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

Chapter 223 Treason
An empty valley and a vast ocean, flowing endlessly.

In a flash, Gongsun Hong, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing saw in the young monarch a maturity and magnanimity that far surpassed his age and experience.

He seemed born to be a monarch.

Calm in the face of change, composed in the face of danger, insightful and eloquent, serene and profound... For ordinary people, possessing any one of these qualities is extremely rare.

The ruler, however, so admirably possesses all these exceptional qualities, which is truly remarkable.

Being with such a young monarch is like being with the mountains, inspiring courage and boldness.

The emperor and his ministers devoured the white flour pancakes, cold bitter greens, patchouli, and lamb leg in turn.

With something in their mouths, both the emperor and his ministers were invigorated. They continued, “The matter of ‘land surveying’ lies in thoroughly surveying fields and marshes; the matter of ‘opening up and blocking’ lies in enlightening the people and educating them; the matter of ‘one word’ lies in appropriate rewards and punishments; the matter of ‘correcting the law’ lies in treating all laws and regulations equally; the matter of ‘battle tactics’ lies in reconsidering and revising military merits and systems; the matter of ‘establishing the foundation’ lies in the unity of mind and heart among the emperor, his ministers, and the people; the matter of ‘military defense’ lies in measured advances and retreats, offense and defense; the matter of ‘issuing orders’ lies in inspiring courage and glory; the matter of ‘reforming authority’ lies in ensuring that life and death, and the granting and taking of power, are not delegated to others.” The matter of 'attracting the people' lies in the number and abundance of the people; the matter of 'legal covenants' lies in the three-chapter code and clear stipulations; the matter of 'strategic planning' lies in benevolence and morality to gain people's trust; the matter of 'within the territory' lies in registers and statistics to ensure nothing is missed; the matter of 'strengthening the people' lies in increasing their wealth and weakening their military strength; the matter of 'resisting thieves' lies in suppression and pacification; the matter of 'internal and external affairs' lies in inner virtue and outer kingship; the matter of 'ruler and minister' lies in skillful acceptance and mutual understanding; the matter of 'prohibiting envoys' lies in deliberation and prudence; the matter of 'prudent law enforcement' lies in cracking down on treachery and controlling falsehoods; the matter of 'establishing boundaries' lies in avoiding disaster and self-governance, and so on.

“These twenty-four items form the outline. If laws and regulations are formulated for each item and implemented in practice, then we will have a ‘peaceful world’.”

As the sun sets in the west and the gauze lanterns are lit again, lost in the moment, I don't realize that the sun is shining through the window once more.

After guarding the city for two days and two nights, Mo Zimo yawned and kicked his legs in the morning light. As he yawned, he leaned against a pillar and fell asleep, snoring loudly.

Jiang Bo was extremely anxious. The Emperor had given a clear order beforehand, and he had no other choice but to send a eunuch to Chang Le Palace to inform Empress Wei and ask for a way to allow the Emperor to rest.

Just then, the palace doors reopened.

Liu Ju, Gongsun Hong, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing all had red eyes and pale faces, but their expressions were extremely excited and they showed no signs of fatigue.

"My minister retire."

The Three Pillars of State emerged from the palace.

Startled awake, Mo Zimo quickly took the help of the two Grand Marshals and Generals and helped the Prime Minister onto the palanquin.

Huo Qubing, not forgetting the past, laughed and said, "Old Prime Minister, I will send you to the Prime Minister's residence soon. I will not hesitate to beat and scold you, and I hope you will teach me more."

Gongsun Hong glanced at Mo Zimo, feeling somewhat apologetic, and replied in a hoarse voice, "That's fine then."

Mo Zimo was taken aback. He looked at his master, then at Wan Jun. "No?"
He was supposed to be a closed-door disciple, but what happened?

Gongsun Hong covered himself with a felt blanket and immediately fell asleep. The eunuchs in front and behind him lifted the palanquin and carried it forward. Mo Zimo, disregarding everything else, bowed to Wei Qing and Huo Qubing and hurriedly followed.

The uncle and nephew refused to ride horses and walked towards the palace gate. Huo Qubing raised his objection and said in a low voice, "Uncle, it seems that our presence or absence these past two days has made no difference."

The "Twenty-Four Matters of the Han Dynasty" proposed by Chancellor Gongsun were mostly agreed upon by the Emperor and the old Chancellor. Even with occasional inquiries, most of his and his uncle's ideas were not adopted. Although they were not merely "spectators," their influence was indeed minimal. Regarding the potential for court unrest caused by government decrees, the Emperor could have simply issued edicts for the uncle and nephew to execute when the time came.

"Qubing, we are now the Grand Marshal and General of the Han Dynasty, jointly holding the military and political power of the court. We must be informed of all local government affairs and major military and national matters, so as to prevent us from doing anything that violates government orders, laws, or soon-to-be-issued government orders and laws, and to prevent those with ulterior motives from using this as an excuse to make trouble," Wei Qing said softly.

The Han Dynasty is about to undergo an unprecedented upheaval. The powerful and wealthy class, who have lived for hundreds and thousands of years with their "high banks becoming valleys and deep mountains becoming mausoleums," will be completely submerged. This is a great upheaval that will sweep across the world. The "Three Iron Ladders" must remain consistent and not give anyone any opening.

"Furthermore, the old prime minister also had some intention of testing your and my political affairs," Wei Qing added.

Prime Minister Gongsun wanted to see if either of them, uncle and nephew, was capable of leading the government. If so, after their death, the power of the prime minister's office could be smoothly transferred to the staff of any Grand Marshal or Grand General.

In that case, the three uncles and nephews forming the "Three Iron Ladders" would be even more stable than the current "Three Iron Ladders" of four rulers and ministers.

Clearly, neither he nor his nephew had the ability to "govern," and Gongsun Hong's search for a political successor continued.

Huo Qubing sighed, "Politics is not my dream. I only want to lead the army to conquer a great world for the emperor."

The power struggles and hidden intrigues in the imperial court are far too complex to compare to the straightforward and satisfying execution of the enemy chieftain on the battlefield.

Moreover, most civil officials are narrow-minded, their eyes fixed on their own small territory, unlike them, who can expand their territory by winning a single battle.

Wei Qing glanced at his nephew and said helplessly, "We are needed to conquer the world, and civil officials are needed to consolidate it. We can't possibly exterminate the native inhabitants of every territory we conquer. You might become the uncrowned king of the north or even the west of the Han Dynasty. At that time, the court will formulate policies and decrees for you, but you will be the one to implement them. From now on, don't bring the government affairs from the Prime Minister's office to me anymore."

After the conferment of titles, the Prime Minister's office sent ten cartloads of bamboo and silk scrolls to the headquarters of the two Grand Marshals and Generals. These scrolls contained records of the laws, regulations, and national history of the Han Dynasty, which were entrusted to them for review and familiarization with state affairs.

Furthermore, a messenger from the Prime Minister's residence added a note: This is only for three months; the next three months, the three months after that... ten cartloads every three months.

Then, twenty more cartloads of bamboo slips and silk appeared at Wei Qing's headquarters.

Huo Qubing sent his share of the shogunate to him.

"It's impossible for me to be familiar with state affairs. With my uncle and my brother Ju'er around, I only need to fight."

Huo Qubing shook his head and changed the subject, saying, "Uncle, Li Gan already knows that the Li family of Longxi was executed for treason and that he was also implicated. After that, he cut off contact with the court. I don't know if he got lost on the grasslands or if he decided to lead his army to betray the country."

“Continue to make contact. If the messenger finds and tells Li Guang and his son Li Ling that as long as they are willing to return, whether it is Shanggu County or Yuyang County, I, Wei Qing, am willing to personally go to pick them up.”

Wei Qing immediately made a decision and said, "Notify Han Shuo's army to withdraw back to the country, day and night without rest, and send out scouts along the way to prepare for defense!"

(End of this chapter)