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

Chapter 191 King and Minister
The Xuan Shi Hall was filled with an atmosphere of excitement for the entire afternoon.

King Liu Zhu of Chu submitted a memorial requesting the surrender of the three guards of his royal palace, which represented a fundamental change in the governance system of the entire Han Dynasty.

To reiterate, the establishment of the Han Dynasty was an alliance of feudal lords. Even though all the feudal lords of different surnames were destroyed, the alliance of feudal lords was able to survive within the Liu clan before the form of government was determined and before all parties reached a consensus on political views and strategies.

It will continue to be used to check and balance the group of founding heroes.

However, no power is immortal, especially under the deliberate suppression of the supreme ruler, the emperor. It was already remarkable that the group of founding heroes could hold out until the reign of Emperor Gaozu and the subsequent six generations of Han emperors.

Decline was inevitable.

The nascent imperial system gradually became more complete after decades of progress, while the system of governance by feudal lords gradually became more harmful than beneficial.

From Empress Lü onwards, through the five generations of Han emperors, there was a deliberate effort to reduce the power of the vassal kings. To this day, the existence of the vassal kings is only secured by three unshakeable factors.

First, the Prince's Palace; second and third, the guards; and third, the taxes levied on the vassal state.

The combination of these three factors gave the feudal lords of the Han Dynasty the possibility of forming regional military governorships, however slim, the possibility still existed.

Once the world changes, the vassal kings of the Han Dynasty can immediately use the name of the legitimate Han Dynasty, along with their military and financial resources, to conscript the people of their vassal states into their armies.

The great principles of the world are the way of the king and the way of the hegemon.

The system of governing the world consisted of the feudal system and the prefecture-county system.

The Han dynasty combined the ways of the overlord with those of the feudal lords and prefectures.

The former is immutable, but the latter is not. Since the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, there has been a view in the Han court that the feudal lords and the founding heroes should live and die together.

As the founding heroes gradually lost their military power, they naturally retired. The princes, relying on the bloodline of Emperor Gaozu, were unwilling to hand over the three guards of their royal palaces, causing great headaches for the Han emperor and his ministers.

Langwei: Responsible for protecting the safety of the palaces of the feudal lords, and serving directly by the side of the feudal lords.

Langwei's soldiers were mostly from good families, highly skilled in martial arts, and loyal and reliable.

Palace guards were responsible for guarding the gates and perimeter of the palaces of the feudal lords. They were on duty at the palace gates during the day and patrolled the palace at night to ensure the safety of the palace area.

City Guards: Responsible for protecting the city where the feudal lord resides, maintaining the city's security and order, and preventing external threats.

These three guard forces together constituted the security system for the vassal kings of the Han Dynasty, ensuring their safety and prestige.

The retired emperor succeeded Liu Zhu as the King of Chu. He voluntarily handed over the three guards of the Prince's Palace and came to the Prince's residence in Chang'an to study. He completely entrusted his life and fortune to the new emperor, leaving only the taxes of the vassal state. Although on the surface he did not withdraw his country to join the Han, in essence the Chu state no longer existed.

Liu Zhu's expression was solemn, not feigned.

Since arriving in Chang'an, he has been doing one thing: seeking an audience with Liu Piqiang, the clansman of the Minister of the Imperial Clan.

However, he had not seen him for several months until just before the court meeting, when he suddenly received a handwritten letter from his uncle. The contents were very simple and easy to remember, and he burned it after reading it.

"May I ask what Your Highness's vision is for Chang'an and the three guards of the Prince's Palace?"

At first glance, Liu Zhu thought his uncle wanted him to take advantage of the situation, use the three guards of the royal palace to attack Chang'an, and sit on the throne. He was almost scared to death.

On his way to the court meeting, he felt increasingly uneasy. After entering the Xuan Shi Hall, he realized he had misunderstood. After witnessing the fates of the King of Zhao, the King of Jiaoxi, the King of Jiaodong, and the King of Changshan, and learning of the existence of the "Chang'an Prince's Residence," he instantly understood.

The vision for Chang'an was not to conquer it, but to occupy it. The vision for the three guards of the Prince's Palace was not to control them, but to hand them over.

The Chu royal family has never had any great ambitions. While living in their vassal state, they have entrusted military and political affairs almost entirely to the prime minister, which is not much different from living in the royal residence in Chang'an.

Moreover, after entering the capital, Liu Zhu carefully reviewed the major events of the reign of the Supreme Ruler and noticed a "fact": when faced with a major event, the conditions given by the Supreme Ruler for the first time were always the best, and if it was impossible to resist, accepting them was the best arrangement.

Therefore, King Liu Zhu of Chu decisively "surrendered".

Liu Ji, the Prince of Hejian, who had a family motto of "taking the example of the King of Chu" without hesitation, knelt down and said, "Your subject is willing to hand over the three guards of the Prince's Palace and enter the Prince's residence in Chang'an to cultivate his character, study and understand principles."

Among the twelve kings, Liu Zhu and Liu Ji had committed the fewest and lightest crimes, yet they abandoned their royal residences and handed over their guards before the emperor could even question them, and instead stayed in Chang'an for a long time, which truly stunned the other ten kings.

As descendants of Emperor Gao, why are you feudal lords so different from us?

Some dared to plot rebellion based on the Heavenly King's divination, some were swayed by incitement to welcome back the emperor, and others readily knelt and surrendered at the slightest disagreement.

Why is it that they know nothing, do nothing, and just watch the show, yet their safety and dignity as feudal lords are lost?

That makes them look so silly.

The ten kings, including Liu Pengli, the King of Chengyang, Liu Jian, the King of Zichuan, and Liu Hu, the King of Jibei, looked at each other, unsure whether to follow the King of Chu and the King of Hejian.

Looking at the vassal kings who had not yet expressed their opinions, Liu Ju stopped waiting and said, "Do you know what it means to be loyal and devoted to the country? This is what it means to be loyal and devoted to the country."

Turning to Liu Zhu and Liu Ji, I said, “Very well, in light of your petition just now, I will not pursue the matter of the treacherous affairs of Chu and Hejian. The three guards of the two royal palaces will be taken over by the Southern Army, and the royal palaces will be taken back by the court. After entering the royal residence in Chang’an, I hope you will change your old habits and abandon evil for good.”

"We will follow Your Majesty's teachings!" Liu Zhu and Liu Ji bowed again.

“However, my cousin and nephew are well-read and always cautious. What they lack is not literary sentiment or dramatic reasoning, but worldly wisdom. Are they willing to serve as officials in the court?” Liu Ju smiled.

Liu Zhu was of the same generation as him, while Liu Ji was his junior. Young and sensible, such talented members of the imperial clan were worth employing.

Liu Zhu immediately realized that the first "benefit" of accepting the ruler's conditions had arrived.

"I am willing to dedicate myself to the cause of the sovereign and the nation!"

The affairs of the ruler and the state?

The faces and corners of the mouths of the princes, dukes, marquises, and members of the imperial family twitched involuntarily. Had they forgotten His Majesty?

They were just short of uttering the treacherous words, "We will follow the emperor's lead without question."

Liu Ji followed again, respectfully saying, "I am willing to be ground to dust to serve the affairs of Your Majesty and the nation!"

"I am young and the Prime Minister is old. At this time, when the emperor is young and the prime minister is old, there are bound to be oversights or shortcomings in the national affairs and military matters. My cousins ​​and nephews may come to the prime minister's residence and assist him in managing the government affairs."

The nephews discussed important military and national affairs, including major case trials, the succession and promotion of noble titles, and military matters.

"All matters of state and military affairs shall still be decided primarily by the Chancellor's opinion. If any cousin or nephew deems them inappropriate, they shall submit them to the Weiyang Palace for my final decision."

(End of this chapter)