After Yuan Shu's wedding, Liu Mastiff no longer stayed in Yuan's Mansion and returned to his East Palace. He could not continue to bother Yuan Shu. In this way, he stayed in the East Palace for seven or eight days before he returned to Yuan's Mansion. He had just entered When he arrived at the mansion, he noticed that the atmosphere was a little unusual. The veterans in Yuan's mansion did not look happy, and most of them had worried faces.
Liu Mastiff went to the study to meet his master.
The two chatted for a while, and then a maid came in, placed some food in front of the table, and said with a smile: "I heard that His Highness was coming, and my mother specifically asked the maid to bring these... and asked me to ask, Your Highness, would you like some fruit?"
Liu Mastiff stood up quickly and said: "Thank you, Master Madam, for my kindness, don't bother me..."
The maid bowed to the two of them and then walked out of the study.
Yuan Shu frowned. It seemed that he, who was used to being alone, felt a little uncomfortable now. Liu Mastiff smiled and said, "My wife is virtuous. I would like to congratulate my master."
"Okay, there's no need to say more about these things. Are you still reading that crooked book recently?" Yuan Shu asked with some displeasure.
"Master, are you talking about Wen Renggong's transcript?" Liu Mastiff asked, feeling a little helpless. In addition to studying classics, during this period of time, he also came into contact with many miscellaneous books, including some agricultural books, Cui Gong left behind a great work on farming, law, mathematics and the like, "Nine Chapters on Arithmetic", which he read with great interest, and often debated and discussed with the great Confucian scholars in arithmetic in Taixue.
Therefore, everyone thought that he had the style of Ren Temple.
Emperor Renzong, Xiaokang, was a master who studied arithmetic. Emperor Xiaokang once debated with Liu Hong, a master of arithmetic from the Jianning period, all night long. They were evenly matched and won the approval of many people. Later, he also debated arithmetic with ministers in court meetings. He is considered to be the most accomplished emperor in the field of arithmetic among all the emperors in history, and Liu Mastiff may become the second one.
Of course, it is impossible to surpass Emperor Xiaokang. You must know that Liu's annotation of "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic" was inspired by Emperor Xiaokang. This realm is naturally impossible for His Highness the Crown Prince to achieve. It is a pity that Ah, this master who was proficient in arithmetic, calendars, and even medical skills passed away four years ago. This is a great misfortune for Han arithmetic and calendar science.
After reading these books, Liu Mastiff held the transcripts left by Wen Renggong and read them all day long. He was very attentive to them. This made Yuan Shu a little angry. You can only read agricultural books, laws and arithmetic. Why is this book about business , you want to go see it too? You are the prince of a big man, how can you see this?
Liu Mastiff said: "Master, as the prince, if I don't even know the state of the treasury, how can I manage the country in the future? Although Mr. Wen's writing is a bit crude, his words are all important matters of the country. This book allows me to know the needs of the people and the needs of the army." Liu Mastiff knew why Yuan Shu was so opposed to him reading this book. This book was just a transcript of Wen Renggong, and the words were very vulgar.
He still can't forget the livid look on his face when he handed this book to his master to read.
The words at the beginning of the transcript read: "Everything in the world is real because of money. Without the support of money, the emperor is also empty but not real..." When Yuan Shu saw this, he almost burned the book, but Liu The mastiff stayed after much persuasion.
Yuan Shu had known for a long time that Liu Mastiff would defend himself, "Just take it for what it is, but you have to remember that merchants are a lowly industry. They ignore their family and country and are lowly. All their actions are only for profit and nothing else. You can't get involved, big man." The prince, you must not be someone who loves lowly industry..." Yuan Shu said, Liu Mastiff listened and acted like he was being taught, and he agreed very much.
However, I was thinking in my heart, merchants seek wealth, famous people seek fame, and officials seek power. Who has no desires and pursuits?
Seeing Liu Mastiff's respectful look, Yuan Shu did not scold him and continued to explain the classics.
After walking out of the study, Liu Mastiff was still thinking. In the front yard, there were seven or eight old soldiers standing there. They were standing like that, some were anxious and some were at a loss. There were some servants beside them, who were cleaning the courtyard. The old soldiers were a little confused.
Looking blankly at the servants around him, not knowing what to do, Liu Mastiff walked up, and the servants and old soldiers hurriedly paid their respects.
"What's bothering you, gentlemen?" Liu Mastiff looked at the veterans and asked with some confusion.
The old soldiers were speechless, shook their heads, and sighed helplessly.
"I regard you all as family members, so why do you hide it from me?"
"Your Highness... We are very happy for the captain's wedding. We are happy for the captain... However, the mistress brought many servants and maids here to clean the courtyard and serve the captain. We are not as good as them.
Now, we can't do anything. We live in the captain's house and eat and drink for free... We don't want to..." the old soldier said a little lonely. He was also the most elite of the Northern Army.
As a member, he has his own pride.
"Besides, our faces are mutilated, so we might scare our mistress..."
Listening to their words, Liu Mastiff felt a little bitter in his heart. Due to Zhang Taiwei's contribution, the Han Dynasty had an army of 180,000 people at the beginning of Xiping Dynasty, and a standing army of nearly 60,000 people. After these decades,
, these elite soldiers in the standing army returned to their hometown, but they were a little at a loss. My father implemented benevolent policies and supported these old soldiers as if they were my master. I never thought about whether they would accept it, and I was worried in my heart.
How to think.
We can’t just support them, we also have to make arrangements for them.
Liu Mastiff was thinking in his heart and suddenly had some ideas. He looked at several old soldiers and said, "Don't be impatient, please wait for me for two days..."
After leaving the Yuan Mansion, he went to his uncle's house. The servants in the Zhuge Mansion were very close relatives to Liu Mastiff, so they welcomed him in without telling the master. They couldn't help but say more. As soon as they entered the mansion, their aunt had already run away.
When he came out, he took Liu Mastiff's hand and went to the main hall, where he served food, exchanged greetings, and asked about the emperor and empress.
The two chatted for a long time before Zhuge Liang walked in. When he saw Liu Mastiff, he subconsciously saluted him, but Liu Mastiff hurriedly stood up and said, "Uncle, how are you?" Princess Raoyang glanced at Zhuge Liang and said,
He said with some displeasure: "Mastiff is your junior, you can't always greet me as a minister!"
"Although he is my relative, he is the prince of the Han Dynasty, and etiquette cannot be abolished." Zhuge Liang said, sitting next to Liu Mastiff. Liu Mastiff talked about the old soldiers in Yuan Mansion, and Princess Raoyang was also a little curious.
Listening, Zhuge Liang was about to speak when he saw Princess Raoyang on the side, frowning and scolding displeasedly: "I am discussing with Your Highness, what are you, a woman, doing standing here?! Why don't you go back to the house!"
!”
Princess Raoyang stared at him for a moment and said, "What your husband said is true." Then she returned to the house.
Seeing her like this, Zhuge Liang was in great spirits, and then said to Liu Mastiff: "Your Highness Minghui, this matter of the Yuan Mansion's old soldiers is a trivial matter. Seven or eight of them don't need your Highness's orders. As long as I open my mouth, they will all
I can find a job in Luoyang... start a family and start a business..." Zhuge Liang added: "However, there are so many old soldiers in the world..."
"Since Jianning, the military system has changed. In the past, the standing armies were all middle-aged men with families. But now, most of them recruit Yu Ding who have never married. These Yu Ding, who have no property or family, are more capable of working hard.
They fought hard, but when they returned home in old age, most of them had forgotten about farming and were unwilling to do it. They had irritable tempers and were prone to violence... their martial arts were not bad..."
"In the local area, it is easy to do something illegal or to have conflicts with local officials. Previously, a corps commander who returned from the Northern Army actually killed a pavilion with a hoe.
Chief, four pavilion soldiers... At this time, Dahonglu Zhao Gong once went to the temple to report, but because the Taiwei and others were not around, it did not attract much attention..."
"I think it is far from enough to provide alimony for these old soldiers. They cannot start a family and start a business. Most people are not willing to marry their daughters to them... However, I have discovered one thing. In Jianning
During the period, after the expedition against Xianbei, many soldiers returned home and retired, causing a lot of troubles, but in Hezhou and Xinzhou, there was no turmoil..."
"I observed carefully and found that the two governors at that time had worked together to formulate new strategies, including one who used retired soldiers as soldiers in the local pavilion..."
"Oh? This is feasible!" Liu Mastiff said, and then asked: "I remember that Situ Gong once served as the governor of Hezhou. I don't know who the other person is?"
"The other one is called Yang Qiu. However, his reputation is not good. He is said to be a cruel official..."
Liu Mastiff nodded. Yang Qiu seemed to be a talented minister, but he had never heard of it before.
"Then what exactly should we do?" Liu Mastiff asked again.
"No one in the court cares about this matter. If His Highness can speak up, it will definitely be feasible..." Zhuge Liang said, and then said: "However, we still need to inform the emperor..."
Liu Mastiff nodded.
After walking out of Zhuge's mansion, Liu Mastiff took a deep breath and looked at the palace in the distance. He stood quietly, thinking about something but not moving. The guard behind him asked: "Your Highness? But you want to go to the palace."
?”
Liu Mastiff was still thinking. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Let's return to Yuan Mansion..."
After two days, the emperor held a court meeting.
The main focus of the court discussion is still on the war. Now, Yuan Shao can't stand the pressure. He hopes that the emperor can withdraw his troops. As Sikong, he has the most thorough view of the situation of the treasury. If the war continues, the treasury will be destroyed.
In his own hands, he already understood this in his heart. No matter what, the war must end. I cannot bear this infamy!
As soon as the court meeting began, all the officials in the court showed extraordinary unity. They asked the emperor to end the war one after another. Some cried and some complained directly, but the purpose was the same. The emperor still ignored him. He knew the treasury better than Yuan Shao.
With his own strength and knowing how long the treasury could support him, he chose to ignore the persuasion of his ministers.
The prince sat beside the three princes and listened to the discussions of the ministers.
After the ministers gradually calmed down, he stood up, and the temple suddenly fell silent. After the prince went to court, he never said anything or said anything. He always listened quietly to the ministers' narrations and never spoke.
Is he going to make a statement today?
He stood up and said: "I am still young and I don't know the war. I dare not speak rashly... However, I have other things to report to Your Majesty!"
He looked at the emperor and said: "Your Majesty, Duke Zhao of Dahonglu previously reported the matter of the old soldiers, but the ministers ignored them. In the past few days, I have heard more things. After the old soldiers returned home, they often committed illegal acts.
, has the behavior of resisting officials and killing officials..." He picked out many things and gave examples one by one. Finally, he said: "In the past, there was a famous minister Yang Qiu. Do you know about it?"
Lu Zhi shuddered and looked at the prince. Many of the old ministers were lost in memories, frowning and wondering what they were thinking.
Liu Mastiff looked at Lu Zhi, smiled, and said: "In the past, Duke Situ negotiated with Duke Yang and used old soldiers as pavilion soldiers, which made Hezhou and Xinzhou prosperous, without worries about bandits and bandits, and without turmoil. It was really the best.
, so..." He looked at the emperor and said solemnly: "My son, I have submitted to you, please your majesty to implement this policy with the country, so that the old soldiers will be the soldiers in the pavilion, to govern one area and to defend against thieves and bandits. This policy is good for the old people.
You are a good fellow and a good fellow countryman. I hope your majesty will agree!"
He bowed to the emperor.
The emperor was stunned and frowned. Why didn't this kid tell me about such a big thing?
Just as he was thinking about it, many ministers began to report. Starting from Situ Luzhi, all the officials agreed. Only Guo Jia and Xing Ziang did not speak. The rest all supported the prince's proposal, and some even
I hope the emperor can let the prince take charge of this matter.
Liu Mastiff stood among the officials, raised his head and looked at the emperor.
Facing Liu Mastiff's gentle and simple eyes, the emperor still had some doubts in his heart. Why didn't he tell me in advance? If so, there would be no need for him to report it, and I would directly order it to be implemented. Wouldn't it be much more convenient?
"The prince cares about the people, and he truly has the legacy of Ren Temple!"
"With this order from the Crown Prince, I am afraid that the old soldiers will set up plaques for His Highness and pay homage day and night!"
The emperor suddenly became a little sluggish.
"Father, I am studying alone in Yuan Mansion...I...I am a little scared..."
"Father... I want... to go to the Jinwu Camp..."
"Father! Those disabled soldiers are so pitiful!"
"Father, can I stay in Yuan Mansion?"
"Father, Mr. Lu, and Mr. Zhuge said that I have... the qualifications to be a wise king..."
"Your Majesty, Mr. Yuan's teachings are limited. Your Highness should go to Imperial College!"
The emperor took a cold breath, his heart beat violently, and he looked at the prince below.
It seemed that he had always misjudged this eldest son.