The First Family of the Red Mansion

In the imperial study, Liu Hu recounted his personal experiences during the western expedition to Emperor Anping and his son. Of course, he only talked about what he saw; he didn't mention anything else, whether he heard about it or learned about it from battle reports.

At this moment, Liu Hu began to become cautious.

Although Emperor Anping still seemed as kind and generous as ever, and the Crown Prince as gentle and refined as ever, a dragon is still a dragon after all, and it will eat people.

Emperor Anping and his son listened to Liu Hu's explanation as if they were there, and occasionally let out a gasp of amazement and cheers.

However, Emperor Anping was clearly not a good listener. Whenever Liu Hu got into the story, he would interrupt Liu Hu and repeatedly ask questions about some details and doubts.

In particular, when Liu Hu mentioned that they were crossing the desert and were about to run out of water when they happened to find a water source, he even had someone bring a map on the spot and asked Liu Hu to point out the exact location of the water source.

They then took out ancient books from the Hexi Corridor for verification.

This action made Liu Hu break out in a cold sweat.

If it weren't for the fact that there was actually a water source here in history, he wouldn't know how he would have been able to get through this situation.

By the time Liu Hu finished speaking, it was already dark.

Emperor Anping and his son remained in high spirits, seemingly still enjoying themselves.

"Gurgle..."

In the end, Liu Hu was so hungry that his stomach started to rumble, and no one knew how long they would talk.

"Forehead……"

The commotion in their stomachs brought Emperor Anping and his son back to their senses. They exchanged a glance, and then Emperor Anping burst into laughter: "It's my fault. I was so focused on the war that I let our great heroes go hungry."

"Father is also worried about the affairs of the country, which complements General Liu's bravery and wisdom."

"One sits in the court to govern, while the other displays his military prowess abroad; they are truly a model of ruler and minister throughout the ages."

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Liu Hu immediately prostrated himself on the ground, trembling with fear, and said, "Your Majesty's wisdom shines upon all, and this humble general would not dare to have such a thought even if it meant death ten thousand times over."

"Damn it, I haven't offended him at all, so why is he trying to kill me right from the start?"

They elevate themselves to the same level as Emperor Anping, and even claim to be a model of ruler and minister.

Bah, you're just greedy for my Six Yang Master.

Seeing Liu Hu's reaction, Emperor Anping immediately understood the Crown Prince's thoughts. He glanced at the Crown Prince indifferently and said calmly, "I am tired. Liu Hu, you may leave now."

"Your Majesty, I take my leave!"

Although he didn't know what Emperor Anping was thinking, Liu Hu could only obediently leave the imperial study.

"General Liu, the palace is now locked up. His Majesty has instructed me to take you to a side hall to rest."

As Liu Hu left the imperial study, he wiped the cold sweat from his brow and was still trying to recall when he had offended the Crown Prince when Dai Quan approached him.

"I'm in trouble with the Minister!"

"It is our family's honor to be able to share His Majesty's burdens. General Liu, please come with us."

……

Why did you do that just now?

After Liu Hu had gone far away, Emperor Anping looked at the Crown Prince with a livid face.

The Crown Prince hurriedly knelt before Emperor Anping, asking in a panic, "Father, what do you mean? What did I do wrong just now?"

"Do you think I'm a fool? Even Liu Hu could see the hidden meaning in your words. Do you think you can hide it from me?"

As he spoke, he picked up the paperweight beside him and threw it at the prince.

With a "crack!", a priceless paperweight shattered into pieces on the floor.

"It is precisely because he discerned that we must be even more vigilant towards him, Father!"

"Liu Hu is young but quick-witted and meticulous in his actions. What's more, he's a skilled warrior! And not just any warrior."

"Father, didn't you realize? This is another Sima Yi!"

"Insolence!" Emperor Anping was furious. He had thought the Crown Prince would give some reason, but this was all he could come up with.

"If Liu Hu is Sima Yi, then wouldn't I be like Cao Rui, who heavily relies on Sima Yi?"

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You're just afraid that you won't be able to control Liu Hu in the future."

"Liu Hu is younger than you, and he has the looks of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing."

"You think you can't be Emperor Wu of Han, so you want to use me to get rid of him as soon as possible."

"I don't think he's a major threat to the Great Zhou, but rather a stumbling block to Your Highness's ascension to the throne," I said.

Upon hearing Emperor Anping's words, the Crown Prince turned deathly pale.

"Father is wise; Your Majesty has seen through my thoughts clearly."

The crown prince knew that continuing to argue was useless, so he might as well admit it openly.

"Father, it has been more than sixty years since the founding of our Great Zhou Dynasty. Except for the last ten years of Emperor Taizu and the more than ten years after Father ascended the throne, there has been no war."

"For the remaining nearly forty years, the court waged war year after year. Emperor Taizong launched six northern expeditions, which not only depleted the accumulated wealth of Emperor Taizu's reign, but also caused a huge deficit in the national treasury."

"This western expedition will also deplete the accumulation of the previous ten years or so."

"Throughout history, which dynasty has launched large-scale wars so frequently since its founding as my Great Zhou?"

"Father, if this continues, the people will be overwhelmed!"

"Bullshit! I think those civil officials have corrupted your brain!"

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Emperor Anping was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

He never imagined that the once valiant and decisive Crown Prince, the one he was so proud of, would have such thoughts in his heart.

He wanted to lay down arms and promote civil administration, allowing the people to recuperate and rebuild their lives. How could he not want that?

Of course he wanted to, but he couldn't, because the Great Zhou Dynasty was vastly different from all previous dynasties.

There is a severe imbalance between the North and the South!

"You only think that the Great Zhou needs to recuperate and rebuild, but do you know what the consequences will be?"

Although Emperor Anping was somewhat disappointed with the Crown Prince at this time, he had not yet reached the point of giving up.

"As long as the Great Zhou can recuperate for twenty years, then Father Emperor will surely be able to create an unprecedented golden age and accomplish the great feat of becoming the greatest emperor in history."

"Stupid!" Emperor Anping uttered a single word, a hint of worry in his eyes as he looked at the Crown Prince.

"If our Great Zhou takes twenty years to recuperate, all the civil and military officials will become the henchmen of the southern gentry, and the entire court will be controlled by them."

"At that time, the imperial power will be swallowed up by them, the military merits will be suppressed by them, and the entire Great Zhou will become their granary and treasury. Even greater disasters than those of the former Ming Dynasty will befall the Great Zhou."

"Do you think Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong didn't know that years of war would exhaust the people and waste resources?"

Emperor Anping said solemnly.

"Putting aside the deep-seated blood feud with the three tribes, how can the Great Zhou give the people of the north a chance to enter the imperial court without war?"

"They can pass the imperial examination..." the crown prince said indignantly.

"But by then, there was no one left in the north!"

"After the plunder and massacre by the three tribes, when the Great Zhou was founded, the entire northern land and rivers had a population of less than ten million."

"Except for the Duke Yansheng, who surrendered to the three tribes early on, almost all the scholars in the north were killed or plundered."

"Don't say that's how it should be in the North; you're wrong, the North shouldn't be like this at all!"

"If it weren't for the fierce resistance from the north, there would have been no peace and prosperity in the south, and Emperor Taizu would not have had the opportunity to rebuild the country."

"If the checks and balances of the northern military forces are lost, relying solely on those incorrigible southern scholars..."

"Oh……"

Emperor Anping scoffed, "Those so-called Chu Party and Donglin Party that have recently emerged, besides being quick-witted, they use all their other skills on the courtesans in brothels. If they were to govern the country, it wouldn't be long before it perished!"

"Now do you understand why the emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty dared not stop to recuperate?"

"If the Great Zhou stops, those southern gentry will swarm in and devour the entire Great Zhou."

"Your subject... understands! But..."

"I understand what you mean, but at least for now, I cannot stop. I absolutely cannot stop until the north is fully recovered."

"Once the war is over, the military officials, who are mainly from the north, will quickly decline, and the court will become dominated by the civil officials from the south."

"Moreover, whenever there is war, the imperial court can replenish the north by drawing supplies from the south."

"Only by maintaining the military strength through continuous warfare can the civil officials be prevented from acting recklessly, and the north can recover its strength as soon as possible."

"Moreover, military officials are different from civil officials. Although military officials use the court's silver and grain to gain wealth and honor for themselves and their descendants, they can also expand the territory of the Great Zhou and deter villains."

"But if this silver is given to civil officials, they will often just take it back to their own homes, leaving behind a lot of public resentment for the Great Zhou."

"When these public grievances accumulate to the point where they cannot be suppressed, the Great Zhou Dynasty will perish."

"For those southern gentry, it's just a change of dynasty. Does governing the country really require their help?"

Emperor Anping's words left the Crown Prince struggling to process them.

No, are civil officials from the South really that bad?

But upon closer reflection, I realized that very few of the scholars I had encountered were actually capable of handling affairs. The vast majority of them were only good at talking and trying to figure out people's thoughts, and were of no use whatsoever in governing the people and bringing peace to the country.

In fact, the Crown Prince and Emperor Anping have fallen into a misunderstanding. The South is a place of flourishing culture and learning; how could it possibly be inhabited by those who embezzle the country?

It's just that there are too many corrupt officials who embezzle the country. Those who have real talent are mostly ostracized and suppressed by them, making it difficult for them to rise to prominence, and the emperor simply doesn't see them.

Occasionally a few would stand out, but all of them were people with powerful backgrounds. Those mediocre people simply couldn't suppress them, but they also became the source of material for those empty talkers to elevate the Southern scholars.

The large aristocratic class in the south produced many patriotic and insightful individuals, but also a great many greedy and mediocre people.

However, Emperor Anping's wariness of the southern scholars turned out to be a lucky accident.

Historically, this period coincided with the rise of the Zhejiang Party, the Hubei Party, and the Donglin Party in the south.

It was that group of bastards who personally handed over the Han people's land to the Manchus.

If these people were to truly control the court, not to mention the upcoming natural disasters, the factional strife alone would be enough to bring down the Great Zhou dynasty.

The catastrophe of decades ago did not cause much damage to Jiangnan. After decades of development during the Zhou Dynasty, the Donglin Party and the Zhejiang Party still stubbornly reappeared.

However, the Great Zhou Dynasty was not like the late Ming Dynasty. Not to mention the Donglin Party and Zhejiang Party, which had just begun to emerge, even the civil officials who had become important ministers in the court could only restrain their greed under the suppression of the powerful imperial authority and the still vigorous Wu Xun.

After returning to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince no longer displayed the fear and awe he had shown in front of Emperor Anping.

He sat behind his desk, exuding the majesty of a crown prince.

"Your Highness..."

"Master Xu, from this day forward, until I ascend the throne, I will no longer be able to win over the meritorious officials of the Western Expedition."

The prince looked at his teacher sitting opposite him and gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Your Highness, the Western Expeditionary Army is a military force that His Majesty has cultivated for himself, and no one is allowed to interfere with it."

"Although we have offended Liu Hu, the future leader of the western expedition, we have also made His Majesty lower his guard against His Highness."

"Whether it's the founding line or the Northern Expedition line, they will only be loyal to the imperial power. Only the rising Western Expedition line will have the opportunity to intervene."

"Now that Your Highness has cut off the opportunity to interfere in the Western Expedition, His Majesty will not be keeping an eye on Your Highness for a while."

"Your Highness is the eldest son of the legitimate wife. As long as he does not arouse His Majesty's suspicion, he is destined to ascend the throne in the future."

"Won't Liu Hu then serve His Highness?"

"Decades later, when Liu Hu is of age to realize his great ambitions, that will be the time for Your Highness to fulfill your aspirations."

"What we need right now is stability, to keep His Majesty calm. This is the most important thing."

Xu Shi was a scholar in his forties. Unlike most of the civil officials in the court, as a northern scholar, he knew that if he entered the court, he would definitely be ostracized and suppressed by the southern scholars who occupied most of the court.

Therefore, after the Crown Prince took over the Eastern Palace, he volunteered to come and became the Crown Prince's advisor.

He believed that with his own schemes, he could ensure the Crown Prince's smooth ascension to the throne. Once he entered the court, who could suppress him?

"That being said, we have also completely entrusted our lives to our father."

As a grown prince, he lacked a sense of security.

Although his position as crown prince is currently secure, don't forget that Emperor Anping is not yet forty years old.

In the next ten or twenty years, who can guarantee that their position as crown prince will remain so secure?

"Your Highness, His Majesty is your father!"

Xu Shi solemnly advised, "What you need to do now is to hide yourself behind His Majesty, so that His Majesty can entrust his back to you with peace of mind. Do nothing else."

"Don't forget, one of your study companions is still at the Hanlin Academy right now."

"Master Xu is referring to Jia..."

Master Xu hurriedly stopped him from saying the man's name: "Although that man passed the imperial examination, don't forget that his father was the commander of the capital garrison, and his uncle was the commander of the Lantian garrison. They are the pillars of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the foremost military officers."

"Even if something unexpected happens, we are not without a fighting chance."

"The Western Expedition lineage may become an important force in the army in the future, but its rise is still short and it is ultimately not as well-founded as the founding lineage."

"Well, that's all we can do!"

After listening to Master Xu's analysis, the Crown Prince could only sigh in the end.

At this moment, he absolutely cannot arouse his father's suspicion, otherwise even as the eldest son, his deposition or ascension to the throne is entirely up to Emperor Anping.

Liu Hu never imagined that it was because he had gained Emperor Anping's favor that he became the Crown Prince's pledge of allegiance to reassure Emperor Anping.

Even before entering the imperial court, one could already sense the undercurrent of danger beneath the seemingly calm surface.