Disciplining Emperor Gaozu of Han

Chapter 17: Complaint

Xiahou Ying dismounted, strode over, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lü Ze, and said with a smile, "Greetings, Marquis Lü of Zhou."

"So it's Lord Teng." Lü Ze smiled and wanted to return the greeting, but he was too busy with his arms around Liu Ying and her brother's legs.

Duke Teng was Xiahou Ying's title.

"Lord Zhou, there's no need for such formalities." Xiahou Ying stepped forward and gave Lü Ze a hug; the two were very close.

Liu Bang came over, stood in the middle, put his right arm around Lü Ze's shoulder, and his left arm around Xiahou Ying's shoulder. The three of them walked arm in arm toward the city gate.

The group of scholars who accompanied him were Lü Ze's advisors. They all greeted Liu Bang, saying, "Greetings, King of Han."

Liu Bang glanced at it, too lazy to even reply.

The scholars tolerated it.

A scholar, however, could not tolerate this and stood in front of Liu Bang, questioning, "How dare I ask the King of Han why he treats us so disrespectfully?"

"You pedant, I do not need your consent to do what I do," Liu Bang said, his eyes wide and his expression unfriendly.

Everyone knows that Liu Bang was an uneducated and unskilled man who disliked scholars the most. When he was in a bad mood, he would take off the hats of scholars and urinate in them.

How could Liu Bang possibly give Sui He a friendly look when he dared to stop him?

"The King of Han treats us so lightly, he doesn't take us seriously at all." Sui He said, sticking out his neck.

"So, you're the one who's going to treat me with respect?" Liu Bang's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "What merit have you rendered that I should treat you with courtesy? What virtue have you possessed that I should treat you with courtesy? What ability have you shown that I should treat you with courtesy?"

Sui He: "..."

"You incompetent, immoral, and powerless fellow, yet you dare to presume to treat me with courtesy? Get out!" Liu Bang roared.

Sui He's face turned pale, then bluish, and he seemed about to lash out.

Lu Ze quickly stopped him: "Sui He, the King of Han has traveled a thousand miles and must be very tired. He needs to rest. If you have something to say, you can wait until the King of Han has rested before you speak."

Sui He was very unwilling, but since Lü Ze had already spoken and saved him face, he had no choice but to step aside.

"A bunch of pedantic scholars!" Liu Bang continued, relentlessly criticizing.

Sui He's expression changed.

At that moment, Lü Ze spoke up, saying to Liu Bang, "Say less."

Liu Bang glanced at Lü Ze, hesitated, then put his arm around the two of them and entered the city.

Liu Ying, perched on Lü Ze's shoulders, watched Liu Bang insult scholars, rolling his eyes inwardly. He thought to himself, "Liu Bang so disrespects scholars, showing them no regard whatsoever, yet why do scholars still hold him in such high esteem? Is it that the more contemptible someone is, the more desirable they are?"

Liu Bang was a complete rogue. He never read a book, was not only ignorant and incompetent, but also looked down on people. His disrespect for scholars was unprecedented in history. No emperor despised scholars more than Liu Bang.

This is the kind of person who has been praised by scholars throughout the ages for his great spirit, benevolence, love for others, and magnanimity.

If Liu Ying hadn't been ruthlessly kicked off the chariot by Liu Bang, he might have believed it.

This can only be explained by the fact that scholars are inherently servile; the more scholars are looked down upon, the more scholars fawn over them.

"So clean! So tidy!" Upon entering the city, Liu Ying was surprised by what she saw.

Like Feng County, Xiayi County still followed the li-fang system, with crisscrossing roads dividing the town into square, tofu-like blocks, which were called fang. Each fang was surrounded by a wall, and one had to pass through a fang gate to enter or exit. These fang gates were manned by guards.

In stark contrast to the filth and disorder of Fengxian County, the city is clean and tidy, with no litter and no droppings.

Along each road, there is a designated trash collection point at regular intervals, with wooden signs bearing reminders written in small seal script, urging people to dispose of their trash there.

The only problem is that it's deserted, with few pedestrians.

This is normal. Dang County has suffered countless wars, and the people have suffered heavy casualties, so it is naturally deserted.

Liu Bang was pleased with himself. Pointing to the place where people threw garbage by the roadside, he boasted to Liu Ying, "Ying'er, look, this is a rule I set when I was the magistrate of Dang County."

"Father is so amazing." Liu Le, a pure and innocent country girl, looked on with admiration.

Liu Bang heard this and proudly puffed out his chest.

"Where did you put Lord Shang?" Liu Ying curled his lip, thinking I was just a little kid who could be easily fooled?

Liu Bang was stunned: "..."

The practice of forcibly promoting hygiene through national laws, requiring people to maintain good environmental and personal hygiene, was introduced by Shang Yang during his reforms in the Qin state. It has been passed down for over two thousand years and has become an important part of the "Five Stresses and Four Beauties".

It can be said to have a long history.

"How old are you? Why are you still lying to Ying'er?" Lu Ze scolded.

Liu Bang opened his mouth as if to speak, but Lü Ze glared at him, and Liu Bang shut up.

As the group moved forward, Liu Ying looked around and found that Xiayi was well-preserved and had not been destroyed by the wars at the end of the Qin Dynasty.

After walking for a while, they arrived at the county government office, which was surrounded by a high and thick wall. A troop of Han soldiers stood guard at the gate, looking very disciplined. Upon seeing Liu Bang arrive, they hurriedly bowed deeply and greeted him: "Greetings, King of Han!"

"Good men of the Han Dynasty, no need for formalities." Liu Bang's attitude towards his soldiers was completely different from his attitude towards scholars like Sui He. He smiled warmly and kindly.

"Thank you, King Han!" The soldiers were overjoyed. After thanking him, they stood up.

Liu Ying rolled her eyes. Liu Bang really did treat people differently.

The county government building was quite large, arranged in three rows: left, center, and right. Led by Lü Ze, Liu Ying and his entourage headed straight for the building in the very center. This was Lü Ze's official office.

Upon entering the house, one finds a large hall, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

There is a passageway in the middle, and on both sides of the passageway, there are many short tables, which are very neatly arranged.

At the very front, there was an old long table covered with bamboo slips and wooden tablets, neatly stacked.

Liu Bang released Xiahou Ying and Lü Ze, and went straight to the back of the long table. He quickly arrived, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt on the brocade cushion.

"Your Majesty, Le'er and Ying'er are here, but where is my sister?" Lü Ze asked worriedly.

"She has been captured by that scoundrel Xiang." Liu Ying looked grief-stricken, as if he were heartbroken that Empress Lü had been captured.

"Why didn't you rescue her?" Lu Ze questioned.

"You think only she was captured? Her father and mother have both fallen into the hands of that scoundrel Xiang Yu." Liu Bang slammed his right hand on the long table and shouted in a deep voice.

"Even Liu Bang and his wife were arrested?" Lü Ze was taken aback. He had assumed that if only Empress Lü was arrested, it was Liu Bang's fault, and he could question him. But now that Liu Bang's parents were also arrested, he could no longer question them.

"Is there any news about Chen Ping?" Liu Bang asked.

"Many people fled in defeat, why are you asking about Chen Ping?" Lu Ze asked, puzzled.

After the defeat at Pengcheng, the generals were scattered and fled for their lives. Liu Bang then asked Chen Ping about it, which Lu Ze really couldn't understand.

"The minor defeat at Pengcheng gave Xiang Yu an opportunity, and he will surely take advantage of this chance to launch a major westward offensive and attack me. At this time, I have no troops at my disposal and am powerless to resist. If Xiang Yu attacks, I will surely be destroyed." Liu Bang, trying to glorify himself, actually described the disastrous defeat at Pengcheng as a minor one.

Liu Ying rolled her eyes, not in the mood to expose Liu Bang's little trick.

"Good!" Lü Ze agreed.

"On the way to Xiayi, I devised a brilliant plan that could force Ying Bu to rebel and thus keep Xiang Yu occupied." Liu Bang, oblivious to his own cleverness, claimed credit for Liu Ying's scheme: "This matter could not have been accomplished without Chen Ping!"

"Force Ying Bu to rebel?" Lü Ze's eyes lit up. "Because of the campaign against Tian Rong, King Xiang is already very dissatisfied with Ying Bu. If we use this well, we can force him to rebel. Chen Ping is familiar with King Xiang's affairs, resourceful, and most skilled in intrigue and scheming. Letting him do it is the best option!"

"Excellent!" Liu Bang nodded emphatically.

Lu Ze immediately said, "I will send someone to find out about Chen Ping right away."

"Excellent!" This is the best course of action, and Liu Bang had no objection.

Lu Ze quickly left and arranged for people to search for Chen Ping.

Watching Lü Ze's departing figure, Liu Bang said to Liu Le and Liu Ying, "Le'er, Ying'er: Do not let your uncle know that I kicked you off the carriage."

"Okay, I won't say anything." Liu Le was pleased by Liu Bang's flattery and no longer held a grudge about it, so he readily agreed.

If her ex were still alive, he would follow in her footsteps.

"Where is Ying'er?" Liu Bang asked, looking at Liu Ying.

"I won't tell," Liu Ying readily agreed, her eyes darting around.

"Good girl!" Liu Bang was overjoyed.

Not long after, Lü Ze finished arranging the search for Chen Ping and returned to the house.

Liu Ying jumped up, rushed over like the wind, grabbed Lü Ze's leg, looked up at him pitifully, and said, "Uncle, he kicked us off the car to our deaths!"