Chapter 1904: Tearing It Down and Starting Over

It was rare to hear Liu Chenghsun speak with such aggression, and Emperor Liu immediately became interested. With a faint smile on his lips, he asked curiously, "The 'state' you speak of—where exactly do you mean?"

Seeing Emperor Liu's keen interest, Liu Chenghsun maintained his resolute expression and said in a deep voice, "Since we've already offended Srivijaya once, why not offend them again—and strike once more!"

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Hearing this, Emperor Liu couldn't help but laugh out loud, saying, "I recall you saying that when you went on your diplomatic mission, the King of Srivijaya treated you with great hospitality. Now you want to destroy his state—isn't that a bit ungracious of you!"

Facing Emperor Liu's teasing, Liu Chenghsun calmly replied, "That was merely due to the might of the Great Han. But I could sense that the monarch and ministers of Srivijaya submit outwardly but not in their hearts. After all, the Great Han cut off a major source of their wealth. They are only lying low now because circumstances force them to. Should any change occur, they would not hesitate to seize Liangping Island again and control the golden waterway of commerce between east and west in the South Seas!"

"You mentioned these things before, but never as clearly as today!" Emperor Liu set aside his joking manner and grew more serious, pointing at Liu Chenghsun as he said, "You people always like to keep things hidden in daily life—we really do have to pressure you all!

I understand your thoughts now. I hereby promise you that I will leave a fief for you on Srivijaya's territory. If Srivijaya dares to resist, then as you said—destroy them!"

In that moment of grand proclamation, Emperor Liu seemed to regain his former vigor and high spirits, radiating an aura of dominance.

Of course, what he said was somewhat redundant. Liu Chenghsun was not one of those princes with scant knowledge of the South Seas. Given Emperor Liu's previous enfeoffment arrangements for his sons in the South Seas, he had never taken those native South Seas regimes seriously to begin with—his aim was to wipe them out entirely, a display of pure hegemonism.

Take the island of Sumatra, for instance—that was where Srivijaya rose from. Starting from Palembang, they spent several hundred years unifying Sumatra and gradually expanding to the Malay Peninsula, with their influence at one point reaching deep into central Java. Over the past century, they had been at the height of Srivijaya's power. Back then, when the court launched war to share in the profits of the golden waterway, looking back now with the deeper understanding of the South Seas states gained over the years, it had been undertaken with enormous risk.

Even now, though the Great Han's influence in the South Seas was growing, and more Han continued to migrate south, with the court's attention steadily increasing, the position was not secure—to put it seriously, there was even a danger of collapse.

At the very least, judging by recent years, vicious attacks on Han merchants and Han commoners on the three islands of Malaya, Sumatra, and Java were increasing. Though these were mostly the actions of uncivilized native forces, it was hard to say whether Srivijaya or the East Java regime that was close to unifying Java was pulling strings behind the scenes.

Having personally been there, Liu Chenghsun had some understanding of the local situation, so he felt no joy at receiving a fief for nothing—rather, it was more a sense of helplessness.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Still, seeing his imperial brother's enthusiastic demeanor, Liu Chenghsun had to accept and express gratitude. Then, in a rather mournful tone, he added, "But I am already past fifty. Once I leave, who knows if I will ever live to see the court again. Second Brother, you must take good care of yourself..."

Seeing Liu Chenghsun on the verge of tears, Emperor Liu was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "Did I say you were to head south immediately? You are my own flesh and blood—how could I not consider our brotherly bond and take your age into account?

Let the young men handle this pioneering and striving work! I will work with the Bureau of Military Affairs to settle on a campaign plan, then send troops south. When the time comes, Liu Chun will go along.

For now, you stay in the capital with me, enjoy some comfort, dandle your grandchildren. Once the situation becomes clear, then you can go overseas to your fief. The son conquers the realm, the father rules it—there's precedent for that!"

Hearing Emperor Liu say this, Liu Chenghsun instinctively wiped his tears and said hesitantly, "But Liu Chun has no experience leading troops..."

At that moment, Liu Chenghsun thought it might be better to go himself after all. He had been posted to various regions many times over the years, and though he had never personally commanded troops, he had sat in command and suppressed several rebellions—his experience was certainly richer. He was uneasy about letting Liu Chun do the pioneering, not because he didn't trust his own son, but out of a father's concern, for Liu Chun was the son he valued most.

Emperor Liu waved his hand, saying, "He's a man in his thirties now, no longer a fledgling under your wing—time for him to fly solo! If he's not good at commanding troops, he can still govern and manage people. I've observed that my nephew Liu Chun did quite well in Changsha, governing steadily and prudently. He also trained in the imperial army before—there won't be any major problems!

Establishing a fief isn't just about sending armies to conquer cities and seize territory. Liu Chun has plenty of things he can do!"

Hearing Emperor Liu say this, Liu Chenghsun could hardly refuse any further. One look at Emperor Liu's expression told him the man was excited. At the same time, this arrangement stirred even greater conflict and inner turmoil in Liu Chenghsun than if Emperor Liu had simply ordered him to go to the South Seas directly...

"Alright, let's leave it at this for now. I still need to mull it over!" Emperor Liu waved his hand to dismiss him.

Liu Chenghsun looked up at Emperor Liu but did not take his leave. Instead, he cupped his hands again and said, "I have one more request, and I hope Your Majesty will grant it!"

"Speak!" Emperor Liu's expression darkened slightly—his temper changing on a whim—with a hint of impatience showing.

Liu Chenghsun said softly, "I beg Your Majesty to take a meal!"

Emperor Liu had thought it was something important, but it turned out to be urging him to eat. Recovering his composure, he looked at his now-calm younger brother and laughed heartily: "For the sake of your face as Prince Yong, I suppose I must eat something!"

"After conversing with you, I really am a bit hungry!" Saying this, Emperor Liu patted his loose, protruding belly and turned to call out: "Serve the meal!"

Yan Tuo had been waiting at the palace gate, full of concern. Hearing Emperor Liu's order, he immediately perked up and hurriedly said, "Quick! Quick, serve the meal! His Majesty is dining!"

His gleeful manner was somewhat comical, and also rather moving.

After Prince Yong withdrew, Emperor Liu, now in better spirits, properly comforted his stomach—downing two bowls of congee, two flatbreads, and two plates of dishes in succession.

After eating his fill, he quickly threw himself back into his "grand enfeoffment plan." After that conversation with Liu Chenghsun, his resolve had been strengthened once more, but compared to his earlier self-amusement, there was finally a bit more flexibility. In the end, Emperor Liu wanted to get things done and didn't want to end up with everyone above and below dissatisfied and an ugly outcome.

That same day, Emperor Liu once again gathered his imperial sons and grandsons, along with imperial clan members including Prince Yong and Prince Xu, as well as the chancellors of the Hall of State Affairs and the few surviving meritorious officials and elder nobles.

After a heart-to-heart discussion, Emperor Liu repeatedly made it clear that participation in the enfeoffment was entirely voluntary—those who didn't want to go should keep quiet, and those who were interested could step forward and volunteer. He gave them three days to consider.

At the same time, Emperor Liu wanted to do some more careful and thorough thinking himself, and also hear the ministers' thoughts and opinions. Such matters drew too heavily on the court's resources to proceed without consulting the assembled dignitaries of the government.

Emperor Liu's earlier plans had been kept hidden and self-willed. Decisive as they were, their feasibility was truly low—it was map-conquering territory, likely a result of having looked at maps too much over the years...

Once Emperor Liu softened his stance and showed respect for his ministers, the atmosphere underwent a subtle shift. Though some still harbored grave concerns and opposed the idea, there was now room for consideration, and quite a few people began seriously thinking and offering feasible suggestions.

In the process, Emperor Liu couldn't help but voice some plaintive laments: when he had pushed policies in the old days, it was never as constrained as now. A man grows old, his deterrent power wanes, and the people below start having more thoughts of their own.

Though this was Emperor Liu's private lament, it quickly spread and circulated among the upper echelons of the Great Han's nobility.

The first reaction of many who heard it was that His Majesty had grown suspicious again, and then they began self-assessing whether they had done anything improper—lest the old emperor take them out as targets for his frustration, which would be truly unjust...