A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 98 Going down the mountain
Early morning is the most beautiful time at Ganquan Mountain.

The first blush of dawn in the east adorns the distant mountains and nearby waters, making them appear and disappear in a hazy, indistinct light.

Before long, a beautiful sunrise blazed up where the Longyuan Plain met the blue sky.

So the mountains, the water, and the trees were all tinged with a purplish-brown hue, welcoming the arrival of that extraordinary moment in the morning breeze.

Finally, the sun, like a ripe tangerine, leaped out of the sea of ​​clouds and onto the mountaintop, instantly filling the entire world with life and vitality.

Located at the southern foot of Ganquan Mountain, Ganquan Palace is built on the slope. Standing on the slope, you can see the red walls and green tiles of the halls lined up one after another. Ganquan Mountain, which surrounds it, does not have the beautiful scenery of the southern mountains and rivers, but it has a desolate and profound atmosphere because of its loess soil.

"It is said that Qin Shi Huang was so captivated by its undulating terrain and lush greenery that he built the Lin Guang Palace here."

As Wuqiu Shouwang recounted the stories of the past, he sighed, "This red sun shines on the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, but who knows what it will shine on next?"

"Has His Majesty agreed to the southern tour?" Dong Zhongshu gazed at the magnificent palaces stretching for miles, his words, though questioning, were full of certainty.

"I agreed, but not completely."

"What do you mean?"

"His Majesty requires that wherever you go, you must thoroughly investigate and observe the hardships of the people, and then compile the information into a book for the people of the world to judge," said Wuqiu Shouwang expressionlessly.

Dong Zhongshu trembled and remained silent for a moment. "Does His Majesty mean that His Majesty should write an edict of self-reproach wherever he goes?"

Your Majesty has been on the throne for twenty years and has ruled in your own right for fifteen years, and the great changes in the Han Dynasty have also occurred during these fifteen years.

On one hand, the country was engaged in militarism and extravagant construction projects, and on the other hand, natural disasters and man-made calamities were frequent, leaving the people destitute.

From local authorities to the imperial court, they only reported good news and not bad, whitewashing the situation and creating the illusion of a peaceful and prosperous era.

Your Majesty is not a foolish ruler; you must have had some premonition about all of this, but you only thought it was a "tiny" difference. Therefore, the Han Dynasty in Your Majesty's imagination and the Han Dynasty in reality are worlds apart.

The people of Guanzhong could barely survive, while those in the Central Plains and Guandong were so hungry they were practically starving. As for the people in the southern regions and the northern frontier, they were constantly on the brink of life and death.

To avoid an overreaction from the Emperor, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Southern and Northern Armies, the places visited during this southern tour were mostly in the border counties of the empire, in other words, the poorest and most impoverished areas of the Han Dynasty.

What do we see when observing humanity in these places?
People were so hungry that they exchanged their own children to eat.

Dong Zhongshu's original plan was for His Majesty to travel at breakneck speed, offering sacrifices whenever he encountered mountains and rivers, and if auspicious omens appeared, he would return to Chang'an within a few months to a year, so that His Majesty could ask the Emperor for advice on state affairs.

Now, there's an added "task": to go deep into the countryside, write down one's experiences and insights based on people's lives.

Not only will the parade time increase several times, but will it be possible to write about the hardships of the people?

It must be understood that the prosperous reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, known as the "Reign of Wen and Jing," were not without their flaws. Coupled with Your Majesty's relentless exploitation of the Han Dynasty over the past decade, the stark contrast created by such a period is unacceptable. To describe Your Majesty's rule over the past twenty years as tyranny would be an insult to the very word.

Your Majesty's reputation as a tyrant will likely soon surpass that of the First Emperor and rival that of Jie and Zhou.

More importantly, this cannot be written as false, because not only will people in the future see it, but people in this life will also see it. If it is fake, it will be exposed in an instant.

"That's probably what it means."

"What if His Majesty doesn't write it?" Dong Zhongshu asked, looking at Prince Wuqiu Shou. "His Majesty's journey involves two or three thousand people, including his female attendants, officials of the central court, and palace guards. The cost of feeding the people and horses is no less than that of an army on a march. The entire southern tour will cost at least tens of thousands of taels of gold, but His Majesty has no money left."

"It's impossible that they don't even have tens of thousands of taels of gold. Princess Dou and Princess Pingyang, these princesses and noblewomen, if they pool their resources, would they really be short of that little bit?"

"Teacher, it's not that simple."

Seeing that his teacher did not fully understand the Han Dynasty's money and grain system, Wuqiu Shouwang slowly said, "Sometimes, money cannot be directly equated with grain, especially in the border regions where money and grain are unbalanced, and grain can be more expensive than money. Of course, if you really have a lot of money, you can get grain if you want."

However, without the support of local officials, the safety of the imperial procession could not be guaranteed; no matter how many guards there were, they would eventually be wiped out.

He spoke subtly, but Dong Zhongshu understood that the turmoil in the Han Dynasty had triggered various social problems, including rampant banditry and widespread mob violence.

Battle reports can be deceiving, but the front lines can not.

Dong Zhongshu had served as the prime minister of Jiaoxi Kingdom for three years and was well aware that the lives of the common people had been completely destroyed by natural disasters and man-made calamities. Countless people had lost their fields and were forced to flee to the wilderness. Where was there any semblance of a prosperous era? Or rather, this prosperous era was just the fantasy of some people and had nothing to do with the common people.

The bandits spread like wildfire across Guandong, somewhat reminiscent of the Qin Er Shi era. If the emperor and prime minister's office did not issue an order for local officials to provide support, those few gatekeepers would probably be wiped out as soon as they left Wuguan and reached Nanyang County.

There was no way around it; the rebellion in Nanyang was one of the most serious in the world. In the eyes of those desperate criminals, the emperor was a scoundrel, and they were even less afraid of the county magistrate.

After that, there will be Nanjun, Jiangxiajun, Langyajun, Donghaijun... The emperor's tour may then turn into a journey.

"What if His Majesty doesn't go?"

"late."

Wuqiu Shouwang was heartbroken. "The Prime Minister's reply clearly states that the Grand Historian has recorded this matter in the national history, and it is described as an act of 'sincere repentance.' If Your Majesty does not go..."

How should a bloodthirsty and unrepentant emperor be criticized in his own time? How should posterity judge him?

Exile from the palace is not for His Majesty's enjoyment. When the weapon of criticism is no longer effective against a stubborn emperor, the only option is to use weapons to criticize him.

Do they really think they can go on tours whenever they want and not go on tours whenever they don't want to? Do they think the world is ruled by His Majesty?

Dong Zhongshu gazed in the direction of Chang'an, thinking of the face of Prime Minister Gongsun Hong, and gritted his teeth, saying, "That old scoundrel is utterly vicious!"

How did the Confucian art of supporting the emperor, which was originally a noble practice, become a method that led to their deaths?
Why was Zhongshu born if Hong was also born?
Oh, heavens, how cruel you are to me!

His Majesty already suspected him of being from the Crown Prince's palace; how can this be explained now?
"And, teacher."

Wuqiu Shouwang hesitated for a moment, "A major witchcraft case has been launched in Chang'an City. The Grand Master of Ceremonies and Marquis of Dangtu, Wei Buhai, are involved and have been implicated by Zhang Tang."

The Grand Master of the Palace, Gongsun He, and Gongsun Jingsheng brought disaster to the world, and in fear of punishment, they hanged themselves in the prison of the Court of Justice.

Liu Shou, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, died without illness; Mei Gao, the Grand Censor, died of a serious illness… One hundred and eight noble families and relatives in Chang'an and other regions were wiped out.

Dong Zhongshu suddenly thought of a way to get down the mountain quickly.

(End of this chapter)