In the winter of the eighth year of Jianlong's reign, Suihua City, Andong Kingdom.
In the twelfth lunar month of winter, with nine cold days, the Duck River has already entered the ice age, and the thick ice surface can be used for horse racing. The cold fog is thick, and snowflakes are rolling in. A royal flag is spread out by the river, flying high in the wind. Under the flag, Liu Wenyuan, the king of Anton, is on the third floor, and outside
Wrapped in three layers of ground, she leaned on a walking stick and silently looked at the tourists and travelers coming and going in twos and threes on the ice.
Liu Wenyuan, who is approaching his sixtieth birthday, is already very old. His face with ridges and grooves is full of old age, but the biting cold wind blowing on his face cannot change his face. Under the Feixue dress, his eyebrows and beard are even more crystal white.
, only those eyes sometimes reveal a sharp and awe-inspiring
King Anton, who returned to Suihua from Luoyang, was obviously shaken in spirit and energy, with a sense of depression all over his body. However, such King Anton was not a bad thing for the subjects of Anton.
.
Introverted, calm, tolerant, and modest, these qualities that had been isolated from Liu Wenyuan for decades appeared in him in a way that caught people off guard. In the ice and snow of Anton, King Anton also made people feel it for the first time.
What does it mean to be like a spring breeze?
It turns out that Liu Wenyuan, who is as proud and fierce as Liu Wenyuan, is not without his gentle and easy-going side. However, for Anton's subjects, such a day comes too late, and it obviously cannot last long.
It is already known to everyone that King Anton is old. In fact, the attention of many people and forces has been transferred to the next generation. There is actually no doubt about the inheritance of the throne of Anton. As early as
Twenty years ago, when the eldest son Liu Jitan first came to the throne, Liu Wenyuan established his position as the crown prince, which was documented by Taizong.
Liu Jiqin, the eldest son of Liu Wenyuan, was born in the 24th year of Kaibao (986). His original name was Liu Jikang. After the death of King Liu Xu of Qin, he changed his name to Qin. Qin is also known as "Qin"
Of course, the stability of the crown prince's status depends not only on his own ability, but also on his attitude as a king. In this aspect, Liu Wenyuan's attitude is consistent.
Liu Wenyuan had many heirs. There were seven adult children in total. With so many sons, it was impossible for them to have no idea about the throne. In the past twenty years, various overt and covert battles were fought over the qualifications to inherit the throne, but none of them succeeded.
Shake Liu Jitan's position.
The main reason for this result is Liu Wenyuan's strength. From the fact that he changed his eldest son's name to "Qin", we can see what kind of emotions he placed on this eldest son.
On the other hand, as the crown prince he established himself, if anyone attempts to target or overthrow him, Liu Wenyuan will regard it as contempt and disrespect for his authority, and he will be severely punished, even his son.
Therefore, in the past years, Liu Wenyuan's sons were expelled from the royal city of Suihua one by one, either to guard the border, to govern the people, or simply exiled to the mountains and plains (the third son Liu Jihong was opportunistic and conspired to usurp the throne, and was expelled and exiled by Liu Wenyuan
He became a chief in the Nurgan region in the northeastern part of Anhui Province).
For such a ruthless and powerful father, it is very lucky to be his son. For example, Liu Jitan received almost 80% of Liu Wenyuan's fatherly love. The road under his feet was paved smooth, and all the overt and covert attacks during his growth were blocked;
But it is also unfortunate to be Liu Wenyuan's son. Just look at what life was like for other princes Anton. By the eighth year of Jianlong's reign, only the youngest son Liu Jiyun, who had just grown up, still stayed in Suihua City.
It is also conceivable that Liu Jitan has had a smooth journey along the way, and his position as prince is unshakable. However, such a successor is far less heroic and powerful than his father and ancestors. In contrast, he is more gentle and even
weak.
Of course, only such a weak prince can stay in power for twenty years. Otherwise, if he were to be replaced by someone with an impatient and tough personality, with Liu Wenyuan's fierceness, it would be impossible for father and son to draw swords against each other.
In addition, it is also related to the national policy of Anton under the rule of Liu Wenyuan. For thirty-six years, Liu Wenyuan has been sitting in the royal city, looking at the capital from afar, calming down, dormant and waiting for the weather. Most of his thoughts and energy are spent on
On the growth of Anton, especially the expansion of military strength.
You must know that Anton's military strength has increased at least three to four times compared to when the former king Liu Xu was alive. This is also the fundamental reason why Anton's domestic social conflicts and class pressure are much more serious than in Liu Xu's time. With Anton's national strength
, it is very difficult to maintain a huge army all year round. If it cannot expand externally, it can only squeeze internally.
Under such circumstances, how could Liu Wenyuan allow Anton's meager national power to be consumed in unnecessary internal conflicts over the heir apparent? He wished he could tie all Anton to his chariot and put everyone's thoughts on it.
Focus on developing production and improving national strength. This also led to a tense relationship between Liu Wenyuan and the scholars, even to the point of hostility.
"Your Majesty, the wind and air on the river bank are cold and it is not conducive to recuperation. It is better to return to the palace!" A call brought Liu Wenyuan, who was immersed in himself, back to his senses.
At this time, beside the king, in addition to a group of majestic guards, there were also two ministers, Dinghou Geng Shoujie and Jinghou Bai Yuankang. In addition to the royal family, the Andong Kingdom also had three major families and three major relatives.
The Geng family, the Bai family, and the Liu family came from Liu Xu's mother's family, his wife's family, and Liu Wenyuan's wife's family respectively (in the early years, Liu Xu personally proposed to Liu Wenyuan to marry the wife of Liu Guangyi, the Marquis of Haining).
After decades of development, the Geng, Bai, and Liu clans have become the top dignitaries of the Andong Kingdom, the core of the rule of the Andong Kingdom, and the troika of the Anton royal family in ruling the country.
Of course, with the personalities and skills of Liu Xu and his son, it would obviously not be enough to reach the current heights in the Andong Kingdom if they only relied on their status as relatives. In the past few decades, the three major families have also provided a large number of talents for the development of Anton and the consolidation of royal power.
.
The three major families are indispensable for Anton's success today, and it has become an unavoidable topic in Anton's military and political affairs. Of course, Liu Xu and his son also gave the best reward, at least they can rest with the country of Anton.
To be honest, Liu Wenyuan has suppressed the three major families. Especially in recent years, many older generation civil and military officials from the three major families have either been promoted to official positions or have been relegated to the second line, just because he felt that the three major families have been a hindrance.
Of course he doesn't care about royal power, but he cannot ignore the consideration of future generations.
However, after experiencing the Jurchen Rebellion, he changed his mind, restored trust, and reactivated the three major families. At this time, Geng Shoujie and Bai Yuankang, who accompanied the king, were also the contemporary patriarchs of the two major families, both of whom were less than fifty.
In the prime of life.
It was Geng Shoujie who opened his mouth to persuade. Liu Wenyuan didn't respond for a while. Then Bai Yuankang bowed and raised his hands again and said: "I beg you, your Majesty, to put your body first!"
It was impossible to tell whether what the two said was sincere or polite, but seeing that both of them looked solemn and serious, Liu Wenyuan finally spoke. He raised his skinny right hand, pointed towards the duck river, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Such a river, such a winter scenery, what's the point of taking a look, missing a glance, and blowing some wind?"
"King"
"Speaking of which, I have been in Anton for a full fifty years, and have traveled to and from the river countless times, but I have never observed and appreciated the river so carefully. This is Gu's fault, and it has nurtured me.
Anton is a river for millions of people." Liu Wenyuan suddenly felt like this.
After a pause, Liu Wenyuan's voice became louder, and he turned around and ordered: "According to the order of the Solitary King, from now on, the name of Yaya River will be changed to Huntong River. Every year, the community will hold sacrifices, and the officers and soldiers will worship the river god together!"
"Yes! I will obey the king's orders!" Geng Shoujie and Bai Yuankang looked at each other and hurriedly bowed.
After giving the instructions, Liu Wenyuan looked up again and looked at the two ministers who were standing respectfully beside him. The old tiger's power was still there, and his old eyes made the two ministers feel uneasy and they all bowed down subconsciously.
"What else does your Majesty have to say?" Geng Shoujie asked carefully.
Liu Wenyuan withdrew his gaze, took a long breath of relief, and said quietly: "As Geng, the direct descendants of the Bai clan, you have been suppressed a lot, but for many years, observation has never stopped. During the Jurchen Rebellion, you two, the two clans
The performance did not disappoint me!"
Hearing what Liu Wenyuan said, both of them felt a little unusual. Bai Yuankang immediately said: "I have received the country's favor in this life and have nothing to repay. I can only be loyal and sincere."
"Ahem!" Hearing what the two said, Liu Wenyuan laughed directly and couldn't help coughing a few times: "There is no need to say these hypocritical and polite words in front of me. When the prince succeeds to the throne in the future, I will express my gratitude to him."
Be loyal."
This sentence made the two of them extremely embarrassed. After Liu Wenyuan took a breath, he said in a serious tone: "You two are about the same age as the prince, and you can still support each other for twenty years. Anton will be in the next twenty years."
It’s up to you to work hard in the next year!”
"Your Majesty!" Faced with such an explanation, the two men immediately changed their expressions. No matter what they thought in their hearts, their humility and loyalty must be shown on their faces.
Liu Wenyuan ignored the two of them, coughed a few more times, and ordered the guard general on the other side: "Go back!"
"yes!"
In the middle of winter, Suihua has become an ice city. The decoration of ice and snow makes this majestic city that has been built for fifty years even more magnificent. Today, Suihua City has a permanent population of more than 50,000. If you include the stay in Anton
For business trips, more than 60,000 people are more than enough.
Among the royal cities of the feudal states of the Han Empire, Suihua was second only to Anxi Hezhong and Annan Jiaozhi. It was windy and snowy again. Under the cover of the flying snow, the whole city was darker, but the lights of thousands of houses were still there.
It brings peace and warmth to people in this cold night.
As the royal city of Andong, the officials and people of Suihua had much more abundant means of heating. In addition to traditional charcoal and firewood, coal from Liaodong was also transported north by carloads by merchants to supply the homes of the powerful in Anton.
In the dark night, Liu Wenyuan returned to the palace and met with Mohou Liu Shangyuan. His identity needs no introduction. Although he belongs to a small clan, he is a direct descendant of the Haininghou family of the empire. At the same time, he is also the commander of the Suihua City Guards and controls the
Half of the army in Suihua City. (The army inside and outside Suihua City is divided into three parts, the Forbidden Army, the Central Army and the Guards, more than 10,000 people, each performing their own duties. Among them, the Forbidden Army and the Central Army are all under the direct control of the king)
After about two months of silence, King Anton began to move frequently again, and such obvious changes naturally affected Anton's heart. Obviously, Suihua City in this cold winter will not be peaceful.
After returning to Suihua from Luoyang, Liu Wenyuan actually did not stop in the past year. He did many things and issued many military and political orders. To sum up, they are mainly in three aspects.
First, of course, it was the further purge of the barbarians under the rule of Anton. The negative impact of the Jurchen Rebellion was not so easy to completely eliminate. The major chaos had stopped, but minor chaos continued, and the long public security war continued;
Secondly, regarding the post-war recovery of the Andong Kingdom, Liu Wenyuan vigorously adjusted the "military" policy that had lasted for decades, and changed the course with great force. Reforms have always faced great resistance, but Liu Wenyuan's reforms were very Smoothness is really in line with people's hearts and the current situation;
The third is the most important thing in the policy reform, disarmament! During the Jurchen Rebellion, Anton almost carried out a general mobilization. The total number of regular troops, auxiliary soldiers, and militiamen totaled more than 130,000. After the chaos was quelled, Still maintains the number of 90,000.
After Liu Wenyuan's reduction, the standing army only retained 30,000 people. For the Andong Kingdom, this was obviously an unprecedented change. After reducing the burden of the 50,000 standing army, the soldiers and civilians of the entire Anton country could breathe a sigh of relief. .
At the same time, the fear and precautions of the imperial court can be further reduced. Obviously, after the Jurchen Rebellion, Anton King Liu Wenyuan had a "great enlightenment".
Disarmament is a difficult and dangerous matter. If it is not handled well, it can lead to accidents. Fortunately, even though there are countless things worthy of criticism, Liu Wenyuan is still very powerful in controlling the army.
This matter is obviously of great benefit to the development of the empire, and only Liu Wenyuan promotes its implementation can it be successful. At the same time, due to the Jurchen Rebellion, a certain amount of social wealth was redistributed, allowing the Anton Palace to have enough resources to bribe and appease the disbanded officers and soldiers.
A series of actions all showed that Liu Wenyuan was thinking about Anton's future development. The reality forced him to give up decades of obsession and delusion, set his sights on a longer time latitude, and pin his hopes on on descendants
As he met with Anton's dignitaries, the loyal ministers' actions became more and more frequent. Many people could tell that this was the king's explanation of his funeral affairs, and things were about to change in Anton!
Almost counting the days, when the ninth year of Jianlong was approaching, Prince Anton Liu Jitan was summoned to the dormitory, and father and son talked alone.
The darkness of the palace room could no longer be illuminated by two rows of oil lamps. Liu Wenyuan, lying on the Kang, no longer had the strength and sharpness he had in the past. This time he really looked like a sick tiger that had lost its fangs.
Looking at the prince Liu Jitan who was kneeling in front of the couch with red eyes and tears, Liu Wenyuan couldn't help scolding him: "Why are you crying? I'm not dead yet!"
With one sentence, Liu Jitan immediately put away his worried attitude, wiped his tears vigorously, and listened respectfully to Wang's instructions.
And Liu Wenyuan made the last speech in his life: "When I was a child, I came east with the late king. After twenty years of hard work and hard work, I built the Andong Kingdom. The merits of the late king have been exhausted throughout my life. Hard to reach.
In the 28th year of Kaibao, Gu officially succeeded to the throne and has been in charge of the country for thirty-six years. He considers himself diligent and has never slacked off, but he has no kindness to the people of the country, causing everyone to complain. This is Gu's fault. After you succeed to the throne, you should
Take this as a warning, treat your subjects well, and nourish the people with kindness!
I know that you have no great talents, but if you do these two things, you can stabilize the throne and pass on our country to Zuo. Anton, even he cannot withstand the second Liu Wenyuan."
"Father——"
"Let me finish!" Liu Wenyuan's voice was not loud, but it was enough to show his dissatisfaction at being disturbed. Liu Jitan was so frightened that he immediately shut up: "The legacy of the previous king has been firmly guarded by Gu. You may not have done anything, and your son may not have done anything.
It’s hard to do, but your son still has a son!”
Speaking of this, Liu Wenyuan slowed down, pointed to a clay pot on the table next to him, stared at Liu Jitan, and said in a trembling voice: "I returned from Luoyang alone last year and brought back a pot of soil. I died alone."
After that, he will sacrifice it in the temple and pass it on to future generations. Every king of Andong must take it as his duty to pass on the legacy of the ancestors and the aspirations of the ancestors as his destiny."
"My son, remember the teachings!" Facing the royal father's gaze, Liu Jitan still couldn't hold back his tears and burst into tears.
"Stay back!" After saying these words, which obviously took a lot of energy, Liu Wenyuan slowly lay down and waved his hand feebly.
After the explanation, Liu Wenyuan collapsed, as if the tight string in his heart was broken. He looked at the solid roof of the room and murmured: "I have been preparing for a lifetime, waiting for a lifetime, and finally it was all in vain."
A lifetime, ridiculous! Ridiculous”
When he said this, Liu Wenyuan's eyes couldn't help but shed two tears that had not appeared in thirty-six years: "Dad, I am an unfilial son and an incompetent son. I have let you down after all."
After all, Liu Wenyuan failed to survive the eighth year of Jianlong's reign, and died in Suihua on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month of that year.