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

Chapter 142: New Emperor Established, King of Zhongshan Liu Xin
Wang Mang had already made a careful analysis before restoring his position. He concluded that the only person in the court who could be considered his political enemy was his old rival Xu Hua, and the others were not worth mentioning at all.

You know, he is a doctor of the Imperial College! He has unparalleled prestige and has inherited all of Xu Bo's advantages, that is, the right to speak in public opinion. If rumors spread, even if he is one of the four ministers, he will definitely not be able to bear it.

Forces like Dong Xian and the Fu family completely lost their advantages after the death of the previous emperor, and they didn't even have the chance to become assistant ministers!

If the Queen Mother did not grant Xu Hua the status of assistant minister, people all over the world would definitely not accept it. However, people like Ding Ming and Fu Yan did not cause any waves, which is a good example.

Fu Xi had been dismissed from office before, so naturally there was no need for him to even look at him. The power of these people came from the late emperor. Once the late emperor died, it was like they had lost their souls.

But Xu Hua was different. He inherited most of his father Xu Bo's political legacy, and his main power came from his disciples and former officials spread across the country.

As for Xu Zhong and Xu Yuan, who control Jingzhou and Liangzhou respectively, it doesn't matter who the emperor is, and they even need to compromise with the Xu family.

Previously, most of the Wang family's followers had been liquidated or surrendered, and there were not many left.

If Wang Mang did not have the support of a large number of Confucian scholars in the Imperial Academy, he would probably not be able to compete with them at all, and his status as the head of the Four Ministers would become a castle in the air and collapse at the slightest touch.

After a brief announcement, the Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun walked back into the hall and took her seat. All the ministers also quieted down.

Next comes the highlight: who should be the new emperor?

This is really related to whether Wang Mang can rule the country. If he is an adult monarch, whether he is the King of Guangyang or not, Xu Hua will have the upper hand. After all, one is an old powerful minister who once threatened the emperor, and the other is a loyal old family for 200 years.
Even a fool would know who to trust more.

Therefore, Wang Mang must not give in on this matter. If he fails, it will be all over and he will return to loneliness.

"Everyone, as the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. The selection of the new ruler needs everyone's joint decision. It concerns the foundation of the country. A foolish ruler is undoubtedly a disaster for our Han Dynasty."

“On the contrary, if a virtuous emperor like Emperor Xuan or Emperor Wen succeeds to the throne, the entire country’s decline will be completely renewed, so we must be extremely cautious.”

"I wonder if you have any suitable candidates for the new monarch in mind. Although I am the queen mother, I cannot make the decision on such an important matter."

Wang Zhengjun said lightly, her voice quite calm, as if she was indifferent to the matter of choosing a crown prince.

After the death of the previous emperor, when there was no crown prince yet, the empress dowager held the imperial seal and was able to temporarily exercise the emperor's power. But even so, she could not act too arrogantly and had to pretend that she was not interested in power.

Everyone knows that a tall tree attracts the wind, and there is a precedent for the queen mother in power! Although Empress Dowager Lu happened 200 years ago, it is enough to wake everyone up.

In the past, Empress Dowager Dou would not interfere in state affairs openly, but would only intervene in major events.

Therefore, he had to pretend not to care as much as possible to shut up the world. The more dangerous it was at this time, the more dangerous it would be. If he won, he would be the next Xu Zhen!

But if I lose, I will definitely die without a burial place! Last time I escaped because I voluntarily withdrew, but this time it won’t be that easy.

"Your Majesty, I personally think that Prince Guangyang Liu Xiang can succeed as emperor!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Hua stepped forward to recommend him. Although the chances were slim, he still had to give it a try, at least to show his attitude.

Let the world know that the Xu family will not surrender like this. If we can defeat them once, we can defeat them a second time!

"I think that Liu Xiang, the Prince of Guangyang, has a noble character. In his early years, he personally carried a hoe to the people to understand their sufferings, just like the heroic Emperor Xuan Liu Xun. I believe he also has a profound influence on governing the country."

"In addition, he is the great-grandson of Emperor Yuan, so the relationship is closer. And the most important thing is that Liu Xiang is already an adult and has been involved in government affairs."

"If he succeeds to the throne, our Han Dynasty will soon be able to get through this dangerous era of young rulers and suspicious ministers. History has proven that an adult monarch has the greatest impact on the country and can nip the birth of a powerful minister in the bud."

"I beg the Queen Mother and all my colleagues to consider this. Such a suitable candidate is rare."

Xu Hua directly put the issue that everyone was most concerned about on the table, which was whether the emperor should be of age.

An adult emperor can certainly make the country more stable, but on the other hand, it is also contrary to the interests of some ministers.

Sometimes what people need is not a wise and elderly monarch, but a puppet! In this way, they can make money and form cliques without restraint.

The Wang family obviously needs a young monarch to develop by temporarily taking charge of the government.

"What Situ Xu said is wrong. I think that Prince Guangyang may not be able to become the emperor. He is still a little short of the right conditions."

Sure enough, Wang Mang, who had just been appointed Grand Marshal, immediately stood up and confronted the veteran Grand Tutor and directly expressed his opposition.

Xu Hua did not reply, but looked at him quietly and said with a smile: "Why do you say that, Sima Wang?"

"From what I know, Prince Guangyang is a frivolous person who likes to show off. When he led the army in Taiyuan, he was quite warlike, with the style of Emperor Xiaowu."

"Yes and no?"

"That's right." This is true. This is Liu Xiang's biggest shortcoming. He is ambitious, impatient for quick success, and likes to use violence to solve problems. For example, when he was dealing with the Huns, he could have solved the problem without fighting and without bloodshed.

But he insisted on sending troops, and even if he achieved great results, he could not cover up the fact that he suffered heavy losses.

So, strictly speaking, Liu Xiang was not a suitable monarch, but now it is a special case, so we can only pick the tallest one among the short ones, at least he is very capable and independent-minded.

Wang Mang smiled and continued, "Emperor Xiaowu was a man of great talent and strategy. He appointed Xu Gong and Wei Qing to attack the Xiongnu in the north, conquer the Nanyue in the south, and march into Liaodong. He made great achievements. This is an indisputable fact."

"But what is the premise? Only after the four generations of wise emperors, Gaodi, Huidi, Wendi and Jingdi, rested and recuperated, did we have the capital to fight wars in the south and the north. May I ask Situ Xu, does our Han Dynasty have such conditions now? If Prince Guangyang really becomes emperor, then he will not be Emperor Xiaowu, but Qin Dynasty's Ying Zheng!"

"The Han Dynasty will perish in his hands, and the century-old foundation will be wasted. This is the fundamental reason why I don't want Prince Guangyang to become emperor. It's too risky. We have better options."

"When Emperor Wen was supported by Marquis Jing to become emperor, it was beyond everyone's expectations. The most popular candidate at the time was Prince of Zhao Liu Ruyi."

After this argument, Xu Hua was speechless. It was really difficult for him to defend himself when the other party used this as an excuse, not to mention that the other party was the head of the Four Ministers.

"I wonder if Sima Wang has any good candidates."

Wang Mang turned his attention to the Queen Mother Wang Zhengjun and said, "Your Majesty, I think that the grandson of Emperor Xiaoyuan, the son of King Xiao of Zhongshan Liu Xing, that is, the current King of Zhongshan Liu Jizi, can be the new king."

"Enough, Wang Mang, huh, you have such evil intentions. What is your intention in deliberately supporting the young monarch to succeed to the throne? Are you trying to imitate Li Si of the Former Qin Dynasty and disrupt the government?" Xu Zhen, the Minister of Rites, stood up and looked at him coldly, not even caring about the Empress Dowager in front of him.

Originally, he thought that this guy had turned over a new leaf and that the Queen Mother was truly committed to the country, but it turned out that they were just sycophants, all wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to control the government!

If it were someone else who was to be enthroned, Xu Zhen would have nothing to say, but is there any need to explain the meaning of enthroning a child who is nearly nine years old?

It takes at least ten years for an emperor to reach adulthood, which means that the aunt and nephew can manipulate the country for at least ten years! Ten years, no one knows what happened during this period.

What if his ambition suddenly expands and he follows the example of the Tian family who replaced the Qi family or the Wang family who replaced the Han family?
So in a state of rage, he had already scolded him. He didn't care whether it was inappropriate or not. What etiquette was there for talking about with a treacherous minister?
"Silence." Wang Zhengjun, who had been calm until now, frowned.

This was the head of the Nine Ministers, the Minister of Rites! He was in charge of the sacrifices, but he actually lost his temper and angrily scolded a Grand Marshal in public. If it got out, he would definitely be criticized, especially since Xu Zhen was known for his integrity.

How can this not be exciting?

"Hmph, I hope the Grand Marshal can give me a reasonable explanation. You said that Prince Guangyang is too ambitious and unfit to be an emperor."

"Well, what outstanding qualities does the King of Zhongshan have? He is only nine years old. Gan Luo was fourteen years old back then. You deliberately support the young king. Your ambition is obvious. Isn't it to abuse power and disrupt the country like Zhao Gao and Li Si?"

Then, he looked at Wang Zhengjun and said, "Your Majesty, I want an explanation. I want an explanation for the millions of people of the Han Dynasty and all the civil and military officials in the court."

The atmosphere became tense again, and Xu's followers began to condemn Wang Mang and agree with Xu Zhen.

Those ministers who wanted to surrender to Wang Mang began to argue with him, trying to use this as a token of their allegiance, especially those who had previously been Dong Xian's followers, who argued until their faces were red with anger.

"Silence!" The eunuch next to them shouted, and finally, under the signals from Xu Hua and Wang Mang, they quieted down.

Basically, the focus was still on Guangyang King Liu Xiang and Zhongshan King Liu Jizi, who began to expound on the benefits of their respective supporters. Even though the Zhongshan King was less than ten years old, these literati could still give him a lot of praise.

I have to sigh, this is the charm of language.

"Xu Taichang, I can certainly give you an explanation, but you may not accept it. After all, our philosophies of governing the country are different."

Wang Mang, who had been silent for a long time, spoke. Although the other party's doubt hit the nail on the head, he could not admit it.

Could it be that he really said that he supported Liu Jizi because he wanted to take power himself? Even a fool would not really say it, so he had to cover it up quickly, although he could not convince Xu Zhen at all.

But, you just need to shut up everyone in the world.

"First of all, although the King of Zhongshan is young, being young has its advantages. He is very malleable and has a blank slate that can be freely inscribed. As long as he is properly taught, he will not have the problem of being too ambitious."

"Secondly, the new emperor must be ambitious and want to accomplish something when he first ascended the throne, which may lead to chaos. The only correct way is to let the ministers help govern the country and ensure a smooth transition."

"This is why I support King Zhongshan. These points are enough."

In fact, these words were meant to win over other ministers and make them figure out whether it was more advantageous for the emperor to be older or younger? !

It is indeed unreasonable. The reason why Empress Dowager Lu established the former Emperor Shao was to monopolize power for herself.

"Queen Dowager, what Sima Wang said is not without reason. Prince Guangyang is too impulsive. I think he is still a little short of the right qualifications to be a monarch. Since there is no suitable candidate, why not let the young Prince Zhongshan try? Even if he fails, the Queen Dowager and you will back him up."

"Isn't it? Of course, Prince Guangyang has his own advantages. Everything has its good and bad sides. However, I am still more willing to support Sima Wang."

At this time, Grand Marshal Kong Guang, who was also one of the Four Auxiliary Ministers, expressed his position and openly stood on Wang Mang's side.

Kong Guang did this because he really thought it was good to have a young monarch. He was afraid that if another Li Emperor appeared, the country would not be able to bear it. So it was better to let a young child take the throne.

At least there won't be any chaos, and the country can recuperate for a while.

Of course, there is also the reason that Wang Mang was the chief doctor of Confucianism.

With the addition of the Grand Marshal, the ministers in Wang Mang's camp immediately became tough and began to express their agreement. Many important officials who had the same idea also expressed their support.

Because most of the officials in the capital were Confucian scholars, for a moment their voices overshadowed those of Xu Hua, the Grand Tutor who had been in office for many years!
There are still many people who are on the fence and will turn against the enemy at the slightest sign of trouble.

"What a far-fetched reason..." Xu Zhen sighed. He was too lazy to even lose his temper anymore.

After saying so much, aren't you just trying to abuse your power?
"My opinion seems to be different from Sima Wang's. I think the Han Dynasty needs a strong monarch, otherwise these jumping rabbits cannot be suppressed." At this time, Xu Hua still did not give in. His voice was no longer gentle, and gradually became cold.

It turns out that things won't work without Xu Zhong's support.

There is a high probability that Kong Guang will be won over by Wang Mang in the future, and at that time the only person he can unite with will be his younger brother who is also a minister.

But the problem is, Xu Bo has no intention of letting his brother leave Jingzhou. That is his basic position, and he cannot let go no matter what. Otherwise, the game will end early, which is exactly what the other party wants.

However, the status of this assistant minister cannot be changed, so he can only think of a way.

"Please let your Majesty decide."

The two were deadlocked, so Wang Mang simply looked at his aunt. The new emperor still needed the Queen Mother's final say.

When there is a complete disagreement, Wang Zhengjun's role as referee becomes particularly important.

It’s a pity that the Queen Mother’s surname is Wang.

"Please let the Queen Mother decide..."

The alliance of ministers supporting King Zhongshan bowed and said.

Those Xu disciples could only remain silent. How could they stop it? The Queen Mother was too important.

Wang Zhengjun looked at everyone and "thought" for a long time before slowly saying, "If that's the case, then let's make the King of Zhongshan the emperor. The minority obeys the majority."

(End of this chapter)