Chapter 126: Arithmetic
The early years of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang looked at the several articles written by Chao Cuo displayed on the skylight and couldn't help but sigh: "Such a talent!" Such articles!

He is a great man of the country.

There is not a single word that is empty, not a single word that is divorced from reality, and not a single word that is not for the benefit of the Han people. And the content is not some dark move, but rather upright and magnificent. If this is not a good article, what else can be a good article?
These articles are never outdated, whether written today, during the Liu Heng period, or at any time in the future.

However, judging from his writings, his character is straightforward and profound, without any euphemism or roundaboutness; combined with Chao Cuo's own background: although he also studied Confucianism, Legalism was his most fundamental core.

Such a person would hardly have a good ending in a political environment like the Han Dynasty that required balancing everything.

Because he would eventually move towards the core issues of the Han Dynasty at that time: the kings and meritorious officials. Once the time is not ripe, such a move can be regarded as a reform - Chao Cuo's fate is doomed.

After Liu Heng ascended the throne, he inserted a new content into the original official system: selecting virtuous, filial and honest people. This also became a clear and normalized official selection system during the reign of Emperor Wu.

In the 15th year, Liu Heng asked the ministers to recommend virtuous, upright and literary people, and Chao Cuo was recommended as a virtuous person. Afterwards, Liu Heng personally asked questions about "understanding the general principles of the state" and other issues. Chao Cuo's answer was the best among more than a hundred people, and Liu Heng appreciated it deeply, so he was promoted from Prince's Household Manager to Zhong Daifu.

From then on, Chao Cuo began to discuss central and local issues in the Han Dynasty and wrote several letters to the emperor, suggesting that Liu Heng should reduce the power of the princes and change the laws.

After consideration, Liu Heng did not adopt his suggestion, but still admired his talent very much; Liu Qi very much agreed with Chao Cuo's suggestion; as for colleagues such as Yuan Ang and others, perhaps because of Chao Cuo's ideas or perhaps because of his personality, they all disliked him very much.

During the reign of Liu Heng, Chao Cuo served as a senior official until Liu Qi ascended the throne and promoted him to internal historian. Chao Cuo's ambitions also had the opportunity to be realized.

Han Dynasty, during the first year before Emperor Wen.

Liu Heng sensed something bad: "Qi'er, when did you take action against the princes?" He didn't care whether Liu Qi would take action against the princes. On the contrary, he would be worried if Liu Qi didn't take action against the princes.

However, he was worried about the timing of Liu Qi's move. If the timing was wrong, even if the central government would not have any major problems, the emperor would inevitably be restricted by those military merit groups that still had some power.

Liu Qi was silent. He had to admit that Liu Heng's worries were justified. After thinking carefully, Liu Qi felt that he might start to take action against the princes soon after he ascended the throne: "Probably not for a few years." He added, "Father, don't worry. I will be fine."

Liu Heng: "..." Liu Heng was not really worried about the issue of being the crown prince. After all, based on his understanding of Liu Qi and the meritorious officials, even if there was a problem with the princes, Liu Qi would only be restrained temporarily. The meritorious officials could not depose or enthrone the emperor at will. Besides, Liu Qi was not a man without means.

However, no matter how worried you are, it would be better if you could choose a good time.

"Chao Cuo, what a pity." In the end, Liu Heng could only sigh. However, Chao Cuo's sacrifice would not be in vain, that's enough. Isn't it?

The early years of the Han Dynasty.

"This method of selecting officials," Liu Bang stroked his beard and fell into thought.

[In addition to Jia Yi and Chao Cuo, Zhang Cang is also an important figure.

The key to Zhang Cang lies not in his political ideas, but in calendar and mathematics.

"Zhang Cang was the minister of timekeeping and he rectified the calendar." He formulated a relatively complete theory on weights and measures and proposed the use of the Zhuanxu calendar. In mathematics, he participated in a far-reaching event - the revision of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art.

Since the publication of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, all mathematics in the Central Plains cannot be separated from this book. Many of the mathematical achievements in it far surpassed those of other regions at the same time, such as negative numbers and fraction calculations, which were more than a thousand years ahead of Europe.

Han Dynasty, during the first year before Emperor Wen.

Before he could feel happy about it, Liu Heng analyzed the key problem from it: The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art was indeed great, it was more than a thousand years ahead of Europe, and the mathematics of the entire Central Plains dynasty could not be separated from it; but, what happened after that?
What about mathematics after the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art? After a thousand years of leading, when the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art was no longer leading, what was the situation in China and Europe?
During the Qin and Han dynasties, although mathematics was not a popular subject and several major schools of thought did not regard mathematics as their core point, mathematics was still an upright subject in an environment where thoughts were generally active and each school had its own merits.

Unlike later dynasties, especially those after the imperial examination system was thoroughly consolidated, scholars often only pursued various classics, history, and collections, and concentrated on "delving into" Confucianism. Mathematics also became a minor subject, but it was enough to have some understanding of it - even some officials were unable to handle government affairs related to mathematics on their own, and instead specially trained subordinates to do it on their behalf.

Since Tianmu specifically listed Zhang Cang and "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art", Ying Zheng, Liu Bang and others realized some aspects that were somewhat different from their cognition: Tianmu seemed to attach great importance to mathematics; and it seems that mathematics will play a significant role in the future, who knows how long.

This discovery made these people think.

Is mathematics that important?
If it is really important, shouldn't they take the opportunity to raise the importance of mathematics?
Given the environment they were in, as well as their personal prestige and power, it was not difficult for them to mention mathematics.

Ming Dynasty, during the Hongwu period.

Zhu Yuanzhang was not unfamiliar with mathematics. After all, he came from a commoner family, and he was very clear about the role of mathematics at the grassroots level.

If the people knew mathematics, those yamen officials would not be able to deceive the people in land distribution and tax collection; officials must know mathematics even more, otherwise, whether it is the prefectures and counties facing long-time local officials or the central government facing slippery officials from all over the country, they will be deceived by them and Zhu will lose his money.

But he doesn't care about more mathematical content or status.

Mathematics is just mathematics. This can be said to be the common understanding of almost everyone at present.

It's good if you can learn well, but it's okay if you can learn almost well. Anyway, we don't expect our children to become an accountant by relying on math, so why force it?

This is the case for learning basic mathematics, so it is even more unlikely that they will think about studying mathematics in depth and further developing mathematics.

It’s just that it seems now…

Zhu Yuanzhang's brows were a little cold. How could mathematics be related to other countries?

A thousand years have passed since the Han Dynasty. According to Tianmu, the mathematics of the Ming Dynasty has begun to lag behind those foreign countries? !

How can this work!

Even if it were not for the importance of mathematics revealed in the sky, just for the glory and dignity of his great country, Zhu Yuanzhang would never let his dynasty lag behind those foreign countries!
Qing Dynasty, the 28th year of Kangxi's reign.

The previous dynasty was unaware of the situation in foreign countries, but Kangxi, the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, was very clear about it.

In Europe, mathematics is really well developed now. Not only mathematics, but also astronomy, calendar, firearms, and other strange and cunning skills that are of no value to the Qing Dynasty and even violate the way of saints. Kangxi himself read a lot of foreign books. Compared with other people, he, the emperor, knows more about the situation of those countries. He knows that some of them may not be strange and cunning skills, but he does not intend to promote them to the Qing Dynasty. Instead, he intends to keep them within the royal family for the emperor and princes to read.

What's wrong with the imperial examination system and Confucianism today?

Moreover, the Qing Dynasty also needed a stable world and needed to win over the Han clans, so why change all this? In addition, if these things fell into the hands of those thieves who wanted to rebel against the Qing Dynasty every day, it might not be a good thing.

Kangxi closed his eyes slightly. He was not interested in change, nor did he think change was necessary. The current Qing Dynasty was good enough, prosperous, and its rule was stable.

Besides, he glanced at the court officials and princes present and then returned his gaze to the sky. Besides, the current court was not suitable for a war.

[In addition to these, there was also one thing that always existed during Liu Heng's reign, and that was the issue of foreign relatives that accompanied the entire Han Dynasty.

Of course, this foreign relative was not the Lu family, nor the Dou family of Empress Dou, who is now the empress, but the Bo family of Empress Dowager Bo Ji.

All the relatives of the emperor's wife in the Han Dynasty can be roughly divided into two categories: one is powerful and influential, holding real power and being able to participate in government affairs - including those who are authorized and controlled by the emperor, as well as those who bypass the emperor;
The other type is those who may be honored, granted titles, and be in the limelight, but they do not truly have power.

Of course, these two categories can be further subdivided. For example, the first category can be divided into those who obey and respect the emperor, and those who monopolize power and undermine the emperor; the second category can also be divided into those who are low-key, honest, and diligent, and those who are domineering, arrogant, and arrogant...

And which category does the Bo family belong to?

As mentioned before, the ministers chose to support Liu Heng because the Bo family had little power at the time and was obedient and did not cause trouble.

When the Bo family became a true in-law, they became the second type, which, if broken down further, is the type that is arrogant, domineering, and rude. 】

The early years of the Han Dynasty.

While Liu Bang was thinking about the mathematics problems, he also paid attention to listening to Tianmu's story.

After hearing that the problem of foreign relatives "accompanied the entire Han Dynasty", he did not care much. After all, the foreign relatives, the empress's family, or the empress dowager's family, these people were inseparable from the emperor himself, and at least half of their power came from the emperor who ascended the throne.

Therefore, many times, their interests are consistent with the fundamental interests of the emperor: the emperor must be the emperor.

In that case, what else is there to say?
As an ancestor, is he going to issue an order to future generations to prohibit the Empress and Empress Dowager's family members from being granted titles or holding high positions?

joke!

Apart from anything else, if a young ruler ascends the throne, his own maternal family will be more trustworthy than others. As for the princes and ministers of the previous dynasty with the same surname, they basically serve as a check and balance.

Moreover, even if I left my orders, would they obey them?
They may not want their sons to be controlled by their in-laws, but they will never mind employing in-laws when they are in power.

Even he himself had the same idea.

Now it seems that the Bo family is really inferior to the Lu family, even though all the promising male members of the Lu family have passed away - Tianmu specifically pointed out the problem of Liu Heng's in-laws, doesn't it mean that something happened to the Bo family?

Liu Bang thought nonchalantly, probably, it was Liu Heng's uncle Bo Zhao, who was killed by him.

Han Dynasty, during the first year before Emperor Wen.

Liu Heng and his eldest son next to him looked at each other, and neither father nor son said anything.

For them, the Lu family and the Bo family are things of the past. The most useful part of this passage is "not the Dou family". The fact that they can be specifically identified only means that the Dou family also became a typical foreign relative in the future.

Liu Heng didn't dwell on it too much. After all, although he favored Madam Shen, he didn't want to change the queen. Moreover, Dou was Qi'er's maternal family, so it was normal for her to become a maternal relative.

As for the Bo family... Liu Heng looked at his eldest son and felt that he, as the crown prince, would most likely depose the current crown princess, Bo, in the future.

Just abolish him, as long as it doesn't hinder his good grandchildren of Emperor Wu.

[What is the relationship between the Bo family and Liu Heng? It should be relatively good.

On the one hand, Liu Heng and Bo Ji had a good relationship. Liu Bang didn't care, and they arrived at their fiefdom early, so the mother and son depended on each other for survival. On the other hand, the Bo family did not have much power and was cautious. They did not do anything to make Liu Heng embarrassed when they were in Dai.

The fact that Liu Heng sent his uncle Bo Zhao to test the waters on his way to the throne also shows how much he trusted the Bo family, or his uncle Bo Zhao.

Liu Heng ascended the throne and Bo Zhao became Marquis of Chen, and nothing happened for a while.

Until Zhou Bo was imprisoned, Bo Zhao accepted a large bribe from Zhou Bo, spoke on his behalf, and also reported the matter to Bo Ji.

Liu Heng arrested Zhou Bo at that time largely out of political considerations.

Bo Zhao's behavior of accepting bribes, directly siding with Zhou Bo, and letting Bo Ji speak for him may have caused Liu Heng to feel resentful.

The early years of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang was in a state of laziness, thinking that Bo Zhao was not smart enough and had no brains.

"Marquis Chen, Chendi, it's a good place." Chendi is in Henei County. Liu Heng gave Bo Zhao such a place as his fiefdom. It was obvious that Liu Heng was still very close to his uncle at that time. In addition, he was fighting against the meritorious kings...

However, as a relative by marriage, in addition to your kinship and emotional relationship with the emperor, one of your major roles is to contain and counter the princes and the group of meritorious officials - even if the Bo family is not strong as a relative by marriage, being strong is one thing, and not having is another - as a result, when the emperor dealt with the leader of a group of meritorious officials for political reasons, you openly stood on the side of the meritorious official?
It is not ruled out that Liu Heng instructed Bo Zhao, but it is not appropriate.

Lu Zhi said calmly: "Liu Heng pursues frugality." For this reason, as an emperor, he did not build a terrace and his favorite concubine's dress could not hang down to the ground. His persistence and determination can be imagined.

Liu Bang nodded. That’s right. Although the Han Dynasty did have many customs of giving generous gifts with gold, Bo Zhaozhi accepted it. Alas!
(End of this chapter)