Han Xin responded and said,
"I also believe that His Majesty's family affairs do not allow others to comment. Besides -"
"Besides what?"
Liu Ji was playing with a small white jade mat in his hand. Hearing Han Xin hesitate to speak, he raised his eyes and glanced at his face casually, and unconsciously picked at the fine carved patterns on the mat with his fingertips.
"——The queen is resolute, jealous, good at wielding authority, and scheming. She is very afraid of her when discussing with other kings in private. Such a formidable woman is really not suitable for the promotion of the four religions, nor is she suitable to be the representative of the world. .
I also ask Your Majesty to choose a daughter who is dignified, gentle and loving, and whose mother will be worthy of the world. "
Liu Ji patted the table gently and laughed out loud.
"Ha, let me tell you, Han Xin, you can lead an army of millions, how can you be afraid of a woman?"
His smile eased the tense atmosphere in the hall a lot. Everyone laughed in a casual manner, but Han Xin continued,
"I am not afraid of women, but I respect the Lu family.
The queen's eldest brother, Lu Ze, the Marquis of Zhou Lu, had been engaged in conquests for many years and had made countless achievements. The second brother, Lu Shizhi, the Marquis of Jiancheng, was good at strategy. Their sons were also accomplished. There were many talented people in the Lu family, and everyone was outstanding. Outstanding. "
But these words were said in a somewhat explicit way, hinting that if the queen's relatives were too powerful to be controlled in the future, everyone immediately pricked up their ears, wanting to hear Liu Ji's reaction.
Liu Ji let go of the chair, pierced Han Xin with his sharp eyes like a knife, and then teased with a smile,
"I remember that you had dealt with Lu Ze. I think you two got along well with each other at that time, and there was no resentment between you.
Not to mention Lu Shizhi, who has been very ill since he came back from the Chu camp. He couldn't ride a horse or draw his bow for 20 days in a month. Hearing you say that about him, he couldn't even do it on his sick bed. I'll let you go, hahaha. "
Liu Ji laughed and dismissed the topic lightly. Suddenly he saw a man wearing a wrinkled linen jacket taking a step forward, bowing his head upright, and then said seriously,
"I think what Prince Zhao said just now is really inappropriate."
Since the enthronement ceremony was presented the day before yesterday, Shusun Tong has become one of Liu Ji's latest close ministers, and thus was able to participate in this secret meeting.
He seemed to have fallen in love with the convenience and trouble-free short clothes. He never wore dark clothes with curved trains and swallowtails, and the high crown was thrown aside. He only dressed more like a farmer than a farmer every day, and he was content.
At this time, he finally found a chance to talk and immediately grabbed it.
"What's wrong?"
"Prince Zhao said that the establishment of a queen is a family matter of His Majesty's, and I definitely disagree.
Your Majesty is the Emperor, and the Emperor has no private affairs.
Since ancient times, the emperors who have been appointed by emperors are not only internally virtuous but also have the help of their relatives.
The so-called prosperity of the Xia Dynasty is inseparable from the Tushan family, and the prosperity of the Zhou Dynasty is also due to the Jiang Yuan family, the mother of the Zhou ancestor Houji——"
"Okay, okay, I understand what you mean." Liu Ji suddenly interrupted Shusun Tong's tirade, with a half-smile on his face.
"If you keep talking, you will even say Mencius's statement that the country is more important than the king.
I know you are right, the emperor has no private affairs, and the matter of establishing a queen is not a trivial matter, nor is it a private matter.
You Confucian scholars are like this. You have to talk about the Xia Dynasty when you can clearly explain it in a few sentences.
Also, the clothes you are wearing should be ironed to be smoother, why are they wrinkled like pickles..."
Everyone laughed again, Liu Ji yawned,
"I came to discuss matters with you before dawn today. We are all tired, so let's leave here.
Don't worry, I will definitely choose a competent queen for this world. "
Zhang Liang walked out of the inner room slowly. He was about to stretch himself, but he didn't dare to do anything wrong. He only moved his stiff waist a little, loosened his muscles and bones, and thought to himself,
“Stones from other mountains can attack jade.
Your Majesty is deeply afraid of the kings of different surnames headed by Han Xin, but the kings of different surnames are afraid of the power of the Lu family, so Queen Lu is an indispensable Han queen who can be used to check and balance them. "
After all, he understood the new emperor’s philosophy of governing the country. He was a loyal believer in great unification, and the Qin Dynasty’s system of prefectures and counties was his ultimate vision for the Han Empire;
And these seven feudal states with different surnames, which were forced by the war and were reluctantly carved out for rewards, will be taken back one by one sooner or later.
By then, a new round of bloody melee will naturally be inevitable, and the Lu family, which is full of talents, will surely be pushed to the forefront and become a living target at the forefront of the storm.
***
After that day, Liu Ji never summoned anyone to discuss the matter of selecting the queen, and Zhang Liang and others did not ask further questions. They just prepared non-stop for the upcoming enthronement ceremony.
Three days later, on the third day of February, a simple and solemn emperor's enthronement ceremony was held on the north bank of the Sishui River in the north of Dingtao County.
Under the planning of Dr. Shu Suntong, Liu Ji followed the etiquette of the Qin Dynasty and first went on the stage to offer sacrifices to heaven, earth and ancestors. Then, more than 300 princes and kings, headed by King Han Xin of Chu, together with ministers and generals, jointly offered sacrifices to the heaven, earth and ancestors. Emperor's title.
Standing on the hastily built high platform, Liu Ji couldn't hear the voices from the audience. He could only hear the hunting wind in his ears, making it difficult for him to tell what night it was.
He recalled that when he was in his hometown of Peixian County, he was just a low-ranking pavilion chief. One year, he happened to go to the capital Xianyang to serve as a corvee. It happened that Qin Shihuang was on a hunting tour and conquered all directions.
Liu Ji, the middle-aged director of the pavilion, had been waiting by the avenue early, squeezing in the crowd of people rubbing shoulders, craning his neck and raising his head, just wanting to catch a glimpse of the emperor's majesty.
It seemed to be a morning in early spring. Liu Ji shook his head, feeling a little dazed and unable to remember clearly.
He only remembered the majesty of the First Emperor's chariot, with its chariots and horses flying like clouds, and flags and flags flying. Countless golden and yellow chariots passed by his eyes one after another, and the armors of the warriors shone brightly in the sun. Rays of golden light shined straight into his eyes.
There are also countless propaganda carts, all pulled by four strong horses. The tall carts rise up and are divided into two levels. The lower level plays music and the upper level beats drums. The sound of drums and music is accompanied by the four-cornered golden dragons on the top of the box. Qisu and Yu Bao flew together, reaching the sky.
The magnificent style and the warm sun made the onlookers intoxicated both physically and mentally.
This kind of dizziness and dizziness lasted for a particularly long time in Liu Ji, and it did not fade away until he returned to his hometown after completing his corvee service.
Like all husbands who return from a long journey, he excitedly and slightly ostentatiously described what he saw and heard in Xianyang City to his wife who stayed at home.
The young Lu Pheasant stopped the loom in his hand and listened to her husband attentively. His eyes shone and he looked very envious.
"It would be great if we could live in Xianyang sometime."
Liu Ji lamented, "I will live until that day and realize that this is what a man should do when he is alive!"
The couple stood in front of the dim oil lamp, dreaming together a dream that seemed out of reach.
But at this moment, the fight with swords and shadows seemed like a lifetime ago, and only the bright and warm sun still shone on the top of his head, making him dizzy.
"That's it, for public and private affairs, for the country and for the family, let's establish a queen who can convince everyone.
Anyway, I am already the emperor, no matter what, I will change it later. "
Liu Ji thought to himself as he looked down at the thousands of troops in the audience who were shouting, "Long live the mountains."
