Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 125 Chu Shizhao, who made the people hang on white silk! This is strength!

Facing the dispute over the crown prince.

Chu Shizhao is the most difficult person.

After all, Chu Jimin has no relationship with Huan Yi, and Chu Jiyue has no relationship with Li Fengning, but these two sons are related to Chu Shizhao.

Theoretically, it is not very realistic to resolve the problem peacefully.

Even if Chu Shizhao violently cancelled the cards and disbanded all the vassal subordinates of one of his sons on the spot, he would start with the in-laws, then reduce their power and system until they had no ability to resist.

Neither of them can necessarily eliminate the rift between the two sons.

Once prejudices and doubts between people arise, they are difficult to eliminate.

Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.

Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin.

Even the brothers Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi had the story of candlelight and axe sound.

Moreover, although Chu Shizhao had established Chu Jiyue's superiority and the imperial power from the beginning to the end, Chu Shizhao was actually nostalgic in his heart. He felt that since the throne was given to Chu Jiyue, he did not want to neglect his other son.

In Chu Shizhao's heart, the person who is truly Chu Shizhao's first eldest son is Chu Jimin.

Therefore, Chu Shizhao ensured that Chu Jimin, as a prince, at least had his own small organization.

Once he encounters unfair treatment or unexpected situations, Chu Jimin has room to maneuver. This is the opportunity given to him by Chu Shizhao.

Now Chu Shizhao has discovered it.

Peaceful coexistence can only occur when there is a lack of ability.

It is precisely because of the ability and talent to threaten each other's position that suspicion between brothers arises.

Other dynasties were afraid that the successor to the throne would be incompetent.

What Chu Shizhao was worried about was whether his descendants would engage in internal strife and factional fighting during the process of passing on the throne, rather than any issues related to their abilities.

After all, Chu Shizhao was too afraid that there would be a Wala student among his descendants, so when he was training his sons, he would not just train one, but all of them.

He was afraid that if one of his sons died young, the other sons would not be able to stand up.

They were also afraid that the same kind of violence that happened in Cao Wei would weaken the royal family, leading to the usurpation of the throne by powerful ministers, and few royal family members would be able to stand up and turn the tide.

After a moment's contemplation, Chu Shizhao suddenly felt relieved.

These problems are not for him to solve.

Don’t be a horse or an ox for future generations.

Chu Shizhao can now handle the issue of establishing a crown prince and ensure that there will be no problems with the next generation, but Chu Shizhao has no way of ensuring that there will be no problems with the third, fourth, and fifth generations.

Dynasties will eventually come to an end; this is the law of nature.

It’s just like Chu Shizhao can’t stop the passing of life. When the time comes, he will die of old age.

Then why does he think so much?

Thinking about what kind of achievements this son will have if he succeeds to the throne, and thinking about what kind of achievements another son will have if he succeeds to the throne, but these have nothing to do with Chu Shizhao himself.

As a person, be more free and easy.

What happened to later generations has nothing to do with Chu Shizhao.

No matter how much you consider them, problems will still occur.

During his reign, there were no problems with his offspring, he behaved morally and did not act recklessly. At least he did a good job of saving face, so Chu Shizhao would not target him.

Moreover, if you really do something like canceling the cards, not only will the Great Zhou Dynasty suffer from a lack of talent, but the biggest problem will be whether there will be anyone willing to continue to be loyal to the country in the future.

Speaking of which, Zhao Gou was still cruel.

Yue Fei's magical card can be cancelled without any hesitation.

If there was a Yue Fei in the Great Zhou Dynasty, Chu Shizhao felt that many things could be simplified. Whether a person is capable or not depends on his ability to fight against the wind.

The reason why Chu Shizhao is under so much pressure now is that his early situation was actually very bad.

Whether it is a feudal vassal or a coup d'état.

It takes a long process.

The biggest revelation that Chu Shizhao got from this simulation was that his coup was feasible, but once he did it, there would be no way back.

He would not only be branded as the man who murdered his brother, but would also have to bear the risk of his descendants following his example and staging a coup.

Therefore, for Chu Shizhao, doing so is feasible, but there is no need to implement it.

But by the same token, it was precisely because of this bad reputation that Chu Shizhao dared to do what he wanted.

There were things like the One Whip Law, the Northern Expedition to the North, and the Western Expedition. They were even clearing out old bureaucrats and eradicating corruption. They were all carried out in one go, from top to bottom.

Having already shouldered the bad reputation, does Chu Shizhao still care about other things?
The only thing that makes Chu Shizhao regretful now is that although he started the history of the Central Plains Dynasty's westward expedition and even conquered Khwarezm, he has never been able to establish effective rule. This also means that Chu Shizhao can only occupy these territories in a symbolic sense, but it is difficult for him to actually control them.

What this means is that Chu Shizhao can only become the nominal monarch of the countries in the Western Regions like the Tang Dynasty, but it is difficult for him to become like the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty and actually control these lands.

In the following simulation, Chu Shizhao decided not to operate independently and chose to rely on trusteeship.

The information was obtained and the situation was understood.

Chu Shizhao doesn't have to continue to worry and work hard. What's more, the simulation will be conducted according to Chu Shizhao's own personality and the situation at the time.

This time, Chu Shizhao initiated the simulation mainly to observe whether it was feasible to seize the throne through a coup.

You can't always rely on killing to get to the top.

The real situation really made Chu Shizhao helpless. Because when it came to the final stage of centralization, Chu Shizhao still had to rely on killing to consolidate his base.

When Chu Shizhao closed his eyes and prepared to rest.

On the screen, his simulation is still going on.

[In the 28th year of Kaihuang, the emperor was lazy and delegated power to his eldest son Chu Jiyue. His political performance and form were completely different from the vigorous and vigorous when he first ascended the throne. ] [After returning victorious from the Western Expedition, Chu Shizhao implemented many policies that benefited the people, reduced land rent, taxes and prisons, and stabilized the country's turmoil after a long period of war. ]

[In the 29th year of Kaihuang, although Chu Shizhao did not attend to the government affairs, the crown prince Chu Jiyue was in charge, but he still held the power. Whenever he encountered important matters, Chu Jiyue still had to get Chu Shizhao's oral instructions and wishes before he could dispatch and execute them.]

[In the 33rd year of Kaihuang, a Tusi rebellion broke out in the southwest of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and Han Gu's son put it down.]

[In the 36th year of Kaihuang, Chu Shizhao exempted all the unpaid taxes of the people of Dazhou before the 36th year of Kaihuang. Many of the unpaid taxes were due to disasters, and the people were unable to pay the taxes, which had been in arrears on the list of local governments. This time, Chu Shizhao decided to completely exempt these taxes at once.]

[In the 37th year of Kaihuang, Chu Shizhao ordered the minister Wen Yu to take care of the lives of the soldiers who had retired from the army to ensure their daily security after retirement.]

[Chu Shizhao knew that the soldiers were living in fear when they were on the battlefield, so it was difficult for most soldiers to save any money. He didn't want to disappoint these soldiers in his later years.]

[This series of actions further drained the Zhou Dynasty's newly accumulated treasury, and many ministers advised Chu Shizhao against this.]

[Thinking that Chu Shizhao's use of the treasury's money was a waste, the Great Zhou Dynasty had already given these retired soldiers pensions, and there was no need to take care of these soldiers' lives after they were old. This was an extra expense.]

[So Chu Shizhao took out 300,000 taels of silver from the treasury to provide relief to these soldiers who had passed away. Many ministers no longer advised against this approach.]

[In the 38th year of Kaihuang, Chu Shizhao was seriously ill, and he ordered Chu Jiyue to serve in the palace. Looking at the elderly Chu Jiyue, Chu Shizhao, who was lying on the sickbed, still had a sharp gaze.]

[However, Chu Shizhao's constant coughing has made people realize that this ancient wise king who ruled the world is probably terminally ill. ]

[“Ji Yue, you are here.” Chu Shizhao said calmly, and Chu Ji Yue walked into the palace, bowed respectfully and knelt on the ground. ]

[“Your Highness, I am here.” Chu Jiyue stepped forward and stroked Chu Shizhao’s back, patting him softly and saying, “Father, I have already asked the imperial physician to come. With your physical condition, as long as you can get through this, you will surely live a long life.”]

[“Everyone is mortal.” Chu Shizhao took a deep breath, raised his head and looked up into the sky and said, “I have three sins: I have failed to govern the country, pacify the world, and maintain harmony in my family.”]

[“Father’s achievements are greater than our ancestors’, why do you say that?” Chu Jiyue was shocked and spoke quickly. ]

[“Is the world prosperous?” Chu Shizhao waved his hand and said, “Not necessarily.”]

Chu Jiyue could not help but say: "How can the Great Zhou Dynasty not be prosperous now? The army is strong, the politics is clear, the people are kind to the emperor, and there are bumper harvests year after year. The tax grain is several times that of previous years."

[“But isn’t there anyone starving to death in this world now?” Chu Shizhao continued, “The rich are feasting and drinking, while the poor are freezing to death on the streets.”]

[“What you see is just the prosperity of Chang’an, but how can there be only one Chang’an in our Great Zhou?” Chu Shizhao added: “I just want no one to starve to death under my rule, but I’m afraid I will never be able to achieve this in my lifetime.”]

[Chu Jiyue was silent. At this point, he had to admit that what his father said was right.]

[In the Great Zhou Dynasty, many people still starved to death or froze to death in places that they could not see.]

[The great governance that Father mentioned may sound simple, but if you think about it carefully, it is shocking because Chu Jiyue has never thought about doing or practicing such a thing.]

[What he saw was that the current Great Zhou Dynasty was far more powerful than the Great Zhou Dynasty in the past, so Chu Jiyue had always believed that his father's achievements were comparable to those of his ancestors.]

[“The people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important.”]

[“Only when you value the people will they truly support you. In times of crisis, it is often these people who can help you.” Chu Shizhao paused and said, “When the people begin to recognize this country from the bottom of their hearts.”]

[“You, the emperor, have finally entered the palace.”]

[Chu Jiyue bowed down. After hearing these words, he knew that his father was giving instructions for his funeral. Thinking of this, he couldn't help crying. The father-son relationship of decades ago was thicker than blood.]

【The teachings of teaching by example from childhood to adulthood made Chu Jiyue understand things very early. He then said: "But how can we make the people recognize the Great Zhou from the bottom of their hearts?"】

[“All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people are his subjects.” Chu Shizhao said quietly: “Only if you regard all the land in the world as the land of our Great Zhou, and all the people in the world as the subjects of the Great Zhou, and treat anyone and anywhere as if they were your own subjects and your own descendants, then sooner or later they will recognize this country.”]

[“Of course, it’s not easy to do this.” Chu Shizhao smiled helplessly: “You need to have the power to intimidate everyone, so that they will understand how to respect you, and then release your kindness and benevolence, so that you can conquer the people with lofty ideals in the world.”]

【“Ji Yue!” Chu Shizhao sighed. 】

[“Your son is here.”]

[“Promise your father one thing.” Chu Shizhao’s eyes were full of tenderness.]

[“Father, please tell me. I will spare no effort.” Chu Jiyue knelt on the ground and said.]

[“Don’t get stained with the blood of your own brothers unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Chu Shizhao’s tone gradually became serious, “Don’t be bewitched by those people.”]

[“When you hire people to do things, you should listen to what they say and watch what they do. Some people claim to be doing good for you, but they are actually pursuing their own interests.”]

[“Besides these concerns, I want you to remember one thing, that is, do not lose our territory. Even an inch of land must not be ceded to foreigners.”]

[“One day, if my empire stretches from south to north, with the sun and moon never setting, then I will be truly pleased.”]

[“After I die, keep everything simple.” Chu Shizhao said softly: “I have fought wars all my life. When I die, I should do something that benefits the people.”]

The screen freezes.

In addition to the inner shock on Huan Yi's face, he was once again attracted by Chu Shizhao's words.

Looking at the entire Zhou Dynasty, who else can match Chu Shizhao's style?

In the 39th year of Kaihuang, Chu Shizhao passed away. During his 39 years in office, he spent 10 years expanding the country and guarding the borders, 10 years supporting the people and supporting agriculture and sericulture, 10 years bringing peace and nurturing the country's talents, and 10 years promoting peace and establishing national policies. In his early years, he was "ambitious", brave and good at fighting, and he was aggressive and conquered all directions. In his middle age, he stabilized the country, rectified the administration of officials, and eradicated the country's evils. In his later years, he ruled by inaction, recuperated, enjoyed life with the people, and lived a comfortable life as a farmer. 】

[He spent his entire life as a stigmatized ruler who was not favored by others, and finally became a wise and enlightened ruler who was sincerely respected by all the people in the world.]

[On the day of Chu Shizhao's death, most households in the Great Zhou Dynasty hung white silk and wore mourning clothes for the deceased Chu Shizhao. This was unprecedented in ancient and modern times. Most people in later generations did not dare to believe it and thought it was compiled by the descendants of the Zhou Dynasty.]

[In the middle and late period of Chu Shizhao's reign, he was lenient in his administration and most of the people admired him. This is beyond doubt.]

When Chu Shizhao's life came to a complete stop.

Looking back again, Huan Yi was still mired in reminiscence for a long time.

Chu Shizhao limped all the way to the end of the long road that seemed to have no end in sight.

He bore a heavy reputation and also took the infamy for his elder brother who murdered his brother from the royal family. Even with this, he was able to restore his own reputation and even reverse his public opinion.

The most incredible thing is that Chu Shizhao conquered the northern desert and the western Khwarezm, and he even successfully implemented the most difficult reform.

Pick any one of them and put it on an ordinary monarch, and it would be difficult to do it.

You have seen the Northern Expedition against the Huns, but have you seen the Fenglangjuxu and the Yanran Stone Inscription?

You’ve seen declaring war on foreign countries, but have you ever seen war extending to the Western Regions or to Khwarezm thousands of miles away?
I've seen reforms, but have you ever seen such a thorough reform that enabled the economy of the Zhou Dynasty to complete its decline and then revival?

What kind of strength is this?!
Only Chu Shizhao could fight his way out of such a difficult situation in the Great Zhou Dynasty, right?
Was in the hospital yesterday.

(End of this chapter)