Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 104 Liu Shan's Death Shakes the Land (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

—The deposed crown prince.

When they heard about this, surprisingly none of the court officials said anything.

This is extremely rare!

In truth, it's no wonder he ended up like this; he can't blame anyone else.

The current political landscape of the Han Dynasty is completely different from that of the Former and Later Han Dynasties.

Although Liu Shan was still the emperor and held real power, the more detailed powers were almost entirely in the hands of his ministers.

This is also related to Liu Shan's personality.

Crown Prince Liu Xuan had no chance to establish his own power base.

This is a result of the current political climate in the Han Dynasty.

Liu Shan still softened his heart.

After all, he was his own son, and he had already been deposed as crown prince, so he did not punish Liu Xuan for his serious crimes.

But such an effort is destined to be futile.

Liu Chen is not a soft-hearted person, and Gu Yi will absolutely not tolerate any risks within the Han Dynasty.

Involving imperial power—

Liu Xuan's fate was clearly sealed long ago.

Even if Liu Shan can still protect him now, his fate will be sealed once Liu Shan passes away.

October;

Liu Shan officially issued an edict establishing Liu Chen as the crown prince.

Liu Shan also seemed to have changed.

He was like a completely different person, no longer indulging in pleasure as he used to.

Although it still does not interfere in politics.

However, he also began to pay attention to various political affairs in the court and focused on Liu Chen's education, striving to lay a solid foundation for Liu Chen.

This great upheaval truly made Liu Shan begin to realize his mistakes.

anyway
He absolutely could not allow the Han Dynasty to encounter any problems under his control.

Luoyang.

Gu Yi did not intend to involve the Gu family in this matter.

He was relatively at ease letting Liu Chen become the crown prince.

Putting aside everything else, at the very least, given Liu Chen's personality, he would absolutely be able to suppress everything in the court when faced with external threats.

Zhang Huazhong and others were his best helpers.

He no longer needed to involve the Gu family.

This was an idea that Gu Yi had already had for a while!

—The Gu family needs to transform!

This was also one of the reasons why he restricted the Gu family members.

The Gu family is currently too deeply intertwined with the Han imperial family!
This could indeed allow the Gu family to continue to shine within the Han court, but it also represented risks.

There are no dynasties that last forever.

The Gu family needs to transfer their ties with the Han imperial family to the entire Nine Provinces.

This is also one of the development paths that best suits the current Gu family.

Through the efforts of several generations, the Gu family has established an astonishing foundation throughout the entire Nine Provinces.

Gu Yi's current goal is to reinforce all of this.

To make all the people of Kyushu believe in one thing from the bottom of their hearts.

That is, as long as members of the Gu family appear in the core of the imperial court.

Then the whole world will usher in a golden age.

Completely severing the Gu family's ties with a single dynasty, instead binding them to the rise and fall of the entire Kyushu.

This is definitely one of the main directions for the future development of the Gu family.

Of course, this task was destined to be incredibly difficult.

It will take the efforts of generations to make this path truly successful.

The good news is that the Gu family has already had a very good start.

Gu Chen's appearance has completely freed the Gu family from the behavior of mere subjects.

Although there will never be another "Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoy" in the world, the Gu family has actually completely broken free from the restrictions of official positions.

Take Gu Ye, for example.

Although he was not the prime minister, his influence in the entire court surpassed that of the prime minister.

This is the fundamental difference between the Gu family and other families.

The upheaval in the imperial court did not have any impact on the common people of the Han Dynasty.

The imperial examinations proceeded as usual.

Compared to previous imperial examinations, this time there were significantly more students taking the arithmetic subject.

After all, it was back in the last imperial examination.

Gu Yi had already determined that arithmetic would be directly included in the imperial examination subjects.

However, the students' scores in this math competition were still very poor.

Unlike Confucian classics.

Arithmetic requires innovation, and Gu Yi could not possibly categorize everything into the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art".

This time, the test he set was about dealing with current events.

The goal is to enable students to use arithmetic to improve some current issues related to land planning.

It's understandable that the students' scores were poor.

But Gu Yi was still in no hurry. Science requires a certain talent, and as long as he persisted, the right talent would eventually emerge.

At that time, the entire Kyushu will undergo earth-shattering changes.

He has changed a lot.

The rest.
Just let time work its magic.

What truly caught Gu Yi's attention were the barbarians from all directions.

The fighting is becoming more and more frequent.

After decades of normal weather, the place where the barbarians lived was finally struck by natural disaster.

The barbarian tribes, already severely lacking in productivity, would be even more desperate than the Han Dynasty when faced with sudden natural disasters.

They could only launch an attack on the Han Dynasty.

They attempted to plunder the Han people to alleviate the crisis.

This attack is completely different from before. When faced with life and death, people's beliefs will only become stronger, and they will be able to unleash even greater fighting power.

Fortunately, Gu Yi had already been preparing for this.

Faced with the attacks and rebellions of these tribes, the Han army would not be at a loss.

But even so.

In the 17th year of Yanxi, in August.

The Han defenders also suffered their first defeat.

Faced with the increasingly frenzied Xianbei and Wuhuan, the situation finally changed dramatically.

Lu Kang is alright, though.

His calm and unhurried nature was advantageous in defending the city.

There were no major mishaps, and the enemy's attack was successfully blocked.

But Wenqin was different.

Faced with the Xianbei's continued attacks, he was finally enraged, fell into the enemy's trap, suffered a crushing defeat, and died on the battlefield.

—The situation changed abruptly!
The once peaceful world was suddenly thrown into turmoil.

for this news.

The common people instinctively thought this was a fantasy.

How could the Han army be defeated by barbarians?

Long-term strength has caused far too many people to lose their original sense of awe.

Not to mention the people in other prefectures and counties across the land.

Even the attitude of the people of Youzhou towards the barbarians has changed fundamentally.

But that's not all.

Faced with frequent natural disasters, the Xiongnu, Qiang and other barbarian tribes gradually developed disloyal intentions.

However, they were different from the Xianbei and Wuhuan.

They first made their request to the Great Han, hoping that he would help them overcome this natural disaster.

Simply put, it means improving their treatment.

They need land and they need food.

The series of natural disasters finally broke the balance that had lasted for decades.

For the Han Dynasty, this demand was tantamount to a declaration of war.

Neither the court officials nor the common people of the Han Dynasty would agree to such a request.

After all, these barbarian tribes did not help the Han Dynasty when it faced natural disasters.

and--

How long has it been since the Great Han Dynasty survived a natural disaster?

Although Gu Yi reformed agricultural tools once again, greatly improving the productivity of the Han Dynasty.

But the fundamental reason for the decline of the Han Dynasty was the decrease in population!
Moreover, further improving the attitude towards the barbarians will surely win the hearts of the Han people towards the barbarians.

This is a burden the Han Dynasty cannot bear!

Although some tribes among these barbarians were closer to the Han.

But these people are ultimately only a minority.

Under the general trend—

This war, though late, has finally arrived!
Gu Yi originally intended to leave Luoyang directly for Youzhou.

But perhaps it really is fate.

Under these circumstances, Liu Shan's health deteriorated again.

This further fueled the already restless atmosphere in the court.

Another problem has arisen.

Under these circumstances, Gu Yi had no way of leaving Luoyang.

Left with no other choice, he could only send Wen Yang to Youzhou to stabilize the current situation there.

Liu Shan's health did indeed suffer.

That's often how reality is.

People often lose something else when they gain something else.

This may be the fundamental reason why Liu Shan acted this way.

Although he spared the concerns arising from the original historical situation of various parties.

However, compared to the original historical account, Liu Shan was even more fond of pleasure.

His weight far exceeds that of an average person.

Even by modern standards, it would be considered an unhealthy weight.

Under these circumstances, it is indeed reasonable for him to have health problems.

But this is definitely not good news for the current Han Dynasty.

Beigong.

The atmosphere in the entire North Palace was extremely heavy.

Gu Ye, Zhang Hua, Liu Chen, and the others stood in the hall, looking at Liu Chan on the bed, their faces filled with worry.

After the imperial physician finished examining Liu Shan's body, he slowly walked out.

Liu Chen hurriedly stepped forward and asked anxiously, "Sir, what about Father's health?"

"Return to your highness."

Without hesitation, the imperial physician knelt down, his face filled with sorrow: "His Majesty's pulse is weak; he may be dying soon."

In an instant, Liu Chen's body trembled violently.

He instinctively grabbed the imperial physician's arm, wanting him to save Liu Shan as soon as possible.

But what could the imperial physicians do in the face of this situation?
Liu Shan was no longer young.

At his age, his body had already reached its limit.

Gu Yi's expression was also rather unpleasant at this moment, as he never expected such a change to occur.

But faced with reality, he had no choice but to accept it.

There was no hesitation.

Gu Yi immediately manipulated Gu Ye to look at Zhang Hua and said seriously, "Mao Xian, summon the ministers immediately."

Zhang Hua's expression was also very serious.

He glanced at Liu Chen first, then nodded and walked out.

When Zhang Hua summoned the officials to the North Palace, everyone already guessed what was going on, and their faces immediately showed deep sorrow.

Nobody wants anything to happen to Liu Shan!

Throughout history, Liu Shan can be considered one of the most tolerant emperors in his treatment of his subjects.

There would be no pressure at all for someone serving under him.

An emperor with this kind of personality is something most people wouldn't even dare to dream of.

But now.
How could they not be heartbroken that such a benevolent emperor was about to pass away?

Tears streamed down Liu Chen's face. He still wanted the imperial physician to save Liu Chan, but the answer he received was exactly the same.

No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, he had no choice but to face this reality.

Time flows slowly by.

It was almost dawn.

Just then, Liu Shan finally woke up and saw Liu Chen and Gu Ye guarding him as soon as he opened his eyes.

Seeing the overwhelming sorrow on their faces, Liu Shan was slightly taken aback, then quickly realized his own predicament and abruptly chuckled, asking:

"I fear my time is drawing near."

"Father!" Liu Chen's face was full of grief, and his voice was choked with sobs. He hurriedly said, "Your subject will go and summon the imperial physician immediately. Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune and will surely be safe and sound and live a long and healthy life!"

After saying this, he turned around and was about to call for the imperial physician.

But Liu Shan raised his hand and gently stopped him. His voice was weak, but it was firm and unquestionable: "No need. I know my own body."

At this moment, his expression was completely calm.

In fact, Liu Shan had always been afraid of death. Even he himself did not expect that when he faced this life-or-death situation, he would be so calm.

Liu Chen was stunned, his eyes filled with reluctance and sorrow. With a "thump," he knelt straight down on the ground.

"Zhaode..." Liu Shan ignored Liu Chen, who was kneeling on the ground, and waved to Gu Ye, signaling him to summon the officials to the palace.

Gu Ye's eyes reddened, and he walked out quickly with a sorrowful expression.

Before long, the courtiers filed in, each with a deep sorrow on their face.

Liu Shan quietly surveyed the crowd, and only after everyone had knelt down did he slowly speak. His voice was somewhat weak, yet it carried clearly to everyone's ears in the silent hall:

"I have never had any great ambitions in my life."

"At first, he didn't even have the idea of ​​becoming emperor; he only hoped to live a peaceful life."

"But unexpectedly, we've come all this way to where we are today."

Upon hearing this, the sorrow on everyone's faces deepened.

This is Liu Shan's unique charm!

He doesn't need to do anything special; simply sitting on the dragon throne is the ideal image of a monarch in the hearts of his ministers.

Liu Shan's face was calm, but a hint of reminiscence flashed in his eyes, as if he were recalling the various stages of his life.

Suddenly, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a faint smile. In an instant, his brows furrowed, and a look of pain appeared on his face.

Tears silently streamed down his face. He looked at everyone again, his voice filled with endless emotion and self-reproach: "I have failed the late Emperor and Grand Tutor's earnest expectations."

"For many years I have accomplished nothing and only indulged in pleasure. I am truly ashamed to meet the late emperor and the monk in the afterlife."

"I dare not hope to leave a good name for posterity..."

"I only hope that you, my beloved ministers, can assist the Crown Prince and continue to protect the great Han dynasty."

As he spoke, Liu Shan slowly turned his gaze to Gu Ye: "Zhaode..."

"I still remember the scene when the late emperor was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Shangfu before his death."

"The late emperor knew my abilities well... He held on until his last breath, until he saw Shangfu, before he passed away peacefully."

"I have been confused my whole life, and I must not be confused again on my deathbed."

"The world is in turmoil these days; if the Crown Prince is not up to the task..."

Liu Shan's gaze swept over Liu Chen, his tone growing increasingly grave, "Zhaode, you may choose another worthy successor!"

For a moment, the hall was completely silent.

It was as if the air itself had frozen.

Utter silence!

This moment feels like a replay of that scene from back then!
Liu Bei entrusted Liu Shan to Gu Chen.

Now, Liu Shan has once again entrusted Liu Chen to Gu Ye.

However, the two have completely different meanings.

Gu Chen's achievements are beyond the reach of anyone, even surpassing those of Emperor Liu Bei.

But Gu Ye is different.

This trust even surpasses entrusting one's children to another.

But the ministers inexplicably felt that this was perfectly reasonable.

This is more in line with Liu Shan's character!

Gu Yi didn't say much, but simply let Gu Ye kowtow deeply to Liu Chan.

Liu Chen never said anything from beginning to end.

The somber atmosphere inside the hall grew even stronger.

After recounting this matter, Liu Shan seemed to have resolved some inner conflict and began to recall things again.

He marveled at his good fortune;
He reminisced about the ministers who had left him one after another over the years.

Time slowly flows by
His voice was growing weaker and weaker.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced the sky and shone into the hall.

Liu Shan's voice suddenly paused—

He suddenly sat up, staring intently at the sunlight before him, as if he had seen something, and excitedly spoke:
"Father, have you come to pick me up?"

Liu Shan wept uncontrollably.

Just like a child seeing an adult who makes him feel at ease, he has no trace of the majesty of an emperor.

He was still saying something.
But the sound was too faint and was completely drowned out by the cries coming from inside the hall.

—The sunlight grew even brighter.

Just as that ray of sunlight fully illuminated his body.

He suddenly collapsed again, his breathing gradually stopped, and his expression remained frozen in that moment full of smiles.

"Father!!!"

"His Majesty!!!"

Liu Chen and Gu Ye spoke almost simultaneously.

And these bursts of crying.

At that very moment, it reached its peak.

The eighteenth year of Yanxi, the day of Wuxu in the third month;
Liu Shan died in the North Palace of Luoyang at the age of sixty-five.

His posthumous title was Ren (仁).
He was Emperor Xiaoren of the Han Dynasty.

Crown Prince Liu Chen ascended the throne and changed the era name to "Qianji".

This was destined to be a major event that would affect the entire Han Dynasty.

Liu Shan was a person.

Although he had little presence in the formulation of various systems in the Han Dynasty, his only merit was that he listened to advice.

Over the years, he has done a lot of good deeds for the people.

This was one of the established practices left by the previous emperors of the Han Dynasty, and Liu Shan would naturally abide by it.

For ordinary people—

Liu Shan can definitely be considered a wise ruler.

After all, he had never done anything to harm the people.

When news of Liu Shan's death was heard, the impact was no less than that of any wise ruler during the Han Dynasty.

The whole nation is in deep sorrow!
This refers to the Han Dynasty today.

This situation has greatly impacted the war on the frontier.

It is not Youzhou.

The situation in Youzhou has completely changed.

Wen Yang's bravery exceeded everyone's expectations, especially under the circumstances of having avenged his father's death, his fighting power was brought to its limit.

I just arrived in Youzhou.

He immediately reversed the situation in Youzhou, driving back the Xianbei army that had invaded the city.

This matter primarily affected the situation of the Xiongnu and Qiang people.

They initially had some reservations about the Han Dynasty, and did not choose to rebel directly in the face of the Han's tough stance.

But things are different now.

Liu Shan died at this critical moment.

It not only affected the Han Dynasty, but also gave these people more confidence.

After someone suggested that this was Heaven's punishment of the Han Dynasty.

This battle has finally begun!
In the seventh month of the eighteenth year of Yanxi;

The Xiongnu and Qiang people launched attacks on the Han Dynasty one after another, and the national mourning in the nine provinces was not over and war broke out again.

The situation immediately became serious.

Under these circumstances, the preparations for the coronation ceremony had to be somewhat rushed.

Liu Chen must ascend the throne quickly at this time to stabilize public sentiment.

Gu Yi's arrangements for Liu Chen were very appropriate.

He ascended the throne on the banks of the Luo River.

Even if this so-called grand ceremony is much simpler, its impact on the people will far exceed that of the past!

Upon ascending the throne, Liu Chen immediately displayed a personality completely different from that of Liu Shan.

He would not become a figurehead emperor like Liu Shan.

He was a true emperor!

However, Liu Chen was different from Liu Xuan in his arrogance; he would listen to the advice of his ministers and would not be so disdainful of others.

He didn't even make any large-scale personnel changes.

This is what makes Liu Chen extraordinary.

He can be said to have perfectly inherited the strengths of both Liu Bei and Liu Shan.

He placed great trust in his highly capable ministers and did not change the existing system of the Han Dynasty.

At the same time, he also followed the advice of his ministers and bestowed favors upon the people.

He successively bestowed noble titles upon the common people in Luoyang and the surrounding areas.

Under these circumstances, the situation in the entire Han Dynasty quickly stabilized.

The shadow cast by Liu Shan's death.
It eventually faded away.

Just as Gu Yi had expected, Liu Chen immediately eliminated Liu Xuan after stabilizing the situation.

However, this fact is far too small.

Nobody cared at all.

Even Gu Yi didn't care about such a small matter.

For him.

From the moment the situation gradually stabilized, he was ready to leave Luoyang.

Beigong.

Looking at the memorial in his hand, Liu Chen's face showed a hint of reluctance.

"Has Zhaode truly made up his mind?"

He looked at Gu Ye in front of him.

In fact, Liu Chen wanted to personally lead the expedition, but from the moment he ascended the throne, he could no longer act willfully.

"Does Your Majesty still remember the question I asked you years ago?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Yi controlled Gu Ye to ask the question.

Upon hearing this, Liu Chen was taken aback.

He then realized what was happening, and a look of surprise flashed across his face: "Zhaode had already foreseen this day?"

"good."

This time, Gu Yi did not deny it, but nodded and said, "Your subject trusts your grandfather's judgment."

Liu Chen nodded slightly and exclaimed, "The Duke Zhaolie is indeed a man who is hard to find even in ten thousand generations."

As he spoke, he sighed softly again: "It's a pity that I am now the emperor, and it is difficult for me to join forces with Zhaode to punish the disobedient."

“Zhaode”.

"Although we are nominally ruler and subject, we are not really."

"Emperor Zhaowu had already made this statement in the past."

“The name of the Gu family should be engraved on the tripod of my Liu family.”

"I still remember this oath."

Liu Chen's expression grew increasingly serious. He slowly rose and walked to Gu Ye's side: "Although I cannot travel with Zhaode..."

"But I still stand by what I said."

"Those who offend our mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished!"

"Zhaode, focus solely on your campaigns and battles; I will absolutely not allow any problems to arise within the court!"
------

"On the day of Wuxu in the third month of the eighteenth year of Yanxi, the emperor died in the North Palace of Luoyang."

Emperor Shan, who succeeded to the throne for more than forty years, never personally took up arms to fight against disobedience, but was able to entrust the reins of the country to wise ministers and govern by simply sitting in his robes.

All political decrees, laws, rewards, and punishments were entrusted to senior officials, ensuring peace and tranquility throughout the land and a secure life for the common people.

The people admired his virtuous influence and called him a benevolent ruler.

Upon his death, the markets in Luoyang closed and people wept in the streets, while the elders of the capital region offered sacrifices from afar on the road.

The officials of the Imperial Censorate discussed posthumous titles, deeming his gentle and compassionate nature "filial piety" and his benevolent and tireless love "benevolence," and thus bestowed upon him the posthumous title of Emperor Xiaoren, and he was buried in the Hui Mausoleum.

—From the Annals of Filial Piety and Benevolence in the Book of Yan Han

(End of this chapter)