Different from the inspection in Henan, when Emperor Liu arrived in Jiangnan, he did so with great fanfare and momentum, complete with ceremonial guards and accompanying rituals and music. The entire Yangzhou Navy was dispatched as a guard. The huge formation almost caused tremors in Jiangnan, and its momentum was almost It was just like when the Han army crossed the river.
When arriving in the south of the Yangtze River, Emperor Liu also changed his previous style of "not disturbing the people". The entire Jinling City was organized by the Jiangnan government to welcome him. The Emperor Luanjia entered the city steadily under the watchful eyes of hundreds of thousands of people in the south of the Yangtze River. From the north The conqueror, with an extremely powerful attitude, set foot on the territory he had longed for for many years.
Emperor Liu's purpose was also very clear, which was to show his authority to the people of Jiangnan and declare his determination to rule in this high-profile manner.
Directly staying in Jinling Palace City, Liu Chengyou also visited the original Southern Tang Palace, pavilions, carved beams and painted buildings under the leadership of the Chief Envoy Wang Zhu. It was as magnificent as described in the poem, even if the original palace Most of the wealth and treasures in the palace were transported to Tokyo as trophies, but the empty palace still retains its beauty, allowing people to imagine the grand occasion back then.
"This Jinling palace is certainly beautiful, but it is still a bit stingy. It is not decorated with gold and jade, so it should be ordinary!" After walking around and standing in front of the main hall, Emperor Liu smiled faintly.
As the largest official in Jiangnan Province, Wang Zhu was able to accompany him like a tour guide. Hearing this, he continued: "No matter how rich and prosperous Jiangnan is, it is still a peaceful place. No matter how beautiful the palace buildings and decorations are, how can it be so beautiful?" Is it comparable to the majesty of Tokyo?”
"As the chief official of Jiangnan, you are not afraid of arousing criticism if word spreads about the area you oversee so little?" Emperor Liu chuckled.
Wang Zhu responded seriously and calmly: "I must first be your Majesty's minister, and then I can guard the south of the Yangtze River!"
Looking at this close confidant, the appearance and temperament of the middle-aged man had undergone earth-shaking changes. The only thing that made Emperor Liu feel familiar was the respectful surrender in his eyes.
In front of the main hall, a large number of people stood neatly and solemnly, including accompanying ministers, bureaucrats from Jiangnan, and some scholars from the south. Although a large number of officials and bachelors from the original Jiangnan court were moved to the north, but in the In the south, there are still a large number of famous scholars left.
Noticing Emperor Liu's gaze, the king cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please ascend to the palace. The officials and people in Jiangnan have been longing for your Majesty's grace and majesty for a long time!"
"Then let's go to the palace!" Emperor Liu nodded.
Soon, Emperor Liu went to the palace to sit high, and all the ministers filed in to pay homage. Naturally, this battle could not be compared with the great court meeting in Chongyuan Hall, but the symbolic significance of this court meeting was very important, and it seemed to indicate that Jiangnan had great influence on the emperor and the Han Dynasty. Complete surrender of the imperial court.
...
At night, in the city of Jinling, the lights are still on and the crowds are buzzing. Among the towns and cities, the brothel and Chu Pavilion are still inviting guests and never close their business. They seem to be showing the elegance of Jinling to the lucky emperor. It is not only prosperous during the day, but also wonderful at night. .It is said that in order to welcome the emperor to Jinling, many merchants and wine shops in the city have reduced prices, discounts or even free treats...
The ones accompanying Emperor Liu on the city tour were Concubine Zhou Shu and her daughter. After all, Jianghuai was her hometown. Emperor Liu had specifically agreed to accompany her to enjoy the splendor of the south of the Yangtze River. When he was in Yangzhou, Emperor Liu also specially accompanied her back to her hometown to worship her ancestors. .
Emperor Liu was not very interested in the Jinling Night Market. He just strolled around and admired the southern scenery. What he was concerned about was still how the imperial court ruled Jiangnan and what the attitude of the people was towards the imperial court.
After swimming, he came to the Chief Envoy Si Yamen. Obviously, this was his real destination.
The night was getting late, and with the market as a backdrop, the government office seemed completely silent. In the study, Wang Zhu buried his head, flipping through official documents, holding a pen in one hand and a wine flask in the other... .
The sound of hurried footsteps reminded him that a servant had barged in, which aroused the king's displeasure. However, when he heard that the emperor had arrived in person, he immediately ignored those promises and hurriedly said: "Quick, come with me to welcome him!"
"No need!" The person came and looked up, only to see Emperor Liu entering the house with a peaceful smile on his face, surrounded by guards in regular uniforms.
Seeing this, he didn't care to deal with it. The king stepped forward to greet him: "I came to see your majesty, but I didn't come to greet you. Please forgive me!"
"No courtesy!" Liu Chengyou stretched out his hand and said with a chuckle: "I am an uninvited guest, please forgive me for disturbing you!"
"Your Majesty is serious!" Wang Zhu said hurriedly. He looked at Emperor Liu and led him to his seat. At the same time, he persuaded him: "Your Majesty is on patrol incognito again! I know that Your Majesty likes to personally understand the people's sentiments, but Jinling is not as good as Tokyo. It's nighttime, so it's too risky. If something goes wrong..."
"I know it well!" You can feel Wang Zhu's sincere concern. He stopped him, looked at the official documents on the desk and the wine bottle, and Emperor Liu said: "The wine is still so good!"
Hearing this, Wang Zhu smiled and said: "I can only settle for this cup."
Liu Chengyou raised his eyelids slightly: "Your nickname of 'single-father alcoholic' is quite famous!"
"Your Majesty, I..." Wang Zhu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and replied, "If your Majesty doesn't like it, I can also stop him!"
"Just don't abandon your official duties!" Emperor Liu waved his hand, looked at Wang Zhu who was standing in front of the desk, and said: "Drinking is very harmful to the body, so you need to exercise some control. You are no longer confused, and you are getting better and better. If you are losing weight, you should pay attention to your body!"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!" Wang Zhu seemed a little moved when he heard the emperor's gentle words.
"Up to now, among the Jinshi and officials who have gone out around me, except Wang Pu, you have the highest official position!" Emperor Liu became more serious and said, "Jiangnan is a treasure land, and I regard it as a financial and taxation important place. Land, I put you here just because I want someone I can trust to take care of this rich land for me!"
"I am so valued and promoted by His Majesty. I can only do my duty with all my heart and live up to His Majesty's expectations!" Wang Zhu also responded solemnly.
"Is the summer tax of two million and a half million yuan a heavy burden?" Liu Chengyou asked casually after looking through the official documents Wang had read, which were reports on the summer tax from Suzhou.
In this regard, Wang Zhu seemed very confident: "Returning to your majesty, although I have been in Jiangnan not long ago, I have also visited various states. After nearly five years of recuperation, Jiangnan's agriculture and business have completely recovered, and I dare not compare it with its heyday. But it’s enough to pay this amount of summer tax!”
"Yeah!" Liu Chengyou responded and asked, "In your opinion, what are the other problems with the governance of Jiangnan?"
After hearing the question, Wang Zhu thought about it seriously and replied: "It is still in the hearts of the people! After the imperial court moved away powerful people and suppressed the powerful in the past few years, the atmosphere among the people has changed. .
However, the scholars in Jiangnan were still a huge force that hindered the imperial court's selection system. Although they had to obey the imperial court because of its authority, they were unwilling to accept it.
I believe that if Jiangnan wants to maintain peace and stability, the imperial court should give some preferential treatment to these scholars. After all, their influence among the people is still very great..."
"Preferential treatment? How much more preferential treatment do I need?" Before he finished speaking, Emperor Liu asked directly: "Is the imperial court's selection system unfair? Or do I need to come up with a policy specifically for Jiangnan scholars? You also said that since the people's support can be relied upon, Why worry about anything else!"
After hearing what Emperor Liu said, Wang Zhu was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I'm talking too much!"
"I heard that there are many retained talents among the officials in Jiangnan!" Emperor Liu said: "For example, Chen Qi, the prefect of Jiangning, is a contemporary strongman!"
Mentioning this, Wang Zhu immediately said: "Chen Qi is indeed a talented person. He does not avoid the powerful, despises ghosts and gods, enforces the law like a mountain, and has a good reputation among the people! In the fourth year of Kaibao, he was summoned to Jiangning Mansion!"
"I know!" Emperor Liu smiled lightly: "When the prince returned to Beijing, he once praised this person in front of me!"
After pondering for a while, Emperor Liu said again: "I heard that there are a group of old officials from Jiangnan gathered around Zhong Mo? Do you think they are suspected of forming a party? Will it be difficult for you and this person to govern Jiangnan together?"