Liu An pursed his lips, not knowing how to explain.
However, Empress Lu had no intention of asking further questions. She just looked at her grandson with a smile, "Very good, very good. It's less bookish and more evil... This is what your elder and uncle have."
, you lacked something before, but now you have made up for it!"
Empress Lu rubbed An's head lovingly, "You haven't eaten anything good for so long, right? What do you want to eat? I'll have someone prepare it for you now."
Liu An took out wheat rice from his arms, which is currently the most popular food at the bottom.
When Emperor Gao first founded the country, the world's food was mainly millet. By Liu Chang's time, because Liu Chang himself liked to eat wheat, there were rumors among the people: "Eating wheat makes people strong", so wheat food gradually began to eat wheat.
The status of the first staple food is wheat, and ministers prefer to eat wheat porridge. As for this wheat rice, it is eaten by the people at the bottom. This thing is dry rice and does not need to be ground. The preparation method is simple and easy, and it is easy to preserve.
This taste, generally speaking, still needs to be improved. It is because of the roughness that the officials of the Han Dynasty would definitely eat a bite of wheat rice if they wanted to show off their diligence and frugality. Those sages who lived in seclusion also used wheat rice to show themselves.
Fresh and refined.
The moment Empress Lu saw the wheat rice, she laughed, "Embarrassed? I haven't seen him for a long time...Give me some!"
Liu An was overjoyed. Maifan is an elegant name. Among the people, people call this thing "embarrassing". This word can tell what the taste of this thing is. The eldest mother actually also knows this name. He is very happy.
After handing some wheat rice to the eldest mother, Empress Lu bit into it happily.
"It still tastes the same, it hasn't changed..."
"Auntie actually knows?"
"Do you think I was born in this palace like you? At home, it was hard to even eat a piece of cake, and I was always embarrassed all day long..." Queen Lu slowly said that it didn't count at first.
It was a very prosperous life, especially after marrying Liu Bang. I farmed with my family, but that guy was idle and playing outside all day long.
Liu An ate wheat rice and listened to his eldest mother talk about the past. He felt the same, "My eldest mother didn't know something. Those loudmouths came to collect taxes and played all kinds of tricks that even Liu Hou could not think of. They were so vicious... Oh
, By the way, this big one is..."
"Officials who collect taxes don't need you to explain."
Empress Lu obviously knew better, and she said displeasedly: "You still don't see much. At that time, we were simply plundering. Your eldest father was so angry that he led people to attack officials at night and robbed their greedy people.
Tax food..."
"I killed three officials who were guilty of corruption, bullying the people, and promiscuous women..."
"Why don't you kill a few more?"
"ah?"
"If a few petty officials dare to do evil so blatantly, there must be something wrong with the county... Forget it, you are still young, An. Once this matter involves human lives, you can't be impatient. You have to think carefully before making a decision.
If we want to take action, we have to catch them all, not only to find those who are supporting them behind the scenes, but also to pull out the entire clan of these people, leaving no one alive, so that there will be no worries..."
Queen Lu's face was full of kindness, but the maid behind her trembled when she heard what she said.
"Ann is back?!"
A head popped out of the door, it was Fan Qing. She took a look inside and then walked in with a smile on her face, still holding her hand.
Bo bowed to Empress Lu seriously, but Qing looked at An, "Why are you looking more and more like eldest sister! Why don't you go see your mother when you come back?"
"Even Bo knows the reason to meet me first, you..."
Empress Lu glanced at her, she was the only niece in Changle Palace who dared to do such nonsense, oh, her own son also dared.
"Brother~~~"
Liu An smiled and pulled his younger brother over, pinched his face, "That's right, he's strong again. The acting king of my family is very powerful!"
Soon, Yong'e also came. There was a palace maid holding two Zhuzi, and Liu An stepped forward to tease his two younger brothers.
Changle Palace suddenly became lively, and Empress Lu couldn't help but laugh.
The last ones to arrive were Liu Chang and Cao Shu.
Cao Shu was holding Liu Chang's hand and walking into the palace. Liu Chang's face was full of reluctance.
"How can a father in the world go to see his son? I won't go! I won't go!"
"You! You were talking about it all day long when An was away. Now that An is back, he doesn't want to go there... Do you want him to leave his mother and come to see you first? Just treat it as if you are going to see your mother!"
Cao Shu didn't have much strength, but she still dragged Liu Chang into the longevity hall.
"Mom."
Cao Shu paid homage to Empress Lu and then looked at her son.
The moment she saw her son, Cao Shu felt sad and held back tears. Liu An also quickly got up and came to see him.
"good."
Cao Shu just said something. Liu An looked at his mother, his eyes were red, until he turned around and saw his father. Compared with his mother's love that was almost written on his face, his father's face was full of love.
He was indifferent and disdainful. At this moment, his father was looking at him up and down, as if he were an outsider.
"Father!"
"Um...is there anything to eat?"
Liu Chang nodded towards him, but his eyes quickly bypassed him and looked at Empress Lu behind him. He walked to Empress Lu and the others in a few steps and sat down directly in front of where An was sitting. He rubbed his hands and was about to eat.
, Liu An looked at his mother, with countless things to say in his heart.
The family gathered together, and Liu An, surrounded by several mothers, began to ask about various things.
How is the life there, how is the food, how is the clothing, are there people who bully me, etc.
Even Empress Lu listened with a smile, but Liu Chang kept his head down while eating. However, whenever Liu An talked about some small troubles he had experienced, his eating speed would slow down.
Changle Palace, which had been deserted for a long time, became extremely lively at this moment. The family gathered together until the evening. It was not until Empress Lu felt sleepy that everyone was ready to leave.
Cao Shu took the others away first, but Liu Chang and Liu An were left behind.
The father and son walked in the temple on foot, one behind the other, silent.
"How is the situation among the people?"
Liu Chang was the first to ask.
Liu An shook his head, "It's... very hard. Before we left, a family in the south died... just because of a rain. My husband was in a hurry to harvest wheat and got caught in the rain. After returning home, he died of illness...
The woman put away the grain, but it was not enough to pay the tax. Later she heard that an official stayed at her house overnight, and the rumor spread. Soon, she also died... There were only two children left, one about the same age as Bo, and the other.
Still in his infancy..."
"I don't understand. My father has been lowering taxes and paying less taxes for many years. Huang Lao said: If you lighten taxes and pay less taxes, and rest with the people, you can let the people live a good life... What about a good life? Hard work
After working hard for more than half a year, the last food can only guarantee that they will not starve to death before next autumn harvest. Any small change can directly destroy a family. It is so fragile and cannot withstand any wind and rain..."
"The Mencius said: The country is the people, and the world is the people. Gongyang said: If the people are rich, the country will be strong... But when the people are living like this, why talk about the country?"
Liu Chang raised his head and said, "If you can think of this, then these more than half a year have been wasted."
"I finally understand why you look down on everyone from different factions... empty talk is really useless!"
"You can't say that. Sometimes, you really can't do without these empty talks..."
The father and son were chatting, and then Liu An remembered the book, "By the way, Father, what's the situation with that "Gexue"?"
"Ahem, this is all my plan. You don't need to ask any more questions...I don't seek any fame. If others ask, just say that you are a ghostwriter."
"Father...I'm still a little hungry."
"Hungry? Didn't you just eat a bunch of embarrassing food?"
"Father... you usually compete with me for meat, and I tolerate it. Why do you want to rob me for this embarrassment? The taste is not a treasure..."
"I ate so quickly that when I came back to my senses, I had already devoured it all... Besides, your name wasn't written on the embarrassment, so how could it be considered as stealing from you?"
"Father..."
"What happened again?"
“Did my eldest father always steal from you back then??”
Liu Chang frowned and recalled for a moment, the scene of snatching his father's flesh while he was distracted by drinking and singing was still vivid in his mind.
"Yes, yes...he came to steal it from me."
"Xiang, Qi, and Yan are all gone?"
"After you left, I tempered them a little bit, and then let them leave the country."
"Ah? They also went to the farmer's house?"
"Not really. Although I regard them as my sons, they are all princes and kings after all. I don't want future generations to think that I intend to persecute the princes and kings, so I arranged a slightly lighter job."
"Oh? Then where did they go to hone their skills?"
"He went to work as a corvee."
"Ha ha..."
Liu An couldn't help laughing, but he quickly held it back. How could he laugh when his brother was suffering? He still couldn't help but asked: "Father, did you ask three princes and kings to build the canal?"
"No, Qi didn't go through hard work, so Xiang, Yan, and Xian went to do corvee work. When they left, they were so excited that tears filled their eyes. I think they would have done it when someone asked them to do corvee work again in the future.
I won’t do things blindly anymore…”
"Oh, Father, you are really..."
Liu An couldn't even say how to evaluate his father's behavior. Dogs would shake their heads after hearing these things. It is said that Jie and Zhou imprisoned all the princes and kings. I have never heard of sending them to do corvee work. My father sometimes
In terms of behavior, Jie and Zhou had to be inferior and ashamed of themselves.
"If you do this, your second uncle and King Yan won't say anything?"
"Your second uncle, Zheng Huan, was playing outside, so how could he pay attention to Xiang? It was King Yan who sent a letter, thanking me for training Prince Yan, and saying that he was going to let Prince Yan work on Zhao Yanchi Road for another half a year.
....”
"I received the letter and heard that you are quite dissatisfied with the temple... and you want to kill officials and rebel. Is this a thing?"
Liu An pursed his lips and cursed: "The emperor sacrificed his life..."
"Mr. Zhang is not your lover!"
Liu An said seriously: "Father, it's not that I have any complaints about the temple, it's just that I can't bear to see the ferocious faces of those officials. After seeing their lives, I will no longer hold a grand banquet or make a fuss."
Fish and meat, I want..."
"fart!"
Before Liu An finished speaking, he was rudely interrupted by Liu Chang.
"How can you save one meal of meat and still feed everyone in the world? Come and see Nai Gong!"
Liu Chang suddenly took off his coat, revealing his burly upper body and intertwined scars, "Have you seen these scars? Nai Gong rushed to attack the Xiongnu and protected the Han people from being robbed or killed. He took the lead.
, let the world
Everyone can live a stable life, and even eating meat in public is what they should do! Put away these tricks for outsiders to see! Do things down-to-earth, and let your achievements be worthy of your enjoyment. Everyone in the world will
No more complaints!”
"If the ministers and officials have merit, then they should eat meat. For those with such merit as Naigong, they can eat meat every day. For officials in the county, eating meat once every four or five days is worthy of their merit. Of course, for those like King Zhao,
Yes, spitting out one's own flesh is not enough..."
"When you become the emperor, you must let everyone eat meat. If they do a lot, let them eat more. If they do less, let them eat less. If they do nothing and are not worthy of their virtue, let them eat meat.
They spit it out!"
Liu An looked at the semi-literate father in front of him with an expression of shock. Where did he hear these words?
.......
The next day, Liu An went to see Duke Gai early in the morning.
Liu An had heard of Gai Gong's reputation very early, not because Gai Gong's knowledge was the direct descendant of Huang Lao. This so-called direct descendant was just a family statement of a certain holy emperor, and was used to brag about his status as the direct descendant. Liu An
An knew about Gai Gong because of his superb knowledge. Although Gai Gong's status among Huang Lao was not as high as Zi's, both Wang Gao's and Sima Jizhu's faction recognized him.
Not only was Gai Gong good at learning, but he was also good at governing the country. It can be said that he was a leader of Huang Lao in the contemporary era, with both theory and practice in mind.
When Liu An entered the inner room, Gai Gong insisted on having someone help him up and refused to lie down to see Liu An.
The disciples had no choice but to use pillows to lean against Gai Gong's back, supporting him on one side and on the other, barely allowing him to sit, but they could only sit on a dustpan. Fortunately, they were covered, so it was not considered rude to the prince.
Liu An looked at the thin old man in front of him and paid homage to him respectfully.
"Gai Gong!"
"I have long heard that Mr. Huang has a new saint, and I am able to meet him today."
"Young man who is a junior student, don't dare to call yourself a saint..."
"If you know this, you are qualified for everyone. However, the world praises your doctrine because of your status as prince, not because of your knowledge. You must see this clearly. If you are immersed in fame, then
Knowledge only lasts a long time. Don’t be like some people who listen to other people’s praise all day long and feel complacent because of other people’s praise..."
"It's not like others can reach this level of knowledge by calling them saints..."
Liu An always felt that Gai Gong was making something clear, but he did not dare to agree because he was afraid of being beaten.
When Gai Gong faced Liu An, he was not as harsh as he was towards Liu Chang. His attitude was still quite gentle. He began to ask some questions about Mr. Huang. To Liu An, these were simply child's play. He could tell a lot of things casually.
After piling up his own opinions, Gai Gong suddenly asked: "How do you use Confucian content in your book that answers Huang Lao's question?"
Liu Andan replied calmly: "Confucian knowledge originally came from me, Mr. Huang..."
At that moment, Gai Gong couldn't sit still. The old man, who had been paralyzed for three years, almost jumped up with joy and waved his hands.
"Yes, yes, yes, that's the truth!"
"Then what do you think of this grid study?"
"I, Mr. Huang, have long put forward the concepts of law, technique, potential, benefit, force, matter, grid, etc. This has made many schools get rid of empty talk and start to focus on reality. This grid of things is originally my academic work.
...And it is also the foundation of me, Huang Lao. Anyone who wants to learn from Huang Lao must study "Practice"!"
"oops!
!”
Gai Gong clapped his hands, his face turned red, and he was so excited that he could not speak. The disciples around him were frightened, fearing that the teacher would be too excited and...
"You're right! It's hateful... I have accepted so many disciples, and the one who is as academic as me is actually you!
My disciples are useless! None of them can understand this truth!
"
Liu An was looking at him with some confusion at this moment, why was this man so excited?
Gai Gong suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and asked: "Then what do you think the survival of the Hundred Schools of Theory will be like?"
"It is definitely based on Huang Lao and supported by various factions...Huang Lao encompasses all things..."
Liu An was a little afraid to say too much, for fear that if he said too much, his father's teacher would be sent away.
"The new saint, you really are the new saint... You must study the doctrine carefully..."
Liu An was shaking his head at this moment, "Geong Gai... No matter how much I study the theory, it has no practical effect. I am going to do something and I don't want to talk about it anymore."
At this moment, Gai Gong's face suddenly turned serious.
"Why do you think learning is all empty talk?"
"Everyone will say that corvee is light and taxes are low, and all the sects say so, but what effect does this have on the people? It's still the same suffering... One plow invented by Shang Fang is more powerful than three carts of saints.
Doctrine is much more useful.”
Gai Gong nodded gently, he could see the inner tangle of the child in front of him.
"Your father wants everyone in the world to have food to eat."
"I want it too."
"Then you should delve into knowledge...find a way to make everyone in the world have food...The Warring States Period lasted for many years, and some people said that the great unification, the Han Dynasty ended the war...In the founding of the country, there were ten houses and nine empty houses.
Some people say that the current situation is the result of light corvee and low wealth... Now if you want to make everyone in the world well-fed, doesn't it require more knowledge?"
"But where can such knowledge be found?"
"If it doesn't exist...then just create it. Isn't it already there?"
Liu An's slightly dazed eyes suddenly shone with light.
........
"Right under my nose, there are officials who dare to visit the Fish and Meat Village?!"
"What do you, a court lieutenant, do for food?!"
"Come here!"
Liu Chang grabbed Zhang Shizhi and tossed him around. Zhang Shizhi, an eight-foot tall man, was like a child in Liu Chang's hands, and he almost fell upside down.
Seeing that His Majesty was about to take action, Zhang Shizhi explained: "Your Majesty! The prosecutor is the censor, and the tax collector is Zhang Zuoxiang. I really don't know these things..."
Liu Chang was stunned for a moment.
After a moment of silence, he cursed: "When Kuai Che instigated Master to rebel, what did you do?!"
Zhang Shizhi was dumbfounded. He had noticed that his majesty wanted to beat him today, so he simply accepted his fate and said, "I have neglected my duty! Please punish me!"
However, Liu Chang did not beat him.
"To give you a chance to change your ways, go to Chuankongsi County and check with the local officials.... Deal with it impartially!"
"only!"
Zhang Shizhi stood up and was about to leave, but Liu Chang stopped him again.
"I heard that there are two orphans in Linan, Zhengyang. One is about the same age as Bo, and the other is still in his infancy and has no parents... Take them back and send them to Ji Bu's mansion to ask Ji Bu to
Treat him as his own grandson!"
"only!
"
"Lu!"
"His Majesty?"
"Cutting down three hundred cities in Jibu! Let him work hard to rectify the local government!"