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

Chapter 63: Northern Expedition, Crown Prince Liu Ju

In the autumn of the seventh year of Yuanshuo, Liu Che discussed the strategy with Xu Gong again and decided to use 150,000 people and 60,000 war horses as logistics troops, and Wei Qing would lead 40,000 cavalry to expedition to Dingxiang, which was bound to shrink the Huns' sphere of influence again.

He also appointed Huo Qubing as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, commanding all the armies as his deputy, Xu Chu as the General of Suppressing Rebellion, and Li Xi, Gongsun He and others as his deputy generals. It can be said that the scale of consumption this time was even greater than the first time!
The money and food of one cavalryman is enough to supply ten elite armored infantrymen. The horses need to eat fine feed, and the men also need meat every day to maintain their physical strength. The consumption is immeasurable.

Thanks to the accumulation of past generations, Xu Gong calculated that the money and grain stored in the Chang'an treasury should be sufficient, but it would probably be empty after this battle, and he could only rely on local counties to transport grain.

Alas...War does cost money. Although sacrifices and building palaces also cost money, they are nothing compared to war.

"Teacher, are you really planning to stay in Chang'an and not fight?"

In the Ganlu Hall, Liu Che, wearing a dragon robe and a crown, sat on the main seat, looking at Xu Gong below with some confusion.

Although he had not sent Xu Nan and others to fight before, he had appointed Xu Gong as the commander. Doesn't this show that he favors his teacher? Or is he just being angry?

"If the teacher wants to let Xu Nan have some experience, I agree. The reason why he was placed in Liaodong before was mainly because there was no one available. This grassland is remote and barren, and Zhou Shi Lao Dun is not a good job."

Liu Che thought for a moment and finally decided to give in. He couldn't bear to see his teacher like this.

"I don't disagree with your majesty's decision, but I am old and want to leave some opportunities for the younger generation."

Xu Gong shook his head. After careful consideration last night, he decided to give up the battle and try his best to ensure a smooth transition for the family.

He has led the border troops for many years, so the generals and soldiers follow the prime minister's lead. This is very dangerous. The army is the foundation of an emperor and absolutely no one is allowed to interfere.

Liu Che believed that Xu Gong was under his control, so he was not on guard. If he felt threatened, Xu would be in danger.

"But Wei Qing rarely has the opportunity to lead troops alone, and everyone in the world can see your talent. I am still worried."

Although Liu Che admired Wei Qing's talents, he was more willing to trust the veteran Xu Gong. The previous wars against King Aries and King Youxian were indeed brilliant, but after all, there was no opportunity to coordinate the overall situation.

Although he is now a general and a rookie in the military arena, Liu Che is still worried about him.

Xu Gong was very open-minded: "If there is no experience, there will be no growth. Your Majesty, just relax. General Wei Qingchen has personally tested it and there is no problem fighting against a large army."

"And Huo Qubing can also be of great use, Your Majesty, don't worry."

"Then let Wei Qing go."

Seeing that Xu Gong said so, Liu Che did not intend to force it. He could understand his teacher's intention, which was simply that he was afraid of his suspicion.

But it's also good, as it can divide the military power in the hands of the Xu family. Xu Nan and others all control a large number of troops.

About half a month later, all the preparations for the war were completed. The 40,000 cavalrymen who had assembled in advance, led by Wei Qing, took the lead in advancing towards Dingxiang, while dense grain carts and horses followed closely behind.

The army's food and fodder will be temporarily provided by the counties along the way, so there is no need to worry about supply issues. Although the Chang'an treasury is half empty, there is still surplus in other places.

As soon as Wei Qing and his men left, Liu Che ordered General Xu Nan to take over the imperial guards and lead 20,000 troops to Liaodong to deter the northeastern tribes and the forces of the Korean Peninsula, and to support the main force heading to Dingxiang to attack. In the past, Xu Gong led the army in a war of annihilation with a force of 100,000 men, and even the Grand Commandant Zhou Yafu led 10,000 men.

It can be said that this was the first time that the army separated from Xu Gong to fight. It was certain that Liu Che had some concerns, but he also knew that the country could not rely too much on one person or one family. If this generation had no ambition, what about the future?

This is also the fundamental reason for suppressing the Xu family. Waiting until the crown prince ascends to the throne and then re-employing them will make them grateful. Combining kindness and severity is the truth.

"Go, go, Wei Qing, you are a talented person. The future of the Han Dynasty depends on you."

Xu Gong stood on the city wall, watching the army go away. He could feel that his health was getting worse and worse.

.........

"Teacher, you said that the country should be governed by law, but why should we also focus on morality? This is completely contradictory. Doctor Zhang said that the law does not allow for personal feelings, but the essence of Confucianism is emotion."

The Prince's Palace is located inside the Hanbing Palace.

Crown Prince Liu Ju was kneeling on the ground listening to a lecture. The decoration of the palace was magnificent, far more luxurious than in the past, which was enough to show Emperor Liu Che's favor for the crown prince.

Not only did he appoint the famous Taichang Xu Zhou as his teacher, he also often brought him with him to observe government affairs, ask for blessings from ghosts and gods, and carefully selected students from the "Taixue" to serve as guests.

Xu Zhou put down the bamboo slips and said, "Your Highness, your understanding of Confucianism and Legalism is still insufficient."

"The law does not tolerate personal feelings, which means that criminal law officials cannot judge cases based on likes and dislikes, cannot hastily convict people based on family relationships, cannot make judgments based on subjective assumptions, and cannot decide how to sentence people based on the amount of bribes."

"On the premise of strictly observing fairness, we can make appropriate exceptions based on virtue, but the principle of killing people should not be changed. We should use laws and regulations to persuade the emperor and Confucianism to teach the people. We should attach great importance to laws and morality. This is also the national policy of our Han Dynasty."

"The prince has not studied Confucianism enough and has not grasped its essence. How will he govern the country and deal with officials in the future?"

Xu Zhou also told Liu Ju about the strategies that the Han Dynasty was currently using to govern the country.

All along, the prince's study of literary strategy has been in the charge of Taichang Xu Zhou, who was appointed by Emperor Liu Che. Without Xu Gong's study, if he had not died, he would have almost stepped half a step into the ranks of ministers entrusted with the care of the young emperor.

Xu Zhou has always been a top figure in education. He opened the "Fu'ang Academy" and students like Zhang Tang and Gongsun He were his students. His fame was second only to its founder Xu Gong.

He was a leading figure both in Confucianism and Legalism, and Emperor Wu of Han admired him very much because he felt that he was easy to control. He was most likely the last minister of the Xu family who was valued during the reign of Emperor Wu.

Little Liu lowered his head and said, "Yes, I will definitely study hard and become a competent prince! Teacher, don't worry."

After hearing this, Xu Zhou showed a teachable expression and patted his head: "Good boy, you are still young and inexperienced. It is normal that you don't understand. Just work hard. You have great talent."

Liu Ju nodded heavily and continued to study. This child of a few years old was really hardworking.

(End of this chapter)