Chapter 1908: Father and Son Open Up

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Qi has arrived!"

"Let him in!"

Still in Chuigong Hall, still before that same map, still in the same position—Emperor Liu stood with his back slightly hunched, only this time, he leaned on the bamboo staff he had been using for nearly a year.

Liu Yang walked in slowly, and Emperor Liu's figure came into view. The old emperor's back was no longer as towering as it once had been, but it still stubbornly and obstinately held firm. The spring sunlight streamed through the doors and windows onto him, still carrying a sense of the "sacred."

Seeing this, though he had not yet laid eyes on his old father's face, Liu Yang could already imagine the grizzled beard and white whiskers. His heart stirred involuntarily, and his eyes even reddened slightly.

Though he had never quite understood some of Emperor Liu's policies, ideals, and practices, at this moment, Liu Yang's emotions suddenly calmed somewhat, shedding much of the anxious indecision that had plagued him.

Stepping forward two paces, Liu Yang bowed deeply: "Your subject Liu Yang, paying respects to Your Majesty!"

Hearing the voice, Emperor Liu turned his head and looked at his fifth son. His eyes were evidently not in good shape—it took some effort before he could see clearly. He asked casually: "From your voice, something's off with your mood. What's the matter?"

Liu Yang steadied himself and shook his head: "Nothing, I was just moved by the sight of Father's back."

Emperor Liu was slightly surprised but did not press further, beckoning him over. Seeing this, Liu Yang quickly stepped up to Emperor Liu and gently supported the old emperor's raised arm. Emperor Liu instinctively moved to resist, but upon noticing the sincerity in Liu Yang's gaze, he ultimately did not refuse.

"When you look at Us with such eyes, We truly feel a bit unaccustomed!" After making a small joke, Emperor Liu said softly: "These past few days, We have been waiting for you brothers to come! Of all those who have come to pay respects, do you know who surprised Us the most?"

Liu Yang shook his head: "Your subject does not know."

"It was Liu Xiao!" Emperor Liu said with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Eleventh Brother!" Liu Yang's brows furrowed slightly.

There was a trace of gratification and pity in Emperor Liu's tone as he sighed: "If Liu Xiao had come to tell Us he was unwilling to go, We could have understood! He has been frail and sickly since childhood; that he even grew to adulthood is a blessing from heaven. Places like the South Seas are damp and rife with miasma, teeming with disease—even a strong young man going there faces mortal danger at any moment, let alone him. But it was precisely he who came before Us and told Us he was willing to go."

At this point, Emperor Liu's eyes even grew a little moist: "He told Us that he had been weak since childhood, always looked after by his parents and brothers, and had never repaid any of it, leaving his heart uneasy. To repay his father's kindness, even a deadly realm crawling with venomous insects and thick with miasma could not stop him!

Such a pure and sincere heart, such fervent words—We were deeply moved upon hearing them, and could not help but feel ashamed! All these years, We have not given your eleventh brother much care, merely granting him the title of Duke of Liang.

You are brothers born of the same mother, but compared to Liu Xiao, We have clearly given you far more care. Do you admit it or not!"

When he reached the final sentence, Emperor Liu's tone took a distinct turn, and his aged eyes suddenly turned sharp, staring straight at Liu Yang.

Meeting Emperor Liu's gaze, Liu Yang remained unusually calm and composed, saying: "Your son is not as good as Eleventh Brother—I have disappointed Father!"

With that, he slowly retreated two steps and solemnly bowed to Emperor Liu in request: "Your son has thought long and hard these past few days. I dare not betray Father's expectations—I am willing to go to sea and take up my fief!"

Liu Yang's attitude was candid and earnest, and he had even dropped the distant "sovereign-subject" forms of address, clearly having made up his mind. Emperor Liu stared at him with an appraising gaze for a long while before turning back to continue looking at the enfeoffment map. His eyes fixed on the two islands east of the Whale Sea and north of Japan, he sighed softly:

"We know that these are in truth two barren lands. The southern island of Ezo is one thing—it still has some native barbarian inhabitants—but the northern island may well be a desolate isle. Calling it a place where even birds won't shit is not an exaggeration in the least!

We are also well aware that sending you to take up your fief in these two places is doing you an injustice! Today, We will speak to you from the heart and tell you Our true thoughts! Our expectation for you is by no means merely to manage those two islands well—Our aim lies to the south, at the state of Japan!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yang was unexpectedly calm. He nodded and replied: "Your son had guessed as much."

Emperor Liu turned his head once more to size up this son. When serious, Liu Yang exuded a reassuring quality—steady and focused. And at this moment, a thought kept arising in Emperor Liu's mind: this son can be entrusted with great responsibility!

Staring at Liu Yang, Emperor Liu said in a serious tone: "You have been to Japan before. In your view, if Ezo Island were used as a base, could we strike south and conquer Japan, turning it into Han territory?"

At the question, Liu Yang pondered for a long while, his expression not looking relaxed, and said: "Japan's dynastic lineage has endured for ages, and its institutions and culture have largely been modeled on China. It has a central court that enjoys recognition and wields a certain authority—completely different from the native states and tribes of the South Seas or Andong.

Of course, in the end, it is but a small island nation. With the might of the Great Han, it would be enough to overwhelm it, but the time and the military, financial, and material resources required would be incalculable.

As for the two islands of Xin and Qi, your son can go, and I have confidence I can manage them well. But without sustained support from the court, it would be utterly impossible to swallow Japan to the south. It is not that your son lacks ambition—but across a thousand li of vast ocean, projecting power to Ezo solely to destroy a neighbor that is friendly and close to the Great Han—the ministers and people would likely find it hard to understand, and the court would find it hard to persist over the long term.

The Great Han is certainly unmatched in the world, but if we make enemies on all sides and fires burn everywhere, then no matter how vast the Great Han is, it cannot bear it. At present, the fiscal and tax reforms Father is championing are far from complete. Within the realm, the circuits and prefectures should prioritize stability—it is not fitting to launch large-scale military campaigns abroad.

Even if the matter of enfeoffment is settled, there should be priorities. Andong has Eldest Brother, so the court can rest easy for now. One Anxi court can be supported, and adding one South Seas is already a stretch—no more can be added.

Therefore, your son can go to sea and take up his fief, but if the goal is to destroy Japan, then I fear that is not something achievable within your son's lifetime."

After hearing Liu Yang's full statement, Emperor Liu stood in a daze for a long while before snapping back to his senses, saying with a bitter tone: "Even you use the phrase 'within your lifetime'—then what of Us?"

In truth, Emperor Liu had read the meaning behind Liu Yang's words. First, destroying Japan would consume time and effort, draining the nation's strength. He himself did not understand it, and the ministers and people likely would not either. After all, in recent years, Japan had always been deferential to the Great Han—tribute and ceremonial gifts arrived on time every year, never short or remiss, and envoys to the Han came wave after wave. They might as well have been filial to Us like a father.

Second, even if annexing Japan were the goal, it would require long-term, enormous investment from the court, which could hardly be guaranteed. Emperor Liu could stubbornly persist, and no one could resist him—but what about after him? Needless to say, the conservative forces of the Great Han were simply too powerful. If a spontaneous outward-expansionist consciousness could not be formed, then most likely, when the man dies, the policy dies with him.

Rely on Liu Yang? Emperor Liu's assessment was that he was adequate for maintaining the status quo but insufficient for expansion. Emperor Liu's current view of the Crown Prince was no longer about whether he satisfied his own heart, but whether he suited this empire. Emperor Liu knew that in his governance in recent years, he had made no small number of mistakes and left behind no small number of aftereffects—all of which would need a successor to mitigate. What the Great Han needed was a successor who could maintain the status quo.

And if the full might of the Great Han were marshaled to attack Japan, Emperor Liu believed that with the formidable capabilities of the Great Han's army and navy, it would be enough to break the enemy and seize the country. But then what?

What of Anxi? What of the South Seas? Compared to the vast treasures of the South Seas, what is little Japan, after all?