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

Chapter 97 Righteousness
When Chancellor Gongsun Hong had an audience with the emperor.

Upon hearing the imperial edict appointing Zhang Tang as Imperial Censor and elevating him to the position of one of the Three Dukes, Zhang Tang felt a complex mix of emotions.

This disciple is good in every way, except that he is not a member of the Gongyang School. His thoughts, ideas, actions, and behaviors are all Legalist.

Fortunately, he wasn't a complete follower of the Gongyang school.

Studying the Gongyang Commentary is merely a stepping stone to an official career, nothing more than a superficial facade.

As the second most prominent figure in the Gongyang School of Thought, this is nothing short of a joke.

Even more sinister was that Dong Zhongshu, the leading figure of the Gongyang School, gradually began to behave in a deviant and unorthodox manner.

Gongsun Hong was deeply moved, wondering how he could possibly cure the Gongyang family while dealing with this bunch of insects.

But Gongsun Hong knew very well that this was true learning.

No matter what ideology or school of thought, nothing is better than choosing the good and following it. Black cat or white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat.

Perhaps, at the end of his life, he should sort out a path of "practical application of classical learning" from those lofty and vast seas of knowledge.

Suddenly, Gongsun Hong bent his waist even more, and his imposing aura that covered the whole field became even stronger, as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders. Perhaps this is what is called a sense of mission?

Each generation has its own tasks to complete.

"Master Prime Minister," Zhang Tang addressed him without changing his form of address.

"What kind of tutor/minister?"

Gongsun Hong laughed and said, "Now you are the Imperial Censor, in charge of the Imperial Archives, and you are one of the Three Dukes, just like me. From now on, you should address me by my official title, otherwise, the court will be in turmoil again."

The boundaries have been clearly drawn.

There was no Grand Commandant in the current court. Although the Grand General was very similar to the Grand Commandant, he was not the same person. Although he was called one of the Three Dukes, he was actually one of the Two Dukes.

If the Prime Minister and the Imperial Censor were to be teacher and student, the court would surely be filled with criticism. Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were teacher and student in fact, but not in name. From this day forward, Gongsun Hong will voluntarily sever this teacher-student relationship.

You are the Imperial Censor, and I am the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty. We have no further personal relationship.

Zhang Tang understood Gongsun Hong's meaning. He didn't know how to describe the feeling in his heart, as if a bottle of mixed emotions had been spilled. But he also knew that, both publicly and privately, their master-disciple relationship should be fulfilled.

"Greetings, Prime Minister!"

Zhang Tang took a step back and bowed deeply to the ground.

Gongsun Hong nodded, walked past Zhang Tang, faced the throne, bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

If Liu Ju admired the prime minister most, it was this self-awareness. How could a person be so clear-headed?

"rise."

The imperial edict was issued.

The eunuchs brought embroidered stools for Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang. The Three Dukes were qualified to sit and discuss matters with the monarch.

"What brings the Prime Minister to this audience so suddenly?"

"Your Majesty, the Ganquan Palace has delivered a royal decree, stating that His Majesty intends to make a southern tour to pray for the well-being of the nation and its people."

"What route?"

"The Tang Dynasty, Jiuyi Mountain, Tianzhu Mountain, Xunyang, Zongyang, Langya, and the East China Sea."

"It sounds very safe," Liu commented.

From Chang'an, passing through Wuguan Pass, entering Nanyang County, heading south to Nan County, then to Jiangling, then to Jiangxia County, going downstream to Xunyang, then turning into Lujiang County to Zongyang, then heading north to Langya County, viewing the East China Sea, and then returning to Ganquan Palace along the Great Wall and the straight road. There are no armories or granaries along this entire route, making it highly unlikely that my father is up to anything. "Your Majesty."

Gongsun Hong thought that Liu Ju was unaware of the purpose of the emperor's southern tour, and said: "Your Majesty has treacherous ministers around you. I am worried that Your Majesty will be misled by them, seek divine guidance, create auspicious omens, and do things that are not beneficial to the Han Dynasty."

The Confucian method of supporting the emperor has no obvious flaws; it can even be considered a strategy employed by the emperor in open warfare.

Praying for blessings and good fortune—this approach is incredibly effective for ignorant people.

Once His Majesty washes away the blood of his ancestors from his body and receives the forgiveness of Heaven and Earth, many unexpected troubles will arise.

Although the Emperor currently holds military, political, financial, and judicial power, making a reversal unlikely, if he refuses to relinquish power, countless Confucian disciples seeking fame and fortune will inevitably shed blood in the name of righteousness, forcing the Emperor to return power.

Only when the name is correct can the words be spoken with authority.

"Has Your Majesty not heard the story of the King of Jiujiang?"

The King of Jiujiang was Ying Bu.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Ying Bu was branded with tattoos due to Qin law and sentenced as a convict. He was sent to Mount Li to do hard labor. At that time, there were hundreds of thousands of prisoners going to Mount Li to serve their labor punishments. Ying Bu had dealings with the leaders and powerful people among them. So he led his gang to escape to the Yangtze River area and gathered together as bandits.

The magistrate of Fanyang County at the time was Wu Rui, who was also the King of Changsha of the Han Dynasty. He was very popular among the people and was known as "Lord Fan". Ying Bu gathered thousands of his followers to go and ask for an audience. Lord Fan was about to marry his daughter to Ying Bu and ordered him to lead his followers to attack the Qin army, thus officially raising the banner of rebellion against Qin.

Later, Ying Bu and Wu Rui were both granted the title of king by Xiang Yu and Emperor Gaozu, respectively, which was closely related to this experience.

Ying Bu and his group were, in essence, prisoners of the Qin court. If they could not resolve their status issues, no matter how capable they were, they would be looked down upon by others, and no one would be willing to cooperate with them or lower their own status.

Only if Ying Bu gained a foothold in the anti-Qin movement could he give others a reason to cooperate with him.

Political forces and bandit gangs hold vastly different positions and statuses in the hearts of the Chinese people.

This is why, when Xiang Yu bestowed titles upon the feudal lords, Ying Bu, who had cleaned up his identity, was made King of Jiujiang, while Peng Yue, who had a similar background but was still a bandit, was forgotten and received no title.

Under no circumstances should we allow the greater good to fall into the hands of the "enemy".

This is the importance of having a legitimate reason for being right.

We must absolutely not give His Majesty the opportunity to cleanse his relatives of their blood and seize control of the state.

"I know."

Liu Ju nodded and smiled, “However, I also have my own considerations. Just as I said to all my subjects when my father ordered me to rule the country, I have never intended to take over the government when my father was in his prime. I have always taken it as my responsibility to benefit the people of the Han Dynasty. Everything I am doing now is the result of completely abandoning my own selfish desires under the expectation of the people.”

Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were stunned on the spot.

Could it be that Your Majesty has been using too many platitudes and has even fooled yourself?

Would someone without selfish motives seize Chang'an?

Would a person without selfish motives wield military power in the North and South?
Would a selfless person instigate a major witchcraft case?
……

"Father seems to have repented. For the sake of the nation and the people, he has made a southern tour of the world, which I have granted without exception. However, I earnestly hope that Father will be sincere and not merely putting on a show. I beg Father to see the myriad aspects of human life and, wherever he goes, to gain insights and experiences. Record the feelings of each prefecture, each country, and each county, and write them down for me, for the court, and for the world, both within and outside the capital. Such a journey will be witnessed by the sun and moon. If this can be done, it will be a blessing for all the people, a blessing for the nation, a blessing for the Han Dynasty, and a blessing for the world!"

Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tanghan's hair stood upright.

The Emperor actually wants His Majesty to see for himself the lives of the people of the Han Dynasty after twenty years of his rule?

What will I write about my thoughts and experiences? What can I write about?
It should also include a prefecture and a county.

Liu Ju looked at Sima Tan, the Grand Historian, standing to the side of the hall, and asked, "Have you memorized it?"

(End of this chapter)