Chapter 179

Liu Ju announced his withdrawal from court, then sat at the front hall table playing with the bird that Emperor Wu of Han had sent from Magadha.

Wei Qing and Wei Zifu hurried to Liu Ju's study.

Wei Zifu looked worried and spoke first: "Ju, I heard you appointed your maternal uncle as Chancellor? That's out of the question. Now the Wei clan has outstanding military achievements and is already drawing attention. If he again takes on the heavy responsibility of Chancellor, the Wei clan's power may over-expand, attract envy, and at that time will surely invite suspicion from all sides, which is disadvantageous to the family and also to the stability of the Han court."

Liu Ju put down the birdcage, turned and looked at the worried Wei Zifu and Wei Qing.

At this moment, Wei Zifu frowned, her eyes full of worry.

Now the court situation is complex, and behind the family's glory lie many dangers.

Of course, she is more worried that someone is coveting the throne, affecting Liu Ju's position.

The case of Wei Kang is also a warning; if Liu Ju had not trusted the Wei clan, the Wei clan would likely have been destroyed by now.

Wei Qing also changed from his usual calm demeanor, then clasped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is absolutely right. Moreover, I have recently been unwell, often feeling inadequate. The Chancellor's position bears great responsibility, concerning the rise and fall of the state; I truly worry that I cannot fulfill it and would jeopardize state affairs. I hope Your Majesty will withdraw the order and choose another capable person."

He lowered his head slightly, his tone sincere; he indeed doubted his ability to serve as Chancellor, and his health made him even more anxious.

Liu Ju listened quietly to both of them, his gaze firm as he looked at them and said: "Empress Dowager, uncle, my decision is made. The current court situation is delicate, and the Grand Canal project is urgent; we need someone who possesses both prestige and can command the scene to oversee the overall situation."

He stepped forward, supporting Wei Qing's arm, and spoke gently: "Uncle, your military achievements are outstanding, your prestige in the army is extremely high, and you are upright, brave and strategic. I believe you will certainly handle government affairs well, balance the various forces, and ensure the smooth progress of the Grand Canal project. As for the Wei clan's influence, I have it under control and will not let it develop unchecked."

Liu Ju then turned and paced slowly in the hall, continuing: "Now the Han dynasty is at a critical stage of development; I need a minister like you, uncle, to share my burdens and devote yourself fully to the prosperity of the Han. Uncle, do not decline further; I believe you will not disappoint my expectations."

Wei Zifu and Wei Qing exchanged a glance, seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

They also knew Liu Ju's nature; once he made a decision, it was hard to change.

Wei Qing let out a long sigh, suddenly knelt on one knee and said: "Your Majesty places such trust in me; I will surely exert my utmost effort, even if it means sacrificing my liver and brains, I will not shirk."

Wei Zifu watched Liu Ju and Wei Qing; although still worried, she could only silently pray for everything to go smoothly.

After leaving the front hall, Wei Qing's heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Liu Ju, meanwhile, watched their departing backs, directing his gaze toward the far side of Chang'an, to the south of the Han realm.

There, it will be a crucial part of his future grand blueprint; he cannot afford to be careless.

And from the moment Wei Qing officially assumed the post of Chancellor, he immediately devoted himself wholeheartedly to the affairs of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal project.

Although he was unwell, he remained enthusiastic, planning first to conduct a comprehensive review of the project's progress, then to revise the advancement plan.

However, as soon as he took office, he encountered serious obstruction from Chen Wenjin, Li Xiangtian, and others.

One day, Wei Qing summoned the officials in charge of the Grand Canal project to discuss subsequent work arrangements.

He stood before the crowd, solemn and clear-headed, saying: "Everyone, the current progress of the Grand Canal project is delayed; we need to adjust our strategy. Starting tomorrow, we will speed up material allocation to ensure sufficient supplies at the worksites; at the same time, we will reasonably schedule work shifts to improve construction efficiency."

Everyone nodded in agreement, except Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian, who exchanged a glance and a flicker of contempt crossed their faces.

After the meeting, Wei Qing found Li Xiangtian, who was in charge of material allocation, and urged: "Sir Li, material allocation is vital to the project; there must be no slack whatsoever. Be sure to follow today's decisions and accelerate the pace."

Li Xiangtian responded respectfully on the surface: "Chancellor Wei, rest assured, I will do my utmost."

But as soon as he turned around, he curled the corner of his mouth, revealing a sly smile, and secretly schemed: "This Wei Qing, although you are a Wei King and an imperial relative, but this is not Chang'an; do you really think you can control me? Humph, just wait and see how I will respond."

Returning to his office, Li Xiangtian first gathered a few trusted subordinates and whispered in a secret room.

"Gentlemen, Wei Qing wants to speed up material allocation, but we will not comply. Starting tomorrow, we will postpone the originally urgent material orders, find excuses to delay, and claim that the supplier has run into trouble and cannot supply for the time being."

One subordinate looked worried: "Sir, if the Chancellor finds out, what will we do?"

Li Xiangtian snorted coldly: "What if he finds out? We'll be careful; he won't catch us in the act anytime soon. Moreover, he's just arrived; what can he do to me?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Thereafter, the urgently needed building materials on the construction site indeed arrived late.

The supervisors in charge of the project were anxious like ants on a hot pan, coming every day to urge Li Xiangtian. Li Xiangtian, however, always wore a smiling face, chuckling: "Soon, soon, I've already been pressing them; the supplier has a minor hiccup, it will be resolved shortly."

But he actually took no effective action at all.

Xu Wei, as a member of the project supervision, soon noticed Li Xiangtian's abnormality, secretly conducted an investigation, and finally obtained evidence of his intentional delay.

Xu Wei fully understood the gravity of the matter and hurried to the Chancellor's residence to report to Wei Qing.

At this time, Wei Qing was in his study reviewing the project progress report, his brow furrowed.

Seeing Xu Wei rush over in haste, he felt a sudden uneasy premonition.

"Sir Xu, why such haste—what has happened?"

Wei Qing asked urgently.

Xu Wei wore a solemn expression and presented the evidence in his hand:

"Wei King, something serious has occurred. Li Xiangtian outwardly agreed to speed up material allocation, but in reality he is defying orders and deliberately delaying. This is the evidence I have uncovered."

Wei Qing took the evidence, examined it carefully, and his face grew darker the more he looked.

"This Li Xiangtian, how dare he be so bold! The Grand Canal project concerns the nation's livelihood, yet he, for his own private gain, recklessly sabotages it. He deserves death ten thousand times!"

Wei Qing angrily slammed the evidence onto the table.

"Sir Xu, you have done well in this matter. Please return for now and continue to monitor Li Xiangtian's every move."

Wei Qing's eyes flashed with anger.

Meanwhile, Chen Wenjin was in charge of labor allocation.

Wei Qing demanded that he reasonably schedule workers' shifts to improve efficiency.

Chen Wenjin verbally agreed, but secretly pulled tricks, deliberately assigning workers scattered to some unimportant tasks, causing severe shortage of manpower in the critical construction area.

Wei Qing, upon learning of these situations, became even more anxious.