Han Shizu

Chapter 2143: Emperor Shizong Chapter 18: The Emperor's Will
He had just reluctantly given a suggestion on the matter in the east, but trouble had arisen in the west. Inside the hall, Liu Yao looked at Xiao Jing, the deputy envoy of the Lifanyuan, and noticed his embarrassed expression. He could not help but sigh, and stretched out his hand, signaling, "Tell me, what's the trouble again?"

Xiao Jing, whose courtesy name was Jingyuan, was the youngest son of Xiao Siwen, Marquis of Guiyi (a title conferred posthumously by Liu Wenji after he ascended the throne, not hereditary), and was born to Xiao Siwen and a Han woman after the Xiao family migrated south.

In other words, Xiao Jing is the uncle of the current emperor, the uncle of Emperor Liu Wenji. Compared with Xiao Gong and Xiao Hui, who are outstanding Xiao family talents, Xiao Jing is the patriarch of the Yunzhou Xiao family with a good family background. (After the Xiao family moved south, they moved to many places in the Central Plains and Hedong, and finally moved north again to Yunzhou, Shanyang as their ancestral home.)
At the same time, Xiao Jing held a high position as Deputy Envoy of the Lifan Yuan, a position of the third rank. At the same time, the position of Envoy was vacant. In other words, in the huge Lifan Yuan, apart from Liu Yao, the King of Xuchang who was directly in charge of the prime minister, Xiao Jing was the person with the most say and actually managed all the affairs of the Yuan.

Perhaps due to the Xiao family's consistent low-key style, Xiao Jing, as the emperor's brother-in-law, remained modest and cautious even though he held a high position and power, and did not show off at all. He did not dare to neglect his direct leader, King Xuchang Liu Yao.

In addition to the constraints of family tradition, there was also the Empress Dowager Xiao. When Liu Wenji ascended the throne, it could be said that one man's success brought prosperity to his family, and the rise of the Xiao family's political status in the court was also a natural result.

However, even though the Xiao clan was so large, it was inevitable that there would be villains. Some people took advantage of their status as relatives to commit crimes and abused their power to break the law. Then, before Liu Wenji could take any action, Empress Dowager Xiao took the initiative to help him solve the problem. All the members of the Xiao clan who committed crimes were expelled from the clan and exiled to Southeast Asia, never allowed to return to the mainland.

Not to mention the clan's homeland, Yunzhou, even many people who wanted to return to the grassland were not allowed to do so. Empress Dowager Xiao dealt with dozens of such people in one go, including many elite children of the clan. She used almost harsh means to completely quell the unrest brought to the Xiao clan by Liu Wenji's ascension to the throne.

Empress Dowager Xiao also gave instructions and warnings to her brothers, which made Xiao Jing tremble with fear and not dare to get angry at all. He had always been in awe of his sister since he was a child, and he knew very well where the "bottom line" was.

At this time, facing Liu Yao's inquiry, Xiao Jing maintained his usual humility, cupped his hands, smiled, and replied: "My king, it's not a big deal, but it is indeed a bit troublesome. It's still about the Kingdom of Khotan. The exiled King of Khotan, Yuchi Jue, has come to ask for help again."

As soon as this person and this matter were mentioned, distress suddenly appeared on Liu Yao's handsome face. This was indeed a troublesome matter. The court had debated it many times, but no clear attitude had been taken. All kinds of opinions were said, and of course no one was concerned about the survival of Khotan.

As the imperial court agency that directly faces these vassal states, the Lifanyuan also needs to have its own attitude on this matter. This is its duty and obligation. However, for now, this attitude is still a little hesitant because it has not yet figured out what the emperor thinks. For the Lifanyuan, which has a certain decision-making power in this matter, the emperor's attitude is crucial.

During this period of time, after successfully arriving in Beijing, the ruler and his ministers of Khotan began to move around in Luoyang City. In addition to seeking to see the emperor, they also frequently visited relevant departments and important officials of the court. The Lifanyuan was the most frequent visitor, but it was obvious that such running around was basically ineffective because the emperor's will was uncertain.

Although they encountered setbacks from the Lifanyuan more than once or twice, the ruler and his ministers of Khotan remained persistent and even persistent. After all, apart from this, they really had no other way or path to choose.

And seeing Xiao Jing's expression, one could tell how much of a headache he was having. Liu Yao asked, "Where is Yuchi Jue?"

"As usual, receiving guests!" Xiao Jing replied.

Hearing this, Liu Yao pondered for a long time, and his frown gradually relaxed. He looked at Xiao Jing and ordered, "I will not meet him today. You can answer for me and tell him to be patient. The court is discussing the affairs of Khotan and will give him an explanation!"

Hearing Liu Yao say this, Xiao Jing couldn't help but be surprised. He looked up at Liu Yao and asked, "Is this how you answer Yuchi Jue?"

Liu Yao also understood where Xiao Jing's surprise came from. His reply today was the most positive and active response from the official court to the Kingdom of Khotan in recent times.

Facing Xiao Jing's surprised look, Liu Yao sighed and said, "It's not a solution to keep dragging it out. The affairs of Khotan and the three kingdoms in the Western Regions must be resolved. Now that things have happened, avoiding them is not the best option!"

"Your Majesty is right!" Hearing this, Xiao Jing thought about it and nodded in agreement.

"Thirteenth brother, Thirteenth brother, why don't you do things thoroughly? You even let someone file a complaint to the central government." Liu Yao couldn't help but mutter to himself, feeling worried for a moment.

Taking a deep breath and drinking another sip of hot milk wine, Liu Yao tried his best to keep his mind calm and clear. But when he noticed Xiao Jing, his thoughts involuntarily deviated. This deputy envoy of the Lifanyuan in front of him took office later than him, but was famous for being "stupid".

Normally, he was very respectful to himself and always humble, without showing any strengths. Even at this time and in this matter, he did not reveal any opinions.

However, it is not unusual for such a "mediocre" deputy to manage affairs and keep the Lifanyuan in a stable and orderly manner. Could it be that this person is also hiding his incompetence?
Such a thought flashed through Liu Yao's mind, and the figure of Emperor Liu Wenji quickly emerged. In terms of humility and concealment, who could compare to the current emperor?

With a few messy thoughts, Liu Yao went to Chongzheng Hall to meet the emperor after a little preparation. He brought two documents with him, one was a suggestion on the affairs of the Wanyan Jurchens and Andong, and the other was about the affairs of Khotan, with a detailed introduction to the Anxi Three Kingdoms and the situation in Central and West Asia in the past 20 years.
In the palace, in the hall renamed "Chongzheng", Emperor Liu Wenji lay in a recliner that swayed slightly, his calm eyes fixed on the huge map hanging high in the hall.

On the imperial map that marked the areas where the Han Dynasty's light reached, the Central Empire was like a rising sun, standing forever in the sky, and the surrounding vassal states were like surrounding stars. No matter how dazzling they were, they were all enveloped by the empire's strong light.

As the supreme ruler of the empire, Liu Wenji felt both proud and pressured. After all, if you want to be the sun, you must first have the heat and brightness to illuminate the world. The palace was quiet. Only Xuchang King Liu Yao accompanied the emperor. He remained silent and did not sit down. He just stood aside, waiting for the emperor to finish his thoughts.

After a long while, Liu Wenji, who had been wandering between the east and the west, stopped and looked at the distant Anxi Three Kingdoms. He asked softly, "What do you think should be done about the Khotan Kingdom?"

Upon hearing the question, Liu Yao first thought about the emperor's tone and pondered it, then replied: "Kangju has launched an attack without permission and destroyed the vassal state. This trend must not be allowed to continue. Otherwise, let alone reforming the vassal-suffering system, even the original structure will be difficult to maintain!"

Liu Yao's words caused Liu Wenji to turn his head and look at him, with an expression of listening carefully: "Keep talking!"

Seeing the emperor's reaction, Liu Yao considered it for a moment and said, "No matter what, the actions of King Kangju Liu Ye are destroying the Han system and have extremely bad influence. They must be punished to show the court's determination to maintain the patriarchal system to the vassal states at home and abroad.

Furthermore, Your Majesty wants to reform the vassal affairs and reorganize the system of vassal states. The matter of Khotan may be a breakthrough."

After a little thought, Liu Wenji raised his finger and asked, "How to punish him?"

Liu Yao cupped his hands and said, "A small punishment is a big warning!"

"How can a small punishment serve as a great warning?" Liu Wenzhi refuted on the spot.

Liu Yao was slightly startled and reported seriously: "Kangju is far away, and the three kingdoms of Anxi are closely connected. One move could affect the whole body. Moreover, he was personally conferred by Emperor Taizu, and is a close relative by blood. We must be concerned!"

"I understand what you mean!" Liu Wenji said after hearing what he said, "However, what King Kang violently destroyed was the ancestral system established by Emperor Shizu. Who can say anything about it if it is based on the clan system?"

Seeing the emperor's attitude, Liu Yao was shocked and secretly sighed: After all, the world today is no longer the era of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taizong.
Of course, Liu Yao did not dare to express such feelings. After thinking for a while, Liu Wenji instructed: "Send a letter in the name of the Lifanyuan, and send a fast horse to Shule to summon King Kang to the capital!

The victims have brought the case to the court, how can we do without the defendant? The court cannot just listen to the one-sided words of the ruler and his ministers of Khotan, let King Kang explain the destruction of Khotan!"

Faced with the emperor's decision, Liu Yao's eyes rolled around for a while, then slowly brightened. When he saw Liu Wenzhi's calm face lying on the recliner, his heart gradually calmed down.

The imperial court was certainly dissatisfied with Kangju's destruction of Khotan, which posed a big problem to the imperial court. It had to be dealt with, but the difficulty lay in the question of "degree".

If the punishment is too lenient, it will not be able to promote justice, uphold the law, make the attitude clear, and it will not be able to deter the internal and external vassal states. The court's attitude towards the vassal states is indeed increasingly relaxing restrictions, but it does not mean indulgence.

The bottom line and principle issues cannot be broken at will. These are things set by Emperor Shizu and Emperor Taizong, and no one can destroy them at will. The reform of the vassal system that Liu Wenji wanted to carry out was essentially to sort out and improve the previous generation's foundation, that is, to systematically sort out and stipulate the bottom line and principles.

To be fair, what King Kangju Liu Ye did was to break political principles, and any strong central empire would not let it go easily. Although Yutian was not a fiefdom of the Liu family, its vassal status was determined during the reign of Emperor Shizu. Liu Ye's destruction of it was already determined, and the impact was bound to be bad.

To put it another way, in order to expand its power, you, Kangju, were able to bully the weak and destroy Khotan, which was also a vassal state. Then, if one day, the even more powerful Anxi also had the idea of ​​turning around and destroying you, Kangju, would it be your turn to complain to the court then?

If other vassal states at home and abroad followed suit, wouldn’t the entire vassal system of the empire be in chaos? The demise of Khotan was indeed nothing, but in the “new vassal system” that the empire had finally formed, it was likely to be the ant hole that caused the collapse of a thousand-mile long levee.

If we think about it more deeply, if Kangju can destroy the feudal states today, will it rebel against the Central Empire and invade Gaochang Road in the future? Don't talk about how low the possibility is, but Liu Ye's practice of destroying Khotan has also made the monarchs and ministers of the Central Empire think about this possibility.

Therefore, the negative impact of the Khotan incident was far more serious than its demise. For the imperial center, this was a serious political incident that had to be treated seriously and dealt with seriously.

But on the other hand, if the punishment was too severe, it would also be inappropriate. Although the road was long, the imperial court was definitely not short of means, and military sanctions were far from that level. Whether it was political punishment or economic sanctions, the impact on other vassal states had to be considered.

Although the three Anxi states had been separated for more than a decade, they were still in the same boat when facing the Central Empire. Moreover, Kangju was surnamed Liu after all, and even if the tone of "clan law" was sung high, as long as it was "excessive", it would affect the relationship between the royal bloodline and undermine the trust between the clan kings and the imperial center.

This is really a troublesome matter that is caused by internal background, and it is difficult to really sort it out. How to achieve the deterrent effect that the court wants, and control the impact to a level that both the vassal and the clan can accept, is a great test of political wisdom and skill. In fact, the outcome of the Khotan incident is no longer so important. The focus is on the various games in the process of reaching the result.

The emperor's decision to summon Prince Kang Liu Ye to the capital to give a self-explanation made Liu Yao think of many things. The first was that before the fall of the former Minister of Personnel and Prime Minister Liu Jichang, he was reported and impeached by many people. At that time, the emperor held a court meeting and asked him to "prove himself."

But in the end, Liu Jichang stepped down and left for Andong. Thinking of Andong, Liu Yao, who didn't know much about the "Liu Jichang incident", couldn't help but wonder, could it be that there was a connection with Andong in China?

Summoning Prince Kang to the capital was probably just the first step. As Liu Yao pondered over what the emperor was going to do next, he became more and more curious. He even couldn't help but ask Liu Wenji, "Forgive me for being so bold, but if Prince Kang obeys the imperial edict and comes to the capital, what will Your Majesty do?"

Liu Wenji glanced at Liu Yao and said calmly: "If you explain well, you will be given a lighter sentence. If you don't explain well, then we will change the King of Kangju!"

After hearing this, Liu Yang felt a chill in his heart. He suppressed his surprise, clasped his fists and saluted, not daring to respond rashly.

Liu Wenji tapped his fingers on his legs a few times and said, "How should we deal with those exiled ministers of Khotan? Do you have any plan?"

Liu Yao asked, "The matter of Khotan has not yet been resolved. Is it too early to talk about the aftermath?"

"Whether it is concluded or not is one thing! Arranging and preparing is another!" Liu Wenji waved his hand and said in a low voice: "Can it be possible to restore the country?"

From the emperor's tone, we can know what the future of Khotan will be like. Obviously, the court was prepared to accept the established facts caused by Liu Ye, but it just needed to pay a corresponding price for this established fact.

After hearing what the emperor said, Liu Yao could not help but understand. After thinking for a while, he made a suggestion: "How about granting him a title and salary and settling him down somewhere in the country temporarily?"

"The area outside the Nine Provinces is so vast, and there are so many fiefdoms. Are you afraid that you can't find a place to settle the chief minister of Khotan?" Liu Wenji was obviously not very satisfied with this answer, and did not let him continue. Instead, he gave instructions directly: "Didn't Anxi occupy a lot of land to the west? Send an envoy to Anxi to take a piece of land and city from the King of Wei and give it to Yuchi Jue..."

If Liu Yao had not been afraid of losing his manners in front of the emperor, he would have breathed a sigh of relief. He finally realized that the emperor was already planning a big game.

"I wonder if King Anxi can accept it?" Liu Yao pointed out.

In response, Liu Wenji said indifferently: "Isn't Anxi Han territory? Doesn't the emperor of the Han Dynasty have the right to dispose of Han territory?
The Emperor had once granted fiefs to his meritorious officials and nobles in various fiefdoms, so why can't I do the same?"

(End of this chapter)