novelAbuy Chapter 5: A direct confrontation, I will not allow it!
Chapter 5: A direct confrontation, I will not allow it!
The scene that unfolded in front of the palace completely shocked everyone in Ganquan Palace.
Not only Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, but also Su Wen, the Commandant of the Guards of Ganquan and the Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate, noticed the changes in Crown Prince Liu Ju.
"Is Father Emperor satisfied?"
Liu Ju remained calm and spoke directly.
"Crown Prince."
For the first time, Liu Che felt unfamiliar with his eldest son.
The Crown Prince's guest, Shen Yu, violated the laws of the Han Dynasty by riding his carriage on the imperial road. Jiang Chong, the Imperial Censor, detained him, but he had done nothing wrong.
Unfortunately, Jiang Chong made the decision on his own without consulting the Crown Prince.
In other words, Jiang Chong attempted to use the power granted to him by Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, to overwhelm the power of the Crown Prince as the heir apparent.
The crown prince is also a ruler, and the power of the monarch is supreme and cannot be desecrated by a mere subject.
Liu Ju executed Jiang Chong on the grounds of usurpation, and the people of the land naturally did not object.
Moreover, he has now publicly ordered the execution of the culprit, and everything seems so reasonable.
Everyone knew that the Crown Prince was provoking His Majesty because the person he killed was the Imperial Censor personally appointed by Emperor Wu of Han, which was a contempt for imperial authority.
"Giggle!"
Standing in the corner, Su Wen, the Yellow Gate Attendant, watched Crown Prince Liu Ju with a mixture of fear and secret delight.
He was once just a lowly eunuch in Weiyang Palace, whose name was rarely remembered. Every day, he humbly wiped the spotless pillars. His existence was like a speck of dust in the palace, which would be scattered by the wind.
He had only made some minor mistakes, and the Crown Prince had ordered him to be punished, though of course, he wouldn't be punished as severely as he is today.
Despite this, Su Wen harbored resentment towards Crown Prince Liu Ju. Taking advantage of the growing conflict between the emperor and the crown prince, he would occasionally sow discord between himself and Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, all in an effort to regain the dignity he had once lost.
Today's events were indeed beyond his expectations; Jiang Chong's audacity was the beginning of his further testing of the Crown Prince.
The crown prince's reaction was extremely strong, almost completely overturning his previous image. He openly confronted Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, and the friction between the father and son moved from the shadows to the open, even reaching a fever pitch.
"I heard that Father Emperor wants to take the Marquis of Champion with him to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony."
Liu Ju said calmly.
*Whoosh!*
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, stared intently at the crown prince before him, his dragon eyes flashing with a chilling light.
Next year will mark his thirtieth year on the throne. He has decided to hold the Fengshan ceremony, ascend Mount Tai, and offer sacrifices to heaven and earth. This is not only an emperor's prayer to heaven, but also a grand ceremony in which he single-handedly propelled the Han Empire to an unprecedented golden age.
Before this, only Qin Shi Huang performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai and inscribed a stone to praise his virtues, which shows its importance!
Such a grand ceremony requires countless human, material, and financial resources.
The Crown Prince had always supported frugality and allowing the people to rest and recuperate, which led Liu Che to believe that he had come to dissuade him from performing the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.
"I disagree!"
Liu Ju's clear voice once again resounded throughout the hall.
"What did you say?"
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, was filled with raging anger, and his hoarse voice was filled with the unquestionable authority of an emperor.
*Thud!*
Everyone around them knelt down, feeling the air pressure constantly dropping, death surrounding them.
The once mighty rulers who expanded their territories and conquered vast territories are now being ruthlessly eroded by time and disease.
Emperor Wu of Han became suspicious and irritable, and obsessed with the dream of immortality woven by alchemists.
In stark contrast to him was Crown Prince Liu Ju.
The crown prince was kind and benevolent, and his political views were moderate. He gathered a group of Confucian scholars and officials who advocated leniency in punishment around him.
The father and son's philosophies on governing the country have long been diametrically opposed.
This is a secret known to everyone in Chang'an, yet no one dares to speak of it.
The Han Empire was in the hands of this father and son, and everyone lived in the shadow of their power struggles, holding their breath to survive.
I said, I disagree.
Liu Ju stepped forward and directly retorted to Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che's words.
"Liu Ju".
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, roared so loudly that it shook the entire Ganquan Palace.
"Please address Your Majesty as Crown Prince!"
Liu Ju's dark robe was speckled with bloodstains, the marks left from killing Jiang Chong.
This young crown prince showed his talent and went head-to-head with Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.
"I am the true Emperor of the Han Dynasty!"
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, had veins bulging on his hands behind his back, his heart filled with unprecedented anger.
"Your Majesty is of course the Emperor, the only Emperor of the Great Han."
"But I am not only the Crown Prince, I also have the blood of the Liu and Wei families flowing in my veins."
"Without the Marquis of Changping and the Marquis of Jingheng, who fought valiantly on the battlefield, how could we have the Tianhan Empire we know today?"
"Champion Jing Henghou died young, leaving behind only his bloodline."
"Today, it is not only I who disagree with Your Majesty taking him to Mount Tai, but also the millions of soldiers of the Han Dynasty."
Liu Ju's fierce expression and cold gaze conveyed a resolute determination and unwavering resolve, as if he were about to draw his sword.
"What are you worried about?"
"Do you think I did it?"
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, roared angrily, his voice echoing throughout the palace.
There are many doubts surrounding Huo Qubing's death. There are many speculations among the people that he killed Huo Qubing. Anyone could question him, but Liu Ju could not, because Huo Qubing was the champion marquis he had personally trained and the most satisfying work of his life.
"Does belief or disbelief matter?"
Looking at Emperor Wu of Han, who had lost his imperial demeanor, Liu Ju said calmly, "Your Majesty should ask them whether they believe it or not."
"If my cousin's only bloodline were to perish at the Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai, what would the world think?"
"I am not only His Majesty's son, but also Huo Shan's cousin."
"The Wei and Huo families have sacrificed too much for the Han Dynasty, and I will not allow any mishap to happen to them."
"Not even His Majesty."
boom!!!!
The words, like a bolt from the blue, exploded in the hall, and everyone wished they could bury their heads in the ground.
Once this conversation between the emperor and the crown prince gets out, the world will surely be in turmoil.
"you....."
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, seemed to have lost all his energy and sat slumped on his couch.
"His Majesty!"
The eunuchs on either side were terrified upon seeing this and wanted to step forward to help him up.
"You may all leave now; no one may enter without an imperial edict."
"Commander of the Guards, immediately seal off Ganquan Palace."
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, waved his hand and said in a hoarse voice.
"promise."
Feeling uneasy, Huangmen Shilang Su Wen quickly told the surrounding eunuchs to leave.
The Commandant of Ganquan Guard only glanced at Crown Prince Liu Ju before turning and leaving the main hall.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
The guards kept the main hall doors tightly shut, holding long halberds and standing with their eyes fixed straight ahead.
For a time, Ganquan Palace became a closed world, and no one knew what was happening inside.
PS: Huo Shan (120 BC – 110 BC), courtesy name Zihou.
In the first year of Yuanding (116 BC), he inherited the title of Marquis of Champion, was appointed Attendant-in-Ordinary, and later served as Commandant of the Imperial Carriage.
In the first year of the Yuanfeng era (110 BC), when Emperor Wu of Han performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, he took Huo Shan to the summit alone. Shortly after descending the mountain, Huo Shan suddenly fell ill and died at the young age of ten. Because he had no heir, the Marquisate of Champion was abolished.