Chapter 2183: Shizong Chronicles 51: The Imperial Grandson Heir

Over the course of three years, Liu Wenji had conducted some in-depth examination and assessment of Liu Jiying and Liu Weizhen, this son and grandson. When placed under a magnifying glass for careful observation, even the most splendid and ornate outer garments inevitably fade.

Beginning in the twenty-first year of Jianlong, Liu Wenji arranged for Duke Suiyang Liu Jiying to be placed in the various ministries and bureaus of the court, to participate in actual governance firsthand, learning and cultivating the judgment and handling abilities needed for managing state affairs.

Liu Jiying successively rotated through the Court of Dependencies, the Finance Commission, the Censorate, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Bureau of Military Affairs—the court's most core ministries and bureaus—until the twenty-second year of Jianlong, when he was granted the title of Director of the Chancellery and entered the Hall of State Affairs to participate in governance...

This series of arrangements all pointed to one thing: Liu Jiying was walking further and further, deeper and deeper, down the road of "reserve Crown Prince." Even though Liu Wenji maintained the court situation with forceful and ruthless means, suppressing the Crown Prince faction's struggles, as time passed, the calls for Duke Suiyang Liu Jiying grew louder and louder, all stemming from the Emperor's highly directive yet misleading arrangements.

At the same time, in terms of administrative ability, Liu Jiying indeed performed quite well, especially during the period when he followed his grand-uncle Liu Yao at the Court of Dependencies. He was very steady and earnest, clearly understanding his imperial father's emphasis on matters of clan-feudatory relations, and diligently studied the judgment and handling of related affairs.

When rotating through other ministries and bureaus, he also worked hard to perform, and though he was not without oversights, that attitude of seeking improvement was exceptionally positive and upright. Even those capable officials and skilled administrators in the Hall of State Affairs, regardless of their true feelings, all praised Liu Jiying in unison, gradually acknowledging his "virtue" and "ability."

However, after two or three years, perhaps weighed down by those reputations, or perhaps overly pursuing so-called virtuous and talented fame, Liu Jiying began to drift further and further down the path of putting the cart before the horse. He did fewer practical things and engaged in more high-sounding talk. Slowly, even his mindset changed—he began to devote himself wholeheartedly to fathoming the imperial will and single-mindedly currying favor with people.

Liu Wenji specifically reprimanded and corrected this behavior of courting fame and avoiding substance, and there was some effect, but Liu Jiying soon reverted to his old ways. He was also led astray by his close ministers and advisors—the Emperor's corrective actions, once "translated" by others, became "the imperial will has already been decided, otherwise why would he expend such effort..."

It could be said that when Crown Prince Zhangde Liu Jili had just passed away, Liu Jiying held considerable advantages—not in the staunch support of the Yang clan's maternal relatives and military merit aristocracy, nor in the tidal wave of acclaim from court and country, but fundamentally in Emperor Liu Wenji's favor and affection for him.

At least, compared to that slow-witted and dull eldest imperial grandson, he was more to Liu Wenji's liking. After all, Liu Wenji prided himself on being a wise and enlightened sovereign, and in choosing a successor, he always preferred to find one "like himself."

The late Crown Prince Liu Jili, though "benevolent and weak," was not unintelligent—on the contrary, he was very intelligent. It was merely his personality that caused his conduct and style to give people a feeling of weakness.

For Liu Wenji, watching his legitimate son, on whom he had placed great hopes, slide down step by step, his brilliant halo gradually dimming and exposing the essence of "mediocrity"—this too was a kind of torment.

Liu Jiying's mediocrity did not lie in any major defect in talent, knowledge, or wisdom, but if he were to be an emperor, he was simply not clever enough. His many performances and methods in the competition for Crown Prince also appeared too unwise. Simply put, the more you do, the more mistakes you make...

If Liu Wenji had established a new Crown Prince in the twentieth year of Jianlong, then the winner would very likely have been Liu Jiying. But this matter was dragged out for a full three years—delay breeds change...

As Liu Jiying's primary competitor, the eldest imperial grandson Liu Weizhen appeared much more plain and honest. Over a period of two full years, he did only two things: observe mourning and study. Apart from these two, Liu Weizhen made no superfluous moves at all, appearing indifferent to the struggle for the succession. The momentum in court seemed to form spontaneously from his supporters and the opponents of the Yang clan.

Of course, the main reason Liu Weizhen could sit so steadily on the fishing platform, undisturbed by worldly affairs, aside from his personality, was that someone was devising strategies for him. Wang Shilin, then serving as Supervisor of the Eastern Palace, was a famous minister from the reigns of Shizu and Taizong, the grandson of Wang Xuanzhen, former Commissioner of the Wude Office, Administration Commissioner of Jiangnan Circuit, and Chancellor.

Wang Shilin entered officialdom through his grandfather's shadow privilege, so compared to those children of powerful families who entered through the imperial examinations, his career path was somewhat more "bumpy." But though this man might be inferior to others in other areas, in political sensitivity and in reading people, he had deeply inherited his grandfather's true transmission.

When the struggle for the succession first began, he carefully analyzed for Liu Weizhen a series of comparative advantages and disadvantages, including the Emperor's attitude, the court situation, the power of the maternal relatives, the stance of the imperial clan, and the direction of the noble and common classes. In the end, his advice to Liu Weizhen had only one core point: keep a low profile in conduct, and do things steadily.

Nor was there any need to fear Liu Jiying successfully seizing the succession—if the imperial will was already decided, then all efforts would be in vain; if His Majesty remained hesitant, then the court, from top to bottom, would certainly not lack people speaking up for the imperial grandson...

Liu Weizhen heeded Wang Shilin's advice and acted accordingly, and did quite well—cautious in speech and conduct, harmless to man or beast. Moreover, he continuously adjusted his words and deeds according to changes in the court situation. Of course, most of the time, Liu Weizhen simply honestly did his own thing.

And so it was that when Liu Wenji turned his gaze to this eldest grandson, he suddenly discovered that this imperial grandson, amid the clamor of the entire court, could remain so still and quiet. This was a very rare trait, and it was the first time Liu Wenji found him remarkable.

Liu Wenji did not like his "slow-wittedness and dullness," but once, while reading, he came across a passage in the Veritable Records of Taizong. The writing employed the subtle style of the Spring and Autumn Annals, but it clearly indicated that Emperor Taizong, in his youth, was also known for being "slow and dull" compared to the three princes of Qin, Jin, and Zhao.

This "discovery" was the beginning of Liu Wenji's change in view of Liu Weizhen. It is worth mentioning that the one who placed that volume of the Veritable Records of Taizong into the Emperor's reading list was Bao Zheng, then serving as a Lecturer in the Grand Secretariat.

When Liu Wenji likewise turned his magnifying glass toward Liu Weizhen, Wang Shilin's counsel played a very significant role. Thus in Liu Wenji's eyes, although this grandson Liu Weizhen was not entirely satisfactory, he was at least steady and pure. He might lack brilliance and wisdom, but "not stirring up trouble" was also a rare trait for an emperor...

Beginning around the twenty-second year of Jianlong, Liu Wenji for the first time examined and regarded this son and grandson with equal eyes. While Liu Jiying walked in the Hall of State Affairs handling governance, his summons of Liu Weizhen for audiences and discussions also became more frequent.

In the twenty-second year, during the summer flood season of the Yellow River, the water conditions were abnormal. Liu Wenji issued an edict, unprecedentedly appointing the imperial grandson Liu Weizhen as River Defense Commissioner, leading a team out of the capital to inspect river defense and people's conditions in the prefectures and counties along the lower Yellow River.

Then something went wrong during the inspection tour. When Liu Weizhen reached Puyang, he was attacked by assassins. Though he was unharmed, he was badly frightened. The assassins were clearly death warriors—failing in their attempt, they resolutely took their own lives, leaving no useful clues.

On Wang Shilin's advice, Liu Weizhen did not report the matter upward, nor did he complain or lodge accusations. Instead, putting national affairs first, he continued to obey the edict, inspecting the lower prefectures and counties and relieving the people's hardships.

But obviously, this matter could not be hidden from the court. Dense networks of informants quickly reported it to Emperor Liu Wenji. It is hard to say what Liu Wenji felt about it, but he swiftly issued secret orders to suppress and cover up the matter, forbidding any leakage.

Though the matter was suppressed, in certain realms unknown to ordinary people, it continued to ferment. Its influence was so far-reaching that it could be said to have completely changed the situation of the succession struggle.

Of course, Liu Weizhen's "assassination at Puyang" was also one of the major unresolved cases of the Jianlong court—not in the incident itself, but in the series of succession struggles implicated behind the assassination.

As for affecting the succession situation, the assassination case was merely a trigger. As the prime "suspect," under imperial order, Commissioner of the Palace City Chen Wei very naturally launched an investigation into Duke Suiyang Liu Jiying.

In the end, the assassination case indeed yielded no connection to the Duke Suiyang's household, but Chen Wei found some other things—for example, Liu Jiying's secret dealings with court officials, colluding with the inner palace to spy for information, using the Yang clan's influence to extend his hand into the imperial army and the State Finance Commission, attempting to touch military power, and even some generals he had bribed were exposed...

There were also some old accounts—for example, as early as when Crown Prince Zhangde was still alive, Liu Jiying had already been restless, secretly cultivating his power, even planting informants within the Eastern Palace...

One item after another, one matter after another—enough to give Liu Wenji a cerebral hemorrhage. Of course, Liu Wenji still did not bring these matters to trial. The dignity of the imperial house had to be maintained, and the facade of harmony and joy also needed to be preserved. However, the proposal to enfeoff Liu Jiying as a prince was completely shelved.

From the second half of the twenty-second year of Jianlong, Liu Wenji had already developed a preference regarding the succession. At root, Liu Wenji's own path to the throne, though involving luck, was not lacking in elements of scheming—but he did not like his own descendants pulling the same kind of trick, especially the way Liu Jiying was doing it.

Playing such a good hand so badly truly made Liu Wenji's heart hard to calm.

Of course, even though Liu Wenji held the highest and final decision-making power over the heir apparent, in the process of making the decision, he was inevitably influenced by others. The Great Han Empire, after all, was not entirely his alone.

For example, Empress Yang—benefiting from good family traditions, Empress Yang was very wise and virtuous, and Liu Wenji had a fair amount of respect for her. But from the time Liu Jiying's "affairs leaked out," Liu Wenji's wariness of the Yang clan once again gained the upper hand, causing Empress Yang's plus points to become minus points.

Among the imperial clan, Liu Wenji separately consulted the opinions of the Chief of the Imperial Clan, Prince Yan Liu Zhao, and the Director of the Secretariat, Prince Xu Liu Yao. Prince Yan Liu Zhao remained slippery as ever—just like his nickname "old fox," he would not express a single precise opinion on the matter. When the Emperor asked, it was always "only Your Majesty should decide."

In contrast, Prince Xu Liu Yao, who had shared over twenty years of sovereign-minister friendship and knew Liu Wenji very well, cautiously pointed out some of Liu Jiying's performances at the Court of Dependencies, vaguely expressing concern, fearing that Liu Jiying was flashy but hollow...

Of course, Liu Wenji could not avoid discussing the matter of the heir with his trusted ministers. He once had a heart-to-heart talk with Minister of War Xiao Gong, who pointed out that both inside and outside the court, there were many who sympathized with Crown Prince Zhangde and the imperial grandson!

He even boldly spoke words that struck at the heart: given the temperaments of the two men, if Liu Weizhen succeeded to the throne, harmony within the imperial house could still be preserved, but if it were Liu Jiying, that was not guaranteed—at the very least, the line of Crown Prince Zhangde might not be preserved...

Liu Wenji remained worried about Liu Weizhen's "slow-wittedness and softness," and raised the idea of establishing another prince or imperial grandson. To this, Xiao Gong resolutely expressed opposition, bluntly stating that would be the path to chaos.

Not long after that sovereign-minister exchange, Xiao Gong was removed from the chancellorship and sent by Liu Wenji to Shanyang to serve as Inspection Commissioner. Xiao Gong accepted it gladly—he had offered his counsel not for wealth and rank, but keeping his distance from the aging Emperor was still quite necessary.

On the first day of the first month of the twenty-third year of Jianlong, on the day of the great court assembly, Emperor Liu Wenji formally issued an edict, establishing the eldest imperial grandson Liu Weizhen as the Imperial Grandson Heir, formally confirming the heir apparent of the Great Han Empire, and ending the three-year-long struggle for the succession.

But the outcome being decided did not mean the struggle was over—at the very least, Liu Jiying was extraordinarily unconvinced. And the establishment of the Imperial Grandson Heir was also the beginning of another round of political strife at court, except that this time, the old Emperor Liu Wenji personally entered the fray.

In the remainder of his life, Liu Wenji's primary task was to pave the way for the Imperial Grandson Heir Liu Weizhen. This task included clearing away the thorns on the path to the throne. The formidable "Suiyang faction" was dismantled step by step by Liu Wenji, and the Yang clan, its core, was torn to pieces by Liu Wenji.

The descendants of Yang Ye were either demoted or killed. Even Empress Yang was nearly placed under house arrest in the Kunning Hall, no longer permitted to associate with members of the Yang clan. Of course, the deeply rooted Yang clan was not so fragile, and Liu Wenji had no intention of uprooting it entirely. But under the Emperor's ruthless hand, the Yang clan, which had shone brilliantly throughout nearly the entire Jianlong era, began to decline—the reputation of "the most distinguished family" fell.

As for Liu Jiying, in the twenty-fourth year of Jianlong, he was directly driven by Liu Wenji to Nanchang Prefecture...