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

Chapter 42 Disappearance
"Your Majesty, I, the Colonel of Piaoyao, dare to submit this memorial to Your Majesty: I should focus on the concerns of the border regions. I have no way to repay Your Majesty for leaving my body exposed in the wilderness. Therefore, I dare to offer other suggestions to those in power. I truly see that Your Majesty is worried about the world and cares for the people so much that you forget yourself. You have reduced your meals and entertainment and dismissed your officials."

Prince Laitian is able to stand in his robes and bow respectfully, yet he has no official title or tutor. Your Majesty's deference and humility have inspired the court officials, who dare not overstep their bounds.

Your humble servant, driven by a heart of a dog, begs Your Majesty to instruct the relevant officials to determine the succession of the Crown Prince at an auspicious time in mid-autumn.

I humbly submit this petition to Your Majesty, fearing for your life, with my humble servant Qu Bing.

"The Chancellor Hong, the Minister of Justice Tang, the Minister of the Imperial Stud He, and the Minister of Ceremonies Xi, acting as the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, humbly submit this memorial: 'The Colonel of Piaoyao, Qubing, submitted a memorial stating: 'Your Majesty should focus on the concerns of the border regions. I have no way to repay Your Majesty's kindness by leaving my body exposed in the wilderness. I dare not presume to offer advice to those in power. I truly see Your Majesty's concern for the world and your compassion for the people, even at the cost of your own health. You have reduced your meals and entertainment, and dismissed many officials. The Crown Prince, by the grace of Heaven, is able to wear the robes and pay homage, yet he still lacks a title and official position. Your Majesty's humility and deference are deeply appreciated, and your ministers, though unworthy to speak out, dare not overstep their bounds. I, however, am filled with a heart of a dog and a horse, and I humbly beg Your Majesty to instruct the relevant officials to determine the Crown Prince's position at the auspicious time of mid-autumn. I humbly hope Your Majesty will consider this matter.'"

Your subject, together with ministers of the second rank and above, including He, discussed the following: In ancient times, the land was divided to establish states, and feudal lords were established to receive the mandate of Heaven, so as to honor the ancestral temples and value the state. Now, your subject Qu Bing has submitted a memorial, not forgetting his duty, and using it to express his grace. He said that the emperor humbly and modestly lowered himself to serve the people, and was concerned that the princes had not yet been granted titles.

Your servants Hong and Tang, having failed in our duty and acted in a foolish and incompetent manner, now, at this auspicious time of mid-autumn, we, Hong and Tang, humbly request that Your Highness's sons Hong, Dan, and Xu be established as vassal kings, and we humbly request the name of the new kingdom.

The sun shines through the window.

Liu Che was not in a good mood.

The Crown Prince has stopped pretending to have power. Just yesterday, he established Liu Hong, Liu Dan, and Liu Xu to challenge the Crown Prince. This morning, memorials from both the central and outer courts requesting that the three sons be made princes were sent to the Emperor's separate palace.

Is this a demonstration?

“What His Majesty refuses to give, the Crown Prince will have to come and collect himself,” sighed Wuqiu Shouwang, Grand Master of Ceremonies and Attendant-in-Ordinary.

Perhaps His Majesty's influence was too strong in the past two days, and he thought he had suppressed the Crown Prince at the hunting banquet. As a result, in the matter of the white deer coins, he only gave His Highness one hundred white deer coins and took all the white deer and deer hides that the Crown Prince had hunted.

He had advised His Majesty at the time that even if His Highness were to receive only one or two percent of the profits from the Bailu coins, with a total of forty million coins, His Highness would be reduced to begging on his knees.

Even for this humiliation, His Highness would retaliate. As it turned out, His Highness instructed Huo Qubing, Gongsun Hong, Zhang Tang and others to submit a memorial that struck at His Majesty's weak point.

Once Liu Hong, Liu Dan, and Liu Xu are established as princes, legally speaking, if Liu Ju does not die, the three princes will basically have no chance of ascending the throne.

"Should I avoid his sharp edge?" Liu Che said coldly.

Just like when the matter of establishing an heir was delayed because the prince was too young, what could be done even if there were many memorials from the central and foreign courts?

Could the crown prince possibly rebel?
"Your Majesty, please consider the greater good," said Wuqiu Shouwang respectfully.

No matter how stubborn you are, you can't defy reality.

Now, Your Highness, through the Prime Minister's office, is holding the salt and iron monopoly policy by the throat.

The implementation of the White Deer Coin also required the cooperation of emerging military groups such as Grand Marshal Wei Qing and Colonel Huo Qubing.

Your Majesty wants to raise money to enhance your holy reputation. To enhance your holy reputation, you need money. The Crown Prince's palace is blocking the money, which is blocking Your Majesty. What do you call this? Being stubborn and blocking both ends.

Both the emperor and his minister understood that if the crown prince no longer wanted money, then the three princes would be established, and the salt and iron monopoly policy would have to be changed according to the crown prince's ideas.

Otherwise, the emperor would be unable to do anything.

Liu Che remained silent.

Like a volcano about to erupt, Prince Wuqiu Shou was a sensible man. Knowing that the emperor was embarrassed, he withdrew first. Perhaps sensing that His Majesty had finished his business, Lady Wang came out from the back chamber, smoothly curled up in front of Liu Che, and gently massaged his feet, her little mouth babbling sweetly, "You call yourself the emperor? You're busy all day long, how tiring."

Liu Che was furious, yet unable to control himself, he pulled Lady Wang close, and in an instant, sweet whispers and shrill laughter filled the air, setting the stage for their erotic performance.

The wind and rain stopped.

Lady Wang, as gentle as water, as alluring as a wild fox, as delicate as an infant, and as enchanting as a ghost, lay supine in Liu Che's arms, a luminous pearl still rolling and caressing her snow-white body.

"Your son should be made a king. Where do you want to make him a king?" Liu Che asked clearly.

Lady Wang stiffened, a desolate expression immediately appearing on her face, and two lines of clear tears fell. "With His Majesty here, what can I say?"

According to the principle of primogeniture, the throne of the Han Dynasty should belong to the Wei family. But how could she not have imagined that her son would become the crown prince and then the emperor, just like His Majesty, and that she would become the new Empress Dowager in a few years or decades?

Unfortunately, Wei Zifu was not Consort Li, and Liu Ju was not Liu Rong.

Liu Che nodded, but thinking of the promises made during their past happy times, he felt guilty and said, "Even so, according to your wishes, where would you like to appoint him as a king?"

"I wish to be enfeoffed in Luoyang."

“Luoyang has the military arsenal Ao Cang, a strategic location in the world, and is the capital of our great Han Dynasty. Since the late emperor, no prince has been enfeoffed as a king in Luoyang. Any other place is acceptable,” Liu Che rejected.

Given the current situation, he sealed off Luoyang no sooner, and the Crown Prince dared to contact civil and military officials in the inner and outer courts to rebel. That was where the armory was located, controlled by the princes, and in the future, it would be another Rebellion of the Seven States.

For both public and private reasons, Luoyang could not become a prince's fiefdom.

Madam Wang remained silent.

"No land in Guandong is larger than Qi. Qi is bordered by the sea to the east, and its cities are large. In ancient times, Linzi City alone had 100,000 households. There is no more fertile land in the world than Qi. Hong'er, how about we enfeoff him in Qi?" Liu Che said through gritted teeth.

That was the ancient state of Qi, a powerful and dominant state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. When Han Xin seized power and became king, Emperor Gaozu granted him the title of King of Qi and the land of Qi.

After Han Xin, the Lü clan and other noble families had countless schemes to reward him, but the King of Qi and the Qi region did not bestow any more titles or honors upon him. This time, it was truly an exception.

Lady Wang rose and prostrated herself, striking her head with her hand, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

If she can become the Queen Mother of Qi one day, that would be fine too.

Liu Che held Lady Wang without moving, and said meaningfully, "When I was four years old, I was also enfeoffed as the King of Jiaodong, but when I was seven years old, I became the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty. Little fox, the world is still uncertain, and it is not yet known who will receive the Mandate of Heaven."

It's hard to tell what's said in private. Upon receiving His Majesty's message, Prince Wuqiu Shou immediately relayed it to Grand Censor Dong Zhongshu to prepare for the enfeoffment of the prince.

Liu Hong had already made his decision, and was granted the fief of Qi, where he was titled King of Qi.

The fiefdoms and titles of Liu Dan and Liu Xu still needed to be discussed further, but there was no need to discuss it too much. Soon, Liu Dan's fiefdom was decided, the State of Yan, and he was given the title of King of Yan, while Liu Xu's fiefdom was the State of Guangling, and he was given the title of King of Guangling.

The struggle for the crown prince position has been extinguished.

(End of this chapter)