In the Han Palace, Liu Chengyou, who woke up from a hangover early in the morning, took care of himself. The first thing he did was to go to the Yaohua Palace to visit Concubine Gao and the second princess Fang was born. When Fang left the palace, he was reported and everyone in the north was deployed. He Fujin has already entered the palace and is waiting to see him.
Returning to Chongzheng Hall, he found the old commander standing respectfully outside the hall. His strength was so weak that he could hardly support his old and thin body. Seeing this, Liu Chengyou hurriedly stopped him from saluting and ordered to Zhang Dejun: "Quickly, get Mr. He." Help him into the palace!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
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After entering the palace and taking a seat, he looked at the old He Fujin. After a night banquet, the illness on his face seemed to have worsened. Liu Chengyou couldn't help but sigh: "I was negligent. Mr. He is so sick that he should come to visit him!"
He Fujin responded humbly: "Your Majesty is so caring, I am very grateful to you!"
Seeing that he was seriously ill and struggling to support himself, Liu Chengyou stopped talking and spoke quickly, saying: "I summoned Mr. He to consult with him about the adjustment of the northern garrison. Mr. He is in the north. I have been in charge of the army for many years and can be said to be a powerful city. I am familiar with the military situation and I hope you will give me some advice."
"I wonder how your Majesty plans to adjust it?" He Fujinchen asked in a weak voice.
Liu Chengyou spoke in a calm tone and said: "I won't hide anything from Mr. He. In recent years, the Privy Council has reorganized and eliminated the world's armies, and implemented a rotational garrison system. Now it is on track. Only the Northern Army, I have not made any major moves. Without him, it's just that the world is not at peace, and the northern barbarians still steal the mountains and rivers of the Han Dynasty.
If the rotation of the armies in the north is implemented, the generals will be alienated and it will be difficult to ensure combat effectiveness. Since He Gong is all in the north, you should also know that the Hebei frontier army is of great use to me, not just to build a line of defense that is not impregnable. ....."
After listening to Liu Chengyou's words, He Fujin's somewhat cloudy eyes showed a hint of surprise. He thought for a while and said to him calmly: "Your Majesty, before, entrusted the old minister with trust, has full authority to take charge of military affairs and defense, and has the power to mobilize border defense and do things expediently." .Now that Han and Liao have been negotiating peace for more than three years, there are few things happening on the border, and I have great power in my hands, so it is time to return it to the imperial court..."
"No! Mr. He misunderstood, that's not what I meant! I have always been trustless in employing people. If I didn't trust anyone, I would not have given authority to him in the first place!" Liu Chengyou waved his hands repeatedly.
"Your Majesty, I am very old and dying. I hope you will forgive me for saying something from the bottom of my heart!" He Fujin said with a calm expression: "I served in the Tang, Jin, and Han Dynasties, and was tired in the army. The only people the court cares about are powerful warriors and arrogant soldiers. It's just that the powerful generals brought disaster. Looking at the rise and fall of the three generations, we have indeed suffered greatly from them.
However, today's Han Dynasty is far away from the three dynasties of Liang, Tang, and Jin. With the strength of the center, it is far from a corner, and it can be resisted by one army. Furthermore, the Northern Army now has all the food, grass, and ordnance. In the hands of the imperial court, no matter how sharp the sword is, the hilt is still in His Majesty's hand.
And Your Majesty, wishing to achieve great things, will one day send troops to the Northern Expedition. At that time, the soldiers will still need to fight for your orders. And the soldiers have also received Your Majesty's grace. With Your Majesty's power today, you don't have to tie yourself up with small worries. ....."
Hearing He Fujin's plea, Liu Chengyou slowly had a faint smile on his lips, looked at He Fujin, and said, "I must have been holding these words in my heart for a long time. I just don't know whether it was He Gong's intention or the military commander's." Do all generals and commanders have this thought?"
He Fujin: "It's just a veteran, just my humble opinion!"
Seeing that the emperor was lost in thought, He Fujin added: "If your majesty wants to reorganize the Northern Army, you can make adjustments to the generals and the army. However, all the troops and horses are elites who have been trained for many years and are well-trained... "
"How does the general adjust?" Liu Chengyou interrupted him.
He Fujin coughed a few times and responded: "The old minister is sick. Your Majesty has seen it with your own eyes. He is dead but not dead. He is already embarrassed by his great responsibility. I beg your Majesty to appoint another commander to control the northern troops!"
Looking at He Fujin, Liu Chengyou suddenly understood. No wonder He Fujin was so bold today, so much so that he did not shy away from taboos and spoke sincerely. He had indeed considered retiring early. In fact, Liu Chengyou might not have had this intention when he called him back to Beijing. Not to mention anything else, just because of his illness, he is not suitable to be the commander-in-chief of the Northern Frontier Army.
Liu Chengyou didn't respond for a while, as if he was thinking about it. He Fujin, with a hint of hesitation on his face, added: "Among the military envoys in Hebei, Ma Quanyi and Luo Yanxuan are both talented generals. They have good command of the troops and have won the hearts of the soldiers. Only Li Jun from the Baoding Army, please your Majesty to transfer him out!"
"Oh?" Liu Chengyou raised his eyebrows and said to him meaningfully: "I heard that Mr. He and Li Jun have always been at odds with each other!"
He Fujin's expression became more serious, and he faced the emperor's scrutiny and responded: "Indeed! But I have this advice, not out of personal grudges. Li Jun is arrogant, thinks very highly of himself, and has never been satisfied with the position of an army envoy. However, I think this person is There may be merit in training the troops, but they cannot convince others; they have rough generals and bravery, but no commanders. If they are placed in the north for a long time, with their temperament and ambition, sooner or later trouble will occur, which will be detrimental to the morale of the army, and may even affect His Majesty's plans!"
"I understand Mr. He's wishes!" Liu Chengyou breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand to He Fujin: "I still need to think about Mr. He's words, so I need to step aside first and recuperate!"
"Yes! I resign!"
"Zhang Dejun, please send my imperial chariot to escort Mr. He out of the palace!" Liu Chengyou ordered with a flash of his eyes. He was once again the benevolent master who treated his generals favorably.
"How dare I! Your Majesty, please take back your order!" He Fujin was shocked and quickly refused.
"Mr. He spared no effort and traveled thousands of miles to come to Beijing to see you. I give you this short journey to express my feelings. There is no need to refuse!" Liu Chengyou said grandly, with a smile on his face.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" He Fujin took a deep breath and bowed down. He was inevitably moved.
"Zhang Dejun, help Mr. He out!"
"yes!"
After He Fujin retreated, Liu Chengyou fell into deep thinking. He Fujin's words made him a little wary. Over the years, the Forbidden Army has basically been firmly under control after many rounds of rectification.
On the contrary, he had doubts about the local army's several large-scale trainings, the specific results and the military situation. Especially the two border armies, one in Hebei and the other in the southwest. There was no need to worry about the southwest side for the time being. With the conquest of Shu imminent, the focus of the imperial court lies.
As for the Northern Front, it has been more than six years and has nearly 50,000 troops. The weight is too heavy. Liu Chengyou is unwilling to move lightly, but in order to reassure himself, he has to move. The idea of the Northern Patrol has taken root in Liu Chengyou's mind again. Already.
...
In the spring of March, the wind is beautiful and the sun is beautiful. Outside the city of Kaifeng, the grass is growing and warblers are flying. In the wilderness and deep in the lush forests, there are many tourists out for an outing to enjoy the scenery.
In the past few days, Liu Chengyou took the Hebei generals who came to Beijing to go hunting, drink and party, and keep in touch with each other.
On the way back from hunting, I received an urgent report: "Your Majesty, He Dushuai has died of illness!"
"What!" Liu Chengyou's face froze and his brows knitted together: "Didn't the imperial doctor say that it has been relieved in the past two days?"
All the Bei generals who were nearby heard this report, and they all had different expressions and showed sadness. Only Li Jun's eyes were bright and he almost couldn't hold back his smile.
Liu Chengyou only glanced around, not caring much, and set off on horseback: "Go back to the city!"
"Is there any problem with He Fujin's death?" After returning to the palace, Liu Chengyou directly summoned Li Chongju and asked seriously.
"Your Majesty! He died of illness indeed!" Li Chongju replied.
"What did the imperial doctor say?" Liu Chengyou asked.
"He Dushuai spent his whole life in the army, and he suffered from many hidden wounds. He was prone to attack when he was old. After serving on the border for many years, he became ill from overwork and died early. This time he returned to Beijing and was exhausted all the way, which made his condition worse. Last night, he suddenly developed a high fever. , passed away." Li Chongju said.
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but close his eyes, showing regret: "Then it's me who harmed Mr. He!"
"Your Majesty, Mr. He's illness can no longer be cured by medicine. The imperial doctor also said that even if he takes good care of himself, he can only survive and will not survive this year. Your Majesty does not need to blame himself!" Li Chongju explained.
He Fujin's death was sudden and had nothing to do with Liu Chengyou. There was no need for him to target such a critically ill veteran. However, his sudden death from illness still caught Liu Chengyou off guard.
More importantly, he died at an untimely time...
The general from the north came to Beijing to celebrate his birthday, but within a few days, the commander-in-chief of the army died. Even if he died of illness, it would inevitably arouse suspicion and speculation. Especially since Liu Chengyou had dismissed all the generals who came to Beijing for military purposes and defense.
Just by looking at the reactions of those military envoys, we can know what impact He Fujin's death will have.
Sighing heavily, Liu Chengyou quickly collected his thoughts and ordered: "Pass the imperial edict, stay out of court for three days, and let all civil and military officials go to express condolences to Mr. He!"
Now that the matter has come to this, Liu Chengyou can only try his best to minimize its impact. As for Liu Chengyou, a more urgent question is before him. After He Fujin dies, who will succeed him?
