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

Chapter 38 Loyalty and Treachery
Customs established during the Qin and Han dynasties.

The seals of the emperor and empress were made of jade and were called "xi".

The seals of the Crown Prince, Chancellor, Grand Commandant, or General are three seals of trust, made of gold, and are called trust.

The seals of marquises were called "seals," while the others were called "chapter seals."

The moment the gold dragon seal appeared, the entire hunting ground erupted in excitement.

The power struggle between the emperor and his son was no secret, but to make it public like this was clearly a way of deposing the crown prince.

Even if the crown prince is not deposed, whichever prince receives the crown prince's token will likely challenge the crown prince.

Many powerful figures glanced at the Crown Prince at the right seat, their eyes subtly revealing ill intent. Supporting the hidden dragon, tearing apart the dragon, a confluence of events, the dragon ascends the throne, and rewards are distributed according to merit.

The Wei family shouldn't have all the good things in this world!

However, the slightly tipsy Crown Prince behaved strangely, seemingly unaware of the special nature of the gold seal. He simply smiled and whispered something to Grand Marshal Wei Qing beside him. Then, the Grand Marshal whispered something to Colonel Huo Qubing, who in turn whispered something to General Gongsun Ao... until the lowest-ranking Eagle Strike General Zhao Ponu in the Northern Army. No one knew what they said, but it was clear that those around the Crown Prince were very happy, or rather, they were suppressing a kind of excitement.

If someone who can read lips is present, they can tell that the conversations are simple and repetitive.

"Uncle, proceed according to plan."

"To cure the disease, act according to the plan."

"Uncle, do as the plan suggests."

"..."

There are many ways to show that someone is not good at drinking, including an ignorant smile. If the Crown Prince is so bad at drinking, does that mean that the Grand Marshal, the Commandant of the Piao Yao Army, and the Twelve Generals of the Northern Army, who only drank three or four cups of wine, were also not good at drinking and were in the same drunken state as the Crown Prince?
A strange laugh.

For some reason, some high-ranking officials, marquises, and members of the imperial family suddenly felt uneasy.

As the emperor, Liu Che suddenly felt a chill, as if something bad was about to happen. But in an instant, the chill and the bad premonition disappeared, as if they had never happened.

Maybe it's an illusion.

"Sir, how many animals have the princes hunted?"

"Your Majesty, Prince Hong has shot and killed eighteen prey animals."

"Prince Dan shot and killed twelve prey."

"Prince Xu shot and killed eleven prey."

The steward paused for a moment, then Liu Che asked, "What about the Crown Prince?"

"The Crown Prince didn't kill a single one!"

In an instant, the venue erupted in cheers again.

On a day of hunting, the Crown Prince did not shoot a single animal. This was not because the Crown Prince did not care about hunting, but because he simply did not care about the Emperor's decree!
Even those like Prince Hong, Prince Dan, and Prince Xu, who claimed the prey of the twelve generals of the Northern Army as their own.

Liu Ju looked at the person in charge of the meeting and his smile became even brighter. This way of reporting was obviously pre-planned, intended to target him and to give the three princes a significant advantage.

Seeing that the smiles of the people on the right seat remained unchanged, Liu Che looked at the powerful and noble people with obvious discomfort and asked, "Who do you think should receive the reward?"

As the dragon's roar subsided, almost without a moment's hesitation, Li Gan abruptly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, we believe that this should be bestowed upon Prince Hong!"

"Prince Hong is born with martial arts skills and has obtained the most prey. His divine martial prowess is something that no other prince can match!" Marquis Cao Xiang of Pingyang chimed in.

"Prince Hong is born with martial arts skills and is full of heroic spirit. He deserves a reward!" Faced with the emperor's almost explicit invitation to the arena, the marquises, members of the imperial family, and ministers did not hesitate at all and echoed in unison.

However, among the high-ranking officials, only Liu Shou, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, Zhou Ping, the Grand Master of Ceremonies and Marquis of Sheng, and Li Guang, the Commandant of the Guards, stood up.

Chancellor Gongsun Hong was absent due to illness, and Imperial Censor Dong Zhongshu was also absent due to illness. Among those present, only Grand Marshal Wei Qing, who held the same rank as Grand Commandant, was not standing.

Among the Nine Ministers, Gongsun He, the Grand Master of the Palace, was the Crown Prince's maternal uncle; Zhang Tang, the Minister of Justice, was a disciple of the Prime Minister's office; Sima An, the Commandant of the Palace; and Li Xi, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, had once been a member of the Grand Marshal's staff. However, ministers such as Yan Yi and Zhao Yu had no intention of getting involved in the affairs of the imperial family.

On the contrary, it was Ji An, the lowly Right Inner Historian, who stood up from among the many powerful figures and said, "Your Majesty is inappropriate."

Whether he saw Ji An or heard Ji An speak, Liu Che was never happy. If it weren't to demonstrate the emperor's tolerance and willingness to accept advice, Ji An would have died countless times.

"Ji An, tell me, what's wrong?"

"Seals are established rules, like hierarchy and social order. They should not be moved lightly. Only in this way can the functions of all things in heaven and earth be confirmed, each fulfilling its duties, and the world be at peace. It is inappropriate to use this as a reward," Ji An said frankly.

"Isn't it just a golden seal?"

Liu Che smiled slightly and said unhurriedly, "I will give it as a reward, and the Crown Prince agrees. What do you say, Ju'er?"

Liu Ju calmly rose, met those dragon eyes, and said with a faint smile, "Yes."

What does “是” mean?
The nobles, marquises, members of the imperial family, and powerful figures were both surprised and intrigued, and a great deal of discussion arose.

Did the Crown Prince agree to the reward of the golden seal, or did he not agree to the reward of the golden seal?

“Your Majesty, superiors may accept inferiors, but inferiors may not accept superiors. This is because all things in heaven and earth have their own owners, and those with virtue should possess them. The Chilong Golden Seal does not belong to Prince Hong, Prince Dan, or Prince Xu. Heaven cherishes life, and the Crown Prince could have shot the prey, but he could not bear to kill. This benevolent heart is beyond the reach of the other princes. Therefore, this golden seal should be bestowed upon the Crown Prince!” Ji An continued.

These words can be said to have insulted everyone.

He not only condemned Prince Hong, Prince Dan, and Prince Xu for their lack of virtue, but also the powerful nobles who surrounded the three princes during the hunt and slaughtered their prey in a whitewashing manner, calling them all beasts in human form.

"If being unable to bear killing is a sign of compassion, then how could I, who have shot so many ferocious beasts throughout my life, not have any compassion?" Liu Che asked, taking the initiative to address the question.

"All things in nature are meant for human use. Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, can bring all things to life with a single thought and cause them to fall with another. Thunder, rain, and dew are all divine grace. If Your Majesty did not have the ability to shoot down so many tigers, leopards, wolves, and deer, you would not have been able to drive out the Xiongnu, annex the Hetao region, and establish the Shuofang region. If we are talking about brave warriors, Your Majesty is the bravest warrior of our Han Dynasty. If we are talking about rewards, Your Majesty is the one who deserves this reward the most!" Ji An praised the emperor.

The other side of a loyal minister.

It truly opened everyone's eyes.

If one is solely devoted to superiors, and superiors can infringe upon subordinates while subordinates cannot offend superiors, who can refute such a correct statement?

"Hahaha!"

Liu Che pointed at Ji An and laughed loudly: "In my whole life, I have appointed countless people as warriors, but this is the first time I have heard someone say that I am a warrior, and the number one warrior. Ji An, Ji An, you always manage to come up with some new tricks for me."

Despite uttering countless outspoken and disrespectful remarks, Ji An escaped execution and public display of his talents, a fact that Liu Che had to acknowledge as a testament to his abilities.

To be worldly-wise, yet not cynical.

"Good! Good! Good! I will accept this reward."

Liu Che picked up the dragon-patterned gold seal, raised its surface, and everyone suddenly realized that there were no words "Treasure of the Crown Prince" or any other words on it. It was actually a blank gold seal.

"My private treasury has gained several dozen more taels of gold. Ji An, you are a loyal minister."

(End of this chapter)