Chapter 4: Chessboard Knight Liu Qi
“Without grandeur, it is not enough to command prestige.”
This was the answer given by Chancellor Xiao He, who was in charge of building the imperial palace, when Emperor Taizu Liu Bang criticized him after the founding of the dynasty, saying, “It’s just building an imperial palace, why be so extravagant?”
Xiao He told Liu Bang: “Your Majesty rarely returns to Changan. The only way for the people of the world to feel the Emperor’s majesty is through the imperial palace.”
“If the imperial palace is not built grand and magnificent, I fear that the people of the world will not be able to feel the Emperor’s majesty, and thus will slight Your Majesty…”
It must be said that Changle and Weiyang Palaces truly lived up to Xiao He’s words of “grandeur.”
Especially the Xuanshi Front Hall of Weiyang Palace, built on the Longshou Mountain, it rose dozens of zhang from the ground!
Standing on the Lookout Platform outside the hall, one could take in the entire city of Changan; From the palace gate, looking towards Xuanshi along the palace road, it was like a mortal looking up at a divine temple standing in the clouds.
Climbing the stairs, Liu Rong finally followed the Si Ren to the outside of Xuanshi Hall after crossing countless steps.
Without the Si Ren’s reminder, he consciously took off his shoes and unbuckled his sword, and then, at the Si Ren’s Hint, entered Xuanshi alone.
“Emperor Qi, greets Father Emperor.”
“May our Emperor live for thousands of autumns and ten thousand generations, Changle Wei…”
“—Dispense with it~”
Before the greetings were finished, a slightly hoarse voice sounded, stirring up two or three echoes in the vast hall.
Straightening up and raising his head, he saw Emperor Qi, dressed in a dark red gown, on the imperial couch, burying his head in a desk, reviewing memorials.
“There are no outsiders again, why put on that set of empty rituals? Who are you putting on a show for?”
“Me?”
Emperor Qi did not even raise his head, speaking as if in jest, but it only made Liu Rong give a self-deprecating smile;
He walked forward on his own, came to his imperial father’s side, and obediently began to grind ink for Emperor Qi.
No choice~
If the mother doesn't know etiquette, then the son can only make up for it.
One of the mother and son must know etiquette, right?
—Grinding the ink, Liu Rong thought to himself.
Emperor Qi was unaware of Liu Rong’s thoughts;
Liu Rong’s unreserved actions did not seem to make Emperor Qi feel that anything was amiss.
He skillfully made annotations on the memorial, rolled up the bamboo slip from left to right, placed it on the right side, then took another roll from the mountain of bamboo slips piled on the left, and spread it out in front of him.
His eyes on the memorial in front of him, he casually said: “Crown Prince~”
“As long as I don’t have a legitimate son, you have already stepped halfway into the Crown Prince's Palace since the day you were born.”
“Why did you refuse the marriage proposal from the Eastern Palace again today?”
Hearing the hidden meaning in Emperor Qi’s words, Liu Rong smiled self-deprecatingly again, his hands not stopping, but his face grew even more bitter.
“Parents’ command, matchmaker’s word.”
“No matter how unreasonable a mother is, a son can only endure it…”
After answering, seeing Emperor Qi raise the rabbit hair brush in his hand, Liu Rong naturally pressed the inkstone down;
However, Emperor Qi’s hand, holding the brush, hung in mid-air, stunned for a full three breaths, before he dipped the brush in ink and then put it to the bamboo slip.
No matter how unreasonable a mother is, a son can only endure it.
This single sentence, unexpectedly, caused a strange feeling of feel oppressed in Emperor Qi’s heart.
Having passed the age of thirty, having been the Crown Prince for over twenty years, and even having supervised the State for several years in the late emperor’s reign, Emperor Qi showed no trace of emotional fluctuation on his face.
His gaze remained fixed on the bamboo slip in front of him, but the topic was unexpectedly led to the main point by Liu Rong’s somewhat resentful answer.
“I have issued an edict, ordering the King of Liang to come to Court for the funeral.”
“This matter has caused quite a bit of controversy both inside and outside the Court.”
“What does the Prince think?”
Seeing his imperial father finally bring up the main topic, the bitterness on Liu Rong’s face receded, and his expression gradually became serious.
“During the late emperor’s time, Chao Cuo repeatedly presented the Policy of weakening the vassals, but it was repeatedly shelved by the late emperor.”
“Now, Father Emperor has ascended the throne and taken power, and has swiftly promoted Chao Cuo to Internal Historian, placing him at the head of the Nine Ministers…”
“The Policy of weakening the vassals, must it be put into action, like an arrow on the bowstring, ready to be shot?”
An answer that didn’t directly address the question, yet it caused Emperor Qi’s gaze to sharpen, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
A moment later, he returned to his working State, raising his brush without looking up: “Continue.”
But his gaze remained fixed on the bamboo slip in front of him.
Seeing his father’s reaction, Liu Rong felt a little relieved, took a deep breath, and took the opportunity to organize his thoughts.
After confirming that his draft was fine, he said in a deep voice: “Chao Cuo’s Policy of weakening the vassals directly strikes at the lifeblood of the vassal kings. If implemented, there will certainly be unrest in Guandong.”
“Once conflict arises, the safety of our Han Ancestral Temple and State will depend solely on the Prince of Liang.”
“—If Liang is safe, then Hangu Pass is secure, the people of Guanzhong are at ease, and the Court can plan and deploy calmly to cope.”
“If Liang is in danger, then the rebel army will march on Hangu Pass, and the people of Guanzhong will fall into great chaos.”
“At that time, the State will be in doubt, and the Ancestral Temple will be in peril…”
Whether by coincidence or not, just as Liu Rong finished speaking, Emperor Qi happened to finish reviewing another memorial.
Only this time, Emperor Qi did not put away the memorial he had finished annotating, but continued to fix his gaze on the memorial he had already read several times.
What Liu Rong didn’t know was that Emperor Qi’s attention was no longer on the memorial in front of him.
“Does the Prince also think that the Policy of weakening the vassals will force the Guandong vassals to rebel?”
“—At least Wu King Liu Bi will rebel.”
Liu Rong gave the answer without hesitation.
The Policy of weakening the vassals, as the name suggests: a strategy to weaken the power of the vassal kings.
It aimed to cut into the interests of the Guandong vassal kings, to remove their claws and fangs, and to solve the huge hidden danger of the Guandong vassals becoming too powerful and threatening the central government in Changan.
With their own interests harmed, the powerful vassal kings would naturally not allow themselves to be slaughtered. They would certainly put up varying degrees of resistance.
Those without ability would at least cry and make a fuss a couple of times to show their unwillingness;
Those with ability would be even more likely to sharpen their weapons and prepare for action, eager to move.
However, Wu King Liu Bi was a special case who would definitely rebel, whether the Policy of weakening the vassals harmed his interests or not.
To understand the reason, one must mention that the current Emperor Qi has a nickname in the common folk: ‘Chessboard Knight.’
“He couldn’t beat someone at chess, so he smashed them to death with the chessboard…”
“Tsk tsk tsk…”
“The Crown Prince’s eldest son died so ignominiously in Changan, and he could endure it until now without rebelling;”
“It seems that Wu King Liu Bi is also a very patient person?”
While Liu Rong was secretly criticizing his own father, Emperor Qi had already returned to his previous State of concentrating on State affairs, while simultaneously finding the energy to converse with Liu Rong.
“When the King of Liang comes to Court this time, I also intend to explain the stakes to him.”
“However, the national mourning has just ended, and State affairs are busy. Although I wish to personally welcome him, I cannot spare the time.”
“Therefore, I will have the Crown Prince act as my representative, going twenty li out of Changan to welcome the King of Liang into the city.”
Though the tone was as relaxed as a casual chat, it only conveyed an undeniable firmness, and Liu Rong naturally had no choice but to bow and accept the order.
After grinding ink for his imperial father for a while longer, and finding nothing else to do, he wisely excused himself, no longer wishing to be an eyesore.
After Liu Rong left Xuanshi Hall, it was a while longer before Emperor Qi’s seemingly mask-like, unruffled expression finally showed signs of emotional fluctuation.
“Wu King Liu Bi…”
“Hmph!”
“That cunning old scoundrel!!!”
“It’s a pity for this boy, though, that he didn’t have a good mother…”