A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 100 Territory
"His Majesty?"

Dong Zhongshu and Wuqiu Shouwang immediately became nervous.

If a child is lost, another can be born; but if the father is lost, the world truly belongs to the crown prince.

"Hahaha."

Liu Che suddenly burst into laughter, which startled everyone in the hall. Chun Tuo was standing next to the medicine box, ready to fetch the medicine for His Majesty in a critical moment.

Lady Li seemed to be frightened, staring blankly at His Majesty's blood-stained dragon beard as it trembled.

"Crown Prince! He resembles me!"

Liu Che's roar shook the gold and jade of the main hall. He could make his half-brother, Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan, die at the execution ground by the Wei River. The Crown Prince could also make his half-brothers, Liu Dan, the Prince of Yan, and Liu Xu, the Prince of Guangling, disappear from the world's sight forever. The ruthlessness of father and son was inherited from the same lineage. However, the Crown Prince's methods were much more sophisticated than his.

If Liu Che's previous attitude towards Liu Ju was one of dislike because his son was not like his father, his current attitude is one of apprehension because his son is like his father.

In particular, the son's methods are even more sophisticated than the father's, and the level of fear he feels towards him has reached an unprecedented level.

Liu Che had never been so convinced that the crown prince could not inherit the throne of the Han Dynasty from him. If the crown prince were to ascend the throne, the dynasty would probably be described by future generations as a barbaric era.

So what if he has two sons? Even if they're gone, so what? He still has Prince Qi, Liu Hong. Even if Prince Qi is gone too, he's in his prime and can still have more children!
He would never let the Crown Prince have his way, nor would he ever be reduced to a point where he had no other choice. He would have many children, and even if he couldn't win in the end, he would still make the Crown Prince suffer.

Liu Che seemed to have rediscovered the fighting spirit he had when he first ascended the throne, and even when suppressed by Empress Dowager Dou and Empress Dowager Wang, he remained indomitable.

He is Liu Zhi!

The pig (彘) is a symbol of bravery, fierceness, and many children, bringing great fortune.

Looking at the nearly insane emperor, Dong Zhongshu felt it was so absurd that he began to think of letting things take their course. Suddenly, the emperor was about to rouse himself again.

In a daze, he sensed the deep malice of the gods and spirits.

Liu Che gradually regained his composure. Upon seeing the two edicts on the bamboo slips, one granting amnesty to the entire nation and the other reducing the size of the harem, he became even more determined to have more imperial heirs. From now on, he would do anything that the Crown Prince disliked.

Like the King of Zhongshan, they could have dozens or even hundreds of children.

As for the "Guidelines for the Southern Inspection Tour" at the end of the silk manuscript, Liu Che glanced at it but didn't pay it any mind. Over the years, he had indulged in extravagance and knew that the people of his dynasty were not as wealthy as those of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing. He didn't believe the peaceful and prosperous era praised by local officials, but he thought that the people of the Han Dynasty were all doing alright.

Especially under his campaigns in the south and north, the Han Dynasty won victory after victory. Not to mention that all the surrounding tribes submitted to the Han, they at least settled down and stopped the annual raids and plunders that occurred during the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing.

Although the people in the border regions have less money and grain, they should be happier under the protection of the imperial court.

The places the Southern Tour took him to were all border regions of the Han Dynasty. Was the Crown Prince making him search high and low so that he could praise his military achievements and virtues over the past ten years?
Thinking of the people's heartfelt welcome wherever his procession went, and the vibrant, flourishing scene, Liu Che couldn't help but feel a surge of energy and a sense of eager anticipation.

The credit for the Han Dynasty's expansion of territory belongs to him, not the Crown Prince!
"Dong Zhongshu".

"The minister is here."

"Choose an auspicious day to embark on a southern tour!"

"Yes... um?"

Dong Zhongshu accepted the order as was his habit.

Your Majesty seems unaware of the gravity of the insights and experiences gained during your southern tour. Does Your Majesty truly believe that the world is in a state of peace and prosperity? Surely not? Surely not?

……

Chang'an City.

Weiyang Palace, Xuanshi Hall.

When Chancellor Gongsun Hong came to see His Majesty, he reported that His Majesty had already departed from Ganquan Palace and was heading straight for Wuguan. In other words, His Majesty did not intend to record the people's conditions in Guanzhong, but would write down his thoughts and experiences in Nanyang County, based on the truth.

"Father, he may have gone mad," Liu Ju said, his heart churning with emotion.

In Guanzhong, the emperor could still deceive himself, the people, the history books, and future generations. Once outside Wuguan Pass, it was the territory of Nanyang Commandery, the five markets of the Han Dynasty: Handan in the north, Linzi in the east, Chengdu in the west, Luoyang in the center, and Nanyang in the south.

The chaos in Nanshi has a long history, dating back to the end of the Qin Dynasty. Doing business there requires skill; if you are not strong enough, you are easily cheated or robbed.

It is indeed prosperous, and the people live well. However, the atmosphere is better than that of a border prefecture. If the emperor's two thousand guards did not take the back roads, they should be able to leave Nanyang Prefecture.

Liu Ju eagerly awaited the first words of wisdom or self-reproach his father would give to the Han Dynasty and its people, and wonder what kind of literary talent they would be.

"Your Majesty's courage has always been admired by all your subjects," Gongsun Hong replied.

Clearly, His Majesty, who has never left Guanzhong, assumes that everyone in the world can eat and wear clothes like the people of Guanzhong. While he may not believe that the people should eat meat porridge, he is far removed from the lives of ordinary people.

However, they found the right place by approaching Nanyang County right away; His Majesty's luck remains as "good" as ever.

Gongsun Hong composed himself and returned to state affairs, respectfully reporting, "Your Majesty, Crown Prince Zhao Yingqi of Nanyue requests to return to Nanyue."

After the siege of Minyue was lifted in the sixth year of the Jianyuan era, Zhao Mo, the king of the fragile and precarious Nanyue Kingdom, abandoned his subjects after twelve years of living in fear and trembling.

Upon receiving this news, the Crown Prince of Nanyue, who had served as a guard in Chang'an as a hostage under Zhuang Zhu, was overcome with grief and begged the Han court to allow him to return home for his father's funeral. He also requested the Han court to provide "advice" on the succession to the throne of Nanyue.

"The Kingdom of Nanyue."

Liu Ju gazed at the large map in the Xuan Shi Hall. This was the kingdom that controlled the Lingnan region. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Zhao Tuo, the commander of Nanhai Commandery, took advantage of the Qin's demise to close the passes and annex Guilin Commandery and Xiang Commandery in Lingnan.

In the third year of Emperor Gaozu of Han, the Nanyue Kingdom was officially established with its capital at Panyu. In the eleventh year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, the Nanyue Kingdom became a vassal state of the Han Dynasty.

The Nanyue Kingdom, which occupied Nanhai Commandery, Guilin Commandery, and Xiang Commandery, severed the connection between the Han Dynasty and the South China Sea.

However, in the fourth year of the Jianyuan era, King Wu of Nanyue, the centenarian Zhao Tuo, passed away. This not only marked a new stage in the relationship between the Han Dynasty and Nanyue, but also showed that the new ruler of Nanyue, Zhao Mo, did not have a strong control over Nanyue. Some tribes that had previously submitted to Nanyue not only broke away from control, but Minyue, for example, launched a counterattack against Nanyue.

If it weren't for the fact that Empress Dowager Dou had just passed away that year, and that the twenty-two-year-old Liu Che was eager to show off his military prowess and intervene in the war between the two Yue kingdoms, the Nanyue Kingdom probably wouldn't have been able to hold on at that time.

In return, the Nanyue Kingdom sent Zhao Yingqi as a hostage. Minyue, intimidated by the might of the Han army, was also divided into two kingdoms: Yueyao and Dongyue.

Liu Ju knew that his father wanted to restore his rule over the three prefectures of Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiangjun. The death of the King of Nanyue was something his father had long anticipated. The plan to support a puppet king who was close to the Han Dynasty and then gradually transfer the entire Nanyue territory to the Han Dynasty was a plan that had been in place for a long time.

However, the emperor never thought he would lose control of the country, and the credit for expanding the territory would go to whoever was in power.

Father, I'm sorry!
(End of this chapter)