The marching camp was set up in the east of Baima City. Although there were a large number of miscellaneous personnel accompanying the march, everything was still arranged according to the requirements of marching and fighting. The strict military laws, traces and traces to follow, and strong binding force also suffered for the nobles who were accompanying Emperor Liu on his first tour.
Officials.
The general responsible for running the camp was Liu Tinghan, the commander-in-chief of the imperial court. This general was favored by Emperor Liu during the Northern Expedition and transferred to the imperial court. Seven or eight years later, he was not well-known in the court, but because he was close to Emperor Liu,
He also holds the important position of guard, and no one dares to underestimate him.
"General, Your Majesty has summoned you!" After inspecting the camp and setting up defenses as usual, he returned to the military tent and heard the report.
Without any hesitation, Liu Tinghan put down the water he had only taken half a sip of, packed up his armor, and went to the imperial tent to pay homage to you.
"I have been summoned to see you. I wonder if your Majesty has any instructions?" Liu Tinghan bowed his hands in the imperial tent.
The space of the imperial tent is quite large, with a ceiling height of three feet and three feet, which can accommodate fifty people to worship at the same time. All the utensils are arranged neatly and orderly. It took nearly two hours to build this imperial tent.
It is because it is not a real march and fight that it is so comfortable. Liu Tinghan stood alone in it, and he seemed much lonely. Looking at him, Emperor Liu chuckled and said: "I walked around the camp, and I was very organized.
Even though I haven’t been in the army for a long time, I haven’t given up my ability to march and fight!”
"Your Majesty, you praise me!" Liu Tinghan was a little puzzled. He called him. He probably didn't just want to praise him. He responded: "I am just doing what I should do as a general!"
"There are many ministers accompanying us, even more officials, and there is no shortage of children and women, so they won't cause you any trouble, right?" Liu Chengyou asked.
"Your Majesty is here, surrounded by the majesty of heaven and the strict laws of Han Dynasty. No one dares to disobey the order!" Liu Tinghan complimented.
Emperor Liu believed what he said, but it was hard to believe that there was harmony among such a mixed crowd. Emperor Liu cared about Liu Tinghan because his qualifications and achievements were relatively shallow, and not everyone was willing to give in to him.
.However, since he could not bring up the difficulty, Emperor Liu said no more.
Looking at him, he directly ordered: "Next, change the route!"
Upon hearing the question, Liu Tinghan immediately said: "Your Majesty, please tell me so that I can make arrangements as soon as possible!"
"Turn to the southeast and pass through Puzhou and Jeju. I want to see the Wuzhang River first!" Emperor Liu said.
"Yes!" Liu Tinghan responded without any hesitation.
Emperor Liu had an accidental idea when he was inspecting the river embankment. The Wuzhang River was an important canal in the Central Plains. It was opened in the seventh year of Qianyou's reign. It used Bianshui and Jinshui as its source. As its name suggests, the river is five feet wide.
It is not a big river, but Kaifeng is directly connected to the northern states of Henan Province through this river. By the fourth year of Kaibao, the amount of grain transported to Tokyo through the Wuzhang River each year has reached 350,000 shi. Perhaps it cannot be compared with the transportation capacity of the North-South Canal.
, but this number is already considerable. It is an important supplement to Tokyo's water transport and the backbone of Henan's water transport. In addition, if the route is changed, Emperor Liu can also visit the famous Liangshan Park along the way.
"Your Majesty, if you change your itinerary, you should notify the officials of the states and counties along the way to prepare for the pick-up!" Shi Xizai, as the minister of Chongzheng Palace, was still working as the emperor's secretary during the tour, so he reminded him at this time.
"You can write a letter to inform all the states and counties, but there is no need to go to war over the matter of taking over. It's fine like this in Huazhou. The states and counties are as usual. I can just be a tourist. I don't have to bother the people or disturb the people. What's more, It is strictly forbidden to use the excuse of welcoming the emperor to dedicate more than the contribution of officers and soldiers!" Emperor Liu ordered Shi Xizai.
"yes!"
This was also something that Emperor Liu had to emphasize on every tour he made. Contributions were declined, and disturbance to the people was strictly prohibited. Although there were many people on the road, all supplies were available, and even if there were shortages, special funds were allocated to purchase them.
The biggest difference between Emperor Liu and Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty is probably that he always cared about the people while going through all kinds of troubles. Otherwise, if he really let go and rectified it, the Han Dynasty would not be able to withstand it. Take the local contribution as an example. If it is like Yang Guang demanded that the place be filled with exquisite food and wine, and he was afraid that the Henan provinces, which were not yet wealthy, would return to the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Shi Xizai obviously recognized Emperor Liu's wise emperor's demeanor. With admiration in his eyes, he praised: "Your Majesty greets you in a simple manner and refuses to contribute. He cares about the people so much. It is a blessing to the people. Why worry about the country not being stable?" !”
After hearing what he said, Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "After all, I went on tour to observe the local government and people's sentiments to see the effect of the new policies. If I disturb the people because of this, wouldn't it be a mistake? Furthermore, in terms of contribution, Is there anything I haven’t seen in these years?”
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"Well, there is no need to be received by the officials of the prefectures and counties along the way. The chief officials of the prefectures and counties in Henan are ordered to go to Licheng before the first day of April to wait for the edict. At that time, I will summon them together!" Emperor Liu pondered for a while and then said: "As for the journey along the way, I have eyes and ears myself, and I know how to listen and see, so I won't bother them to introduce it!"
"yes!"
"What are you holding in your hand?" Noticing the stack of memorials held by Shi Xizai, Emperor Liu asked: "I have just left Tokyo not long ago, and there is such a memorial?"
Faced with Emperor Liu's doubts, Shi Xizai explained: "This is a joint performance by Tao Gu, the envoy of Xuanwei, and some accompanying officials, and is about to be presented to His Majesty for viewing!"
"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu frowned immediately. When Tao Gu was mentioned, he immediately became confused as to what the old man was up to.
"What's the matter? You want them to jointly submit a memorial?" Emperor Liu expressed curiosity.
You must know that during the twenty years Emperor Liu was in power, the number of times he received joint memorials during such a long period of time was very few. Therefore, when it came to Tao Gu and when he noticed Shi Xizai's expression, he naturally noticed it. Strange.
Glancing at Liu Chengyou carefully, Shi Xizai reported: "Your Majesty, all ministers have reported that this time on tour, when they arrive in Henan, they will visit Mount Tai in the east. I hope that your Majesty will perform the Zen ceremony!"
As soon as he opened his mouth, Emperor Liu suddenly realized that this was probably the only thing that could allow Tao Gu and others to boldly connect. At the same time, he also took it seriously. Granting Zen status was not a trivial matter, especially for an emperor.
Speaking of which, this is not the first time that ministers have submitted petitions to request him to be granted Zen status. As early as after the success of the Northern Expedition, a group of ministers from the DPRK and Henan Province submitted petitions. Later, there were also sporadic suggestions.
However, what moved Emperor Liu the most was probably this time.
There was an obvious change in his expression, but he quickly suppressed it. After pondering for a while, Emperor Liu said: "Feng Chan! Do you think, with my current achievements, it is enough to Feng Chan?"
After hearing the question, Shi Xizai said affirmatively: "Your Majesty took charge of the country at a time of crisis when he was young and weak. He worked hard for fifteen years to change the world, unify the rivers and mountains, and recreate a prosperous age. Now that the world is peaceful, all barbarians have surrendered, and all nations have come to court, Your Majesty
His achievements are worthy of recognition in ancient and modern times, and I think it is feasible to become a Zen master!"
After listening to Shi Xizai's words, Emperor Liu was still very useful, but he quickly controlled his complacency and said: "It's a pity that there is still the Khitan Liao Kingdom in the north, and Liaoxi and Liaodong have not been recovered. I am afraid that it is not enough for me to grant Zen like this."
ah!"
Of course, the ministers and people would never take this seriously, and Shi Xizai said the same thing. The only problem lies with Emperor Liu himself. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder. He feels that his achievements are unfinished and his moral character is insufficient, and he cannot be persuaded by others.
After a long time, Emperor Liu finally got rid of the ups and downs of his mood, and said leisurely: "I was originally on a tour this time, and being granted Zen status is a big deal. How could I be so hasty? Please keep this letter of request. The matter of granting Zen status is
, Let’s discuss it later!”
"Your Majesty!" Shi Xizai was very surprised and tried to persuade him.
Emperor Liu raised his hand to stop him and said: "You are very knowledgeable. Tell me, how many emperors in the past dynasties have successfully achieved Zen status?"
Shi Xizai had no choice but to obey his fate.
Before Emperor Liu, there were many emperors who had made the move to enshrine Zen, but very few of them had succeeded. In Shi Xizai's view, there were only five people who had succeeded in granting Zen status, namely Emperor Qin, Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, Guangwu of Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Liu of Tang Dynasty.
Xuanzong.
It can be seen from this that the significance of the title of Zen to an emperor can represent the historical status. If Emperor Liu succeeds in granting the title of Zen, he will be comparable to Emperor Qin and Han Wu, and I am afraid no one will say anything.
However, despite being excited, he still suppressed it. Because he attached great importance to it, he demanded perfection even more. After Shi Xizai left, Emperor Liu lay on his side on the couch, looking through the joint memorial, which was played by Tao Gu and others, and he was naturally interested in it.
He and his achievements were praised so much that he even blushed, but he watched with gusto...
Obviously, Emperor Liu was very moved by the matter of granting Zen status. However, as a person with a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, he was still unwilling to rush into the situation when the situation in the north was uncertain.