“No, Zhao Hanzhang was very courteous.” Liu Yi paused, but still couldn’t help speaking his mind. “Father, I think she’s a person of great virtue and talent. In battle she can lead from the front. In governance she can show compassion for the common people. Fighting her would probably require double the military force to win, and the places won would be very difficult to govern.”

Liu Yi continued, “The books say that for such people, respecting them and winning their trust is better than suppressing them.”

Liu Yuan sighed. “How could I not know this? But I’m already old, and she’s too young. If I were a few years earlier, we could serve in the same court and perhaps try it. But now… this is already your generation’s era.”

Liu Yi immediately said, “Father is in your prime. Why speak such sad words?”

Liu Yuan shook his head. “I’m old. This winter has been especially hard to endure. When the weather turns cold, what my bones feel is nothing but chill. It will still take two more months for the weather to warm up. I don’t know if I can wait until that day. Even if I survive this winter, I don’t know if I can survive the next.”

For the elderly, summer and winter were the hardest to endure, with winter being especially harsh. For Liu Yuan, this year was truly very cold.

Liu Yi had deep feelings for his father. Hearing this, his eyes couldn’t help reddening, and he became sad too. “Father…”

Liu Yuan reached out to grasp his hand and patted it. “Little Seven, among your several brothers, you’re the most intelligent and also the most pure and kind. In the future, you must be a virtuous prince of our Han Kingdom, assist your eldest brother, and take good care of your mother…”

As he spoke, some sorrow appeared in Liu Yuan’s eyes. Actually, Liu Yi was his most satisfactory heir. Unfortunately, he was too pure and kind, and still young. If he were just a bit more ruthless, or if his own body were a bit better so he could live a few more years and let him mature, the Han Kingdom in his hands would be best.

But Liu Yuan already felt his body declining day by day, and Liu Yi was still young. He couldn’t grow strong in just a year or two. To prevent chaos in the Han Kingdom, he could only bury this thought in his heart.

Thinking of Crown Prince Liu He, Liu Yuan’s heart clenched. He stiffly tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Your eldest brother has soft ears. In the future, you must pay more attention. Don’t let treacherous people get close to him. Advise him more often.”

Liu Yi nodded repeatedly.

Liu Yuan continued, “Your fourth brother has strong martial skills and great prestige in the army. It’s just that his breadth of mind doesn’t match yours. If you brothers have conflicts in the future, remember to be careful. Don’t clash with him face to face. If there’s anything, have the court ministers convey it. That way there’s room to maneuver.”

Liu Yi nodded vigorously.

Liu Yuan instructed further, “If your eldest brother and fourth brother have a misunderstanding, remember to mediate from the side. Never resort to military force.”

“Although Shi Lei has ambition, he values righteousness. Your eldest brother is the crown prince I’ve chosen. As long as he succeeds to the throne, even if Shi Lei doesn’t listen to him much, he won’t make things difficult for him. If it were someone else, it would be different.” He sighed. “The Five Tribes generals and your fourth brother all look down on Shi Lei, but in my view, whether in martial skills or governing the people, they’re all inferior to Shi Lei. If Gou Xi hadn’t scattered his forces back then, he absolutely wouldn’t have come to pledge allegiance to me.”

“Although he came from slavery, he greatly values reputation. So as long as our Han Kingdom doesn’t descend into chaos, he has no excuse to rebel against the Han Kingdom. In this respect, he’s very similar to Zhao Hanzhang.” Liu Yuan said earnestly, “So toward him, you must show more respect. Show respect to your eldest brother too.”

Liu Yi agreed. He hesitated, then still asked, “Father, can I be friends with Zhao Hanzhang?”

Liu Yuan smiled. “Of course you can. If you can win her genuine friendship, even if I died now, I’d feel two parts more at ease.”

If one day their Xiongnu Liu clan truly reached a desperate end, with this friendship from Liu Yi, they might be able to seek a lifeline from Zhao Hanzhang.

Having received his father’s approval, Liu Yi became bolder. The next day he started chattering away, running to find his uncle Shan Jin to ask for grass seeds.

Shan Jin had his household servants prepare them while curiously asking, “Such matters can be handled by servants. Why do you need to come ask personally?”

Without waiting for Liu Yi to answer, he asked again, “Did you newly acquire pastureland? Have you had someone check if it’s suitable for planting? Don’t be like your several brothers, using good farmland for grazing. That’s too wasteful.”

Liu Yi smiled honestly. “It’s not for me to plant grass. This is for a friend of mine. She wants to enclose a new pasture. I went to look—mostly dry land, but there’s also a water source. The terrain is flat. As long as it’s after spring begins and the grass seeds are sown, after two spring rains they’ll grow. The farmland will be separated out for cultivation, not for grazing.”

Shan Jin breathed a sigh of relief, then complained to Liu Yi, “A few days ago, the Tuoba tribe sent troops to enclose our three hundred-plus acres of land in Hexi. There’s wheat in the fields that hasn’t turned green yet. According to them, they want to enclose it for horse pasture. They’re waiting for the snow to melt and the wheat to turn green before they start grazing. I wanted to speak to His Majesty about it, but you were still in Zhao family army’s hands. General Tuoba didn’t want to negotiate for your ransom in the first place. I never dared to speak up. Since you’ve returned, help me appeal to His Majesty. Ask him to mediate and have the Tuoba tribe return the land to us.”

“Also the people—when they enclosed the land, they also took our people. Thirty-eight households, nearly a hundred people. They’re all skilled farmers. For the Tuoba tribe to capture them as cattle slaves is a huge waste of talent.”

Liu Yi pressed his lips together and agreed.

But he didn’t go find Liu Yuan. Instead, he went to find General Tuoba himself.

Although General Tuoba was very unhappy, he still returned the land and people to the Di tribe.

He looked down on Shan Jin and didn’t even really put Empress Dowager Shan in his eyes, but he couldn’t fail to take Liu Yi seriously. Among Liu Yuan’s several sons, he was the most favored, even more than the crown prince.

Now the crown prince had Liu Cong as a strong rival. He didn’t want to add Liu Yi as another opponent.

General Tuoba could also see that although Liu Yi was favored and intelligent, he’d read himself foolish and had no intention of competing for power and position.

He didn’t want to provoke Liu Yi into having such thoughts.

Liu Yi returned after two days, having helped his uncle reclaim the enclosed land and people, and collected two carts of quality grass seeds. On the third day, he personally wanted to lead people to deliver them to the Zhao family army for Zhao Hanzhang.

But just as he left the city gate, palace guards immediately brought people to surround him.

Having finally gotten him back, how could Liu Yuan let Liu Yi go to the Zhao family army camp again?

Even though he said Zhao Hanzhang hadn’t restricted his freedom and had treated him well during those four days, Liu Yuan couldn’t agree to let him go again.

If he wanted to make friends, that was fine—they could correspond by letter, or send people to deliver things. He just couldn’t go in person.

Liu Yi had no choice but to stop at the city gate. In the end, he had his guards deliver the items while he stood at the city gate sorrowfully watching the convoy depart into the distance.

Although he’d only been back in the city for two days, he suddenly missed Zhao Hanzhang a bit.

He felt that many people here couldn’t understand his thinking. Even his uncle couldn’t. He didn’t approve of the Xiongnu Five Tribes enclosing land for grazing, but he also didn’t approve of his uncle looking down on the Xiongnu people.

The Xiongnu looked down on the Di tribe, and the Di tribe despised the Xiongnu’s actions. But he was both Xiongnu and had Di tribal blood. Why couldn’t the two tribes respect each other?

There were also the Han people, Xianbei, Qiang, and Jie tribes—wouldn’t it be good if everyone treated each other equally?

—