The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 281 The Crown Prince

In late May, Crown Prince Liu Shan's carriage arrived near Wuzhangyuan.

The entourage included officials, guards, and their families, totaling tens of thousands of people.

Taking advantage of the gap when the troops left Xiegukou, Liu Shan led a group of his Eastern Palace officials to the Wuzhangyuan military camp.

Since Liu Bei established his camp on the plateau, the military camp has been preserved to this day.

After gazing out from his vantage point for a moment, Liu Shan, whose physique had become increasingly rounded, looked at Crown Prince Xian Ma and Dong Yun who had accompanied him, and asked in a low voice:

"Xiuzhao, when the late emperor ascended this plateau, did he ever consider that if the war went poorly, he might not only be unable to enter Chang'an, but he might not even be able to return to Chengdu?"

Dong Yun stepped forward and said:

"Your subject dares not speak ill of the late Emperor!"

"Given the recent loss, and with His Highness now the Crown Prince, under the watchful eyes of the world, he should be extremely cautious in his words and actions!"

Liu Shan suddenly felt bored.

His gaze shifted to the Crown Prince's attendants who had also accompanied the emperor from behind.

Finally, he beckoned to one of the particularly muscular men and said:

"Shaoxian's father was a meritorious general and the only one in the Eastern Palace who knew about military affairs. Why don't you tell me about the military situation at that time?"

That burly attendant to the Crown Prince was none other than Huo Yi.

Hearing this, he readily replied:
"Since the royal army successfully cut off the Longdao in the second year of Zhangwu, it has formed a siege around Guanzhong."

"Afterwards, Guan and Mi will conquer Nanyang and threaten Ying and Ru, and the enemy in Guanzhong can only fight like a cornered beast."

"Therefore, this northern expedition is a result of the royal army taking advantage of the momentum, and Chang'an can be taken sooner or later."

"At that time, the only concern was whether the late emperor could enter Chang'an alive."

Liu Shan: "I see."

"Therefore, the late emperor's last breath was a struggle for a swift victory, not a struggle for victory itself."

Liu Shan nodded, then suddenly asked those around him:
"Then why did the late emperor insist on fighting for this honor?"

They looked at each other blankly.

Huo Yi lowered his head and remained silent.

Dong Yun hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Seeing this, Liu Shan pointed at Dong Yun and burst into laughter:
"It seems that Xiu Zhao doesn't always dare to speak the truth!"

"The late emperor fought for this honor precisely because he feared that his unworthy son would lose heart one day and fail to win even this battle that was sure to be won."

"The Qin Dynasty perished after only two generations because the First Emperor entrusted the wrong person to the throne!"

Dong Yun had no choice but to speak:
"Although Your Highness is young, you have not neglected your studies or your filial duties over the years. How can you be considered unworthy?"

"Our great Han Dynasty has countless virtuous ministers and capable generals, far surpassing the tyrannical Qin Dynasty!"

"Your Highness, please do not belittle yourself or use inappropriate analogies!"

Liu Shan smiled awkwardly and waved his hand, saying:
"lets change a topic."

"Shaoxian, how did the generals manage to capture Chang'an so quickly?"

Let's return to the familiar topic of military affairs.

Huo Yi then looked up and spoke:
"Generally speaking, it is because His Majesty came at the risk of his life, so the soldiers of the three armies are all fighting at the risk of their lives, and their morale is high."

"But when it comes to the specific strategy, all the generals agree that it was General Wei who successfully lured Cao Zhen and Guo Huai out, then killed their generals and seized their flags, shaking Chang'an in one battle. Therefore, in terms of merit in this battle, he is ranked first alongside Zhang Cheqi, and his reward is also the highest..."

Liu Shan listened while pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Only after Huo Yi finished speaking did he say:
"Shaoxian once followed General Wei in pacifying the southern regions. I wonder what kind of person he is?"

Huo Yi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

The Crown Prince grew up with the children of veteran generals like General Wei, and they were very familiar with each other. Why would he ask an "outsider" like himself?
But then I thought about it again. After the battle of Jiangling, General Wei had turned over a new leaf and seemed to have become a completely different person.

Afterwards, he was often away on campaigns, so it was understandable that the crown prince was not familiar with him.

After a moment's thought, he answered truthfully:
"I am only skilled in military affairs, so I will only evaluate it from the perspective of military strategy."

"General Guanwei, in his life of military campaigns, though he was not without his tricks, rarely took any risks."

"In every battle, one must first seek to be invincible, and wait for the enemy to be exhausted or for an opportunity to take advantage before striking their vitals with thunderous force. This is why one can always win."

"If there is anything extraordinary about General Wei, it is that he can always see the opportunity to defeat the enemy in the midst of a vast situation and act in time."

"The same is true of Xiangfan, Nanzhong, Guanzhong, Nanyang, and Guanzhong." "It can be said that every time the royal army made a victory, seven or eight times out of ten, General Wei was involved in the planning behind the scenes. Therefore, the late emperor often regarded him as a pillar of the state, second only to the prime minister."

"Second only to the Prime Minister...that's a very high compliment," Liu Shan muttered thoughtfully.

"But the Prime Minister's abilities are not limited to military strategy. I wonder if General Wei has any other strengths besides military tactics?"

Huo Yi did not understand what he meant.

Upon hearing this, Dong Yun finally understood what this future emperor was up to.

He stepped forward and suggested:
"If Your Highness is worried that you are not familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of your subjects and will not be able to make good use of them in the future, I have two solutions."

Liu Shan's face lit up with joy: "Why don't you tell me quickly, Xiu Zhao?"

“Firstly,” Dong Yun said, holding up one finger.

"The late emperor had long ago entrusted the imperial secretariat to the prime minister, and the Secretariat is the key to the country. The selection of officials and appointment of cadres in the court all require the involvement of the Ministry of Personnel, the Left Selection Office, the Right Selection Office, and other departments."

"Therefore, the first solution is to consult the Prime Minister directly."

"That's right!" Liu Shan slapped his thigh.

"The late emperor's will stipulated that my brothers and I should treat the prime minister as our father. If I have any doubts, I can simply ask the prime minister directly. Why should I overthink things? How wonderful!"

Seeing the Crown Prince's relieved expression, Dong Yun instinctively frowned.

Although he also believed that it would be beneficial for the Crown Prince to consult the Prime Minister, and that the Prime Minister would certainly do his best to assist him.
But how can a ruler rely on his subjects in everything and have no opinions of his own?
So he coughed lightly and held up his second finger:
"Secondly, Guanzhong is currently in dire need of reconstruction. After Your Highness ascends the throne, you can issue an edict to ask your ministers to offer their strategies for governing Guanzhong. This will both clarify the direction of national policy and serve as an opportunity to assess the abilities of your ministers and generals."

Liu Shan felt a headache coming on as soon as he heard about the need to prepare imperial edicts and policy documents.

But seeing Dong Yun staring intently at him, and the eager expressions on the faces of his attendants, he sighed inwardly and said:
"Let's do as Xiu Zhao says!"

……

As the Crown Prince and important officials from Shu successively entered Chang'an.

The previously suspended tasks were able to resume.

The first thing to be dealt with, of course, was Liu Bei's funeral.

Although Liu Bei requested a "simple burial" before his death, which is also a popular trend in the current era.

But no matter how simple the funeral is, the necessary procedures must still be followed.

For example, the burial location was naturally modeled after the former emperors of the Former Han Dynasty.

That is, to find a place with auspicious feng shui around Chang'an.

In addition, important matters concerning the inheritance of ancestral temples, such as temple names and posthumous titles, should not be neglected.

As the founding emperor who revived the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei was bound to be given the title of "Ancestor".

However, considering that "Taizu" had already been used by Emperor Gao and "Shizu" had already been used by Emperor Guangwu.

After much discussion, the court officials finally decided on a new temple name: Liezu.

The choice of posthumous title was somewhat controversial.

After all, this title was used to evaluate the merits and demerits of a monarch's life.

As for Liu Bei, the founding emperor of the Shu Han dynasty, his merits and demerits are essentially tied to the process of establishing the Shu Han dynasty.

Therefore, the posthumous title is an evaluation of Liu Bei's life.

This is also an indirect evaluation of this emerging empire that is putting new wine in old bottles.

After heated debate among renowned scholars and Confucian masters, two posthumous titles were finally selected.

One is Zhaowu.

One was Zhaolie.

When these two numbers were presented to Zhuge Liang, he did not rush to make a decision.

Instead, he summoned key officials and ministers in the capital to discuss and decide on the matter together.

Zhuge Liang: "Zhao means the brightness of the sun."

“In the past, Cai Yong, also known as Cai Bojie, wrote the ‘Duduan’, which said that the character ‘Zhao’ was used as an imperial posthumous title, implying that his reputation would spread far and wide.”

"Furthermore, there is a general consensus that: virtue and merit are called 'Zhao', appearance and demeanor are called 'Zhao', and fame and renown are called 'Zhao'."

“This is all in accordance with the virtues of the late emperor, and I think it is very appropriate.”

"The key lies in the words 'martial' and 'fierce.' What are your thoughts, gentlemen?"

(End of this chapter)