novelAbuy Chapter 49: Human hearts are fickle, and the far-sighted crown prince!
Chapter 49: Human hearts are fickle, and the far-sighted crown prince!
"Dai Zongzheng!"
Liu Ju turned his gaze to Li Xi, who was standing aside.
From Grand Master of Ceremonies to Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, this young man joined the army and followed General Wei Qing and Imperial Censor Han Anguo in many campaigns against the Xiongnu. As a Han general guarding the border, he undoubtedly experienced the ups and downs of life. The power of the Imperial Clan Court was not as great as that of the Five Directorates, and he, as Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, was more idle than anyone else.
"Your Highness."
Li Xi slowly turned his head, looking dejected.
"The Court of Imperial Clan Affairs originated in the pre-Qin period and existed during the Zhou and Qin dynasties."
"In charge of matters such as offering sacrifices at the imperial ancestral temples and imperial mausoleums, as well as compiling and maintaining the registers of the imperial family."
"During the reign of Emperor Gaozu, nine princes were enfeoffed. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, seventeen princes were enfeoffed. During the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, fourteen princes were enfeoffed. By the time Your Majesty issued the Edict of Grace, there were seventeen remaining vassal kingdoms in the country, with more than two hundred new vassal kingdoms added. Large kingdoms had no more than ten cities, and small kingdoms had no more than a few dozen li."
"The purpose of the Edict of Grace was to ensure that the emperor's favor was distributed equally, with the eldest son of a prince inheriting the throne and the other sons being enfeoffed as marquises."
"The eldest son of a feudal lord may inherit the throne indefinitely unless the line ends, but this is not the case for marquises."
"Therefore, the imperial decree could only be inherited for a maximum of three generations, and other members of the imperial clan had to fend for themselves. Some marquises were not even as well off as the powerful families of a county."
"Uh..."
Li Xi grew increasingly puzzled, not understanding what Liu meant by saying all this.
"Members of the imperial clan were never unwilling to enter officialdom, become generals, and be ennobled."
"Why doesn't the Grand Master of Ceremonies devise a good plan to recruit members of the imperial clan as soldiers, named the Imperial Guards, to protect the imperial mausoleum?"
Liu Ju said meaningfully.
Later generations criticized the Ming Dynasty for having a large number of imperial relatives. At the time of its demise, the direct descendants numbered about 20, and the collateral descendants numbered nearly one million.
However, compared to the Han dynasty's imperial family, the Ming dynasty's imperial family was nothing.
In the Western Han Dynasty alone, the direct descendants numbered over 100,000, and the collateral descendants numbered no less than several hundred thousand. Adding the Eastern Han Dynasty, the number of imperial clansmen was well over a million.
Taking Prince Jing of Zhongshan as an example, he had more than 120 children, and by the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, his descendants were countless.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, a large number of members of the imperial clan became local tyrants due to their extravagant lifestyles and dissolute behavior, which seriously damaged the reputation of the imperial clan. This decline directly contributed to the rise of the power of the maternal relatives, providing an opportunity for Wang Mang to usurp the throne.
Liu Ju would not allow this to continue. His reprimand of the imperial clan members was driven by a deeper purpose.
"Zongwei!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xi's eyes lit up. This suggestion was absolutely feasible.
Since the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han, it has become a common practice to relocate powerful clans from Guandong to Lingyi, thereby weakening local power and consolidating central authority.
North of the Wei River, there are currently five mausoleum complexes: Changling, Anling, Baling, Yangling, and Maoling, which is still under construction.
The population of Maoling alone reached over 200,000, and the combined population of the other mausoleum towns was no less than 500,000.
Two groups stood out most on the streets of Chang'an: the "good sons of the six prefectures" and the "bad boys of the five mausoleums."
Unlike the positive image of the respectable young men from the Six Counties, the villainous youths of the Five Mausoleums are all negative figures. These young men, originally from powerful clans in the Guandong region, acted independently under the rule of the Han Dynasty, gathering to resist the government. There were chivalrous heroes who were quick to avenge wrongs, as well as domineering playboys, and even bandits who wreaked havoc on the area.
These people have become a destabilizing factor for the Han Dynasty. How could Emperor Wu of Han disagree with establishing the Zongwei (Imperial Guard) to deal with these unruly youths from the Five Mausoleums?
"Your Highness is truly talented; I admire you!"
Li Xi was shocked by the Crown Prince's suggestion.
"It's getting late, so I won't keep you any longer."
"Someone, see the guest out!"
Liu Ju issued an order to leave.
"We take our leave!"
Shi Qing, Gongsun He, and Li Xi tactfully withdrew from the main hall, and Shi De, the Crown Prince's attendant, saw them out.
"Nothing."
"Go to the Imperial Stud Temple early tomorrow morning to discuss this with your uncle."
"The Crown Prince's palace requires at least 2,400 warhorses and 2,000 packhorses."
"promise."
The Crown Prince's servant, Wu Qie, immediately accepted the order.
"Zhang Guang".
"The Crown Prince's left and right guards were combined, and his subordinate officials were replaced. A new Crown Prince's Guardian was appointed."
"From this day forward, the Crown Prince's Palace shall be divided into three temples: the Imperial Household Temple, the Imperial Household Department Temple, and the Imperial Household Servant Temple."
"The Shuaigeng Temple was responsible for the Crown Prince's palace guards, water clocks, timekeeping, rituals and music, and punishments."
"Except for the restrictions on the palace gates and the garrison troops, which are the responsibility of the Left and Right Guards, all other responsibilities fall to you."
Liu Ju glanced at Zhang Guang, the Crown Prince's Chief of Staff, and said coldly.
"promise."
Zhang Guang's face lit up with joy; this meant he would have far too much power.
"You have nothing else to do, so you may leave."
Liu Ju waved his hand and said calmly.
"promise."
The Crown Prince's attendant, Wu Qie, and the Crown Prince's assistant, Zhang Guang, left the main hall one after the other.
After everyone had left, Zhang He, the Crown Prince's steward, couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Your Highness just now..."
"Are you asking why I didn't reveal the entire plan?"
With a deep gaze, Liu Ju said inexplicably, "If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life; if matters are not kept secret, they will lead to disaster."
"You're oversimplifying things. Shi Gong, Gongsun He, and Li Xi—weren't they all carrying the lives of their entire families on their shoulders?"
"Will they be willing to do anything to make the same decision as us and confront His Majesty?"
"If we reveal all this today, the Crown Prince's palace will be surrounded by the Imperial Guards tomorrow."
"this...."
Zhang He's expression changed drastically, revealing a look of apprehension.
"Zhang He, whether you say it or not is not important."
"The important thing is how to do it."
Liu Ju said, word by word, "As long as the Imperial Academy can successfully establish an educational system throughout the country, then these trained students will become my backup officials in controlling the country, and that will be enough."
"There is also Zongwei, which is a potential force. As long as I succeed, Li Xi will surrender immediately."
"As for the Taipu Temple, horses are an indispensable means of transportation and mounts for the army. Without horses, the army is like a legless army."
"Through the Imperial Stud, I can selectively support some border troops who are close to me or whom I can control."
People's hearts are restless, and he was very clear about one thing: Shi Qing, Gongsun He, Li Xi and others might support him to become emperor, but these people would never support him to rebel now. Such things are never easy.
It's better to say nothing. Once it's happened, they'll have no choice but to take sides, and that's enough.
"call!!!"
Zhang He exhaled a breath of stale air, still feeling a bit shaken. Only now did he realize the foresight of Crown Prince Liu Ju.
In a sense, not everyone was as disillusioned with Emperor Wu of Han as he was, which is why they followed the Crown Prince down the path of no return.
Most people still revered Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, as the Son of Heaven. Whether it was respect or fear, this would become a factor in their rejection of rebellion.
PS: "豪右" specifically refers to wealthy and powerful families in feudal society. Because the right side was considered an honorable position in Han Dynasty society, powerful families were called "豪右".