Emperor Liu Yang sat upright behind the imperial desk, concentrating and meticulously reading the memorials presented in the political affairs hall.
The sky in early spring still gets dark very quickly, and the lights in the imperial palace have already been lit by the chamberlains. The master of the big man has changed, and the entire empire is undergoing some not-so-obvious but real changes. Even the palace's
The temperament has undergone an intuitive change.
The light and atmosphere of the palace have become dimmer than before. Unlike Emperor Shizu who liked to light dozens or hundreds of candles and oil lamps around him at any time, Liu Yang directly cut down the number of lamps by 70% after he succeeded to the throne.
, to save resource waste.
This is not just the Chui Gong Palace, but the entire palace. Not only the use of candles and oil lamps, but also all palace expenses. The extravagance and waste that were once allowed were put on hold by Liu Yang and he implemented strict frugality.
, avoiding waste was also a new requirement Liu Yang, the new emperor, put forward for the palace management of the Han Dynasty.
The reduction of palace staff has also been put on the agenda, and the first batch of palace staff planned to be released or dismissed will reach 5,000 people.
What has to be said is that by the time Liu Yang ascended the throne, there were more than 30,000 people in the palaces, palaces, temples, attendants and attendants in the Ziwei Palace in Luoyang alone. If the people left behind in palaces in Tokyo and other places are included, then
It immediately exceeded 40,000 people.
This number has increased almost a hundred times compared to the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. You must know that when Emperor Shizu ascended the throne, all the eunuchs and palace officials in the Kaifeng Imperial City totaled only three to four hundred people.
Even around 20 years after Kaibao was opened, the number of palace people did not expand to the current level. Now it seems that the number of palace people that was bleak a few decades ago is the foundation for the establishment of a dynasty and the foundation for an emperor to rejuvenate a country.
The beginning of the rule.
Therefore, when Liu Yang decided to reduce the palace expenses and eliminate the size of the palace staff, and implemented it in action, the response was enthusiastic. Except for some eunuchs and palace maids who were unwilling to be removed, almost the entire government and the public praised it.
There is no reason not to praise, after all, Liu Yang's actions are really the standard behavior of a wise king. However, the most direct reason for Liu Yang's actions, in addition to refreshing the customs of the Han Dynasty step by step, is to save money and support such a wealthy family.
People with multiple houses consume too much resources...
At the same time, mediocre people will only follow others' opinions and sing praises to praise the benevolence of the sage, while the keen people can see that behind these measures, the new emperor has the intention to correct the political conduct of the Han Dynasty and the people.
Political things are often not as simple as they appear on the surface, and the higher you go, the more so. When the emperor begins to take the lead in self-discipline and frugality, it will inevitably have a huge impact on the court and the country, and some of the impact will have on the current Han Dynasty
It may not be popular with the powerful.
Unless the emperor only disciplines himself and not others, it is obvious that judging from his past performance, Liu Yang is not a master who will indulge his subordinates. In terms of moral and legal requirements, he is even stricter than Emperor Shizu.
Compared with advocating frugality and the "superficial efforts" of the Qing Dynasty palace officials, the dignitaries of the Han Dynasty obviously hope that the new emperor can be more conscious about the self-restraint of imperial power. However, for an emperor with a deep foundation like Liu Yang, it is not possible.
It’s a big reality.
The dim light casts Liu Yang's figure on the curtain wall behind the throne. Unlike Emperor Shizu's back, which is always described with words such as majestic and sacred, Liu Yang does not have such a strong influence, but his back
But it can give people a sense of solidity and peace of mind, rather than pure awe and fear. This is perhaps the biggest difference between Liu Yang and Emperor Shizu.
The biggest change that has occurred since Liu Yang ascended the throne is the inexplicable self-confidence that lingers in him. This is an external self-confidence that has not appeared in him for decades. After all,
There is no one in the whole world who can roughly influence his will and change his decision unreasonably.
In the final analysis, it is the changes brought about by power. Although Liu Yang behaved very restrainedly as always, his career as emperor for only half a year has already made Liu Yang intoxicated. This is a supreme feeling that is difficult to share with others.
"Officials, the Chief Minister of Liaodong, Murong Defeng, wants to see you!" Zheng Yuan, the leader of the chamberlain, stepped inside and reported to Liu Yang.
If we say that at that time, there were only two people who were most trusted by Liu Yang, one was Ma Huaiyu and the other was Murong Defeng. Needless to say, Ma Huaiyu was raised in the palace since he was a child, and his relationship with Liu Yang
Not brothers, but more like brothers.
As for Murong Defeng, even when he was in the East Palace in his early years, he was Liu Yang's closest minister. He relied on him as a confidant and treated him as a buttock. He was forbidden to go in and out, and talked about everything.
At the top of the power pyramid of the new dynasty, Liu Yang naturally could not forget Murong Defeng. In fact, the last phase was reserved for Murong Defeng. What he said to Li Shaoyou at the Shou Kingdom Palace that day was naturally
Don't mean what you say.
Upon hearing Murong Defeng's request for an audience, Liu Yang's serious expression softened a lot, and even showed a slight smile, and immediately called for him.
"Your Majesty, Murong Defeng, comes to see you!" Murong Defeng entered the palace to pay homage. Although Murong Defeng was reserved, there was a sense of spring breeze in his steps. This was of course brought about by Liu Yang's accession to the throne.
"Okay, no need to be too polite." To Murong Defeng, Liu Yang was very kind to others: "Come, please give me a seat!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Murong Defeng straightened up, observed Liu Yang for a while, and looked at the memorials divided into two stacks on the imperial case. After sitting down, he said with emotion: "Your Majesty is so hardworking and diligent in government, it is really impressive.
I am ashamed of myself!"
"It's not easy to work hard!" Liu Yang shook his head and said softly: "If you want to achieve something and benefit the country, it will be worth it even if you work ten times harder!"
"The honey water just prepared by the palace servants is delicious. You should try it too!" Liu Yang picked up a bowl of clear honey water, took a sip, and signaled to Zheng Yuan who was waiting.
Murong Defeng saw this and thanked him again.
Liu Yang looked at Murong Defeng. This confidant was only two years older than him, but the white hair on his temples looked so obvious at this moment. In a daze, Liu Yangfang realized that people of his generation
His age is not too young either.
Putting away the strange emotions in his heart, Liu Yang smiled at Murong Defeng and said, "Rixin is here, what do you mean?"
Facing Liu Yang's gaze, Murong Defeng also took a sip of the palace's secret honey water, feeling the sweet taste, and then said: "Luoyang City is particularly lively today. I wonder if your majesty has heard about it?"
"Oh?" Liu Yang seemed to have heard nothing and said casually: "In Luoyang City, there are countless lively things to see every day in the imperial court. It's just that I can make you Murong Rixin care about it and mention it to me in person.
, it’s not that interesting anymore, let’s talk about it!”
Murong Defeng's eyelids drooped slightly and he whispered: "It's hard to say it's interesting, but I suggest that Your Majesty should pay attention to it. After all, it's a very important matter!"
Hearing this, Liu Yang curled up the corners of his mouth slightly and said, "There's no need to beat around the bush, there's no harm in speaking out!"
Looking at the emperor, Murong Defeng pondered for a moment, and then said: "Two things. One, there was a conflict between King Kangju and Liu Fuyin's family in Kaifeng, killing people in the street, and the whole city was in an uproar; second, King Andong sent an invitation
, Invite all the kings to gather at Taihe Tower for a secret meeting."
When Murong Defeng mentioned the two matters, Liu Yang remained calm, with a slight smile on his lips, and asked casually: "What do you think of these two matters?"
Seeing this, Murong Defeng frowned slightly and said with some seriousness: "The first thing is, no matter what the reason is, killing someone in the street is against the law. King Kang Ju's brazen act was a violation of the law knowingly and provoking the imperial court.
, must be punished and treated with justice;
As for the second thing, isn't Your Majesty curious about what the kings talked about in the Tower of Supreme Harmony?"
Obviously, Murong Defeng was more concerned about the second thing, and after noticing his expression, Liu Yang did not say anything for a moment, but stood up, walked to a cabinet in the palace where secret files were stored, took out the key, and took it out after a few movements
A secret report.
"Look!"
After receiving the secret report, Murong Defeng quickly flipped through it, and his face soon showed surprise. This was a report from the Imperial City Division, and the content was the specific content of the gathering of the kings of Taihe Tower during the day.
The key points of everyone's conversations were recorded in detail, covering more than twenty pages.