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

Chapter 141 King of Heaven
God is truly unpredictable.

Yesterday was filled with strong winds, thunder, and torrential rain, but today the sun shines brightly, the Wei River flows clear and blue, and the Wangchuan boat, moored on the river, floats there without moving.

Lanterns bearing the words "King Zhao" in red on a white background are prominently displayed on the masts of every boat.

At Wei Bridge in the northern suburbs of Chang'an, officials led by Imperial Censor Zhang Tang were already waiting to greet them.

King Zhao, Liu Pengzu, stood at the bow of the large ship, but he was not wearing royal robes. He wore a long silk robe embroidered with hundreds of pale pink magnolia flowers on both sides, and a plain white gossamer-wing-shaped long robe close to his body, tied with a plain white silk ribbon. His hair was also tied with a white ribbon embroidered with a few pale blue flowers.

At this moment, the gentle river breeze lightly lifted the long robe outside, and at a glance, the outfit resembled a perfectly natural painting of orchids blooming in spring!
His face was also lightly powdered, his eyebrows were drawn to his temples, and his eyes were deep and thoughtful as he quietly gazed at the civil and military officials of the two dynasties above the Wei Bridge.

Decades ago, Chen Ping, Zhou Bo, and other generals and ministers eliminated the Lü clan and established a new emperor. Emperor Xiaowen entered Weiyang Palace from here.

Divination was a characteristic of the times; there were diviners in the streets and alleys of ordinary people, and there were officials in the imperial court who performed divination.

Divination tools include tortoise shells and animal bones, as well as yarrow stalks. Whether it is for weddings, funerals, construction, travel, diplomatic oaths, or military campaigns, divination is used for all these purposes.

Before Emperor Xiaowen went to the capital to pay homage to Emperor Gaozong's ancestral temple, he had the Taichang Diviner perform divination. The Diviner burned tortoise shells to seek omens and obtained the hexagram "Da Heng Geng Geng, Yu is the Heavenly King, Xia Qi is the King".

It means: "The divination results are clear and bright, I am the Heavenly King, Emperor Qi of the Xia Dynasty, and I have glorified the work of my father, Yu the Great."

Emperor Xiaowen asked the diviner, "I am already a king, so what kind of kingship is there to speak of?"

The diviner replied, "The so-called 'Heavenly King' is actually the Son of Heaven."

Emperor Xiaowen accepted the diviner's prediction before traveling from Dai to Chang'an.

Years later, before he was summoned to the capital, he ordered the imperial astrologers to perform divination, and they obtained the same hexagram reading.

"King of Heaven."

Liu Pengzu kept repeating these two words, his heart burning with excitement.

The struggle between the emperor and the crown prince is known to all, and it worries countless wise men.

They feared not only that the crown prince would assassinate the emperor and seize the throne, but also that the emperor would make a comeback, and they dreaded the possibility that both the emperor and the crown prince would be severely damaged.

Based on these three concerns, there were countless speculations about the uncertain future of the Han Dynasty, but the vassal kings most wanted to see the third one.

If the emperor were gone, the crown prince would also be gone. The Prince of Qi, who was in Ganquan Palace, was often unwell. The Prince of Yan and the Prince of Guangling disappeared from the world's sight after the night in Chang'an.

Is it possible that the Han Dynasty would select another person from among the feudal lords to serve in the ancestral temple?

Based on the Heavenly King's prophecy, King Zhao Liu Pengzu's anticipation was practically overflowing.

Other feudal lords might have come to the capital as hostages, but he did so to become emperor.

God said so!
At this time, the crowd on the bridge remained very quiet.

Liu Pengzu's ears twitched; the sound of the fleet breaking through the water grew closer and clearer.

Other feudal lords also arrived.

The kings of the Han Dynasty, with their white backgrounds and red characters reading "King of Chu," "King of Chengyang," "King of Zichuan," "King of Jibei," and "King of Jiaoxi," flowed into the Wei River through the vast marshland, and hundreds of large ships blocked the waterway.

Are they here to witness the coronation?
Ships were diverted and docked separately.

The greetings between the feudal lords were both warm and distant.

Today, some of the princes and kings enfeoffed during the Five Dynasties of the Han Dynasty have passed down to the sixth generation. Apart from the ten kingdoms under Emperor Jing, whose brothers and nephews can still exchange a few words, the previous emperors, Emperor Wen, Emperor Gao, and the retired emperor, don't even know where to begin their conversation.

As it turns out, even top players can experience awkwardness when they meet.

However, this did not last long. Zhang Tang, accompanied by officials from both dynasties, stepped forward to pay homage. Liu Piqiang, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, then took over the matter and invited the princes to board their carriages and head to the "Imperial Residence" in Chang'an.

Within Chang'an, there was a specific area named after the fiefdoms of the vassal kings, such as "Chu Residence" for the State of Chu and "Zhao Residence" for the State of Zhao. This area was used to receive vassal kings and their entourages who came to pay homage to the emperor.

These state residences served as places for the vassal kings to rest, conduct business, and receive guests in the capital, while also facilitating the court's management and control over them.

Many careless princes boarded the carriages prepared by the court without thinking, while some more observant princes noticed the unusual nature of the carriages.

One golden carriage pulled by six horses, five secondary carriages pulled by four horses, plus thirty-six auxiliary carriages.

This is clearly the configuration of an imperial entourage.

King Zhao Liu Pengzu noticed this unusual occurrence, but pretended not to know anything and went straight to the golden carriage.

Then, they were stopped.

"Please, Your Highness Prince Zhao, take the rear."

Liu Piqiang, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, pointed to the secondary and subordinate vehicles, indicating that Liu Pengzu could choose one of them to board.

Then he said to King Liu Zhu of Chu, "Your Highness, please."

"How could an uncle harm his nephew?" Liu Zhu said with a wry smile, repeatedly refusing.

He was the sixth King of Chu and the great-grandson of Liu Jiao, the first King of Chu and the younger brother of Emperor Gao.

Liu Piqiang was Liu Jiao's grandson.

Although they share the same ancestor, they are not from the same clan. Liu Zhu is Liu Piqiang's nephew, who is within five degrees of kinship.

This is the main carriage of the emperor's entourage. Only the emperor can ride in it. If someone were to board this carriage and enter Chang'an, wouldn't that be courting death?
"This is a gift from His Majesty."

Liu Piqiang was very satisfied with his nephew's self-awareness and said with a smile, "Life may only come once, have you thought it through?"

"I only have this one head."

Liu Zhu shook his head, got into the nearest car, and stayed inside.

Liu Piqiang looked at his nephew, who was over forty years old and sitting upright in the car, and still cursed, "You little rascal!"

Seeing that the King of Chu had boarded the chariot, the other feudal lords no longer hesitated and boarded one of the thirty-six chariots.

Only the King of Zhao, who had been blocked, stood there with a gloomy expression. Liu Piqiang was stunned for a moment, as if he understood something. "Please, Your Highness, get into the carriage!" Liu Pengzu sat in the wide, tall, and luxurious golden carriage, looking down at the people on the ground. The wheels turned slowly, and the feeling he experienced was indescribable to outsiders.

This is nothing like a privately made golden carriage that can only travel around the palace a couple of times.

The distance was only a hundred miles. The emperor's imperial carriage traveled from morning till night, entering through the Bacheng Gate of Chang'an City. The unsuspecting commoners who were entering or leaving the city saw this and spontaneously bowed to the ground in the direction of the imperial carriage, chanting, "May you live a thousand years and enjoy endless happiness!"

From all directions, the mountains roared and the sea surged.

Liu Pengzu was bewildered. Compared to the emperor's nobility, what were the feudal lords?
King Liu Zhu of Chu, standing behind him, turned pale. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and he was filled with lingering fear.

To enjoy the privileges of an emperor while being a feudal lord—even ten heads wouldn't be enough to bear that.

The emperor's imperial carriage when he landed, the chorus of praise from the people when he entered the city—this journey to the capital was filled with eeriness.

What exactly does that ruler of Weiyang Palace want to do?
"Uncle?"

Liu Zhu lifted the veil and extended an invitation to Liu Piqiang, who was riding alongside in the carriage, "Would you like to join me this evening?"

As a prince of the Han Dynasty, it was common for him to inquire about news from the court and the public in Chang'an. However, Liu Zhu suddenly felt that there might be a significant difference between the true situation in the court and what he had learned.

Ignorance represents fear.

He wanted to understand the true state of the court as soon as possible, and the only way to do this was to have a conversation with a close and important minister, preferably over a meal.

"Once you enter Chang'an, you will have an official title."

Liu Piqiang, with a serious expression, reminded him, "I am not your uncle, but the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, and I am Your Highness the Prince of Chu. Please address me as one of the Nine Ministers."

He pronounced the three characters "宗正卿" (Zongzhengqing) heavily and loudly.

"According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, the chief ministers of the court do not associate with the princes and kings, so there is no need for me to communicate with Your Highness."

Say it.

Liu Piqiang urged his horse forward and led it to the front of the carriage.

Liu Zhu was momentarily at a loss. The Minister of the Imperial Clan of the Han Dynasty was always a member of the imperial family, not someone from another clan, and he managed the relatives of the imperial clan. He had been to Chang'an before, and although the previous Minister of the Imperial Clan, Liu Shou, was also cold and aloof, he was not like this.

The emperor's imperial chariot rumbled as it traveled to the residences of the various kingdoms.

Princess Pingyang had been waiting for her relatives for a long time. This charming and shrewd princess of the Han Dynasty seemed to have good relationships with all the feudal lords.

Zhang Tang, who was left behind, noted down everyone's choices.

……

Weiyang Palace, Xuanshi Hall.

"To Your Excellency."

"When the princes entered the capital, Prince Zhao rode in a golden carriage, while Princes Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, and Changshan rode in secondary carriages. The other princes rode in their subordinate carriages."

Zhang Tang reported this to the emperor.

On the emperor's desk were displayed a register of imperial family members.

Liu Pengzu, the King of Zhao, was born to Lady Jia and was the seventh son of Emperor Jing of Han.

Liu Duan, King of Jiaoxi, was born to Cheng Ji and was the eighth son of Emperor Jing of Han.
Liu Ji, the King of Jiaodong, was born to Lady Wang and was the twelfth son of Emperor Xiaojing.

Liu Yu, the Prince of Changshan, was born to Lady Wang and was the fourteenth son of Emperor Xiaojing.

"They are all my closest uncles," Liu Ju said with a faint smile.

These four princes were the emperor's only four surviving brothers. In terms of bloodline, they were more noble than the other princes, and each of them was bolder than the last. No wonder they could calmly board the emperor's main carriage and secondary carriage.

The register of imperial relatives was closed.

"Have you prepared the evidence of my uncles' crimes, with the Imperial Archives and the Embroidered Robe pointing directly at the Censor?" Liu Ju asked Zhang Tang.

Once you reach Chang'an, don't leave.

"Yes and no," Zhang Tang replied hesitantly.

What does "yes and no" mean?

"Your Majesty, not long ago, the Nanyang authorities submitted 'Nanyang Insights' and 'Evidence of the Princes' Crimes.' In addition, a witness from the Zhao Kingdom entered the pass and is spreading rumors about the princes' crimes. The Lantai and Xiuyi officials are pointing out that the evidence prepared by the Imperial Censor is not as extensive as what Your Majesty has prepared," Zhang Tang said, embarrassed.

Evidence and witnesses were delivered to his doorstep—this was the first time he'd encountered such a thing in all his years of handling cases.

"Oh?"

Liu Ju leaned back slightly, "Where is Father Emperor's insight into Nanyang?"

"Your Majesty, at the Prime Minister's residence, the Prime Minister has already rejected Nanyang for 'falsification' and ordered him to rewrite the document."

"Is the original document still in the Prime Minister's residence?"

"Here I am."

"Give it to the Grand Historian, and instruct him to record it in the national history without a single mistake."

These are all "evidence of crimes," and deserve to be recorded separately in history books.

"promise."

"Since we have readily available evidence and witnesses, there is nothing more to say. Let's choose an auspicious day and invite all the princes to a banquet at Weiyang Palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)