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

Chapter 168 Trapped Dragon
In April, the trees were in full bloom, but the Han emperor was trapped in Nanyang.

Several months passed, and Liu Che had traveled to almost every county, as well as many newly reclaimed farmlands and pastures, gaining a deep understanding of the hardships of the people.

If he had to describe it, he suddenly felt like he was an isolated island, and the millions of people in Nanyang were like millions of isolated islands, ready to be swept away and swallowed up by a wave at any moment.

It could be a natural disaster, a man-made calamity, an imperial edict, or a sign from the government... In short, there are countless possibilities that could destroy a person, a family, a village, a pavilion, a county, a prefecture, or a country.

Everyone is the same except for their ability to cope with risks.

Because of his mistakes during his rule, countless people were displaced, rebellions increased, land shrank, and the population decreased.

He wasn't unaware.

No one is more cunning than a martial arts master, and no one is more intelligent than an emperor.

With the Han and Xiongnu constantly at war and natural and man-made disasters occurring frequently, as an emperor, as long as he was not blind, deaf, or stupid, he could not possibly be unaware of the changes among the people.

However, he believed that neither the treacherous officials were as good as they said, nor the loyal officials were as bad as they said. Within this scope, for the sake of his own military achievements and virtues, and for the sake of his extravagant desires, he would unconsciously think in a positive direction.

However, honest advice is hard to swallow, and he would not keep loyal and upright ministers by his side, like Ji An. He would only meet with them occasionally, listen to a few sarcastic remarks, and accept a few words of advice, just to show that he was a wise ruler.

Those who could be kept by one's side were only ministers who "spoke nicely."

If Emperor Xiaowen's rule is compared to 100%, and Emperor Xiaojing's rule to 80%, he believed that his rule was 60%, or even 70%.

But the reality told him it was 30%, or even less.

After reigning as Emperor of the Han Dynasty for twenty years, Liu Che finally felt weary, and his mind became much more relaxed.

Therefore, he issued two edicts: first, the taxes of the common people in Nanyang would be reduced by 30%; second, the wealth collected by the Nanyang treasury would be used for military and official salaries, road and canal construction, and other official and civilian purposes for ten years.

As a result, the financial pressure on Nanyang Prefecture was greatly reduced, and officials and common people throughout the prefecture praised and cheered.

In Nanyang County, the emperor, his ministers, and the people once again became one.

Liu Che was no longer in a hurry to return to Chang'an and take control of the imperial power. Of course, he knew that there was no use in being in a hurry, so he simply let go completely.

Some court games and pastimes were introduced to the people of Nanyang, such as Cuju, a ball made of leather with woolen filling. It was small, but it was fun to kick and bounce. Emperor Wu of Han even personally taught the people how to make their movements flexible and free.

This was originally a game that ordinary people could play casually, in the streets and alleys, in courtyards and forests. But playing Cuju required running, which required physical fitness and caused a lot of sweating and fatigue, so it was destined not to be liked by most people in Nanyang County.

The more popular form of entertainment was still haiku (a type of Japanese opera).

Paiyouxi, or comic plays, features actors dressed in brocade costumes adorned with gold inlay, exposing their chests and bellies while playing musical instruments and singing, creating a very lively spectacle.

Even more exciting is the acrobatic performance.

Five tables were stacked on top of each other. The performer, with his strong arms, supported his whole body by spinning upside down in the air. Even the slightest movement would cause the stacked tables to shake, making the people of Nanyang County anxious to watch, yet unable to resist watching.

But when it comes to hand skills, "ball juggling" is unparalleled. It mainly uses hand skills and other corresponding parts of the body to juggle balls. Ordinary people can juggle three or four balls without much difficulty. If they want to juggle more than five balls, they have to hone their skills for several years. However, court jugglers can juggle nine balls. They can even juggle three swords at the same time while juggling balls. The rise and fall of the swords is so intricate that it dazzles the people of Nanyang County.

In addition, the people of Nanyang County also loved the dance of spinning plates with a stick in hand. The plates could be spun with one hand or two hands, and the graceful dance moves made it both beautiful and exquisite.

In addition, acrobatics such as spinning balls, juggling bottles, navigating narrow passages, illusions, climbing bridges, walking on ropes, and horsemanship also let the people of Nanyang know how many joys there are in life.

The genuine smiles and joy of the people pleased Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che). In his great delight, the grand "Heavenly Palace Drama" was presented to ordinary people for the first time.

As the music of the Nine Guests played, the Relic Beast came from the west, played in the front courtyard for a while, and then entered the water in the front hall, transforming into a flounder. It sprayed water and created mist, then leaped into an eight-zhang-long yellow dragon, emerged from the water, and returned to the front hall to roam.

The winding and tortuous shape of the dragon symbolizes the entire process of a fish transforming into a dragon, set against a backdrop of turbulent water, creating a spectacular scene.

Every step of the process places stringent demands on every performer; if any step goes wrong, the entire performance will fall apart.

This performance art is called "Fish and Dragon Spreading".

Also known as "The Emperor's Play".

As the name suggests, only the emperor was qualified to see it. When Dong Zhongshu and his disciple Wuqiu Shouwang arrived and saw countless villagers from Nanyang cheering and jumping for joy, they frowned.

There is a proper order of rank and status; how could the emperor's performance be shown to common villagers?

Moreover, what if the simple men and women are shown the extravagant and joyful side of the palace, which breeds inappropriate thoughts and makes them no longer content to farm, thus shaking the stability of the country?
Your Majesty, how could you be so careless?
We walked up to the pottery building.

"His Majesty?"

Wuqiu Shouwang called out softly.

Liu Che watched with great interest. The limited knowledge of the people of Nanyang County filled him with great satisfaction. He hadn't been this happy in a long time.

During this southern tour, he did not have many wives or concubines with him. After Lady Li became pregnant, he lost interest in other women. In Nanyang, two bandit leaders, Bai Zheng and Mei Mian, presented him with two women who were beautiful and had a bit of a "wildness," which aroused his interest. On the hillside and in the fields, the two women became pregnant one after another.

After being pent up for a long time, he finally found something to satisfy his psychological needs: "showing off"!
Just like in Weiyang Palace, if it were merely frivolous play with his wives and concubines, he would soon grow tired of it. But having court officials watching from outside the palace, and then having them praise and comment on his prowess in bed afterward, was no less effective than taking elixirs. He now understood that no matter how luxurious the imperial palace in Chang'an was, or how many wonderful things it contained, if no one was watching, his sense of satisfaction would be greatly diminished.

He liked it when a rustic old man would praise everything to the extreme.

"The doctor is here?"

Liu Che turned around and saw Dong Zhongshu, and casually asked, "I heard you fainted. Are you feeling better?"

Although the words were meant to be caring, they lacked sincerity. Dong Zhongshu seemed oblivious, bowing slightly as he said, "Thanks to His Majesty's protection, I am much better."

"You are advanced in years and have traveled extensively with me, Doctor, you have worked hard."

"Your Majesty, I would gladly give my life for you."

"No need to be so reserved. Outside the palace gates, you can do as you please. Come, join me in celebrating with the people and watch this grand spectacle of fish leaping and dragons soaring," Liu Che invited.

Dong Zhongshu, with impeccable manners and a calm tone, said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for not being able to see this with you."

"Oh?"

Liu Che's joy subsided slightly. "Then what is it?"

"This is a grand performance by the emperor, and only the emperor is allowed to watch it. If a subject were to watch it, it would be an act of usurpation."

"I forgive you for not being guilty."

"Your Majesty, etiquette must not be abandoned. The respected should have the proper etiquette. If the superiors and inferiors encroach upon each other, one day, the rulers of our Great Han will no longer be rulers, the ministers will no longer be ministers, the people will no longer be people, the fathers will no longer be fathers, and the sons will no longer be sons. Etiquette and music will collapse, and the state will be in turmoil. Then we will have failed the foundation of our dynasty for a hundred years."

Dong Zhongshu's voice was powerful and resonant, startling the accompanying officials and Nanyang officials, who turned their heads and lowered their eyes.

With all this talk about rites and music, the state, and the ancestral legacy, it almost made me want to call them "traitors and rebels."

"Doctor, it's not that serious, is it? It's just a joke."

"Your Majesty, the hierarchy must not be disregarded."

"The fish is about to leap into the dragon's court; I won't watch it myself. How about letting the people watch it?"

"Your Majesty, commoners should not be looked at."

Dong Zhongshu insisted.

The smile on the emperor's face vanished completely. He turned and walked down the pottery tower. The emperor was nowhere to be seen, and the dragon transformation drama was abruptly interrupted. The people of Nanyang County, who had no idea what had happened, immediately started to make a ruckus.

Seeing this, Dongfang Shuo struck the gong, "Walk around, take a look, stand still, I have an ancestral treasure to sell..."

Dongfang Shuo put on airs and acted strangely, instantly attracting the attention of the people.

Liu Che returned to his camp, his face gloomy, his mood easily discernible.

None of the officials dared to step forward. They stood outside the tent, looking at Dong Zhongshu with a bitter taste in their mouths. How could the Confucianists find fault with everything they did?

Dong Zhongshu remained unmoved.

At this moment, only Wuqiu Shouwang entered the tent. "Your Majesty, news has come from the court that Zhang Cigong and Lu Bode have won a great victory in their southern campaign. The Nanyue and Southwestern Yi have all been brought under the control of our Great Han Dynasty. The Emperor has established nine commanderies in Nanyue and five commanderies in Southwestern Yi."

Liu Che was in a daze. This seemed to be the same as his plans for Nanyue and the southwestern Yi. Could it be?
Sensing that His Majesty's anger had dissipated and been replaced by tension, Prince Wuqiushou breathed a sigh of relief. "It is divided into fourteen prefectures: Nanhai Prefecture, Cangwu Prefecture, Yulin Prefecture... Jiaoshan Prefecture."

The hanging heart finally died.

The Crown Prince actually copied his idea?

Liu Che's eyes reddened. He had prepared for the Nanyue Kingdom for more than a decade, training sailors, building warships, opening up the southwestern barbarian route, and so on. He had mobilized countless manpower and financial resources and made countless efforts. The fruits of his labor were about to be reaped, but the crown prince drove him away and ate the fruits of his labor.

They stole his martial arts and virtues, and copied his civil administration ideas. Crown Prince, you really don't leave him any way out.

"My martial arts!"

Liu Che's roar resounded through the sky, "For the sake of the southwestern barbarian roads, the people of Ba and Shu all regarded me as an enemy, and countless laborers cursed me as a tyrant. It was only through this that I achieved this 'extraordinary feat,' my martial prowess! That is my martial prowess!"

Starting from the sixth year of the Jianyuan era, he ordered Tang Meng to open up the southwestern barbarian route, conscripting hundreds of thousands of people from Bashu for labor, causing countless deaths and escapes. Tang Meng and other Han generals suppressed the rebellion countless times with military law. The process was cruel and repetitive, but it all contributed to the crown prince's military prowess and virtue.

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of dragon blood.

(End of this chapter)