Chapter 702
The Difficulties of the Qi Family
It's already the Mid-Autumn Festival of the fifth year of Qiming. The heat of late summer has passed, and the summer heat has mostly dissipated. When people bathe in the autumn breeze, they only feel refreshed.
At this time, osmanthus flowers were also in full bloom, their scattered blossoms releasing an exceptionally rich fragrance that was truly delightful. The farmers, having just finished their busiest autumn harvest, used their spare time between planting alfalfa and garlic in the fields to harvest osmanthus blossoms and make rice wine. For a time, every household was filled with the aroma of osmanthus. This was even more pronounced at the market; passersby, captivated by the fragrance, slowed their pace.
Unexpectedly, three teenagers rode swiftly through the Yi'an market, kicking up a cloud of dust that astonished passersby. Some were about to shout insults, but seeing that the leader was tall and wore a yellow silk robe with a crimson brocade cloak and a leather belt adorned with gold studs around his waist, along with his two equally distinguished followers, they immediately recognized the group and shut their mouths in embarrassment.
The three galloped all the way to the east gate of the palace, where the young man in the lead dismounted. The palace guards, who were already familiar with the young man, hurried over to greet him, took his horse, and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Prince of Longxi, you've returned."
The young man was none other than Liu Lang, who had recently been enfeoffed as the Prince of Longxi. He nodded, took off his cloak, took a package from his attendant, hurriedly drank some water from the gourd he carried with him, and then asked the palace guards, "How long have the Crown Prince and Minister Cao been back in the palace?"
The palace guard calculated the time and quickly replied, "It hasn't been a quarter of an hour yet."
"Oh." Hearing this, Liu Lang breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, "Thank goodness, I didn't come back too late, so I can still cover for myself."
So he immediately went to Zhaofu Palace, where his mother, Green Pearl, lived. Normally, a prince like him who had already come of age and married would have his royal residence built by the court and then move out of the palace. However, Liu Xian believed that the construction of the new capital and palace had already consumed too much resources, and the palace was too large, with too few adult princes. There was no need to add more expenses for the time being. Therefore, even though he had just married, Liu Lang remained in the palace and lived in a courtyard next to the lotus pond used for receiving guests.
Unexpectedly, he had just reached the entrance of Zhaofu Hall when he was stopped by Guo Hui, the Yellow Gate Attendant. Guo Hui was the grand-nephew of Guo Youzhi, a famous minister of Shu Han, and was about twenty years old. He reported to Liu Langtong, "Your Highness, please wait. His Majesty has asked me to summon you."
Liu Lang inwardly cursed his bad luck. He tentatively asked, "Mr. Guo, may I put the things down first?"
"I'm afraid not," Guo Hui shook his head and said, "His Majesty is in a bad mood and wants you to come immediately."
Helpless, Liu Lang had no choice but to carry his bundle and follow Guo Hui to Jianchang Palace. It was dusk, and they saw that the side hall was lit with lanterns. His father, Emperor Liu Xian, was talking with Cao Miao, the Minister of Agriculture, and Zhou Yi, the Imperial Censor. Liu Lang put down his bundle and respectfully bowed deeply to Liu Xian, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Liu Xian was only wearing a headscarf and a loose cloth robe. When he saw his eldest son arrive, he did not let him get up immediately, but asked him bluntly: "Today, Master Fu was lecturing on the Book of Poetry at the Imperial Academy. I asked you and Dou Jiang to go and listen in. Why did you leave halfway through without saying goodbye and leave the school on your own?"
Liu Lang had no choice but to continue kneeling on the ground and said, "My lord, I had already grasped what Master Fu said when I was eight years old. I felt that I had not gained much from it, so I left halfway."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xian's eyebrows shot up, and he rebuked, "How dare you! What are you saying?! Every mortal's thoughts are bound to have flaws, and Elder Fu is well-versed in Zheng Xuan's teachings. How dare you boast of your complete understanding? You've forgotten how to respect your teachers and the Way! Where is your respect for your teachers?!"
"Furthermore, I ordered you and Dou Jiang to go to the Imperial Academy to promote academic excellence. You left halfway there. What about Master Fu's reputation? And what about mine?!"
Unexpectedly, Liu Lang grew impatient and retorted, "Why exaggerate, sir? My second brother is still here. One more or one less makes no difference."
These words nearly choked Liu Xian, who was so angry that he almost cursed the unfilial son, but Cao Miao pulled him back.
A year ago, the father-son relationship between Liu Xian and Liu Lang was quite harmonious. Liu Xian was very pleased when Liu Lang volunteered to lead the eastern expedition and spoke of lofty principles for the country and its people. However, after the Huainan campaign, Liu Xian was greatly disappointed with Liu Lang's performance.
Although to outsiders Liu Lang he had distinguished himself in battle, devised strategies, and made numerous contributions, Liu Xian viewed this as the perspective of an outsider. Commanding an army hinges on understanding one's role. Liu Xian initially sent Liu Lang on the campaign merely as a figurehead, intending to allow him to gain experience and knowledge. However, Liu Lang acted independently, participating in command and repeatedly disobeying He Pan's orders, relying on his status as a prince. This unnecessarily created numerous obstacles in what should have been a sure-fire victory in the Huainan campaign.
Liu Lang naturally felt wronged. He believed that the defeat at Lion Mountain was a desperate measure taken to appease Du Zeng and prioritize the overall situation, and that the responsibility did not lie with him. However, Liu Xian understood that this was due to Liu Lang's own lack of clarity regarding his responsibilities. Since he led the way in violating military discipline and failed to restrain Du Zeng, He Pan lost control of Liu Lang's troops, and Liu Lang himself increased the reckless actions of his subordinates.
Others criticized He Pan for his careless command, but Liu Xian understood that it wasn't He Pan's fault; Liu Lang was the root cause of the unexpected twists and turns in the Huainan campaign. Fortunately, Liu Lang himself possessed a talent for warfare, catching up with Zishan Garrison and avoiding being killed. However, his mistakes resulted in the loss of thousands of veteran soldiers, a heavy price to pay.
Therefore, after Liu Lang returned, Lu Zhi and others originally intended to reward Liu Lang for his merits, but Liu Xian vehemently rejected the idea. Then, after the Eastern Expeditionary Army returned and Liu Lang returned to the palace, Liu Xian summoned him to the palace and gave him a severe reprimand. He also dismissed Liu Lang from all his posts in the army and ordered him to reflect on his actions in the palace.
In Liu Lang's view, he had risked his life on the battlefield, slaying enemy generals and even being surrounded by the Qi army for two months. He had barely escaped with his life, and even if he hadn't achieved any great merit, he had certainly put in the effort. Besides, he believed he had performed quite well. Unexpectedly, upon his return, he received not his father's care and love, but a severe scolding. Naturally, he couldn't understand Liu Xian's good intentions.
Coupled with his youthful impetuosity and Liu Xian's guilt towards Green Pearl and her son, who had previously spoiled Liu Lang, this slight change in attitude quickly cooled their previously harmonious father-son relationship. In just six months, things had deteriorated to this point. Caught in the middle, Green Pearl was extremely anxious. Both father and son were stubborn and difficult to persuade, resulting in her suffering; she couldn't eat for months and eventually fell ill and was bedridden.
Therefore, Liu Xian recently felt a pang of pity and took the initiative to concede. He was, after all, Liu Xian's father, and having been unloved by Liu Xun in his youth, he harbored considerable resentment and vowed early on to become a loving father. Given Lü Zhu's current situation, he still allowed Liu Lang to leave the palace to participate in some political affairs, first to refine his literary skills and temper his murderous aura. Unexpectedly, this time when he went to the Imperial Academy, he left halfway through, which Liu Xian found truly unbearable.
At this moment, he noticed the package beside Liu Lang, walked up to him, picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and asked, "What are you carrying?" Liu Lang remained silent. Seeing that Liu Xian seemed about to throw it away, he whispered an explanation: "I heard at the Imperial Academy that this year, there was a farmer's family in Shangming who had an orange tree. It seemed to be blessed by a deity; not only were the oranges exceptionally plump, but they were also incredibly sweet. People who ate them felt their mouths water, their appetites increased, and even their illnesses were cured. They sold for a thousand coins per orange. So I rushed there and bought about twenty to give to my mother..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was stunned. He opened the package and saw that it contained plump kumquats the size of steamed buns. Looking at Liu Lang's travel-worn appearance, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
According to last year's plan, Liu Xian opened up a military settlement area upstream of Yi'an this year. The area was named after the three newly built dikes there: Shangming Dike, Zhongming Dike, and Xiaming Dike. Shangming is the furthest from Yi'an, about eighty li away, making the round trip one hundred and seventy li, a considerable distance for him to cover in a single day. Thinking of this, Liu Xian sighed deeply; his initial slight dissatisfaction with his eldest son's rebellious behavior vanished.
He said to Liu Lang earnestly, "Fengyao, you are not an ordinary person. Family matters are national matters, and you must never act on your own. If you want to do something, you must inform your elders first. If it is justified, how could your elders not agree? If they do not agree, then it is the elders' responsibility. If you do not ask beforehand, even if you are in the right, you will become unreasonable, and trouble will arise even if there is nothing wrong. Do you understand?"
But clearly, seeing the dismissive look on Liu Lang's face, Liu Xian knew that his reasoning hadn't been very successful. He didn't want to have any more conflict with his eldest son, so he waved him away and instructed him, "When you go to Zhaofu Hall, have the hall prepared. After I finish dealing with state affairs, I will go to accompany your mother."
After Liu Lang left, Liu Xian couldn't help but complain to Zhou Yi, "I don't know who he takes after. At his age, I'm much more sensible than him."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi was at a loss for words. After all, in his memory, the emperor at this age of seventeen had probably just formed a mortal enemy with the powerful Duke of Lu, Jia Mi. He could only gently remind him, "Your Majesty's expectations are a bit too high. You have, after all, weathered many storms. How can His Highness the Prince of Longxi compare to your pioneering spirit, your ability to command respect among your colleagues, and your generosity towards everyone?"
Liu Xian understood the implied meaning from the music, and he immediately felt a little ashamed, saying self-deprecatingly, "In that case, it seems that if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked as well."
He knew, of course, that his handling of Liu Lang was inappropriate, but he himself had never seen how a good father raised his child, so he could only learn by doing and summarize some experiences. When he was young, he thought that if he became a father, he must be loving towards his child to make up for his own regrets, but seeing his child make a mistake, how could he teach him to understand right from wrong without disciplining him? The soldiers who died in the Battle of Huainan also had parents, wives, and children.
This was a family matter for the emperor, and Zhou Yi couldn't interfere. Fortunately, Cao Miao was sitting nearby, and he advised, "Your Majesty need not be anxious. Prince Longxi is getting old after all. At his age, what he wants most is independence. He has traveled around with you before, so naturally he can't stand being restrained. Why don't you let him go out and give him some trivial chores to do? Over time, his temperament will mature."
Liu Xian also thought it made sense, so he said to Zhou Yi, "Bo Ren, you are the Censor-in-Chief, responsible for supervising the affairs of all officials. In a couple of days, I will have the Prince of Longxi come to your office as a Supervising Censor. You can arrange for him to go out and supervise the affairs of the deceased soldiers. What do you think?"
Zhou Yi did not object. He replied, "Your Majesty is wise. I will begin making arrangements tomorrow to see which prefecture is suitable for him to go to first to provide relief."
Liu Xian nodded, relieved that one of his worries had been put to rest. He sat down and sighed, "Alas, managing a family is indeed more difficult than governing a country!"
In fact, before and after he became emperor, his family members caused him no shortage of troubles. Ever since his clansmen arrived in Yi'an from Chengdu last year, they had been trying to subtly hint to Liu Xian that they wanted to strengthen the privileges of the imperial clan. Even if they couldn't reach the level of the Sima princes, they at least wanted to have a place in the court. Liu Xian was greatly bothered by this.
But now that things have come to this point, the proper clan system must still be in place. This is a responsibility that Liu Xian, as the clan head, cannot shirk.
Therefore, after declaring himself emperor, he first ordered the restoration of the Shu Han kingships of his father and uncles. Among them, three were still alive: Liu Zan, the Prince of Xinping (fourth uncle); Liu Qian, the Prince of Shangdang (seventh uncle); and Liu Chen, the Prince of Ganling (cousin). The four who had passed away were Liu Xuan, the former crown prince of Shu Han (eldest uncle); Liu Yao, the Prince of Anding (second uncle); Liu Cong, the Prince of Xihe (third uncle); and Liu Chen, the Prince of Beidi (fifth uncle).
Because his eldest uncle Liu Xuan and fifth uncle Liu Chen died for their country, his eldest uncle was posthumously honored as Crown Prince Lie and King of Dongping, and his fifth uncle as King of Beidi Zhen. Since these two men and his second uncle Liu Yao had no heirs, Liu Xian ordered his three half-brothers—Liu Ying, Liu Huang, and Liu Kang—to be adopted out to inherit their titles in order to continue the lineage of his uncles.
In addition, he enfeoffed his half-brother Liu Rui as the King of Jiyin, his eldest son Liu Lang as the King of Longxi, and his twelve other cousins as county dukes.
Although these clansmen were nominally kings and marquises, Liu Xian's intentions were clear from the location of their fiefdoms—they were merely figures in name only. The kings enjoyed the same treatment as dukes of commanderies, and county dukes as marquises of counties, receiving land and household grants from the court, but without any further privileges. Of course, Liu Xian still allowed them to serve as officials, but only based on their abilities. Those with some talent, like Liu Xuan, the Marquis of Changshe, were appointed governor of Jiaozhou. The rest mostly held sinecure positions, and none were allowed to have retainers or establish their own government offices. Descendants of the imperial clan who wished to serve could study and practice archery at the Imperial Academy; those who passed the examinations could become officials.
This system of imperial clan rule, compared to previous dynasties, meant that the power of princes and nobles was far less than that of the Jin dynasty, slightly stronger than that of the Wei dynasty, and roughly similar to that of the Eastern Han dynasty. This made the burden on the court lighter, and provided opportunities for advancement for members of the imperial clan. However, this aroused considerable dissatisfaction among the clan members, who often privately complained about the emperor's coldness. Although Liu Xian was fully aware of this, he pretended not to know.
He now has a profound realization: the most troublesome thing in the world is managing one's family, far more difficult than governing a country. Governing a country only requires consideration of morality and law; those who break the law can be imprisoned, and those who are at odds can be expelled. Even if someone angrily denounces you as a tyrant, you can simply distance yourself and ignore them. But this is not the case with family members. No matter how many faults they may have, they will always be your relatives, and you can never sever ties with them.
Even with Emperor Shun's wisdom and ability, he could not change the situation when faced with pressure from his parents and younger brother. Desperate, he could only weep to the heavens in the fields. Human nature is hard to change, to this extent. Fortunately, the complaining clansmen usually lacked authority, and elders like Fei Xiu and Liu Zan sided with Liu Xian, so their complaints were limited to a few words.
Liu Xian's mind was not on this matter at the moment. He had summoned Cao Miao and Zhou Yi mainly to discuss other matters.
He then asked Cao Miao, "Agua, how much discussion about the new system was there when you went to the Imperial Academy this time?" (End of Chapter)