Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 204 My Father-in-Law, the Regent

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Liu Bian's impression of the Zhen family of Wuji was that they were a wealthy merchant family that even Yuan Shao, who controlled four provinces in Hebei, did not hesitate to offer his second son's principal wife to win them over. He really did not expect that they could take out 500 million in cash without any hesitation.

After the Yuan family of Runan was exterminated, their total assets, including houses, mansions, gold, jade, pearls, and cash, were estimated to be around six billion coins, not counting their land.

However, this refers to total assets of six billion coins, not six billion coins in cash flow. Taking out five billion coins in cash to curry favor with the imperial court is tantamount to taking a huge chunk of flesh from the Yuan family of Runan.

The Wuji Zhen family has spent 500 million coins, which is probably a huge financial blow. They are so willing to spend so much to curry favor with me.
Liu Bian tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his brows furrowed slightly, his gaze falling on the mountain of bamboo slips piled up in front of him. His thoughts gradually deepened, and after a while, he slowly raised his eyes and looked at Lu Zhi, saying, "Master Lu, what exactly is the origin of this Wuji Zhen family?"

To be honest, Liu Bian did develop some interest in this family, but he wouldn't go so far as to emulate Emperor Xiaowu's practice of confiscating property, exterminating the clan, and plundering wealth... well, although he did do it quite a few times.

If Wuji Zhen is sensible enough, he really wouldn't mind promoting one or two of them.

Moreover, he always felt that a family that could receive praise from the dignified Prince Zhongshan and whose members had held the rank of two thousand shi for generations could not possibly be just a small merchant clan.

"Hmm, this Wuji Zhen family..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi paused slightly, stroking his beard. His knuckles rubbed against his gray beard for a moment, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

Before reporting to the Crown Prince, he naturally sent people to investigate the background and details of the Zhen family of Wuji in detail.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Zhi put down his teacup and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the Zhen family of Wuji... are remnants of the Xin dynasty."

How could a mere remnant of the Xin dynasty have been able to maintain a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain)
Although there is no such thing as political vetting these days, someone with this kind of background might be able to become an official, but they are not qualified to have a family lineage of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure) for generations.

Although the Han Dynasty was tolerant, it would not tolerate someone with a history of rebellion so much as to allow them to rise to the rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure).

Take Yong Chi, who rebelled against Emperor Taizu Gao in the past. Although he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Shifang, Shifang was not only a desolate place, but also a place rarely visited by people, where he lived among the southern barbarians.

For nearly four hundred years, the Yong family of Yizhou County has remained merely a powerful clan in Yizhou County, with absolutely no chance of embarking on an official career.

Liu Bian raised an eyebrow, leaned forward slightly, and his interest in his eyes grew even stronger. He said, "Oh? Master Lu, please explain in detail."

Lu Zhi carefully selected his words and began to tell the Crown Prince about the origins of the Zhen family of Wuji.

The Zhen family of Wuji rose to prominence at the end of the Former Han Dynasty and reached its peak during the Xin Dynasty.

His ancestor who rose to prominence was named Zhen Han, the second son of the Zhen family of Wuji at that time, who later entered officialdom through the recommendation of filial piety and integrity.

After Zhen Han was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official, he wrote an essay titled "My Father-in-Law, a Veteran Minister of Four Dynasties, Assistant Minister, Grand Minister of Works and Grand Tutor" in front of the court during the examination. He won applause from the audience and was promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary and Commandant of the Imperial Carriage in just a few years.

Although Zhen Han's father-in-law, Kong Guang, was quite wary of Wang Mang and was the only important minister in the court with the ability and qualifications to check Wang Mang, Zhen Han was appreciated and given important positions by Wang Mang. His career progressed smoothly, and he rose to the rank of Grand Marshal, was granted the title of Duke of Chengxin, repeatedly made military achievements, and once held the military power of the Xin Dynasty.

Zhen Han's elder brother, Zhen Feng, was initially the Chancellor of Sishui. Through his connection with Zhen Han, he came into Wang Mang's sight and chose to attach himself to this new favorite, becoming Wang Mang's henchman. He was promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary, then to General of the Left, Grand Master of Ceremonies, and Grand Minister of Works, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Guangyang. Soon after, he was promoted to Junior Tutor, concurrently serving as Grand Minister of Works, Grand Minister of Works, Right Attendant, and General of the Guards.

However, due to his arrogance, after the establishment of the Xin Dynasty, Wang Mang, relying on a prophetic omen, demoted Zhen Feng to General Gengshi and enfeoffed him as Duke of Guangxin.

Zhen Fengzi, Zhen Xun, served as Attendant-in-Ordinary and Prefect of the Capital, while Zhen Xin became Grand Master of Ceremonies.

The Zhen family had four prominent members, known as the "Four Zhens," who became the most sought-after new nobles in the Xin Dynasty. The Wuji Zhen clan thus rose to become a prominent family in Zhongshan.

However, with the fall of the Xin Dynasty, the good days of the Zhen family of Wuji came to an end.

You're just a remnant of the Xin dynasty, a traitor who lost his official position. What gives you the right to act so arrogantly in front of other powerful and wealthy families in Hebei?
Wow, it really works!
When Emperor Guangwu of the Wuji clan was traveling through Hebei, the clan provided him with a large amount of military supplies. As a result, although the Wuji clan was purged, it was still able to maintain a lineage of officials holding the rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure).

Coincidentally, having a family with a rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) for generations was the minimum standard for a family to be promoted to the gentry class.

However, the Zhen family of Wuji also knew that a family lacking the inheritance of classical studies could not stand among the gentry for long, so they simply took a different approach and got involved in the trade of grain and livestock.

Since the fall of the Xin Dynasty, the Zhen family of Wuji has stagnated in politics, but has accumulated a very strong wealth by relying on the dual-core development model of scholars and merchants. They have managed to maintain the dignity of a noble family with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) by spending money to cultivate relationships with the Prince of Zhongshan and other officials in the court.

Six billion coins is not even a fraction of the cash that the Zhen family of Wuji has on hand.

The Yuan family of Runan, which had risen to prominence in just over a century, boasted four generations of high-ranking officials and had disciples and former officials all over the world. However, in terms of wealth and resources, it was only able to look up to the Zhen family of Wuji, which had developed a dual-core system of scholars and merchants for over two hundred years.

"Nothing could be richer than a country."

After hearing Lu Zhi's background investigation of the Zhen family of Wuji, Liu Bian was indeed shocked by their wealth. But the shock was only momentary.

No matter how much money you have, it's nothing more than fish on a chopping board in the face of power.

As the saying goes, my neighbors store grain and I store guns, and my neighbors are my granaries.

Money is worthless in the face of power!
Wealth without power is ultimately just an insecure illusion, like a flower in the water or the moon in a mirror. It was only because the Wuji Zhen clan kept a low profile for the past two hundred years and actively cooperated with the court's grain procurement, often supplying grain at near-cost prices, coupled with the frequent changes of emperors, that the Wuji Zhen clan, remnants of the Xin dynasty, were able to be exterminated and their families confiscated long ago.

"If Your Highness is willing, Zhen Yi is currently residing in my residence, and you may summon him for an audience."

Lu Zhi was quite familiar with the Crown Prince's temperament. Naturally, the Crown Prince would not let go of a family that had wealth but no foundation.

Liu Bian glanced at Lu Zhi sideways, slightly surprised by his enthusiasm for this matter. Securing an audience for Zhen Yi and having Zhen Yi reside in his residence would inevitably send a political signal to many in the court.

Zhen Yi is Lu Zhi's man!

The powerful backer of the Zhen family of Wuji is Lu Zhi, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and General of the Rear!

Liu Bian slowly stood up, reached out to stop Gao Wang from adding tea to Lu Zhi's cup, took the teapot from his hand, and personally poured tea for Lu Zhi. He smiled and said to Lu Zhi, "Master Lu, how much benefit have you gained from the Wuji Zhen family to speak up for them like this?"

"Let me tell you, this is bribery, and you'll have to make a trip to the Court of Justice!" Liu Bian looked at Lu Zhi's slightly twitching lips, smiled, and presented a teacup filled with tea to Lu Zhi, teasingly saying, "However, if Master Lu is willing to share half with me, I wouldn't mind being his accomplice. At that time, I'm afraid Court of Justice Cui wouldn't dare to punish Master Lu. What do you say?"

Lu Zhi glanced at Liu Bian, lowered his head, took a small sip of tea, and chewed the beef in the tea soup slowly and leisurely.

The atmosphere turned cold, but Liu Bian still had that smiling look on his face, while Lu Zhi slowly finished his cup of tea. After filling his stomach, he took the handkerchief that Gao Wang handed him, wiped his mouth, and then uttered two words from his slightly greasy mouth.

"You brat! You look nothing like a ruler!"

After speaking, Lu Zhi did not offer any greetings, turned and walked towards the palace gate, completely ignoring Liu Bian's attempts to persuade him to stay.

"Hey, Master Lu, don't be angry! We were just joking around! Master Lu... Master Lu!"

Inside the side hall, the Crown Prince's retainers watched as the Crown Prince tried to pull and tug at them, apologizing and trying to please them, but Lu Zhi ignored him completely. He flicked his sleeve and walked straight toward the Ministry of Personnel, leaving behind only a cold snort.

However, in such matters, everyone kept their heads down, eyes downcast, and no one dared to stand up and rebuke Lu Zhi for his rudeness.

The teacher and students have a deep bond and are just having fun. If you blindly join in, you're going to be in trouble.

As for Lu Zhi accepting bribes?

The position of Grand Tutor, the head of all officials in the court, was something that Lu Zhi would inevitably obtain without any effort. Even if Lu Zhi wasn't of such an honest and upright character, he wouldn't be foolish enough to ruin his reputation and future for such a small benefit. Perhaps it was because the important officials in the court had been trying to raise money for the government these days that even a steady and mature elder like Lu Zhi had become too impatient in his words and actions.

Liu Bian overheard some of the hushed conversations among the crowd.

However, based on his understanding of this teacher, he probably really did have a connection with the Zhen family of Wuji.

Given Lu Zhi's reputation and future prospects, even if he truly desired these material possessions, he could achieve his goal through underhanded means.

The reason for such a grand display, allowing Zhen Yi to move into the mansion so openly... is that Emperor Taizu Gaozu had decreed that merchants and their families were strictly forbidden from becoming officials, and officials were even more forbidden from engaging in commerce.

Although these prohibitions were broken during the reign of Emperor Wu, the Later Han dynasty still strictly enforced the prohibitions left by Emperor Gaozu.

This is also why, no matter how much money the Wuji Zhen family spends, they can only reach the level of two thousand shi at most.

However, promoting Wuji Zhen would inevitably invite countless criticisms.

But since you've done such a good deed, couldn't you just say it out loud and let me feel touched? Why do you have to keep it all bottled up inside?

What an arrogant old man!

Watching Lu Zhi's retreating figure, Liu Bian stood still and couldn't help but snort coldly: "I must kill this country bumpkin!"

Gao Wang remained silent, offering neither advice nor agreement.

If His Highness the Crown Prince were to harbor murderous intent toward the Crown Prince's tutor, the sun would rise in the north by tomorrow!
(3004 words)
(End of this chapter)