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

Chapter 237 Anti-Rightist Campaign
Is His Majesty about to rebel?
Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and Zhang Tang rarely showed their joy, but once this thought popped into their minds, all three of them couldn't hold back.

It wasn't mockery, but a smile that was hard to describe: What can save you, my Emperor?

Is he in such a hurry to be promoted to the position of retired emperor?

Gongsun Hong's cloudy eyes shone brightly, as if he could see through everything in the world.

"His Majesty invited the hermit Linghui to come out of the mountains with the intention of restoring his holy name, or even finding the righteousness of restoration, but the hermit Linghui failed to meet His Majesty's expectations."

Gongsun Hong sighed and shook his head, saying, "Of the ten things needed for restoration—food, wealth, weapons, armor, chariots, horses, iron, copper, money, and righteousness—His Majesty started with the last one, making it the least noticeable. Yet, the people he sent to silence them chose to do so at the former emperor's mausoleum. This…"

The old prime minister couldn't continue speaking.

Birds of a feather flock together; people of similar social classes are grouped together. The words of the sages are truly profound. It is one thing if Your Majesty and Your Majesty's people are incompetent, but can they not even understand geography?
The land where the Shang and Xia dynasties rose to power, and a place of auspiciousness for ten thousand years, exuding nobility, what exactly are those eyes for?

"Your Majesty is wise and exceptionally talented."

Gongsun Hong bowed slightly to the throne. "In the court discussion, Your Majesty was punished for 'admitting a crime at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.' How the wise hermit interpreted the celestial phenomena that night is no longer important. Your Majesty's reputation has not only not been restored, but has become even worse."

In traditional Chinese morality, the label of "unfilial piety" is like a crown of thorns, which even a tyrannical and incompetent ruler would bleed for if he wore it.

Your Majesty, it has been copied.

A gentle breeze blew through the snow, and even with a warm stove in the hall, it still felt slightly chilly. Liu Ju instructed Jiang Bo to cover the hall with the bronze lid and close the doors from the outside.

"Father."

Liu Ju thought of his father's cold and stern expression and his icy and hard heart, and sighed softly, "He still doesn't want to let go."

My great-grandfather, Emperor Xiaowen, reigned for twenty-three years, and my grandfather, Emperor Xiaojing, reigned for sixteen years. On the eve of their deaths, both ancestors were preoccupied with how to smoothly transfer power to the next generation of Han emperors.

The removal of powerful ministers and the elimination of powerful relatives of the empress were all done for a better future for the Han Dynasty, which led to the prosperous reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing.

As for the Emperor, his reign lasted longer than that of Emperor Jing but shorter than that of Emperor Wen, a total of twenty years. Perhaps he inherited the longevity of his great-grandmother, Empress Dowager Dou, and did not feel the approach of his death. Instead of diminishing, his lust for power rose.

If we say that the former Prince of Linjiang was Liu Rong, Liu Ju's imperial uncle, the position of Crown Prince was lost because of his resentful and jealous mother, the great physician Consort Li, and the arrogant and domineering Consort Li's relatives. For the sake of the Han Dynasty and the lives of his other children, Emperor Xiaojing sought an opportunity to depose the Crown Prince.

What about our current dynasty?

He presented himself as loyal, filial, benevolent, and loving, but his mother, Empress Wei Zifu, was scolded by the emperor for being a son unlike his father. He turned a blind eye to the arrogant and domineering Wei clan relatives and specifically suppressed his uncle Wei Qing, who was outstanding in military achievements and cautious. He also tried to sever the connection between the Crown Prince's palace and the Prime Minister's residence on the issue of choosing a tutor for the Crown Prince. All these methods were for the sake of deposing the Crown Prince.

Forced by circumstances, he chose to rebel. By a twist of fate, his father had reached this point. Liu Ju asked himself honestly, although he had given his father many admonitions, he had been extremely lenient with him.

He could go to the Ganquan Palace whenever he wanted, or make a southern tour whenever he wanted. He was given whatever expenses and entertainment he could afford. Even when his father protected people and forces who had different political views from him, Liu Ju rarely investigated them.

Although there is a hint of self-praise in this statement, the current Han Dynasty is more than ten times better in terms of both civil and military achievements than during the reign of the late emperor, and the prosperous era is fully on display.

This was something his extravagant and militaristic father could never have done.

Indeed, Liu Ju rejected many of his father's decrees and actions, but he never denied his father's achievements. The recovery of the Nanyue Kingdom and the southwestern barbarians, the great victory in the Hexi War, and the various preparations and military build-ups during his father's reign are all truthfully recorded in the national history. Both this generation and future generations will give them a fair evaluation.

Clearly, the emperor was not satisfied with the historical accounts of his debauchery and immorality, nor was he satisfied that his martial prowess and virtue had stopped there. He sought a higher and better reputation before and after his death, and was unwilling to become a "transition" between two prosperous eras.

Just like the Qin court, the reigns of King Zhaoxiang of Qin and the Qin Shi Huang Emperor, regardless of good or bad, will always be talked about. However, King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Ying Yiren, the grandson of King Zhaoxiang of Qin and the father of Qin Shi Huang, is rarely mentioned.

When he was occasionally mentioned, it was often alongside the powerful prime minister Lü Buwei, not for his civil or military achievements, but for court secrets. His father, the emperor, did not want to become a ruler like Ying Yiren.

Liu Ju had no desire to become a crown prince like his uncle, Liu Rong, the Prince of Linjiang.

Since none of you want to, then you have no choice but to go through with it!

Liu Ju opened his eyes again, his dragon-like aura vast and powerful, and said in a calm tone, "Old Prime Minister."

"The minister is here."

"The Prime Minister's Office shall immediately oversee the transportation and allocation of grain, cloth, iron, and copper throughout the realm. If any discrepancies are found, they shall be immediately reported to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Zhang Tang".

"Chen is here!"

"The Imperial Censor-in-Chief will use all his power to infiltrate the wealthy and powerful families of the land, including officials, noble families, wealthy merchants, wandering knights and thieves, as well as the old marquises and ministers who have been stripped or dismissed. All of them will be brought under surveillance. Once any family is found to be smuggling or privately forging weapons, armor, or chariots, it must be immediately reported to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"uncle."

"The minister is here."

"Continue to purge the guards in the capital region. Anyone found to be in contact with the Ganquan Palace or the princes and nobles of the court, regardless of their identity, merits, or reasons, shall be dealt with according to military law. Give me a list of those to be purged."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Brother."

"The minister is here."

"Secretly take over all major transportation routes in the capital region. In the event of an incident, according to my orders, immediately purge all people and forces in the capital region."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Gongsun Hong, Zhang Tang, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing rose one after another upon hearing the sound, their aura of iron and blood sweeping through the hall. What followed was a clash of blood and fire.

Liu Ju did not let the four ministers leave, but pondered the shortcomings of the entire plan. His father was going to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to apologize, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple was just outside Chang'an City. With a great battle about to break out, his father would certainly not return to Ganquan Palace after apologizing, and he could not allow his father to return to Ganquan Palace in the short term.

Looking at the old prime minister, Liu Ju suddenly realized who the culprit was: Dong Zhongshu. The two figures seemed to overlap at that moment, and he realized what he had overlooked.

"uncle."

"exist."

"A thousand elite cavalrymen will be dispatched, with a brave and skilled cavalry lieutenant as their commander, to protect the old prime minister. If anything happens to the old prime minister, the entire unit will be executed!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)