Chapter 28: How to Settle Liu Heng

Many people knew of this matter.

Lady Bo’s background was complicated. She was an illegitimate child; her mother, Lady Wei, was a daughter of the Wei royal house who had an illicit affair with a man from Wu named Bo, resulting in Lady Bo’s birth. When Lady Bo reached marriageable age, Lady Wei sent her into the palace of King Bao of Wei, where she became one of his concubines.

For reasons unknown, even after Lady Bo was married, Lady Wei still took her daughter to see the female physiognomist Xu Fu. After examining Lady Bo, Xu Fu declared, "Lady Bo will surely give birth to a Son of Heaven."

At that time, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, Xiang Yu, and the King of Han, Liu Bang, were in a standoff at Xingyang, and the state of the world remained unclear. King Bao of Wei had once led troops to follow Liu Bang in attacking Pengcheng, the capital of Chu. However, when the coalition force of over half a million men was routed by Xiang Yu’s thirty thousand elite cavalry, King Bao misjudged the situation, believing that Chu was destined to win and Han to fail, and thus conceived the idea of betraying Liu Bang.

Upon hearing the prophecy Xu Fu had made for Lady Bo, King Bao reasoned that if the child she bore was destined to be the Son of Heaven, then he, as her husband, must surely be the future Son of Heaven himself. He decisively broke with Liu Bang, turned to neutrality, and sought peace with Xiang Yu.

In the end, King Bao never became the Son of Heaven. Liu Bang dispatched Cao Can and others to attack and capture him, turning the state of Wei into a commandery and sending Lady Bo into the palace weaving workshops. After King Bao died, Liu Bang visited the weaving workshops, saw that Lady Bo was quite beautiful, and issued an edict to bring her into his inner palace.

This story circulated widely, partly because King Bao was one of the feudal lords during the Chu-Han Contention and a member of the Wei royalty, and partly because no one kept it hidden after Liu Bang became the Son of Heaven.

"I originally did not believe in the words of so-called physiognomists," Liu Bang remarked with a sigh. "But it seems there is some truth to them."

According to Lu Xuan, Liu Heng would indeed become the Son of Heaven in the future.

The two men walked slowly outside the palace, where they met Lady Bo, who was already waiting while holding Liu Heng. Just as Lady Bo was about to bow, Liu Bang waved his hand. "Enter the palace."

The group went inside. Liu Bang had Lady Bo set Liu Heng down. He watched the two-year-old toddler, still stumbling as he learned to walk and babbling in his infancy, and felt a complex mix of emotions. His youngest son would actually become emperor one day! And his methods would be so ruthless! More importantly, his civil and military achievements would be quite impressive!

"I intend to have Heng follow the Prince of Parallel Rank to learn military affairs and master the skills of commanding troops, so that he may guard the mountains and rivers in the future. What do you think?" Liu Bang looked at Lady Bo.

Facing Liu Bang’s gaze, Lady Bo felt a surge of panic, stemming from her lack of confidence and her awkward status; she was, after all, the former woman of King Bao, a wife remarried. Although many did not care, she had felt the difference ever since she became the Emperor’s concubine and rarely received his favor. She did not know why the Emperor would have such an idea.

"It is a good thing that Your Majesty wishes for Heng to study military affairs," Lady Bo said respectfully.

"Heh..." Liu Bang stroked his thick beard and smiled. He gestured for everyone to sit and continued.

"Two years ago, on the Chenggao Terrace, Lady Guan and Lady Zhao Zi'er were in your company, laughing and talking about the promise you all made back then. You have not forgotten that, have you?"

At these words, Lady Bo’s heart skipped a beat. Two years ago! She remembered the matter clearly. In her youth, she had been close friends with Lady Guan and Lady Zhao Zi'er, and they had promised each other, "Whoever attains wealth and status first must not forget their companions and friends." Later, Lady Guan and Lady Zhao Zi'er were favored by the Emperor first. Two years ago on the Chenggao Terrace, the two beauties were laughing about this promise. When the Emperor heard them and asked what they were laughing at, they told him the truth. At that time, she had already been in the palace for over a year without receiving the Emperor’s favor. The Emperor felt pity for her and summoned her that very day to share his bed.

She remembered it vividly; that was the night she dreamed of a black dragon coiled around her stomach. It was from that union that she conceived and gave birth to her son, Liu Heng.

"I do not know why Your Majesty brings this up..."

"A man of great insight has claimed that Heng will be the Son of Heaven in the future. This corresponds with your dream of the black dragon and what Xu Fu said."

Liu Bang stared at Lady Bo. She felt a sudden, fearful dread. Did the Emperor think her Heng might compete for the position of heir or attempt to usurp the throne? She immediately said respectfully, "Your Majesty, how can the words of a physiognomist be true? When I dreamed of the black dragon, that dragon was you, Your Majesty. And the notion that this 'man of insight' speaks of—that Heng will be the Son of Heaven—is nothing but nonsense. How could such a thing be possible?"

As Lady Bo tried to explain, Liu Bang had Zhang Liang recount the story of Lu Xuan. As Zhang Liang spoke slowly, Lady Bo’s face turned increasingly pale. Confirmed by the Emperor and the Marquis of Liu and other high officials, this Lu Xuan was a person from the future, and what he said was true. Her Heng would become the Son of Heaven?

She now understood the Emperor’s intent. For a monarch, to ensure the stability of the dynasty, one must stifle any potential threat to the succession. Was the Emperor here to kill them? Monarchs were heartless; Lady Bo understood this, and her heart grew more fearful.

"Do not be afraid. I have not come to kill you or Heng."

"Heng has grown up by your side since he was young. I hope you will not instill any thoughts of the imperial path in him. During this time, I will also ask that man of insight to devise a way for me to arrange Heng’s future."

Liu Bang spoke slowly. He had not come to deal with Lady Bo and Liu Heng, but simply to see his son. And, incidentally, to warn and chasten Lady Bo. She must not fill Liu Heng’s head with improper ideas from a young age. In Liu Bang's view, perhaps in the future history, Liu Heng rebelled out of desperation due to the stripping of his fief, but could it not also be that he was taught to do so by Lady Bo from childhood? After all, the prophecy of Xu Fu was widely known; Liu Heng would learn of it sooner or later. If Lady Bo held such ideas herself, it was very possible that Liu Heng had harbored thoughts of rebellion long before the stripping of his fief. Lu Xuan had said that after Liu Heng was enfeoffed as the Prince of Yan, he already had improper thoughts. Liu Bang intended to further eliminate this potential risk.

"How exactly should Heng be arranged?" Liu Bang pondered this question, deciding to ask Lu Xuan directly to save time and effort.

He crouched down and pinched two-year-old Liu Heng’s cheeks quite hard. The toddler immediately burst into loud, wailing tears. Liu Bang smiled, pinched him twice more, and then left, feeling satisfied. This could be considered revenge on behalf of his future imperial grandson.

After Liu Bang and Zhang Liang left, Lady Bo gently stroked Liu Heng’s little face, her heart still uneasy. She had not expected a person from the future to appear, nor that the Emperor would believe everything this person said. If it were true, would her Heng really become emperor? How would the Emperor arrange for him? Even if he did not kill him, would he be demoted to a commoner?

Lady Bo pulled Liu Heng to stand before her, then slowly crouched down, looking at him with complex eyes. "I never thought my son would actually become an emperor."

Liu Bang and Zhang Liang returned to the Lin-Hua Hall. Liu Bang said, "Let us ask Lu Xuan how to settle Heng. There is not much time left."

Zhang Liang nodded. Indeed, there was little time left. With each passing day, Lu Xuan drew closer to the day of his death. They had to handle all matters within this limited window, squeezing every bit of value from the man from the future.

The two men then headed toward the side hall of the Lin-Hua Hall.