44Chapter 44: Slowly but surely, the dispute over the crown prince
AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Jia Yi's ideas ultimately did not gain the Emperor's approval, and in fact, the Emperor even began to have some opinions about him.
After all, in the Emperor's eyes, the current situation in the Han Dynasty should be clear at a glance. How could anyone truly not understand that what the Han Dynasty needed most at this time was not so-called benevolent governance or virtuous governance, nor was it the so-called prioritizing the people or implementing education, but rather allowing the people to recuperate?
After many years of war, the Qian Shou had lost their last bit of strength; they were like numb puppets.
They only knew 'to live' but didn't know why they lived or how to live.
After much difficulty, the Qian Shou, who had barely recovered some spirit thanks to the recuperation policies during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Hui, how could they accept a sudden change in policy at this time?
This is also why, in the original history, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing still followed Liu Bang's recuperation policy and adhered to Huang-Lao philosophy.
It is also why it was not until the time of Emperor Wu of Han that attention began to be paid to achieving the great unification of politics, culture, military, and economy.
At this time, the conditions for implementing great unification were not yet met!
But Jia Yi and a group of Confucian scholars obviously did not agree.
In those days, to secure a dominant position in the new court, they supported Liu Ying, who had a better chance of winning, hoping that after Liu Ying ascended the throne, they could rise to prominence through their 'dragon-following merit,' but they failed.
After ascending the throne, Liu Ying did not immediately recognize Confucianism as the orthodox ideology as they had anticipated; instead, he continued to adhere to Liu Bang's Huang-Lao philosophy.
The world continued to recuperate.
And with the top setting the example for the bottom, the Huang-Lao philosophy of non-action became the mainstream political thought.
This was unacceptable to the Confucians.
"Your Majesty—"
When Emperor Wen inquired about matters of ghosts and spirits several times, Jia Yi finally couldn't hold back. He kowtowed and looked at Emperor Wen, saying, "Does Your Majesty not care about the affairs of the common people?"
Liu Heng looked at the undisguised ambition and greed in Jia Yi's eyes and merely smiled faintly.
He had seen many such people.
They were all thousand-year-old foxes; did they still want to play 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio' in front of him?
Immediately, he pretended not to know anything and asked with a bewildered expression, "What? Am I not currently asking about matters of sacrificing to ghosts and spirits?"
He sighed deeply, looked at Jia Yi, and said with some incomprehension and reproach, "The great affairs of the state are only sacrifice and war. My inquiring of you about matters of sacrificing to ghosts and spirits is precisely because I value your performance, is it not?"
"Why are you angry now, Sir, saying that I do not care about the affairs of the common people?"
Liu Heng showed a look of fatigue and disappointment: "Since Sir feels that I do not care about the affairs of the common people, thus misunderstanding me, then I have nothing more to say to Sir."
"Sir, please return!"
With that, he stood up directly, flicked his sleeves, and left.
Only Jia Yi remained sitting there blankly, his expression dazed.
What did this mean?
Didn't everyone say that His Majesty the Emperor had a very good temperament? Why did he suddenly stand up and leave at this moment?
If he left like this, would he have a chance to be reinstated in the future?
But at this time, Emperor Wen had already left. Could he still rush forward?
No.
.... .....
In the tenth year of Emperor Wen, during spring and autumn.
The former Grand Master of the Imperial Household, Jia Yi, gradually lost the Emperor's favor, and at this time, his original class enemies—the meritorious officials and noblemen, Zhou Bo, Chen Ping, and Guan Ying, among others—launched a counterattack.
Why?
Because Jia Yi had been continuously submitting memorials to implement reforms, which touched upon the fundamental interests of these people.
To move someone's interests is like killing their parents.
Such a great grudge, Guan Ying and others naturally could not tolerate it.
But Liu Heng seemed to ignore these impeachment memorials against Jia Yi, continuing to let him exist.
.... ....
Time passed bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, it was the eleventh year of Emperor Wen.
In this year, Liu Wu had already grown into an adult and began to have some minor conflicts with the original Emperor, Liu Qi, and when these conflicts occurred, the Empress always sided with Liu Wu.
It's just that.....
Liu Wu was never considered by Liu Heng to be established as Crown Prince. On one hand, it was because the First Imperial Prince Liu Qi had no faults, and on the other hand, it was also because Liu Heng felt that Liu Qi was very similar to himself.
How could anyone not like such a child?
As for Liu Wu?
Liu Heng felt that Liu Wu was not like his own child at all; instead, he was more like the child of his several brothers.
He was rude, brainless, without cunning, without depth, and as stupid as a pig, wanting to display whatever was on his mind directly on his face.
How could such a person be Emperor?
Therefore, in the spring of the eleventh year of Emperor Wen, after many years of consideration, Emperor Wen finally decided to establish his eldest son, Liu Qi, as the Crown Prince.
It was also in this year that he enfeoffed Liu Wu as the "Prince of Liang."
The winter of the eleventh year of Emperor Wen was perhaps not very friendly to Dou Yifang—her beloved youngest son, Liu Wu, was forced to leave the capital and go to his fiefdom because he was enfeoffed as a prince.
This added a few points of dislike for Liu Qi in Dou Yifang's heart, but she concealed this very well.
Because at this time, Dou Yifang understood that if she didn't hide it well enough, she would probably be warned by the Emperor or by the Chen clan.
At this time, Dou Yifang did not yet have the power to threaten the court.
She... after all, was not Lu Hou.
Lu Hou had suffered hardships with Emperor Gaozu and helped establish the empire; she was one of those who held 'original shares,' and was even the first Empress in the world!
How could her status be comparable to that of Dou Yifang?
However... just as Dou Yifang was disappointed, the appearance of one person gave her some hope for fantasy.
This person was named 'Jia Yi.'
And the 'hope' he gave Dou Yifang was actually very simple, just four simple words—'brother succeeds brother.'
This made Dou Yifang suddenly a little happy.
Yes, brother succeeds brother!
Her husband, the current Emperor, didn't he legitimately inherit the throne based on these four words? At that time, wouldn't she just have her son pass the throne to the Prince of Liang?
Isn't that also brother succeeding brother?
As for Liu Qi's children?
After Liu Wu died, wouldn't it be fine to pass the throne to Liu Qi's children!
She never considered whether, once the throne was in Liu Wu's hands, he would return it to Liu Qi's children, because... at that time, she would definitely be dead!
Thus, with the support of the Empress, Jia Yi, the Confucians, and others,
the 'struggle for the Crown Prince' during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han slowly began.
The people standing on opposite sides of the scale were
Liu Qi and Liu Wu!