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

Chapter 250 Bullying the King
Xuanshi Palace.

The palace doors were tightly closed, and blue flames rose from the silver charcoal in the four large white jade bronze basins at the four corners of the main hall.

The window was left open for ventilation, and Zhang Tang could withstand the cold wind, but Gongsun Hong was old after all. Despite wearing thick clothes and blankets, the cold still penetrated his skin, making his bones ache.

"Leave one window open, close the rest," Liu Ju instructed Jiang Bo.

"Yes." Uncle Jiang went over and closed a few windows.

It immediately wasn't so cold anymore. The two stood there. Gongsun Hong's vision was blurry, while Zhang Tang noticed as soon as he entered the hall that the embroidered stool belonging to the Prime Minister was gone, but his own embroidered stool was still there.

Just as Zhang Tang was helping Gongsun Hong to the head of the civil and military officials' positions, Jiang Bo placed a square embroidered stool, about one and a half feet long and one foot square, with openwork patterns on it, behind Gongsun Hong.

Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were about to bow when Liu Ju said gently, "No need for formalities, please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang replied, and sat down one after the other.

The moment his buttocks touched the embroidered stool, Gongsun Hong immediately reacted; a brazier was burning hot inside the stool.

Gongsun Hong noticed that Zhang Tang had no reaction, and realized that he was the only one sitting on the warm seat, while Zhang Tang was sitting on the cold seat.

Gongsun Hong slowly stood up and said respectfully, "Your Majesty's favor is too great for me to bear."

Zhang Tang was startled and subconsciously looked at the embroidered stool, where he saw red charcoal glowing in the empty space of the stool.

"I can accept it, old prime minister, please sit down," Liu Ju said with a smile.

Gongsun Hong stood there, refusing to sit down.

“Jiang Bo, please help the old Prime Minister to sit down on my behalf.”

Upon hearing the order, Jiang Bo moved the embroidered stool closer to Gongsun Hong's position and softly advised, "Old Prime Minister, a person's strength is not measured by their physique. In the cold winter, this is a fire bench specially made by the Imperial Workshop at the Emperor's request. Do not fail to live up to the Emperor's wishes."

Having said all that, Gongsun Hong was deeply moved, but he could no longer refuse and reluctantly sat down on the edge of the embroidered stool.

"From this day forward, when the old prime minister enters the court and pays homage, he need not perform the usual court etiquette, nor will he need to address the emperor by name," Liu Ju added.

Gongsun Hong stood up again, and Zhang Tang followed suit.

The Grand Chancellor of the Han Dynasty was exceptionally courteous to all officials.

It's downwards.

When entering the court, one should not bow; when praising or worshipping, one should not use one's name.

It's upwards.

According to court etiquette, court officials must walk quickly to show respect when entering the court, and when they meet the monarch, the master of ceremonies must announce their names to demonstrate the proper etiquette.

This is the proper relationship between ruler and subject.

During the more than eighty years of the Han Dynasty, only Xiao He, the first prime minister during the reign of Emperor Gaozu, was granted the special privilege of "entering court with a sword and shoes and not having to hasten his steps upon entering the court." Compared to the prime minister, he lacked the privilege of "entering court with a sword and shoes" but had the privilege of "being praised and bowed to without being named."

However, this was clearly a cheaper change made by the ruler because he considered that Gongsun Hong was old and carrying a sword was tiring.

Gongsun Hong knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am of meager virtue and talent. How can I accept such an excessive honor from Your Majesty? I dare not accept it. Please, Your Majesty, withdraw it."

Liu Ju did not call him Jiang Bo again, but walked down the imperial steps to Gongsun Hong's side, personally helped him up, and sat back on the embroidered stool. He said gently, "Without the old prime minister, I would not be where I am today. I hope that the prime minister will live another ten or twenty years, or even live as long as Peng Zu. However, the prime minister has exhausted his strength throughout his life and will soon pass away. I can do nothing about it. I hope the prime minister will take good care of himself and not shorten his life by excessive formalities."

Long ago, Liu Ju sent imperial physicians to reside in the Prime Minister's residence to maintain Gongsun Hong's health, and reports on his condition were continuously submitted to the palace. The medical records of the chief imperial physician who had served four emperors of the Han Dynasty were very clear: Gongsun Hong's body was already on its last legs, and even if the entire treasury's best medicines were used up, it would be useless. The current old Prime Minister was just trying to prolong his life.

Gongsun Hong was so moved that he was speechless. At this moment, it seemed that any words would be pale. The bond between the ruler and his subject was so deep that even the most sage kings and wise ministers of ancient times could not have achieved such a thing.
"Zhang Tang, please sit down too."

Liu Ju saw Zhang Tang and nodded, saying, "He is old, so I will grant you the title of Prime Minister."

The same emotion, but completely different feelings.

For Gongsun Hong, this was the result of sixty years of ups and downs in his official career and serving four emperors of the Han Dynasty with painstaking effort. And as he was about to die, he was naturally overjoyed.

Zhang Tang, however, was filled with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow. He was happy that the emperor was willing to treat him with the same courtesy as an old prime minister in his old age, but he was also saddened that he might not live to old age.

However, such expectations of a minister should not be placed on a minister, let alone on a minister in the prime of his career. To accept them would only invite ridicule from the court and the public, hastening his death. Therefore, Zhang Tang had nothing to complain about.

The ruler's kindness leaves one with no room for other desires.

With a ruler like him, what more could one ask for?
I will obey your death!

this moment.

Zhang Tang's obsession with power suddenly lessened considerably.

Since there is a more suitable person to serve as the Embroidered-Robe Envoy, and I cannot hold onto him, I should not have any emotions for the sake of the Han Dynasty and the Emperor.

Jiang Bo brought Liu Ju an embroidered stool, and Liu Ju sat down. He then continued as if chatting casually, "What does the old prime minister want to say during this audience?"

Gongsun Hong managed to calm himself down and let out a long sigh. "Your Majesty, His Majesty has made a move."

"To act openly or covertly?"

"Everything is in motion. In the open, His Majesty has handed over the murderer who disturbed the tomb of the retired emperor. I have handed him over to the relevant authorities to have his family executed. At the same time, His Majesty has set off from the Ganquan Palace and is heading to the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Chang'an. I have ordered the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to prepare the rites for apologizing."

Gongsun Hong, with a solemn expression, slowly said, "Secretly, His Majesty, through blood oaths and secret documents, has sent envoys to contact officials, powerful families, wealthy merchants, wandering knights, and thieves who have suffered heavy losses and are about to be executed under the relocation and accounting decrees, intending to restore the throne..."

Liu Ju remained calm. He knew his father was plotting something during the last small meeting between the emperor and his ministers, and he also guessed that his father would unite with the wealthy and powerful of the Han Dynasty. The secret letter was expected, but the blood oath was something he hadn't anticipated. His father cherished his people so much that he was willing to use blood to write a letter and make a contract. He had truly made a great decision.

"His Majesty has selected Zhou Gong, the former Marquis of Pingqu, as the commander of the restoration army. He has also promised great benefits to the former Marquis of Quni, the former Marquis of Zan, the former Marquis of Xiao, and the former Marquis of Liu, the Chen family, in an attempt to rebuild the court in the future and restore the Han Dynasty from darkness to light."

Gongsun Hong found it difficult to completely control his expression. For a monarch to indulge in celestial phenomena, divination, nursery rhymes, and prophecies was not only absurd but also detrimental to his ambition.

The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors could be said to have received the Mandate of Heaven. However, Emperor Shun imprisoned Emperor Yao and seized power, and Yu the Great imprisoned Emperor Shun and seized power. Where was the Mandate of Heaven?

As a ruler, he did not acknowledge the intelligence and bravery of the Wei clan, but instead clung to the belief in destiny, convinced that he could always recognize talent with discerning eyes. With a flick of his finger, he could conjure up Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and with another flick, Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and Zhou Bo would come to life.

Fate plays tricks on people, and he ended up living the life of "Chen Ping".

"The Chen, Zhou, Xiao, and Zhang families are devoted to the Emperor and wish to prevent His Majesty from restoring the throne."

How to eliminate it?

He remained silent.

Gongsun Hong's answer made Zhang Tang look at him with displeasure. "Old Prime Minister, you're deceiving the emperor!"

Liu Ju paused for a moment, then said, “Old Prime Minister, even if I bear the burden of filial impiety, I, Liu Ju, will still become a model for a wise and virtuous ruler!”

(End of this chapter)