Chapter 33: A Commanding Perspective

Changxin Palace.

After returning to his temporary residence, Prince Changyi, Liu Bo, immediately summoned Liu Quli and his second uncle, Li Yannian. Liu Bo’s complexion was poor; his pale face appeared deeply sinister.

Li Yannian asked hurriedly, "Bo’er, what has happened? Why do you look like this?"

Liu Bo had three uncles. His eldest uncle, Li Guangli, was currently in the northern frontier preparing for war against the Xiongnu. Li Yannian, his second uncle, served as the Commandant of Music (Xielü Duwei). Having been subjected to castration as a punishment in his youth, he now served within the palace. Years ago, he had composed the verse, "In the north there is a peerless beauty, independent and apart; one glance ruins a city, a second ruins a kingdom," which captured the attention of Emperor Wu of Han. This led to his beautiful sister, Lady Li, gaining the Emperor’s favor. Li Yannian, who had been a mere dog-keeper at the time, rose rapidly to become the Commandant of Music—a classic case of "when a man gains the Dao, even his dogs and chickens ascend to heaven."

Liu Bo, visibly agitated, covered his mouth and coughed dryly twice, causing his face to flush red. He struggled to calm himself before saying, "Liu Jin."

"His Majesty met with Liu Jin outside the palace..."

Both Liu Quli and Li Yannian were stunned. They asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

Liu Bo replied, "I do not know the reason, nor what stroke of fate caused them to meet outside the palace walls. His Majesty has not set foot in the Crown Prince's palace for over a decade, and this imperial grandson has always been low-key and reserved, never having been summoned by His Majesty. Perhaps he did not recognize His Majesty at first, but the Emperor certainly knew he was his own grandson."

"They acted as a doting grandfather and a filial grandson out there. The smile the Emperor showed him was one I have never seen before... I suspect, *cough, cough*, that perhaps it is because of this imperial grandson that the Emperor has begun to change his views on the Crown Prince's palace."

Although Liu Bo had not yet grasped the full picture, he was confident his deduction was near the truth; it was the most logical conclusion he could reach.

Liu Quli’s expression grew grave. If this were true, wouldn't the position of the Crown Prince's palace be restored to stability? Would there be any opportunity left for anyone else? Did Liu Bo still have a chance?

So many people had invested their heart and soul into Prince Changyi, Liu Bo. Everyone had assumed the greatest threat in the deep palace was Lady Zhao and her infant son, Liu Fuling; no one had ever truly considered the Crown Prince’s palace a threat. Now that Liu Bo had brought such news, how could Liu Quli not take it seriously?

Being a seasoned and steady courtier, Liu Quli remained composed, unlike the flustered Li Yannian. After a pause, Liu Quli said, "Bo’er, do not be overly concerned. Even so, His Majesty has not publicly acknowledged his relationship with Liu Jin, nor has he revealed his true identity to him, nor has he shown any favor toward the Crown Prince's palace."

"There is still a chance. Do not lose your footing. What you must do now is continue to get closer to the old man."

"He is old, truly old. He has begun to value kinship—pure, genuine kinship. He has been deceived too many times throughout his life and was always slow to realize it. From your tone, I suspect it must have been the sincerity Liu Jin showed him that moved him. If he were to interact with Liu Jin as the Son of Heaven, he would never receive such pure affection."

"Understand the old man's intentions and then act accordingly. That is what you urgently need to do."

Liu Bo gradually calmed down. He felt Liu Quli’s reasoning was sound and bowed sincerely, "Thank you, Uncle Liu. I truly lost my composure just now."

Liu Quli grunted, but then added, "Liu Jin... he must be taken seriously. If necessary... humph!" Liu Quli let out a heavy snort, his face filled with murderous intent.

...

Beneath a large poplar tree on Coal Hill, Liu Jin helped Emperor Wu to a nearby stone to sit. He retrieved water from his horse and handed it to the old man, saying, "It’s hot today. For someone your age to come out personally to inspect business, you’re quite dedicated."

"Drink some water."

"You know, why do you bother building such a massive estate? Isn't having enough to eat and drink enough?"

Emperor Wu listened to the youngster's complaints without retort, merely grinning. He was secretly pleased, knowing the boy was genuinely concerned for him. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness; after all, the boy’s concern was not for his true self, but for this persona he had adopted... *I hope that one day, you will be as filial and caring toward your real grandfather. Everything I do is for your own good!*

Emperor Wu took a drink from the bamboo canteen and said, "I had nothing to do, so I came out for a walk."

"I heard there was a murder here a few days ago?"

Liu Jin nodded, "A few thugs came to cause trouble, so I killed them."

Emperor Wu feigned shock, "You? You killed them? Are you alright?"

Liu Jin chuckled, "Didn't you say you had connections in Chang'an, old man? Why are you acting scared now?"

"Do I?"

"Don't you?"

"Of course not!" Emperor Wu declared loudly.

"You, you... you are still young and lack experience. Why did you have to kill them yourself? You have household servants; why didn't you let them do it?"

"If you do not do things yourself, you can always control the direction of events. But once you act, you become a slave to the situation, forced to let it hold you captive."

Liu Jin pondered this seriously, suddenly finding the old man’s words quite philosophical.

"Once you step in to act, others will see where your bottom line lies. If you don't, and let your servants do the work, others will never be able to guess your limits; they will fear you. But once you have acted yourself, no one will ever fear you again."

Emperor Wu spoke with profound meaning.

Liu Jin was deep in thought, feeling as if he had just been struck by a bolt of enlightenment. He said in astonishment, "Old man, why does everything you say sound so sagacious and elevated?"

Emperor Wu frowned, "What does 'sagacious and elevated' mean?"

Liu Jin replied, "It means you have the aura of someone in a very high position."

"Tsk, tsk. Are you praising me or mocking me?"

Liu Jin said solemnly, "I am sincere. Not a hint of falsehood. I have learned much from you."

"However, this time was an exception. If I had let my servants do it, they might have been killed."

He had not shared these thoughts with Liu Ju at the Crown Prince’s palace, but he could speak his heart to the old man.

Emperor Wu nodded slightly and suddenly said, "Little one, kindness is not always a good thing."

"Since they are your servants, shouldn't they be the ones to resolve your troubles and face the fire for you? That is their duty. If they cannot even do that, why are you supporting them?"

Liu Jin: "..."

"That is a bit cruel."

Emperor Wu said indifferently, "It is not cruel. This is something you must experience on your path to maturity. Do not be overly sentimental; it will not benefit you."

Liu Jin laughed it off, though he still couldn't bring himself to change his mindset just yet.