Chapter 7

Liu E took the silk book, glanced at it, and at first, he had a somewhat indifferent look on his face.

This was not entirely his fault.

Before being possessed, the original Liu De was indeed smart, but he was deeply influenced by Confucian scholars like Wei Wan, who were royal tutors. Therefore, he was a cautious and law-abiding person, with his mind filled with concepts of ruler and minister, father and son. To put it bluntly, his thinking was rigid.

So, in the original history, the unpossessed Liu De eventually became a savior of Confucian classics, dedicating his entire life to rescuing and protecting lost Confucian texts and documents. In the historical records of later generations, he was known as a virtuous king.

Therefore, at first, Liu E thought that his elder brother had probably written another purely theoretical memorial to assert his presence, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

However, after reading less than a hundred characters, Liu E's expression became serious.

He realized that his imperial brother might have stirred up a storm.

Liu E put down the silk book and looked at Liu De, sighing, "Elder Brother, you truly live up to the saying 'silence is golden, but when you speak, it's thunder.' If Father Emperor reads this memorial and passes it to the court ministers, many people will be offended!"

Liu De just smiled and didn't respond.

In the past, King Zhuang of Chu's silence was golden, but when he spoke, it was thunder. Liu De had similarly chosen the right moment.

Now, it was up to Liu E whether he would co-sign it or not.

To be honest, whether Liu E co-signed it or not wouldn't make much of a difference. Liu De just couldn't bear to see his younger brother go far away to Hubei.

Liu E pondered for a moment and then said, "Elder Brother, this matter is significant. Shouldn't we discuss it with Eldest Brother and Mother?"

Liu De shook his head, jokingly.

Liu De was 100% sure that if Su Ji and Liu Rong saw the content of the silk book, they would definitely try to stop and oppose it.

Su Ji was a woman with no political foresight, and Liu Rong was a coward. Otherwise, in the previous life, they wouldn't have lost such a good hand of cards so easily.

Liu De said, "Younger Brother, if you are willing, use your seal to co-sign. If not, I won't force you!"

He looked into Liu E's eyes and said, "You just need to believe that as your blood brother, I would never harm you!"

After saying that, he didn't bother to explain further.

In Liu De's view, this was purely a favor to Liu E, to give him some benefits in the upcoming enfeoffment, so he wouldn't have to go far away like in the previous life.

Liu E, after hearing this, gritted his teeth and said, "Since Elder Brother puts it this way, I will use my seal..."

Then he took out his seal and stamped it on the silk book.

After doing this, Liu E was also curious and pointed to the content of the silk book, asking, "Elder Brother, you have always been a Confucian, so why has your writing style suddenly changed, with a hint of Shang and Han?"

Although Liu E didn't have much presence among the royal children, he was still a son of the emperor and had received exceptional education from a young age, so he immediately noticed the issue with the writing style.

Liu De chuckled. He knew that no matter how much a person changed, some basic things remained the same.

For example, writing style, word choice, and penmanship.

But he had a plan.

Liu De smiled and replied, "Younger Brother, you are mistaken. Our Han dynasty has always had a system that combines the ways of the king and the hegemon! In simpler terms, it means having a sword in hand and benevolence in mouth. Pure Confucianism is just an outsider's prejudice. As your blood brother, how could you not see through this?"

Liu E was slightly taken aback.

There were no fools among the royal children.

Like Liu De's younger brother Liu Duan, who later gave up on himself, many people only saw his frivolous and absurd behavior but didn't see his skill in manipulating the entire Jiaodong Kingdom and even the court. He always walked the line of Emperor Wu's tolerance, neither crossing it nor retreating, making Emperor Wu helpless against him.

Liu E, though mediocre, wasn't that mediocre.

Thus, Liu E bowed and said, "Elder Brother's teachings, I will remember them in my heart!"

Liu De accepted this bow as a matter of course.

In fact, the words Liu De spoke were originally from Emperor Xuan of the later Han dynasty, who used them to educate his son.

If it weren't for pitying Liu E's fate, Liu De would rather keep these words to himself than share them lightly.

Seeing how understanding Liu E was, Liu De became more interested and, holding the silk book, asked, "Younger Brother, do you know what this memorial is called?"

Without waiting for a response, Liu De proudly said, "I named it the 'Edict of Extended Grace'!"

The content of the silk book was actually a copy of the later "Edict of Extended Grace" by Zhufu Yan, which Liu De had slightly modified to make it his own.

"I know there is a trend of reducing the power of the feudal lords in the court, and the one who first advocated it is the Inner Historian Chao Cuo. Once this memorial is submitted, it will certainly offend Lord Chao!" Liu De spoke confidently.

This would definitely offend Chao Cuo.

Chao Cuo was a Legalist, and Legalists emphasized power and tactics.

Once Liu De's memorial was submitted, regardless of how the emperor considered it or what the court discussed, one thing was certain: Liu De was openly challenging Chao Cuo.

For the Legalists, this was equivalent to a declaration of war.

But why would Liu De be afraid?

Not to mention that once the Wu and Chu rebellions began, Chao Cuo would be dead.

Even now, Chao Cuo had many political enemies in the court.

The most significant one was the current Chancellor, Shen Tu Jia, the Marquis of Guan.

This was a formidable figure.

Those unfamiliar with Han dynasty history might think he was just a minor character, but in the previous life, Liu De also thought so.

However, as time passed and he gained a deeper understanding of this era, Liu De realized he was greatly mistaken.

Shen Tu Jia was not just a figurehead chancellor; he was a powerful prime minister who held real power, and all the ministers gave way to him. He was treated with the highest respect.

During the reign of Emperor Wen, Shen Tu Jia was the only minister who could punish Deng Tong on behalf of the emperor.

When Emperor Wen died, Shen Tu Jia, as chancellor, received the imperial will and announced it to the nation. He also handled the new emperor's ascension, Emperor Wen's funeral, and the construction of his temple.

To put it bluntly, in some aspects, Shen Tu Jia, as chancellor, could even stand on equal footing with the emperor.

Shen Tu Jia's power came from two sources: the late Emperor Wen and his own background. He was the last of the founding heroes still active in politics, a meritorious official who had fought alongside the High Emperor and a veteran of five dynasties.

In the later dynasties, such a senior figure's every word and action could influence the political landscape, let alone in this feudal society over two thousand years ago?

And Shen Tu Jia was Chao Cuo's mortal enemy.

In the previous life, half a year later, Shen Tu Jia died from anger caused by Chao Cuo.

But now, Shen Tu Jia was healthy and active, and he could help Liu De bear some of the pressure from Chao Cuo.

Therefore, Liu De could boldly challenge Chao Cuo and gain political capital without any reservations.

Otherwise, he would have to wait until Chao Cuo was dead before he could submit the "Edict of Extended Grace," but by then, it might be too late...

...

Strange, I remember updating this chapter around 8 o'clock. What's up with the chapter being eaten? ⊙﹏⊙b Sweat

I'll continue writing the next update.

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