Han Shizu

Chapter 2162: King Sejong's Will 38
In the winter of the eighth year of Jianlong, Andong State, Suihua City.

In the middle of winter, the Yazi River has long entered the ice age, and the thick ice surface is suitable for horse racing. The cold fog is thick, the snow is rolling, and the king's flag is flying high in the wind on the riverside. Under the flag, Andong King Liu Wenyuan, wrapped in three layers of clothes, leaned on a sedan chair, silently watching the tourists and travelers coming and going in groups of three or two on the ice.

Liu Wenyuan, who is approaching his 60th birthday, has become very old. His face is full of wrinkles and wrinkles, but the biting cold wind cannot change his expression. Under the snow, his eyebrows and beard are even more crystal white. Only his eyes sometimes reveal a sharp and stern look.
When King Anton returned to Suihua from Luoyang, his spirit was obviously hit, and he was full of depression. However, such a King Anton was not a bad thing for the people of Anton.

Restrained, calm, tolerant and modest, these qualities that have been isolated from Liu Wenyuan for decades appeared in him in an unexpected way. In the ice and snow of Anton, the King of Anton also made people feel for the first time what it means to be bathed in spring breeze.

It turns out that even someone as proud and cruel as Liu Wenyuan did have a gentle and easy-going side. However, for the subjects of Anton, such days came too late and obviously could not last long.

The old age of King Andong was already known to everyone, and even the attention of many people and forces had shifted to the next generation. Regarding the succession of the throne of King Andong, there was actually no doubt. As early as 20 years ago, when the eldest son Liu Jitan just came of age, Liu Wenyuan established him as the crown prince, which was recorded in the book of Emperor Taizong.

Liu Jitan, the eldest son of Liu Wenyuan, was born in the 986th year of Kaibao (). His original name was Liu Jikang. After the death of Qin Wang Liu Xu, his name was changed to Tan, which is similar to "Qin".
Of course, the stability of the prince's position depends not only on his own ability, but also on his attitude as the king. In this regard, Liu Wenyuan's attitude is consistent.

Liu Wenyuan had quite a few children, a total of seven, both legitimate and illegitimate. With so many sons, it was impossible for him not to have ideas about the throne. Over the past twenty years, various open and covert struggles had taken place over the qualifications for succession to the throne, but none of them could shake Liu Jitan's position.

The main reason for this result was Liu Wenyuan's dominance. From the fact that he changed his eldest son's name to "Qin", we can see what kind of emotions he placed on this eldest son.

On the other hand, if anyone attempted to target or overthrow the crown prince whom he had established, Liu Wenyuan would regard it as contempt and disrespect for his authority and would punish him severely, even if it was his son.

Therefore, in the past few years, Liu Wenyuan's sons were banished from the royal city of Suihua one by one, and some were sent to guard the border, some to govern the people, or simply exiled to the mountains and fields (the third son, Liu Jihong, was expelled from the throne by Liu Wenyuan for taking advantage of opportunities and plotting to usurp the throne, and was exiled to the Nurgan area at the northern end of Andong to serve as a chief).

It is lucky to be the son of such a ruthless and powerful father. For example, Liu Jitan received almost 80% of Liu Wenyuan's fatherly love. The road under his feet was paved smoothly, and all the arrows and arrows in the process of growing up were blocked. But at the same time, it is also unfortunate to be the son of Liu Wenyuan. Look at the life of other princes of Anton. By the eighth year of Jianlong, only the youngest son Liu Jiyun, who had just reached adulthood, remained in Suihua City.

It is also conceivable that Liu Jitan had a smooth journey and his position as the crown prince was unshakable. However, such an heir was far less heroic and powerful than his father and grandfather. In contrast, he was more gentle and even weak.

Of course, only such a weak prince could rule the country safely for twenty years. Otherwise, if he were replaced by someone with an impatient and tough personality, given Liu Wenyuan's stubbornness, it is possible that the father and son would draw their swords against each other.

In addition, it is also related to the national policy of Andong under the rule of Liu Wenyuan. For 36 years, Liu Wenyuan has been guarding the royal city, looking at the capital from afar, calming down, lying in wait for the right time. Most of his thoughts and energy have been spent on the growth of Andong, especially the expansion of military strength.

You know, compared with the time when the former king Liu Xu was alive, Andong's military strength has increased by at least three to four times. This is also the fundamental reason why the social contradictions and class pressures in Andong are much more serious than in the Liu Xu era. With Andong's national strength, it is very difficult to maintain a large army all year round. If it cannot expand outward, it can only exploit internally.

Under such circumstances, how could Liu Wenyuan allow the weak national strength of An Dong to be wasted in meaningless internal friction in the fight for the throne? He wanted to tie all of An Dong to his chariot and focus everyone's attention on developing production and improving national strength. This also led to a tense relationship between Liu Wenyuan and his sons, even to the point of hostility.

"My king, the wind on the river bank is cold and it's not conducive to rest. You'd better return to the palace!" A call brought Liu Wenyuan, who was immersed in himself, back to his senses.

At this time, besides a group of majestic guards, there were two ministers, Ding Hou Geng Shoujie and Jing Hou Bai Yuankang. In addition to the royal family, Andong Kingdom also had three major families, which were also the three major relatives, Geng, Bai, and Liu, who were from Liu Xu's mother's family, his wife's family, and Liu Wenyuan's wife's family respectively (in his early years, Liu Xu personally asked for the wife of Haining Hou Liu Guangyi on behalf of Liu Wenyuan).

After decades of development, the Geng, Bai and Liu clans have become the most powerful people in the country of Andong, the core of the country's rule, and the three horses of the Andong royal family's rule over the country.

Of course, with the personality and skills of Liu Xu and his son, if they only relied on their status as maternal relatives, they would obviously not be able to reach the heights they have today in Andong. Over the past few decades, the three major families have also provided a large number of talents for the development of Andong and the consolidation of royal power.

The three major families have made great contributions to the development of Andong today, and have become a topic that cannot be avoided in the military and political affairs of Andong. Of course, Liu Xu and his son also gave the best return, at least they can share the joys and sorrows of Andong.

To be honest, Liu Wenyuan did suppress the three major families, especially in recent years. Many of the older generation of civil and military officials from the three major families were either forced to retire or resigned to the second line, simply because he felt that the three major families had somewhat hindered the royal power. He himself naturally did not care, but he could not ignore the future generations.

However, after the Jurchen Rebellion, he changed his mind, restored trust, and re-employed the three major families. Geng Shoujie and Bai Yuankang, who were accompanying the king at this time, were also the current patriarchs of the two major families. They were both under fifty and in their prime.

It was Geng Shoujie who started to persuade him. Liu Wenyuan did not respond for a moment. Then Bai Yuankang bowed and said, "I beg you, Your Majesty, to take care of your health!"

It was impossible to tell whether what they said was sincere or just a courtesy, but seeing that they both looked serious, Liu Wenyuan finally spoke. He raised his skinny right hand, pointed at the surface of Yazi River, and said in a hoarse voice: "Such a river, such a winter scenery, one less look, what does a little wind mean?"

"Your Majesty."

"Speaking of which, I have been in Andong for fifty years and have traveled to and from Yazik River countless times, but I have never observed and appreciated this river so carefully. This is my fault, because this is the river that has nurtured millions of people in Andong." Liu Wenyuan suddenly felt such emotion.

After a pause, Liu Wenyuan raised his voice, turned around and ordered: "Pass on my order. From now on, the name of Yazi River will be changed to Huntong River. Every year, officers and soldiers will worship the river god together during the community sacrifice!"

"Yes! We will obey the king's order!" Geng Shoujie and Bai Yuankang looked at each other and bowed hurriedly.

After giving the order, Liu Wenyuan looked up at the two ministers standing respectfully beside him. The old tiger was still majestic, and his old eyes made the two ministers feel uneasy, and they bowed subconsciously.

"What else does the king have to say?" Geng Shoujie asked carefully.

Liu Wenyuan retracted his gaze, took a long breath, and said quietly: "As the direct descendant of the Geng and Bai clans, I have suppressed you a lot, but over the years, I have never stopped observing you. During the Jurchen Rebellion, the performance of the two of you and your two clans did not disappoint me!"

After hearing what Liu Wenyuan said, both of them felt something unusual. Bai Yuankang immediately said, "We have received the grace of the country for generations, and we have no way to repay it. We can only be loyal and sincere."

"Ahem!" After hearing what the two said, Liu Wenyuan laughed and couldn't help coughing a few times: "You don't need to say these hypocritical and polite words in front of me. When the prince succeeds to the throne in the future, you can show your loyalty to him."

This sentence made the two of them very embarrassed. After Liu Wenyuan took a breath, he said in a serious tone: "You two are not much different in age from the prince, and you can still support each other for another 20 years. Anton's future 20 years will depend on your hard work!"

"Your Majesty!" Faced with such instructions, the two men's faces changed immediately. No matter what they thought in their hearts, they had to show humility and loyalty on their faces.

Liu Wenyuan ignored the two of them, coughed a few more times, and ordered the guards on the other side: "Go back!"

"Yes!"

Suihua in the depths of winter has become an ice city. The decoration of ice and snow makes this magnificent city, which has been built over 50 years, even more magnificent. Today, the permanent population of Suihua City has exceeded 50,000. If the business travelers staying in Andong are included, the population will easily exceed 60,000.

Among the capitals of the vassal states of the Han Empire, Suihua was second only to Anxi Hezhong and Annan Jiaozhi. The wind and snow started to blow again, and the whole city became darker under the cover of flying snow. However, the lights of thousands of houses brought peace and warmth to people in this cold night.

As the royal city of Andong, Suihua officials and civilians had many more means of heating. In addition to traditional charcoal and firewood, coal from Liaodong was also transported north by merchants in truckloads for use by the powerful families of Andong.

In the dark night, Liu Wenyuan returned to the palace and met with Liu Shangyuan, Marquis of Mo. There is no need to explain his identity. Although he is from a small clan, he is a direct descendant of the Haining Marquis family of the empire. At the same time, he is also the commander of the Suihua City Guard and controls half of the troops in Suihua City. (The inner and outer armies of Suihua City are divided into three parts: the Imperial Army, the Central Army and the Guard Army, with more than 10,000 people, each with its own duties. The Imperial Army and the Central Army are directly commanded by the king)
After about two months of silence, King Anton began to move frequently again, and such obvious changes naturally worried everyone in Anton. Obviously, the city of Suihua would not be peaceful in this cold winter.

After returning to Suihua from Luoyang, Liu Wenyuan did not rest in the past year. He did a lot of things and issued many military and political orders. To sum up, they were mainly in three aspects.

First, of course, is the further suppression of the barbarians under Anton's rule. The negative impact of the Jurchen Rebellion is not so easy to completely eliminate. The major rebellion has ended, but the minor rebellions are still going on, and the long security war is still going on;
Secondly, regarding the post-war recovery of the Kingdom of Andong, Liu Wenyuan vigorously adjusted the "militarist" policy that had lasted for decades, and his efforts to change the course were very strong. Reforms have always been met with great resistance, but Liu Wenyuan's reforms were very smooth, which really conformed to the people's hearts and the current situation;

The third and most important thing in the policy change was to reduce the military! When the Jurchens were in chaos, Andong almost mobilized all of them. The total number of regular troops, auxiliary troops, and militia was more than 130,000. After the chaos was quelled, the number was still 90,000.

After Liu Wenyuan's round of cuts, only 30,000 standing troops were left. For the State of Andong, this was obviously an unprecedented change. After reducing the burden of 50,000 standing troops, the military and civilians across Andong could all breathe a sigh of relief.

At the same time, the fear and precautions of the imperial court could be further reduced. Obviously, after the Jurchen Rebellion, King An Dong Liu Wenyuan had a "great enlightenment".

Disarmament is a difficult and dangerous task. If it is not handled properly, it may lead to an incident. Fortunately, even though there are countless things worthy of criticism, Liu Wenyuan is still very powerful in controlling the army.

This matter obviously has great benefits for the development of the empire, and only if Liu Wenyuan promotes its implementation can it succeed. At the same time, the Jurchen Rebellion caused a certain redistribution of social wealth, allowing the An Dong royal court to have enough resources to bribe and appease the dismissed officers and soldiers.

A series of actions show that Liu Wenyuan is considering the future development of Anton. The reality has forced him to give up decades of obsession and delusion, focus on a longer time dimension, and place his hopes on his descendants.
As his visits to the dignitaries and loyal ministers of Anton became more and more frequent, many people could see that this was the king making arrangements for his final affairs, and things were about to change in Anton!

Almost counting the days, as the ninth year of Jianlong was approaching, Prince Liu Jitan of Andong was summoned to the bedroom, and the father and son had a private conversation.

The darkness in the palace was no longer illuminated by two rows of oil lamps. Liu Wenyuan, lying on the kang, no longer had the strength and edge he had in the past. This time he really looked like a sick tiger that had lost its fangs.

Looking at the Crown Prince Liu Jitan kneeling in front of the couch with red eyes and tears in his eyes, Liu Wenyuan couldn't help but scold him: "Why are you crying? I'm not dead yet!"

These words immediately made Liu Jitan stop feeling sad. He wiped away his tears vigorously and listened attentively to Wang's instructions.

Liu Wenyuan made his final speech: "When I was a child, I followed the previous king to the east. After 20 years of hard work and hardships, I finally built the country of Andong. The merits and virtues of the previous king are beyond my reach even if I spend my entire life.

Since I officially succeeded to the throne in the 28th year of Kaibao, I have been in power for 36 years. I consider myself diligent and have never slacked off, but I have not been kind to the people, causing resentment from both the upper and lower classes. This is my fault. After you succeed to the throne, you should take this as a warning, treat your subjects well, and be kind to the people!

I know you have no special talents, but if you can do these two things, you will be able to secure the throne and pass on our country's prosperity. Andong can't stand another Liu Wenyuan."

"Father——"

"Let me finish!" Liu Wenyuan's voice was not loud, but it was enough to show his dissatisfaction at being interrupted. Liu Jitan was so scared that he immediately shut up: "The work of the previous king, keep it firmly for me. You may not be able to do anything, and your son may not be able to do anything either, but your son, you still have a son!"

At this point, Liu Wenyuan slowed down, pointed to a pottery jar on the table beside him, stared at Liu Jiqin, and said in a trembling voice: "Last year, I returned from Luoyang to the north and brought back a jar of soil. After my death, I will offer it to the temple and pass it on to future generations. Every king of Andong must take the inheritance of the previous king's career as his responsibility and the previous king's aspirations as his destiny."

"Son, I will remember your teachings!" Facing his father's gaze, Liu Jitan couldn't hold back his tears and burst into tears.

"You can leave now!" It was obvious that these words took a lot of energy. Liu Wenyuan slowly lay down and waved his hand weakly.

After finishing his explanation, Liu Wenyuan collapsed, as if the taut string in his heart had broken. Looking at the solid structure of the ceiling, he murmured, "I have been preparing for a lifetime, waiting for a lifetime, and finally wasting a lifetime. Ridiculous! Ridiculous!"

When he said this, Liu Wenyuan couldn't help but shed two tears that hadn't appeared in thirty-six years: "Dad, I am an unfilial son and an incompetent son. I have finally disappointed you."

Liu Wenyuan ultimately did not survive the eighth year of Jianlong. He died in Suihua City on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month of that year at the age of sixty. He reigned for thirty-six years and was posthumously named Wu.

　I looked through the map I made before, and the first name of the Anton King City was Suihua, but it was mistakenly written as Suiyuan.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)