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

Chapter 164 Tigers and Wolves
As dusk settles and the bright moon hangs high in the sky.

Imperial Censor Zhang Tang came to pay his respects.

Xuanshi Palace.

Seeing the fine beads of sweat on Zhang Tang's face, Liu Ju looked at Jiang Bo, who was attending him, and said, "Give him a bowl of my porridge."

"Yes."

Jiang Bo walked to a red-hot charcoal stove that emitted no smoke. The pot of porridge sat on the stove. He stirred it with a spoon, then scooped up a spoonful and walked over to Zhang Tang.

"Grand Censor, this is a porridge made by Her Majesty the Empress for the Emperor, using 'broth and wine' and simmering it over water and fire. It is said to be 'smooth and nourishing.' Please have some."

Zhang Tang hurriedly stood up from the embroidered stool, unsure whether to accept the gift or not.

Empress Wei was created by the emperor; how could a subject possibly enjoy such a meal?

Seeing that Zhang Tang knew the importance of the porridge, Jiang Bo said again, "His Majesty has bestowed a favor upon you, so please sit down and eat."

Zhang Tang took the bowl from Jiang Bo's hand, but did not sit down. He held it with both hands and drank the bowl of porridge in one gulp.

"It's hot. Imperial Censor, drink slowly," Jiang Bo urged.

The stove has been extinguished for some time, but in this early summer, the heat is slow to dissipate, so drinking too much isn't very refreshing.

Zhang Tang had finished his drink, and Jiang Bo picked up the bowl, intending to serve the Imperial Censor some more.

"Thank you, Imperial Attendant. That's enough for me."

Zhang Tang reached out and covered the bowl, then turned to look at the throne. "Your Majesty, I have a few words I wish to present to you privately."

The matter involved several royal relatives who were disloyal, rebelling, with the Xiongnu, and conspiracies. It could not be known to outsiders, and even the emperor's eunuchs were unaware of it before it came to light.

Jiang Bo silently withdrew.

The palace door is closed.

Zhang Tang detailed to Liu Ju the secret plots between King Liu Pengzu of Zhao, King Liu Duan of Jiaoxi, King Liu Ji of Jiaodong, and King Liu Shun of Changshan, as well as the secret plot between King Liu Pengzu of Zhao and Zhong Xingfa, the Xiongnu envoy.

“My royal uncle does possess some true knowledge. Where does the saying ‘When faced with two evils, choose the lesser’ come from?”

Upon hearing the question from the ruler, Zhang Tang immediately sat up straight. He was also a learned man, and replied, "Your Majesty, it may be from the 'Mozi: Daqu'."

What do you mean?

"To cut off a finger to preserve the wrist is to gain the greater benefit from the greater harm and the lesser harm from the lesser harm."

"So, in the hearts of my imperial uncles, I am a 'severed finger,' and my father is a 'preservable wrist,'" Liu Ju said with a faint smile.

Although the emperors of the Han Dynasty were often criticized for being harsh and ungrateful, he increasingly felt that becoming the emperor of the Han Dynasty did not necessarily mean being outstanding, but rather that he was not as foolish as his brothers.

Emperor Xiaowen was a master of feigning weakness to deceive others.

Emperor Xiaojing was the same; he became the Great Chess Saint of the Han Dynasty at the young age of ten.

Father?
Luck is also a part of ability.

Moreover, compared to Emperor Xiaojing's sons other than the three sons of Consort Li, the great physician of the Han Dynasty, she was even slightly better in terms of virtue.

This world is truly a huge makeshift operation.

Zhang Tang remained silent.

No matter what, a vassal king is still a vassal king of the Han Dynasty. Before he is convicted and falls into his hands, a subject cannot criticize or comment on the Liu clan.

"Inform the Prime Minister's Office to secretly order the prime ministers of Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, and Changshan to arrest those who attempt to cause trouble, and send the Imperial Censor directly to interrogate and verify the evidence."

The laws of the Han Dynasty were largely inherited from those of the Qin Dynasty. Gongsun Yang, who reformed the laws to strengthen the Qin Dynasty, died under the very laws he himself created. After losing the military forces of the vassal states, the situation of the vassal kings of the Han Dynasty was actually not much different from that of Gongsun Yang when he was falsely accused of treason, and perhaps even worse.

There's no need to mobilize troops to deal with potential unrest in the vassal states; the prime ministers and lieutenants in those states can easily handle it.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Zhang Tang replied respectfully.

"Are the other feudal lords plotting in secret?"

"Your Majesty, apart from King Liu Zhu of Chu, Princess Pingyang secretly met with the other vassal kings. Her views were the same as when she met with King Zhao, encouraging them to unite against the common enemy..."

"Is this 'enemy' me?"

"…Yes."

Zhang Tang nodded and continued, "Together we will resist the Emperor's questioning at any moment, and even..."

"What is it?"

“Princess Pingyang incited the Crown Prince to join forces with the vassal kings of the Southern Yue and Southwestern Yi regions to resist the Emperor’s ‘decree of enfeoffment’ and refuse to take up their posts,” Zhang Tang replied, his throat bobbing.

Princess Pingyang defied the emperor's will and disobeyed imperial orders; she used every means possible to make things difficult for the emperor through the feudal lords.

The princesses of the Han Dynasty, regardless of age, were all shrewd and adept at political maneuvering.

"My dear aunt."

Liu Ju acknowledged Princess Pingyang's methods; though they were underhanded, they were certainly insidious and despicable. "How's the investigation of Princess Pingyang's residence going?"

"Your Majesty, with the arrival of the Eldest Princess at Chang Le Palace, Princess Pingyang's residence has been closed all day. No one except Princess Pingyang is allowed to leave the residence, and even Marquis Pingyang is confined to his residence. So there has been little progress," Zhang Tang said helplessly.

Princess Wei Chang's entry into Chang Le Palace with her son startled Princess Pingyang, who issued the strictest order to seal the palace. The embroidered-robed officials pointed directly at the imperial censors who attempted to infiltrate and investigate, but they were not even allowed to enter the gate.

Zhang Tang personally reviewed the past case files of Princess Pingyang's residence and gained a deeper understanding of how difficult Princess Pingyang was to deal with. Most of the crimes had been covered up by time, power, and wealth, and a small number of crimes had even been pardoned and forgiven by His Majesty in the past.

Pingyang is guilty, but the charges cannot be enforced.

Liu Ju didn't dwell on past habits; he focused only on the present: "What have I gained?"

“Princess Pingyang has several handsome young men outside her residence, and they often come and go with her…” Zhang Tang said, unable to speak.

Since the death of Cao Shou, who took office as Marquis of Pingyang in the fourth year of Yuanguang, ten years have passed. Princess Pingyang has been widowed for ten years. These ten years were the ten years from when Princess Pingyang was thirty to forty years old, a time of great vitality. Given Princess Pingyang's status, it would not be difficult for her to find a way to make up for her physical and mental health.

Princess Pingyang had a peculiar habit: she only liked handsome young men, specifically thirteen-year-old boys. No boy could stay thirteen forever, but there would always be boys who were thirteen.

Over the course of those ten years, dozens of handsome young men frequented Princess Pingyang's residence, serving as her temporary attendants.

Perhaps out of consideration for past relationships, or perhaps because she did not feel guilty, Princess Pingyang did not allow the young male eunuchs from the past to "disappear."

According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, it was a crime to serve a princess privately, but the crime was committed by the servant, not the princess.

Liu Ju revealed a look of disgust. Throughout history, nothing could stop the "filth" of this group of people.

"Arrest those 'eunuchs' and interrogate them to see if they know anything."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhang Tang accepted the order. Before the imperial edict was issued, he had already ordered the Imperial Censor to take action. Those handsome young men had served as attendants to Princess Taiping for a year, so it was impossible for them to be completely ignorant of Princess Pingyang's residence. As long as they found a breakthrough, they could bury Princess Pingyang's residence.

The methods employed in the imperial prison will remind the handsome young men of every moment they spent in Princess Pingyang's residence.

This is the price of serving the wrong people.

(End of this chapter)