Da Han Yan Hua Fifty-Four Mountains Rain (Thank you everyone for your support)

  In the tenth year of the Han Dynasty, in August, Chen Xi rebelled against Dai. Liu Bang was furious and led his army to attack him in September, ordering Crown Prince Yin to stay in Chang'an to oversee the country.

  This was not Liu Ying's first time acting as regent in his capacity as crown prince.

  When the Han Dynasty was first established in Luoyang, Liu Bang was at war outside and had appointed his crown prince to take charge of state affairs. At that time, Liu Ying was six years old. No one expected a six-year-old child to do anything significant, so-called taking charge of state affairs was just an empty title, all state affairs were actually taken care of by Xiao He, the Chancellor.

  In fact, when Liu Bang himself was in power, he was not very willing to manage these trivial matters, and handed them over to the Chancellor for handling, only taking charge of major events. Therefore, on the second day after Emperor Gao's departure, Chancellor Xiao He came to the Chancellor's office in Weiyang Palace early in the morning and saw Crown Prince Liu Ying sitting inside waiting, and was really surprised.

  After the case was closed, a 15-year-old boy sat on the couch. Because his grandfather was in mourning, he wore simple hemp clothes and tied a plain-colored hair ribbon on his head, with a slender and elegant side profile. He was leaning over the desk to read a book, with a delicate expression. Hearing Xiao He come in, he raised his head and bowed slightly, "Prime Minister." He put down the book in his hand.

  "Your Highness," Xiao He smiled slightly, "I was planning to tidy up things here and then go to the East Palace to report to you. But it's better that Your Highness has come personally."

  Isn't it the nature of young people to want to do something that makes the world take notice? Or is it that they don't trust themselves, or perhaps they want to pull themselves together and stand firm? Xiao He furrowed his brow in thought. Either way, for today's great Han dynasty, it wasn't a good thing.

  "The Prime Minister has been assisting my imperial father since the uprising in Feng Pei, and has always been diligent in handling internal affairs with unwavering loyalty and exceptional ability." Liu Ying said respectfully.

  Xiao He quietly awaited his arrival.

  At the age of ten, Ying was already fifteen years old. Although Father Huang was in his prime, Ying thought to himself that he couldn't spend his days idly, without doing anything. As the Crown Prince, he knew that although there were many talented people in the great Han dynasty, the national treasury was quite strained. From observing the lives of the common people every day, although it was better than during the Qin dynasty, it was still very difficult, and Ying had a strong desire for the country to become rich and powerful in the future. However, the governance of the Han dynasty was complex and multifaceted, and no matter how long he thought about it, he didn't know where to start. Just as Father Huang entrusted him with national affairs at this time, Ying did not dare to take charge of anything on his own, but wanted to follow the prime minister to handle matters, perhaps gaining some experience.

  Xiao He's eyes showed a pleased and relieved expression, "The Crown Prince has such a heart and intention, it is truly fortunate for the great Han. The Crown Prince is still young and not yet of age, in the future he will have great accomplishments."

  Liu Ying bowed her head in respect, "Chancellor, your praise is misplaced. To speak of it, although Chancellor and my imperial father were in a ruler-minister relationship, when I was young in Pei, I also used to address him as Uncle Chancellor. Now that I have doubts in my heart, I hope Chancellor will enlighten me."

  "Can the prince tell where the wealth of the great Han treasury comes from?"

  "Nature is the people's tax."

  "Yes. The Han Dynasty organized the people into households, recorded household registers, and collected taxes based on this. If you want the national treasury to be rich, there are only a few methods: first, let the Han people multiply and prosper, incorporating more people into the household registration system while suppressing vagrants; second, increase taxation."

  "The first method is understandable," Liu Ying frowned and said, "but the second method, isn't it enriching the national treasury while suffering the people's livelihood? If this continues, the common people will naturally resent the imperial court, and it will be difficult to prevent rebellious intentions. Otherwise, why didn't Father Emperor and Prime Minister use this easy-to-implement method?"

  "Who says that enriching the treasury must necessarily bring hardship to the people?" Xiao He smiled cunningly like a fox, "Our great Han dynasty currently implements a tax rate of one in ten. If we increase the tax rate, it will naturally be as Your Highness has said; but what if the people's gains gradually become more abundant?"

  "That won't harm the people's foundation." Liu Ying was overjoyed and asked in a bowing manner, "Prime Minister, how can you make it so that the people gradually become more prosperous?"

  "This is what the prince should think about." Xiao He lightly threw back the question, "For example, now our great Han has vast lands and sparse population, many fields are deserted. If we cultivate more, naturally the people's income will increase." He sighed and said, "As a prime minister for a long time, I can only do so much."

  But you, prince, are still young and won't understand that the most difficult thing is not the people's affairs, but rather, human hearts.

  Liu Ying thought for a long time, then bowed and said, "Thank you, Xiang Guo." His eyebrows were gloomy, seemingly without any gain. His hand unconsciously placed on a bamboo scroll on the case, with a green ribbon tied around it, which was news from the Xiongnu side at that time. Liu Ying unrolled and read it, stunned for a moment, his expression sorrowful and desolate.

  "What's wrong?" Xiao He asked, he hadn't even looked at the case files that had just been sent over today.

  "Princess Pingchang is gone."

  In the ninth month of autumn, the wind in Chang'an also carried a cool and desolate feeling. The yellow leaves of the plane tree were blown by the wind, first falling on the windowsill of the government office, then sliding to the ground. Xiao He thought for a moment before connecting this with the imperial princess who had been married off to Xiongnu last year. "Truly, beautiful women are short-lived," he sighed, gradually furrowing his brow. "Your Highness, now that Princess Changle is gone, the Han-Xiongnu alliance will also be in name only. I'm afraid Xiongnu will stir up more trouble."

  Liu Ying raised her head, with a spark of discontent in her eyes. The young blood was boiling, and she slammed the scroll on the table. "The Great Han has already lost one Princess Pingyang, and we can't afford to lose another princess! If the Xiongnu dare to offend us again, the sons of the Great Han are not vegetarians, let's just fight a battle!"

  "It's good that Your Highness has such ambition." Xiao He stood by the window with his hands behind his back and sighed as he advised.

  "Speaking of fighting," said Liu Ying, "I wonder how Father Emperor is doing."

  On the eighteenth of September, Emperor Gao led a large army to Handan and stationed himself on the banks of the Zhang River, laughing and saying: "If [Xiang Yu] had occupied Handan in the south and blocked the Zhang River, I would have known that he was capable of doing something."

  "That is all due to Your Majesty's wise and divine military prowess, with Heaven's assistance." The eunuch flattered.

  Marquis of Duyu Fan Kuai also reined in his horse, and with a heroic smile said: "Give me 5,000 men, and I'll show you how to capture Chen Yi alive and bring him before your majesty."

  Hearing that many of Chen Yi's generals were former merchants, he lured them to surrender with large sums of money. Many of Chen Yi's generals surrendered to the Han army, leaving Chen Yi in Handan, frustrated and resentful.

  Twenty-four, Chen Yi's general Hou Xuan led more than 10,000 people to block the Emperor Gao, while the rebel general Wang Huang led a cavalry of over 1,000 troops in Quyang. Zhang Chun's general led more than 10,000 soldiers across the Zhang River to attack Chaocheng. The Han envoy General Guo Meng and the Qi state general joined forces to strike, greatly defeating the rebel army. The Taifu Zhou Bo led his army from Taiyuan, destroying Maiyi and pacifying Dai territory.

  Zhao Li, a general under Chen Xi, defended Dongyuan City. Gaozu personally led the army to attack it, but after more than a month, he was unable to capture it. Zhao Li ordered his soldiers to curse Gaozu from atop the city walls, which enraged Gaozu. Seven days later, Dongyuan City surrendered to Han. Gaozu ordered that those who had cursed him be beheaded, while those who had not be pardoned. He then pacified Chen Xi's rebellion and divided Zhao Mountain into counties in the north. Those counties that had firmly defended themselves without surrendering and had rebelled against the bandits were exempt from rent and taxes for three years.

  In the eleventh year of Han, he was still in Luoyang. He issued a decree saying: "The land of Dai is located north of Changshan, and it borders with the Yi and Di tribes. There are often Hu bandits invading and harassing, making it difficult to govern as a country. Take the land south of Taiyuan in Shanxi and assign it to Dai, and make the area west of Yunzhong in Dai into Yunzhong County, then Dai will suffer less from border bandits."

  Liu Gong was established as the King of Dai, with his capital in Jinyang.

  In the first month of spring, Marquis of Huaiyin Han Xin and Chen Ping conspired to rebel, planning to deceive officials and slaves at night with a fake amnesty order and attack Empress Lü's son. However, the family members were not strict, and secretly reported to Empress Lü. Empress Lü and Xiao He plotted together, ordering someone to pretend to come from the Emperor, saying that Chen Ping had been captured and executed. As a result, all the marquises and officials came to congratulate her. Han Xin also entered the palace to offer congratulations, but Empress Lü ordered soldiers to bind him and behead him in the Long Lü Bell Room. His three clans were exterminated. It was said that when Han Xin was being executed, he still looked up at the sky and laughed loudly three times, "A great man regrets not dying on the battlefield, but instead dies at the hands of a child and a woman. Is this not heaven's will?"

  When he died, his eyes were wide open and he refused to close them. The eunuch who came to drag away his corpse was so frightened that his legs gave way beneath him, and when he saw the dead man's angry stare, he let out a blood-curdling scream. Such was the awe-inspiring power of the God of War!

  The great ancestor returned to Chang'an, saw that Han Xin had already died, and sighed. He said to Lü Zhi, "In those years, Han Xin's merits were high, I once promised him three not killings: seeing the sky would not kill, seeing the earth would not kill, seeing iron tools would not kill. Now seeing his miserable state, my heart cannot bear it."

  Lü Zhi smiled slightly, "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. In fact, I was put in a cloth bag and killed with bamboo skewers, unseen by heaven, unseen by earth, and unseen by metal instruments." She spoke calmly and respectfully.

  Liu Bang was both worried and delighted, and secretly told his attendants, "The Empress is ruthless and decisive. I am the Son of Heaven, but even I cannot match her. If the Crown Prince becomes Emperor in the future, the world will fall into the hands of the Lü family." This further solidified his determination to depose the Crown Prince and establish Ruyi as the new heir.

  In the second month of spring, everything has already been settled. The Wei River bank is once again filled with the tender pink peach blossoms of a new year, and the gentle spring light veils all the bloodiness in the world. However, the cruelty of that day still makes the palace maids mention it with a pale face.

  Lü Zhi led the hemp-clothed girl to the door of the Pepper Chamber and repeatedly exhorted her, "Zhu'er, although your father the King has returned to Chu, you are still the legitimate mistress of our Great Han, the Emperor's own niece. The Emperor and I have promised your father that we will take good care of you. In this city of Chang'an, if anyone dares to offend you, tell me, and I will take charge for you."

  I owe an apology for Liu Jie. I missed his appearance earlier. Those who are interested can go back to Chapter 52 to take a look, and those who are not interested only need to know that he is the eldest daughter of King Chu Liu Jiao.

  Liu Xuan took a step back and bowed his head, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress, for your kindness. However..."

  Lü Zhi covered her mouth and sighed, "I know your heart's desire. As for your marriage, your father the king has his own plans," she said with a heavy heart, "He is also doing it for your own good."

  Liu's eyes reddened slightly, and she stubbornly lifted her head to hold back the tears, then bid farewell and left.

  As she stepped down from the palace steps, Zhang Yan bowed and said, "A Yan has seen her aunt."

  Liu hastily responded, with a self-satisfied expression, and brushed past her shoulder. It was clear that he didn't take Zhang Yan, this small princess of a minor state, seriously. Zhang Yan only felt a whiff of fragrance pass by her side, and in the blink of an eye, the older girl had already gone far away.

  "Ah, Ah Yan, you're here." Lü Yu smiled warmly and bent down, his face beaming with a gentle smile, much more sincere than when he had just faced Liu Xuan.

  "Hmm. Auntie," Zhang Yan smiled and leaned forward, curiously asking, "What's wrong with the Master of Chu State?"

  Lv Wei sighed and said, "Don't ask too much, child." After Zhang Yan nodded, she gently stroked her black hair, looking thoughtful. "Yan," a smile played on her lips, "when you grow up, Grandma will find you a perfect husband."

  Zhang Yan was secretly shocked, raised her head and smiled with a honey-like smile on her face, "Auntie has applied new facial cream today, looking especially beautiful."

  "Really?" Lü Yu's eyes widened slightly with surprise, and she couldn't help but touch her cheeks, pulling Zhang Yan down to sit beside her. "By the way, Ah Yan," she said casually, "that white jade cream you sent into the palace last time, Grandma doesn't have much left here, do you still have some?"

  "Uh-huh, I'll get someone to send it over to Grandma when I get back."

  "It's always troublesome to have the ladies of the Dongyuan Gong family come over," Lu Luyu smiled slightly and said, "Why not let her teach the craftsmen the method in detail, so that Auntie can have as many as she wants, and Ah Yan won't have to worry about it either?"

  "I'd be happy to trouble the gods." Zhang Yan blinked her eyes, "Originally, it's not a big deal to teach it out. But if the craftsmen make too many, whoever wants one can get one, and where's the preciousness in that? Auntie thinks, what if Madame Qi from the Temple of Gods were to ask the Craftsmanship Department for some, would they give her any or not?"

  The PK in February is finally over. (Wiping sweat, fortunately, February only has 28 days, which is less than other months.)

  Thanks to everyone's support in this month, Jiang was able to make it to today.

  There are still two chapters left to update, and I will make up for it today.

  After going on sale, I still hope everyone will continue to support it.