Chương 696: "Respect for Father." "Respect for You."

" "Respect for You."

"After four or five years, the Han Dynasty will have railways spanning thousands of miles, industry that will be unparalleled in the world, a powerful army armed with firearms, a fleet that will roam the two oceans, and a population where half of the people will be literate."

What we aim to do is not to surpass any previous dynasty, nor to replicate any glorious era. We aim to create a completely new era... an era led by the Han Dynasty, an era of steam and iron. An era that future generations will yearn for when they speak of it.

He turned around, looked at the officials below, and asked in a deep voice:

"My lords, are you willing to join me in forging this eternal hegemony?"

The hall was silent for a moment, then erupted in a thunderous roar.

Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and others were the first to bow and clasp their hands in greeting. The elderly officials with white hair followed suit, and the younger officials, military generals, and craftsmen followed closely behind. The entire court of civil and military officials bowed and clasped their hands in unison, the sound of which caused the snow on the roof of the palace to fall in a flurry.

"We, your humble servants, are willing to serve you with utmost loyalty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Han Dynasty!"

The sound surged out of the palace, crashed against the palace walls, and bounced into the distance, echoing throughout the entire city of Luoyang.

..................

In the sixteenth year of Shenwu's reign, Crown Prince Liu Chen turned twenty-one.

There was no grand celebration, no banquet for officials; the father and son simply drank quietly in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden.

Inside the pavilion were several small dishes, a jar of fine wine, and two plates of osmanthus cakes, all of which were Liu Chen's favorites.

The moon was bright that night, its silvery light shining down, bathing the ground in a soft glow. The wind made the lanterns at the corner of the pavilion sway gently. It was very quiet, with only the chirping of insects.

Crown Prince Liu Chen filled Liu Ce's cup with wine, and poured one for himself as well, holding it with both hands respectfully.

The two clinked glasses, took a sip, and the aroma of the wine spread in their mouths.

Liu Chen put down his wine glass, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Father, during my year as regent, I followed the rules you set... the railways were under the Ministry of Works... construction was underway in the four secondary capitals, and maritime trade in Jiangnan had begun... everything went smoothly, without any major problems. But sometimes I think..."

He paused, gripping his wine glass.

"These rules you set, these workshops, railways, these new schools... when I succeed to the throne, will I have to follow them exactly as they were? What if someone says, 'The laws of our ancestors cannot be changed,' what should I do?"

He'd been holding this question in for a long time, but hadn't dared to ask it.

Recently, some senior officials in the court submitted memorials, saying things like "emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce is an ancestral system" and "strange skills and crafts should not be promoted," suggesting that industry should be slowed down and merchants suppressed. This has left him quite confused, not knowing what to do.

Liu Ce was munching on a pastry when he heard this and burst out laughing, spraying crumbs all over the table and almost dropping the pastry on the ground.

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said with a smile, "No need."

"Huh?" Liu Chen was stunned, looking up at his father, a little confused.

He thought his father would tell him to uphold the ancestral traditions and carry out the new policies to the end, and that his father was there to reprimand him.

"The rules I set are suited to the ways of the world now," Liu Ce said slowly, picking up the wine jug and filling his son's cup. The wine swirled in the cup, reflecting the clear moonlight outside the pavilion.

"Nine out of ten people who say 'the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed' are beneficiaries who have benefited from the old rules, and the remaining one is a bookworm who has been spurred into a stupor by his books."

When you ascend the throne, several decades later, the world will have changed, technology will have changed, and people's ideas will have changed. Change what needs to be changed, don't hesitate, don't let the word "ancestors" bind your hands and feet, or tie yourself to a pillar.

Our ancestors conquered the world by trial and error, changing countless old rules to achieve their goals. If they had stuck to the old ways, they wouldn't have even been able to cross the Yellow River. If you rigidly adhere to the old rules, you are truly letting down your ancestors and their bloody battles.

Liu Chen was stunned. The fog in his heart seemed to dissipate a little, and things became much clearer.

"Then... what about land annexation?" he asked again in a low voice, this was his biggest worry.

"You said before that dynasties throughout history have died because of this. Although we have industry and maritime trade now, land annexation will still happen. In the long run, the people will have no land to cultivate, and won't they still rebel? Can this vicious cycle really be broken?"

This is a vicious cycle that has plagued dynasties throughout history. He didn't believe that the Han Dynasty could escape it, and he remained anxious.

"Open up maritime trade, set up factories, and build railways so that people don't have to rely solely on farming for a living."

Liu Ce took a sip of wine, his tone calm, yet every word he spoke was reasonable.

"When the pie gets bigger, everyone can make money, and no one is willing to risk their life to rebel. If people are well-fed, who would rebel? In the past, people couldn't survive without land, but now they can work in factories, work at the docks, work as shop assistants in caravans, or immigrate to the frontier or overseas. With more options, people won't be fixated on that small piece of land."

Last year, a steamship made a trip to Southeast Asia. The land in Java was so fertile that no one was farming it. I ordered the Ministry of Commerce to draft a "Southeast Asia Reclamation Order." Many people moved there. They were given seeds and farming tools, and were exempt from taxes for three years. The land they were allocated was three times more than in China... It was much better than fighting with powerful families for land in China. They didn't have to fight tooth and nail for it.

"If you dare, you can move people to the Americas in twenty years. After all, trains will be built then, and who knows, we might even build bigger ships that can go further, to the ends of the earth. The world is vast, there's plenty of land; why confine ourselves to this small piece of land in the Central Plains?"

Liu Chen's eyes lit up as he listened.

Yes, the world is so vast, why bother fighting tooth and nail over this small piece of land in the Central Plains like all the previous dynasties?

Let's go out! Let's go to bigger places!

"Then... what if someone objects?" Liu Chen asked again.

"What if new powerful families and conservative ministers emerge and band together to oppose the new policies and the expansion of the colony? They are numerous and powerful, and I'm afraid I can't control them."

"Objection?" Liu Ce scoffed, taking a bite of his pastry, his nonchalant demeanor radiating confidence.

"With soldiers, money, and technology at our disposal, who can turn the world upside down? Those who oppose us and jump around so loudly, we'll investigate their accounts first. Embezzlement, hidden land, smuggled salt—we'll find it all in one investigation. Once the accounts are cleared, they'll shut up on their own. They're full of shit under their asses."

If someone is naive or easily fooled, give them a little taste of success and let them make money with you. Once they've tasted the benefits, they'll switch sides and become more enthusiastic than anyone else.

Those who are stubborn and inflexible should be dismissed on some pretext and replaced with younger people. There are plenty of people who want to get things done; we don't need another one.

You have soldiers, money, technology, and the support of the people, what are you afraid of?

A night breeze swept by, causing the lanterns in the pavilion to sway, casting the shadows of the father and son onto the table, overlapping each other.

Liu Ce patted his son's shoulder, his tone much gentler, sounding less like an emperor and more like an ordinary father:

"In my life, I've fought battles in the north and south, implemented new policies, opened up maritime trade, built railways, paved the way for you, and set up the framework."

The rest of the journey is yours to walk and figure out on your own. Don't pursue the empty title of "wise ruler of all time," and don't care what civil officials write about you or how they criticize you.

If you can ensure that the people have meat in their bowls, prevent the country from being attacked, pass on our legacy, and make the Han Dynasty better and better... then you are a good emperor.

It's better than anything else, better than all those empty titles in history books.

Crown Prince Liu Chen held his wine cup and looked at his father.

The moonlight shone on the Emperor's face. He was only in his early forties, but fine lines had appeared at the corners of his eyes, and a few strands of white hair were hidden at his temples. He looked different from before.

He suddenly remembered that his father had once been rummaging through the Confucian classic "The Ruler and His Minister" in the Imperial Study, saying, "Confucianism is a tool, not a faith." At that time, he felt like the sky had fallen and that his father had gone astray.

Only now do I understand that my father was never born an emperor, nor was he a saint.

He was someone who knew where the pitfalls were and which way to go. He saw further, lived more clearly, and was more grounded than all the emperors throughout history who held the books of sages.

"I... I've got it." He picked up his glass, clinked it against his father's, the wine shimmering clear, and his voice was steady.

"Respect, Father."

"To you."

Liu Ce laughed, tilted his head back and downed the whole thing in one gulp. His eyes squinted from the spiciness, just like any other old man, like any ordinary father on the street.

The moonlight shone down quietly, and the father and son continued drinking and chatting, talking about politics, people's livelihood, and interesting things overseas. They talked for a very long time, until the moon began to set in the west.

Beneath the distant palace walls, the patrolling imperial guards moved with light footsteps, their lanterns casting flickering light.

This prosperous era, like a spark passed down from generation to generation, will only grow brighter and go further.