Chapter 1079: Prince's Attendant Feng Dao, Prince Takes Commandments

It’s the Spring Festival again.

The prince arrived in Luoyang with the reluctant farewell of many great Confucian teachers.

More than 20 years after the founding of the Han Dynasty, Luoyang's prosperity had long surpassed that of the Tang Dynasty, with a permanent population of over one million.

The prince, sitting in the carriage, looked out at the flourishing Luoyang, his eyes full of longing:

"Teacher, how do you think Chang'an two hundred years ago compares to Luoyang today?"

“It should be pretty much the same!”

The prince's teacher was the great Confucian scholar Feng Dao.

Feng Dao, in the original historical time and space, served five dynasties and ten emperors, and was nicknamed the "Five Dynasties Tumbler".

In this dimension, Feng Dao was captured by Su Mingzhe when he was still working under Li Cunxu.

With Li Cunxu's surrender, Feng Dao also became an official of the Han Dynasty. He accumulated merits and was promoted, gradually reaching the position of a servant in the Prince's Eastern Palace.

Among the great Confucian scholars around the prince, although Feng Dao was not the most eloquent or prestigious, he was the most practical one.

This time when the prince returned to Luoyang, everyone around him recommended that Feng Dao come back with him to be an "accompanying advisor".

"When I become the emperor, I will restore Chang'an to its glory as the Tang Dynasty and make it more prosperous than Luoyang!"

"Your Highness will definitely be able to do it."

Feng Dao looked at the prince with satisfaction. As the prince's attendant in the Eastern Palace, he naturally hoped that the prince would have great ambitions and allow him to realize his aspirations.

The carriage soon arrived at the palace gate.

As a minister, Feng Dao had to get off the car if he was not summoned.

"Teacher, don't get off the car. Let the car take you home!"

Su Shaoan received Confucian education since childhood, and he never compromised on respecting teachers.

Feng Dao also knew the prince's character, so he did not hesitate to refuse.

After saying goodbye to his teacher, Su Shaoan immediately walked towards the imperial study.

Some eunuchs wanted to carry him on a sedan chair, but Su Shaoan directly refused.

Not long after.

Su Shaoan arrived at the door of the imperial study and was summoned. Then he walked into the imperial study holding an inspected gift box in his hand.

As soon as he entered the room, Su Shaoan saw that his mother was also there. A hint of joy flashed in his eyes. He then knelt down hurriedly and wished his father and mother good health and longevity.

In order to avoid causing misunderstandings, Su Mingzhe grew a beard and his appearance gradually became that of a man in his forties.

Looking at the heroic and handsome prince, Su Mingzhe was envious and jealous, and couldn't help but snorted coldly:
"Wish me a long life? What, you are not afraid that I will become incompetent?"

Su Shaoan, who was kneeling, was so frightened by his own father's words that his whole body froze. He quickly buried his head on the carpet, trembling, and dared not speak.

Before returning to Luoyang this time, those great scholars and teachers held a farewell banquet for Su Shaoan.

At this banquet, Su Shaoan was flattered by several great scholars, and he couldn't help but show off his youthful vigor and enthusiasm, and then he wrote passionate words, despising the nobles and dukes.

In the end, the alcohol took over Su Shaoan, who was in a daze and started complaining about even his own father.

After receiving the report, Su Mingzhe almost went to Chang'an to depose the prince.

He hasn't even ascended the throne yet, but he's already started complaining about his own father.

If he were allowed to sit on the throne, wouldn't he overturn all the national policies he had formulated?
Thinking of the disobedient son in the previous two dimensions, Su Mingzhe really wanted to depose the prince, and then announce that he had found the elixir of immortality and sit on the throne forever.

pity.

After all, Su Mingzhe was unwilling to be so cruel.

After all, this is his own son.

Tiger venom doesn't even eat seeds.

If I don't even care about my own son, I'm afraid all I'll do when I travel through different dimensions in the future is eat, drink and have fun.

In order not to lose his humanity, Su Mingzhe must be more tolerant towards these unfilial sons.

But while being tolerant is tolerant, the proper dignity must still be maintained.

Su Mingzhe thought about it and decided to give this brat a good beating after they met. As expected, Su Shaoan was so scared by his father's words that he broke out in a sweat and dared not raise his head to reply.

It was Queen Cui Yingying who felt sorry for her son. She couldn't help but reach out and slap the man, scolding him:

"Your Majesty, the prince was just talking nonsense after getting drunk. Why are you taking it so seriously with a child?"

"Humph."

Su Mingzhe snorted and turned his head away, but Cui Yingying knew that the man had already revealed the matter, so she quickly asked someone to help the prince up and sit down next to her.

Although the prince has been staying in Chang'an these years, he would still come back during the three festivals and two birthday celebrations.

After all, Chang'an and Luoyang are not far away, and it only takes about five days to get there by carriage.

"sit down!"

Su Mingzhe glared at his son unhappily, and the prince trembled so much that he dared not sit down no matter what.

Seeing the prince so frightened, Su Mingzhe was both angry and amused, but also a little distressed:
"How come you dared to talk so much in Chang'an, but dared not even sit down when you came to Luoyang?"

"My son, I know my mistake!"

The prince actually already knew that there was a high probability that his own father would not punish him again.

However, as the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Su Mingzhe possessed all kinds of majesty, so a slight teasing made the prince nervous.

"If you know your mistakes and can correct them, there is no greater good!"

In order to prevent his son from being scared to death, Su Mingzhe had to comfort him softly, and only then did he let the matter go:
"You are already twenty years old this year. Your mother said that after your coming-of-age ceremony is over, your marriage should be put on the agenda. My opinion is that it is better for you to choose your marriage partner, the future Crown Princess. Of course, if you don't have a choice, let your mother make the arrangement. Over the years, your mother has been asking about the daughters of the powerful families in Luoyang, and I think she will have some suggestions for you."

"Thank you, Father, and Mother."

Su Shaoan is now extremely honest, sitting upright and not daring to be presumptuous at all.

Seeing the prince like this, Su Mingzhe lost interest in talking to him. After asking a few more questions, he let him and the queen leave.

After the two of them left the imperial study, the charming Queen Wan came out from behind the screen and smiled at the man:
"I didn't expect that His Majesty the Emperor of the Han Dynasty would be soft-hearted sometimes?"

“This is not a soft heart.”

Su Mingzhe sighed and said:
"The Han Dynasty was founded only 20 years ago, and the world has been unified for less than 20 years. It really cannot withstand turmoil."

"So, in order to clear obstacles for the crown prince, you drove all the princes over the age of fifteen out of Luoyang and sent them to remote places to serve as vassal states?"

As Queen Wan spoke, she thought of her poor son, the 35th Prince Su Shaojie, and burst into tears.

Just because of what the man said, 'The princes are not allowed to return to the capital without an imperial edict.'

She hasn't seen her son for two years.

Let’s look at the prince. Every year during the three festivals and two birthdays, he would return from Chang’an to Luoyang to visit his parents and reunite with the queen.

In comparison, the treatment is completely different.

Empress Wan couldn't understand why the one born by the empress was more precious than her own since they were both the emperor's sons.

"This will indeed be unfair to the other princes, but this is the best solution."

Su Mingzhe could naturally understand Queen Wan's imbalance.

Over the years, Empress Wan assisted him in handling state affairs, and her contribution to the country far exceeded that of Queen Cui Yingying.

In Queen Wan's eyes, she should have a share of the credit for the great Han Empire. Even if it was just her contribution as a mother, the position of crown prince should belong to her son, not the Queen's son.

"Okay, Queen Wan, I have other plans for Shaojie, so please don't worry about it."

Su Mingzhe didn't want to talk about his other arrangements.

Although the Han Dynasty had been established for more than 20 years, the population declined sharply during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

According to data up to the 20th year of Jianwu, the population of the Han Dynasty was only 70 to 80 million.

This population is simply not enough to support the princes to go overseas and expand their territory.

Therefore, at this time, Su Mingzhe had no choice but to continue to be in charge of the Han Dynasty.

After another 20 to 30 years, when the domestic population reaches more than 150 million, we can then talk about establishing vassal states overseas.

(End of this chapter)