Establishing a thousand-year family from the nobles of the Western Han Dynasty

Chapter 127: Influences from all sides, Xu Zhong wants to go to Beijing
"Father…"

"The head of the family..."

A mournful cry was heard and Xu Hua knelt on the ground, crying loudly. The other servants also knelt down. Only Emperor Liu Xin was still standing in the room.

He stared at the cold corpse with sadness and helplessness, pondering the previous warning in his heart. Perhaps the change and decline of dynasties were inevitable laws of nature. The Han Dynasty had produced six generations of wise rulers, and each of them had outstanding achievements.

However, after Emperor Kang and Emperor Xuan revived the Han Dynasty, the country's strength began to decline rapidly as if its luck had run out. This was mainly due to the problems of the monarch.

His successor was Emperor Yuan, who was not bad in ability. At least he was able to control the situation by supporting his eunuchs. Although he had neither strong ability nor enthusiasm in governing, the country gradually went downhill under his rule.

But it was just barely passable, and it only represented the beginning of the decline of the Han Dynasty, but there was no disaster of national destruction.

Unlike now, the central authority has collapsed, powerful officials have become powerful, local thieves are rampant, and there was even a large-scale peasant uprising involving hundreds of thousands of people. The problem of banditry in Yuzhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou and other places has become increasingly serious.

Most of them are the remnants of the former uprising army.

Emperor Li should bear at least half the responsibility for all of this. Sometimes a foolish ruler can cause far greater disasters to a country than a mediocre ruler.

A mediocre monarch is self-aware and will not mess around when he comes to power. He also has a certain ability to judge people. At least Emperor Yuan can clearly see who the ministers are who can be used and trusted, such as Xu Ning back then.

Emperor Yuan had never trusted his ministers, such as Wang Si and Shi Xian, whom he had promoted. Instead, he gave the position of general to Xu Ning, and also gave him the central military power.

Things like the power of governing the country are small things. Taking it back or giving it away is just a matter of the emperor's words. But the power of the army is different. It is the real foundation of the country! If it is not handled properly, it will lead to disaster.

For example, the late emperor did not grasp the right balance. Not only did he give both the general and the grand marshal positions to Wang Feng, he also allowed him to take charge of the Secretariat and take charge of the government.

The Wang family's relatives concentrated military and political power in one person, and eventually became too powerful to be controlled, and were even able to coerce Emperor Li himself. At that time, no matter how big or small the matter was, it had to be approved by Wang Feng first, even if the emperor had already approved it.

The five years after Xu Ming resigned were the peak of Wang Feng's power. At that time, Xu Bo was concentrating on taking care of the Imperial College, so he had no time to fight back.

After Xu Bo became the Imperial Academy Director and gained control of the local area with his power to approve documents, Wang Feng no longer dared to be so arrogant. After all, Chang'an and Luoyang were not that big, and it was the former territories of the six kingdoms in the Guandong region that truly supported the Liu Dynasty.

Although Liu Bang rose to power by relying on the old territory of Former Qin.

"Sun Zheng, please go back to the palace." Liu Xin gave his words of comfort and then ordered him to go back.

As Xu Bo was a loyal minister of the dynasty and a highly respected Imperial Academy Master, his funeral would certainly not be hasty and must be complete, so his body would probably stay in Jinghou Mansion for some time.

"Yes, sir." Zhongshu Ling Sun Zheng agreed.

This Sun Zheng was the Minister of the Central Secretariat in the palace, a position that Shi Xian held back then, but his power was far less than Shi Xian's. He could not interfere in state affairs like the eunuch party did back then. The only area he could govern was probably the palace, and he was secretly supported by the Xu family.

He has the leverage over him, which is a hidden conspiracy.

Strictly speaking, these spies are not absolutely trustworthy. The reason why Xu Bo chose them is that he is absolutely confident in the chips in his hand.

So there is no need to worry about anything. Even if the news of planting an insider in the palace gets out, the emperor will just be angry at most, and at least he won't be able to do anything in the short term. But it will be difficult for the traitor to escape.

There is no way the emperor would turn against his biggest supporter in the court for such a person.

At least for now, we still need the support of the Xu family, so we have to compromise if we can.

.........

The death of contemporary Jing Hou Xu Bo is definitely big news that is as famous as the death of general Wang Feng back then. He is now the most senior and senior official in the court.

The momentum may even be greater, because Xu Bo's reputation and fame among the people are unrivaled, and his reputation among the people is even higher than that of the new emperor.

After all, Liu Xin had just ascended the throne, and all his activities were aimed at seizing power. He was far from having the ability to strive for political achievements, so Prime Minister Xu, who was a descendant of a famous family, was the most respected person.

When Xu Ye died, the people of the city spontaneously saw him off for ten miles, which left a very important mark in history. The last person to receive such treatment was Xu Zhen.

Xu Gong's fame is mainly among scholars and later generations. Contemporary people do not have a deep feeling for him because it was Xu Zhou who was mainly responsible for people's livelihood at that time.

As for Xu Ye's political achievements, they were formidable. At that time, Emperor Kang had just ascended the throne, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Che, had been engaged in constant wars and aggression, and the whole country was in ruins. Liu Ju was the one who rebuilt high-rise buildings on the ruins. His eighteen years of hard work laid the foundation for Emperor Xuan's revival.

He is recognized as the best successor in history books and is highly regarded, far surpassing his father Liu Che. Among the emperors of the Han Dynasty, he is second only to Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, the teacher of all emperors.

As the most important minister of Emperor Kang, Xu Ye's reputation can be imagined.

During the subsequent recuperation work, Xu Ye was the main person in charge, after all, he was the prime minister. Xu Nan served as the General of the Northern Expedition for a long time, acting as the general in charge of military affairs. He was mainly responsible for armaments and preventing the resurgence of the Huns.

The effect is certainly great, but what the people can directly benefit from is Xu Ye’s domestic affairs construction.

It is not an exaggeration to say that we should see you off for ten miles. After all, the people have truly received your grace, and people nowadays are simple and honest.

Xu Bo's positioning is almost the same as Xu Ye's. Xu Ning also has major achievements in military affairs and cannot benefit ordinary people, so at most it will only cause shock in the court.

Xu Bo has been governing the country, and the person he supported, Chen Nian, is also a capable minister with a very high reputation at the grassroots level.

As soon as the news spread, many people came spontaneously to pay their respects, and it was very lively and crowded.

Xu Hua did not stop him. This was the result of his father's hard work for the people over the years. Being remembered by the common people was definitely the highest honor for a fatherly official!
Xu Bo would be very pleased if he knew about this.

"Father..." Xu Hua knelt at the foot of the ancestral hall, with a sandalwood coffin made of golden threads in front of him.

He was in a daze and confused at the moment. How could he not find it hard to accept the death of his father who was as great as a mountain? He was now alone.

With the death of the old patriarch of the Xu family, there must be undercurrents in the court. Wang Genke is still alive, and he will definitely launch a full-scale counterattack at that time. Xu Hua does not have the confidence to face this great general.

It can be said that the situation has now completely reversed. Originally, the Xu family had the upper hand, and completely defeated the Wang family's forces locally. They also won a place in the court. The situation is very good, and they seem to be able to defeat them in one fell swoop.

But all this is based on the premise that Xu Bo is alive, because this advantage requires the full support of the Imperial Academy and complete internal unity. We are all human beings, and as long as we have power, we will inevitably develop an inflated mentality.

Xu Zhong is now the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the Governor of Jingzhou. He holds the military and political power of the entire Jingxiang. Together with Zhu Chun, the Governor of Yangzhou who is dependent on him, his power is unimaginable.

In the south of the Han Dynasty, he was a local emperor. Jiaozhou was still a barren land, far from the prosperity of Guangdong in the future. It was a typical barren land where criminals were exiled by the court, so it could not play a decisive role. Xu Zhong's attitude was very important. He also held an important position in Henan Xuzhong. If he was unwilling to acknowledge his brother, he could compete with him.

Liangzhou Mu Xu Yuan is closer to Xu Zhong, which accounts for most of the Xu family's power. However, Xu Min is more familiar with Xu Hua and takes him as the leader. The same is true for Dong Chong. Therefore, Hebei is a die-hard force that Xu Hua can control.

The two Xus are not in a competitive relationship at difficult times. The survival of the family must definitely take precedence over temporary honor and disgrace. Either Qinghe Xu or Henan Xu will take the lead.

It is a consensus that whoever has greater power will be the leader.

Just then, footsteps were heard and a deep, powerful voice sounded.

"I've met the head of the family."

Xu Hua raised his head, stood up silently, and asked sideways: "Did Uncle Li's message reach you?"

Xu Li, the elder of the Xu family and the head of the secret agency, nodded and said, "It has been sent out. They should have received it by now."

In terms of intelligence, they are undoubtedly strong, and their branches are spread all over the world, so it is more convenient to transmit intelligence. Although the spies are controlled by the head of the Xu family, other members of the Xu family can also be used.

For example, Xu Yuan and even Xu Min of Qinghe Xu are using it to spy on military intelligence, and it is really useful.

Except for some gold medal spies, others of Xu Yuan and Xu Zhong's level are qualified to be used.

"That's good. It'll be fine once the notification arrives." Xu Hua nodded.

He had already distributed the news to Xu Zhong and others. After all, they were also Xu Bo's children, so they were certainly qualified to know.

Xu Hua did not expect to seize power by taking advantage of the opportunity, because the center of gravity of the family was not in the central government. Even if he could control the situation in Chang'an, it would be completely insufficient without the recognition of Xu Zhong and others in other places. These governors were the key to defeating the Wang family!
Therefore, he must not play any ulterior motives. As the eldest son and the legitimate wife, he should inherit the position of the head of the family. Even Xu Zhong can't find any fault with it.

"Alas... I haven't seen him for many years and I don't know whether Zhong'er recognizes me as his elder brother. It's easy to become arrogant when you have power." Xu Hua sighed, although he and his brother have always had a good relationship.

But after all, time will corrode everything, and power is a bottle of poison. The two ancestors Xu Ye and Xu Nan were in conflict, so they split into two parts.

But now the family is at a critical moment of life and death, and we can no longer act arrogantly, otherwise others will take advantage of us.

If Xu Zhong really didn't agree, Xu Hua could give up his position. As long as they could unite the upper and lower levels, nothing else mattered. When doing things, they should distinguish the priorities! Many things can be solved with appropriate compromise.

Xu Li fell silent, then said: "The head of the family should not worry. I watched Zhonger grow up, and he is not a very ambitious person."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have left the court to take up a post in Nanyang."

According to the current model of the Xu family, the central government is the main body and the local governments are the auxiliary. Leaving the central government would be equivalent to voluntarily becoming a vassal, and it would be difficult to enter the core circle.

Xu Zhong and others are an exception. He made his fortune by suppressing the Yingchuan Rebellion. He first gained military merit and then happened to be in time for His Majesty to establish the Five State Governors. He successfully changed his fate and became one of the most important figures!

These three governors are all very important.

There is an essential difference between the Inspector General and the Governor of a Province. This move is actually quite risky. If the conscription system is relaxed, the world will be in chaos.

"That being said, if things are going to change, Xu Zhong is still the best. If his mentality changes, I can make concessions."

It's not that Xu Hua is overthinking. The head of the Xu family symbolizes the absolute authority of this largest family! It's not just a title.

If possible, he still hopes that everything will remain the same, because if Xu Zhong is the head of the family, it will be difficult for him to take care of the central government. Although he can ask for the title of Grand Sima and go to Beijing, he will not be able to take care of Jingzhou.

These governors are indispensable, otherwise Wang Gen might not be controlled.

The Wang family is also ready to make a move, but they are just worried about certain influences and dare not be too blatant. Once Xu Bo's funeral is over, then there will be a bloody storm!
"Forget it, everything will be clear when Zhonger returns to Beijing." Xu Li was also afraid. This sentence is indeed true. People will change!

.........

Jingzhou, Nanyang

It was late at night, the sky was dotted with stars, and the entire Wancheng, the capital of Nanyang, was plunged into darkness.

But the lights in the governor's mansion were still on, obviously something big had happened!
Xu Zhong looked at the news in his hand with a serious face. The main civil and military officials of Jingzhou stood on both sides, the first of whom was the prefect of Nanyang.

The atmosphere was extremely tense.

Xu Zhong's prestige has become even more terrifying in recent years. He successfully suppressed the rebellion of bandits in Yangzhou, completed a round of military expansion and directly controlled the military power.

In fact, the Yangzhou army was also under his control, claiming to have 100,000 armored soldiers! He frightened countless forces that were ready to make a move.

The actual number of soldiers capable of fighting was at least 50,000, of course this number included the soldiers from Yangzhou. The establishment of Jingzhou was not large, only about 20,000.

But Yangzhou has 50,000 troops! Their equipment is far inferior to the wealthy Jingzhou troops.

Most of these 20,000 people were wearing full armor! This was enough to show how rich this land was. The grain in the treasury was about to rot and could not be eaten up, and copper coins were like mountains.

Nanyang is roughly equivalent to three Qinghe states, but Jingzhou as a whole is not as good as Jizhou, because except for Nanjun, other places are still barren, including most of Jiangxia.

"My father...passed away." Xu Zhong said this heavy news with tears in his eyes.

"Xuzhou Mu mourns..."

Everyone hurriedly lowered their heads, no one dared to express any strange emotions, and the air was filled with sadness.

"Huh... Get ready immediately. Bring along the most elite troops from Jingzhou. I want to go to the capital to see my big brother! The Wang family has always been rampant. They will never behave themselves unless they are given a warning."

This time Xu Hua was worrying too much. Xu Zhong was still the same. His first reaction when he heard about his father's death was sadness, and then he wanted to stand up for his elder brother!

Showing off military power is of course the most direct way.

(End of this chapter)