Chapter 278 Still not stopping?
Yizhou, Zangke County.

Zangke was incorporated into the Han County not long ago. It was originally the Yelang Kingdom. Before the Han Dynasty annexed the Nanyue Kingdom, Yelang was a vassal state of Nanyue.

When Nanyue became one of the nine counties of the Han Dynasty, the ruler of Yelang was frightened and took the initiative to write a letter to ask for it to be incorporated into the Han territory. Thus, today’s Zangke County came into being and belonged to the Yizhou Inspectorate.

The Han Dynasty sent troops to conquer the Southwestern Yi and drew troops from Bashu, that is, from Yizhou.

Zangke County is among them.

Moreover, since the target of this expedition was the area west of Zangke – the Southwestern Yi, which was composed of various large and small tribes, Li Ling, one of the two main generals of the Han army, led 40,000 troops from here and marched towards the southwest.

“Damn it!”

“You can still see snow in Shanggu County in March, but here it’s much better, the woods are so green that they’re almost dark!” On the mountain valley road, at the front of the march, the bearded general leading the army kept muttering and looking around.

“This is still considered good. When the summer heat comes, southern Xinjiang will become uninhabitable,” an adjutant beside him said.

As the vanguard of the army, Cao Chong originally thought that he could fight a few real battles with real swords and guns, but he misjudged the situation and even underestimated his opponent.

Compared with the Huns in the northern desert, the barbarians in southern Xinjiang are really not worth mentioning.

Not only were they a group of scattered sand, but their weapons and equipment were even more pitiful. On the way, Cao Chong had seen villages with iron weapons that he had no idea what they were wearing, and he had also seen small countries where he had no idea what year it was.

Speaking of this, I have to mention an idiom story.

Yelang is arrogant.

The source of “Yelang” here is the Yelang Kingdom mentioned in the previous article.

During the Yuanshou period, the emperor sent envoys through the southwestern countries in order to find a way to Shentu. At that time, the King of Yelang asked the Han envoy a question:
“Who is greater than me, Han?”

Compared with the Han Dynasty, which one is greater?

There is no need to laugh at the King of Yelang. Since the roads are blocked and he does not know how vast the world is, it is normal for him to say this, but he should know it now.

The Yelang Kingdom can only be compared to a county of the Han Dynasty…

The many southwestern barbarians that Cao Chong faces now are just like the Yelang Kingdom back then. He has no idea how big the Han Dynasty is, let alone how powerful the Han army is.

Ignorance makes one fearless.

The Han army encountered numerous mountain tribes along the way, needless to say, and the conflicts that broke out between the two sides could not be called wars. They were all crushing defeats. The slightly larger tribes that could be called countries, such as Qiongdu, Jucheng, and Louwo Kingdom, were defeated.

They all fought fearlessly against the Han army, and then the Han army made them realize how high the sky was and what fear was.

in short.

Since the troops were dispatched, the Han army has been unstoppable!
Even so, the two armies still advanced steadily and cautiously without any rash moves. Generals Guo and Li obviously took the instructions to heart.

“Shut up!”

A fast horse came from behind the army and shouted, “General Hu Lang has issued an order. Send more scouts near the Dian border to guard against ambushes!”

The Han army advanced all the way. As long as the king of Dian was not stupid, he would have understood that a powerful enemy was approaching and would have taken precautions. It was natural for the Han army to be cautious.

“Here!”

The sound of horse hooves and shouts echoed through the woods, startling birds in the distance to flap their wings. The march continued, and as time passed, an atmosphere of vigilance and solemnity began to spread.

Until the beginning of the You hour, the vanguard troops finally arrived at Dian Kingdom, a border fortress that was as famous as Yelang Kingdom.

But the scene they saw left the Han army confused. There was no army on guard at all times, no soldiers standing ready to fight, and no emperor guarding the border.

although.

Their ‘Son of Heaven’ had indeed arrived at the national gate.

“General, look at this?” In front of the army, a group of generals stood on their horses. Cao Chong scratched his head, glanced at the group of guys in front of the city gate, and said with a grin:

“This…are you still going to fight?”

Li Ling, with a serious face, tightened the reins and did not respond. After thinking for a moment, he flicked the whip and headed towards the city gate…

……

Chang’an, Jianzhang Palace.

On the towering observation deck of Jinggan Tower, someone was gazing into the distance with his hands behind his back. As he looked out, he could see the ponds and gardens nearby and the palaces and houses in the distance.

There were footsteps heard downstairs in the pavilion, and the eunuch ordered someone to go and answer the sound. He spoke in a low voice to a eunuch who was breathing slightly, and then took out a scroll.

“His Majesty.”

The old eunuch walked behind the emperor and said respectfully, “The list of candidates for the imperial clan has been released. It was selected by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince himself. Can you take a look?”

The emperor did not take it or look at it, but just waved his hand. The eunuch immediately understood and unfolded it and scanned it, saying:
“Most of the royal family members were selected for the riding and archery category. There were few good ones and many bad ones. Biliang Hou Liu Ying, Xixiong Hou Liu Ming, Shenyang Hou Liu Ziwei…”

There are a total of thirty-one royal family marquises.

Everyone needs to pay a fine!

This assessment includes six subjects, including riding and archery, classics, and strategies. The general format is similar to the imperial examination, but the specific details are simpler and the selection conditions are relatively loose.

From this aspect alone, the outside world cannot find much fault with Liu Ju.

but.

This was not because he was kind-hearted, but Liu Ju knew that the seemingly relaxed conditions were not conducive to the development of the royal family for the second, third, or even fourth generations who had been living in luxury for a long time.

It’s already extremely difficult.

“The list was given to the Zongzheng Temple, and to the Sinong Temple. When the people below reported to Your Majesty, the Grand Minister of Agriculture had already taken over with his subordinates.”

What was Sang Hongyang so anxious to take over? Well, what else could it be? The royal family and marquises who should pay the money!
Anyway, the prince has given a legitimate reason and you have accepted it, so we have to follow the court procedures. Those who should pay should pay, and those who don’t have money should hand over the land and people.

Don’t even think about losing a penny!
In fact.

Compared to money, Sang Hongyang wanted land and people more. Of course, giving money was also a good idea, and he was not picky.

“With this amount of money coming in, the treasury can relax a bit.” The eunuch smiled shyly and said, “The prince has solved a big problem for the court.”

The emperor was facing far away, and his expression could not be seen clearly. He only rubbed his hands behind his back a few times and asked, “Who did you recruit?”

The old eunuch looked at the list in his hand.

When it came to this question, he answered very carefully and in order, putting the names of people who might attract the emperor’s attention at the front.

“From the lineage of Prince Gong of Lu, Xiaqiu Hou Liu Zheng was appointed as Junshu Ling because he was proficient in the classics. From the lineage of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, Gaoqiu Hou Liu Pohu was appointed as Kaogong Ling because he was an excellent rider and archer…”

Six people in total.

It’s a small number, but it’s true.

Liu Ju did not deliberately suppress those who were talented and hardworking, nor did he give face to those who were just filling in the numbers.

If the recruitment rate is artificially increased in order to appease the royal family, it would be a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul. The administration is already corrupt enough, so it would be better to have fewer idiots.

“The Crown Prince promised the royal family that in the future, the assessment can be conducted by the marquis himself or his direct descendants, and the fines and conscription conditions will all apply.”

At this time.

The eunuch Ling proposed another appeasement plan for Liu Ju. If the marquis himself cannot do it, then neither can your five, six, seven, eight, or even ten or twenty sons?
As long as there is one capable person in the marquisate, the marquisate can apply for the quota for conscription.

of course.

If among your dozens of sons, the one you carefully selected is still a loser, very loser, then don’t complain. The court is so lenient, and you are useless. Who can you blame? Pay the fine if you should!
The eunuch thought about this plan and said with a smile: “Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise. This way, we can recruit talented people from the royal family to serve the court, and shut up the incompetent people. It should be a good plan.”

The emperor finally turned around after hearing this, and said with a sharp heart and sharp tongue, “Hmph, it’s not bad.”

It’s just average. Compared with his father, me, it’s just average.

Old Liu had this casual attitude. On the one hand, just as the eunuchs praised him, Liu Ju’s method was both practical and superficial, and was quite appropriate.

Two.

It was also because of the matter of recruiting royal family members to serve as officials in the court. For Liu Che, it was important and unimportant.

In the early days of the Han Dynasty, the purpose of granting fiefdoms to royal families was to consolidate the Liu family’s rule. Now that power is centralized, royal families cannot, do not need, and can no longer play the role of consolidation. Instead, they have become a hidden danger to the stability of the empire.

at this time.

Reduce their fiefdoms, let them serve as officials in the court, and form a new balancing force outside the two groups of nobles and literati.

While reducing hidden dangers, another way to consolidate the country was adopted.

Kill two birds with one stone.

From this perspective, it is very important, so why is it not important?
Well…it’s not that having another clan group to balance the court is not important, but there are not many people in the clan who are worthy of Liu Che’s close attention and attention.

On this day in the second year of Yuanfeng, there is only one.

King of Zhao Liu Pengzu!
In the eyes of the emperor, except for his seventh brother, other members of the royal family, whether they made trouble or were fined, it didn’t matter no matter how they were troubled.

Because of their blood relationship, no matter how much they clamored, it would not cause any harm and could not shake Liu Che’s foundation – the throne.

Only King Zhao Liu Pengzu was different.

The current status of King Zhao in the royal family is very similar to that of Liu An, the King of Huainan in those days. Liu An was prominent at that time because he was the grandson of Emperor Gaozu.

The King of Zhao was the seventh son of Emperor Jing and was prominent. With all the elders having passed away, he was the only one closest to the throne of Emperor Liu Che’s lineage.

See here.

Some people may ask, among the surviving descendants of Emperor Jing, isn’t there another one, Liu Duan, the Prince of Jiaoxi? He is also Liu Che’s brother, so isn’t he a threat?

Not really!

After all, how can a person without a son be qualified to be an emperor?

Well, the words that hurt Liu Che back then will continue to hurt Jiaoxi King Liu Duan now and in the future…

“According to the order of the Crown Prince’s Palace, this kind of examination is held every two years during the Spring Festival. It is similar to the imperial examination, and it is used as an excuse to select members of the royal family.”

Well dry upstairs.

The eunuch smiled and said, “This is only the first time, and most people can pay the fine. When the royal family members fail the assessment several times, most of them will not be able to bear it.”

“I estimate that by then, even if they are unwilling, they will have to ask for a reduction in their fiefdoms, hehe.”

The most interesting thing is that the more examinations are conducted, the more frequently the court receives fines, but the opportunities for recruitment available to royal family members are also increasing.

For the ambitious and talented members of the royal family, this is something they would love to have, but for those members of the royal family who have no talent or ambition and only know how to live a life of idleness and wait for death, this is like a bolt from the blue!

“It’s just the survival of the fittest.”

The emperor turned around and went back to the pavilion, his face showing a cold expression again. “The court can use this to cut off some parasites, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. As for the noise of those incompetent people, there is no need to worry about it!”

Nowadays, the emperor does not care about small matters in the government, but he never ignores big matters.

He has been keeping an eye on developments on all sides.

While the crown prince was dealing with the marquises, the emperor was focusing on the real giants among the royal family – the princes.

A few days ago, as the news that the imperial court was going to set up an assessment system for the marquises spread, the number of messengers traveling between the various vassal states suddenly increased several times!
The emperor knew who was ready to make a move and who wanted to muddy the waters. He was just sitting in Chang’an, waiting to see what kind of waves they could stir up…

“Prepare a banquet and call all the royal family members who are being recruited to come to the palace in the evening. I will host a banquet for them in the Xuanshi Palace.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After the eunuchs arranged the brocade couch and helped the emperor sit down, he smiled and flattered: “The crown prince eliminated the corrupt officials from the royal family, and your majesty supported the crown prince. The crown prince selected talented people from the royal family, and your majesty cooperated with the crown prince.”

“Your Highness is indeed wise, but I want to see whether Your Majesty is far-sighted, wise and wise!”

The old eunuch flattered a lot today. Fortunately, the emperor was in a good mood at the moment. I don’t know if he didn’t hear it or didn’t care. He snorted and said:

“I am the father. He still has a lot to learn.”

“That is.”

The eunuch spread out the rice paper, and while the emperor was writing, he said with a flattering smile: “This time the fines for the royal family have eased the pressure on the national treasury. I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince intends to suggest that the sale of official positions should be stopped, or at least reduced in scale.”

“Well, the prince is kindhearted. He is afraid that the corruption of the government will be detrimental to the country…”

The emperor paused with his pen in his hand and glanced at the eunuch’s order. The smile on the old eunuch’s face suddenly became forced.

“I have handed this matter over to the Prime Minister. It is not the Crown Prince’s turn to interfere.” The Emperor did not bother with this eunuch. He retracted his gaze, resumed his brushwork and said calmly:

“When it’s time to stop, I will stop.”

……

……

“Still stopping?”

In the Prince’s Palace, Jiaguan Hall, Liu Ju, who was also looking out from a high place, had a frown on his face.

What the emperor said half an hour ago reached Liu Ju’s ears half an hour later. The money given to the eunuch was not wasted, as the eunuch really did the job.

Of course, the prerequisite is not to offend the emperor, only take the money you can take, and only do what you can do.

“Ordinarily…”

Liu De, who had become the prince’s right-hand man, hesitated for a moment and analyzed: “The fine alone is enough to solve the urgent problem. At least even if there is a problem in the southwest war, there is still surplus food to cover it.”

“Does Your Majesty think it’s not safe enough?”

Filling the national treasury by selling official positions is by no means a good idea. Even if the corrupt administration is forcibly corrected by cruel officials in the later period, scars will still be left.

It does more harm than good to the people and the court.

Liu Ju pondered for a moment and was about to say something when he suddenly heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Eunuch Wei, who had managed to remain calm, walked in a hurry with a look of ecstasy.

Actually.

He was really only a little calmer. Last time, he was standing in the rain, running and shouting. This time, after he barely entered the hall and started climbing the stairs, he began to shout:

“Your Highness, Your Highness! Great victory in the southwest!”

“All the barbarians have submitted, the Dian Kingdom surrendered without a fight, and the King of Dian has requested to come to the court!”

“Great victory, Your Highness—”

The eunuch was still shouting his victory message, but Liu Ju stopped listening. He suddenly turned sideways and looked to the west, thinking to himself:
“Let’s see if you, Father, will sell your position this time…”

(End of this chapter)