Xiao He smiled slightly. Of course, it was the will of Heaven, except that this Heaven belonged to the Xiang family!
Chapter 206 Covenant
Liu Ying, who was not good at archery, hit the edge of the target twice, while Liu Ruyi, who came prepared, missed the target twice. Such a coincidence could not be an exaggeration to say that it was fate.
Even Lady Qi and Liu Ruyi dared not argue anymore after hearing this. The ancients were superstitious about destiny. Back then, Zhang Liang fabricated a rumor about the five stars gathering in Kui for Liu Ji, which made many people believe that Liu Ji was the true Son of Heaven.
All the officials in the court knew that the outcome of the succession crisis was already decided.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Liu Ying will remain the crown prince. It's Zhao Wang's own fault for not seizing the opportunity; he has no one to blame but himself.
"We'll discuss this later," Liu Ji snorted. "Shen Shiqi, Zhao Yao, why didn't Prince Lu Wan of Yan attend the state banquet?"
Shen Shiqi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Yan is ill and has closed his doors to visitors. Your humble servant and Minister Zhao were unable to see him. Later, we investigated and learned that the Prince of Yan had said to his favored ministers:"
Now, the only non-Liu family members who are kings are myself and the King of Changsha. Last spring, the court exterminated the Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, and in the summer, it executed Peng Yue; both were orchestrated by Empress Lü. Now the emperor is ill, and all political affairs are decided by Empress Lü. Empress Lü is specifically looking for pretexts to execute the non-Liu family kings and great meritorious officials.
"Hmph! Utter nonsense! I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly, I am innocent..." Empress Lü sobbed.
"Your Majesty, do not panic. How could I listen to the slander of petty men? Since it was said by the Prince of Yan to his favored minister, how could it be found out so easily?" Liu Ji said, then looked at Zhao Yao.
"Your Majesty! I have also discovered that Zhang Sheng, under the command of the Prince of Yan, frequently travels to and from the Xiongnu, seemingly harboring rebellious intentions!" Zhao Yao said, bowing.
“Zhang Sheng? Is that the one Lu Wan requested the extermination of his clan before saying it was a mistake?” Liu Ji asked.
“That’s right. According to our investigation, this person has a close relationship with Zang Yan, the son of the rebel Zang Tu who fled to the Xiongnu.” Zhao Yao replied.
Chen Ping also stepped forward, “Your Majesty! According to the confession of the traitor Chen Xi, after Chen Xi rebelled, the Prince of Yan secretly communicated with him and sent messengers to him, trying to persuade Chen Xi to flee and to maintain an alliance with Yan.”
"Hahaha... What a Prince of Yan! What a Lu Wan! I treated him like a brother and made him a king, but how did he treat me? He changed after being made a king! He wanted to rebel against me! Kings of different surnames are indeed unreliable!" Liu Ji sighed.
In fact, Lu Wan's secret contact with Chen Xi had been going on for a long time, but it was only revealed after Chen Xi was killed.
To put it bluntly, Lu Wan had already seen through Liu Ji's plan to eliminate the kings of different surnames and replace them with people from the Liu clan. The longer Chen Xi persisted, the safer his side would be, so he came up with the idea of raising bandits.
However, this bandit eventually died. Originally, they planned to continue raising Xiongnu, but due to the upcoming state banquet of Emperor Liu Ji, they had to make a choice ahead of schedule.
Lu Wan was genuinely afraid that he would end up like Han Xin and Peng Yue, never to return. Who wouldn't be afraid? Wu Chen, the King of Changsha, was only able to survive because Wu Rui traded everything for him. The Changsha Kingdom existed in name only, and its fiefdom was not much larger than that of a marquis. The Yan Kingdom was different from the Changsha Kingdom. The Yan Kingdom also had to resist the Xiongnu. Even if it offered everything to Liu Ji, it would eventually have to surrender to the Xiongnu.
Upon hearing Liu Ji's words, Wu Chen, the King of Changsha, was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. He dared not speak or look, for he was the only king of a different surname present.
Wu Chen was a little confused. They were just discussing the Crown Prince, how did it suddenly turn into the Prince of Yan?
The only explanation is that Liu Ji originally planned to resolve the matter of the Prince of Yan at the state banquet; it was all planned!
Liu Ji looked around at everyone and said, "I am about to leave this world, and what I am most worried about is the kings of different surnames. I am afraid that after the crown prince succeeds to the throne, he will be controlled by the kings of different surnames and lose the Han Dynasty! Therefore, I have decided to make an alliance with everyone present."
Firstly, the nation would endure, benefiting future generations. As long as the Han Empire existed, the ministers and their descendants would always have wine and meat to eat!
Secondly, anyone who is not a member of the Liu family and becomes king will be attacked by all under heaven; anyone who is granted a marquisate without merit will be executed by all under heaven! No one who is not a descendant of the Liu family can become king! No one who has made great military contributions can be granted a marquisate!
"Hehe, do you have any objections?"
"Liu Ji's proposal does have some spirit," Xiang Yu murmured.
Hao Jiu scoffed, "Too crude. To put it bluntly, isn't it just the old system of a hereditary monarchy? Historically, after Liu Ji died, Empress Lü enfeoffed a bunch of kings with the surname Lü. Once Empress Lü died, the kings with the surnames Liu and Lü would have a major war."
Moreover, later generations of kings with the same surname became more powerful and posed a greater threat than kings with different surnames. Rebellion did not require complicated reasons, as everyone was a descendant of the Liu family and had the right to inherit the throne. No one would submit to anyone else.
The emperor dreamed of reducing the military power of the princes, but the weaker princes of the same surname could only rely on the stronger ones to jointly oppose the emperor, ultimately resulting in a great war between the two sides.
"Then how can we avoid being rough? Like Ying Zheng?" Xiang Yu asked, puzzled.
To be honest, the reason why the Qin Dynasty collapsed so quickly was partly due to the sudden death of Qin Shi Huang, partly due to the cruel laws, and partly due to the tyranny of Qin Er Shi, but the fundamental reason was the system itself.
When power is concentrated in the hands of the emperor, he can do whatever he wants, which easily leads to tyranny and corruption, and the problem will be completely destroyed from the root.
The solution, of course, is to prevent power from becoming excessively concentrated, or even to significantly weaken the emperor's power. Emperor Yi may have emerged in this way.
When Xiang Yu divided the land, in order to avoid suspicion, he did not enfeoff members of the Xiang clan as kings. Instead, he enfeoffed them according to their merits, adopting a completely new system of parallel prefectures and kingdoms to rule the land. This was not the Zhou Dynasty enfeoffment system as some people understand it to be.
It can be said that Liu Ji highly approved of the system created by Xiang Yu. The Han Dynasty did not inherit the Qin system in its early period, but implemented a system of parallel prefectures and kingdoms based on Xiang Yu's system, replacing kings of different surnames with kings of the same surname.
But in reality, it's completely useless. Simply replacing someone with the same surname as another surname won't solve the problem. In fact, it's putting the cart before the horse. Just think about it: which large modern corporation has all its subsidiaries controlled by the chairman's relatives?
Moreover, after the kings of different surnames were changed to kings of the same surname, it became more similar to the enfeoffment system of the Zhou Dynasty.
In the Zhou Dynasty, the emperor was succeeded by the eldest son of the legitimate wife, while other sons of concubines were enfeoffed as kings in various regions. Similarly, the vassal kings were succeeded by the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and the sons of concubines were further enfeoffed.
In short, they're all relatives; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's a family-run business.
What happened next?
Most of the feudal lords who were enfeoffed changed their surnames, usually taking the name of their fiefdom. In addition, some ministers usurped the throne, and the hereditary system completely disintegrated.
Of course, the feudal system itself has inherent flaws, and it is unlikely to last long if it cannot break free from this system.
However, Xiang Yu's problem was not what kind of system was good, but how to make the parallel system of commanderies and kingdoms not too flawed.
Hao Jiu smiled slightly, “The emperor’s position is not hereditary; it is held by the capable and virtuous, who also holds the power to appoint and dismiss ministers of the fiefdoms. The military and the government must be separated; the princes have no right to mobilize troops, and the troops are mainly used to defend against foreign tribes. Internal disputes are resolved by law. However, the system of parallel prefectures and kingdoms is not the best system. When we have the opportunity to take Xiang Yu to a world more than two thousand years in the future, Xiang Yu will understand.”
After hearing this, Xiang Yu murmured, "I am very much looking forward to it..."
Chapter 207 Revenge
The emperor had just changed the crown prince, and the entire court had already rejected Liu Ji once, so this alliance did not encounter much resistance.
Soon, a white horse was publicly killed, and Liu Ji swore a blood oath with the kings and ministers, completely cutting off their path to becoming kings.
Afterwards, Liu Ji arranged for his most trusted general, Fan Kuai, to lead troops to attack the Yan state. Apart from the bizarre failure of the attempt to establish a new crown prince, the state banquet was considered to have achieved its intended purpose.
After the banquet, Liu Ji summoned Lu Jia.
"I feel very sorry for Consort Qi because my attempt to change the crown prince failed this time. Do you have any good ideas, my dear minister?"
Lu Jia said in a panic, "It's all my fault for not handling things properly. But the matter of the Crown Prince is beyond saving. Your Majesty can only make amends to the Imperial Consort in other ways. Women are easy to coax, for example, by sending her a poem."
Liu Ji nodded and said, "That's good, let's do it this way for now. But I can't swallow this insult. My desire to change the crown prince has been repeatedly thwarted."
"Shusun Tong is the Crown Prince's tutor, so his intervention is understandable. I also accepted Xiao He's intervention out of gratitude to Empress Lü. But Zhou Chang has repeatedly embarrassed me, ruining many important matters, and yet I cannot use force against him. It's utterly detestable!"
Lu Jia wiped his sweat. "I believe that if we want to get rid of Zhou Chang, we should start with Zhao Yao, the courtier beside him. Everyone has weaknesses and desires, and Zhou Chang is not without flaws either."
"Wow! How wonderful!" Liu Ji clapped his hands and laughed.
...
Not long after, Zhao Yao came before Liu Ji and paid his respects with great ceremony.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"
"Rise, my dear minister." Liu Ji raised his hand.
"Uh, I wonder what Your Majesty has summoned me for?" Zhao Yao felt strange. The matter of Yan had already been reported, and Liu Ji was very satisfied.
"Are you still a minor official under Zhou Chang?" Liu Ji suddenly asked.
"Exactly." Zhao Yao's eyes darted around. Was it related to Zhou Chang?
"Alas! I am troubled that I cannot change the heir..." Liu Ji sighed deeply, his face full of melancholy.
Zhao Yao suddenly realized that His Majesty resented Zhou Chang for ruining the matter of changing the heir apparent and wanted to take revenge, but he was struggling to find an excuse, so he came to find him.
However, Liu Ji could not say this openly, and even Zhao Yao himself could not say it openly; he could only mention it vaguely.
Zhao Yao knew in his heart that if he handled this matter well, he would definitely be promoted, but how to do it...?
"Your Majesty's worries are probably because Prince Zhao is young, and Consort Qi has a grudge against the Empress. Will Prince Zhao be harmed by the Empress after Your Majesty passes away?"
"Sigh." Liu Ji sighed again, indicating his agreement, but without explicitly stating it was about this matter.
Zhao Yao smiled slightly, becoming even more certain that Liu Ji had come to him for this matter; he had indeed come to the right person.
"Your Majesty should appoint a prime minister of Zhao, whom all the ministers and the empress fear, to assist King Zhao and protect him from harm. I think Lord Zhou Chang is very suitable. Moreover, Lord Zhou is righteous and upright, and will certainly not stand idly by and watch someone die."
"Alas!" Liu Ji slapped his thigh. "My dear minister, your plan is brilliant!"
Zhou Chang is now the Imperial Censor, a high-ranking official in the court, holding a position of great power and influence. The position of Chancellor of Zhao is far superior to him. Appointing Zhou Chang as Chancellor of Zhao is clearly a demotion and a way of kicking him out of Chang'an. Yet, Zhou Chang cannot refuse such a legitimate reason!
That's not all. If Zhou Chang were to challenge Empress Lü in order to protect Liu Ruyi, Empress Lü might target Zhou Chang first. In that case, Zhou Chang's fate would not be much better.
As for the safety of Consort Qi and Liu Ruyi, Liu Ji didn't care too much. He was about to die, so what use was Consort Qi? If Liu Ruyi didn't even have the ability to survive, then so be it. It was his own fault for being so useless.
Back when he was fighting Xiang Yu for the world, his ability to survive was first-rate. If Liu Ruyi really resembled him, he might also be able to overcome the crisis.
Seeing Liu Ji's expression, Zhao Yao felt much more at ease. Stepping over Zhou Chang to rise to power was incredibly satisfying!
...
Zhou Chang returned home and took a comfortable bath. He had turned the tide at the state banquet today, strongly protecting the crown prince and averting a calamity for the Han Dynasty!
It was indeed quite a close call; who could have imagined that His Majesty was already so seriously ill?
Life is truly unpredictable...
Fortunately, the current crown prince is benevolent, and after his ascension to the throne, the people of the land can finally have a good rest and recuperation.
Zhou Chang looked towards the door as he thought of this; someone was coming.
"Your Excellency, His Majesty requests that you enter the palace for a discussion."
"His Majesty summoned me?" Zhou Chang was suspicious. Why did Liu Ji want to see him alone?
Could it be a request to entrust an orphan to someone?
"Hiss..." Zhou Chang gasped. Could it be this fast?
However, I am indeed the only one who can be entrusted with the care of the young emperor; His Majesty is quite adept at employing people.
"Please have the messenger wait a moment, I will be there right away." Zhou Chang quickly put on his coat.
...
The door creaked open.
Zhou Chang stepped inside and saw Liu Ji lying on the bed, and felt a pang of sadness for no reason.
The state banquet had just ended when His Majesty was unexpectedly bedridden, as if he were on his deathbed.
"Your Majesty! Your old minister has arrived." Zhou Chang recalled the happy days when they shared both hardship and joy, and could no longer hold back his tears.