Chapter 272 Brotherly Fight
The foundation of conversation is built on the word “empathy”. Only when there is a common understanding, is there a need to continue the conversation.

The prince asked, and the King of Qi did not avoid the question.

After a moment of silence, Liu Hong said calmly: “Father is a master at employing people and managing affairs. He knows how to appoint the right people and has great talents and strategies. He fought against the Xiongnu, governed the princes, managed finances, and expanded the territory. His achievements are so great that they are almost comparable to those of the previous emperors.”

“only……”

Liu Hong paused for a moment, looking straight ahead, “Too much is as bad as too little. Father has been a little too impatient in recent years.”

As the words fell, a laugh sounded beside him.

The second brother spoke frankly, and Liu Ju had no taboos, “Second brother, you want to say that father is only concerned with fighting wars, which has caused the people’s livelihood to be exhausted. In recent years, he has frequently toured and renovated the palace, which has caused great waste of money and labor?”

“Yes.”

Liu Hong’s expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly: “Even if you want to tell my father about these words, I will still say them.”

Hey.

Liu Ju grinned, not paying attention to the coldness in the other party’s words, and said, “It’s right to rest and recuperate. Father has been on the throne for thirty years, and the people of the Han Dynasty have been fighting for thirty years. The population has declined, and the people are exhausted.”

“The more government affairs I handle, the more I understand the current situation of the Han Dynasty, and the more I am in favor of resting with the people.” When he said the latter part, there was no smile on Liu Ju’s face.

Liu Hong looked over in surprise and stared at his brother for a long while.

“Why?” Liu Ju looked back at him. “Does my brother look like a crown prince who doesn’t care about the people’s efforts and doesn’t know the suffering of the people?”

“Oh, that’s not it.”

During the emperor’s tours and military campaigns, the crown prince served as regent many times, which shows the emperor’s trust in him. Liu Hong originally thought that his father trusted his brother so much because they shared the same ideals.

I never thought that my brother would go against my father…

There were many things that the King of Qi had not expected and could not see through. As he was thinking about them, the next surprising words came.

“My second brother is far away from the center, so he may not know that Father is also aware that he needs to rest with the people.”

“Ok?”

Liu Hong frowned and asked suspiciously: “Then why…”

“Then why are the wars still going on and the people are constantly toiling?” Liu Ju continued the conversation and answered, “Because it is my job to give the people a rest.”

As he said this, Liu Ju pointed at himself.

Liu Hong’s brows furrowed even more. After thinking for a moment, he sat up and bowed to Liu Ju, “Please help me solve my doubts, brother.”

Liu Ju pulled out a grass stem and replied as he pulled it: “He will not stop until his father’s ambitions are fulfilled.”

“If you want to rest and recuperate, you can’t do it now. You can only wait until later.”

We have to wait for the throne to change…

Liu Hong understood what was not said, but he still had doubts in his heart, “Since the emperor also knows that the country is exhausted, why don’t you advise us to rest and recuperate today? As the crown prince, the emperor will not ignore you if you speak up.”

The plucked grass fluff floated in the wind. Liu Ju did not respond. After a while, he asked casually, “What do you think of my current situation, my second brother?”

Brother’s situation?
Liu Hong didn’t know why he suddenly asked this, but he still told the truth: “The Grand Marshal and the General of the Cavalry are from my brother’s mother’s family, the General of the Chariots and Cavalry is from my brother’s wife’s family, and nearly half of the three dukes and nine ministers in the court are from my brother’s family.”

“The foundation is so large and solid, unprecedented…”

Halfway through the conversation.

The King of Qi suddenly realized why his brother brought up this topic and slowly slowed down his tone.

Liu Ju took over his words, “My foundation is so great, my power is so great, it makes me tremble with fear. With such power, I have not yet ascended the throne to become emperor. This is unprecedented.”

Looking around, the court was full of princelings.

Liu Ju suddenly realized from some point on that he had fallen into the same situation as his uncle Wei Qing. If he didn’t speak, it would be fine. But once he spoke, he would have influence over the court and the country.

It is good to have great influence, but as a crown prince, this influence must be used with caution.

“Brother, do you know about the Korean War years ago?”

“……Know.”

“Then you know that the situation in the Korean war is not favorable. When the General of the Cavalry was ordered to take charge in a critical situation, I told him that he should be extremely cautious and must not take the credit for destroying a country.”

This time, Liu Hong remained silent.

He didn’t know about this before, but now he knows, so he remained silent.

Throughout history, Zhu Ju of Yue, Shang Chen of Chu, and Shen Sheng of Jin all played out the grievances between monarchs and ministers, and fathers and sons.

First they were king and subject, then they were father and son.

With my brother’s current power in the court, if he moves, the imperial court will tremble. But if so, where will the father who sits high on the dragon throne be placed?

“Alas, Father, I’m afraid you didn’t expect the situation you are in today, right?”

Liu Hong was moved and expressed his worry for his brother’s situation. Liu Ju listened and said calmly: “Second brother, you don’t understand our father at all.”

“The situation we are in today was created by my father. He just wanted to see what I, the crown prince who was forced into the prison of the emperor, his subjects, and his sons, would do!”

The words fell.

Liu Hong was stunned at first, and then he was confused and looked at his brother who had a calm expression as if he was talking about an ordinary trivial matter. For some reason, Liu Hong suddenly felt cold all over!
Father and son, father and son, why did it come to this?
Why is it so? ?
But thinking about it carefully, this really seems like something that his hard-hearted father would do.

After a long silence, Liu Hong, with a pale face, bowed and said, “I was too shallow in advising the emperor to rest and recuperate.”

“It’s not easy for my brother.”

Although the King of Qi was young, he had a very kind and compassionate heart. In contrast, Liu Ju was as sinister as ever. He smiled again and glanced at his brother and asked:
“You know it’s not easy to be my brother, but you still want to make it more difficult for me?”

Liu Hong was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to understand what his brother meant. He immediately smiled bitterly, looking a little lonely.

“That’s also my hard work.”

His participation in the fight for the succession did make things more difficult for the crown prince, but Liu Hong was forced to do it even though he knew it was impossible. Was it easy?

Since arriving in Beijing, the emperor has been taking them to test and question them every now and then, constantly conveying an ambiguous attitude to the outside world.

It is to provoke the brothers to fight with each other!

If you have ambition, you will take action, like your third brother, the Prince of Yan. But even if you don’t have ambition, the people and things around you will push you to fight!

“Because of my weak body and my brother’s example, I have no ambition to compete for the throne.” Liu Hong looked to the side, “regardless of whether my brother believes it or not.”

Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter.

The important thing is…

“You must fight!” Liu Ju said in a gloomy tone, “Your father is pushing you to fight, and your ministers, teachers, and retainers all want you to fight. How can you have any room for maneuver?”

At this point, Liu Ju’s expression softened a little, “But as you said before, we are all brothers. We can fight, but we don’t have to get angry.”

“Lest you end up being treated as an enemy in the future.”

When he said this, he was not only making a statement, but also seemed to be seeking the opinion of King Liu Hong of Qi.

Hear the words.

Liu Hong seemed to have misunderstood and moved uneasily in his seat. “Brother, you want me to act with you in front of our father? Difficult!”

“Who said I asked you to act?” Liu Ju tilted his head and looked over, raised an eyebrow and said, “Since you are ordered to compete for the throne, you can’t escape, so just let go.”

“If I can’t win against you, you should be the crown prince!”

Liu Ju threw away the grass stem in his hand and said, “I never thought that since I am the eldest son, the throne is mine by right. That would be irresponsible to the Han Dynasty.”

“Fight openly!”

“Besides…” Liu Ju clapped his hands and smiled at his second brother, “There is no need to follow Father’s ideas in everything. If he wants to see me in a dilemma and suffer in prison, I have my own way to deal with it.”

“He wants to see you fight me, whether he wants you to be a grindstone or a stepping stone. Do you really have to fight me to the death?”

Speaking of which.

Liu Ju’s eyes suddenly became sharp and excited, “The Han Dynasty today belongs to our father and the older generation, but the Han Dynasty of the future…”

He pointed at himself, then at the King of Qi, “It’s ours after all!”

“Father wants us brothers to fight, but I don’t think so.” Liu Ju said coldly: “It’s obvious that we are united and fighting him!”

Say it.

There was silence on the grass for a long time. Liu Hong’s eyes were bright as he stared at his brother. The treasonous words filled his eardrums, making him feel agitated and resentful for a long time.

After a moment, Liu Hong lowered his gaze and said, “Brother, you are so bold!”

“Hahaha!”

Liu Ju laughed loudly, then suddenly stopped laughing, “What am I talking about? When my father was the crown prince, did the late emperor ever think that his tenth son would change the ancestral system and government in the future, turning his hard work upside down? “

“Bold?”

“I’m just imitating my father!”

Liu Ju’s eyes were piercing and his expression was arrogant. “I have thought of what ordinary people dare not think of and done what ordinary people dare not do. If I don’t have great ambitions and the courage to reform and enrich the country and strengthen the people, how can I inherit the throne!”

this moment.

Liu Hong felt his face getting hot and his blood boiling, just because his brother’s few words made his heart surge. If it were not for his status, he would have wanted to serve him.

After being shocked for a long time, Liu Hong finally stood up slowly and bowed to Liu Ju who was sitting on the stool, “Brother, your talent and strategy are something I deeply admire.”

“I also feel desperate…”

In the past, Liu Hong had only heard about the forces in the Prince’s Palace and how powerful it was in the court. He was clear about the data on paper, but he was vague about his brother’s talents.

It was not until today, until this moment, that the King of Qi had a deep understanding of his unfamiliar brother.

Fight for the throne, fight for the throne.

No spirit, no hope…

“Ha!” Liu Ju also stood up and held out his hand to help the King of Qi up. “We won’t know until we fight. Just come at me!”

“You and I are brothers. We can fight, but there is no need to hurt our relationship.” Liu Ju patted his arm and said seriously, “No matter what happens in the future, I will remember that the future Han Dynasty belongs to us!”

Liu Ju added emphasis on the last few words.

Liu Hong heard the metaphor and had a complicated expression, but he nodded heavily in the end, “Brother is right!”

This is the end.

A cruel and bloody battle for the throne, at this moment, turned into a battle of wills between brothers. To be frank and to be thorough, it was a battle between gentlemen.

At the same time, the two also reached some kind of obscure agreement…

Today Liu Ju came to see his second brother for the above matters, and fortunately all his wishes were achieved.

At this time, the two sat down again.

Liu Hong considered it again and again, and then said, “Actually, I have always wanted to ask a question, but it was not convenient to ask it before. Now, it seems that I can ask it.”

What he said was like, “I have something to say, but I don’t know if I should say it or not.”

Liu Ju naturally replied: “Ask whatever you want.”

Liu Hong nodded, suppressed his previous emotional tremors, and said seriously: “May I ask, brother, were Song Yi and Song Gong sent away intentionally?”

Songyi?

“No.” Liu Juxian replied subconsciously. When he looked at his second brother’s pale face, he suddenly understood and said with a half-smile:
“Do you think I deliberately sent Lord Song away so that he wouldn’t treat you?”

Liu Hong said honestly: “This is the teacher’s analysis. After listening to it, I also think it is very reasonable.”

Don’t even say it.

While the princes were in the capital, Song Yi asked for permission to return home, and happened to be separated from the King of Qi’s team. It seemed like he did it on purpose.

As for why he did it on purpose, it was naturally to compete for the throne, to allow the King of Qi to stay in bed longer, and to eliminate a competitor!
According to a normal analysis, like that made by the Imperial Censor Bu Shi, Liu Ju was indeed suspected of this.

however.

Is this really the truth?

“Your teacher was born into a wealthy family. He was good at guessing his superiors’ intentions and protecting himself. But if he keeps doing such petty things, he will inevitably become petty.”

“I don’t mean to slander him.” Liu Ju explained first, and then said leisurely: “It’s just that he deliberately sent Duke Song away to eliminate your threat?”

“Then you underestimate my broad mind and the medical clinic I have maintained for many years.”

Liu Hong frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Talking about the mind is too empty. I said I would not do this, but it is not convincing, so I simply don’t talk about it.” Liu Ju chuckled and said, “Just talk about the doctor in Bowangyuan Medical Center.”

“In recent years, I have been investing in the Medical Museum. I have discovered many new treatments and trained many doctors, including some who have received the true teachings of Master Song and Master Tang. With all our collective wisdom and efforts, are we still not as good as Master Song?”

“Besides…”

Liu Ju shook his head and said, “Even though Lord Song is gone, Lord Yi is still here, and her medical skills are no less than Lord Song’s.”

“If I really want to stop you from treating me, won’t I have to send Yigong away as well? To be safe, it would be best to send all the doctors in the medical clinic away as well?”

That’s all I have to say.

There is no need for further explanation. Liu Hong already believed it 90% of the time, and the remaining 1%… He was not like the emperor, who was wary of everyone.

But…

“Oh, I haven’t asked yet.” Just as Liu Hong looked embarrassed, Liu Ju said, “After you came to Bowang Garden for diagnosis, did Yigong and the others say that your condition can be cured?”

Liu Hong shook his head, a helpless smile appeared on his overly white face, “I was born weak, a disease inherited from my mother’s womb.”

“It can’t be cured. Lord Yi only said that it can be relieved, but it requires long-term medication. I am destined not to live a long life in the future.”

This.

This was the origin of the King of Qi’s last doubt.

However, after hearing this, Liu Ju only raised his eyebrows and suggested: “With the methods used by Yigong and his men, even if it is just to alleviate the pain, it can be very effective.”

“Would you like to ask your father for permission to stay in Chang’an for a while longer?”

Liu Hong was stunned.

“Well.” Liu Ju knew what he was thinking, “You stay in Chang’an for a while longer, am I afraid of you? The longer you live, the longer you fight. Fighting with others is endless fun.”

Hear this.

Liu Hong laughed for a moment, knowing that his brother was not sincere and moved, and he replied, “Okay.”

(End of this chapter)