Chapter 114: The Fall of Liu Chan, The Nine Provinces Stir (Seeking Monthly Votes)

—The deposed Crown Prince.

When news of this reached them, the ministers in the imperial court were surprisingly silent, none saying a word.

This was truly rare!

In truth, one could hardly blame others for such an outcome.

The current political landscape of the Great Han was entirely different from that of the Former and Later Han dynasties.

Although Liu Shan remained Emperor and held real power, the more granular authority rested almost entirely in the hands of his ministers.

This was also related to Liu Shan’s personality.

Liu Xuan, as the Crown Prince, had never had the opportunity to establish his own foundation.

This was the result fostered by the current political landscape of the Great Han.

Liu Shan was soft-hearted after all.

After all, he was his own son, and having already stripped him of his position as Crown Prince, he did not pursue further punishment for Liu Xuan’s grave crimes.

Yet such things were destined to be in vain.

Liu Chen was not a soft-hearted character, and Gu Yi would absolutely not tolerate any risks arising within the Great Han.

When it came to imperial power—

Liu Xuan’s fate was clearly sealed long ago.

Even if Liu Shan could protect him now, the moment Liu Shan passed away, his fate would be thoroughly set.

The tenth month;

Liu Shan formally issued an edict naming Liu Chen as the heir apparent.

And Liu Shan seemed to have changed as well.

He was like a different person, no longer indulging in pleasure as he once had.

Although he still did not interfere in state affairs.

He began to pay attention to various government matters and focused on the education of Liu Chen, starting to strive to build a foundation for him.

This recent chaos had truly caused Liu Shan to awaken.

No matter what,

he absolutely could not allow the Great Han to face trouble under his watch.

Luoyang.

Regarding this matter, Gu Yi did not intend for the Gu Shizi to be involved.

He felt at ease letting Liu Chen serve as Crown Prince.

If nothing else, at the very least, given Liu Chen’s personality, he could absolutely suppress everything in the court when facing external threats.

And Zhang Hua, Zhong Hui, and the others were his best helpers.

He did not need to involve the Gu Shizi further.

This was an idea Gu Yi had held for a long time!

—The Gu Shizi needed to transform!

This was also one of the reasons he restricted the descendants of the Gu Shizi.

The Gu Shizi were currently tied too deeply to the Great Han imperial family!

This could indeed ensure the continued glory of the Gu Shizi within the Han court, but it also represented a risk.

There is no eternal dynasty.

The Gu Shizi needed to shift their bond from the Great Han imperial family to the entire Nine Provinces.

This was also one of the development paths most suited to the current Gu Shizi.

Generations of effort had already given the Gu Shizi an astonishing foundation across the entire Nine Provinces.

What Gu Yi wanted to do now was to solidify all of this.

To make the people across the entire Nine Provinces believe one thing from the bottom of their hearts.

That is, as long as descendants of the Gu Shizi appear at the core of the government,

then the entire world will usher in a golden age.

To completely sever the bond between the Gu Shizi and any single dynasty, and instead bind them to the rise and fall of the entire Nine Provinces.

This was absolutely one of the main development directions for the future of the Gu Shizi.

Of course, this matter was destined to be incredibly difficult.

It would require the efforts of generation after generation to fully pave this path.

The good news was that the Gu Shizi already had a very good start.

The emergence of Gu Chen had already fundamentally allowed the Gu Shizi to shed the appearance of being mere subjects of a single dynasty.

Although there would never be a second "Envoy of the Ten Directions" in this world, the Gu Shizi had actually completely broken free from the limitations of official rank.

Take Gu Ye for example.

Even though he was not the Chancellor, his influence in the entire court exceeded that of the Chancellor.

This was the fundamental difference between the Gu Shizi and other families.

The tremors in the court did not cause any impact on the common people of the Great Han.

The imperial examinations proceeded as usual.

Compared to previous examinations, there were significantly more students in the mathematics subject this time.

After all, as early as the last examination,

Gu Yi had already determined that mathematics would be directly included as a subject in the imperial examinations.

Yet the results of the mathematics students this time were still very poor.

Unlike the Confucian classics,

the subject of mathematics required innovation; Gu Yi could not possibly categorize everything into the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art."

And the exam questions he set this time were meant to address current events.

He asked the students to use mathematics to improve current issues regarding land planning.

It was reasonable that the candidates performed poorly.

But Gu Yi was still not in a hurry; the sciences required a certain talent, and as long as it continued, the corresponding talents would eventually emerge.

By then, the entire Nine Provinces would undergo a heaven-shaking change.

He had already changed much.

As for the rest,

one only needed to let time slowly ferment it.

What truly concerned Gu Yi were the barbarians on the four frontiers.

The wars were becoming increasingly frequent.

After decades of normal weather, the regions inhabited by the barbarians of the four frontiers finally faced natural disasters.

The barbarians, whose productivity was already severely insufficient, would only be more desperate than the Great Han when facing sudden natural disasters.

They had no choice but to launch attacks against the Great Han.

Attempting to plunder the Great Han to alleviate their crisis.

This kind of attack was completely different from before; when facing life and death, human conviction only becomes firmer, capable of erupting with even more powerful combat strength.

Fortunately, Gu Yi had long been making preparations for this.

Facing the attacks and rebellions of these tribes, the garrison troops of the Great Han would not be caught off guard.

But even so,

in the eighth month of the seventeenth year of Yanxi,

the Great Han garrison troops suffered their first defeat.

Facing the increasingly frenzied Xianbei and Wuhuan, the situation finally underwent a major change.

Lu Kang was doing fine.

His calm and unhurried personality in terms of city defense

did not lead to any major mistakes, and he blocked the enemy's attacks.

But Wen Qin was different.

Facing the continuous attacks of the Xianbei, he was finally thoroughly enraged, fell for the enemy's lure, suffered a crushing defeat, and died on the battlefield.

—The situation changed instantly!

The world, which had been very calm, suddenly became turbulent.

Regarding this news,

the common people instinctively thought it was a fantasy.

How could the Han army be defeated by barbarians?

Years of prosperity had caused far too many people to lose their original sense of awe.

Let alone the common people in other prefectures and commanderies across the world,

even the people of Youzhou had a fundamentally different attitude toward the barbarians than in the past.

But the matter did not end there.

Facing frequent natural disasters, the Xiongnu, Qiang, and other barbarians also gradually developed ulterior motives.

But they were different from the Xianbei and Wuhuan.

They first presented their demands to the Great Han, wanting the Great Han to help them survive this natural disaster.

Simply put, it is to improve their treatment.

They need land and they need grain.

Successive natural disasters finally broke the balance that had held for decades.

Such a demand is no different from a declaration of war to the Great Han.

Whether it be the ministers in the imperial court or the common people of the Great Han, none could possibly agree to such a demand.

After all, when the Great Han faced natural disasters, these barbarians did not help the Great Han.

Moreover—

How long has it been since the Great Han just barely survived the natural disasters?

Although Gu Yi reformed agricultural tools again and greatly increased the productivity of the Great Han.

But the fundamental reason for the Great Han's decline is the reduction in population!

Furthermore, raising the attitude toward the barbarians again will surely make the hearts of the Great Han people lean toward the barbarians.

This is a burden the Great Han cannot bear!

Although among these barbarians, there are tribes that are closer to the Great Han.

But these people are, after all, only a minority.

Under the trend of the times—

This war, though late, will arrive!

Gu Yi originally wanted to leave Luoyang directly and head to Youzhou.

But perhaps it really was Heaven's will.

Under these circumstances, Liu Chan's health unexpectedly ran into problems again.

This left the imperial court, which was already somewhat restless,

facing problems once more.

In this situation, Gu Yi simply could not leave Luoyang.

Having no choice, he could only send Wen Yang to Youzhou first, to use this to stabilize the current situation in Youzhou.

Liu Chan's health had indeed developed problems.

Reality is often just like this.

—People often lose some things when they gain others.

This is perhaps the fundamental reason why Liu Chan ended up this way.

Although he avoided the worries caused by the various situations in the original history.

Compared to the original history, Liu Chan was more indulgent in pleasure.

His body weight far exceeded that of an ordinary person.

It would even be considered an unhealthy weight in modern times.

Under these circumstances, it is indeed within reason that his health developed problems.

But for the current Great Han, this is definitely not good news.

North Palace.

The atmosphere throughout the North Palace was incomparably heavy.

Gu Ye, Zhang Hua, Liu Chen, and others stood inside the hall, looking at Liu Chan on the bed, everyone's face full of worry.

After the imperial physician finished examining Liu Chan's body, he walked out slowly.

Liu Chen hurriedly stepped forward and asked anxiously, "Mr. ... how is the Father Emperor's health?"

"Replying to Your Highness."

The imperial physician did not hesitate at all, knelt down directly, his face full of grief: "His Majesty's pulse is weak; I fear he has but a day or two left."

In an instant, Liu Chen's body trembled violently.

Subconsciously, he gripped the imperial physician's arm, wanting the physician to save Liu Chan quickly.

But faced with such a situation, what could the imperial physicians do?

Liu Chan was no longer young.

His age and his body had already reached a limit.

Gu Yi's expression at this moment was also somewhat ugly; he never expected such a change to occur.

But facing reality, he could only choose to accept it.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Gu Yi immediately controlled Gu Ye to look at Zhang Hua and said earnestly, "Maoxian, you must summon the ministers immediately."

Zhang Hua's expression was equally serious.

He first glanced at Liu Chen, then nodded and walked out.

When the ministers were summoned by Zhang Hua to the North Palace, everyone had already guessed something, and their faces immediately revealed deep sorrow.

No one wanted anything to happen to Liu Chan!

Looking through history, Liu Chan could be said to be the most tolerant emperor toward his ministers.

Serving as an official under him carried no pressure at all.

Such a personality in a Son of Heaven was something many people dared not even dream of.

But now...

This benevolent Son of Heaven was about to pass away.

How could they not be heartbroken?

Tears kept falling from Liu Chen's eyes; he still wanted the imperial physician to save Liu Chan, but the answer he received was exactly the same.

No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, he had to face this reality.

Time flowed slowly by.

It was nearly dawn.

Just then, Liu Chan finally woke up; the moment he opened his eyes, he saw Liu Chen and Gu Ye guarding before him.

Looking at the deep, inconsolable sorrow on their faces, Liu Chan was slightly startled, then reacted, instantly grasping his own condition, and unexpectedly let out a soft laugh, asking:

"I fear my time is near, is it not?"

"Father Emperor!" Liu Chen's face was full of grief, his voice choked with sobs, and he hurriedly spoke, "Your son will go summon the imperial physicians at once. Father Emperor's fortune is as vast as the heavens; you will surely be safe and sound, and live for ten thousand years!"

Having said this, he turned to call out loudly for the imperial physicians.

But Liu Chan raised his hand to gently stop him, his voice weak but filled with unquestionable certainty: "No need. I know my own body; I am well aware of it."

At this moment, his expression was incomparably calm.

In truth, Liu Chan had always feared death; even he himself had not expected that when truly facing this life-and-death moment, he could be so composed.

Liu Chen was stunned, his eyes filled with reluctance and sorrow, and with a "thump," he knelt straight onto the ground.

"Zhaode..." Liu Chan ignored the kneeling Liu Chen and waved his hand toward Gu Ye, signaling him to summon the ministers into the palace.

Gu Ye's eyes were red, and with a face full of grief, he walked out quickly.

Before long, the ministers filed in, each of them shrouded in deep sorrow.

Liu Chan scanned the crowd quietly, and after everyone had knelt, he spoke slowly, his voice weak but clearly reaching everyone's ears in the silent hall:

"In this life, I originally had no great ambitions."

"At first, I didn't even have the thought of being the Emperor; I only hoped to pass this life in peace and stability."

"Yet I did not expect to have walked all the way to this day."

Hearing this, the crowd's sorrow grew even heavier.

This was Liu Chan's unique charm!

He did not need to act deliberately; simply sitting on the dragon throne made him the ideal monarch in the hearts of his ministers.

Liu Chan's face was calm, a trace of reminiscence flashing in his eyes, as if he were retracing the various stages of his life.

Suddenly, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile, but in an instant, his brows furrowed, and a look of pain appeared.

Tears slid down quietly, and he looked at the crowd again, his tone filled with endless emotion and self-reproach: "I have failed the earnest expectations of the Late Emperor and the Chancellor."

"For many years I have achieved nothing, knowing only how to indulge in pleasure; I truly have no face to meet the Late Emperor and the Chancellor in the afterlife."

"I dare not hope for a good name in future generations..."

"I only hope that you, my ministers, will assist the Crown Prince and continue to protect the Great Han's mountains and rivers."

As he spoke, Liu Chan slowly turned his gaze to Gu Ye: "Zhaode..."

"I still remember the scene before the Late Emperor passed away, when he was longing for the Chancellor's arrival."

"The Late Emperor knew my talents well... he kept holding on to his last breath, and only after seeing the Chancellor did he depart in peace."

"I have been muddled for a lifetime; at the moment of death, I must not be muddled again."

"The world is in turmoil today; if the Crown Prince is unable to shoulder the great responsibility..."

Liu Chan's gaze swept toward Liu Chen, his tone becoming increasingly grave, "Zhaode, you may choose another worthy person to install!"

For a time, there was not a sound in the hall.

It was as if the air itself had frozen.

—A complete, deathly silence!

This moment was as if that scene from years ago had been reenacted!

Liu Bei had entrusted Liu Chan to Gu Chen back then.

And now, Liu Chan once again entrusted Liu Chen to Gu Ye.

But the meaning between the two is completely different.

Gu Chen’s meritorious service is something no one can overshadow; even Liu Bei, as Emperor, could not compare to Gu Chen.

But Gu Ye was different after all.

This kind of trust even surpassed that of the entrusted orphan.

Yet the ministers inexplicably felt it was incredibly reasonable.

This was exactly in line with Liu Chan’s character!

Gu Yi did not say much, merely allowing Gu Ye to bow deeply toward Liu Chan.

And Liu Chen had never said anything from beginning to end.

The atmosphere of sorrow within the palace grew increasingly heavy.

After finishing this matter, Liu Chan seemed to have unburdened his heart and began to reminisce.

He lamented his own good fortune;

Recalling the ministers who had left him one after another over these years.

Time flowed slowly away.

His voice grew increasingly weak.

As the first ray of sunlight pierced the horizon and shone into the palace.

Liu Chan’s voice suddenly paused—

He actually sat up abruptly, looking straight at the sunlight before him, as if he had seen something, and spoke excitedly:

"Father Minister... have you come to fetch me?"

Liu Chan’s tears fell like rain.

Just like a small child seeing an adult who could bring him peace of mind, he lacked even a shred of imperial dignity.

He was still saying something.

But his voice was far too soft, completely drowned out by the bursts of weeping within the palace.

—The sunlight grew increasingly dazzling.

At the very moment that ray of sunlight completely illuminated his body.

His whole person suddenly collapsed back down, his breathing gradually ceased, and his expression remained fixed in that moment filled with a smile.

"Imperial Father!!!"

"Your Majesty!!!"

Liu Chen and Gu Ye spoke almost simultaneously.

And these bursts of weeping.

At this very instant, reached their peak.

The eighteenth year of Yanxi, the day of Wuxu in the third month;

—Liu Chan passed away in the North Palace of Luoyang at the age of sixty-five.

Posthumously titled Ren;

He was the Filial Ren Emperor of the Great Han.

Crown Prince Liu Chen ascended the throne and changed the era name to "Qianji."

This was destined to be a major event capable of affecting the entire Great Han.

As for Liu Chan the person.

Although he had no presence in the formulation of the various systems of the Great Han, his only merit was that he listened to advice.

Over these years, he had still done quite a few good deeds for the common people.

This was also one of the customs left behind by the successive ancestors of the Great Han, which Liu Chan naturally would observe.

As far as the common people were concerned—

Liu Chan could definitely be considered a wise ruler.

After all, he had never done anything to harass the common people.

When the news of Liu Chan’s passing was heard, the impact it caused was in no way inferior to that of any wise ruler in the Great Han’s past.

—The whole nation was in grief!

That is exactly what the Great Han was like now.

This situation had a significant impact on the wars at the borders.

It was not Youzhou.

The situation in Youzhou had already completely changed.

Wen Yang’s bravery exceeded everyone’s expectations, especially under the weight of his father’s murder, his combat power was pushed to the limit.

Having just arrived in Youzhou.

He immediately reversed the situation in Youzhou, driving back the Xianbei army that had invaded.

This matter mainly affected the situation of the Xiongnu and the Qiang people.

They had previously held some reservations about the Great Han and, facing the Great Han’s hardline stance, had not chosen to rebel directly.

—But now it was different.

Liu Chan passing away at such a critical time.

Not only affected the Great Han, but also gave these people more confidence.

When someone suggested that this was Heaven punishing the Great Han.

This war was finally and thoroughly ignited!

In the seventh month of the eighteenth year of Yanxi;

The Xiongnu and the Qiang people launched their attacks on the Great Han one after another; with the national mourning for the Nine Provinces not yet over, war broke out once again.

The situation suddenly became severe.

Under these circumstances, the preparations for the enthronement ceremony could only be done in a perfunctory manner.

Liu Chen had to ascend the throne quickly at such a time to stabilize the hearts of the people.

Gu Yi’s arrangements for Liu Chen were very appropriate.

The enthronement ceremony was held on the banks of the Luo River.

Even if this so-called grand ceremony was much simpler, the impact it brought to the common people far exceeded the past!

Having just ascended the throne, Liu Chen already displayed a character completely different from Liu Chan’s.

He would not act as the mascot emperor that Liu Chan had been.

—He was a true monarch!

But Liu Chen was different from Liu Xuan’s arrogance; he would listen to the suggestions of his ministers and would not be so self-important.

He did not even carry out large-scale personnel transfers.

This was Liu Chen’s extraordinary quality.

It could be said that he perfectly inherited the strengths of both Liu Bei and Liu Chan.

He gave a great degree of trust to these highly capable ministers under his command and did not change the current systems of the Great Han.

At the same time, he followed the ministers’ advice to bestow grace upon the people.

Successively granting titles to the commoners in the Luoyang capital region and other places.

Under these circumstances, the situation of the entire Great Han quickly stabilized.

The gloom brought by Liu Chan’s death.

Finally and gradually receded.

And just as Gu Yi had anticipated, after stabilizing the situation, Liu Chen immediately took action to eliminate Liu Xuan.

It was just that this matter was truly too small.

No one cared about it at all.

Even Gu Yi did not care about such a trivial matter.

As far as he was concerned.

From the moment the situation had gradually stabilized, he was already preparing to leave Luoyang.

North Palace.

Liu Chen looked at the memorial in his hands, a trace of reluctance flashing across his face.

"Has Zhaode truly made up his mind?"

He looked at Gu Ye before him.

In truth, Liu Chen wanted to lead the campaign himself, but from the moment he inherited the imperial throne, he could no longer be willful.

"Does Your Majesty still remember the question this subject asked Your Majesty in the past?"

Gu Yi did not hesitate at all, controlling Gu Ye to ask.

Hearing this, Liu Chen was stunned for a moment.

Immediately, he realized, and a look of surprise flashed across his face: "Had Zhaode already foreseen today?"

"Indeed."

This time, Gu Yi did not deny it, nodding directly: "This subject trusts my grandfather’s judgment."

Liu Chen also nodded slightly, sighing: "Lord Zhaolie was truly a man hard to find in ten thousand generations."

As he spoke, he sighed lightly again: "It is a pity... I am now the Son of Heaven and cannot join Zhaode in punishing the insubordinate."

"Zhaode."

"Though you and I are called monarch and subject, in reality, it is not so."

"Emperor Zhaowu had already spoken of this in years past."

"The cauldron of my Liu clan shall have the name of the Gu clan engraved upon it."

"I still remember this oath."

Liu Chen’s expression grew increasingly solemn as he slowly rose and walked before Gu Ye: "Although I cannot accompany Zhaode on the campaign."

"I still stand by those words."

"Those who offend our mighty Han shall be punished, no matter how far away they are!"

"Zhaode, you need only focus on the fighting and killing; I will never allow any problems to arise within the court!"

——————

"On the day of Wuxu in the third month of the eighteenth year of Yanxi, the Emperor passed away in the Beigong of Luoyang.

The Emperor, personal name Chan, inherited the throne for over forty years; he never personally took up weapons to conquer the unruly, yet he was able to entrust the power of the state to wise assistants, ruling by simply sitting in his robes.

All matters of government, punishment, and rewards were delegated to high officials, allowing the world to remain peaceful and the common people to live in security.

The people looked up to his virtuous influence and all called him a benevolent ruler.

Upon his passing, markets in Luoyang were closed and the streets were filled with weeping; the elders of the capital region offered sacrifices from afar along the roads.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites discussed his posthumous title, deciding that one who is gentle in nature and kind to the people is called 'Xiao' (Filial), and one who is loving and forgets his own toil is called 'Ren' (Benevolent); thus, he was titled Emperor Xiaoren and buried at Huiling."

—— "Book of Yan Han: Annals of Emperor Xiaoren"

(End of chapter)