A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

When Marquis Wei Qing of Yan died, many people in Chang'an spontaneously wore mourning clothes for him. The city of Chang'an was draped in white, and countless people were heartbroken. Only the Wei family members' grief was feigned.

Even his own younger brother, Wei Yu, slapped his thigh hard.

I feel so fortunate that his brother died like that.

This is truly a display of filial piety.

As a military general, he had had enough of his body's aged appearance.

He longed for his youth, for the powerful physique he possessed.

He was a military general who fought many battles throughout his life and suffered numerous hidden injuries.

It's understandable that he didn't live as long as his brother.

It's settled then.

Wei Yu thought for a moment. He wanted to express their deep brotherly love and their willingness to follow their elder brother in death.

However, another event in the 18th year of Emperor Jing of Han shattered his idea, as Emperor Jing fell ill that year.

The Han Dynasty could not afford to lose its three pillars at the same time: its elder brother, Emperor Jing of Han, and himself.

Emperor Jing of Han's son, Liu Che, was still young and underage.

If all three of them die, who knows how much of the foundation that the brothers have painstakingly built up over the years will be depleted.

The 18th year of Emperor Jing of Han.

Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, suddenly caught a cold. Historically, he should have died in the sixteenth year of his reign.

However, due to the lack of access to the health preservation methods mentioned above and the effects of tonics such as ginseng, shark fin, bird's nest, abalone, and cordyceps, Emperor Jing of Han did not feel his body beginning to age until the 17th year of his reign.

Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, was never afraid of the cold winters, but this time he fell ill.

Realizing that he was entering his twilight years, Emperor Jing of Han issued an edict to change the name of his tenth son, Liu Zhi, to Liu Che, promote him to the position of Crown Prince, and establish Wang Zhi as Empress.

Unlike the previous Crown Prince Liu Rong, this time both the Crown Prince and the Empress were established, indicating that Emperor Jing of Han truly hoped that Liu Che would ascend the throne.

Moreover, Emperor Jing of Han said on many occasions that this son was like him.

If this son is unlike me, it is the reason why many crown princes of the Han Dynasty were deposed.

In contrast, this kind of person is the reason why many non-eldest sons of the Han dynasty were made crown princes.

In the 21st year of Emperor Jing of Han's reign, Liu Qi's life came to an end.

Compared to history, Emperor Jing of Han in this world lived 5 years longer.

He survived until Liu Che was almost an adult.

In the Han Dynasty, 20 was considered the age of adulthood. In that year, Liu Che was actually 19 years old, but 20 by the traditional Chinese age reckoning.

In the Han Dynasty, many ages referred to in the modern sense, specifically the nominal age.

Therefore, it can be said that Liu Che was already an adult in this year.

After presiding over Liu Che's coming-of-age ceremony, Emperor Jing of Han finally succumbed to his illness and passed away.

Before his death, he issued an edict appointing Wei Yu as Grand General and Dou Ying as Chancellor, with the two jointly assisting in governing the country.

Furthermore, the Wei family was granted the responsibility of overseeing the imperial harem.

If any member of the imperial harem intends to usurp the emperor's authority, the Wei family is permitted to execute them first and report later.

The Annals of Emperor Jing (Book of Han)

Emperor Jing, whose personal name was Qi, was the eldest son of Emperor Xiaowen. Inheriting the wise rule of Emperor Wen, he continued the dynasty's legacy, diligently following the teachings of Huang-Lao (the Way of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi), focusing on agriculture, reducing taxes and corvée labor, and helping the people to start anew. At the beginning of the reign, the feudal lords were arrogant and unruly, and the states of Wu and Chu formed an alliance and rebelled. The emperor, remaining steadfast in his rule, adopted Chao Cuo's strategy of weakening the power of the vassal states, ordering Wei Yu to lead an army eastward to quell the rebellion. Within ten days, the rebellion was quelled, and the state was at peace. Later, he issued an edict of benevolence, extending its benefits to all sons of the Liu family throughout the land, a testament to his virtuous governance.

In his administration, he valued frugality, reduced the expenditure on palaces, and prohibited the extravagance of gardens and parks; his laws were lenient and fair, and his legal proceedings were simple and efficient, so that the people had no complaints of injustice. Later, he favored Consort Li and deposed Crown Prince Rong, installing Prince Che of Jiaodong as emperor, thus laying the foundation for the prosperity of the Han Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Jing, the territory was expanded to Zhuyai, Taiwan, and Japan. Wealth was gathered from all directions, granaries were full, treasuries were overflowing, all directions submitted to the emperor, and the country was at peace. His reign, along with that of his father Emperor Wen, is known as the "Rule of Wen and Jing".

Emperor Jing died in the twenty-first year of his reign at the age of fifty-three, and was posthumously honored as Emperor Xiaojing.

......

All the feudal lords and kings in the land breathed a sigh of relief.

The emperor who had been targeting them at every turn finally left.

First, Emperor Wen of Han used a soft approach to gradually weaken them, and then Emperor Jing of Han dealt with them with both harsh measures and ruthless methods.

They have it so tough.

Little did they know that they were about to face an even more ruthless emperor.

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.

Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of Han believed that they still had Liu blood in them, so they were somewhat concerned about blood ties and their reputation in history.

Liu Che was different; he was a true political machine who didn't care about such things. If you offended him, he could really make you die without an heir!

After Liu Che ascended the throne, with the support of two veteran ministers, Wei Yu and Dou Ying, he quickly took over the power of the emperor.

He seemed born to be an emperor, possessing an instant grasp of various political tactics and wielding them with ease.

In this life, with the support of the Wei family, neither the Empress Dowager nor the Empress Dowager could oppose his decisions.

He seized power immediately upon ascending the throne.

This made him want to do something, but now the Han Dynasty was surrounded by foreign barbarians who had submitted, the country was enjoying good weather and abundant harvests, and the court was relatively clean and efficient.

This left him with no opportunity to use his abilities.

They could only watch helplessly as the big man slowly grew stronger, without any sense of accomplishment.

This continued for three years. Just as Emperor Wu of Han had stabilized the court, Wei Yu finally could no longer bear his scarred and aged body.

He followed in the footsteps of his father and elder brother, passing away peacefully.

Liu Che was recognized as the successor by Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, when he was young.

Therefore, under the arrangement of Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, he studied under Wei Qing and Wei Yu respectively.

He learned how to handle government affairs under Wei Qing and how to wage war under Wei Yu.

Moreover, the Wei family was loyal and devoted, and had no desire for power. Emperor Wu of Han was naturally heartbroken when such a minister passed away.

What concerned him even more was that after Wei Yu's death, Dou Ying was the only remaining regent in the court.

The other senior officials were simply not qualified to compete with Dou Ying for power.

Moreover, Empress Dowager Dou is still alive.

The power balance in the imperial court will be disrupted.

Emperor Wu of Han was somewhat worried.

So, before his death, Wei Yu offered some advice to the still very young and inexperienced Emperor Wu of Han.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the Wei family still exists."

"Wei happy is now the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and the entire nation's financial power is in his hands."

"Lu'er has fought in the north and south for many years, and is more than capable of carrying the army's banner."

"With the late emperor's edict, the Dou family alone cannot cause any trouble."

"The world won't descend into chaos."

Afterwards, before his death, Wei Yu, in front of his four brothers, explained to Emperor Wu of Han the arrangements made by the Wei family to stabilize the court.

He saw through Emperor Wu of Han's true nature at a glance, finding him to be even more callous than his father, Emperor Jing of Han.

This was done in order to reduce Emperor Wu of Han's suspicion of the Wei family in the future.

Biography of Marquis Wu'an, Yu, in the Book of Han

Marquis Wu'an, Wei Yu, was the second son of King Ping of Zhongwu. Inheriting his father's martial prowess, he was the bravest warrior in the army. On a mission to the Xiongnu, he swept through their cavalry, achieving resounding victories. His archery feat at the gate of the camp astonished all present, terrifying the Xiongnu. Ten days later, he quelled the Rebellion of the Seven States, his power shaking the world, and he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu'an. From then on, he fought in the south and north for decades without a single defeat. The surrounding barbarians trembled at the mere mention of his name, daring not to invade the Han. He died in the third year of Emperor Wu of Han's reign and was posthumously honored with the title "Zhuang" (壮).