Spring Radiance

Have you investigated thoroughly? Is there any hidden truth in between?

Liu Heng gazed enviously at the stick in his hand, his lips pursed, tears welling in his eyes, his small hands tightly clenched, yet he did not let go.

The nurse tenderly picked him up, but he stubbornly insisted on getting down to continue walking. His demeanor evoked both my affection and pity, and I truly wanted to embrace him and give his chubby little face a hearty kiss

On the 25th day of the 4th month in the 13th year of the Jianwu era, Dou Rong, the Governor of Jizhou, was appointed as the Grand Minister of Works.

Of course not. I freed one hand to stroke his hair, soothingly saying, "How could my Jing'er be a bad child?"

I followed his finger and saw Liu Heng, with his chubby little legs spread apart, swaying back and forth in the room like Charlie Chaplin. Upon hearing us mention his name, he turned his head, but unexpectedly, his round body lost its balance and he fell to the ground, still foolishly clutching a stick in his small hand

On the first day of the first month in the fifteenth year of the Jianwu era, at the age of thirty-five, I gave birth to a son once again, naming him Liu Jing. Thus, I have become the mother of five sons and three daughters.

The smile of Liu Heng, how much lethal power does it possess? One can find the answer by referring back to Liu Xiu. Indeed, Liu Jing was momentarily taken aback, his hand loosened, and he murmured softly, "You can play with it for a while." After saying this, he did not forget to add, "Just don't break it, okay."

Liu Jing is still too young, with his features tightly clustered together, not yet fully developed. He has a round face, rosy cheeks, and a plump appearance. Chen Min remarked that the little prince resembles me, but after looking from side to side, I couldn't discern any resemblance at all.

The two brothers, Liu Jing and Liu Heng, were playing together. I instructed the wet nurse to keep a close watch and reminded her to ensure that the sticks did not swing towards the two princes. Then, I reached out and held Liu Jing in my arms. This child had just recently recovered from jaundice; his complexion was neither red nor white, but rather a sallow hue.

I noticed that her complexion was off, so I hurriedly turned over and sat up from the bed

Is there something wrong

Liu Jing played for a while, and suddenly rushed over to ask: "Mother, why is my little brother so ugly?"

"Heng'er, you little rascal!" I lifted him onto my lap and raised my hand to spank his little bottom. His lips pouted, and before my hand could land, he was already teary-eyed, looking pitiful.

"Seventh Brother? Forget it." He waved his hand with an air of maturity, "Mother won't let him play with me, saying that I am too mischievous and that I would lead Seventh Brother astray... Mother!" He leaned over, his expression a mix of confusion and a seemingly hurt melancholy, "Am I really a bad child?"

Liu Xiu's hands-on approach led to the rise of a significant faction of officials close to the emperor within the Shangshu. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the previous Han dynasty, in order to emphasize imperial authority and weaken the power of the chancellors, the reading and deliberation of memorials were transferred to the Shangshu. Now, some of Liu Xiu's actions clearly indicate an intention to utilize the Shangshu to gradually diminish the vast functions and powers originally held by the Three Dukes

I was taken aback and retorted, "Nonsense, where is the little brother ugly?"

You are being so disobedient, how can you bully your little brother? I am both angry and amused, wanting to hit him but also reluctant to do so. Seeing him cry is just like watching Liu Xiu cry; with the slightest misstep, I might end up stifling my laughter to the point of injury.

I nodded slightly; everyone is dead, and investigating may not hold much significance. What I am concerned about is that Liu Xiu's hasty actions may tarnish his reputation

Liu Jing scratched his head

I deliberately put on a stern face to admonish him: "Since you are younger, it is only right that your mother takes a little more care of you. Don't you see how much your brothers cherish you?"

Children are inherently pure and innocent, and they are easily coaxed. When he hears me praise him, it seems as if he floats up in delight, proudly patting his chest and saying: "Yes, Father Emperor praised me too, saying that I will take care of my younger brother for Mother, and that I am a good older brother. Mother, is what Father Emperor said more effective than what Mother Empress says?"

Liu Heng's jealousy is quite intense, and it does not diminish at all simply because Liu Jing is his younger brother; do not be fooled by his young age, as he is not an innocent child behind the scenes. On one occasion, I heard Liu Jing crying while he was sleeping on the bed. When I turned to hold him, I discovered that Liu Heng was pressing down on Liu Jing, and his right hand was secretly pinching his younger brother's little hand.

What are you doing? Look at how scared you have made your younger brother. I pretended to scold Liu Jing while gently patting Liu Heng.

I cherish Liu Heng even more than a newborn. This is not because I intentionally view my children in a hierarchical manner, leading to favoritism. Rather, as Liu Heng gradually grows, his little face slowly takes shape, with his mouth, eyes, ears, nose, and facial contours all resembling a replica of Liu Xiu. Among my children, the one who resembles their father the most is Liu Jing among the boys, and Yi Wang among the girls. However, since Liu Heng has come into comparison, I have found that there is no one who resembles their father more than he does.

It was quite easy to lull Liu Jing to sleep, so I had the wet nurse take Liu Jing and Liu Heng outside. Just as I felt tired after the commotion, wanting to lie down on the bed for a while, Chen Min hurriedly entered from outside

Liu Jing's younger brother, Liu Heng, although born at full term, had a slightly low birth weight. At three months old, he fell ill, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea, which caused his development to be slower than that of other infants. Consequently, his temperament became particularly delicate. Before he turned one, he liked to cling to me, refusing to be with the wet nurse and showing no interest in the palace maids. Whenever anyone else held him, he would cry out loudly. This issue of recognizing people persisted until his younger brother Liu Jing was born, so even while I was in confinement, the wet nurse would often bring Liu Heng to my chamber to see me.

"Jing'er, are you not a good brother?"

I laughed heartily, wiping his tears while gently pinching his little face. As I softly coaxed him, a voice suddenly floated in from the doorway: "Mother, did you call me?"

In the 14th year of the Jianwu era, Liang Tong, then serving as the Grand Minister of the Interior, submitted a memorial suggesting the imposition of harsher penalties, which sparked a debate in the court.

Although the court established the Three Dukes, the emperor preferred to personally engage in affairs and take charge of matters himself. Under the old system, the appointment and dismissal of officials with a rank of two thousand stones required verification by the clerks appointed by the Three Dukes. However, during the reign of Liu Xiu, this old system transformed into the emperor directly receiving reports from the officials recommended for appointment.

If this momentum continues, given time, in no more than five years and no less than two years, it would be surprising if the Three Dukes were not overshadowed by the Emperor. However, those Three Dukes and Nine Ministers are not mere useless individuals; the outcome of this smoke-free political struggle remains uncertain as to who will ultimately prevail.

I was initially taken aback, but I quickly calmed down: "What is going on?"

While it is certainly good to set an example by punishing one to warn others, I cannot shake off a sense of unease. I find it difficult to articulate this feeling at the moment, and I cannot help but sigh: "If this matter can be investigated, then let it be investigated; if it cannot, then there is no need to force it. We do not need to confront the Emperor's people head-on."

He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then pointed behind him and crisply denied: "No, Ninth Brother is very handsome."

Currently, there are no leads to be found; the individuals under Your Majesty's command are extremely vigilant, and it is likely that detailed information will be difficult to uncover

I squinted my eyes and took a slight breath; this situation was indeed puzzling. Liu Xiu not only dismissed Han Xin from his position but also relentlessly issued additional edicts, cursing him to the point of death at his doorstep. This is truly hard to believe

In the past, the courtiers who dared to stand against the emperor began to feel apprehensive, and the power of the monarch gradually became more centralized

Since the meritorious officials were stripped of their military power while being granted high titles, Dou Rong, representing the gentry of Hexi, rose to prominence, which made him increasingly cautious and humble, fearing the emperor's displeasure

Liu Jing raised the long stick in his hand and said, "I want to play with Brother Liu, but Brother Liu said he wants to follow Brother Si to study and ignores me." He pouted, full of complaints, "Mother, when can you play with me? Why is it so troublesome every time you give birth to a little brother? Next time, have a little sister instead; having a little sister won't require hiding away!"

Liu Jing climbed onto the bed, stared intently at Liu Jing for a while, and confidently said: "Ugly, wrinkled..."

No

The younger brother is not yet a month old, all infants grow like this, you were like this when you were little too

Mother... younger brother, likes... does not like..." His speech was not very clear, and while he spoke, his little face turned red as he gestured with his hands, displaying a very sad and angry expression

Liu Jinghu burst in like a whirlwind, holding a long wooden stick in his hand. Behind him followed a group of attendants, each carrying various small items of different lengths and sizes.

I couldn't help but laugh: "Aren't you going to look for Liu Yan to have some fun, brothers?"

She nodded slightly, inhaled, her voice as cold as the unmelted frost on the eaves outside the hall: "Han Xin is dead!"

The matter of Han Xin's suicide was thus set aside; even though the officials in the court harbored discontent, no one dared to stand up to defend Han Xin. After Han Xin's death, Ouyang Xie, the governor of Runan Commandery, succeeded him as Grand Minister of Education

I was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, when the wet nurse holding Liu Jing interjected, "That is only natural, for the emperor is the Son of Heaven"

Seeing him sobbing and vigorously rubbing his eyes with his small hands, yet failing to produce any tears, I couldn't help but laugh. This little fellow, despite being the elder brother, is only just over one year old; trying to impart grand principles of brotherhood and friendship to him would be like playing the lute to a cow.

With a shift in thought, I changed my approach and threatened, "Remember, you must not bully the little brother in the future, otherwise your elder brother will treat you the same way, do you understand?"

Liu Heng had gradually stopped crying, but upon suddenly seeing Liu Jing, he was so startled that his expression changed, and he burst into tears again, opening his arms and burying his head directly into my embrace

Liu Jing suddenly cheered, "Then I will only listen to Father Emperor and not to Mother Empress." Just as he was feeling delighted, he suddenly noticed that a small hand had quietly grasped the stick in his hand, and he could not help but frown, "Crying baby, what do you want to do?"

I originally thought he would cry after falling, but to my surprise, his eyes narrowed into a slit, and he instead broke into a smile, revealing a sparse set of seven or eight milk teeth. His laughter was both silly and innocent, resembling that of a doll

A few days ago, I heard that Han Xin was dismissed from his position as Grand Minister for having spoken out against the Emperor and was sent back to his hometown. How did he suddenly die?

In October, I successfully gave birth to a son, named Liu Heng. Four months later, Empress Guo Shengtong also gave birth to the tenth prince, Liu Yan

Chen Min lowered his voice: "After Han Xin returned to his hometown, His Majesty immediately dispatched envoys to issue a decree sternly rebuking him. Subsequently, Han Xin committed suicide at home with his child."

According to the example, there must still be a month of being confined in a room without the ability to move. Xiao Liu Jing is very well-behaved. In fact, I have raised so many children, and regardless of their temperaments, they all appeared particularly obedient in their infancy. The wet nurses who cared for them also praised the prenatal education, saying it was done well, which is why the children did not cry or fuss and were very easy to care for

With this alone, I have a great fondness for Liu Heng, often holding him close and kissing his little face vigorously. Although this child has not been in the best of health since childhood and appears somewhat delicate, he has a very sweet tongue. From the time he began to speak, he has constantly called out "dad" and "mom" without cease.

"Brother, play..." Liu Heng timidly called out, tears still glistening in her eyes, but her small mouth slowly spread into a wide smile, blooming into a brilliant grin directed at Liu Jing

However, there are exceptions

Suicide? This matter has indeed escalated significantly. In recent years, Liu Xiu has frequently replaced the Three Dukes to prevent the court officials from holding their positions for too long, so the frequent changes of the Three Dukes are no longer a novelty. However, this time it has resulted in a loss of life, which is still quite shocking

He looked at me with his big, distinctly black-and-white eyes, seemingly understanding yet not quite, and after three seconds, his little mouth pouted, and he burst into loud cries. This time, the tears truly fell in earnest.

At this moment, Dou Rong was reinstated, and from another perspective, his promotion resembled being placed on a bed of coals by the emperor, a sensation that only he could truly comprehend. However, Dou Rong's repeated submissions of resignation letters also indicate that his position as Grand Minister of Works was indeed precarious.