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

Chapter 132 No food
Spring is here, the weather is fine and the scenery is bright, the grass grows and the orioles fly.

Chang'an City, Weiyang Palace, Xuanshi Hall.

Chancellor Gongsun Hong paid an audience with the emperor.

It tells of a theft in Nanyang.

"Your Majesty is also hungry."

Gongsun Hong sighed.

Mei Mian and Bai Zheng, two notorious bandits from Nanyang, were recruited into the imperial army.

The day after Dong Zhongshu descended the mountain, Mei Mian and Bai Zheng led their followers and their wives and children, totaling more than 10,000 people, to surrender to the emperor with their arms tied behind their backs.

Then, His Majesty held a grand banquet, drinking and making merry. At the banquet, he pardoned all the criminals of the two mountain strongholds, dismissed most of Mei Mian and Bai Zheng's followers, and allowed them to go wherever they wished to go.

His Majesty also personally selected mansions and lands for Mei Mian and Bai Zheng in Nanyang County. Those from the Mei and Bai families who wanted to become officials were either recruited into the central court as court officials or recruited into the Nanyang County Commandery.

Subsequently, His Majesty fulfilled the promise made by Dong Zhongshu, appointing Mei as the General of the Central Guard and Bai Zheng as the General of the Martial Guard.

The generals of the Han army were divided into six ranks. The Grand General was the first rank, the General of the Flying Cavalry, the General of the Chariots and Cavalry, and the General of the Guards were the second rank, the Four Expeditionary Generals and the Four Garrison Generals were the third rank, the Four Peaceful Generals and the Four Pacification Generals were the fourth rank, the Four Lieutenant Generals were the fifth rank, and the Lieutenant Generals and the Assistant Generals were the sixth rank.

Military officers of the third rank and below, along with some Imperial Guards and miscellaneous generals, such as the Central Protector General and the Martial Guard General, belong to the fifth rank of military officers and are Imperial Guards officers.

It may not sound like a high rank, but the General of the Great Han is already a high-ranking general, above the captains and local commanders of the Southern and Northern armies.

It should be noted that before Huo Qubing was promoted to General of the Guards, although he held the title of Marquis of Champion, he was still a Colonel of the Piaoyao School and not a general.

From bandits to legitimate generals of the Han Dynasty, Mei Mian and Bai Zheng proved their worth, but also proved that His Majesty was truly hungry.

The period of time Emperor Gaozu was involved in banditry was not included in the national records. This was the first time since the founding of the Han Dynasty that an emperor had recruited bandits and appointed them as generals.

Not only did it utterly disgrace the emperor, but the suffering of the two million people of Nanyang County over the past decade was also wiped out by His Majesty's single word.

The Prefect of Nanyang Prefecture, Mi Pu, submitted a memorial stating that the people of the prefecture's thirty-six counties had many complaints about the imperial court. If it weren't for the new land policy keeping the people busy, the situation would probably be in uproar by now.

This kind of "defying the world" approach really moved Mei Mian and Bai Zheng to tears.

The elite troops of the two strongholds, numbering about two thousand, were spared and vowed to protect His Majesty's southern tour to the death.

Qi Menlang lost several hundred men, but the southern inspection team was actually safer.

If His Majesty were to accept the amnesty along the way, the Imperial Guards could gain dozens more generals with miscellaneous titles, and when they return to Chang'an, they could probably bring back tens of thousands of "traitorous convicts".

Gongsun Hong did indeed feel considerable pressure.

Looking at Mi Pu's memorial, Liu Ju realized that offering amnesty was the quickest way to quell the banditry in Guandong, but it would also cause considerable trouble.

Soldiers are soldiers, and thieves are thieves.

If those bandit habits aren't curbed, they might cause a major upheaval if they really go to Guanzhong.

"Prime Minister".

"The minister is here."

"From this day forward, the imperial court and local authorities will no longer supply the baggage and provisions for the southern inspection team; instead, the team itself will provide the funds," Liu Ju said indifferently.

When the emperor went on tours, the expenses were considerable. Generally speaking, the imperial treasury covered the majority of the costs, while local governments covered a smaller portion.

The southern tour was already quite large, and the emperor and his officials were particular about their food, clothing, and lodging, so the expenses were comparable to those of an army of ten thousand.

The number has now doubled again, and it looks like it will continue to grow. Recruiting just one person results in countless rewards and a massive expenditure of money. The Han Dynasty's finances cannot allow such recklessness to continue.

Liu Ju knew that his father had a secret treasury, and that Princess Dou and Princess Pingyang were continuously providing financial support to the emperor. This was a good opportunity to test the true extent of the emperor's treasury and the two princesses' estates. If they could sustain tens of thousands of people and their horses for an extended period, that would be truly interesting.

The Han Dynasty has a long-standing tradition of favoring its eldest princesses. Take Princess Dou as an example. As the eldest daughter of Empress Dowager Dou, she received the taxes and resources of her fiefdom early on.

Empress Dowager Dou lost her sight at a young age, and Princess Guantao was her closest confidante.

As Emperor Xiaojing's elder sister, Princess Guantao frequently presented him with beautiful women. Relying on her mother's favor and her brother's indulgence, Princess Guantao entered and exited the palace, seeking power and immense wealth for herself and the Chen family.

They even directly interfered in the succession to the throne.

Princess Guantao was cunning and used her daughter, Chen, as a political bargaining chip. She first wanted to marry her daughter to Consort Li's son, Crown Prince Liu Rong. However, because she often presented beautiful women to Emperor Xiaojing, she had a deep conflict with Consort Li, and the proposal was sternly rejected by Consort Li.

Princess Guantao was furious and later asked Lady Wang for a marriage proposal. Lady Wang agreed to the marriage between Chen and her son Liu Che. With the combined efforts of Liu Piao and Lady Wang, in the seventh year of Emperor Jing's reign, Crown Prince Liu Rong was deposed, and Consort Li died of depression.

This led to Liu Che's ascension to the throne.

Everyone says that the greatest achievement is following a dragon, but how can following a dragon compare to personally helping a dragon rise to power?

When Liu Che was four years old, Princess Guantao asked him if he would like to marry A Jiao. Liu Che replied, "If I could have A Jiao as my wife, I would keep her in a golden house."

After Liu Che ascended the throne, he fulfilled his promise and made Chen Ajiao his empress. At the same time, he built a magnificent palace for her.

Princess Guantao returned the palace to "Changmen Palace," but no one at the time expected that after Chen Ajiao was deposed, her place of residence would be Changmen Palace.

Furthermore, Princess Guantao had a favorite male lover, Dong Yan, who was famous in Chang'an and known as Lord Dong. Later, he gained the emperor's favor and was appointed as General Ping Le.

To encourage him to spend his wealth and make friends with scholars, Princess Dou ordered the official in charge of the palace's gold and silk to say, "Only when Lord Dong spends a hundred gold coins, a million coins, or a thousand bolts of silk in a single day should you report to me."

In addition, Liu Che and Chen Ajiao had no children for many years after their marriage. In order to treat infertility, Chen Ajiao spent a total of 90 million coins.

The annual tax revenue of the Han Dynasty was only 5 billion coins, or 90 million coins, which was nearly two-hundredths of the empire's total annual income.

Rumor has it that Princess Dou is as wealthy as a country.

Liu Ju wanted to see just how powerful this prince, who had lived for sixty years in the Han Dynasty, really was.

As for Princess Pingyang, she may not be as wealthy as Princess Dou, but she has been the eldest princess of the Han Dynasty for over thirty years, and the depth of her treasury is worth testing.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Gongsun Hong accepted the order.

A look of hesitation crossed his face.

"It is alright for the Prime Minister to speak frankly."

"Your Majesty, Lady Li, who accompanied you on the southern tour, seems to be pregnant," Gongsun Hong said, recounting the letter that Mi Pu had presented to him privately.

The Han Dynasty is about to have another prince or princess.

"Ah."

Liu Ju nodded.

I felt nothing about my father's methods of rebellion; in fact, I almost laughed. Who will rule the Han Dynasty?
I decide my fate!

No matter how many are born, can they outlive them all?

"Furthermore, after the banquet in Nanyang, His Majesty seemed to have favored the daughters and clanswomen of the two bandit leaders, Mei Mian and Bai Zheng," Gongsun Hong said with difficulty.

Your Majesty is a restless person with an energy level that is frightening!
(End of this chapter)