Chapter 1452 - 1360: Plotting Rebellion

The ministers of Cheng Country were all stunned. They never expected their Great King to suddenly hand over power of Cheng Country, this, this, this...

Those not in the know couldn’t speak for a moment.

In the evening, Zhao Hanzhang allowed the lords and ministers of Cheng Country to camp in her camp, and she followed Li Xiong to his camp the next day to meet the people at the foot of Ba Mountain.

Xun Fan and Fan Ying, who came along, advised, "Your Majesty, the son of a thousand gold should not sit beneath the eaves. Though Li Xiong is sincere, his subordinates may not be truly loyal, and if there are accidents..."

Zhao Hanzhang said meaningfully, "I acknowledge that a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall, but if a gentleman knows the wall will fall, why can’t he stand there first, and only move aside at the last moment?"

Xun Fan frowned, "It’s too dangerous, not the act of a gentleman."

Zhao Hanzhang insisted, "I trust Zeng Yue."

Xun Fan felt a bit sullen; the emperor born of war has this disadvantage, too reckless.

He reminded, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is not yet seven years old, weak ruler, skeptical subjects..."

Zhao Hanzhang chuckled softly, "Don’t worry, Xun Qing, my sword is still sharp, and King Cheng is in his prime."

After saying this, she led her ministers to meet the Ba Shu people.

Li Xiong publicly announced the abolishment of Cheng Country’s fiefs, requesting Zhao Hanzhang to confer governance of the Ba Shu State anew.

Zhao Hanzhang then declared, "Cheng Country was previously Liangyi, today I shall restore its establishment. King Cheng is deeply righteous, and all he’s done is for me, for the people of Ba Shu. I think the people of Ba Shu will eternally remember this kindness. I wish to form a lifelong alliance of sworn brothers with King Cheng, who remains King Cheng, granted ironclad credentials and the Yizhou territory, hereditary succession without fail."

This meant that King Cheng’s title would not be diminished with his heirs.

Li Xiong was deeply moved upon hearing this and immediately knelt in gratitude.

Aside from some ministers and generals remaining silent, the vast majority of the military and civilians knelt joyously, loudly cheering.

Among the crowd, Zhu Chuan was the most excited. He was one of the landlord gentry providing money and grain for Li Xiong’s travels, and he had long been dissatisfied with Cheng Country’s ministers and generals.

Without law, without order, relying on their power and soldiers, they could arbitrarily enter his home to forcibly collect money and grain.

The chaotic enforcement once made him consider moving his entire clan out of Ba Shu, and if migration weren’t difficult and his clan not vast, he would have left long ago.

Even when he was a guest in Yu State, doing business with the Zhao Family was based on mutual consent. Though there were tests and probes, it belonged to business negotiations. Who would just come and rob by force?

In recent years, due to cooperation with the Zhao Family in the Glass Workshop and other businesses, Zhu Chuan accumulated increasingly more profits and influence in Shu lands, but he also endured more grievances. Upon accounting, he found the money and grain saved in his hands had hardly increased.

After a long while, all the effort over years had been cheap for Cheng Country’s generals and ministers.

For this matter, Zhu Chuan manipulated significantly, inviting people twice to speak for him before Li Xiong, but Li Xiong simply could not manage those people.

Eventually, his gaze shifted, choosing the Princely Heir Li Ban.

Li Ban indeed acted impartially in defense of the law, strongly, but doing so made the ministers and generals all against Zhu Chuan.

The days for the Zhu family in Shu lands became even harder.

The matter of abolishing fiefs was Zhu Chuan’s indirect suggestion that reached Fan Changsheng’s ears.

If there was one person in the world who could persuade Li Xiong, it had to be Fan Changsheng.

Also, he was lucky, for Fan Changsheng, on the verge of death and exhausted, considered for Li Xiong and Ba Shu, clearly stating this, otherwise Zhu Chuan was seriously contemplating moving his entire clan.

Even though he had some friendship with Zhao Hanzhang, leaving native soil always caused unease and unhappiness.

Li Xiong also knew Zhu Chuan, and having invited him to office several times, Zhu Chuan never agreed, yet he was generous, often donating money and materials to the Cheng Country Court. For some major events, he would even sponsor money.

Li Xiong’s sons were all extravagant, but Li Xiong himself lived frugally, with both the national and private treasuries not very affluent, thus needing sponsorship for New Year travels.

He thought of Zhu Chuan at that time.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Chuan was so generous; he merely suggested, and Zhu Chuan offered money and grain.

Because of his benevolence, Li Xiong naturally recommended him to Zhao Hanzhang, "The little king heard that Mr. Zhu and Your Majesty are old acquaintances. This time meeting smoothly with Your Majesty is thanks largely to Mr. Zhu’s money and grain."

Zhao Hanzhang smiled warmly at Zhu Chuan and nodded, "Mr. Zhu has the demeanor of a chivalrous person. During the war against Wei Country, I also relied on his support for money and grain."

Yet, he truly disliked being an official, otherwise bringing him into the Ministry of Revenue, he should have been able to assist Zhao Ming.

His concrete methods for invigorating the economy were far superior to Zhao Ming’s, comparable to Zhao Hu.

However, now considering it, having such talent stay in the civilian sector isn’t bad.

The world is abundant with talented individuals; if her court gains two or three out of ten, it’s already promising. The rest, if they shine and thrive among the populace, how wouldn’t they be contributing to the people and the nation?

Zhao Hanzhang invited Zhu Chuan to join that night’s banquet.

Indeed, after the announcement, the lords and ministers will have a grand celebration tonight, determined to not return sober.

Li Xiong’s eldest son Li Yue was displeased, unable to resist seeking out his brother Li Qi and General Li Huan, "Father muddled-headedly gave the Princely Heir’s position to cousin, and even voluntarily requested to abolish fiefs? Once the court’s army occupies, can we still serve as generals or officials?"

Li Yue is now guarding Jiangyang, and Li Qi is also a general. Though reluctant to admit, they both know well.

Zhao Hanzhang previously appointed solely based on talent, but in recent years, the recruitment has included not just talent but also virtue and talent.

They’re accustomed to walking with pride and abandon in Shu land, naturally arrogant and wanton, yet also aware that if set outside, whether on talent or virtue, they fall short of Zhao Hanzhang’s standards for employing.

If not relying on their own talent and virtue, they can only depend on parental shade.

Yet their father has given the Princely Heir position to Li Ban, leaving them with no chance to contest.

Ever since Cheng Country pledged allegiance to the court and then solicited Zhao Hanzhang to establish the Princely Heir, they knew that even if they killed Li Ban after their father’s death, seizing the throne would be challenging.

Because it’s illegitimate, the court certainly wouldn’t agree; at that time, it might rally troops against Cheng Country, unless their talent and power reached a point they could carve out a region and negotiate with the court as equals.

Truth be told, Li Yue never accepted this, and has always been preparing for it.

But now, his father’s kneel directly blocks his retreat.

Cutting one’s future is akin to killing one’s parents; even if that person is his biological father, he sees no difference from being slain.

Li Yue fiercely stated, "The bold thrive, and the timid starve. Was Zhao Hanzhang not once merely a prefectural governor? An ordinary woman; she became emperor; why can’t we?"

He lowered his voice, saying, "This is Cheng Country. Killing her, then crossing Ba Mountain, taking Han Zhong, we can aim our sword at the Central Plains. The whole world lies in our hands."

Li Qi wasn’t foolish, saying, "Big brother, Zu Ti is the Minister of War, Prince Qin Zhao Yong is in Yongzhou, Beigong Chun is in Bingzhou and can assist rapidly; which of these can we fight against?"

"Then seize Han Zhong County; as long as we hold Han Zhong County, we can attack or defend, Ba Shu has natural barriers, they absolutely can’t break in." Li Yue fiercely said, "At worst, we hide in the mountains, fighting them for a hundred or eighty years, better than living cowardly and humiliated, right?"

He looked disgusted, "I really don’t want to face Li Ban and some outsider’s disposition in the future days."

He detests Li Ban’s sanctimonious face the most. After seeing today, Zhao Hanzhang also resembles Li Ban; words sound so nice, but merely a means of buying hearts, only their father believes it.