: Under the Swine Fever Outbreak, Crown Prince Liu Ju's Survival Guide

The entire Weiyang Palace was shrouded in deathly silence and panic, enveloped by Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che's mournful roar and the blood he spat out.

The eunuchs and palace maids prostrated themselves on the ground, even their breathing became cautious, for fear of angering the emperor who had already fallen into madness.

Liu Che's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the sky, his chest heaving violently, like a wounded beast trapped in a cage.

Regret, pain, anger, resentment... all sorts of emotions intertwined, almost bursting his chest.

He destroyed his own family, drove his wife to her death, and murdered his son and grandson...

He committed a heinous crime!

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun watched the suppressed and grief-stricken reactions of the audience from different time periods, especially the tragic situation in the time of Emperor Wu of Han, and remained silent for a moment.

The power of tragedy is enough to transcend time and space, shaking the hearts of everyone.

"Family members, I know you are all heartbroken right now. After all, no one, whether an ordinary person or a king or general, wants to see a family that was once loving and affectionate turn into enemies, with fathers and sons killing each other."

Zhu Dijun's voice rang out again, breaking the silence, but this time, it was less teasing and more serious.

"The tragedy of Crown Prince Liu Ju is a tragedy of character, a tragedy of the times, and even more so, a tragedy of how the bond between father and son becomes extremely fragile under imperial power."

"However, we review history not merely to lament."

"More than anything, it's for reflection, for hypothesizing, and for finding that possible... way out."

"If Liu Ju could see our live stream, how would he manage to survive this 'swine fever outbreak' orchestrated by his own father?"

These words, like a ray of light, instantly shone into everyone's hearts.

Especially Liu Ju and Wei Zifu during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

They suddenly looked up, a glimmer of hope rekindling in their eyes.

life?

Is there really a way out?

Liu Che also stopped catching his breath. He looked at the sky with an almost pleading gaze. He wanted to know, he wanted to know, whether there was any possibility of undoing the tragedy he had personally caused.

"Next, I, your top strategist Jun, will tailor three survival plans for Prince Liu Ju!"

"We call it—'The Prince Li's Survival Guide'!"

Zhu Dijun's tone regained its confidence, and the image on the screen changed accordingly, becoming full of modern PowerPoint style.

Option 1: The ultimate strategy of surrendering and letting others mock you – the "survival" tactic.

"Family members, the first option is also the one that tests your mindset the most."

"What will you do when Jiang Chong leads his men and storms into your Crown Prince's palace, ready to dig three feet into the ground?"

"Hit him? Scold him? Argue with him?"

"No! Completely wrong!"

"The right thing to do is to move a small stool, brew a pot of tea, prepare some melon seeds and peanuts, sit down next to him, and watch his performance with a smile."

Zhu Dijun's description stunned everyone.

What kind of operation is this?

"You need to project an attitude of detachment."

"Jiang Chong wants to dig, doesn't he? Let him dig! You can even kindly ask him, 'Commander Jiang, you've worked hard. Would you like some tea to soothe your throat? Not enough soil? Men, bring him two more cartloads!'"

"Isn't he trying to find the Kirito? Let him search! When he finds him, you need to act even more shocked than he is!"

"You must rush forward immediately and, with a pained expression, say to those around you: 'Look! How dare such a treacherous and wicked person commit such a heinous act in my palace! Their heart is deserving of death! Their heart is deserving of death!'"

"Then, you immediately kneel down, facing the direction of Ganquan Palace, and cry out with tears streaming down your face: 'Father! Your son has failed in his duties in managing the palace, allowing villains to take advantage of the situation and plant such filth in the palace, intending to frame you and sow discord between you and your father! Your son is guilty! Please, Father, do justice for your son!'"

"Family members, the core of this strategy boils down to one word: 'survival'!"

"You don't need to do anything. Just pretend to be a complete 'naive and innocent' person who has been framed by treacherous officials. The more innocent, aggrieved, and trusting of your father you appear, the more Jiang Chong will resemble a clown jumping around."

"What you're betting on is the 'benevolent' image you've cultivated over the past thirty years in both the government and the public; it's betting on the lingering fatherly love your father still has for you; it's betting on who he'll choose to believe when he comes to his senses and sees a clumsy clown and a pitiful son!"

"The risk of this plan is that you're completely entrusting your life to your father's conscience. But the advantage is that you haven't done anything out of line from beginning to end, and you haven't given anyone any reason to criticize you."

The Great Han Dynasty, Weiyang Palace.

Liu Ju was stunned. He had never imagined that things could be handled this way.

This almost shameless yet watertight approach was completely beyond his comprehension.

Liu Che fell into deep thought, wondering if this method would actually work.

If... if Liu Ju really did that back then, what would he think?

Would he trust a son who had been with him for decades, or a newly favored courtier?

The answer seems self-evident.

As long as Liu Ju does not raise an army, and as long as things do not escalate to the point of father and son killing each other, there is still room for maneuver.

His regret deepened.

[Option Two: Cut off the enemy's supply line and strike first – the "ruthless" strategy]

"Of course, leaving your fate to others is ultimately a poor choice. Let's look at option two."

"This plan requires Liu Ju to have a bit of the mindset of 'Li Shimin' or 'Zhu Di'."

"You know Jiang Chong and you don't get along, do you? You know your father became increasingly paranoid in his later years, surrounded by a group of cruel officials, don't you?"

"When danger is foreseeable, the best defense is offense!"

"During your regency, you wielded immense power. Could someone like Jiang Chong be clean? He pulled off the 'zipper gate' (referring to his rise to power through outlandish clothing), made his fortune through backstabbing, and who knows how much dirt he has on him."

"You can use your power as regent to find a pretext, such as embezzlement, bribery, or any other crime, to get rid of him and his faction ahead of time!"

"There's no need to kill him. Just remove him from that position, exile him three thousand miles away, and ensure he can never rise again. Is that difficult for the crown prince, who holds the reins of power?"

"That's called striking at the heart of the problem! Niping the threat in the bud!"

"To deal with bad people, sometimes you have to be even more ruthless than them! This isn't called scheming; it's called political wisdom!"

Emperor Taizong of Tang clapped his hands and laughed.

"These words resonate deeply with me! How can a ruler sit idly by and wait for the enemy to arrive? He should take the initiative and clear away all obstacles!"

Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty also expressed his agreement.

"What kind of behavior is this, dragging your feet like this! Since Jiang Chong is a menace, we should get rid of him as soon as possible!"

A complex expression appeared on Emperor Wu of Han's face.

On the one hand, he felt that if Liu Ju truly possessed such skill, then he would be a qualified successor.

On the other hand, he had a vague feeling that if his son had actually done that, would he have thought that his son was forming cliques and eliminating dissidents?

He discovered that the root of the problem lay within himself.

[Option 3: Burn the boats and strike at the heart of the enemy – the key to speed]

"The first two options were either too passive or too demanding. So, let's look at the third one, which I personally believe was the most suitable way for Liu Ju to break the deadlock at that time!"

Zhu Dijun's tone became exceptionally serious.

"What will you do when Jiang Chong has already 'dug out' the wooden figure from your palace, revealing his true intentions?"

"Raise an army by forging an imperial edict? Fine! But not in the streets of Chang'an!"

"What are you fighting with Chancellor Liu Quli for? You're all on the same side! The more you fight in Chang'an, the more outrageous the news your father hears at Ganquan Palace! By the time it reaches his ears, it will be 'The Crown Prince is plotting a rebellion and has captured the capital!'"

"The correct course of action is to forge an imperial edict, assemble your Eastern Palace guards, and, more importantly, seize control of Chang'an's city gates, not to kill Jiang Chong!"

"Then, you will personally lead your most elite guards, riding two horses each, and at top speed, raid Ganquan Palace overnight!"

"What are you trying to do? You're planning a military coup!"

"You must be the first to rush to your father before he hears any distorted news from Chang'an!"

"You rush into Ganquan Palace, take off your armor, throw your sword to the ground, kneel before him, hug his legs, and weep loudly!"

"I cried and told him that Jiang Chong was a treacherous minister! He wanted to harm me! He wanted to force me to my death! He wanted to sow discord between my father and me!"

"You must tell him everything, truthfully! Cry out all your grievances, your fears, your anger to him!"

"Family members, what's this called? This is called seizing the initiative and getting straight to the heart of the matter!"

"What kind of person is your father? In modern terms, Liu Che was a domineering CEO! He only responds to gentle persuasion, not force! If you confront him head-on, he'll only feel that you're challenging his authority."

"But what will he think if you run to him crying and complaining like a child who has suffered a great injustice?"

"He'll just think, 'This is my son, he's been bullied, and he's come to me, his father, to stand up for him!'"

"At that point, he'll just vent all his anger on Jiang Chong, that troublemaker!"

"This was the only correct, absolutely certain, way to survive at that time!"

Zhu Dijun's words were powerful and thought-provoking.

In Weiyang Palace, Liu Ju knelt on the ground in a daze, tears silently streaming down his face.

A surprise attack on Ganquan Palace...

She clung to her father's legs, weeping and pleading...

Why didn't he think of that?

Why did he go and fight the Prime Minister's army to the death in the city?

At that time, he was preoccupied with "removing the emperor's corrupt advisors," but he forgot that the emperor was in Ganquan Palace, which was only a hundred miles away from him!

He missed his only chance, his only chance to survive and save his family!

"what……"

Liu Ju let out a painful whimper and slammed his head heavily onto the cold ground.

Meanwhile, Liu Che, sitting on the dragon throne, was already weeping uncontrollably.

He looked at the plan on the screen and at his son kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly.

He could almost see what he would do if his son had actually rushed up to him, hugged his legs, and cried.

He would hug him tightly and tell him not to be afraid, that his father was there.

Then, he would order that traitor Jiang Chong to be torn to pieces!

But there are no "what ifs"...

History has no "what ifs".

"Family members, three plans, three approaches."

"But either way is better than being defeated in battle, committing suicide, and losing one's family."

"Hopefully, the Crown Prince Li in the era of Emperor Wu of Han can learn to be 'deposed'."

Zhu Dijun sighed deeply, ending the review.

"Alright, that's the end of the sad story. Let's move on to some lighthearted anecdotes."