, they are going to interrupt.

"Your Majesty, I don't think you need to be so arbitrary." The Imperial Household Official Gongsun He stepped out and said, "As the Crown Prince said, the palace maids are also the palace maids of the Han Dynasty."

"The situation is reversed now. The Xiongnu are weak and our Han is strong. How can we still give our daughters to the north? The Xiongnu should pay tribute!"

Gongsun He, who seldom spoke in the court in the past, spoke decisively today.

first.

He is the prince's uncle and a member of the prince's party.

Secondly, when the Nine Ministers system was reformed, it was the Crown Prince who petitioned on his own behalf to increase the authority of the Imperial Household Department.

It is reasonable and logical for Gongsun He to stand on the side of the crown prince, and because of the above two reasons, he is more active than Yu Chu and Wang Heng.

"I second the proposal."

Grand Herald Dongfang Shuo replied: "A powerful country should have the dignity of a powerful country. Even a palace maid should not be given lightly."

Xu Yan's rebuttal followed: "Then let the Xiongnu offer a princess as tribute and marry her into the Han family? In the future, the royal family will have an extra foreign bloodline?"

"No."

"Please speak frankly, Grand Herald!" Xu Yan shouted sternly.

"Who says that if a Xiongnu woman enters the palace, she will definitely give birth to royal bloodline?" Xu Yan was very angry and excited, but Dongfang Shuo responded calmly.

He spoke so calmly and easily about a cruel and cold palace secret, an open secret.

If you enter the palace, will you definitely give birth to a child?
Not necessarily.

Whether you can live well is a question!

As soon as Dongfang Shuo finished speaking, Xu Yan, who was extremely angry, was suddenly stunned. The doctors and doctors who were as determined as he was to defend the Han bloodline were all stunned.

After a moment's silence, several people frowned, bowed to the dragon couch, turned around and returned to their original seats.

So far, have the differences been resolved?

Yes, it seems so.

The opposition died down and the supporters gained the upper hand. The emperor, who had been watching from the sidelines, twirled his beard and glanced among the crowd, as if thinking about something.

Although Dongfang Shuo's words were blunt, they were not impossible to implement. Gongsun He's words also made sense. As for Sang Hongyang, who was the first to agree...

Liu Che knew why he stood up.

The emperor was thinking and seemed to have not made up his mind, but some people knew that the emperor had already made a shift in his mind.

At this time.

General Wei Qing stepped out at the right time and gave a push. He looked at the Xiongnu envoy who was already gritting his teeth and said, "If we want to pay tribute to the princess from the grassland, can your Chanyu agree to it?"

Right Grand Commandant Hu Wei did not answer immediately. He clenched his fists tightly, fearing that if he opened his mouth, he would -

The marriage is cancelled and the fight will end until one dies!
Hu Wei heard all the quarrels in the hall earlier, all the vulgarity, insults and contempt. He was angry but not hysterical.

But the words of the Grand Herald really made Hu Wei almost unable to bear it. After entering the palace, how could he be sure that he would not have an heir?
How can you be so sure?

There is no other reason. One moment you offer women as tribute from the grassland, they may be imprisoned or poisoned the next!

Where there is a king, there will be three palaces and six courtyards. Where there are many wives and concubines, there will be palace fighting. The royal court and Chang'an are no different.

So Hu Wei understood the Han minister's metaphor, so he was furious, but his anger did not come from a possible Xiongnu woman with a tragic fate.

Even a royal woman.

Hu Wei's anger stemmed from the fact that the Han officials were so open-minded that they actually spoke such contemptuous words in front of him! He was angry at the Han officials' arrogance!

"I'm asking you a question." Wei Qing's voice rose again, with a hint of impatience and displeasure between his brows, and he frowned and said:

"Can your Chanyu agree to pay tribute to the princess?"

Hu Wei's face was tense, his fists were clenched, and his eyes were glaring. Wei Qing saw all this, but he didn't care.

Wei Qing continued to ask.

His gaze fell on the Right Grand Commandant, but Hu Wei could no longer remain indifferent, not because of anything else, but simply because the person who asked him the question was called Wei Qing.

Wei Qing, who had penetrated the grasslands several times...

Hu Wei stared at Wei Qing stubbornly, as if trying to maintain his little remaining dignity. His lips twitched and he squeezed out a word from between his teeth:

"can!"

Can the Xiongnu pay tribute to the Han people with princesses? Yes!
Now that he was despised by Han officials and cornered by Wei Qing, was Hu Wei angry? Angry! But he was holding it in.

When Ju Lihu sent him south as an envoy, he had made it clear that Huwei was sent on the mission only to suffer humiliation, and no matter how angry he was, he had to hold it in!

"I endured the humiliation that the Han envoy Zhu He humiliated me in the Chanyu's court. You should endure it too!"

"A small leak will sink a great ship."

"As long as we can stabilize the Han court, it doesn't matter whether the princess sent here is real or not. If the Han Dynasty is still willing to join us in attacking Wu Wei..."

"Except for me to come south and submit to the throne, no other conditions can be too harsh."

"All agreed!"

Thinking of the Great Chanyu's original words, Hu Wei tried hard to suppress the anger in his chest, looked up at the imperial steps, and said loudly:
"If His Majesty the Emperor wants a woman from my grassland, that's fine, but we, the Great Khan, also have a condition!"

Liu Che raised his eyebrows and stared at the other person, "Don't ever say that the throne of the Han Dynasty must be inherited by the descendants of your grassland bloodline."

This set.

This was the method he used to deal with the Kingdom of Nanyue in the past, and would be used to deal with Zuo Xian King in the future. Liu Che would never let his own kingdom fall into such a situation.

If the Hun envoy dared to mention it, Liu Che would turn hostile on the spot.

Fortunately, it is not.

Huwei knew his own limitations, so he simply reiterated Julihu's request, and his troops and the Han army helped each other and attacked the Wuwei tribe together.

The emperor agreed. No problem. As I said before, you use me and I use you. Who has the last laugh depends on the means used.

The current 'new marriage' strategy is beneficial to the Han Dynasty, so the emperor should accept it.

Very simple.

The fact that Liu Che agreed to take the Xiongnu woman into the palace had nothing to do with the words of Gongsun He and Dongfang Shuo, nor had it anything to do with Sang Hongyang's "tremendous pressure".

They may have their reasons and difficulties, but this is not the reason why the emperor is willing to lower himself and marry a daughter of a foreign race.

He would agree, all in one sentence: "Paying tribute to the princess and money and property can confirm: respecting the emperor as an elder!"

The emperor didn't care about the princess or the property, but he cared about the form of respect.

Care very much!
Liu Ju's previous remarks were not groundless.

Sang Hongyang was just an accidental helper. The real target of Liu Ju's words has always been the emperor himself!
He is the only one...

From the current perspective, the effect is very good. Liu Ju's father, the emperor, agreed to the marriage, but the Huns only gave women and tribute to the Han Dynasty.

The emperor ordered the Grand Herald to supervise the matter, but Sang Hongyang volunteered to handle it together with Dongfang Shuo. It was clear what he was thinking.

Make a fortune!
The emperor did not stop him and waved his hand in agreement.

The Xiongnu envoy left angrily. After the court meeting, it should have been the time for the prince's party to gather and talk, but Sang Hongyang, a member of the emperor's party, intervened.

"Your Highness is kind and loving to the people, and you care about your subjects. If there is a national policy to increase taxes for the court in the future, I hope Your Highness can help you."

After saying this, Sang Hongyang bowed deeply, turned around and left.

Huo Qubing watched him leave and whispered to Liu Ju, "What's this, Grand Minister of Agriculture?"

"It's not a surrender."

Wei Qing knew what his nephew was thinking, and with a heavy face, he explained: "Sang Hongyang has his own difficulties. Your Highness should help him in the future if you can."

Liu Ju nodded, and the three of them walked towards Dongque together. As they got farther away, they heard intermittent sounds floating in the wind.

"After all, he is the Minister of Agriculture... If we give him some support, who can say whether he will join us in the future..."

……

At night, Chengming Palace.

Although the man in embroidered clothes already had an official status, he was still accustomed to standing in the shadow of the beams and pillars, and said in a deep voice:
"After Hu Wei left the Weiyang Palace, he went straight out of Chang'an. During this time, his followers were under constant surveillance, and there was no sign of him coming into contact with any of the court officials."

"not a single one?"

The emperor asked calmly with a blank expression on his face.

The man in embroidered clothes clasped his fists and said, "No, either they are cautious, or Ju Lihu did not inform the envoy about the spies, so they know nothing about it."

That’s all I have to say.

The emperor's writing on the desk was also coming to an end. He picked up the pen and collected the ink. Before the ink was dry, Liu Che tore off a corner of the paper and threw it down the stairs.

"what about this?"

The paper fluttered and fell on the stone bricks of the hall. The man took two steps forward and tilted his head to see the handwriting on the paper clearly: Wei.

"I have carefully checked General Wei's family and found nothing unusual."

No abnormality?
Liu Che narrowed his eyes slightly. There was nothing unusual here. He had personally visited Zhao State before, and there was nothing unusual about his seventh brother.

So where is the anomaly?
The atmosphere in the hall was a little tense, and the man in embroidered clothes bowed his head slightly.

The emperor, dressed in elegant casual robes, paced in the hall. The bright candlelight shone on his face, making his expression change from moody to cheerful.

After an unknown amount of time, a cold voice finally sounded: "Investigate again! Expand the investigation, and investigate the Wei family in Dai County as well! Investigate the King of Yan as well!"

The man in embroidered clothes felt a chill in his heart when he heard this, and he bowed and said:

"Here!"

The general came from Hedong County, and could be called the Hedong Wei family. There was also a Wei family in Dai County, which was once a family of dukes and ministers.

There was once a teacher of the emperor in the family, the teacher of the current emperor Liu Che - Wei Wan!
And the King of Yan.

There is no need to introduce him in detail. He is the emperor's third son, Prince of Yan Liu Dan!
Just like King Zhao Liu Pengzu, they both have very close blood ties and restless hearts!

The emperor praised the Xiongnu Chanyu for his patience and ruthlessness. He was praising him instead of belittling him. The kind of kingly way that the emperor admired in his heart was actually obvious.

Be cruel enough!
In order to keep his kingdom forever, he is so cruel that he doesn't care about his relatives and is alone!
(End of this chapter)