Chapter 55 How virtuous and capable am I, Zhao Kuangyin?
The autumn wind and autumn rain make people sad, but this autumn of the thirteenth year of Kaibao, Emperor Liu did not feel this way. In the past, he was always melancholy in autumn, and he groaned a lot. Therefore, this year, Emperor Liu decided to change his mood and live a happy life.
Gotta be more chic.
While the civil and military ministers at the center of the imperial court were promoting the reform of the military system in an orderly manner, Emperor Liu seemed very relaxed when he stayed in the Han Palace. For him, now that the big policy had been decided, there were detailed implementation plans and specific responsibilities.
Officials, and under the personal supervision of important military officials such as Zhao Pu and Cao Bin, he does not need to hold on to the rest of the matter and just pay attention to it regularly.
Therefore, in the days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Liu lived a very lively life, spending his days relaxing, practicing calligraphy, reading, listening to history, and taking care of his children.
From time to time, some meritorious officials were summoned to the palace to keep company, have a drink, chat, talk about the past and present, and talk about the world. Of course, those who were summoned were basically veterans and generals, and they were relegated to the second line, and there were no meritorious officials who held actual positions in the court.
, such as Guo Wei, Fu Yanqing, Xiang Xun, Wang Quanbin, Zhao Kuangyin, Wang Yansheng and others.
It is also a great pleasure for monarchs and ministers to chat together and reminisce about the glorious past. Of course, this is only for Emperor Liu personally. Today, Emperor Liu has no one who can communicate with him calmly. In the whole world, Empress Fu is probably the only one who can "normally"
"De said frankly, but even Empress Fu would pay attention to her attitude and tone.
In Emperor Liu's view, these heroes and nobles had retreated behind the scenes, and they might have been emotionally hurt, so he personally entertained them, showed concern, comforted their hearts, and showed his closeness to show that neither he nor the court had forgotten them.
On the other hand, Emperor Liu was still very concerned about what these aristocratic heroes were doing after they retired. Although there were secret agencies to help keep an eye on it, it was second-hand after all, and the ministers had learned to be smart.
No matter how pervasive Ren Huangcheng Si is, after so many years of adaptation, he has already learned to deal with it, and it is difficult to completely monitor him.
In addition, Emperor Liu always had reservations about second-hand information. He never believed or believed anything. In some cases, he had to experience it with his own eyes before he could know. Whether he was cautious or suspicious, this was his usual behavior.
style.
Of course, the result may just be a kind of peace of mind that deceives oneself and others. The most unpredictable thing is the human heart. Emperor Liu did not really have a pair of eyes that can see everything. As for Emperor Liu's "care", even Wang Yansheng could not learn from it.
Well behaved, not to mention those noble and sophisticated people.
The people who retreated behind the scenes were old or sick, but one Zhao Kuangyin was the most special. He was in his prime and had no serious health problems, but he had to be depressed.
Before starting the Northern Expedition, it may be called a normal "rest". After a period of rest, there will be an opportunity to use it again. The head coach of the Eastern Route Army during the Northern Expedition is proof of this.
But since the end of the Kaibao Northern Expedition, Zhao Kuangyin has basically entered a state of complete retirement. No matter what it looks like on the surface or what others think, Emperor Liu chose to completely abandon Zhao Kuangyin.
It was caused by many reasons. First, Concubine Zhao entered the East Palace and gave birth to the prince's only son. Second, Zhao Kuangyi. If Emperor Liu wanted to use him, he would have to restrict Zhao Kuangyin. It was not uncommon for brothers and sons to share the same dynasty, which was not uncommon in the Han Dynasty.
For example, the brothers Lu Yin and Lu Duan, and the famous Five Dragons of the Dou family, but they are all civil servants and there is no comparison.
The third, most important and fundamental factor is the "historical" factor. In the past, Emperor Liu was confident and even arrogant. He felt that he could control the world and control the heroes. He dared to use any "emperor or general" you had, and
To a certain extent, use it without any doubt.
However, as he grew older, that kind of mentality gradually dissipated, replaced by suspicion and worry. For Emperor Liu, the Zhao brothers were naturally the most suspicious objects. After all, "history" serves as a guide
.
Why did the emperor become suspicious when he got old? It was not only the change in mentality, but also the aging of the body. This would make him feel that his control was insufficient and even doubt himself. The wiser the lord, the more so. In the past,
Confidence often turns into arrogance in old age.
Emperor Liu seems to be gradually developing in that direction, and it is not surprising that he thinks too much when he is free. He also has enough time to pay attention to these things.
Emperor Liu remained vigilant and suspicious, and as a result, Zhao Kuangyin's political career basically came to an end. Even if he had a prominent position, influence, and the title of cabinet bachelor, it was meaningless. Without real power, it was difficult to call him
A real man.
For such a situation, it would be impossible to say that Zhao Kuangyin had no thoughts or complaints in his heart. For a hero with great ambitions, it was a tragedy that he was shelved early and had nowhere to show his talents.
From Chongzheng Hall, Zhao Kuangyin respectfully exited, walked down the imperial steps with slow steps, and left the palace. There was still a little obvious drunkenness on his face, but his steps were steady and his expression showed a little bit of drunkenness.
The anguish and sighs are all silent.
Emperor Liu came to him for a drink again. Although Zhao Kuangyin was famous for his good wine, drinking with the emperor became more and more depressing, boring and uneasy.
In fact, Zhao Kuangyin has been feeling quite depressed in the past few years. When he self-examines himself, he inevitably falls into self-doubt. He is very confused about why the emperor only targets himself with so many meritorious officials.
If in the past, all Emperor Liu's fears and vigilance were hidden in his psychology, then judging from the situation in recent years, some traces have been revealed. Others may not know it, but Zhao Kuangyin himself knows it clearly and truly.
Feel.
For a while, Zhao Kuangyin felt that it was only Emperor Liu who was suppressing and restraining the Xungui Group. After all, he was also considered a prominent figure among the Xungui Group. But later he discovered that it was really just Zhao Kuangyin who was targeting him. And this targeting, for Zhao Kuangyin,
, and indeed a bit heavy.
What Zhao Kuangyin has always been unable to let go of is that in terms of merit, qualifications, and prestige, he is not the only one among the nobles. If he did not have the experience of being the commander of the Northern Expedition, his reputation would be lower, at least not the same as that of Kaibao.
Murong Yanzhao, Chai Rongbi shoulders.
As a relative, there are many who are still active in the military and political circles of the Han Dynasty. Gao Huaide was transferred to Anton not long ago and served as deputy to King Liu Xu of Qin. In terms of family background and performance in battles, Zhao Kuangyin did not think that he could surpass Gao Huaide.
.
Looking back carefully on the past, Zhao Kuangyin also discovered that Emperor Liu had always paid special attention to him. He was promoted from a mid- to low-level officer in the Forbidden Army to Ban Zhi of the Guards, and later he was promoted many times and entrusted with important tasks, including
The extraordinary leap of rank could originally be regarded as Emperor Liu's love for talents, but now it seems that the root cause is still that special "attention".
It is understandable that he was initially afraid of Guo Wei and asked him to retire early. After all, Emperor Liu's position was not yet stable at that time, and he resorted to tricks against all the founding officials.
Even Murong Yanzhao and Chai Rong, who were known as contemporary Dukes of Guards and Heroes, were probably more famous than themselves, but Emperor Liu always showed his trust.
This is also what puzzles Zhao Kuangyin the most. How virtuous and capable is Zhao Kuangyin?
Of course, what Zhao Kuangyin didn't know was that if Chai Rong was in better health or lived a few more years, his life wouldn't be much better than his...