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

Chapter 7 Choosing a Grand Tutor is Choosing the Fate of the Nation

into the night.

Chang'an became exceptionally beautiful.

One by one, lanterns were lit, gradually merging into patches of red. From afar, those patches of red contrasted against the boundless black sky, making the eaves of the enormous palaces seem to float in mid-air between the red below and the black above. In the cool breeze of midsummer, an atmosphere of luxurious extravagance permeated the air.

Weiyang Palace, Xuanshi Hall.

His Majesty wishes to hold a banquet here for the Crown Prince.

The one holding the halberd outside was Dongfang Shuo, who was known in the court for his wit and humor, while the one serving inside was Chun Tuo, His Majesty's favorite attendant.

Before the emperor arrived, Liu Che was sitting at his desk, admiring this magnificent piece of writing, the title of which was unclear—whether it was "Admonition to the Heir Appointed" or "A Request to Appoint the Chancellor as Tutor."

"The North Star is the abode of many stars," "The model of forging the Nine Tripods," "The legacy of the sweet pear tree," "The virtuous governance of Duke Shao and the calamities left by Shang Yang's methods of governance"... "Choosing a Grand Tutor is choosing the fate of the nation."

Liu Che savored the meaning of the text with great interest, looked at Chun Tuo, and asked, "This article is well written. Did he write it?"

Chun Tuo leaned forward slightly and replied, "Perhaps it was written by someone else."

"I said so."

Captain Piaoyao was born into wealth and privilege. He was taken in by the Emperor's side and was personally taught both literary and martial arts by the Emperor. As an observer, one can better appreciate Captain Piaoyao's extraordinary talent in martial arts and his cultural espionage activities, such as burning books and burying scholars alive.

Liu Che glanced at the list of officials and the memorials under the magnificent document, then at the resignation letter set aside, and said indifferently, "It seems that neither my central court nor my outer court is satisfied with me."

The news had barely been released when the Prime Minister of the Outer Court confronted it head-on, and the Grand Marshal and the Commandant of the Central Court retorted even more directly.

Gongsun Hong and Huo Qubing were one thing, but Wei Qing, who had always been humble and cautious, had somehow stepped into the limelight. For the first time, Liu Che felt threatened and indescribably angry from this man who had risen from a stable boy to Grand Marshal.

Chun Tuo lowered his body even further and tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, should we punish those talkative servants and strictly forbid them from spreading those unfounded rumors..."

"What baseless accusation?"

Liu Che looked at him coldly, "What punishment this time?"

Those words were originally spread by him to test the reactions of the outer and middle courts. Now he has been outmaneuvered. Killing a few eunuchs and palace maids is nothing to worry about, but if outsiders see it, wouldn't it make the emperor appear to have submitted to the combined forces of the outer and middle courts?
A weak emperor cannot control the ruthless ministers of two dynasties.

Chun Tuo showed the appropriate fear and replied in a low voice, "Yes, this servant knows her mistake."

In fact, having spent a long time by His Majesty's side, Chuntuo had figured out His Majesty's nature and that he would not allow anything to be out of control.

Therefore, His Majesty absolutely forbade the outer court and the inner court to merge into the Crown Prince's palace. So he racked his brains to select Shi Qing and Zhuang Qingzhai, two incompetent but virtuous men, as the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor and Junior Tutor, and then spread the word to test the reactions of the two courts.

Your Majesty anticipated Chancellor Gongsun Hong's reaction; however, the reaction from the central court, especially the strong opposition from Grand Marshal Wei Qing, was something Your Majesty had not foreseen.

Your Majesty's political affairs rely on the outer court, or more precisely, Gongsun Hong; Your Majesty's military affairs rely on the inner court, formerly Grand Marshal Wei Qing, and now Colonel Huo Qubing. Now, both the military and the political are in "rebellion," so Your Majesty's current predicament is self-evident.

It won't be that easy to quell this storm.

As expected, Liu Che remained silent for a long time before asking again, "Has the Crown Prince submitted any memorials?"

"No."

"Send a message to the Empress in the Jiaofang Palace, instructing her to tell the Crown Prince not to let others make decisions for him in every matter," Liu Che said in a calm voice.

The only one who can break this deadlock is the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty. If Liu Ju steps forward and publicly refuses the position of Grand Tutor to the Prime Minister, he can silence everyone.

The crown prince obeyed the order, abandoned Gongsun, and chose Shi and Di instead.

As for going against the grain?
The Crown Prince wouldn't dare to do that. "Yes."

……

The morning light is faint.

The messenger from Changle Palace then arrived at the Wei River.

This is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and one of the central areas of Chinese civilization. After the Qin Dynasty unified China, the Wei River far surpassed the Yunmeng Marsh in both fame and cultural significance.

This is not only a strategically important place for the Han Dynasty, but also the essence of the entire Chinese civilization.

On the grassy hillside north of the Wei River, nestled against the mountains, Liu Ju met Zhu Bo, the Grand Chamberlain of the Empress's Palace.

"I have met His Highness the Crown Prince."

"No need to be polite."

Liu Ju grabbed Zhu Bo's arm, and under his stunned gaze, shook his head and smiled, "I wonder what business Mother has with me?"

When you get close to Guliang, you'll be bound by formalities and enjoy elaborate rituals. In the past, Liu Ju always acted like a precocious little adult, always maintaining a rigid and formal demeanor, no matter how close the relationship was.

Such affability was something Zhu Bo had never seen before. Coming to his senses, he said, "Your Highness, Her Majesty instructed me to relay His Majesty's order that we must learn to make our own decisions regarding the Grand Tutor and Junior Tutor."

"Make your own decision?"

Liu Ju laughed heartily, his laughter like a spring breeze sweeping over Zhu Bo's heart. "Shall we listen to Father Emperor's decision?"

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words."

Liu Ju nodded, then shook his head, knowing his father was getting anxious. "What does Mother mean?"

“The Empress said, ‘Your Highness did a good job this time,’” Zhu Bo replied respectfully.

Wei Zifu knew Wei Qing very well. That Grand Marshal, with his inferiority complex, was not someone her nephew Huo Qubing could persuade; only her son could sway him.

In worldly terms, disobeying one's father's arrangements is considered disobedience and filial impiety, but in the royal family, it is not. Striving for one's due benefits is the way the struggle for imperial power has always been.

Liu Ju sensed the pride in his mother's words, and his heart felt a little soothed. His tone softened considerably as he asked, "That Shi Qing, is he the prefect of Pei County?"

"Yes."

"Please ask Zhu Bo to send someone to tell him that if a mediocre person becomes the Crown Prince's tutor, you and your clan will be exterminated. Do not say you were not warned."

The Wan Shi Jun family was merely a figurehead appointed by the court to commend loyalty and prudence. If they were to get involved in the power struggle between the emperor and his son, and dare to accept the emperor's edict, Liu Ju would surely exterminate their clan in the future.

"Yes," Zhu Bo replied, his mind reeling.

"Furthermore, tell Marquis Zhuang Qingzhai of Wuqiang that as the descendant of a meritorious dog, it's one thing for him to bark a few times when he has nothing to do, but if he barks at the young master, he should be boiled in a giant cauldron." Liu Ju said casually.

I'm sure Father Emperor will be very pleased with this kind of independent decision.
Zhu Bo looked at Liu Ju with deep emotion in his eyes. Faced with the assessment that "the son is not like his father," His Highness had bravely taken the first step. As a eunuch, he knew better than anyone how crucial it was for a young crown prince to say "no" to His Majesty's orders. He answered with heartfelt conviction, "Yes."

"Uncle Zhu, since you're already here, take a good look at these mountains and rivers, and while you're at it, tell me about what's been happening in the palace lately."

"Your Highness, there have been no major events in the palace recently. However, last night His Majesty hosted a banquet in the Xuan Shi Hall. The Princess Consort and General Ping Le attended the banquet, but the halberd-bearer Dongfang Shuo prevented General Ping Le from entering the hall. His Majesty was furious and had him flogged twenty times..."

(End of this chapter)