In the 74th year of the emperor (146 BC), the Supreme Emperor Xiangzhuang celebrated his 80th birthday.

This year, the empire's population exceeded 100 million for the first time, and the Luojing population exceeded one million for the first time. The imperial team also crossed the Pamir Mountains for the first time, built the first immigrant city west of the Pamir Mountains, and began to effectively rule the barbarians west of the Pamir Mountains. In addition to sending troops to garrison, officials were also sent to educate and make it Chinese.

Xiang Zhuang set up a banquet for thousands of people in Wanshou Palace and invited veterans and veterans of the same era to celebrate his birthday. In the end, more than 2,000 people, led by Duke Baili Xian of Chu, attended the event.

The third emperor Xiang Chu also came to celebrate his birthday in person, but was blocked outside the palace by Xiangzhuang.

The second emperor Xiang Zheng reigned for a total of 30 years and died of illness in two months. The crown prince Xiang Chu successfully succeeded to the throne.

However, Xiang Chu's throne was not easy, and it could even be said to be very bloody. It was the first time the crown prince was promoted thirty years ago, and the court was quite calm. The six great dukes of the Martial Arts Academy, thirty-six marquises, one hundred and ninety-eight nephews, more than five hundred viscounts and more than two thousand barons held public elections, and the sixth son Xiang Yong became the crown prince.

It is said that after this result came out, everyone was surprised.

Because Emperor Xiang Zhuang of the First Emperor obviously favored the fourth son of the emperor, Xiang Shu, and the second emperor Xiang Zheng asked the third son of the emperor, Xiang Quan, but the more than 2,700 noble generals in the Martial Arts Academy did not buy it at all and insisted on choosing the most ideal crown prince in their minds. Because compared with Xiang Shu and Xiang Quan's weakness, Xiang Yong was skilled in archery and horses, and both civil and military.

Twenty years ago, as usual, it was time to promote the crown prince again.

The court was also very calm this time, and the crown prince Xiang Yong was elected again without any suspense. Because according to the rules set by the First Emperor, all children of the royal family could run for the election as long as they were between the ages of eighteen and thirty. Xiang Yong was only eighteen when he was elected as the crown prince for the first time, and ten years later, he was only twenty-eight years old, and he was still within the age range of the election.

However, ten years ago, the crown prince finally caused a huge storm.

Ten years ago, the legitimate son of the second emperor Xiang Zheng, Xiang Chu, was already an adult. The second emperor could finally lay the foundation for the inheritor he really wanted with his huge influence as the emperor. However, as the two crown princes, Xiang Yong, the sixth son of the emperor, attracted a group of military generals and had a deep foundation in the martial arts academy. The contradictions inevitably intensified.

Xiang Chu had the strong support of the second emperor. Behind him were the Xuanyi Guard and the Imperial Guard, and the Imperial Guard, as well as the army of the entire country as his wings. He was full of confidence. Moreover, Xiang Chu himself was also outstanding in talent. Not only was he tall and handsome, but he could be both literary and military, but he also personally led troops to conquer Hexi, and a large number of noble generals supported him.

However, Xiang Yong was not without the power of a leap. More than 4,000 noble generals in the Martial Arts Academy (twenty years later, a large number of soldiers were promoted to nobles for their merits) were his greatest backing. Because in the past twenty years, Xiang Yong had fought against the Xiongnu in the north, ping Jizi in the east, and attacked Yelang in the south, which was a great martial arts, and he also won over a large number of noble generals.

The date of official court promotion has not yet approached, and the competition between the two sides has begun in secret.

In addition, the other princes and grandsons tried to benefit the fisherman. Hiding in secret to fuel the fire, the situation became more complicated. Since the first half of the year before the court, Luojing has been bleeding. It is either that the Xuanyiwei has confiscated the home of a noble general today and found various evidence of rebellion from his mansion. It is that a general close to the prince Xiang Chu will be assassinated tomorrow...

Blood is bleeding every day, death is dying every day, causing panic among the people of Luojing.

In the end, even the second emperor was almost assassinated, but fortunately the Xuanyiwei resolved the crisis.

After being assassinated, the second emperor Long Yan was furious and urgently dispatched the Imperial Guard to cooperate with the Xuanyi Guard to promote the imperial prison. The crown prince Xiang Yong did not surrender. He used his influence in the Martial Arts Academy to urgently summon the two imperial guards of Hu Ben and Tianlang to aid Luojing.

Although the three imperial guards belonged to the emperor directly, the senior generals in the army were all royal elders appointed by the emperor directly. However, the middle and low-level military generals in the imperial guards all came from the martial arts academy. Without the support of the middle and low-level military generals, the emperor could not control the imperial guards at all. Instead, the crown prince Xiang Yong received the support of the middle and low-level military generals.

The two sides were at a strife and the civil war was about to break out.

More than 100 censors in the capital hurriedly knocked on Wanshou Palace. It is said that more than a dozen passionate censors were killed directly at the stairs, hoping that the old emperor Xiang Zhuang could come out to "save" the empire. However, the Wanshou Palace was always closed, and no matter how much more than 100 censors were tortured, the old emperor did not come out to suppress the situation.

However, the two sides of the stake in the final fight did not start.

At the last critical moment, the two sides reached a compromise and held a grand court promotion at the Luojing Arena on the day of the compromise. A total of more than 4,600 noble generals participated in the vote. In the end, the prince Xiang Chu won with a slight advantage of more than 2,400 votes to more than 2,200 votes, and almost became the crown prince.

After the court pushed, a grand gladiator performance was held.

Tens of thousands of gladiators from hundreds of gladiatorial yards in dozens of counties in the empire played the role of the Emperor and the barbarian army, and once again performed the glorious deeds of the former crown prince's expedition to the Huns in the north, the Jizi Korea in the east, the Yelang in the south, and the current crown prince's expedition to Hexi, and personally killed the head of the Yuezhi king. Under the performance of blood splashing on the battlefield, the people cheered.

On the table in the center of Huagai Hall of Wanshou Palace, Xiangzhuang and Baili Xian were in charge of drinking.

"Lao Baili, are you in good health recently?" Xiang Zhuang raised his glass to respect Bailixian and asked with a smile.

"The Supreme Emperor, it's not very good. The old minister's last tooth fell two days ago. It's probably not far from death, alas."

Xiang Zhuang smiled and continued, "Old Baili, remember you are nine years older than me, and next year will be your 90th birthday, right? Remember to hold a banquet at that time, and I will go to celebrate your birthday. There are not many old guys left back then. Such gatherings will be less and less. Alas, old friends are gradually withering."

As he spoke, Xiang Zhuang became a little sad.

Bailixian was afraid that Xiang Zhuang’s old friends would be sad, so he changed the subject and said: “The Supreme Emperor, I will promote the crown prince again next month.”

Xiang Zhuang wiped away the turbid tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeves and smiled and said, "Is that right? I will promote the crown prince again next month? I wonder how many princes and grandchildren will run for election this time?"

Since abdicated, Xiang Zhuang completely let go of the government affairs and no longer cared about his children and grandchildren. When he was in good health in the first twenty years after the abdication, he took dozens of concubines to travel around the mountains and rivers of China, enjoying the fun of traveling and enjoying the waters. He even followed the navy to travel to Southeast Asia and brought back several blonde and blue-eyed female slaves from the Middle East.

Therefore, Xiang Zhuang really doesn’t know how many royal children there are now.

Xiang Zhuang estimated that there should be three or four hundred royal children now. If the Chinese dynasty could be passed down for three hundred years, the number of royal children would not be less than that of the dragon sons and grandsons of the Ming Dynasty, and 150,000 would probably be more than that of the huge empire. But this is nothing to a huge empire. What is the size of a hundred thousand idle people?

After all, the princes and grandchildren of the Chinese Empire did not have the title of prince. The treatment was not generous. Each royal family member only received some money and food from the clan's mansion, and lived a better life than ordinary nobles. Not to mention more than 100,000 princes and grandchildren, the Qing Dynasty raised more than 5 million bannermen in the Qing Dynasty. The expenses required only account for a very small part of the annual income of the national treasury?

Baili Xian said: "The Supreme Emperor, there are 69 princes running for election this time."

"Sixty-nine, so many?" Xiang Zhuang frowned and said, "Old Baili. Let your boy take the lead and give the emperor a memorial. The rules for the court to promote the crown prince are indeed necessary to be revised. It is not enough to stipulate that the crown prince is not allowed to be re-elected, and the number of princes must be stipulated. First, the number of princes running for election is not allowed. There are no more than five princes to be elected."

Bailixian nodded and whispered: "The Supreme Emperor, this time the court pushes, there will be no trouble again, right?"

Xiang Zhuang said: "Old Baili, I ask you. Do you think you will be a powerful emperor like a political person in the future?"

Bailixian recalled the various performances of Emperor Xiang Zheng when he was alive, and shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it won't be there."

"That's right." Xiang Zhuang smiled, "Even an emperor as powerful as Zheng'er can do nothing about the noble generals of the Martial Arts Academy, and the emperor will be even worse in the future. Don't worry, there will be no big trouble."

Indeed, the Martial Arts Academy has indeed formed a climate today. More than 4,600 noble generals almost all the elites of the empire. It is impossible for the emperor to abandon the Martial Arts Academy to act recklessly! Even the emperor, who is outstanding in reputation, ability, and skills like Xiang Zheng, cannot do anything to the Martial Arts Academy. Who else can do it in the future?

Moreover, as time goes by and with the continuous expansion of the empire's territory, military generals will continue to be promoted to nobles due to their merits, and the scale of the martial arts academy will become larger and larger. In time, the emperor will be unable to take advantage of the martial arts academy.

Unless the empire expands to its limit and there is no more military achievements to maintain the promotion of military generals, the scale of the Imperial Martial Arts Academy will stop or shrink. However, with the two expansion directions of water and land designed by Xiang Zhuang for the empire, the empire will definitely not reach the limit of expansion within at least three hundred years. As for the matter three hundred years later, Xiang Zhuang cannot control it.

Moreover, three hundred years later, if the empire really expands to its limit and there is no more military achievements to ensure the promotion of military generals, there is actually another solution, that is, to change the lifelong system of the aristocratic system to the hereditary system of the aristocratic system, because at that time, the empire must have reached its peak and inevitably decline, and even if the class solidifies, it doesn't matter.

Bailixian was worried about not the loss of the imperial power. He shook his head and smiled bitterly, and said, "The Supreme Emperor, the old minister is not worried about this. The old minister thinks that the Martial Arts Academy has formed a great elbow over the imperial power. If the Martial Arts Academy works together, it is likely that it will be too big. If there is another powerful minister of Lu Buwei and Li Si..."

"Old Baili, you're over-concerned." Xiang Zhuang waved his hand and smiled, "There are more than 4,600 people from the Duke of the Martial Arts Academy to the Captain, and there will be more people in the future. There are so many people, and they are all powerful people who can lead troops and fight wars. Who will really convince who? Who can really control others?"

Xiang Zhuang’s words are not in vain. All things in the world are only forever.

With the structure and influence of the Martial Arts Academy, coupled with the imperial martial national policy, the expansion of its power is inevitable. Now the Martial Arts Academy only has the power to promote the crown prince, but it is likely to cover all major policies in the future. However, it is absolutely a fantasy to say that a unified voice will appear in the Martial Arts Academy to replace the imperial power.

First of all, the titles of noble generals in the martial arts academy are high and low, but their status is equal. No one can use his own power to subdue others, but can only rely on interests to win over others.

Therefore, even if an ambitious man appears, he can only win over some people through interests or a perfect slander, because the Martial Arts Academy is divided into hundreds of factions. If you win over this faction, you will have to offend several other factions. Unless you are challenged by external threats such as imperial power, it will be difficult for the various factions in the Martial Arts Academy to unify.

Secondly, except for the commander who was nominated by the crown prince and appointed directly by the emperor, the appointment and removal power of the other commanders and school leaders and the assessment power of military achievements are all held in the hands of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites. Whoever is asked to go on the war, who has the war, and what title can be promoted, is decided by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites. In other words, there is no such thing as the more than 4,600 nobles in the Martial Arts Academy. You can restrict me, but I can restrict your interests, which fundamentally eliminates the possibility of a person in the Martial Arts Academy.

Again, the official hat of the Ministry of War and Ministry of Rites was held in the hands of the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet was the emperor's secretary team. The emperor could make a trustworthy Grand Secretary into the cabinet with a special piece of paper.

Under the design of Xiangzhuang, the empire's power structure formed a fragile balance. The imperial power was restricted by the Martial Arts Academy, which was restricted by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites were restricted by the cabinet and the imperial power. This became a chain of things, and everyone had supervision and everyone had restrained, and no one could do anything arbitrarily.

However, overall, the Martial Arts Academy is still in a clear advantage, because the empire was in an expansion period at this time, and the martial artists had a position far beyond the literati, merchants and farmers. Therefore, as time goes by, the influence and voice of the Martial Arts Academy will definitely become greater and greater, and eventually the power structure of the Emperor and the Martial Arts Academy is probably inevitable.

However, Xiang Zhuang could not think so much and could not care about it so far. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. The future will be done by future generations and descendants. He has done everything he can and has a clear conscience.

"That's right, the young people in the Martial Arts Academy are really arrogant now, and they dare to point at the old minister's nose and curse. However, these young people are really capable. Just say that the barbarian riots had just been suppressed in the Paoling Town, and there were more than 100,000 barbarian soldiers. As a result, the Paoling General only used 500 cavalry and beat them up in one night attack. Even Lao Bi was like this back then." Bailixian said suddenly and thought of Bi Shu and asked Xiang Zhuang, "Grand Emperor, why didn't Lao Bi come this time?"

Xiang Zhuang sighed and said, "Lao Baili, Lao Bi has already taken one step ahead."

As he said that, Xiang Zhuang's eyelids slowly drooped, and he knelt down and stopped moving.

"Ah?" Bailixian felt a little sad when she heard this, and sighed sadly, "The old friends have withered one by one, but this is good, there is nothing in this world worth nostalgia. It is good to go down early to accompany these old brothers." After that, Bailixian raised the wine cup and toasted Xiangzhuang, "Come on, Supreme Emperor, drink another cup."

Xiang Zhuang had no reaction at all. Bailixian called out twice, but still had no reaction.

Bailixian then realized something was wrong, so he quickly knelt down and stood up tremblingly, approached Xiangzhuang and reached out to find out. The Supreme Emperor who was talking and laughing just now was no longer angry. (To be continued)

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