It's okay that Liu Rong didn't mention Concubine Su. When he mentioned Concubine Su, countless people's expressions immediately changed.
Especially the concubines were gnashing their teeth and resentful.
Back then, Concubine Su could almost form a reinforced company with the people she offended in this palace.
Empress Dowager Bo and Empress Dowager Dou's expressions changed drastically.
Back then, in order to support the emperor's rise to power, the late emperor took great pains and did not hesitate to kill his mother to save his son. Naturally, the two queen mothers knew as well as in the mirror.
Especially Empress Dowager Dou. The late emperor confessed everything to Empress Dowager Dou before his death.
Now, when Liu Rong mentioned Concubine Su, the last trace of family affection deep in Empress Dowager Dou's heart was instantly wiped out.
The late Emperor Jiu killed Concubine Su in order to clear the way for the present.
But Liu Rong's mention of Concubine Su now, in Empress Dowager Dou's mind, was actually tantamount to a threat.
He used the truth about Concubine Su's death to blackmail her, the court, and the emperor.
Blackmail?
Queen Mother Dou never took any form of threats.
Mr. Liu never takes threats!
At the beginning, when Emperor Taizong had just ascended the throne, the country was in civil strife and all kinds of things were being destroyed, the Huns thought they had nothing to fear and provoked the Han Dynasty.
Under such difficult and arduous circumstances, Emperor Taizong, who was not yet firmly established, took the risk of shaking his foundation and resolutely sent Prime Minister Guan Ying to lead his army northward to fight the Xiongnu in Henan, and finally regained all the cities within the Great Wall and expelled them.
This reduced the power of the Huns within the Great Wall.
As Taizong's empress, Empress Dowager Dou would naturally not be blackmailed or threatened.
Even any form of blackmail and threats will only anger the Empress Dowager.
"King Jiangdu also lost his mother when he was young, why didn't he become like you?" Empress Dowager Dou said coldly: "King Huainan, you have really disappointed the Ai family!"
Liu Rong felt cold all over after hearing what Empress Dowager Dou said. He couldn't figure out why things had become like this.
But one thing is very clear, he knows that he has fallen into a huge crisis.
Now, it seems that the only thing that can save him is the death of his brother, whom he always hated and was hostile to in the past.
He had no choice but to lie on the ground, looking pitiful, and looked at Liu Che, hoping that Liu Che would speak, plead for him, and spare him this time.
Liu Che looked at Liu Rong's appearance and sighed.
Countless memories from past and present lives come to mind.
Liu Rong himself had to bear most of the responsibility for reaching this point, and Concubine Su's pampering and Liu Che's deliberate indulgence were just inducements.
Therefore, Liu Che felt no guilt in his heart.
"King Huainan, I am also very disappointed..." Liu Che sat on the throne and said very depressedly: "I remember that back then, the late emperor ordered you to be the king of Changshan. Before leaving, he taught you: You don't know what is wrong with you, but you don't know what is wrong with you.
It’s a deceit, don’t worry if you don’t have courage, just worry if it’s violent…”
"The king didn't remember a single word of the late emperor's teachings..."
Liu Rong could only bury his head deeply and tremble on the ground, not daring to say a word.
But inside, I was very, very dissatisfied.
At that time, the late emperor drove him out of Chang'an and specially ordered someone to admonish him.
These are the words coming out of Liu Che's mouth now.
What do these words mean?
If I am not worried that you are not smart, I am afraid that you will cheat. If I am not worried that you are not brave, I am afraid that you will be brave. If I am not worried that you do not have money, I am afraid that you will be unjust and unkind for the sake of wealth.
In Liu Rong's eyes, such an order was actually the late emperor's attempt to suppress and discriminate against him.
He was asked to be a stupid, cowardly, well-behaved and well-behaved vassal king.
It's best to be a homebody.
But Liu Rong rejects such a future and does not want such a future.
Even now, in his heart, this is still the case.
"The eldest son of a country of few people, An Ken is doing nothing and chatting in silence?"
"Life is like eating in five pots, and death is like cooking in five pots!"
In his heart, he could never forget the most glorious moment he had, the prince's position that was within his reach.
"Where is Zongzheng?" Liu Che asked calmly.
"Your Majesty, Zongzheng, is waiting for the edict..." Zongzheng and Liu Jing immediately came out.
"Where is Taichang?" Liu Che asked again.
"I, Taichang Qing, Peng Zu, are waiting for the edict!" Dou Pengzu also came out to pay his respects.
"Where is Wei Ting?" Liu Che stood up and asked expressionlessly.
"Your Majesty, Qing Yu, is here!" Zhao Yu, the Imperial Majesty, held the Han Code in his hands and prostrated on the ground.
"Based on what you have seen and heard today, what crime should Wang Rong of Huainan deserve?" Liu Che asked coldly.
After just thinking for a moment, Tingwei Zhao Yu bowed and said: "Your Majesty, your honorable ministers, please discuss..."
Liu Che nodded and said, "Yes!"
"Nuo!" The three of them bowed, and then retreated to a corner of the palace. After discussing for a while, they came back and bowed their heads: "I am Taichang Pengzu, I am Zong Zhengjing, I am Ting Wei Yu, and I am dead.
Dharma, disobeying the teachings of the late emperor, being disobedient and unfilial, harboring ulterior motives, living in an unencumbered place, using the yellow hut on the left to enter and exit as planned by the emperor, engraving seals privately, making dragon robes privately, practicing witchcraft, using strategies that are tired of winning, and cursing
My father, the king, has slandered the country and his crime will not be pardoned. I think that the king of Huainan is the king of the clan!"
After saying that, the three of them bowed their heads deeply and bowed: "I will bow my head and bow again later. I will die without knowing it!"
This conclusion reached by the ministers was already part of Liu Che's plan.
Because this is the tradition of the Han Dynasty: as long as the emperor leaves the question of the culpability of the princes and kings to the ministers for judgment, then basically no matter what faction the ministers are, they will inevitably come up with a conclusion that is completely consistent with the law and system.
This is the unspoken rule of Han Dynasty politics.
When ministers report matters, they don't care about their superiority or inferiority, but only discuss the facts.
Of course, the final jurisdiction rests with the emperor.
When Liu Rong heard this result, he was terrified. He finally knew that he was afraid.
He raised his head and looked at Liu Che, his whole body began to tremble. This time he was finally not pretending.
He finally felt the danger.
Liu Che sat on the throne, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk, then turned to look at the clan princes and relatives and elders: "What do the clan princes, princes, princes, relatives, princes and princes think?"
To deal with Liu Rong, we cannot rely solely on national law.
He must also be endorsed by family law and be expelled from his status as the eldest son of the late emperor.
Brothers such as Liu Yan, King of Jiangdu, Liu Yu, King of Huaiyang, Liu Fei, King of Meng, Liu Duan, King of Lu, as well as acting King Liu Deng, King Liu Bo of Jibei and other clan princes and princes came out one after another and worshiped in unison: "I think that the King of Huainan is honored.
There is no emperor, disobeying the late emperor, practicing witchcraft, using the method of being tired of winning, privately carving seals, going in and out to imitate the emperor, secretly making dragon robes, and using the left banner of the yellow house. The crime is extremely heinous and cannot be forgiven. I will die in ignorance and think that the king of Huainan is inappropriate.
Dedicate the ancestral temple to the late Emperor!"
The relatives and ministers as well as the clan princes also collectively worshiped: "I agree with you that the King of Huainan has committed an unpardonable crime and should not consecrate the ancestral temple to the late emperor!"
When Liu Rong heard this, he almost fainted.
Shouldn't we worship the late emperor's ancestral temple? That means we don't recognize him as the late emperor's son.
Boundless fear immediately struck Liu Rong's heart.
After losing his identity as the late emperor's eldest son, he lost everything.
Now, he finally realized that the man he once cursed and resented was the one who had been shielding and protecting him invisibly.
But this awakening came too late.
Liu Che, who was sitting on the throne, said with a heavy face: "I was ordered by the late Emperor to protect the ancestral temple. For seven years, I have been working hard and sleeping night and day, as if walking on thin ice, for fear that I would be immoral and shame the late Emperor's legacy..."
"The King of Huainan is currently messing with the law and bad governance. This is because I have a weak moral character and cannot influence him..."
"By the way, King Huainan, my eldest brother from the same birth and the eldest son of the late emperor, I really can't bear to take action against the king!" Liu Che waved his hand and said, "Let's discuss it with you and others..."
This is also one of the rules of the game.
The villain ministers played the role, while the emperor could only play the role of a kind and generous parent.
When Liu Rong heard this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew his idea was right.
Liu De really didn't dare to kill him.
However, before he had time to be happy, he heard Ting Wei Zhao Yu pay his respects: "Your Majesty, Ting Wei Yu Mei, died and reported to His Majesty: His Majesty thought that the Huainan King was the eldest son of the late Emperor and his eldest brother by the same birth, and could not bear to punish the king... However,
I think otherwise. Your Majesty is the lord of the world and the parents of the people. Now the king of Huainan is regarded as the legal clan. If your majesty thinks that your majesty, the king of Huainan, is the eldest son of the late emperor and the same brother, and cannot bear to punish the king, wouldn't it be a violation of the late emperor's law? Therefore, I will die in ignorance.
He said: Your Majesty, you should put the world as the top priority and entrust the king with the law. This method is enough!"
Following Zhao Yu was a large group of princes and nobles.
This is also a new development direction of Legalism today. Law enforcers led by judicial officers such as Zhao Yu and criminal officials gradually evolved towards conservatives after absorbing the legal thoughts of Huang Lao School.
In their eyes, the so-called "one punishment" is the law. If the prince breaks the law and is seven feet below, he will be punished with the same punishment as the common people.
It is their duty to defend the dignity and sanctity of the law.
Therefore, in their eyes, Huainan King Liu Rong must be strictly enforced.
Otherwise, it would be a blasphemy against the law and their beliefs.
This will make them extremely sick and worse than death.
However, Liu Che could not agree with them.
Because Liu Che knew very well that the claims and arguments of the Legalist faction were, at least for now, unrealistic.
Chinese society, at least for now, is still a society ruled by people.
This will be the case for at least the next two hundred years.
Since it is governed by people, it must be gentle and humane.
Out of the need to maintain the stability of his rule, Liu Che could not directly execute Liu Rong.
But Liu Rong was so frightened by this group of aggressive Legalist ministers who shouted at him to kill him that he became incontinent.
He looked at the man he once hated, his brother, with great fear.
"Please don't say anything more..." Liu Che said to Zhao Yu: "I am not a saint, and I cannot kill my relatives out of justice. I hope you will forgive me for this selfishness..."
This sentence made Liu Rong finally burst into tears.
Liu Che looked at him and shook his head in his heart.
Only now did Liu Rong realize his regret and fear. What had he done?
Liu Che will not be that silly farmer.
More importantly, Liu Che clearly understood the truth that if Liu Rong did not die, then Han Law would become a piece of paper.
At least, for Liu Che's younger brothers, it will become a piece of paper.
From now on, they will be unscrupulous and have no scruples.
If you think about it, you can understand: even Liu Rong could avoid death for committing so many crimes, so naturally they don't need to worry.
Of course, Liu Che also knew that he could not execute him directly, or even publicly criticize Liu Rong too harshly.
This seems very contradictory, and even the logic seems a bit confusing.
But in fact, this is not contradictory at all, and the logic is very coherent.
In most cases in China, what kills people is not the punishment, but the human heart.
Like Yue Fei, he died for no reason, but he will always live in the hearts of the people. No one can erase him from the hearts of the Chinese people.
He has always been and will always be a national hero.
As for Qin Hui and Zhao Gao, they are alive but already dead.
Liu Che had already made plans on how to deal with Liu Rong.
He wanted to make Liu Rong a model, a model that all the Liu family princes would tremble at the sight of, and would not dare to break the law again!
So what kind of treatment can make the princes and kings afraid?
Behead?
Not necessarily, since Liu Che came to the throne, he has killed all the princes and kings, and he can almost form a strengthened class.
However, there are still countless people who violate laws and disciplines, ignore the laws of the country, and even take things by force, and impose arbitrary taxes.
For example, the current King of Hengshan, Liu Ci, the dead King of Yan, Liu Dingguo, and Liu Che's two dear younger brothers, King of Huaiyang, Liu Yu, and Liu Sheng, although they have not yet revealed their true nature, but sooner or later they will become a great stallion.
For these people, laws and systems are nothing in their eyes.
They were even smart enough to know that even if they broke the law, as long as they did not go too far, the emperor would not be able to punish them.
Liu Che has lost his patience with these scum.
I don’t want to spend any more time racking my brains to think of ways to deal with them.
This is so difficult!
It's also such a waste of time.
Take Liu Rong as an example. In order to deal with Liu Rong, Liu Che planned for several years and spent countless manpower, material resources and energy to lead him step by step into the ditch.
If you continue to waste time and brain cells on this kind of thing in the future.
Liu Che is really worried, whether he has enough energy?
He is no longer willing to waste energy and resources on how to punish and punish his brothers.
Simply take this opportunity to get it done once and for all.
So, he tried to show off and said to Zhao Yu and others: "Of course, what you said is not unreasonable!"
"The law was established by the late emperor and recognized by the world. I do not want to destroy the law of the late emperor..." He walked down the steps and said to Prime Minister Zhou Yafu: "Prime Minister, is there a similar story among the three generations?"
For the Chinese, if they encounter a problem that cannot be solved by current laws and systems, it is natural to seek help and wisdom from their ancestors.
Prime Minister Zhou Yafu heard this and said, "I am ignorant and ignorant. I have never heard of this precedent in the past three generations..."
And this answer is exactly what Liu Che needs.
In fact, from the beginning to now, everything is under his control.
Now, Liu Rong's image has risen from Jie and Zhou to the level of a faint king who is more terrifying than Jie and Zhou.
Think about it, there is no similar precedent among even three generations.
How terrible is this Liu Rong?
The subordinates of Jie and Zhou are not as good as flattering horses!
horrible!
"That being the case..." Liu Che pondered for a moment and said, "Then I will ask the Prime Minister to discuss the affairs of Huainan with all the ministers, and then report it to me..."
Although Liu Che already had a plan, the rules of the game were such that the ministers still had to discuss it first.
