Volume 1: Kyoto Winds and Clouds Chapter 5 My name is Liu Zhang, styled as Ji Yu
After the angel entered the hall, the governor immediately knelt down! The angel was very satisfied with the governor's behavior and took out a yellow silk from his bosom to read: "The great Han emperor decreed that Liu Yan, the governor of Nanyang, had been self-disciplined and dedicated to his duties, and had done a great job in comforting the people during his tenure as governor. He was commended for his outstanding contributions to the great Han dynasty! According to investigations, Liu Yan was a descendant of Emperor Jing of Han's fifth son, Prince Gong of Lu, and a member of the imperial family. He was specially appointed by the emperor to enter the capital as the Minister of Rites!"
"I'm actually a member of the Han imperial family, my father is Liu Yan and I'm Liu Zhang, also known as Ji Yu. But which emperor was in power?" Ji Yu stood behind the door, smiling to himself as he watched his father receive the edict. As he looked on, he began to think wildly: "Liu Yan! Liu Zhang! Could it be the Three Kingdoms era?!" Ji Yu's mind was deeply conflicted - the Three Kingdoms was an era that hot-blooded men yearned for, and someone like him who loved strategy and had a belly full of evil ideas would be perfectly suited to this time. No matter what poisonous scheme he used, it wouldn't rise to the level of morality, and if he succeeded, it would be passed down for eternity. Take Wang Yun's linked stratagem, or Gou Jian's plan to surrender cooked grain to Wu State, causing a famine - these were all very sinister and despicable tricks, but they succeeded. Wang Yun successfully used Lü Bu to get rid of Dong Zhuo, while Gou Jian successfully devoured Wu State and became one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period. Because they succeeded, people forgot about their use of women and harm to civilians, and for a thousand years praised their loyalty and endurance. Little did they know, this thousand-year reputation was built on the blood and tears of countless civilians!
Just as Ji Yu was stunned, Liu Yan had already sent the angel away. Turning his head to see Ji Yu standing there in a daze, Liu Yan quietly walked up to him and suddenly picked him up, saying: "Good kid, what did you come here for?"
Ji Yu was startled awake by Liu Yan, looking at the big face close to her own. Ji Yu said with a pout: "I've never seen an angel before, I want to take a look!" After speaking, Ji Yu herself shivered, fortunately her body was only five years old, otherwise speaking like this would probably make Liu Yan vomit! However, for a five-year-old child, this kind of cuteness is almost universally appealing to men and women, young and old!
"What's so good about those eunuchs?" Liu Yan burst out laughing and changed from holding to hugging, even giving Ji Yu a big kiss on the face, leaving him with a mouthful of saliva.
"Dad, who is the current emperor?" Ji Yumeng blinked her eyes, trying to figure out what era it was now. If it was really the Three Kingdoms period, she needed to plan ahead! Otherwise, just hearing the names Liu Yan and Liu Zhang made Ji Yu's liver tremble!
Liu Yan was also a hero, easily getting a piece of precious land for his son. Unfortunately, he was too cunning and got himself into big trouble by playing with a widow to find a huge problem for his own son. Liu Zhang was even more foolish, killing his father's concubine but not her son, resulting in the strategic location of Hanzhong being controlled by outsiders, leaving him only able to guard Xichuan. As a result, his subordinates saw no hope of unifying the world under him and joined forces to betray him!
"Emperor!" Liu Yan sighed with his head raised: "Really don't know whether to say he's lucky or unlucky!"
Ji Yu rolled his eyes and thought to himself, "Isn't this nonsense? Others have become emperors, isn't that good luck? They're stronger than us! We're all from the Han imperial family, why can they be emperors while I'm just a monkey?" However, Ji Yu didn't dare say this out loud. After all, he was just a child, and if he spoke with such insight, Liu Yan would probably think he was a demon! Ji Yu coaxed, "Dad, tell me, mom said our family is related to the emperor, and the emperor is my brother!"
"Your mother wasn't wrong, our family and the emperor are relatives. In terms of generation, the emperor should even call me uncle!" Liu Yan stroked Ji Yu's head with satisfaction: "Speaking of the emperor, he really is lucky..."
Liu Yan introduced the emperor to his son, who was currently Emperor Liu Xuan. He and the previous emperor were both promoted by their in-laws. Coincidentally, Emperor Liu Xuan's father and the previous emperor, Liu Zhi, shared the same grandfather, making Emperor Liu Xuan's father and the previous emperor paternal cousins.
Liu Zhi died and was posthumously honored as Emperor Huan. Since he had no sons, the young Empress Dou and her brother Dou Wu turned their attention to a young member of the Han imperial clan named Liu Hong. Because his father and the emperor were related, and because he was still very young (only 12 years old), he was chosen by Empress Dowager Dou and ordered one of the ten attendants, Cao Jie, to bring him into the palace.
The struggle between eunuchs and external relatives has been going on for a long time. Cao Jie and Dou Wu were at odds with each other, both wanting to get rid of the other! However, Chinese emperors liked to play balance, Empress Dowager Dou was afraid that after getting rid of the eunuchs, Dou Wu's power would be too strong, and he might usurp the throne, so she hesitated. As a result, the matter was exposed, Cao Jie took control of the emperor and empress dowager, and killed General-in-Chief Dou Wu and Grand Tutor Chen Fan, starting the second Party Purge, and now the court is under Cao Jie's control!
In the Han Dynasty, it was not uncommon for young men from aristocratic families to enter the palace as eunuchs. After all, aristocratic families were very large, and there were always a few poor relatives who couldn't make ends meet. As someone said, "Which family doesn't have a few poor relatives?" These people who couldn't survive on their own or relied on their clan but still struggled to get by would resolutely cut themselves off from their families and enter the palace as eunuchs. Once they gained power, they would cultivate their own influence, and the people in their families were the most reliable. Favoring one's relatives is a Chinese tradition!
Furthermore, in the past, these people in the imperial family, although they were not well-fed or warmly dressed, could survive and were all supported by the imperial family. Moreover, since eunuchs had no offspring, when there were benefits, they naturally thought of the people in the imperial family first. However, people are eager for fame, Cao Jie promoted his own people, but he couldn't forget the Liu family members after all, the great Han was the Liu family's heaven. So, upon investigation, it was discovered that Liu Yan, the governor of Nanyang, was a good person, not only with a good reputation, but also without participating in the palace struggle, and he was promoted to the capital!
Zongzheng is not a prestigious official position, its duties include managing the imperial family's household register, distinguishing their legitimate and illegitimate identities or their blood relationship with the emperor, and compiling the genealogy of princes with the same surname every year. According to the Han Dynasty's eight-discussion system, when members of the imperial family commit crimes, they must first be reported to the Zongzheng, who would then report to the emperor, after which they could receive lighter punishment. When kings with the same surname committed crimes, the Zongzheng could also participate in the trial, such as during the Western Han Dynasty when King Hengshan and King Jiangdu committed crimes, the emperor dispatched the Zongzheng to work together with other officials to handle these cases.
The position of Zongzheng has a salary of 2,000 dan, and has a deputy. Both the Zongzheng and his deputy are filled by members of the imperial family. The subordinate officials include the Commander of the Capital, Deputy Commander, Director of the Imperial Household, and Deputy Director. The Commander of the Capital is in charge of prisons and is also responsible for detaining those who have committed crimes against the imperial family or the emperor's relatives. This position can only manage the imperial family members, but which of the powerful imperial family members dare to be managed? Take, for example, Dou Wu, the powerful general and relative of the emperor by marriage - even Emperor Liu Zhi and Emperor Liu Hong couldn't control him! As for Cao Jie, the position of Zongzheng is just a decoration. However, decorations also have their uses, at least they can show off one's demeanor and thoughts!
