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

Chapter 150 Guilt
The morning light is slightly dew.

Jitian, outside Wancheng County, Nanyang Prefecture.

Officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices continued burning incense to worship the God of Agriculture, and distributed the sacrificial offerings of fruits and melons to farmers in other fields. The musicians also took a break.

The God of Agriculture surely understands Your Majesty's desire for favorable weather and abundant harvests; now, it depends on Your Majesty's sincerity.

The so-called "one mu and three fen of land" refers to the smallest arable land of our ancestors, and it was also the number of mu of land that the emperor personally cultivated during the grand ceremony of starting the plowing of the fields.

However, in the traditional practice of the emperor personally cultivating the land, the Imperial Household Department had to make some preparations in advance. The emperor's small plot of land had to be completely sifted through the soil so that the emperor would not be too tired.

However, the emperor decreed that this action, which was "deceptive and misleading to Heaven, shall cease this year." Thus, the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who came to Nanyang County by imperial decree, selected a "raw site" with the assistance of Mi Pu, the governor of Nanyang County.

Originally, the emperor would hold the whip in his left hand and the plow in his right, with two "guides" leading the ox in front and two old farmers assisting in holding the plow behind. After three pushes and three returns, or "three round trips," the emperor's personal plowing ceremony would be completed.

Afterwards, the emperor ascended the "Viewing the Ploughing Platform" and watched the ministers plow the fields, performing the ritual of pushing and returning the plowing five times and then nine times, which marked the completion of the ploughing ceremony.

"Raw land" involves an additional process compared to "cultivated land": land reclamation. The emperor had to clear away weeds, tree roots, and pebbles from the land before proceeding with the original process.

An hour had passed, and Liu Che, along with Dong Zhongshu, Wuqiu Shouwang, Li Yannian, Wang Wenshu, and other ministers, numbering in the dozens, had not even managed to cultivate half of the land.

But he was so tired that he couldn't straighten his back.

The emperor and his ministers remained silent.

Meanwhile, under the supervision of the county officials, the fields were already teeming with oxen, and spring songs echoed back and forth, creating a lively and bustling scene.

The artisans and merchants from the city, disregarding the muddy ground left by the spring rain, drove their oxcarts to the village entrance, selling farm tools, salt, cloth, and various other goods. Villagers passing by would either buy or exchange their wares, often completing in an hour what used to be a month's worth of business.

When the imperial decree is issued, prices will be stabilized, including prices of grain, salt, ironware, etc., which will be posted in the form of price lists in various prefectures, counties, townships, villages, and hamlets.

In other words, each prefecture has its own price, each county has its own price, each township has its own price, each pavilion has its own price, and each village has its own price. These prices are posted directly, and merchants and craftsmen can adjust the prices according to the quality and labor involved, provided that the buyer agrees.

Honest merchants and craftsmen, by relying on small profits and quick turnover, have earned as much money as before, and have even become famous, with more and more business and more money.

It's just that it's even harder now.

"Your Majesty, please have some honey water."

Wuqiu Shouwang brought over water infused with honey and some salt. The faint, sweet aroma wafted up. Liu Che took a few breaths, took the earthenware bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.

The weariness on the emperor's face immediately dissipated considerably.

Wuqiu Shouwang then brought a bowl of salted water and offered it to Dong Zhongshu, saying with concern, "Teacher, please have some water too."

The Confucian scholars of this dynasty are not weak.

He was proficient in the six arts of a gentleman as described by the sage. His physique was not as good as that of a warrior, but it was still above that of an ordinary person. However, he became complacent.

Of the four arts of rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics, Confucian scholars preferred those that required no physical movement or swaying of the arms. Archery was not as effortless as holding a pen, and charioteering was not as comfortable as sitting in a carriage.

Of course, as a great Confucian scholar of his time, Dong Zhongshu was superior in all six arts and was able to withstand three years of assassination attempts by Liu Duan, the King of Jiaoxi. Could his physique be that of an ordinary person?
However, youth fades quickly, and beauty withers easily. No matter how capable a person is, they cannot escape the erosion of time. For the ruler to make a sixty-year-old man cultivate the land is a great loss of virtue.

Dong Zhongshu slammed the iron hoe into the ground, then subconsciously clapped his hands. The blisters on his palms stung painfully, causing him to frown. He took the earthenware bowl with a slight tremor and sighed, "I've let my guard down."

After escaping from Jiaoxi and returning to Chang'an, he never drew his sword again. The calluses on his hands disappeared without him noticing, but when he worked, blood blisters appeared again.

After a few sips of salt water, his spirits lifted somewhat. Following His Majesty's gaze, he saw the bustling scene of trade at the village entrance.

Merchants and artisans are happy, farmers are happy, everyone is joyful. Perhaps this is the true picture of a prosperous era?

"Dong Zhongshu".

"The minister is here."

"Did I do a very bad job during my twenty years on the throne?"

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, why would you have such sentiments?"

"Since the founding of our Great Han Dynasty, the lowest salt price was at the end of Emperor Xiaowen's reign, when it was still 400 coins per shi. When I was in power, the salt price was as high as several thousand coins per shi. But when the Crown Prince was in power, why was it as low as 100 coins per shi? The prices of grain, iron, and all the necessities of the people have been greatly reduced, and many other prices have also decreased to varying degrees."

Looking at the people who were happily carrying salt jars, grain sacks, and iron hoes, Liu Che asked in confusion, "I don't understand!"

When it comes to "making money," no emperor in the history of the Han Dynasty could compare to him. He had a way of squeezing oil from anyone who could be squeezed out, whether they were nobles, commoners, or even slaves.

However, the legacy of Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xiaojing continues to be rapidly depleted, the national treasury deficit continues to increase, and the people's lives remain miserable.

What happens after the crown prince becomes the ruler?
The emperors granted amnesty, reduced taxes, built canals and dikes, and did whatever policies were "expensive." As a result, the legacy of Emperors Xiaowen and Xiaojing was no longer depleted, the national treasury turned from deficit to surplus, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.

He was starting a major war, and so was the Crown Prince, but they went even further, launching campaigns against the Southern Yue in the south and the Xiongnu in the north, attacking on two fronts. He had never done anything so big.

He was doing large-scale construction projects, and so was the Crown Prince, but they were even more outrageous. The canal at Shangyan Mountain was to be dug up, causing the river to overflow and requiring a change of course. It was as if mountains were being cut down, water was being diverted, and even the landscape was being altered. He had never imagined things would go this far.

Why did the Han Dynasty seem to be on the verge of collapse under his rule, but flourish under the Crown Prince?
"Why should I?" Dong Zhongshu stared at the increasingly distorted imperial face, his lips twitching slightly. "Your Majesty has absolutely no idea what's going on."

The Emperor's initiation of war was for "rewards." The devastated right wing of the Xiongnu could not possibly withstand the Marquis of Champion's 30,000 light cavalry. The attack would be to seize cattle, sheep, and horses, just like the Xiongnu's raids on the border regions of the Han Dynasty. The rewards were destined to outweigh the costs.

The Nanyue Kingdom was even worse off. It was a declining kingdom, trembling with fear under the threat of the Han Dynasty. With the old king dead and the crown prince Zhao Yingqi being held hostage in Chang'an, how could the crown prince, with his methods of using both honey and sticks, not knock Zhao Yingqi unconscious?
With Zhang Cigong leading troops to "protect" him, and Lu Bode's army stationed in Guilin County, and with powerful ministers causing chaos in the country, Zhao Yingqi had no choice but to surrender and submit to the Han Dynasty if he did not want to die or have his ancestors' bones crushed to ashes after his death.

Lu Bode's army might not even need to fight to take over the Southern Yue Kingdom and overthrow that mountain range.

As for large-scale construction projects, the Crown Prince is talking about "infrastructure building," but what is His Majesty doing?

Extravagance and debauchery!

The purpose of opening up Shangyan Mountain was to divert the Luo River to irrigate saline-alkali fields, and to change the course of the main river in order to reduce the frequency of floods in Guandong. All the expenditures were used for the benefit of the people. There was absolutely no way that millions of dollars would be spent to transport a single beam from the southwestern barbarians just to build a main hall.

One is for the people, the other is for personal gain.

For the people, this means that the Guanzhong Plain will have many more acres of fertile land, the flooding of the Guandong River will be reduced, the potential losses to the people will be reduced, the number of displaced people will decrease, and countless other blessings will follow.

For those driven by desire, a vast palace exists solely to allow a few... well, women to frolic and play freely within its walls.

Can this be the same?

"This is because Your Majesty has stolen the martial prowess and virtues of His Majesty!"

Dong Zhongshu controlled his expression and slowly said, "The right wing of the Xiongnu was crippled during His Majesty's reign, and the Nanyue Kingdom was also established during His Majesty's reign. Without His Majesty, the Marquis of Champion's expedition would have been like lambs to the slaughter. Without His Majesty, Zhang Cigong and Lu Bode's entry into the Ten Thousand Mountains would have been overestimating their abilities."

"His Majesty's military prowess and virtuous conduct laid the foundation, and His Majesty naturally received these."

Is the Crown Prince winning by doing nothing?
Liu Che's expression subtly changed; it turned out that his martial prowess and virtue had been stolen by the Crown Prince!
"The people's wealth is due to the emperor's intention to win their hearts, sacrifice the profits of merchants, and deliberately please the people. One day, the great Han trade routes will be destroyed, and the empire will no longer be able to exchange goods between the east, west, north, and south. This is like cutting off the fuel supply at the root and trying to stop boiling water with boiling water, and it cannot last long. I hope Your Majesty will not be deceived by the current situation."

Dong Zhongshu said in a calm tone, "History will eventually give everyone the fairest evaluation: the Crown Prince is the son of a rebel."

The emperor's political maneuvering and strategies instilled genuine fear in him. The fate of the Han Dynasty was already beyond saving, and Dong Zhongshu could only hope that Heaven would give him, or the Confucian school, another chance.

He may not outlive the ruler, but can Confucianism, which emerged from the struggles of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, outlive the ruler?

The ruler is a person who upholds the law and reason, and obeys the law. As long as one does not break the law, the ruler will not touch Confucianism. When a hurricane passes over a hill, only the grass remains.

The Confucian school was able to defeat Legalism and Taoism precisely because of its skill in endurance.

The ruler has previously committed the rebellion of "expelling the emperor's father" and now faces the danger of "eliminating the imperial clan." Once the ruler loses power, Confucianism will make him realize how important it is to be patient, open-minded, and resilient.

"Yes, the Crown Prince is a rebellious son."

Liu Che felt a sudden sense of relief. Looking at the iron hoe in his hand, he thought of the "Nanyang experience" rejected by the Prime Minister's office. The power he had suppressed had actually been returned by the Crown Prince. "Dong Zhongshu".

"The minister is here."

"To rewrite the Nanyang experience truthfully is tantamount to self-reproach, isn't it? As long as I can return to court, I will accept it." Liu Che looked at Dong Zhongshu, thinking of the Confucian scholars' ability and guarantees, and that there would eventually be a day to wash away the humiliation.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

at this time.

A deep, resonant singing voice rang out.

The disciples of the Mohist school who help farmers are singing.

"To establish virtue and words, one must first establish oneself."

One must maintain a righteous mind when living in turbulent times.
The advantages and disadvantages of war
"Don't let yourself be swept away by the tide."

A chorus of voices then rose up, "Human desires are rampant, but do not succumb, do not succumb..."

The peasant disciples nearby joined in the singing, their voices mournful and stirring: "The people suffer—"

Why rush into worries in life?

The hungry cannot eat.

Those who are cold should not wear clothes.
Those who cause chaos cannot be governed.

Laborers have no rest
The soldier has no home.
Wife and children lost their warm bed

Widows and widowers have no one to rely on.
People weeping by the roadside

I am filled with sorrow for the suffering of my people.
"The righteous man dances with shield and axe"

"Thinking of the suffering of my people, righteous men wield their weapons..."

Dong Zhongshu's expression changed drastically. This was the Mohist "Song of Sorrow and Troubles," so why were the peasants joining in singing it?
When did the two companies get so close? And what are they planning?
(End of this chapter)