Chapter 45: Go Find His Majesty

Liu Ju’s reading momentum was interrupted. He turned back to look at Liu Jin, scanning him from head to toe. Seeing no stains on his clothes, his mood instantly brightened.

"Jin'er, what is it?"

"That toothbrush of yours, Father has truly grown to love it from the bottom of my heart."

"Thirty years! Do you know how I survived those thirty years?"

"That kind of willow branch, that kind of filth..."

Liu Jin cut short his complaints and asked, "Abba, are you in a better mood now?"

Liu Ju smiled slightly. "As long as I don't go see the old man, my mood is always good."

Liu Jin: "..."

"Abba, I didn't disturb you last night, but there are some matters today that I need to discuss with you thoroughly."

"Commoners do not possess oxen for plowing."

"Huh?" Liu Ju looked at him suspiciously, asking, "What are you talking about?"

Liu Jin said, "When I left the palace yesterday, it suddenly dawned on me that although the new plow is wonderful, it does not benefit the ordinary commoners at all. We are simply lending our strength to the powerful and the large landowners."

"How could ordinary commoners ever afford an ox? They are far too poor. Forget about an ox, they might not even be able to afford the new plow itself."

"As the Minister of Finance, didn't you realize this? Then what is the point of having the local officials urge the people to farm and plant mulberry trees?"

Liu Ju fell into contemplation, his body stiffening slightly. After a long silence, he said, "Indeed, it is so."

"To think I was feeling quite pleased with myself, believing this would benefit the common folk, only to find out it is not the case at all."

With that thought, his good mood vanished instantly.

"What should be done?"

Liu Ju looked at Liu Jin and asked, "Is there any way to resolve this?"

His father was benevolent, not hypocritical. Years of Confucian thought centered on the people had deeply instilled in him the concept of loving the common folk as one's own children.

He genuinely wanted to do something for the impoverished commoners—something practical and truly beneficial to the populace.

He had originally thought promoting the straight plow was just such a matter. Now that Liu Jin had abruptly informed him otherwise, how could his mood possibly remain good? He felt he had perpetually neglected thorough consideration, and a sense of self-dissatisfaction welled up within him.

"I am not a good crown prince. Empty fantasies ruin the state, and idle chatter makes me no different from Zhao Kuo."

Seeing his father's low spirits, Liu Jin comforted him, "Abba, at worst it is merely a lack of comprehensive consideration, how can it be so severe? The sage said to examine oneself thrice daily, to recognize faults and correct them, and that among any three people walking, there must be a teacher for me... Yet he never said that failing to achieve these things, or failing to do them perfectly, disqualifies one from being a true gentleman. To err is human, and to be able to correct one's mistakes is what a true gentleman does, isn't it?"

Liu Ju nodded slightly and patted Liu Jin's shoulder. "You are stronger than your father. What you say makes sense!"

Liu Jin continued, "To resolve this matter, you still need to go and speak with your Imperial Grandfather."

Liu Ju paused for a moment before saying, "Use state administrative means to lend oxen to the commoners for farming?"

"Just so," said Liu Jin.

Liu Ju glanced at Liu Jin and suddenly said, "You go."

"I just quarreled with him, and both of us need time to cool down. I imagine he doesn't want to see me right now either."

Liu Jin: "This... I..."

"Go. You are grown now, help your father handle something."

"Very well then, I will give it a try, though Imperial Grandfather might not necessarily see me."

"It's fine, go," Liu Ju said.

Watching Liu Jin's retreating back, Liu Ju fell into deep thought. He always felt that during this period, the Emperor's attitude toward the Crown Prince's Palace had shifted—rather than toward the Crown Prince's Palace itself, it felt more directed at his own son.

Perhaps, just as Jin'er said, as long as the boy interacted with the old man, he could change the Emperor's view of the Crown Prince's Palace.

...

Outside the Xuanshi Hall.

Liu Jin waited anxiously for a short while before Su Wen summoned him into the hall.

Emperor Wu of Han stood with his back to the screen, quietly flipping through some rare books stored in the wooden cabinets of the inner hall.

"Your grandson pays his respects to Imperial Grandfather."

Emperor Wu of Han continued flipping through the books, still somewhat unwilling to give up, searching for the deeds of Yanzi.

"Your grandson comes entrusted by his father. Father believes that the straight plow is not entirely beneficial, because the common people have no oxen to use, and thus cannot enjoy its advantages. Recognizing his own mistake..."

"Heh." A mocking chuckle came from the inner hall, as if to say, are these your father's words, or your own? Do you take Me for a fool who cannot tell the difference?

Biting the bullet, Liu Jin continued, "Therefore, Father suggests that the imperial court..."

"Get out and think of a better fabrication before you come back to deceive Me!" Emperor Wu of Han raised his volume, tinged with a hint of anger.

Of course, this anger stemmed from Liu Jin trying to trick him, not because of the matter itself, but rather Yanzi's policy of relief work in exchange for labor. He had searched for so long and still found nothing—this little brat would be the death of him!

Several guards immediately walked in and escorted Liu Jin out.

A vague sense of anxiety lingered in Liu Jin's heart, though shortly afterward, he heard the sound of a vase shattering within the main hall.

Su Wen, his head covered in blood, knelt on the ground and trembled with fear.

"When did I ever tell you to summon guards into the hall?"

Emperor Wu of Han stood before Su Wen, staring down at him from above. Su Wen felt as though his heart was about to leap out of his throat, an invisible blade seemingly suspended above his head, ready to fall at any moment.

Such apprehension and nervous tension made it difficult for him to breathe properly.

"Y-Y-Your Majesty, this slave, this slave knows his wrong... This slave, this slave..."

"Take him to the Clan Court and hand him over to Lu Chongguo." Emperor Wu of Han flicked his sleeve. Granted a reprieve, Su Wen hurriedly backed out of the main hall.

Liu Jin trailed behind the hunchbacked Su Wen as they headed toward the Clan Court. Seeing blood still oozing from Su Wen's head, he felt a deeper sense of awe and dread toward the Emperor residing in Weiyang Palace.

He had no idea how Su Wen had offended Emperor Wu of Han, nor had anything of significance seemingly happened. Yet the fierce-tempered Emperor had beaten the man to this state, treating him as though he were not even human!

Simply because the Emperor was in a bad mood, everyone around him would suffer. Who could accompany such a sovereign without feeling absolute terror?

What Liu Jin understood even less was why Emperor Wu of Han had ordered Su Wen to bring him along to the Clan Court.

And further, why did the Emperor accuse him of lying? What had he lied about? Because these matters were what *he* wanted to say, rather than his father? How did the Emperor know that?

Liu Jin was utterly baffled.

Upon arriving at the Clan Court, Liu Jin asked Su Wen, "What does Imperial Grandfather want me to do here?"

Though Su Wen wished he could kill Liu Jin on the spot, he still replied respectfully, "This slave does not know."

Liu Jin: "?"

What did this mean? What on earth was Emperor Wu of Han planning?

Inside the offices of the Clan Court, straight plows could be seen being loaded and transported out from time to time. Liu Jin approached a low-ranking official and asked, "What are you all doing?"

Learning that this was the Imperial Grandson, the official explained, "The straight plows are being taken out to be sold to small peasant farmers, and we are also gathering some plow oxen to rent out to small farmers during the busy agricultural season."

Hearing this, Liu Jin was startled.

Indeed... it was indeed so!

That aging Son of Heaven in Weiyang Palace had considered the plight of the small farmers the very moment Abba presented the memorial on the straight plow! Before the Crown Prince's Palace had even figured out a solution, the Emperor had already begun employing administrative means to carry out macro-control!

At that moment, Liu Jin suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of awe and reverence toward that elderly man in Weiyang Palace. His Imperial Grandfather was truly ruthless when he needed to be, but he was far from senile—on the contrary, he remained remarkably wise and sharp!