Chapter 20: Fourth Brother Liu Heng—Unexpectedly Ascended the Throne

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“It probably isn’t,” Liu Bang thought to himself. His fourth son, Liu Heng, didn’t seem like the type to become emperor. Even if he did, he might not be stronger than Liu Ying.

As he pondered, Lu Xuan continued, “When Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne, the regional princes already wielded considerable power. Prince Ning commanded ‘eighty thousand armored troops and six thousand war chariots’; Prince Yan even held the authority to ‘command the border troops and cavalry.’ Emperor Jianwen was deeply worried about these royal uncles.”

“In the first month of Jianwen’s first year, shortly after the emperor took the throne, Prince Yan sent his chief secretary to court to report. The emperor secretly inquired about Prince Yan’s affairs, and the chief secretary reported truthfully. He was then dispatched back to Prince Yan’s residence, serving as an insider.”

“When the chief secretary returned, Prince Yan sensed something was wrong and grew suspicious. Soon after, Prince Yan personally went to court. Relying on his status as a royal uncle, he strode directly through the imperial avenue into the palace without bowing before the throne. The civil officials all accused him of disrespect, and some even secretly reported that Prince Yan was ‘exceptionally cunning,’ suggesting he be relocated to another fief. But Emperor Jianwen, citing ‘close kinship,’ politely refused.”

“It can be said that during this period, Emperor Jianwen did not foresee that things would spiral beyond control.”

“Nevertheless, Emperor Jianwen did take action against the princes. Their power was too great and difficult to control. In the sequence of reducing their influence, the strongest, Prince Yan, should have been dealt with first, but ministers opposed this, arguing that Prince Yan had no faults and deserved credit. To win public support, it was decided to target the princes with problems first. Consequently, Emperor Jianwen abolished the titles of five princes one after another.”

Abolished five princes!

Liu Bang trembled inwardly and instinctively asked, “Was it just stripping their military command, or...?”

“Of course not so simple. They were directly reduced to commoners!”

How ruthless.

Liu Bang’s expression changed slightly. The abolition of princes was understandable—after all, from the perspective of the crown prince, whose own foundation was unstable and who lacked the prestige of the princes, such actions were possible.

But to abolish them utterly?

Merely confiscating military power and reducing their households would suffice.

Yet this crown prince had reduced the princes to commoners—it was excessive.

“There must have been resistance from the princes,” Liu Bang asked. His sons would not passively accept the loss of their titles. Perhaps his eldest, Liu Fei, was mild and honest enough to accept it quietly.

But his third son, Liu Ruyi, would obviously resist.

“There was, but the rebels met a tragic end,” Lu Xuan sighed softly and said, “The prince who rebelled was the current emperor’s twelfth son, Prince Xiang.”

“Prince Xiang was actually a very respectable prince, with excellent character. He had little ambition but often motivated himself by the call to assist the country and help the people. After being enfeoffed as Prince Xiang and arriving at his domain, he immediately gathered local scholars to edit and compile ancient books and classics, studying state governance.”

“As Emperor Jianwen began reducing the princes’ power, Prince Yan was actively preparing rebellion and sent envoys to contact Prince Xiang, proposing they rise together against the court. Prince Xiang refused, proving his noble character: even under great threat, he would not rebel.”

“However, Emperor Jianwen did not stop his moves to abolish Prince Xiang. Soon, Prince Xiang was falsely accused of treason. In anger, he chose to prove his innocence through suicide. He set fire to his mansion and charged into the flames on horseback, burning himself to death.”

“Mentioning this incident is truly tragic.”

At this, Liu Bang’s mood was complex.

His twelfth son had not yet been born.

Yet here he was, already knowing the life his son would live.

This unsettled Liu Bang’s heart. He felt pride in Prince Xiang’s loyalty, anger at Emperor Jianwen’s oppression, and sorrow for the prince’s self-immolation.

This crown prince’s methods were indeed too harsh.

Was it truly a mistake to enfeoff his sons as princes? Would it lead to such chaos?

Liu Bang was saddened but, since his twelfth son was not yet born and held no real emotional connection, he was not deeply pained. He looked at Lu Xuan and said, “Ah, please continue, Lord Lu.”

“I want to know whether Emperor Jianwen quelled the princes’ rebellion, and what became of the fourth son, Prince Yan.”

Liu Bang felt little empathy for the twelfth son’s self-immolation but had some affection for the two-year-old fourth son, Liu Heng.

He longed to know how Liu Heng fared under this ruthless crown prince.

“Emperor Jianwen did not quell the princes’ rebellion,” Lu Xuan said after some thought, deciding to be brief. These matters were not very useful to reveal to Ji Shu now; they were to be discussed slowly with Zhu Yuanzhang months later at the Fengtian Hall.

He calmly continued, “In the end, Prince Yan, under the banner of ‘Fengtian Pacification,’ fought for four years before capturing the capital.”

“Prince Yan then declared himself emperor, and Emperor Jianwen disappeared.”

The outcome Liu Bang dreaded might have come to pass.

His fourth son Liu Heng had become emperor.

“Liu Heng, Liu Heng...” Liu Bang murmured, his thoughts chaotic. Liu Heng was only two years old now; he could not discern his personality or traits yet. But according to Lu Xuan, Liu Heng was a capable fighter.

Yet what use was fighting ability?

He also needed to govern.

The Han dynasty had just been founded; it needed an emperor willing to let the land rest and recover, not a warrior.

Liu Bang, a keen judge of character, immediately realized that since Prince Yan was so martial, upon ascending the throne he would surely choose to campaign against the barbarian tribes!

Could the Han withstand such warfare?

Moreover, the civil war would have drained the nation’s strength.

Lu Xuan did not know what Liu Bang was thinking but added appropriately, “When we reach the capital, I will privately discuss this with His Majesty. The ‘Fengtian Pacification’ cost the dynasty dearly.”

“This war lasted four years, with massive troop deployments. According to later estimates and historical evidence, at least five hundred thousand soldiers were killed or wounded, not counting many injured or those who died from other war-related causes.”

“This severely weakened the dynasty’s military strength.”

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“Originally, the emperor’s harsh purging of meritorious officials had already reduced the number of capable commanders. This battle further depleted them, causing a shortage of military talent.”

“There is more...” Lu Xuan briefly mentioned other factors. Liu Bang needed no explanation; he knew well how devastating such a war could be.

Wars drained money, consumed grain, and even worse, during the conflict the common people could not farm.

Especially a conflict lasting four years, clearly a stalemate. Each side would strive to maintain troop numbers to win, requiring constant resupply and vast resources.

The turmoil displaced the populace, leaving fields barren and farms uncultivated. Merchants could not trade. After the war, recovery and reconstruction would demand enormous manpower, resources, and time.

“I did not expect the emperor’s fourth son to be so capable,” Liu Bang sighed deeply. He wanted to learn more about Liu Heng’s reign but at that moment was more eager to see the boy.

This two-year-old child—such talent and ability?

And he became emperor?

Right or wrong, as his father, he needed to discipline him first, to calm down!

Though from Liu Heng’s perspective, he was forced into this and did nothing wrong, but just for rebelling, did that not warrant a beating from his father? Besides, did a father need a reason to punish his son?

Also, he needed to take a closer look at this son, to see if there was anything special about him and discuss the matter with Zhang Liang and others.

“Why hasn’t the food from the old quarters arrived yet?”

“Lord Lu, you should rest first. I’ll go and return soon.”

Liu Bang rose and patted Lu Xuan’s shoulder, then frowned. Zhang Liang had gone to fetch food and should have returned quickly. Why was there no sign of him now?

He slowly left the side hall of Linhua Palace and entered the main hall, where many ministers had gathered, and Zhang Liang was among them.

To Liu Bang’s surprise, Han Xin was also there.

Han Xin seemed to be arguing with the ministers about something.

Seeing this, Liu Bang’s heart sank, and he hurried over.

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