Chapter 26: The Order of Pushing Favor (Tui'en Ling)

To make up for what he said wrong, Liu Che walked to Liu Li's side, held her little hand, and led her to write a character hand-in-hand, and taught: "Your posture for holding the brush just now was wrong. Your wrist must be powerful so that the characters you write will have strength, and you must also pay attention to the brush power when you start writing."

With Liu Che teaching hand-in-hand, the characters Liu Li wrote seemed a bit decent.

Liu Che looked at the handwriting his daughter wrote and didn't expect her to understand so quickly, praising: "A Li has great comprehension."

As the saying goes, characters are like the person. A Jiao's handwriting was more graceful, but every character Liu Che wrote carried a sharp and domineering momentum between the brush strokes. Liu Li, as a layman, couldn't help but feel that his handwriting was very beautiful.

It was not the kind of beauty that was neat and tidy, but the kind of beauty that was unrestrained and free.

The family of three practiced calligraphy in the study room for a while. Liu Che looked around the study room of the Jiaofang Hall with a measuring gaze. He took out a bamboo slip and unfolded it to check, finding that it was a volume of "Record of Music."

The volume recorded some theories of musical scores, and there was also such a sentence in the "Music Essence" chapter: "When sounds correspond, changes are born; only when changes are made can it be called music. Compare sounds and enjoy them, reaching the shield and axe, feathers and pennants, which is called music."

Liu Che was greatly surprised after reading it and turned to ask A Jiao: "A Jiao, where did you get this volume of 'Record of Music'?"

A Jiao stood up and took a look: "It was gifted by the King of Hejian."

Liu De, the King of Hejian, was the second son of Han Jingdi, Liu Che's own brother, and also A Jiao's cousin.

Liu De loved ancient books and bamboo slips. After he went to his fief, he had been collecting ancient books. Before A Jiao married Liu Che, he often sent some books he thought were suitable for women to study to her, and those bamboo slips were all copied by him personally.

Now in the study room of the Jiaofang Hall, half of the collection was gifted by Liu De, and this "Record of Music" that Liu Che took a fancy to was also one of them.

Knowing that this bamboo slip was gifted by the King of Hejian, Liu Che inexplicably said: "The King of Hejian has always been thinking of A Jiao."

Liu Li, who was practicing calligraphy with a brush, heard Liu Che's inexplicably sour words and immediately pricked up her ears to gossip, and she was no longer focused on practicing calligraphy.

A Jiao only said: "I and the second cousin have a relationship like brother and sister. What is inappropriate about him gifting books to me, this younger sister?"

Speaking of these things, one had to pull back to a long time ago. At that time, Liu Che was only four or five years old, about the same age as Liu Li now.

At that time, the object the Grand Princess Guantao wanted to arrange for A Jiao was not Liu Che, but the then-Crown Prince Liu Rong. The King of Hejian, Liu De, and Liu Rong were brothers born of the same mother.

Before Liu De went to his fief, he often brought little A Jiao to play together. At that time, he promised A Jiao that he would find good musical scores for A Jiao to study.

The cousins in the Weiyang Palace treated A Jiao like a real younger sister. No, given the situation at the time, even the real Princesses did not have the treatment that the Tangyi Marquis Wengzhu had in the Weiyang Palace.

Later, the Crown Prince Liu Rong was deposed, and the marriage contract between A Jiao and Liu Rong was broken, but Liu De did not alienate A Jiao because of this and still had correspondence with A Jiao from time to time. It was not until A Jiao married Liu Che and became the Crown Princess that she gradually lost contact with Liu De.

"This 'Record of Music' is a good thing. The elder brother did not offer it to me, but gave it to A Jiao first." Liu Che said unpleasantly again.

Over the years, the King of Hejian had collected some Confucian classics in the folk, or the theories of Confucius and Mencius in the Spring and Autumn period, and would send them to the Weiyang Palace at the first opportunity. Half of the collection in the Shiqu Pavilion was offered by the King of Hejian.

So seeing the books sent by the King of Hejian here, Liu Che felt surprised on one hand, and on the other hand, realized that A Jiao's relationship with the King of Hejian seemed very good.

A Jiao raised her eyebrows: "Since you like it so much, why don't you take it and study it? I am very much looking forward to you playing the zither for me in the future."

Liu Che choked and said stubbornly: "I am the Emperor; how can I learn such lingering tunes?"

"Yes, at that time you were the Emperor, so how could the King of Hejian offer this lingering tune to you?" A Jiao said unpleasantly: "You are really good at blaming others; do you still want to blame the King of Hejian?"

Liu Che: "..."

Liu Li watched from the side

Liu Che being retorted to the point of being unable to speak, and couldn't help but steal a laugh. As a result, her hand shook, and a drop of ink dripped onto the bamboo piece, instantly staining the entire bamboo piece. She gasped and turned her head quietly to see that her parents hadn't noticed her, so she hurriedly hid this bamboo piece quietly and took another bamboo piece to use as cover.

As a result, her hands were also covered in ink.

Just as they were talking, the Yellow Gate Attendant Su Wen stood outside and reported: "Your Majesty, the memorials of all the ministers today have been sent to the Xuanshi Hall." This was a reminder to A Jiao that it was time to go to the Xuanshi Hall to handle government affairs.

A Jiao replied: "Understood, go prepare the carriage."

Liu Che said bluntly: "I will go with you."

A Jiao looked at him and nodded: "A Li, you come too."

Liu Li put down the brush in her hand, pretending that she had finished practicing very seriously, before answering crisply: "Okay."

She turned her head to look at A Jiao and Liu Che. A Jiao saw her face like a little cat and burst into laughter: "How did you get ink on your face?"

"Ah?" Liu Li subconsciously reached out to touch her face, but forgot that her hands were also covered in ink. With this touch, her entire cheek was black.

Seeing this, Liu Che laughed out loud, and the laughter like silver bells rang in the study room, making the palace maids and guards waiting outside curious about what happened to make the Empress so happy.

It seemed the Empress hadn't been this happy for a long time.

Liu Li puffed her cheeks and looked at Liu Che, who was laughing non-stop. Just as she was about to seek protection from A Jiao, she saw A Jiao also stealing a laugh.

Well, the husband and wife joined forces to laugh at her?!

Liu Li turned her dark eyes and walked toward A Jiao and Liu Che, then pretended to trip under her feet. Seeing this, Liu Che hurriedly reached out to support his daughter who was about to fall and scooped her little body into his arms.

The mischievous Liu Li stretched out her little hand and printed her black palm on Liu Che's cheek.

Liu Che: "??"

Looking at the beautiful face that originally belonged to A Jiao, suddenly having an extra small black handprint, Liu Li couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Hehe, Imperial Father, now we are the same, you are not allowed to laugh at me anymore." Liu Li raised her little black hand triumphantly.

Such disrespectful behavior would absolutely not have happened in the past. Looking at her cunning and agile eyes, Liu Che felt a softness in his heart inexplicably.

Among his three daughters, the eldest daughter was gentle and intelligent, seemingly inheriting her mother's gentle personality. The third daughter's personality was a bit arrogant and cute, very much like A Jiao when she was young.

Only the second daughter born to A Jiao, because she was congenitally deficient, rarely appeared, so he rarely had contact with this daughter.

Liu Li was born in the Ganquan Palace. Because it was not suitable for long-distance travel when she was just born, she followed A Jiao back to the Weiyang Palace after a full month. Later, she was taken by the Taihuang Taihou to the Changle Palace to establish the status of a legitimate Princess.

In fact, the old lady was reminding Liu Che not to be overly partial to the daughter born of a concubine. But the more the old lady was like this, the more it aroused Liu Che's inner rebellion, and the more he liked his eldest daughter, Liu Yue.

Plus, a year later, the old lady passed away. To show his love for his eldest daughter, he deliberately ignored Liu Li's growth.

When he heard from the palace people that Princess Chen might be mentally retarded, he specifically went to see Liu Li, who was already two years old at the time, and she was indeed dull and not very clever.

Perhaps at first, he would still have some pity for Liu Li, but over time, he naturally still liked smart daughters, and gradually he didn't care much about Liu Li.

Unexpectedly, A Li would be blessed by misfortune, get the Goddess's favor, and not only did her intelligence return to normal, but she also became exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted.

Hmm... and her courage was also very big.

He reached out and gently knocked on her little head, scolding: "Naughty." But he was not angry, and his voice even carried doting.

【Emperor Wu of Han favorability: 18】

Liu Li: "???" What happened to make Liu Che's favorability toward her increase by 5 points all of a sudden? Could it be that because she blackened his face, he liked her?

Emperor Wu of Han was probably a masochist!

A Jiao looked at the black block on her face and said both amused and helpless: "Both of you go wash your hands

and faces, and then go to the Xuanshi Hall."

Liu Li answered obediently: "Yes."

The guards and palace maids of the Xuanshi Hall were already used to the arrival of the Empress and the Princess. After the guards carried the memorials into the hall, they left very consciously.

Liu Che coming to the Xuanshi Hall was definitely for government affairs. Since he wanted to handle government affairs, A Jiao let him handle them. Anyway, in the end, when he wanted to issue decrees or do other things, he still had to go through her, this "Emperor."

Liu Li was thinking about the economic reform Sang Hongyang said yesterday, so as soon as she entered the Xuanshi Hall, she ran to the memorials that were like a small mountain, looking for Sang Hongyang's memorials one by one.

Although there were not many memorials today, these piled up were higher than Liu Li.

Ah, so troublesome, if only there were paper.

Seeing her standing in front of the memorials with a distressed face, Liu Che laughed: "What are you looking for?"

Liu Li said: "I want to find Master Sang's memorial."

Yesterday Sang Hongyang said confidently that he would present a memorial today. Liu Che was also looking forward to Sang Hongyang's so-called economic reform, so he took a look at the memorial pile and found Sang Hongyang's memorial.

Liu Li was surprised: "Imperial Father, how did you find it at a glance?" Too divine.

Liu Che raised his eyebrows and said: "Every person's memorial has a different mark, so Sang Hongyang's memorial belongs to finance, so there is a cross mark here, indicating that this is a memorial related to money."

"So that's how it is." Liu Li blinked and hurriedly said: "Imperial Father, hurry and see what Master Sang wrote."

Liu Che spread the bamboo slip in his hand on the table, and Liu Li hurriedly approached to check. In the past two days, she had also recognized many Small Seal Script characters. She originally wanted to try how many she could recognize without relying on the system, but when she saw Sang Hongyang's memorial, she found she couldn't understand a single character.

His handwriting was a bit sloppy.

Having no choice, Liu Li had to use her cheat and use the system translation to barely understand Sang Hongyang's reform suggestions.

The beginning of the memorial was a long series of analysis of the current economic policy of the Great Han, followed by several suggestions he put forward and the vision after implementation. Liu Li understood some of the current economic system of the Great Han after reading what he said.

It turned out that in the Western Han, as long as you had the ability, you could organize people to go into the mountains to mine copper and cast money, and the money made could also circulate in the market.

In other words, as long as you mastered the copper mine and mastered the technology of casting money, you were a big tycoon. This phenomenon was also related to the policy of recuperation in the early days of the Han Dynasty.

In the early years, such a policy had a certain positive effect on the development of the social economy, but with the development of society and the strengthening of national power, the drawbacks of such a policy appeared.

The currency was uneven in weight, and the denomination was chaotic. Some feudal kings with different intentions might also take this opportunity to accumulate wealth and make trouble.

So the first point Sang Hongyang proposed was to take back the right to cast coins and unify the currency standard. It was forbidden for commanderies, kingdoms, and commoners to make money themselves, and all money was the responsibility of the central government.

Sang Hongyang also proposed to lend the land that could be cultivated in the Great Han to farmers or refugees for cultivation, exempting these people from taxes, as long as half of the harvested crops were handed over to the central government.

He also proposed at the end of the memorial to put salt and iron under the control of the central government.

As a social animal who graduated from finance and trade, Liu Li really wanted to give a thumbs up to Sang Hongyang's three reform opinions.

For the current society, every one of the three points he put forward was very necessary. If the country did not manage the currency as soon as possible, inflation and the collapse of the economic system would be a matter of time.

And after reading Sang Hongyang's memorial, Liu Li's mind triggered the system prompt again: 【Ding, triggered "Economic Reform" event.】

Liu Li took advantage of the fact that Liu Che's attention was still on the memorial, closed her eyes, and checked this event. Like the last time, at the end of the event, it was written 【Unwitnessed or Unresolved】.

But what was different was that this "Economic Reform" event had branches. Clicking on the card of this event, you could see a series of branch events, all related to economic reform.

Among them, 【Currency Reform】, 【State Monopoly on Salt and Iron】, and 【Farming Public Land】 were marked with the words "To be witnessed."

And these three things happened to correspond to the three points proposed in Sang Hongyang's memorial.

Liu Li slowly opened her eyes and looked at Liu Che, who was still reading the memorial, waiting for his reaction.

She thought, if this economic reform was successful, then the economy of the Great Han in this space-time would be twenty years ahead of the Western Han in history!

"Good, good, good!" After Liu Che finished reading Sang Hongyang's memorial, he said three good words in a row. He seemed very happy, almost clapping his hands: "Summon Attendant Sang to the palace; I want to see him!"

Who wouldn't like making money? Liu Che previously thought his national treasury was full and didn't need to make money, but now seeing these suggestions from Sang Hongyang, it was probably true fragrance.

A Jiao ruthlessly woke up the excited Liu Che: "Do you intend to see him in this appearance?"

Liu Che was stunned for a moment and gave a low laugh: "Of course, you go see him." After the reminder, Liu Che remembered their identities.

After thinking for these few days, Liu Che also opened up a little, barely able to accept A Jiao's act of overstepping her authority. Anyway, before they swapped back, he needed to maintain the status quo and relationship with A Jiao to ensure his position as Empress would not be shaken.

At least now A Jiao was not under house arrest and let him contact government affairs.

Liu Che thought, no matter whether A Jiao was out of feelings for him or other reasons, this was a point he could use. Only by stabilizing the current A Jiao could he have the opportunity to find capable alchemists and find a way to swap bodies back.

He was never a person who sat and waited for death. Back then, he could endure his grandmother's listening to government affairs, and now he could endure A Jiao's occupying the magpie's nest.

Just waiting for the day to swap back.

But he himself was too weak now. A Jiao's confidants could not be used, and his own confidants could not be used. After all, if others knew about the Emperor and Empress swapping bodies, it would be a disaster. He had no available people around him, so he couldn't find alchemists.

At this time, A Jiao should not take the initiative to find alchemists to find a way for them to swap back, right?

He needed a helper he could trust and entrust.

Liu Che thought of his mother. Looking at the people around him, the secret of him and A Jiao swapping bodies could only be known by his mother, and then let his mother help him find alchemists to find a way to swap back.

However, the matter of swapping bodies was too bizarre, and his mother might not believe it. He must have absolute certainty to persuade his mother to believe him.

A Jiao summoned Sang Hongyang and carefully inquired about the three suggestions he put forward. Liu Che and Liu Li sat behind the curtain and listened to Sang Hongyang's exposition, and both father and daughter listened with great interest.

As Liu Che listened, he sighed: "Although Sang Qing's proposal is good, it is very difficult to implement."

Liu Li was puzzled: "Why is it difficult?"

Liu Che glanced at his daughter and said: "Now the forces of the various feudal kingdoms are not weak. If the currency is unified and handled so rashly, I am afraid it will attract the dissatisfaction of the feudal kings. Back then, the late Emperor rashly adopted the 'Policy of Reducing Feudal Kingdoms' proposed by Chao Cuo, which caused the dissatisfaction of the feudal kings and triggered the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion. Today's discussion will only attract the objections of the feudal kings."

Hearing Liu Che's words, Liu Li tilted her head and asked again: "But after the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion, wasn't the power of the feudal kingdoms basically cleared?"

Liu Che raised his eyebrows: "Basically cleared does not mean there is no threat." Liu Che dreamed of concentrating and recovering the power of the various feudal kingdoms, but he had no better way.

Plus, recently there had been friction and contradictions with the Xiongnu, and the military focus of the Great Han had always been on guarding against the Xiongnu.

Liu Li suddenly popped out a term without beginning or end: "Tui'en Ling."

"What?" Liu Che heard it and asked subconsciously: "Tui'en Ling?"

Tui'en Ling was a policy promulgated by Emperor Wu of Han to consolidate power against the feudal kingdoms. This was content in high school textbooks. As a liberal arts student in high school, Liu Li remembered this historical content very clearly.

It was just that this "Grace-Extending Edict" was proposed by Zhu Fu Yan to Emperor Wu of Han in the second year of Yuanshuo. Now it was the fourth year of Yuanguang,

and there were still four years until the second year of Yuanshuo.

Liu Li covered her mouth; she seemed to have triggered history in advance by accident. But that was fine; since Sang Hongyang's financial reform could appear in the fourth year of Yuanguang, then the Edict of Grace should also be able to, right?!

【Ding, triggered event "Tui'en Ling"】

Liu Li: "..." It could actually really happen!

Seeing Liu Li not speaking, Liu Che pursued: "Tell me, what is Tui'en Ling."

Liu Li bit the flesh in her mouth, puffed her lips, thought about it, organized her language in her heart, and then explained to Liu Che what Tui'en Ling was.

The so-called Tui'en Ling, in plain language, was to require the feudal kings of various feudal kingdoms to divide the land in their country to all their sons after they passed away, in addition to the eldest son inheriting the throne, to become marquises. Such a practice could make the feudal kingdoms smaller and smaller, and could also turn the contradiction between the feudal kingdoms and the central government into an internal contradiction within the feudal kingdoms.

Let the feudal kings close their doors and fight among father and son and brothers. If something happened, the central government would intervene and depose the feudal kingdom with corresponding charges. Without spending a single soldier or a single soldier, a feudal kingdom could be solved.

Liu Li could only say that Emperor Wu of Han, who thought of Tui'en Ling in history, was really too cunning.

After hearing Liu Li's suggestion about Tui'en Ling, Liu Che was happy and excited and slapped his thigh: "Wonderful, hahaha!" The sound was so loud that it directly attracted the attention of A Jiao and Sang Hongyang outside.

Liu Li really wanted to remind Liu Che to be quieter, but it was already a step too late.

Outside, Sang Hongyang was surprised: "Your Majesty, who is in the inner hall?"

A Jiao had to reply: "It's okay, it's the Empress and the Jianling Princess."

Liu Che walked straight to the outer hall, his voice full of excitement: "Sang Hongyang, put your currency reform aside for now and withdraw. Also, summon the Prime Minister, the Grand Marshal, the Censor, the Attendant, and others to the Xuanshi Hall."

Sang Hongyang stared blankly at the Empress who was issuing orders, hesitating: "Empress, your subject..." The Emperor actually let the Empress listen to government affairs behind the curtain?!

Although A Jiao didn't know what Liu Che was going crazy about, seeing his appearance, she guessed that something must have happened that made him particularly happy. She deepened her brows and said: "Attendant Sang, you withdraw for now; we will discuss today's matter another day."

Sang Hongyang looked at the "Empress" again and then bowed and left.

In Liu Che's view, the Tui'en Ling proposed by Liu Li was much more important than financial reform. If he could first weaken the feudal kingdoms and then carry out financial reform, wouldn't it be killing two birds with one stone?

After letting Sang Hongyang leave, A Jiao looked at Liu Che with dissatisfaction: "What happened that made you not even know the rules?"

Liu Che was still in high spirits. Facing A Jiao's dissatisfaction, he didn't care much. There were no outsiders in the hall. Liu Che laughed loudly, picked up Liu Li, kissed her tender face fiercely, and said excitedly: "A Li, my little lucky star, if Tui'en Ling is successful, I will grant you whatever reward you want."

【Emperor Wu of Han favorability: 20】

It was fortunate that Liu Che used A Jiao's body to kiss her, otherwise she would dislike the stinky man's saliva.

Liu Li had no interest in Liu Che's so-called reward. After all, what Liu Che gave her was not half as good as A Jiao's. But she also hoped that Tui'en Ling could proceed, because the items on the third floor of the system mall required completing three events to unlock.

So she said very hypocritically: "Imperial Father, daughter doesn't want any reward. Being able to help Imperial Father solve problems is daughter's greatest wish." Listen to her own sensible and filial speech; Liu Li was moved by herself.

Liu Che looked at his daughter in his arms with deep eyes, and a dark and unclear light flickered in his eyes.

【Emperor Wu of Han favorability: 18】

Liu Li: "???" No, why was it deducted by 2 points? What about the little lucky star? Is this how you treat your little lucky star? ===== CHAPTER 27 =====