Chapter 1987: The Legacy Left Behind

In the Eastern Capital, within the inner city, stood the Prince of Qin's mansion. To this day, the plaque hanging above its lofty gate still bore those five characters: "By Imperial Decree, the Prince of Qin's Mansion." One mansion in each of the two capitals—east and west—these were the only two traces the line of Liu Xu had left in the Great Han. At least on the surface; all other property, land, and servants had been invested wholesale by Liu Xu into Andong.

Going directly to the Western Capital would not be possible even traveling through the night, so arriving at Kaifeng in the evening, they entered the city directly to rest. Having returned to the Eastern Capital, one ought at least to come and see the Prince of Qin's mansion.

Ever since last year's edict formally establishing the Kingdom of Andong, one question had lingered in the minds of the Great Han's ministers: now that the Prince of Andong had been installed, was the title of Prince of Qin still appropriate to retain?

Originally, as time passed, certain officials devoted to upholding the Zhengtong had long been itching to act. But they likewise harbored misgivings—the old emperor's feelings for his eldest son were hardly a secret. As the saying goes, distance breeds estrangement, but kinship does not. To actually submit such a memorial required considerable courage and meant risking one's head.

When news of Liu Xu's death arrived, the matter suddenly quieted down. To raise the "Prince of Qin" title at such a time would not be loyal counsel that grates on the ear, but simply seeking death.

At the same time, Liu Xu's death was also an opportunity. Removing the title of Prince of Qin from Liu Xu himself was difficult, but dealing with Liu Wenyuan—that difficulty dropped several levels. Within the court, a consensus had already formed: Liu Wenyuan could inherit the throne of Andong, but could not succeed to the title of Prince of Qin. This was reasonable both in sentiment and in principle. Of course, like many matters in the Great Han, the final say ultimately rested with the old emperor.

In fact, regarding Liu Wenyuan's present journey to the capital, a large number of people on the Western Capital side were already watching closely. Some had even drafted their memorials in their heads, rubbing their hands in readiness, determined to strip the title of Prince of Qin from atop the head of the Andong line.

On the surface, this was merely a question of a princely title—already serious and weighty enough. But the deeper reason clearly lay in the succession of the Great Han's legal mandate. Regarding enfeoffed kings, Emperor Liu had once said: abroad, they are kings; at home, they are subjects. It must be said that this displeased a great many ministers of the Crown Prince's faction.

To understand it from another angle, Liu Xu's enfeoffment as King of Andong could be seen entirely as bestowing a kingdom on top of his status as Prince of Qin. And in name, he remained the eldest imperial son and a Prince of the Great Han. How could that be acceptable?

Liu Xu was already gone, so it was inconvenient to target him further. But Liu Wenyuan was different—the ministers did not believe his relationship with the old emperor could run anywhere near as deep. Things had been muddled for over a year now; this could not continue. The matter had to be clearly distinguished to avoid future calamity. Matters of legal principle admitted no ambiguity. Not just the Andong line—the other enfeoffed kingdoms were the same. Court-conferred titles should be taken back.

From Liu Wenyuan's perspective, naturally he wished to inherit both titles—Prince of Qin and Prince of Andong. Young as he was, he clearly understood the benefits. To say nothing of other things, the annual stipend of a first-rank Prince of Qin was a substantial sum, enough to accomplish quite a lot in Andong.

Likewise, Liu Wenyuan also understood that achieving this goal would not be easy. Though he had not yet personally experienced the suppression and resistance Liu Xu had once felt, years of witnessing it at Liu Xu's side had been enough to prepare him mentally.

Within the Prince of Qin's mansion, there were always some people present year-round—sweeping the courtyards, repairing the buildings and tiles. But most importantly, this remained one of Andong's bases for various activities in the Great Han's capital region. Over the past decade or more, a new force had risen in the Great Han's commercial world: the "Eastern Merchants." Without question, these were merchants attached to the military-political force of Andong, and at their very core were the merchant interests personally controlled by the Prince of Qin's mansion.

Beyond using the "Eastern Merchants" to sell Andong's resources and specialties throughout the Great Han's interior prefectures for profit, these earnings were also channeled back to nourish Andong's development. The "Eastern Merchants'" sphere of activity was mainly concentrated in Liaodong, Hebei, Henan, and the capital region.

On the other hand, they also used the convenience of trade to conduct secret work, especially political intelligence. Previously, the organization's center had been in the Eastern Capital. As Emperor Liu once again visited Luoyang, the center of gravity shifted accordingly to the Western Capital. Thus, at present, the Prince of Qin's mansion in Kaifeng retained only commercial operations and ordinary intelligence functions—but it was unquestionably still an important core of Andong's operational network in the Great Han.

What Liu Xu had painstakingly built over more than twenty years was clearly far more than the visible Kingdom of Andong. Those resources hidden in the shadows were equally valuable, and now they had all become the enormous wealth left to Liu Wenyuan.

In the study, the captain of the guard carefully placed a casket upon the desk. It was an exquisitely decorated gift box. Liu Wenyuan said nothing, drew out a key, and gently opened it to inspect. Set within the box was a lifelike old ginseng from Changbai Mountain. Its age could not be determined—at least a thousand years, perhaps more. But one thing was certain: to harvest this old ginseng, the lives of several ginseng hunters had been paid.

This was, naturally, the gift Liu Wenyuan would present to Emperor Liu. And the captain of the guard, throughout the journey, had been tasked not only with protecting Liu Wenyuan's safety but also with safeguarding this gift worth a fortune.

After inspecting it, he set his mind at ease and waved his hand. The captain understood and withdrew. Before long, three people were led into the room by guards. None were young, but each was composed and steady. Seeing Liu Wenyuan, they bowed in unison: "Your servants pay respects to the King!"

Liu Wenyuan sat behind the desk, silently scrutinizing the three for a while before speaking in a deep voice: "Rise! Introduce yourselves, each of you!"

"Yes!"

These three were, naturally, the loyal servants Liu Xu had left to Liu Wenyuan—all personally trained by Liu Xu himself, and the principal heads of the Andong kingdom's various forces in the Eastern Capital region. One managed the Prince of Qin's mansion's affairs (in truth, organizational work), one managed the various industries and operations, and one handled intelligence gathering. The organizational structure was simple, yet tight and meticulous.

Liu Wenyuan had come, naturally, to meet them and formally take over these secret forces, letting them see their new master. Hearing their reports was the most suitable way to understand the situation below. But as the three reported on the various affairs of the Eastern Capital, Liu Wenyuan found himself somewhat dazed.

After a long while, he finally came back to himself. Looking at the three, he regained his dignity and said in a deep voice: "You are all men of the late king, and capable loyal ministers of Andong. Your merits, the late king did not forget, and I too shall have rewards. As for affairs in the Eastern Capital—everything continues as before. Do well the tasks in your hands!" "Yes! We thank the King! Your servants swear to serve unto death!" The three hurriedly responded, then exchanged glances, each detecting a sense of relief in the other's eyes.

After all, for men such as these, a change of master was an extremely serious matter. Previously, they had not been familiar with Liu Wenyuan, fearing the new master might stir things up. Fortunately, Liu Wenyuan had held steady.

The three withdrew, and Liu Wenyuan sat in his seat, lost in thought for a long time. As time passed, his eyes even grew somewhat distant. Only now did he truly realize just how much wealth his late father Liu Xu had left him. Some things were entirely beyond his expectations.

His heart surged with emotion, his thoughts complicated. Liu Wenyuan even felt an impulse to pour cold water over his own head. Stepping out of the room, the night had grown deep. The mansion's courtyard lay in tranquility and peace. The dim yellow lamplight illuminated the paths and corridors, dreamlike and ethereal. Wind chimes swayed gently in the light breeze, emitting pleasant, tinkling sounds.

Liu Wenyuan had spent some years in this mansion as a child. Everywhere still held distant yet familiar impressions, and many places bore traces of where he had run and jumped. His mood had settled, but a touch of wistfulness welled up unbidden.

As Liu Wenyuan was immersed alone in a somewhat lonely atmosphere, Bai Yonglin arrived, his footsteps light and brisk—clearly in good spirits. Tilting his head to look at this cousin whose impression had greatly changed, Liu Wenyuan asked: "Brother Lin, you're beaming with joy. What makes you so happy?"

At the question, Bai Yonglin's smile receded slightly. He clasped his hands and said: "Having been away for years, I'm eager to return and glad to be back. I took a turn around the mansion and witnessed the voices and vitality of the Eastern Capital's people—it feels most heartwarming."

"True enough—you've spent far more time in the Eastern Capital than I have!" Seeing his earnest expression, Liu Wenyuan said softly.

Looking at Liu Wenyuan, a flicker of hesitation crossed Bai Yonglin's face before he clasped his hands and spoke: "Your Majesty, some friends just now sought me out, hoping I might serve as an introduction. They wish to pay respects to Your Majesty!"

Hearing this, Liu Wenyuan gave Bai Yonglin a meaningful look: "Who?"

"To answer Your Majesty! I do have some boon companions in the Eastern Capital," Bai Yonglin hurriedly replied. After observing for a moment, he added in a low voice: "They are several sons of meritorious nobles who are close to me."

His scrutinizing gaze roamed over Bai Yonglin for a moment. Somewhat tempted, he pondered for a good while, then Liu Wenyuan gently shook his head: "Forget it! On this trip, it's best not to invite extraneous complications!"

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