The rays of the setting sun entered the study through the window and shone on Liu Xi's face. Sitting behind the bookcase, Liu Xi's expression also seemed a bit uncertain. He frowned in thought, and his frown became tighter and tighter, never letting up.
After pondering for a long time, he raised his head and told a palace attendant waiting in front of him: "Find a way to find out who instigated Zheng Jingru to play the above and who was behind it!"
"yes!"
After the man retreated, Liu Xi couldn't help but sigh. He was unjustly accused of this matter. It was not done by him at all. He really had an idea, and he definitely made a decision before he acted. He would never use such crude methods, let alone
He instructs Zheng Jingru, who has a relationship with him, to point the finger at him.
Of course, Liu Xi also believed that with Emperor Liu's wisdom, it was impossible not to see the problem. However, Zheng Jingru was executed at such a fast speed and with such ruthless means. Emperor Liu had eight words
Comment: He has ulterior motives and can be punished!
This seemed to finalize the matter, which made Liu Xi inevitably worried. Looking up to the north, through the courtyards and palace doors, he seemed to be able to feel Emperor Liu's eyes staring at him.
, with scrutiny and warning.
The situation in the court was becoming more and more bizarre. Even if the prince and prince were rushing around, they would inevitably be at a loss as to what to do. At this time, Liu Xi felt a lot of pressure.
With a deep sigh, Liu Xi gathered his mood and looked over the progress of land clearing in the Gyeonggi region and various existing tax issues. In this regard, he had actually been prepared for it.
——
Zhao Pu's return to pay homage to the Prime Minister was undoubtedly a major event that shocked both the government and the public in the political arena of the Han Dynasty. The level of sensation even suppressed the enthusiasm for Li Fang's resignation as Prime Minister. And Li Fang had not yet left Beijing to take up his post in Henan.
He was almost forgotten, and his face was disgraced. At most, he was used as a joke in the conversations of the powerful people in the capital.
Compared with Li Fang's demotion, Zhao Pu's return obviously attracted more attention. In the Han Dynasty, the weight of the two was incomparable. The reactions of the powerful people in the DPRK also varied, especially the initial reforms.
The factions and conservatives are the most intense.
For the reformists, Zhao Pu's return means that someone who can really do things is finally back. They are gearing up and preparing to fight with Zhao Pu, the powerful prime minister. For the conservatives, it is nothing more than a thunder.
The future life will obviously not be so easy. Zhao Pu is not as slow-minded as Li Fang, and he is not the master of troublemaking.
The ensuing edict to pay homage to the Prime Minister also clearly stated the tasks that Emperor Liu entrusted to Zhao Pu. His resolute attitude towards tax reform was also clearly revealed, and the disputes between the DPRK and China were immediately reduced.
Deterrence is invisible and intangible, but it does exist. As soon as Zhao Pu returned, some people were already thinking about changing the thinking of the struggle and adopting a flexible approach. They could not blindly fight against the reckless ones, lest Zhao Pu would do anything to them.
At the same time, there are some people who feel as if they are overjoyed from the sky and rejoicing. That is, the branches and leaves of the original "Xiang Party" that have been cut off by constant attacks in the past two years are finally back. Their opportunity has come, and they
The hard days are finally over.
As the news continued to spread, before Zhao Pu returned home, the Zhao Mansion in Luoyang City, which had been deserted for a long time, quickly became bustling with people. There was an endless stream of people passing by with gifts and condolences, almost blocking the entire Willow Street, and guarding the house.
Several servants of the Zhao family were shocked.
Due to the overwhelming popularity, the Kaifeng Mansion even sent two teams of officers to the scene to disperse the onlookers, maintain order, and clear the roads. When Zhao Pu left office, he left peacefully, and the mansion in Luoyang did not care at all, although there were a few left.
There are several servants to take care of it, but after two years, it has inevitably become stale and has become a bit more downtrodden.
Therefore, the guests who came to the door diligently put down their congratulatory gifts, swept the floor, touched up paint, and even built walls and roof tiles, all showing off their talents in Class 18.
When Zhao Pu returned to the Zhao Mansion, what he saw was naturally a bustling scene. The officials blocking the perimeter naturally did not dare to rush forward. On the contrary, the noise gradually died down. They looked at Zhao Pu enthusiastically and expectantly.
And tacitly agreed to make way for Mr. Zhao's car to pass.
In front of the gate of the mansion, several familiar officials were setting up ladders to help replace the plaques and hang up the new plaques that read "Xunyang Marquis Palace". There were several plaques with the same words and different styles next to them, one by one.
They are all grand and grand, and it is obvious that many people have considered this matter, and the efficiency is extremely high.
However, seeing this scene, facing the courteous gazes, and feeling their flattery, Zhao Pu's old face looked very ugly. Even when he was in power, although there were many guests and busy traffic, there was still a lot of traffic.
Without such a formation, this lively scene even made Zhao Pu feel a little bit absurd.
Seeing those bureaucrats who are usually sanctimonious and five to six in number, they do not hesitate to lose face and engage in low-level jobs in person, just to show their gratification. Even though they know that it may not be effective and may even arouse Zhao Pu's disgust, they still do it.
Among them were several subordinates whom Zhao Pu admired at the beginning...
His majestic gaze swept across the entire place. Everyone he looked at dropped what they were doing and lowered their eyebrows. The entire Zhao Mansion gradually became quiet, and the air was so quiet that it even felt a little awkward.
Zhao Pu didn't mean to talk nonsense to these lucky people. Zhao Pu directly told his entourage: "Go and get a room for me, and stay in the hotel tonight!"
"yes!"
"Since your husband has returned home, why bother..." A bureaucrat who was close to him heard this and said quickly.
Without letting him finish, Zhao Pu pointed at a group of people inside and outside the mansion and said coldly: "This is not a mansion I am familiar with. I'm afraid it's hard to get used to it! When will it return to its original appearance? When will I come back!"
As he spoke, Zhao Pu noticed the guards around him who were maintaining order, and waved to one of the middle-aged men in uniform. When the man saw this, he quickly stepped forward with awe on his face: "Young man, I have seen my husband!
"
"You are an official in Luoyang Mansion, right?" Zhao Pu said.
"Back to my husband, the younger one is Wang Zhou, the security patrol officer under the military patrol envoy——"
"I don't care what your name is!" Zhao Pu interrupted him dully and ordered directly: "I'll give you an errand. Take your subordinates on patrol, watch these people inside and outside the mansion, and supervise them to restore my mansion to its original state!"
"Young man, I obey!" Under the pressure of Zhao Pu's eyes, there was no room for hesitation. The young patrolman responded immediately, but he couldn't help but think to himself. Hearing what Mr. Zhao meant, he should have remembered his name. ...
After making a good explanation, Zhao Pu wanted to leave, but he probably felt that it was inappropriate not to say anything. He stood on the carriage shaft, looked around, and solemnly said: "If it's business, you can report it to your superiors. If it's personal, I won't forgive you." Reception!”
After saying that, he got into the carriage and quickly left in the dust under the eager eyes of everyone. Zhao Pu, who had returned for the first time, really attracted much attention. The movements in the Zhao Mansion, those absurd and magical behaviors, and the absurd scenes were very The news soon reached the ears of Emperor Liu.
In response to this, Emperor Liu smiled indifferently, looking unconcerned, and even ridiculed him, saying that the officials in the capital were too enthusiastic and too leisurely. Even Zhao Pu couldn't stand it and had to stay away from the hotel.
However, Yantuo then asked Yan Tuo to mobilize a group of palace ladies from various departments in the palace to leave the palace and go to the Zhao Mansion to help Zhao Pu take care of the housework. Others could firmly refuse, but in the face of Emperor Liu's reward, they could only thank him. The emperor is so kind.
Therefore, Zhao Pu did not succeed in staying in the hotel. After the royal banquet that night, Zhao Pu was able to chat with Emperor Liu until late at night. Emperor Liu even let Zhao Pu stay in the palace, and he was honored and favored beyond all other officials. Of course, Generally, when Emperor Liu showed such closeness and favor, it also meant that he would bear greater responsibilities and pressure.
Among the many reactions caused by Zhao Pu's return to Beijing to pay homage to the prime minister, naturally including the prime minister Zhao Kuangyi, it is said that he directly dropped his favorite piece of jade, which was probably the first time in Zhao Kuangyi's life that he broke his guard.
