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

Chapter 149 Emperor Ping Liu Xin Dies

The first national sacrifice was presided over by Xu Gong, also known as King Jingsheng. At that time, he suppressed the rebellion of King Liu Bi of Wu and was appointed Prime Minister, reaching the peak of his power.

He also founded the Imperial University, which provided a path for poor students to become officials, and won the support of people all over the world.

Therefore, it is natural to support the worship of ancestral temples, and no one can say anything.

The host of the second large-scale sacrifice was Xu Zhou, the first generation of Imperial Academy! After Xu Gong's death, he became the new generation leader of Confucianism and Legalism. Even though he had resigned from the position of Taichang, his influence was still unimaginable.

Today, it was Wang Mang who took over! This was enough to prove how powerful the Confucianists were now. The Legalists did not like this prime minister, but they could not stop him.

This was something we couldn’t even think about in the past!

At the end of December in the fourth year of Yuanshi, which was just a few days before the New Year, countless people spontaneously organized themselves into teams and began to march together. This was the second large-scale rally after Li Nianzhao!
It even involves a wider range of people, because there are not only Confucian scholars among these hundreds of thousands of people.

However, they did not have any ill intentions, but instead petitioned together to reward Duke Anhan Wang Mang!

Snapped!
"This Wang Jujun! He is now the prime minister of the dynasty, second only to the emperor and above everyone else. Xu Hua in the court no longer has enough power to fight him."

"But what's the result? He still incited the people to ask for rewards for him. What else does he want? He wants His Majesty to give him the throne as well!"

The Queen Mother was very angry when she heard about it and smashed all kinds of porcelain vases in the palace. She did not show any expression on the surface about the ministers forcing the prime minister to abdicate, but the fear in her heart had already overflowed.

Isn't this just an attempt to sideline yourself?
And there is one more important point. If only the common people and Confucian scholars made such a request, it would be fine. What do these people know? If they are incited casually, they may become someone else's knife. The people of this era do not have much ability to think independently.

Unexpectedly, even a considerable number of princes and nobles from all over the country asked for rewards for Wang Mang! These people were surnamed Liu!
Don’t they know what they represent? If they go one step higher, wouldn’t that be the emperor?
What's more, it was unexpected that even Xu Zhong of Jingzhou and Xu Min of Youzhou chose to remain silent, so the notorious radical leader Xu Yuan condemned it in Liangzhou.

He successively submitted memorials to reprimand Wang Mang himself and the princes and ministers who had sought rewards for him.

They said that this person was plotting something bad and deliberately stirring up public opinion, just like Li Si and Zhao Gao of the Qin Dynasty in the past, and that he was planning to usurp the throne and establish himself! In short, there was nothing good to say about him.

But Xu Yuan alone is obviously useless. He is a local emperor in Xiliang, but his influence in other places is limited.

It may still require the intervention of General Xu Zhong to attract attention.

"The Queen Mother, Grand Tutor Chen and more than 900 ministers are waiting outside the palace."

The eunuch knocked on the door respectfully and walked in. He was quite nervous. After all, the empress dowager was very angry now. If he got into trouble, he would have no place to appeal.

Just a small minion.

"What's the matter?" Wang Zhengjun had a bad feeling. Chen Chong was Wang Mang's number one fanboy! It was not easy for a minister like Wang Shun to show up, but Situ was just right.

That is, he can represent the court officials without making the issue of forming a faction public.

"Chen... Situ Chen said he wanted to ask for a reward for Prime Minister Wang." The eunuch's voice trembled a little. As the empress dowager's personal eunuch, he knew this man's true attitude very well.

In fact, it is true that he has already reached the level of prime minister of the current dynasty. What else can he be?

It has reached the point where there is no more title to be bestowed upon him. So far, no minister in the Han Dynasty has ever achieved such thoroughness.

The highest official position was Xu Zhen’s Grand Tutor!
"Chen Situ said that he wanted to ask the court to grant Prime Minister Wang the Nine Gifts as a token of sufficient courtesy."

Nine Gifts...

This thing really exists. It is nine kinds of ritual vessels that represent the highest courtesy to the ministers! It is a legendary thing.

Now the Nine Gifts are not one of the three items required to usurp the throne, but the significance they represent is already quite significant, because once the nine ceremonial objects are bestowed, there will truly be nothing more to be granted!

But Huo Guang, the Grand Marshal of Emperor Xuan's reign, never got it.

"Forget it, forget it, give it to me, what choice do I have?"

Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun first showed anger, then shook her head helplessly. There was no point in being angry. The momentum created by Wang Mang was obviously enough. If she did not agree, there would be no end to it.

This is clearly a coup! Even many princes from other places have expressed their views. It can be said that the whole world supports it.

More than 900 ministers did not expect that he actually possessed such terrible power.

The princes supported Wang Mang's power mainly because this man had no malice or restrictions towards the princes of the Liu clan. Even the land that was set aside to distribute to the victims belonged to the royal family, not the princes.

At the same time, a large number of policies were introduced to protect local princes and powerful people. Their interests were not only not harmed, but were guaranteed.

You know, the emperor's attitude towards these relatives was to exploit them if he could, and to agree if he couldn't.

"Draft an imperial decree, to grant the Prime Minister, Duke of Anhan, Wang Mang, the Nine Gifts, and to grant him the privilege of wearing a sword and shoes into the palace, not having to kneel when entering the court, and not having to bow when meeting the emperor."

Wang Zhengjun simply gave up and said, "You want courtesy, so I'll give you the highest courtesy!"

After all, he is his nephew, a relative of the emperor. Even if he becomes a powerful official, he would not do something like usurping the throne, right?

After all, in the past, most of the foreign relatives were like Wang Feng and Huo Guang, and they would not replace the emperor.

At the beginning of the fifth year of Yuanshi, the imperial court granted Prime Minister Wang Mang the Nine Gifts and various privileges! A large amount of money and land were rewarded, so that the Confucian scholars and people who had gathered stopped.

The purpose was achieved.

Although such a big thing happened in Chang'an, the Jinggong Mansion remained calm, including in the base camp Jingzhou, where no extreme voices were heard.

Even Wang Mang himself didn't understand this, so why did he just sit there and watch his power grow? It's totally illogical, he must have some bigger plan in mind!

Half a month later, the praise for Duke Anhan became louder and louder throughout the world. First, they sent "customs envoys" to the local area to investigate, and when they came back, they praised him highly and said that the Confucian education strategy was extremely useful.

People all over the world were excited about this, although these were all illusions. In fact, there were no significant changes in those places, and even a considerable part of them still maintained the state of Legalist rule.

But no one cared. Everyone only knew that Wang Mang could save this country that was on the verge of collapse!

Soon, he successfully took the throne of the Imperial Academy! With the continuous suppression, the Legalists also chose to give in to seek a way out for their own doctrine. From then on, Wang Mang dominated the court. Not to mention some places, at least he had the final say in the Han Dynasty!
At the same time, in foreign wars, the Han Dynasty adopted a policy and attitude of luring the Huns with huge sums of money, which eventually led to the Huns sending envoys to declare their submission to the Han Dynasty, and peace bought with money followed.

This matter was also strongly opposed by Xu Min, who believed that this policy would kill one thousand enemies and lose eight hundred of his own! The Huns have been tigers and wolves since ancient times, and they would never really surrender, including the Wuhuan people who had an ambiguous attitude, and were also attracted by the heavy money policy.

But there was nothing that could be done under Wang Mang's autocratic rule.

.........

In the fifth year of Yuanshi, the fourteen-year-old emperor was "seriously ill" with a long-term high fever and was bedridden.

The court and the public were in an uproar, because this meant that the emperor was going to be replaced again! The court structure would undoubtedly usher in a major purge, and the only person who had the power to appoint a crown prince was Wang Mang, the prime minister!
It is also self-evident why the emperor suddenly fell ill. It was Wang Mang's doing. He wanted to seize the real supreme power by establishing a new emperor.

During this period, he found that even if he became the prime minister, he would still be restricted and his reform goals could not be implemented at all.

Because the Xu family's power in the local area is still too terrifying, local government orders in places like Jingzhou and Liangzhou cannot be conveyed at all. Xu Zhong will at least pretend to do so, although he will not actually implement them.

Xu Yuan just confronted him directly, saying that Yongliang had policies that were suitable for Yongliang and his approach was totally ineffective.

Therefore, Wang Mang began to think that if he could become emperor, he could completely change this situation! When Emperor Xiaowu changed the national policy of inaction, didn't countless Taoist scholars and ministers have no room for resistance?

The rebelliousness in my heart grew stronger and stronger.

Liangzhou, Zhenjun Military Governor's Office.

Xu Yuan walked into the room wearing armor, and it seemed that he had just returned from a battle. Xiliang was not a peaceful place, and Qiang rebellions occurred from time to time.

Although the Huns submitted to the Han Dynasty on paper, they actually continued to loot as frequently as before. It was just a superficial peace.

"Hmph, this guy is trying to cut off the source of my trouble. Sooner or later, I will tear you to pieces alive!" Xu Yuan took off his armor, revealing the brocade clothes underneath, and sat down.

Wang Mang also had a way to deal with the disobedience of the Zhenjun Dudufu, which was to cut funding! Xiliang was very poor and needed the support of power from Chang'an.

Otherwise, we won’t even be able to supply food and fodder.

"There's news from the Grand Commander in Chang'an." The confidant next to him handed over the bamboo slips respectfully.

Xu Yuan took it curiously. Duke Jing’s mansion, that is, his elder brother, would not usually contact him casually, but once he did, it must be something big that had happened!

Thinking of this, my mood became heavy.

"...It's so fast." After a while, he put the bamboo slips aside.

That’s right, what’s written above is that His Majesty is seriously ill!

Your Majesty is not even fifteen years old, how could he suddenly get sick? There must be something fishy, ​​although there is no evidence yet.

"Haha... I'll be busy from now on." Xu Yuan thought for a while and finally understood his elder brother's intention.

Wang Mang would definitely manipulate the selection of the emperor! That is, he would still not choose an adult monarch, and would even choose one younger than the current emperor. After supporting the monarch, his power would further expand.

The only person who could restrict her, Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, would probably become ineffective.

Because the Xu family had stood aside and watched many times, Wang Mang's fear of them had been greatly reduced, and he began to take chances.

If enough benefits can be provided, perhaps a peaceful transfer of power can be achieved?
Even the princes of the royal family can receive enough benefits, let alone just one family. Loyalty to the emperor is simply not worth mentioning in the face of tangible benefits.

He had planned this in his mind more than once. From the founding ancestor Xu Zhen to the current head of the family Xu Hua, the Xu family had developed for more than two hundred years, and its foundation was simply immeasurable!
The land is crisscrossed, and the number of tenants is in the millions! They continue to provide support for this family that frequently consumes money.

Since Xu Ye, the Xu family gave up their fiefdoms as a disguised response to the Enfeoffment Order. Ever since Emperor Wu of Han paid gold to take away the titles, the power of the meritorious officials of the Han Dynasty has plummeted.

It was gradually completely abolished by the emerging powerful Taixue and withdrew from the political core.

Today, the Xu family is the only meritorious official active in the core. Two hundred years have made them deeply bound to the Liu family, and they cannot extricate themselves even if they want to.

Therefore, they gradually gave up the idea of ​​winning over the other party and turned to suppression.

Seeing that the time was ripe, he began to plot his own way to usurp the throne, although he was still some distance away from claiming to be a fake emperor, and it could not be like the original history.

Wang Mang planned to establish another emperor. After usurping the throne, it was almost inevitable that the country would be divided into two! Because now there is still no clue to eliminate the local power of the Xu family.

These frontier officials would be the first to disagree with the change of dynasty! They would definitely rise up in rebellion.

Therefore, he had to settle for the second best and tried his best to seize the Xu family's weak territories to gain bargaining chips for the future tug-of-war.

The former Qin territories such as Guanzhong and Bashu have long been under our control. There is basically no hope for Hebei, Yongliang, Liaodong, Jingxiang, Huainan, and Jiangdong areas, but it is still uncertain about Yanxu, Yu, and part of Qingzhou!
These four states are located in the Central Plains, with fertile land and dense population. It would be great if we could get them.

Wang Mang and Xu Hua have reached the point where their true colors are revealed!
Xu Hua also made a plan. As soon as Wang Mang usurped the throne, or gave him a euphemistic name of "fake emperor or acting emperor", he would immediately call on the princes and ministers loyal to the Liu family, as well as his own forces to rise up and defend the king!

Kill the treacherous ministers with lightning speed. Even if it fails, a new king can be established, and the Han Dynasty will not be destroyed.

All that’s missing is a title, and this process will probably not take more than three years.

This was also the meaning behind Xu Hua's ordering people to write letters to his clansmen scattered in different places, asking them to make preparations early, secretly train their troops, keep an eye on Chang'an, and respond to the uprising!
As for the retreat, he had also thought of it. Although the imperial guards were under the control of the Junior Tutor Wang Shun, Duke Jing's mansion also secretly raised three thousand death warriors who were scattered among the people and could be summoned at any time.

With this backup plan, there will be no problem in withdrawing from Chang'an.

In January of the sixth year of Yuanshi, that is, two months after the death of Emperor Liu Xin of the Han Dynasty, Wang Mang submitted a memorial recommending Liu Ying, the son of Liu Xian, Marquis of Guangqi, as the crown prince!

That’s right, he was just the crown prince, because he had originally planned to become the emperor himself, but the time was not right, so he could only take charge of the government affairs in the name of regent.

Of course, he still dragged Xu Hua along to play. He couldn't push the other party into a corner, so he didn't act like a fake emperor.

Instead, he ordered people to fabricate a prophecy! When Meng Tong, the county magistrate of Wugong County, was digging a well, he found a large white stone with blood-red characters engraved on it: "Report, An Han Gong Mang is the mayor!"

(End of this chapter)