Chapter 452 The Western Expedition is finally over
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, after Wang Jien and Yantuo died one after another, Emperor Liu was very sad for two days, and even shed some tears silently in a deserted place. Perhaps it was not the two old slaves he was crying about, but the two old slaves who were crying. It is the memories and good times of the past few decades. After all, those two people really witnessed how Emperor Liu came to the present moment.
Some habits that have lasted for decades cannot be easily changed, nor can they be broken. The person is gone, and Emperor Liu still couldn't help but call Yan Tuo's name when he ordered his servants in the past few days. This not only makes people around me panic, but also adds to the sadness.
The death of Yantuo also had a great impact on Emperor Liu's personal life. It was not difficult to find a replacement. It was difficult to get Emperor Liu to get used to it, but unfortunately, he was not used to it.
The new head of the chamberlain is named Hu De. He is the eunuch of Concubine Zhe Xian of Qiuhua Palace. He was forcibly taken over by Emperor Liu. Obviously, Emperor Liu did not trust this person but Concubine Zhe Xian. Maybe it was because of Concubine Zhe Xian that Emperor Liu trusted him. Even Emperor Liu himself realized that with his old friend withering away, there were very few people who could make him trust him, and Concubine Zhe Xian was one of them.
Because of this incident, Concubine Gao became jealous. After all, Concubine Gao was now in charge of the affairs of the harem. Although she did not have the title of queen, she had the reality. The emperor needed a personal attendant, so he should ask her opinion no matter what. Even if he took a step back, Xian The concubine can train her servants well, but are the people in her Qiuhua Palace not loyal enough to serve the officials well?
Hu De is also a senior eunuch. He is not yet fifty years old. He is young and strong, not to mention "professional quality". More importantly, he has an honest and upright temperament. At first glance, he is someone who came from Xianfei.
However, no matter how good a person is, he is still not a good person. This is the biggest difference. At the same time, Emperor Liu made more rigorous and comprehensive improvements to the system of attendants and supervisors around him. The most basic principle is that no Anyone who approaches the royal couch alone, especially when he is sleeping, will be executed immediately for any reason.
Even if the concubine is summoned to sleep with him, two maids must be watching. Of course, the old emperor's body has long been powerless, and the work has long since ceased. But the principle of the system is like this.
Emperor Liu's various regulations and arrangements reflect a mentality: there are always unscrupulous people who want to harm me. Wang Jien's reminder before his death was very effective. The death of the Liao Emperor Yelv Jing who was assassinated by his slaves was indeed worth it. learn a lesson.
Back then, when the news came, Emperor Liu was already wary and summed up the reasons. Therefore, Emperor Liu was quite generous to the people around him. However, for today's old emperor, even Yantuo and Wang Jien If you kill him, then no one else will be suspicious. Therefore, even if it is more difficult and troublesome, you must be on guard when you need to.
Emperor Liu could accept his death from old age or illness, and would never be willing to die "accidentally" due to some inexplicable reason. I am afraid no one can understand Emperor Liu's mentality in his old age. Similarly, it is also difficult for people to imagine that the old emperor has already The demon was stunned to such a deep level.
Emperor Liu has obviously been in a bad mood recently. He looks depressed and older, like a rotten wood that is about to rot to his heart. But this rotten wood, even if it is rotten, seems to be highly poisonous, making it even more frustrating. People are afraid.
Emperor Liu no longer cared about what others thought, but the feeling of powerlessness became more and more profound to him. But the more this happened, the more he doubted whether he could still convince the ministers, and the more he doubted whether anyone was despising the power of God.
, making trouble, the more he has to make some noise to show his existence.
This kind of mentality is obviously more serious than before, and if you want Emperor Liu to settle down, you may have to wait until he can't stop tossing. Compared with other old emperors who love tossing, the biggest difference between Emperor Liu and Emperor Liu is probably
He is tormenting the nobles and bureaucrats more, while trying not to disturb ordinary people as much as possible.
Of course, this may just be Emperor Liu's inaccurate self-perception. As for the specific situation, look at the current situation in the northwest, southwest, Helong, Gaochang, and Sichuan-Tibet areas, and you will have the answer. Even in Anton
, without the imperial court's blood supply support, and without Liu Xu's hard work with great perseverance and great talent, Anton may not be in the current stable situation, and it is very likely to be another bleeding point for the Han Dynasty.
Emperor Liu obviously did not fully understand this point, so every time he was silent for a period of time, he couldn't help but jump out and make trouble. The older he gets, the calmer and calmer he was in his youth. This is the truth.
The fifth day of March is only one day away from Emperor Liu's birthday. Jiaqing Festival is celebrated every year, but in recent years it has not been celebrated due to various reasons, and the overall atmosphere is not in place. But this year, it is obviously
A lot of things have been done, and it seems that I want to get rid of the bad luck through a happy birthday.
Of course, the most important thing is that this is Emperor Liu's fifty-ninth birthday and he has officially entered his sixtieth year. It has certain special characteristics, so it is natural for him to organize it in a big way.
The interior of the palace is already immersed in a festive atmosphere. There are lights and decorations everywhere, birthday banners are posted, please sweep the palace streets, and the whole scene is busy. Of course, the same is true for the entire Xijing City, and even the entire Han Dynasty.
At least from the public opinion report of the new imperial envoy Zhang Bin, it can be seen that the people of Gyeonggi are "joyfully celebrating the occasion and happily celebrating birthdays", and the people of Luoyang City are all smiling, which is much more lively than in the palace.
It is a natural thing for Zhang Bin to succeed Wang Jien as the Imperial City Envoy. After all, a major and traumatic change has just occurred. There has been a major breakthrough in regulations and powers. A major adjustment requires a person with sufficient qualifications and familiarity with affairs.
The person in charge of the situation was not suitable for another person, so after many years of marriage, Zhang Bin was able to straighten himself up and become the new envoy of the imperial city, becoming another influential figure inside and outside the palace.
There is only half a level difference between the deputy envoy and the chief envoy. However, when you actually sit in that position, you can feel the huge difference. Of course, Zhang Bin dare not get too carried away at the moment. After all, Wang Jien's end was bloody.
Learning from the past, he did not have as deep a master-servant relationship as Wang Jien and Emperor Liu. At least he did not dare to be too out of touch when he first took office. He was calm, conscientious, and put on a diligent attitude.
The sunshine in late spring was particularly bright, making people feel very happy. Emperor Liu, leaning on a bamboo stick, strolled among the royal roads in the palace and city, accompanied by Prince Liu Yang.
The bamboo cane in his hand has been used for almost two years. Even though it is made of high-quality materials and carefully maintained, it still looks old. Perhaps it is because it has been used so well that Emperor Liu is reluctant to replace it.
The bamboo stick was propped on the ground, making a clicking sound, while Emperor Liu kept talking to Liu Yang: "I heard that you plan to arrange for Wang Ming to be the chief envoy of Gyeonggi Province?"
"Yes! I want to ask His Majesty for your approval on this matter!" Liu Yang nodded and explained the reason for the policy: "Princes and princes are the pillars of the country, loyal and diligent, and have great achievements in hard work. Although the disadvantages of Hexi are wrong, they are understandable, so
After discussion, I thought that I could take charge of Gyeonggi Province to appease my veterans for their meritorious service."
Liu Yanggang did a big thing. Together with Zhao Pu, he officially promoted the action of "stopping the Western Expeditions" and implemented it. This was a real major event for the Han Dynasty court, officials and people. In fact,
After suffering from its ills for a long time, it is not hundreds or thousands of people who want to overthrow it, but tens of thousands.
To implement this matter and formally issue an edict to inform the world, this first requires the approval of Emperor Liu. Obviously, after Wang Yucheng's previous representations, Emperor Liu's attitude softened and was shaken. However, both Liu Yang and Zhao Pu were too
Being familiar with Emperor Liu, in order to be considerate of the "old man's" heart and to reduce Emperor Liu's suspicion, the conclusions drawn by Liu Yang and Zhao Pu also highlighted a "flexibility".
Stopping the Western Expedition does not mean that we will completely ignore Anxi and the Western Expedition Army. What has changed is the political concept and the adjustment of the support. At least, from now on, we can no longer draw blood from the country and the people without restrictions.
Supplies support operations in Anxi.
At the same time, many of the policies that tired the people and the many abuses and even outright crimes that resulted from the Western Expedition must be gradually sorted out. Exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes such as the "Four Expeditions" must be abolished. The court needs to appease
The most serious situation is undoubtedly the Helong area.
This is obviously a big project, and there are many people who oppose the Western Expedition. Due to the revelation of the intention to enfeoff, the number has doubled in the past two years. Emperor Liu was not unaware of the pressure before.
There is one thing that Emperor Liu himself is not willing to admit, which is that from the beginning of the enfeoffment, it meant the separation of the feudal state and the imperial court, and this separation will only become farther and farther away as time goes by, rather than getting closer.
, this is related to interests and humanity, rather than personal feelings and will.
There are also many people who support the Western Expedition. This is a matter of political stance. In the roughly ten years of the Western Expedition, a large number of bureaucrats, military officers, and merchants emerged and gained a lot of benefits. When the imperial court changed, it was
their cheese.
The strength of these people is naturally much weaker than that of the opposition, but they are newer and more cohesive. To a certain extent, they are backed by the Anxi army. Their power cannot be underestimated, so they also need to be appeased.
Wang Ming is one of the most representative characters, a big boss. Wang Ming's conclusion can also be seen as a signal. Of course, the most important thing is to take Emperor Liu's feelings into consideration.
After all, in the final analysis, the Western Expedition mainly reflected the will of the old emperor. Such a "compromising" approach, rather than criticizing and completely killing the Western Expedition, was to save face for Emperor Liu. Compromise The target is not the interest groups that rely on the Western Expedition, but the old emperor. Otherwise, no matter what small group, they will not be able to withstand the heavy blow of the imperial court.
The imperial court's change of attitude does not mean that it has given up its support for the Western Expedition. After all, there are still several princes and grandsons in Anxi. It only changes from full support to limited support, from disregarding everything to returning the focus to the country and using the imperial government's finances. Safety, the livelihood and well-being of officials and people come first.
Outside of the official government, Emperor Liu himself provided financial support from internal funds, and no one could control it. If there were righteous people who went west to Anxi to make a living, or ordinary people who went to Anxi to seek a living, the imperial court also supported it. If there were nobles or officials who were younger brothers, they would go to Anxi to work hard. , earning a fiefdom is even more desirable.
All kinds of exiled criminals can still be transported to Anxi. If in a disaster year, the victims are willing to go to Anxi, the court will still formulate measures to support them in a timely manner.
Some people even suggested that local governments could come forward to organize and call on the county gentry and the common people to actively donate money to support Anxi. However, this was decisively rejected by Liu Yang without any hesitation.
Having been in power for many years, Liu Yangke is very clear about the nature of those bureaucrats. If he really wants to use such a trick, he is afraid that it will not be long before it turns into a bad government again. "Donate money" can be turned into a bad government with a little effort. It is a miscellaneous tax item, and the tax collected will most likely not be used in the nominal Anxi.
Helong's bad government is exactly the same as this. This is what Wang Long, the governor of Lanzhou, did. Less than 10% of the large amount of materials and funds raised in the name of supporting the Western Expedition was invested in Anxi, and the remaining 90% was spent by the superiors and subordinates. It's all divided
It is precisely because of these fully considered and balanced measures that Emperor Liu did not say much about the decision to stop the Western Expedition, but tacitly supported it. Now, in the appointment of Wang Ming, he once again considered the old man. The emperor felt it, and Emperor Liu also felt the respect, and a smile naturally appeared on his ugly old face.
Glancing at Liu Yang, Emperor Liu said: "Wang Mingguo is an important minister who is honest and capable, and has great achievements in hard work. Although he is responsible for the ineffective supervision of Hexi's shortcomings, the reason for such evils and harm to the people must be those corrupt bugs. You have to understand these situations clearly.
There are really not many high-level officials in the imperial court today who are capable of civil and military service, and Wang Ming is one of them. With his qualifications and merits, he would have been able to become the prime minister long ago. It was I who suppressed him and asked him to serve in Hexi. I'll fix the leak.
In these years, without Wang Ming in Hexi, how could Liu Min have achieved such achievements in Anxi?
I owe Wang Ming a debt, even if I am appointed to the capital, it is not that high!"
Hearing the old emperor's words full of recognition and appreciation for Wang Ming, Liu Yang couldn't help but feel a little ripple in his heart. You must know that Emperor Liu severely reprimanded Wang Ming back then and almost dismissed him from office.
Today's trust and respect, in Liu Yang's interpretation, may still be the same problem. The "origin and end" of the Western Expedition. What Emperor Liu cares about is his own face and authority.
However, judging from his attitude, his decision to deal with Zhao Pu this time was correct and quite satisfactory.
"I have had several conversations with the prince. I am indeed very experienced in governing and controlling the people. I have a lot to learn from!" Liu Yang lowered his head slightly and said humbly.