Do You Know?: Rule the World

At three quarters past noon, outside the Wenhua Hall, after the guards called out the names.

Zhao Han straightened his hat and expression, took a deep breath, stepped into the hall, and respectfully performed the etiquette between the emperor and his subject.

"I, Zhao Han, editor of the Hanlin Academy, pay my respects to the Emperor."

Zhao Zhen fiercely gripped the armrests of the dragon throne, suppressing the excitement and joy in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "No...no need to be polite."

When Zhao Han stood up, he raised his eyes quietly, and unexpectedly met Zhao Zhen's burning gaze.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his eyes, holding up the Book of Documents, and said respectfully, "Today I will lecture on the nine categories of the Hong Fan for your majesty."

"Okay, my dear, there is no need to be so polite. Come closer and talk." Zhao Zhen waved to him with a smile.

Zhao Han's heart tightened slightly, but he did not dare to hesitate and immediately took a few steps forward.

"This is the great method of Heavenly Dao that Jizi taught King Wu. It begins with the Five Elements: one is water, two is fire, three is wood, four is metal, and five is earth. The Book of Han, "Records of the Five Elements," says that these five elements are the forms and qi of the Five Constant Virtues..."

Zhang Maoze, who was standing aside, had a smile on his face and looked at Zhao Han from time to time.

When he was talking about the "Five Imperial Principles, the Emperor established his ultimate," Zhao Zhen suddenly interrupted and said quietly, "I have read this passage in the Hong Fan and wonder if it has anything in common with the Zhou Li passage, 'Only the king can establish a state and distinguish the directions and correct the positions.'"

Zhao Han's heart trembled, and he replied cautiously: "Your Majesty, the two do have something in common."

"As the Hong Fan states: 'The emperor establishes his ultimate limit,' it means that the emperor should establish the doctrine of moderation and justice as the standard for the world."

"And the Zhou Li says: 'Only the king, when establishing a state, must clearly distinguish the directions and correct the positions.' This means that when a king establishes a capital and a state, he must first clearly distinguish the directions and correct the positions of the ruler and his subjects."

"I believe that the former focuses on establishing the orthodox doctrine, while the latter focuses on rectifying the status and position. However, at their core, both emphasize that the Son of Heaven should establish supreme authority so that the world can rely on it."

“As the Doctrine of the Mean says: ‘Only the Son of Heaven can discuss rituals, establish systems, or examine texts.’”

"Well said, you are worthy of being the third place winner chosen by me!"

Zhao Zhen clapped his hands and smiled, his eyes full of praise. The more he looked at Zhao Han, the more he felt that he had the demeanor of a crown prince.

After the lecture on classics and history ended, Zhao Han was about to leave when he saw a guard bowing and entering the hall and saying, "Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites, Lord Han, wishes to see you."

When Zhao Zhen heard this, the smile on his face disappeared immediately, and he couldn't help but raise his hand and frown.

Han Zhang came to see him for only one thing, which was to advise him to adopt a member of the royal family as the crown prince as soon as possible.

"Let him go back, I don't want to see him today!"

Just as the guards withdrew, Zhao Zhen's heart moved. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhao Han with a smile, "My dear minister, you are well-versed in history and have a wide knowledge of both ancient and modern times. In your opinion, how should I decide on the issue of the crown prince?"

When these words were spoken, Zhao Han was stunned and thought to himself that something was wrong.

Could it be that the government felt that it couldn't do anything to Han Zhang, and wanted to use me, a lowly official, as an example to others?

Just as Zhao Han was contemplating a countermeasure with his eyes set, Zhao Zhen said quietly, "My dear, there is no need to be so reserved."

"Today's words come out of your mouth and enter my ears. Feel free to speak freely."

"Can I really speak freely?" Zhao Han looked up at Zhao Zhen cautiously.

"Sir, I'm not kidding. If your answer today is what I want, I won't treat you unfairly."

Zhao Han took a deep breath. In his opinion, the two kings of Yong and Yan were both mediocre in ability and arrogant.

Anyone who is too ambitious and is willing to use a palace coup to seize the throne is not a good candidate for the crown prince.

As for Zhao Zongquan of Yuzhou, Zhao Han was full of disdain.

This man is cowardly and ungrateful. He just got lucky and got away with it.

In order to ascend the throne smoothly, he voluntarily adopted Zhao Zhen, never expecting to sit firmly on the throne.

This guy started to burn bridges after crossing them, disregarding etiquette and the Queen Mother's face, and insisted on honoring his biological father, Prince Shu, as the Emperor's father, and even called it "benevolent and filial."

Looking around the royal family of the Great Zhou, there is not a single talented person who can shoulder such a big responsibility.

If I could have military power, I could wait until the government was gone for a hundred years and then rebel.

After silently weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Zhao Han bowed and said, "This minister has just entered the court and has little experience. I only know that the issue of the crown prince concerns the foundation of the country and has always been decided by the emperor."

"I do have a plan that can prevent the royal family from fighting and shaking the foundation of the country, and also ensure that the selection of the crown prince is made by Your Majesty without interference from outside the court."

"Oh? Tell me about it?" Zhao Zhen raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhao Han with great interest.

Zhao Han said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please write the name of the crown prince yourself and seal it in a golden box. After the emperor's death, the ministers will jointly open the box and establish a new emperor according to the will."

"Your answer is refreshing to me. It doesn't offend anyone."

While Zhao Zhen was speaking, he thought to himself: This kid is really ruthless. Even the old ministers of the previous dynasty couldn't think of a way to escape like this.

He snorted softly and asked, "What should I do if I already have a child?"

Zhao Han's breath hitched, and he immediately said, "When we return to the imperial family, we will naturally follow the ancestral law and make the prince the crown prince. However, we need to take good care of him and send more imperial guards to protect his safety."

He remembered that any brothers or nephews who showed some prominence among the royal family were assassinated by people sent by the two kings of Yan and Yong.

Otherwise, Zhao Zongquan would not have rushed to Bian Jing.

Even if he is a prince, Prince Yong and Prince Yan will never give up on the throne until they have become successful.

The corners of Zhao Zhen's mouth rose slightly, while Zhao Han's heart was full of doubts. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

After leaving Wenhua Hall and approaching the palace gate, Zhang Maoze's voice suddenly came from behind him, "Editor Zhao, please stay!"

"Today's report on Zhao Bianxiu has won the emperor's favor. These are the rewards that the emperor has specially ordered me to deliver."

Zhao Han cast a sullen glance at the boxes behind him and whispered, "Master Zhang, is the emperor always so generous?"

Zhang Maoze had a meaningful smile on his face. "The power of heaven is unpredictable. Although I am a close minister to the emperor, I cannot always figure out the emperor's thoughts. Editor Zhao, please accept it."

"Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to report to the government."

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Chapter 55: Marrying the Sheng Family

"I heard that Editor Zhao will be marrying the girl from Master Sheng's family soon."

"To be betrothed to an official as a reward is a great honor."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Han immediately cast a probing glance, "Your Majesty actually knows about my family affairs?"

Zhang Maoze's smile deepened, and he said slowly, "Editor Zhao is right. The emperor has always been considerate of his subjects."

"Some time ago, the Duke of Yingguo's daughter came of age, and the emperor gave her a much more generous reward than this. The Duke of Yingguo was so frightened that he brought his wife and daughter to the palace to express his gratitude overnight."

Zhao Han pondered for a moment.

Then he straightened his clothes and made a solemn expression, bowing deeply towards the direction of Wenhua Hall: "Your servant Zhao Han bows to thank God for His grace."

When he returned home and saw the generous rewards in the box, his doubts deepened.

Chang Qing's eyes lit up, and as he checked the records, he said with a smile, "Brother, you've won the emperor's appreciation so quickly. I'm sure you'll rise to prominence in the future!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple..." Zhao Han said to himself.

At night, the flower hall in the backyard was brightly lit.

Zhao Han's brows were filled with an unwavering gloom. He looked at Mother Hu and asked softly, "Did my father really encounter an undercurrent on the way to Bianjing and fall into the river and die?"

When Mother Hu heard this, she was immediately startled. "Yeah, why did you suddenly ask about this?"

"It's just a little strange, that's all. Ever since I came to Bian Jing, I've always felt that things have been too smooth."

Zhao Han said this and shook his head.

"My brother is very talented. He was favored by the prefect when he was in Yangzhou, and it is natural that he will be favored by the prefect when he comes to Bianjing."

Mother Hu curled the corners of her mouth, but her eyes kept looking at the jade pendant on his waist.

After hesitating for a moment, she sighed softly, "My brother is grown up now, it's okay to talk about some things."

"Back then, the eldest lady met your brother's father while boating on the lake. They met by chance and hit it off very well. On an impulse, they secretly decided to spend their lives together."

"Who knew the good times wouldn't last long? His mother was seriously ill, so he hurried back to Beijing and insisted on taking the eldest lady with him."

"The eldest lady is worried about the old master, so she is unwilling to marry into the family. But he is determined not to marry into the family."

"What the hell is calling a tall and strong man? How can he be a live-in son-in-law? The two of them had no choice but to part ways."

"Not long after he left, the lady discovered she was pregnant and sent people to look for your father. However, they learned that the ship he was on had encountered an undercurrent and his life or death was unknown."

"When my brother was four or five years old, my wife sent someone to Bianjing to look for him. She wanted him to return to his ancestral home and leave a descendant for the Zhao family. She never expected that the Zhao family business was a hollow name."

"The lady was so angry that she forbade anyone to mention your father again."

"They only say he fell into the river to feed the fish, and nothing was found."

After listening to what Mother Hu said, Zhao Han couldn't help but feel a few black lines on his forehead.

It seems his mother was deceived!

"That's all I know."

"I originally planned to wait until my brother got married and started a family before telling him about it, but I didn't expect him to ask about it today."

Mother Hu sighed again, "After all, the eldest lady still had some affection for my brother's father. Before she died, she specifically asked me to make sure my brother kept the jade pendant."

"In my opinion, such a heartless man who cheats on others should be hung at the city gate as a warning to the public."

"He talks about deep love and friendship, but then he turns around and refuses to even tell me his real name. If he's still alive and I meet him, I'll definitely tear his hypocritical face apart!"

Zhao Han looked at Mother Hu's furious expression and could only chuckle twice, agreeing, "Then I'll fight with Mother Hu and vent my anger on her behalf."

"That's better." Upon hearing this, the anger on Mother Hu's face gradually dissipated.

Zhao Han frowned again and thought about it for a while.

He still felt that the smooth sailing of things these days seemed to have nothing to do with his father, whom he had never met and whose life or death he didn't know.

After all, which of the high-ranking officials who hold important positions in the court does not have a clean family background and a clear origin?

Even if he was going on a secret visit, he would never use a false name to deceive a decent woman and then just leave without any trace.

-

It is already the first day of May, everything is going smoothly and there are no taboos.

The door of the Zhao family mansion was wide open, and red silk was hung high under the eaves.

The servants and maids also had red silk tied around their waists. They all looked energetic, with smiles on their faces.