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

Chapter 55 Prologue
"You have truly caused me great suffering!"

In the training ground of the Northern Army, Liu Ju faced officials from both the Chinese and foreign dynasties who had repeatedly declined but still urged him to take the throne. He reluctantly agreed and said the following.

Politics, like warfare, is sometimes a matter of "deception," requiring cunning and adaptability. Of course, victory is the only goal.

Just as Liu Ju said when he criticized Dong Zhongshu, saying that all Confucian scholars today are petty people, he quoted Confucius's words from "The Analects of Confucius: Li Ren": "The superior man understands righteousness; the inferior man understands profit."

This statement can be said to represent the Chinese people's view of interests: as long as you talk about interests, no matter who you are, you are a petty person.

This mindset of opposing the ideal of a gentleman to interests makes Chinese people very humble in the face of interests. In particular, politicians are not moral exemplars, and they are even less likely to give up for the sake of face when faced with huge interests. But how can someone like Liu Ju avoid falling into the ethical trap of being a "petty person for interests"?
That is "accepting after three offers".

He declined the offer three times to quell the slander from the world.

Grand Master of Ceremonies and Attendant-in-Ordinary Wuqiu Shouwang and the new Grand Censor Mei Gao tried their best to remain still and quiet, with solemn expressions.

If the person urging the crown prince to assume the throne were to do so, it would become a one-man show for the crown prince. But this is a charade. The three attempts to urge the crown prince to assume the throne can only be made by His Majesty's people, namely, the two of them.

In this way, it becomes clear that the Crown Prince repeatedly refused, and only under pressure from His Majesty and the nobles did he reluctantly take over the reins of state. The Crown Prince did not consider his own interests; it was His Majesty and the nobles who, for the sake of their own lives and posthumous reputations, forcibly handed over the reins of state to the Crown Prince.

To His Majesty, it is filial piety; to his subjects, it is benevolence; to all the people, it is compassion.

It was clearly a palace coup, yet the Crown Prince banished the Emperor, who was then portrayed as a filial, benevolent, and compassionate ruler, while the Emperor was seen as a "dog."
Wuqiu Shouwang and Mei Gao felt that a long history was not necessarily a good thing, and that a solution could be found for any predicament.

Their eyes met, and they could see the despair in each other's eyes. Your Majesty, can you really win?
Maybe?

All the rites were completed.

Wuqiu Shouwang, Mei Gao, Li Guang, Li Gan, Li Ling, Han Shuo, Ji An, Zheng Dangshi, Sang Hongyang... Liu Shou, Liu Piqiang and other officials, marquises and members of the imperial clan left the scene.

Although the Crown Prince has designated the Northern Army Camp as the location for governing the country, the power of the Han Dynasty often originates from private institutions such as the Prime Minister's Office and the Grand Marshal's Office, as well as official agencies such as the Imperial Archives, the Court of Justice, and the Imperial Treasury. Only when a decision cannot be made will it be submitted to the Emperor. Now, return to the capital and your office.

"Grand Historian."

Liu Ju looked at Sima Tan, the Grand Historian who was writing furiously, and smiled, "Have you memorized it?"

"Your Majesty, I have recorded it truthfully," Sima Tan replied.

"Traitorous officials..."

Sima Qian, standing beside his father, muttered to himself, but before he could finish, he received a heavy slap across the face. He staggered and stared incredulously at his father's indifferent expression. "My Sima family is a family of historians. History cannot be altered, cannot be speculated upon, and certainly cannot be tainted by personal feelings. All those years of study and travel were for you to record history truthfully, not for you to make friends and form marriages, letting emotions cloud your judgment of history. From now on, you will be a good physician. You will not be needed for the affairs of the history bureau."

"You only have one son, me. If you don't use me, do you want the family business of our ancestors to end here?"

During his travels, he met many people, received many favors from powerful families and heard many stories. Thinking that he could both repay the kindness and make a name for himself in history, Sima Qian could not accept his father's words.

"It's better to break than to destroy!"

Sima Tan coldly stared at his only son, "Since Xiao Lin and Xiao Guan are not historians, I will take history books to my grave. I am a historian, not a novelist."

Sima Lin and Sima Guan were Sima Qian's two sons, and also Sima Tan's eldest and second grandsons, respectively. One was eight years old and the other was six. If they could take over the important task of historian, they would; if not, the Sima family's historical records would end there.

"Father, you will regret this!"

Sima Qian left in anger.

Sima Tan calmed himself down, bowed deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to forgive my son for being unlike his father."

Liu Ju sighed, "I share the same feelings as the Grand Historian, and my heart is filled with sorrow. How could I possibly blame him?" Sima Tan burst into tears.

This only son had no interest in the dry and boring history books and historical facts. When he got a little older, he was invited to study and travel the world, but he could tell that he was just going to play.

Relying on his status as a member of the Shi family, he was treated with special favors by local powerful families and clans wherever he went, without having to spend a penny on him. He traveled all over the country, but eating, drinking, and even playing with other people's things was something the Shi family found most taboo.

Repaying a debt of gratitude is tantamount to rewriting history, with far-reaching and lasting consequences.

To not repay kindness is to be an ungrateful person.

Liu Ju sighed and changed the subject, asking, "How is the Grand Astrologer's office?"

"Your Majesty, the history bureau has opened, but I do not know whether it should be written from now on forwards or from the past to the present," Sima Tan said, wiping away his tears.

Historians rarely write contemporary history because it's too stimulating. Many of the people involved, or their children and grandchildren, are still alive, making verification easier and closer to the true history. However, it's also easy to be "killed in person".

The story of "Cui Zhu murdering his ruler" serves as a lesson for historians. The Qi historians almost disappeared. As a result, historians after the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods either "recorded the events of the past" or "twisted their writings" to avoid disaster.

Although His Majesty's intention in opening the Imperial Historian's Office was to revise the history of this era and prevent it from being destroyed by the Crown Prince in the future, Sima Tan, as the Grand Historian, found it hard to believe that His Majesty could tolerate his historical writing, that is, accept criticism, or even condemnation, from this era.

At that time, it will be inevitable to launch a major literary inquisition.

Let us use contemporary history as our starting point.

Liu Ju thought for a moment and said, "Today is the perfect time for a banquet."

Sima Tan paused for a moment, then said tactfully, "There may be controversy."

When the crown prince banishes the emperor, it is recorded in history and inevitably leads to countless debates. Speculation about a coup or rebellion will continue to be debated for generations to come.

“After I ascended the throne, it became even more difficult for the Grand Historian to write records,” Liu Ju nodded and smiled.

If we write it now, the historical accuracy is still guaranteed, but once he ascends the throne, the historians will only face more controversy.

"I understand," Sima Tan said, realizing the truth.

Just then, Huo Qubing walked over and said, "Your Majesty, everything is ready."

When Liu Ju and Huo Qubing arrived, Gongsun Ao, Li Xi, Zhang Cigong, Su Jian, Zhao Xin, Zhang Qian, Zhao Shiqi, Guo Chang, Xun Zhi, Lu Bode, Zhao Ponu, and Gao Bushi all stood up at the same time and respectfully said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Liu Ju looked around but didn't see his uncle. He asked, "Where's my uncle?"

"I'm here."

Wei Qing helped Chancellor Gongsun Hong out of the tent. Gongsun Hong greeted Liu Ju, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Prime Minister, since you're here, please take a seat," Liu Ju nodded.

Once everyone was seated, Sima Xiangru, who had been brought in as a laborer, forced a smile and began to formally draw on the plain brocade.

The Grand Historian Sima Tan scratched his head with his pen and thus wrote the first draft of the Records of the Grand Historian: "In the winter of the second year of Yuan Shou, in the eleventh month, the Crown Prince Ju, after repeatedly declining, reluctantly accepted the people's request and ascended to the throne, ruling the country and wielding power. At that time, Sima Xiangru, the director of the Baling Mausoleum, painted portraits of the Crown Prince and the fifteen meritorious officials in the Qilin Pavilion..."

(End of this chapter)