Chapter 364: The Great Chess Master
"You bastard, run slower, you're really asking for a beating!"
Luo Jing had just walked into the palace gate and turned a corner when he heard the voice, and then saw a man chasing and beating someone. Luo Jing frowned slightly, but still saluted and said, "Prince."
This man was none other than the current crown prince, Liu Qi, the eldest son of the empress. Although the royal succession law of the Han Dynasty did not have clear provisions, it was deeply influenced by the Zhou Dynasty's system of primogeniture. In addition, two consecutive generations of emperors were eldest sons, thus forming this tradition. Liu Heng was an emperor who would not break the political rules unless necessary, so he appointed his eldest son Liu Qi as the crown prince very early on.
"Dong'a Hou."
When Crown Prince Qi saw Luo Jing, he stopped chasing him, and the two of them left without saying much.
Liu Qi didn't like Luo Jing very much because Liu Heng liked Luo Jing more than him, and he often compared the two of them, scolding him for being reckless and incompetent.
Especially as the queen grew older, Liu Heng's favor for her decreased. In this respect, Liu Heng was definitely Liu Bang's grandson, completely different from Liu Ying.
However, Liu Heng would never change the foundation of the country because of his personal preferences. He never thought of shaking the political status of the queen. Although he was not very satisfied with the crown prince's irritable character and thought he was too reckless, he did not have much disagreement overall. Therefore, Liu Qi's position as crown prince was still as stable as a rock.
Luo Jing did not think much about it. It was not a big problem that the crown prince had a bad temper. It was impossible for every monarch to be as kind and benevolent as Emperor Xiaohui. The current crown prince was quite capable and not the kind of foolish and ignorant person. Although he was far inferior to the current emperor, he was completely capable enough to be a monarch who maintained the status quo in prosperous times.
Walking into the palace, he saw Emperor Liu Heng handling government affairs. Liu Heng was getting older, and even had some white hair on his temples due to years of hard work on state affairs. Luo Jing walked straight past him and asked, "Your Majesty, I heard that the Xiongnu seemed to be making some unusual movements. There were riots in the Southwest Yi and Lingnan Yi?"
Liu Heng nodded slightly. He was an emperor who didn't like war very much.
Because every time they did the math, they found that the cost of war was too high and the surrounding land was of little value, so they gave up the idea of expanding their territory through war.
His strategy of expanding territory followed Luo Xin's policy, which was not to engage in large-scale wars, but to migrate the population, arm immigrants, and control the intensity of the war within a small range.
It would be best to govern the local area according to local conditions, just like the development of the Lingnan Kingdom, which did not consume too much resources of the central dynasty but achieved better results.
Of course, the main reason was that Liu Heng believed that there was no enemy that could threaten the Han Dynasty. If such an enemy really appeared, Liu Heng would not show mercy.
In response to Luo Jing's question, Liu Heng said: "It seems that several tribes of the Xiongnu have suffered a disaster, so they brought some people to plunder the border, but they have been repelled by the princes on the border, so there is no problem.
However, the riots in the Southwestern Yi were quite serious. The officials sent by the imperial court treated the local people harshly, which was unbearable for both the Yi and Han people, thus sparking the riots.
However, the rebels were temporarily stopped by Wu Che Hou of Xinan County, and are now seeking help from the court.
I have decided to send Marquis of Jiang Zhou Yafu to lead 5,000 imperial troops to the war, and at the same time, to recruit soldiers and horses from various counties as well as military horses and populations from kingdoms and marquisates along the way.
Appease the local natives and the people who have migrated away. The main culprits of the officials who have committed crimes will be executed, and the rest will be exiled. Since you don’t want to be an official in the southwest, then go to Lingnan to be a slave. "
Liu Heng's tone was very understated. He was different from Liu Ying in terms of the kindness and goodness in his character. To some extent, he was extremely black.
Five thousand imperial guards.
This number is about one-fifth of the Chang'an Imperial Guards. Even if an accident occurs, it will not affect the overall situation. Moreover, the rebellion of the Southwestern Yi is essentially a riot, so there is no need to send so many troops out of Chang'an.
Liu Heng's cautious character was fully reflected in this matter. He placed the memorial in his hand on the table and said with some emotion: "When I chose Zhou Yafu to go to war, he was very excited. It seems that these meritorious marquises can't wait to start a war.
But I always remember what King Lofven once said: no matter how powerful or wealthy a country is, it will decline in a series of fruitless wars.
This is the reason why I have exercised restraint over the years.
The world is now prosperous. I can say that even in the Three Dynasties, such a prosperous era as today is rare.
Every household has enough food. This is the achievement of three generations of emperors and two generations of regents. I want this prosperity to continue."
Every emperor has his own governing philosophy. Compared with the achievements of expanding territory, he cares more about making the world prosperous and making the people of the Han Dynasty richer and more comfortable, with fewer exorbitant taxes, less corvee labor and military service.
…
Liu Qi slipped out of the palace and went straight to the busiest market in Chang'an City. It was normal for a prince to have some personal hobbies. Liu Qi's favorite thing was playing chess. His level was not bad, but it was not good either. He also had a rather bad temper, which made the palace people secretly groan every time they played chess with him, for fear that something might happen if they were not careful.
When Liu Qi arrived at the market, he saw people coming and going, and it seemed like a constant flow. The chess hall in the market was already bustling with people. He showed an excited smile on his face, waved to the guards who were protecting him, and said, "Let's go, follow me and kill everyone."
When Liu Qi entered the chess room, he saw a group of people gathered around a table and cheering loudly. He looked forward with some curiosity and saw two people playing chess. One of them was defeating the other without any chance of resistance. The most important thing was that he knew the other person, who was considered a master in this chess room. When Liu Qi looked at the person opposite him again, he was immediately happy, because it was actually the Prince Liu Mei of the King of Jiaodong.
"You lose."
Liu Qi did not put down the chess piece, but laughed wildly. The man left the chess table helplessly. Liu Qi sat down and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that the prince had this hobby. Why didn't I hear you mention it before I came to Chang'an?"
Liu Qi did not call him brother either. After all, two people with bad tempers would not get along well. Liu Mei did not expect to see Liu Qi here. Hearing this, he said, "It is just a trivial skill. It is of no benefit to governing the country. It is not worth mentioning in front of Your Majesty. What the prince means is that you are also good at this?"
Liu Qi heard this and said, "I only know a little bit. Is the Crown Prince willing to play a game of chess?"
The two had a conflict before, and Liu Qi did not get the upper hand at that time. After all, everyone knew the status of the crown prince of the Han Dynasty before he ascended the throne. He was just a tool used by court ministers to improve their reputation.
Liu Mei did not give Liu Qi face at that time, and Liu Qi now wants to defeat Liu Mei and humiliate him severely.
This is no coincidence.
Liu Mei thought so too, so the two of them immediately picked up the chess pieces and started playing. The people around them didn't expect that the two people in front of them had such a great background. Although the guards stopped them, they still gathered around and watched curiously.
The royal family of the Han Dynasty was relatively close to the people, or more down-to-earth.
Especially the people of Chang'an City, when war breaks out, they have to prepare their own weapons and follow the court to fight. Basically every year the royal family would send officials to visit and comfort them. In addition, the Holy Emperor was always kind to the people, so they were not afraid of royal children like Liu Qi and Liu Mei.
Liu Qi and Liu Bu had the same idea, and then they started to fight each other on the chessboard. Both of them were very serious and even thought about every move. Especially when they gradually got into a stalemate, the people around them even began to hold their breath.
The two men were really well matched in chess, their levels were roughly the same, and they were so excited that their faces even turned red.
After a few more moves, Liu Qi's heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself that things were not good. He made a mistake in a crucial move, and Liu failed to seize the flaw decisively and started to attack indiscriminately. Liu Qi was completely at a disadvantage. With the two of them being of equal level, it could be said that defeat was inevitable.
Liu Qi was angry and very dissatisfied, and then he heard Liu Mei's rude voice, "Prince, you have lost this game. I suggest you just admit defeat. Otherwise, it will be too ugly to lose. Isn't that a bad thing?"
He laughed out loud after he finished speaking. To Liu Qi, these words sounded like a naked mockery of him. Liu Qi originally believed that it was his own negligence, not his poor chess skills, that led to the current situation. He had a bad temper, and when he saw that Liu Mei, a mere prince of a vassal state, dared to mock him, he was already very angry after playing for so long, and seeing this, he was immediately furious, and picked up the chessboard and smashed it on Liu Mei's head.
"ah!"
The chessboards in the chess studio were all made of iron. The blow was like a hammer hitting them directly. Liu Mei's face was full of horror. He screamed and died immediately. This sudden change shocked everyone. No one expected that the two of them who were just playing chess could lose such a big prince in an instant.
“Swish.”
At this moment, all the people who had been gathered around dispersed. The guards responsible for protecting Liu Mei were dumbfounded. A young man in brocade clothes appeared and pointed at Liu Qi and said sadly: "In broad daylight, you actually dared to kill the crown prince directly. Even if you are the crown prince, I will definitely report you to His Majesty to see if there is any law in the Han Dynasty!"
Liu Qi was feeling very happy after killing Liu Mei with a chessboard. But when he heard the pretty boy talking, he immediately threw the chessboard in his hand at the man, hitting him directly in the face. The young man was filled with shock and also died under the chessboard.
The guards who had been in a daze before finally reacted, but since they were facing the prince, they dared not do anything. They could only watch Liu Qi leave with the palace guards.
————
Disasters often accumulate from small things, and great harms are hidden in arrogance and indulgence. How could the disaster of Crown Prince Qi be a temporary mistake? - "Records of the Grand Historian: The Basic Annals of Emperor Xiaowen"
Huo Qubing must be here, please give me your monthly vote!
I recommend my good brother's book. If you like beast control, you can read the big-budget and big-production book with illustrations.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
