In the Chongyuan Palace, colorful ribbons are flying, and the lanterns are full, making it even brighter in the dark night. The musicians are present, the palace music, the melodious accompaniment is charming and seductive, the singers brighten their throats, and the dancers show off their postures, which is even more eye-catching. .
Generous rewards, sumptuous food and wine, and wonderful songs and dances all comforted the heroes of the Han Dynasty. The extravagant palace banquet also announced that the Han Dynasty seemed to have officially entered a new stage. The hardships and simplicity of the past seemed to have faded away. Not here anymore.
Just like the previous imperial banquets, Liu Chengyou allowed the generals and ministers to enjoy themselves and enjoy themselves without any restraint. Of course, in the twelfth year of Qianyou, no one really dared to be presumptuous. Even those who felt sorry for themselves would drink at most. Yujiang uses alcohol to numb himself and express his depression.
Therefore, the atmosphere in the entire hall is always warm, comfortable, and relaxed, and it seems that no one is burdened. This is probably the scene of the prosperity of the dynasty.
The ones who caused the biggest commotion were Zhang Qiong and Dang Jin, both of whom were well-known "heroes" in the military. Zhang Qiong was magnanimous and forthright, brave in combat, and fearless of death, and Dang Jin was no less generous. Of course, Beneath his rude appearance, there is a vigilant heart.
It wasn't that the two had any conflicts, but they were drinking together there, one bowl for you and one for me, which attracted the cheers and cheers from the surrounding generals. Zhao Kuangyin stood by and took the initiative to judge in front of him, with a resolute face full of emotions. interest.
Liu Chengyou, on the other hand, maintained relationships with several vassal forces, especially Qian Hongchu, the king of Wuyue, Li Yiyin, the army who settled the disaster, Ping Haijun stayed with him, and Gao Shaoji of Yanzhou. They were also invited to participate in the celebration banquet. Feel the prosperity and strength of the Han Dynasty again. At the same time, the "subjugated" kings like Gao Baorong, Meng Chang, and Zhou Baoquan are also there.
Zhou Baoquan is only a seven-year-old baby now. Because of his father Zhou Xingfeng's militant resistance, he was not treated as generously as Gao Baorong when he arrived in Tokyo. He was placed in the imperial garden to help the emperor with horses and mulberry trees. For ten years, he had a good mother, Mrs. Yan, who taught him by words and deeds, trained him to study, and had a loyal servant who never left him, so that he had developed a certain tolerance at a young age. He waited quietly at the table. , but it also attracted Liu Chengyou’s attention.
When he saw Zhang Qiong and Dang Jin having a drink together, Liu Chengyou also smiled. Dang Jin got his long-cherished wish. Through his performance in the Northern Expedition, he was finally promoted from an earl to a named marquis, fulfilling his wish to become a marquis. .
As for Zhang Qiong, seeing him drinking so much, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but frown. This man has always been a killer and has never changed. Every time he went through wars, he suffered many scars and was even seriously injured twice and was on the verge of death. He relied on his strong personal martial arts Although I have gained my current reputation and status, my body is already overloaded and I don’t take care of it and control it. If things go on like this, it will be easy to break.
There is also a group of eye-catching people, that is, a person has entered the group of musicians, Gao Huaide, the Duke of Pu State. I saw him sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding a jade flute in his hand, playing with enthusiasm, his expression was very intoxicated, and the beautiful notes were playing It comes out from the middle and harmonizes with the elegant music of the court.
Although Gao Huaide was a military general and didn't like reading, he was talented in music and could compose his own music. Next to him, the two brothers Liu Xi and Liu Fang were dancing, humming and dancing. Liu Xi His face was red, he was holding a wine bottle in his hand, and wine was spilled from time to time...
The painter Huang Quan was also able to attend the banquet. He was not qualified, but he was tasked with observing the scene in the palace in detail and preparing to depict the royal banquet scene. When he was in the Shu Kingdom, he was a court painter. His painting style is flashy and noble, and he is good at many things, including figure painting.
Scenes after scenes came into view, but Liu Chengyou's mood became inexplicably heavy. Such scenes certainly made people intoxicated and lingered, and the prosperity and prosperity of the country seemed to be reflected in them.
But at the same time, he can also clearly feel a change, that is, glitz and pleasure. This trend existed at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, but it was suppressed under the pressure of Liu Chengyou's personal practice and example. But as time passed, National security and all kinds of products are gathered in Tokyo. This trend is showing signs of recurrence, which Liu Chengyou doesn't like.
Wealth does not mean luxury, and he has no intention of suppressing the pursuit of a beautiful and luxurious life by his generals. Otherwise, why would everyone have been working hard for so many years? Even he himself is not exempt from vulgarity, so how can he restrain his subordinates.
However, the world has not yet been unified, the historical mission has not been completed, and it is far from time to enjoy it. Furthermore, even if the world is unified, can we relax? What kind of life are the ordinary people of the Han Dynasty living? Liu Chengyou still feels that Countless.
The improvement of order and security only made the capital of Guizhou no longer in a state of dire straits and precariousness, but its poor living conditions have not been fundamentally improved. Taxes have been reduced several times, but they are still not low, and military service and labor have never been discontinued.
In fact, during the more than ten years of Liu Chengyou's rule, why did he continue to wage foreign wars, flatten various countries, and gradually become a unified force? Ultimately, it is still based on the oppression of ordinary people.
It's just that under the rule of these wise and promising monarchs, the Han Dynasty always had a bottom line and gradually reduced its burdens and relieved pressure step by step. Even so, in the process of the unification war, the burden on the people of the Han Dynasty was very serious. Take this For the Northern Expedition, the damage suffered could not be fully recovered in three or two years.
On the other hand, in order to support so many nobles, officials, and troops in the court, where did the money and food come from? The final destination was the common people. If it were not for previous foreign wars and plundering and replenishment, the expansion process of the Han Dynasty would probably have another Have twists and turns.
With so much land occupied, only Huainan, Jingnan, and Sichuan and Shu are "profitable", while other areas are still operating at a "loss".
The more he thought about it and looked at the grand scene of the palace, Liu Chengyou suddenly became less interested. His worries were not groundless. On the way back to Beijing, he had carefully observed the public sentiment. What was different from previous inspections was that this Once, he felt the earnest desire of the people at the bottom for peace and security, just like when wars broke out frequently.
The people began to hate the war, and the subjects longed for recuperation, but the pace of unification could not be stopped. The balance between this also required Liu Chengyou to grasp it well.
"Your Majesty!" A call brought Liu Chengyou back to his senses.
However, Ping Haijun Jiedushi Liu Congxiao stood up, held a cup in both hands, went to the imperial court, and toasted Liu Chengyou. Liu Chengyou took a sip of wine, looked at him, and asked with a smile: "Quan, Zhang is a famous and wealthy area in the south. How does it compare to Tokyo?”
Liu Congxiao was not young yet. Hearing this, he immediately shook his head and said, "It is like the light of a cold star to the bright moon, it is incomparable!"
Liu Congxiao said this frankly and seriously, and Liu Chengyou was also happy. He asked a question. Seeing that Liu Chengyou was in a good mood, Liu Congxiao continued: "Your Majesty, I have come to court this time, and I have to give some thought to something. I haven’t had time to speak, so now I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to beg for mercy!”
There was a solemn expression on the old face. Liu Chengyou was slightly surprised. After thinking for a moment, he held the wine glass and chuckled: "Is it related to drinking? If it has nothing to do with it, then I don't plan to listen today!" "
Liu Congxiao couldn't help but be stunned by the emperor's words. What was his reaction? However, he noticed the emperor's serious expression, so he could only agree and just talk with wine.
Paying attention to the situation in the palace, Liu Chengyou waved to the prince Liu Yang again and told him: "You are the prince, you should respect the heroes of the Han Dynasty!"
"Yes!" Liu Yang bowed respectfully and stepped down the jade steps. The previous time at the Chongyuan Hall banquet, Liu Xu was with him, but now, he is the only one.
At the royal banquet that night, the guests and hosts returned happily, but the emperor's worries and unhappiness were not known to everyone. The next day, Liu Chengyou ordered that Sun Yanxi, the chief chamberlain in charge of the luxurious royal banquet, go to supervise the construction of Zhaolie Temple. .
