Ever since the enthronement ceremony, the Taiyuan Palace has been busy all the time. The eunuchs and eunuchs in the palace have decorated the palace with lanterns and colorful decorations, preparing for the night banquet.
The two brothers Liu Chengxun and Liu Chengyou were also very busy. Liu Chengxun was assigned the job of Palace Envoy and was temporarily in charge of the affairs of the Taiyuan Palace. As for Liu Chengyou, after welcoming Li into the palace, he was temporarily appointed as the Imperial City Envoy and was ordered to The elite troops from Jinyang were selected and stationed in Taiyuan Palace to guard the palace city.
It can be seen from Liu Zhiyuan's arrangements that the ones Liu Zhiyuan trusts the most at the moment are his two sons. However, the selection of the Palace Guards and Imperial Guards cannot be completed in a short time. Liu Chengyou was directly transferred to the Xingjie and Wujie armies. Four battalions of elite soldiers plus the original bodyguards were gathered to garrison the imperial palace.
After Liu Chengyou made arrangements and completed his inspection tour, night had fallen. He walked out of the palace without haste and put on new clothes. He picked up Geng and went into the palace for the banquet.
In Taiyuan Palace, with the main hall as the center, the lights are brightly lit and people are buzzing.
"Second brother, you are finally here!" Among the civil and military officials, Liu Chengxun's face was glowing. When he saw Liu Chengyou, he immediately came up to greet him.
"Yeah!" He nodded to Liu Chengxun. Liu Chengyou wanted to smile, but maybe he had been autistic for a long time and couldn't laugh. On the other hand, Geng, who was showing up for the first time, saluted Liu Chengxun nervously.
There was a seat for civil and military women, Liu Chengyou gestured towards it, and Geng went there obediently.
"Have the palace guards been arranged?" Liu Chengxun asked.
He raised his eyelids and glanced at Liu Chengxun. Liu Chengyou replied: "They are all Xingjie, the elite of the Wujie Second Army. Brother, don't worry!"
After making a haha, Liu Chengxun laughed and said: "Erlang always makes people feel at ease when he does things..."
The two brothers exchanged a few words and each sat down. Liu Chengyou's mood was extremely stable, but he couldn't help but feel something strange in his heart. He, the eldest brother, seemed to be interested in the "army".
The atmosphere in the main hall seemed very lively and noisy, like a vegetable market. Shi Hongzhao and other generals had already started eating and drinking at the banquet. Yang Fang and other civil servants were a little more reserved, but limited. , but they all seemed quite excited.
When the new dynasty was first established, the economic structure was not yet perfect, especially the Hedong generals who occupied most of the main hall, and they did not know how to observe etiquette. Like Shi Hongzhao, this guy probably prided himself on his contribution to the establishment, and his face was already a little restrained. He can't help but be arrogant and drunk, but he doesn't care about his image at all.
Liu Chengyou was quiet and solemn. Faced with such a noisy scene, he couldn't help but frown.
It was not until Liu Zhiyuan and Li appeared together that the whole hall became quiet, and they all worshiped together.
Liu Zhiyuan was wearing a purple dragon robe. At this moment, his usual seriousness was gone from his face, and he was full of high spirits, as if he was several years younger. Mrs. Li also put on a phoenix skirt, with a smile at the corner of her mouth, making her look even more graceful and luxurious.
Liu Zhiyuan seemed to be very tolerant of the wanton rudeness of the officials in the palace. Perhaps the joy of proclaiming himself emperor was enough for him to ignore these details. He waved his hand to everyone and continued the banquet without courtesy.
The atmosphere in the palace reached a climax from the beginning, with cups and cups constantly changing between civil and military officials.
"Masters!" Liu Zhiyuan stood up at the right time, held the wine glass, walked a few steps in the palace, and said: "I humbled myself to be the emperor, and it was only because of the sincerity and support of all of you. I hereby express my respect to you all. Let’s share a cup! All of you, pick up the wine glasses in your hands and drink this cup with me! Please!”
"Your Majesty, please!" A group of people responded in unison to show their dignity.
After drinking one glass, a waiter immediately brought another glass of wine. Liu Zhiyuan became more interested, looked around, and said loudly: "Today, the Khitan still occupies the two capitals, barbarians are rampant, and bandits are rampant. Just as we are determined to forge ahead, bring order to chaos, and make great achievements.
On this occasion, I also hope that you and I will work together to help the world, so that the people of the country will be eager to govern!"
"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and with your leadership, he will be able to drive out the barbarians, clear up the world, and restore peace to our Chinese people!" After Liu Zhiyuan finished speaking, Yang Bin immediately stood up and agreed.
Liu Zhiyuan's face glowed red: "I will do it first out of respect!"
The atmosphere between the monarch and his ministers was warm and harmonious. Liu Zhiyuan did not continue to speak righteous words, but with the strength of the wine, he also expressed that the contributions of all ministers were kept in mind and they would not be repaid, and he led everyone to look forward to the future.
The prospect of Ban expelling the Khitans and pacifying the Central Plains is like this.
Liu Zhiyuan was not good at talking on weekdays and did not talk much. He said a few words impromptuly, then went back to his seat to have a drink, and then ordered Liu Chengxun to toast to the civil and military officials on his behalf.
Liu Chengxun actively agreed and communicated enthusiastically with the civil and military officials of the new dynasty. With his status as the eldest son of the emperor and his friendship with the Ba family, he seemed to be "like a fish in water".
In contrast, Liu Chengyou sat aside silently, pouring and drinking.
Looking at his brother's smiling face, with the noise of the banquet filling his ears, Liu Chengyou's eyes suddenly became blurred. Although he didn't want to admit it, he was convinced that he was jealous.
He lives a low-key life and does things in a high-profile manner. He worked hard for a long time in front of Liu Zhiyuan and Hedong Wenwu, but in the end, it was still his eldest brother Liu Chengxun who was remembered and flattered as much as possible.
A sour taste spreads in my heart...
However, not everyone ignored Liu Chengyou. There were not many people who toasted to him, but his status was not as high as that of Yang Bin, Wang Zhang and others. However, not many people were remembered by Liu Chengyou.
.
In addition to Zhang Yanwei, there was Su Fengji, Wang Jun, and two people who surprised him a little. Needless to say, Guo Wei, the other one was Liu Zhiyuan's confidant, Hedong Observation Judge Su Yugui.
Su Yugui is not young, he is a good-natured man, and he seems to be a kind-hearted elder. He comes from a scholarly family, has a good family background, and is well versed in Confucianism and etiquette. If there are a few people under Liu Zhiyuan who are outstanding in knowledge, Su Yugui should be the leader.
Liu Chengyou had no friendship with Su Yugui before, but tonight he took the initiative to propose a toast and said some compliments. The flattering look on Zhang Ruhe's face could not be hidden from Liu Chengyou's eyes. Liu Chengyou was naturally calm and calm.
Yes, the elder took the initiative to show his kindness, but it was inconvenient to change his mind.
"Your Highness, you don't seem to be very interested, why are you so unhappy?" Guo Wei, on the other hand, finished his glass, stayed for a while, and took the initiative to talk to Liu Chengyou. The change in address was very natural.
Liu Chengyou couldn't help but be surprised by this behavior. He looked up at Guo Wei and saw that his face was rosy and his eyes were clear but subtle, and he glanced in the direction of Liu Chengxun and the ministers.
"The emperor's father has ascended the throne, the new dynasty has been established, and the monarch, his subjects, the army and the people are enjoying themselves. I can't help but feel happy..." Pulling himself together, Liu Chengyou toasted to invite him and said calmly.
Guo Wei naturally responded and said with a chuckle: "Your Highness is right, but he was so drunk that he was dazzled and said the wrong thing."
After drinking the last sip of wine from the glass, Liu Chengyou stared at Guo Wei and said somewhat seriously: "Among the Hedong civil and military people, who has an insight into world affairs and a clear mind, maybe you are General Guo!"
Liu Chengyou said "drunk talk", but Guo Wei was stunned and quickly shook his head: "Your Highness is ridiculous, you can't be the last general."
"That's right!" After a few words, the negative emotions in Liu Chengyou's heart were completely suppressed, and he suddenly stared at Guo Wei: "I heard that General Guo has three sons?"
"Exactly." Guo Wei was a little confused.
"I am short of talents under my command. I heard that the general's adopted son Guo Rong is prudent and honest, and has both civil and military skills. Would you like to give up your love and transfer him to serve under my command?" Liu Chengyou said softly.
His brows suddenly furrowed, but looking at Liu Chengyou's already calm face, he felt suspicious in his heart. Without any hesitation, Guo Wei still cupped his hands and said: "It is Quanzi's blessing to be able to work under His Highness."
"Okay!" Liu Chengyou's voice was slightly higher and he raised his glass again: "General Guo, please."