The Infighting Must Go On

Because of Emperor Gaozu, the Red Empyrean Sword became famous throughout the world.

But very few people in the world have ever seen the Red Empyrean Sword.

Forging a fake sword sounds easy, but the steps involved in forging a real sword are indispensable, and the time required is substantial.

The Pingyang Marquis's mansion took about seven days to half a month to forge the fake Red Empyrean Sword. From investigating the sword theft case to finding Guan Fu, who was carrying the fake Red Empyrean Sword, at Tian Fen's wedding banquet, the time in between was less than ten days.

"In other words, this fake sword was already forged in advance, just waiting to be used to deceive the real sword once it was in hand!"

By comparing the process flow and other details, it's not hard to guess what's going on.

"It seems someone had been planning the Red Empyrean Sword for a long time and had made preparations in advance!"

The new emperor in the main hall of the Weiyang Palace gasped.

Everything was done so quickly, faster than the imperial court could issue urgent official documents.

His caution not only allowed the new emperor to grow during the power transition at court, but also prevented him from suffering undeserved disasters.

Several years ago, he relied on the Red Empyrean Sword to establish the legitimacy of the royal family. Even though the Empress Dowager disliked him, he still supported him. The new emperor was somewhat afraid to think about the consequences of losing the Red Empyrean Sword.

If someone were to force him to abdicate with a real sword, everything he had would vanish like water.

But the irony is that no one knew that the Red Empyrean Sword was a setup from the very beginning, a fake sword.

The other party was equally cautious and missed the best opportunity to expose the new emperor.

"Dongfang Shuo, who do you think is behind this?" the new emperor asked.

"Whoever covets His Majesty's throne is likely the mastermind behind it all," Zhang Xuezhou replied.

"Do you think Liu Dingguo, the Prince of Yan, is suspected of arranging a marriage with Tian Fen?" the new emperor asked.

"The Prince of Yan may have gotten caught up in it by chance, or he may actually have been involved!"

"You become vague and ambiguous when it comes to specific people!"

Zhang Xuezhou was outstanding among his close advisors, even possessing unique abilities. However, Zhang Xuezhou tended to shirk responsibility or speak in riddles when doing things.

The new emperor looked at Zhang Xuezhou with a headache in his eyes.

"You don't need to worry about being caught red-handed," the new emperor said. "The Empress Dowager has also backed down these past few days, dismantling the communication channels in the Weiyang Palace. Now, what we say is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me; no one else will hear it!"

"This megaphone can hear the sounds from Changxin Palace to the Weiyang Palace. This treasure is truly amazing. It seems His Majesty has gained a lot of benefits this time," Zhang Xuezhou praised.

"You... I got some benefits from the Empress Dowager. My aunt gave me Changmen Garden, where Demon-Revealing Mirror is placed. It's like taking back a powerful weapon used to suppress evil spirits in the court in advance, to prevent any great Demonization from manifesting in the court. You can go to Changmen Garden and see the demon-revealing Demon-Revealing Mirror." The new emperor pointed at Zhang Xuezhou before continuing, "Zhuang Qingdi paid 16 million coins. Li Cai has been relying on expensive medicines to maintain his health all these years, and his family is quite poor. There's nothing to investigate on his side. Then, Tian Fen made a contribution by catching Guan Fu solidly at the wedding banquet!"

"Goodness, Zhuang Qingdi has only been the Imperial Censor for two years, and he's already making so much money in one of the Three Dukes' positions?" Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed in surprise.

"You can collect all this in betrothal gifts if you get married twice more," the new emperor quipped.

"Your Majesty, please remember that I will continue to send gifts when I get married. If it's not enough, I will ask you to make up the difference," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"You're talking nonsense! Get out of here!"

Zhang Xuezhou's repeated shifts in topic were accidental, but his repeated attempts to change the subject clearly indicated his unwillingness to get involved in matters concerning the feudal lords.

The excessive power of the vassal kings was a drawback of the Great Han Dynasty. Many vassal kings had autonomous territories and many rights such as minting currency, mining, and building armies. However, these rights were not related to the Great Han Dynasty and belonged to the vassal kings.

These vassal states belonged to the territory of the Great Han, but they could not generate any real benefits for the Great Han Dynasty.

Anyone who deprives others of their benefits will become an enemy of many feudal lords, so it's understandable that Zhang Xuezhou was unwilling to get involved.

"Wait a minute," the new emperor suddenly said, "Zhufu Yan has come up with a solution for me. He thinks that instead of the eldest son inheriting the territory previously governed by each feudal lord, the inheritance should be changed to be shared by the eldest, second, and third sons." He then asked, "What do you think of this plan?"

"Did the late emperor also use this method when enfeoffing the five sons of the Prince of Liang?" Zhang Xuezhou stopped and asked doubtfully.

"Not bad," the new emperor nodded.

"Empress Dowager Liang has been waiting in Suiyang for His Majesty's mercy, mentioning her willingness to pay tribute and submit. However, things are now somewhat difficult for the State of Liang!"

Emperor Jing then took a series of drastic measures, ultimately bringing ruin to the State of Liang.

If Emperor Jing and the King of Liang had not both died, there would have been many other vassal kings who joined forces with the King of Liang to oppose Emperor Jing.

With the fall of the State of Liang as a precedent, this system of succession would inevitably lead to a division of power, and few feudal lords would be foolish enough to obey it. Forcibly promulgating laws would inevitably encounter resistance.

"Zhufu Yan said that such a decree is unfavorable to the feudal lords, but extremely beneficial to their sons," the new emperor said. "If the court issues such a decree, these people will gain the right to legitimate succession, and some will inevitably benefit from it, thus becoming loyal to the court!"

"Only Zhufu Yan can implement the proposals put forward by Zhufu Yan!"

The new emperor revealed what he wanted to do, which is not unusual. There were similar checks and balances during the reign of Emperor Jing, which once triggered a civil war in which the seven major vassal states led large armies to besiege the court.

Apart from a few generals who benefited from the chaos of war, none of the others involved fared well.

The Zhufu Yan's unorthodox and dangerous approach will inevitably lead to similar actions.

Zhang Xuezhou declined to comment, but his advice was genuine.

If a selfish person like Zhufu Yan believes that such a proposal is feasible, the other side is likely to be quite confident of success.

As long as there's no fear of backlash, Zhang Xuezhou felt the new emperor could let Zhufu Yan do his work freely.

If the plan fails, Zhufu Yan Fuyan will take the blame; if it succeeds, it will sow discord among the feudal lords, avoiding the hidden danger of suffering losses in the rear while fighting on the front lines. Moreover, it will allow for the continuous transfer of talent and resources from the smaller feudal states, which is almost equivalent to occupying a country at a very low cost. The benefits are immeasurable.

"You really won't offer even the slightest advice?" the new emperor asked doubtfully. "Even just a little bit of supplementary information would be appreciated!"

"Everyone has a different character, and therefore a different way of doing things. If I offer advice and make changes, Zhufu Yan will be more constrained in his actions, which would be more harmful than helpful," Zhang Xuezhou said, shaking his head.

"Do you think he can succeed in this matter?" the new emperor asked.

"I'm not sure," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Your Majesty, while supporting this matter, would be best advised to avoid getting involved in any trouble!"

If possible, Zhang Xuezhou still hoped that the new emperor could rule steadily and peacefully.

The new emperor spent nearly ten years lying low before gaining control of the court. If he were to quickly fall into the midst of power struggles among the feudal lords, it would indeed be a very troublesome situation.

As Zhang Xuezhou said, external wars, no matter how they are fought, can weaken the opponent, while internal wars will only make the Great Han Dynasty weaker and weaker.

If they win, the civil war will have been worthwhile; but if they lose or both sides are severely damaged, they will have to continue to live a life of subservience for decades, repeating the life of Emperor Jing.

He could only offer a word of warning, lest the new emperor become overconfident and personally intervene, only to end up looking foolish.