43Chapter 43: The cunning rabbit has three burrows, the common people are ghosts and gods
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Liu Heng looked at Chen Ze, who had a calm but persistent expression, and this time he did not stop him.
In his opinion, whether it was a commandery governor or a provincial governor in a local area, they were merely places far from the imperial court. As long as Chen Ze, or rather, the Chen Clan, did not fantasize about being a commandery governor or provincial governor in Guandu, he could accept it.
After all, for Liu Heng, if someone from the Chen Clan wanted to be a commandery governor or provincial governor in the Chen Clan's base, it could only mean that the Chen Clan wanted to turn "Guandu" into their own territory.
This was something Liu Heng could not possibly accept.
"Very well, since you are so insistent, then do as you say."
"However, there is no need for a desolate borderland."
After a slight pause, Liu Heng said, "Currently, in the south... that person seems to have some other ideas. Why don't you go to Kuaiji Commandery in the south to be the commandery governor? It would also be good to settle the Qian Shou there."
Chen Ze nodded slightly and accepted with pleasure.
For him, going anywhere was fine, it did not matter.
His mission... as long as he could become an official in a local area, it could be completed.
.... ....
Guandu Marquis Residence
Late at night.
The clear moonlight hung brightly in the sky, illuminating everything and making people feel tranquil.
Chen Ze was packing his belongings; he was about to depart to assume the post of Kuaiji Commandery Governor.
Chen Xi and Chen Yun stood by, watching Chen Ze with solemn and serious expressions.
"Yun Ge, Chen Xi."
After packing his things, Chen Ze stood beside Chen Yun with a gentle smile. He was the most humble and gentle person in the entire Chen Clan, and it was precisely for this reason that Chen Yun allowed him to carry out that plan.
One should not put all their eggs in one basket.
Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone a human? Therefore, after the main branch of the Chen Clan had established a firm foothold, they began to separate a portion of the "branch families."
Chen Ze was the one who was separated.
His name and this lineage would still be recorded in the "family tree," but it was a family tree that only the family head had the authority to consult; no one else had the right to view it.
This family tree was the fundamental evidence that ensured the branch families and the main branch of the Chen Clan would not separate, proving that they were indeed one family.
"Yun Ge, Chen Xi, you two must take good care of yourselves in the capital."
"Although His Majesty is often suspicious, he is also very benevolent. As long as you do not offend His Majesty's dragon's reverse scale, the Chen Clan can safely pass through this period. And when this dynasty passes and the world completely recovers its vitality, the Chen Clan can slowly develop and plan gradually."
Chen Yun nodded slightly. He looked at Chen Ze, his eyes filled with a hint of reluctance.
Although he had grown up in the capital since childhood, when he was about ten years old, he returned to Guandu City, and the person he played with the most at that time was Chen Ze.
Now, Chen Ze was leaving the capital, even leaving the Central Plains, to go to Kuaiji Commandery in the south, and most likely would not return. How could he not feel sad?
However, at this moment, the situation was already like this; this was for the Chen Clan, for the family.
"You must also take good care of yourself in Kuaiji. If anything happens, do not hesitate; just send a letter."
"The Chen Clan will always be your backing, and always your reliance."
Chen Ze nodded slightly; he understood this point.
.... ....
In the sixth year of Emperor Wen, Chen Ze left the capital and went to Kuaiji Commandery to serve as its governor.
From then on, the Kuaiji Chen Clan... also gradually began their journey.
But whether it was the Guandu Chen Clan or the Kuaiji Chen Clan, they all understood that a single stroke cannot write two characters for Chen; they were once one family during the time of Emperor Wen of Han.
And in the long river of time, this piece of history had been quietly forgotten. Only the family heads of the Guandu Chen Clan and the Kuaiji Chen Clan remembered this matter, until the distant future when these main and branch lineages would merge again.
And that would be three or four hundred years later.
.... .....
The eighth year of Emperor Wen.
As Liu Wu grew older, the Empress's favoritism towards Liu Wu gradually became apparent.
This was strangely inexplicable, but everyone could understand it—the Empress doted on Liu Wu, but she did not particularly like the Emperor, even showing a faint dislike.
And with the Empress's favoritism, Liu Wu became increasingly arrogant.
Of course, he was not the only one who was arrogant; the Empress's eldest daughter, Liu Piao, was also very arrogant, subtly showing signs of her future arrogance.
..... ...
Guandu Marquis Residence
At this time, Chen Yun had already become the Grand Han imperial court's foremost powerful minister—Prime Minister Chen Ping and Grand Commandant Zhou Bo gradually retreated, shrinking their spheres of influence to an astonishing degree.
With the Prime Minister and Grand Commandant both retreating their power, Chen Yun, who served as Lang Zhong Ling and concurrently Neili of the Prime Minister's Office, and Chen Xi, who served as Ting Wei, naturally became the implicit leaders of the court officials.
After all... among the Three Excellencies, the Prime Minister, Grand Commandant, and Censor-in-Chief, the Prime Minister and Grand Commandant were not working and had retreated, and the Censor-in-Chief position was vacant. What remained naturally was the Nine Ministers as the head, and while the head of the Nine Ministers seemed to be Feng Chang, Feng Chang was already old and never attended court, so it could only be the Ting Wei who took charge.
Liu Heng did not show any displeasure towards this matter; instead, he had a somewhat condoning attitude.
Perhaps in his view, the Chen Clan was more reassuring to him compared to Zhou Bo and Chen Ping.
In the ninth year of Emperor Wen, as the eldest son Liu Qi grew older, the Emperor finally remembered to find a tutor for Liu Qi—and this task undoubtedly fell upon Chen Yun.
In Liu Heng's view, the Chen Clan's sphere of influence was not too large but was sufficiently stable. Such a person serving as Liu Qi's tutor would be enough to ensure Liu Qi's future "Crown Prince position."
Chen Yun did not back down and accepted this appointment very easily.
This was also a good thing for him.
.... .....
The tenth year of Emperor Wen.
Autumn.
Weiyang Palace
Liu Heng looked at Jia Yi with a displeased expression, no longer asking him about government affairs, but instead beginning to inquire about spirits and deities.
On one hand, Jia Yi's ideas and political views made Liu Heng very displeased, and on the other hand, it was because at this time, the Han Dynasty had already seen the rise of theories similar to "Heaven-Human Induction."
Thus, Liu Heng began to inquire about matters of spirits and deities.
Although Jia Yi appeared very happy to explain in detail to Emperor Wen, he was actually dissatisfied internally.
He wanted the Emperor to value his proposals, and even promote him exceptionally to... Prime Minister.
But the Emperor was clearly unwilling to replace Huang-Lao Daoism with Confucianism—at this time, it was not appropriate for the Han Dynasty to change its fundamental national policy.
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"Records of the Grand Historian · Biographies of Qu Yuan and Jia Sheng": "In the tenth year of Emperor Wen, the Emperor summoned Jia Yi. In the middle of the night, he asked about matters of spirits and deities."