Chapter 171 I'd Rather It Be You 83
The next day, Liu Bang seemed to regain his strength in a final burst of energy and said he wanted to hold a sacrificial ceremony for his beloved daughter at the national temple.
Before the entire ceremony began, Liu Bang went to ask the Han people if they could appear at the ceremony.
Perhaps Liu Bang had already realized it at this moment, or perhaps he hadn't; in any case, he was moving forward according to Lü Zhi's plan.
He no longer mentioned the matter of deposing the crown prince, nor did he praise Liu Ruyi for being like him. He focused on urging the temple priest to handle the matter as soon as possible.
Han also watched Liu Ya grow up. She combined the advantages of her mother Lü Zhi and her father Liu Bang, and had none of the disadvantages of Princess Lu Yuan and the Crown Prince.
If this were a game, then Liu Ya would be the next generation with the highest attributes, so there's no reason for her not to help her.
Choosing high-attribute characters doesn't guarantee a prosperous and strong nation, but choosing low-attribute characters will definitely cause the nation to crumble on the spot. For a specific example, refer to the previous version of Hu Hai.
So she nodded: "Okay."
Liu Bang bowed again to express his gratitude, looking much more relaxed, as if he had become more than twenty years younger.
He personally presided over this national temple sacrificial ceremony, but he was not the main character.
Young Liu Ya, dressed in formal attire, stepped forward and received the extremely important jade slip from the temple keeper.
The next person to preside over the ceremony was someone else, and her youthful yet firm voice resounded in the ears of all the ministers present.
"How fortunate I am to be able to uphold the rites."
From the very first sentence, an unusual phenomenon occurs, not the usual sight of grain being transported in and out of the temple, but a genuine phenomenon of auspicious clouds surrounding the site.
When it came time for the blessing ceremony, many ministers realized that the character 'Han' was right behind the little princess, in the position directly in front of her to receive offerings.
You should know that in the past, these ceremonies were all performed by Liu Bang, and they were able to see the national spirit only because of the emperor's special permission. What's going on today?
They are in a daze, yet they can make people see spirits. Shouldn't this be a unique ability of the emperor?
They felt that at this point, it was reasonable for Liu Bang to say that he wanted to depose the crown prince and establish a princess instead.
But Liu Bang didn't think so. He was overjoyed and immediately appointed Liu Ya as the Grand Preceptor of the Han Dynasty, and also granted him additional land.
The old-fashioned people who were about to scream swallowed their objections. As the national advisor of a country, they had no objections.
Liu Bang was very satisfied with the reaction below; he knew too well some people in the court.
After everything was over and he returned to the palace with the princess, he spoke to her almost as if he were giving his final instructions.
And that was indeed the case; he couldn't hold on much longer, and he was gradually becoming delirious.
Liu Bang himself did not have an obsession with immortality, but he disliked his own weakness and would occasionally not want to see anyone, entrusting state affairs to the empress and the crown prince.
Occasionally, he would randomly reprimand a few ministers.
Zhang Liang: Fortunately, I stepped down from the front line early.
---
On his deathbed, Liu Bang was surrounded by his grief-stricken wife and daughters. He deliberately did not summon his crown prince and sons, because he finally couldn't help but ask, "Is Liu Ying truly your preferred choice?"
Apart from the emperor and his family, there were no other people in the palace.
His question seemed to silence the air for a long time.
A figure slowly appeared, holding a pure white lamb by the hand. A colorful cloth strip was tied around its neck; it was her new pet after the Xiongnu surrendered.
Han chuckled softly: "Don't you already know the answer?"
"If I cared about the so-called orthodoxy of the person sitting in that seat, do you think I would change my name to Han?"
Liu Bang: ...Okay
He laughed heartily, having come to terms with it before he died; what did it matter to him now that everyone else was dead?
He looked sharply at Lü Zhi: "Swear that you will never become empress after my death."
Empress Lü remained silent.
Liu Bang: ...
I'm so angry!
"Never mind, you can go out first. Ya'er and I have something to talk about."
This time, Empress Lü made a move. With the Han dynasty still in power, Liu Bang probably wouldn't dare to act mad on his deathbed.
Liu Bang pulled Liu Ya aside and carefully examined the ten-year-old child. He coughed weakly twice and mustered his last breath: "If there really is a female ruler ruling the world, I would rather it be you."
“Remember…you’re from the Liu family…under the pillow, cough…” He reached out tremblingly, trying to find something, but he couldn’t finish his last sentence before he breathed his last.
Tears streamed down Liu Ya's face as she reached out and pulled a box from between the pillow and blankets, tucking it into her sleeve. She announced this with a sorrowful voice.
"Father has passed away..."
'Han' sighed. Humans are so fragile. His old body was approaching the end of his life. She comforted Liu Ya, "His soul will return to 'Han'."
Liu Ya: ...
In truth, she had mixed feelings; she was sad, but not completely sad.
She gave the Han a sweet smile and quietly stepped aside to watch her brother rush in. He was a filial son and was heartbroken and weeping over Liu Bang's departure.
---
In the twelfth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, Crown Prince Liu Ying ascended the throne and became emperor.
He appointed Xiao He and Wei Shengjiujiu as his left and right prime ministers, continuing the policies of his father Liu Bang.
After Liu Bang's death, Empress Lü also began to settle scores with her political enemies.
Those concubines of Liu Bang who had no grudge against her but had children were given a piece of new territory to the north or south as a fiefdom and driven out of Xianyang.
Consort Qi, with whom she had a grudge, was chosen to be put to death and sent to accompany Liu Bang.
Leaving this political enemy alive will ultimately be a disaster. When Liu Bang was alive, Lady Qi dared to instigate him to depose the crown prince. Now that Liu Bang is gone, if she lets him go, perhaps one day Liu Ruyi will march on Xianyang.
She doesn't have the habit of leaving herself with hidden dangers.
She also placed people around those who were packed up and sent away to ensure that they would not have any thoughts of rebellion.
But Liu Ying objected, feeling it was too cruel, because with the Han dynasty still in existence, this practice of funerary sacrifice had been abolished for many years, so how could his father's concubine be forced to commit suicide?
Empress Lü clenched her fists. Yes, Liu Ying certainly didn't think Lady Qi had done anything wrong, because she was the one who quelled all those troubles.
But it's okay, she'll endure it for two more days.
Lü Zhi: Smiling face (jpg)
"So she suddenly fell ill and died, and was buried in the imperial mausoleum after her death. What's wrong with that?"
Liu Ying: "..."
The mother and son parted on bad terms.
Princess Lu Yuan and the Imperial Advisor Liu Ya comforted Lü Zhi, saying, "Brother/Brother must have been confused for a moment."
Liu Ya didn't think so; she already knew what kind of person her brother was.
---
Liu Ying was still unable to prevent Lady Qi's death. On the surface, including the imperial physician's diagnosis, Lady Qi died suddenly from a serious illness. Only he and his cruel mother knew that Lady Qi had been eliminated.
That night, he knelt in the temple, unable to contain his fear, and whispered, "Why did my mother become like this? What will the future hold..."
"Why did you cruelly kill Lady Qi, and then try to kill your brother as well..."
"Oh, Han, what should I do?"
'Han': What does that have to do with me?
But Liu Ya wasn't there, so Liu Ying couldn't see anything unusual. Otherwise, she would have scolded her: "Why are you acting crazy here in the middle of the night? Even Liu Bang wasn't as dramatic as you."
---
Ever since Empress Lü Zhi expressed her intention to kill Liu Ruyi, Liu Ying's mental state seemed to have become somewhat abnormal. He lived and ate with Liu Ruyi, who had been summoned back to the capital, and his vigilance towards Empress Lü Zhi reached its peak.
Even her elder sister, Princess Lu Yuan, and her younger sister, who was the imperial advisor, would occasionally say things that seemed plausible but were actually wrong.
However, as the Imperial Advisor, he had no choice but to see Liu Ya, even if he didn't want to.
December of the first year of the new emperor's reign
When Liu Ying went out, he did not take Liu Ruyi with him because of the cold weather, leaving her in his own palace.
He thought he would be fine in his own palace, but by the time he returned, it was too late.
Looking at his dead brother, Liu Ying broke down. He questioned Empress Lü Zhi: "Mother, he was my brother, not an enemy! Even the Xiongnu had a chance to submit, why did you have to exterminate him?"
Lü Zhi had a headache, and she thought she would have to see the imperial physician later.
Her voice was calm: "A political enemy is also an enemy. Do you know how many rebellious forces he has secretly gathered?"
"Your father tried to depose you from your position as crown prince many times during his lifetime, and how many people believed that he was the rightful heir?"
"Poisoning him is a one-time solution; to the outside world, it will be attributed to his childhood weakness and sudden illness, and it won't affect his reputation."
Liu Ying raised his hand, trembling, and pointed at Lü Zhi: "What a sudden illness, yet another sudden illness..."
"Hahahaha! What a great excuse—it won't harm my reputation..."
His expression changed rapidly, appearing frantic. He staggered out of his bedchamber, followed by several attendants.
Lü Zhi: ...
She closed her eyes, deciding it was pointless to argue.
She didn't kill indiscriminately; didn't she pack up the rest and use them to develop the frontier?
If one person is not killed, it will not be able to deter others. There must always be someone who stands out and is eliminated. So why can't she choose to kill the person she hates?
From then on, the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor reached a freezing point, and Princess Lu Yuan and the Imperial Preceptor made no comment.
In court, they pretended not to see the emperor's madness, their minds preoccupied with whether they could be among the next batch of gilded envoys to expand the territory.
This quota issue was clearly intended to please the Empress Dowager and make things quick and easy.
The old ministers were only concerned with preserving their reputation before retirement and figuring out which day's incense offering at the National Temple would be the easiest to secure.
They had important matters to discuss with the Imperial Advisor. (jpg)
---
In the second year of Emperor Xin's reign, in October, Liu Fei, the King of Qi, came to court.
He first returned to the palace to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Lü Zhi, and brought many gifts for his two younger sisters.
He was still very grateful that Lü Zhi hadn't caused him any trouble for so many years, and that he had such a good fiefdom, which was much better than his younger brothers and sisters.
"May Your Majesty be well."
"Your Majesty, I have returned this time to celebrate the addition of another prefecture to the territory of our Great Han. Also, since it is not clear in a letter, I would like to come in person to inquire about the issue of trade with them."
Empress Lü nodded slightly, also politely putting on a kind smile. After finishing the business, she chatted with Liu Fei for a few words as an elder, and finally invited him, "We will be celebrating this in a few days. There are many ministers involved in this matter at the palace banquet. You can chat with them more."
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I will remember it."
After Liu Fei left, Lü Zhi's expression gradually turned cold. Even though he wasn't her biological son, he treated her with more respect than Liu Ying.
Empress Lü Zhi leaned back, resting her head on her hand and closing her eyes to clear her mind. She had no idea what kind of big task Liu Ying would put her in a few days.
---
To ensure the smooth running of the palace banquet, the palace gates were opened wide on the day of the banquet. When the appointed time arrived, attendants waited at the palace gates to welcome the imperial relatives and ministers into the palace.
Liu Fei was among them.
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Author's Note: Empress Lü: My head hurts so much. (jpg)
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