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Chapter 106 Xia Houjuan

After exiting Beigong Valley Gate, Mang Mountain is to the north.

Luoyang is now very prosperous. In the past, the north gate was uninhabited. Because the imperial mausoleum was in the north, people were only allowed to live outside the east, west, and south gates.

As the Han Empire became great and prosperous again, houses and streets gradually began to appear in the northwest and northeast corners of the North Gate.

Then the North City gradually appeared. For this reason, Liu Bei did not stop the people. He just sent people to renovate the Mang Mountain in the north that had been stolen by Dong Zhuo a few years ago.

Because there is Lushui just outside the north gate, a large number of rural areas have appeared on the north bank of the river. Unlike the three cities of Luoyang, East, West and South, which have a city appearance with row upon row of streets, the North City now looks more like a countryside.

Villages are dotted along the Jushui River, and the fields are cultivated. A cement road leads directly from outside the valley gate to Mang Mountain in the north. A wooden bridge is also built on the Jushui River to connect residents on both sides of the river.

Of course it is impossible for ordinary people to enter the palace, but they can go to the east and west cities from the wooden bridge outside the palace along the left and right sides of the North Palace, a journey of several kilometers.

There is no way, the Luoyang Imperial Palace is indeed very big, it is three or four kilometers from the Sima Gate of the South Palace to the Valley Gate of the North Palace, and you have to take a horse-drawn carriage to get to the palace.

The four people rode bicycles and ran so fast that the guards behind them couldn't keep up, and almost broke their legs along the way.

You should know that the average person can travel at a speed of 12-20 kilometers per hour on an ordinary non-speed-shifting bicycle. If you are in particularly good physical condition and the road is very good, it is not a problem to reach 30 kilometers.

Although the bicycles produced in Qingzhou are only relatively rudimentary vehicles and do not have a transmission function, they can run very fast even so. Horses can keep up, but they do not have the endurance.

Soon the four of them ran all the way to Mang Mountain along the cement road. Chen Mu didn't know why Liu Bei wanted to go there. Maybe it was because there was only this cement road, maybe because he wanted to go to a higher direction.

To the point where it means nothing.

But no matter what, in Chen Mu's opinion, it was the destination of all the emperors of the Han Dynasty. It was like an imperial cemetery. How could the morning sun and the moon be together? Only the sunset of the Western Mountains could sink.

They were all forty years old, and seemed to be walking towards their own graveyard step by step. Zhang Fei rushed at the front, and Guan Yu slowed down, keeping a close distance from his eldest brother and fourth brother.

Chen Mu is older and his physical strength is not as good as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Although he is skilled in skills, he lags behind a lot. He can only watch them gradually run into the distance step by step.

Before the sun set, Liu Bei stopped at the foot of a hillside. His whole body and mustache were soaked with sweat, but he could not hide the smile on his face.

"Hahahahaha."

After waiting for a while, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu came first. It was not until Chen Mu arrived slowly that the four brothers looked at each other and smiled, enjoying themselves.

"Go up and have a seat, sit high and have a look at Luoyang City."

Liu Bei suggested.

Everyone put their bicycles at the foot of the mountain and climbed up the hill.

In fact, it is not high here, because it is located at the foot of Mang Mountain, still some distance from the middle of the mountain.

However, it has a certain height, a few tens of meters vertically from the ground. Looking down from a high place, one can vaguely see Luoyang City under the setting sun.

I saw a large number of newly built villages densely packed at the foot of the mountain closest to Mang Mountain. In the distance, there were waterwheels that drew water from the water and flowed into farmland canals. In the center of the village, near the cement road, there was a pavilion, which was considered a pavilion.

The town market place is reluctantly called Beishi.

Further away is the vast North Palace. When Dong Zhuo burned the palace, the seventeen halls of the North Palace were burned down, leaving only the Yongle Palace, the Zhangde Palace, the Chongzheng Palace, the Chongde Palace, and the Anfu Palace. Now it is

A large square and sports ground.

As for the East and West cities and Nangong, they are too far away, nearly seven or eight kilometers away. I can only see a vague shadow, but they stretch for dozens of miles. Each city is neatly planned and you can't see the end at a glance.

"Back then, I also stood on Mang Mountain and looked at Luoyang. At that time, Luoyang was chaotic and disorderly, the lives of the victims were difficult, criminals were everywhere, and there could be hundreds of corpses in the ditch outside the city in one night."

Chen Mu sat beside a big stone on the hill, looking into the distance, recalling the scene in Luoyang during the Yellow Turban Rebellion twenty years ago.

At that time, Luoyang was flooded with disaster victims and the crime rate skyrocketed, bringing endless chaos to this ancient city.

Later, it was Chen Mu who managed to bring a glimmer of life using the floor heating economy.

But that glimmer of hope was eventually destroyed by Dong Zhuo.

Many years later, Liu Bei re-established a new empire on the ruins of the Han Dynasty.

As the capital of the empire, it was once again full of vitality.

Liu Bei sat next to Chen Mu, looking at the huge and prosperous city as if he were his own child.

This is a city that belongs to him. Different from Chang'an, which was founded by Emperor Gaozu, and Luoyang, which was founded by Guangwu, this Luoyang city is unique to him.

"Fourth brother, you always say that the reincarnation of a dynasty only lasts two or three hundred years. Do you think the dynasty we established can live for a long, long time?"

After a long time, Liu Bei pointed to the huge imperial capital at the foot of the mountain and asked Chen Mu.

Chen Mu shook his head: "I don't know."

"I want to hear it."

Liu Bei said.

Chen Mu thought for a moment and said: "There are too many factors that can lead to the destruction of a dynasty. The top management fights for power and civil strife, the princes fight for the right to inherit the throne and cause turmoil. Natural and man-made disasters, and land annexation can all lead to the destruction of the country. It is not easy to solve so many problems at once.

.”

"Isn't there a best solution?"

Liu Bei thought.

Chen Mu shook his head: "Brother, think about it, excluding the two factors of natural and man-made disasters and land annexation, when we are a hundred years from now, no one knows who will be in power in the future. What is the character of the emperor at that time? If he is stupid and incompetent

, the government will inevitably be in chaos. Therefore, it is a luxury in itself to hope that every generation of emperors in the future will be smart and capable."

"Um."

Liu Bei nodded: "I understand this too."

Chen Mu continued: "The conflict between imperial power and ministers is often a matter of self-interest. I pursue high salaries to support integrity in order to get rid of the ministers' desire for money. But the desire for power cannot be solved by money, and I have to think of other things.

Method."

"any solution?"

"Achievements."

"Is it just about political achievements?"

"Yes."

Chen Mu said: "Only the theory of political performance, the people under the rule are living well, and whether the economic development is up to standard. Although this will give birth to a large number of officials who are only based on political performance, corrupt officials and performance-based officials are not terrible. The most terrible thing is the incompetent mediocre officials.

"Doing nothing is the worst thing."

"Maybe this is a solution."

Liu Bei thought for a moment and nodded: "Fourth brother, what do you think of Feng'er and Yong'er?"

Chen Mu smiled and said: "What can I say? Liu Feng is calm and Liu Yong is smart. My eldest brother is probably worried about the fight for heirs. Just issue a royal succession law yourself. It's a very simple matter."

"Royal succession law?"

Liu Bei was surprised.

Chen Mu explained: "Whether it is high-level competition for power or princes competing for the throne, it is a matter of serious internal strife. Therefore, if a country wants to last for a long time, it must be stable. Stabilize the succession of the throne, stabilize the strife among high-level officials, and stabilize the military from causing trouble.

Only the empire can last for a long time. The throne succession law is the best way to maintain the order of succession to the throne."

"What did you say?"

Liu Bei was curious. His fourth brother always had many good ideas in his mind.

Chen Mu said: "Let's give hope to the princes, so that they will not actively compete for the throne. However, the nine sons of Longsheng are different. If the first heir is stubborn, the other heirs, the cabinet, the three ministers and the nine ministers should also be given the power to impeach.

, With a shrewd and capable emperor, the empire can be maintained in the long run. If there is a fatuous and incompetent monarch, wouldn't it be a pity that the country that my eldest brother has worked so hard to build will be wasted in this way? "

Liu Bei nodded in agreement: "Not bad."

Chen Mu said: "Brother, don't be too hasty. Many things need to be considered slowly. In the future, I will improve various systems and try to extend the life of the empire. In addition, I have one thing to advise brother."

"What's up?"

Liu Bei asked.

Chen Mu said solemnly: "The legal system must establish a legal country. When the emperor breaks the law, he is guilty of the same crime as the common people. Even if the emperor wants to kill someone, he must go through a court trial before he can be convicted. If a legal society is not established, then where is fairness? Justice?

Where is it? Where is benevolence and righteousness? There may be darkness in the world, but it cannot be mostly darkness. Even if it cannot be completely clear, it must be mostly just!"

Liu Bei solemnly said: "I understand this matter. If you want to promote the rule of law, you must set an example. Don't worry, fourth brother, I will definitely keep it in mind and comprehensively promote the rule of law."

The second and third sons were listening nearby.

Guan Yu listened with great interest, while Zhang Fei was a little bored and looked around.

I vaguely saw a village not far down the mountain. Many people dug wild vegetables from the mountains and returned together.

In the past, people were not allowed to enter mountains and forests like Mang Mountain, but later Chen Mu promoted the archeology profession to develop geology.

Many of the tombs of ministers in Mangshan were renovated and protected. Later, tombs of ministers and emperors were set up to standardize the funeral industry and open up the upstream and downstream ecological supply chain. Mangshan does not have so many restrictions.

Zhang Fei looked at the small figures at the foot of the mountain working in the fields and on the road. Some were cutting mulberry and flax, some were chopping fish and grass, some were returning home with hoes at sunset, and some were driving cattle and sheep.

Seemingly noticing that Zhang Fei's mind was not on governing the country, Chen Mu said with a smile: "Today is the time for us brothers to go out to relax. The eldest brother should not talk about family and country affairs. The third brother seems to be a little absent-minded. Let the palace fire a few people tonight."

As a side dish, how about we brothers have a drink?"

"This is good, this is good."

Zhang Fei immediately beamed and nodded repeatedly. Besides fighting, his favorite thing was drinking.

Liu Bei also laughed and said: "Then when the sun is about to set, let's go back. Speaking of which, I really miss Zhuojun and my third brother's Taoyuan. When can we go back together?

Let’s have a drink together in the peach garden.”

Chen Mu looked into the distance, his eyes blurred, and murmured to himself: "Brother wants Taoyuan, so why don't I? Come on, soon, the shipping from Luoyang will be able to reach Youzhou directly, and then it will be just a round trip.

Two or three days.”

"Taoyuan, my Taoyuan."

Zhang Fei also fell into memories and said softly: "I don't know how well the servants left behind have taken care of the peach garden. Are the peach blossoms still blooming?"

"The peach blossoms are definitely still blooming."

Guan Yu patted Zhang Fei on the shoulder and said to Liu Bei and Chen Mu: "The four of us brothers became sworn brothers in Taoyuan to calm down the troubled times in the world. Our long-cherished wish has been fulfilled, and the troubled times have also been settled. One day, we will return to Taoyuan to see

look."

"Yes, we will return to Taoyuan together one day."

Liu Bei stood up, and the four of them looked at the sunset in the distance, standing side by side, their eyes full of recollection, remembrance, exclamation and a touch of yearning for the future life.

What I remember is the heroic ambition of my youth, what I sigh is that that ambition has been realized, what I recall is the passage of time, and what I yearn for is the beautiful vision.

After all, the wind from Luoyang could not blow the Zhangjia Taoyuan in Zhuo County.

However, Luoyang's river route can be built all the way to the gate of Zhuoxian County.

One day, when the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is open to traffic, they will go home together to see it.

See if the Zhang family manor is still there.

See if the peach blossoms are still in full bloom.

Let's see if that spring breeze will come back.

"Let's go, it's getting dark."

Zhang Fei said softly.

"Walk."

Liu Bei turned around and went downhill.

"Let's go drink."

Zhang Fei was not sad because of the passing of his years.

He only cares about having wine today and getting drunk the next day.

The four people put away their sunglasses, got on their bicycles, and went downhill quickly.

Zhang Fei rushed to the front again.

"Third brother, slow down!"

Liu Bei was worried about his safety and asked him to pay attention.

Zhang Fei laughed loudly and said: "Don't worry, brother, I can't even fall off my horse, this little car..."

Before he finished speaking, the others flew out.

Because the sun was setting, although it was not completely dark yet, the sky in front could no longer be seen clearly.

As a result, someone threw a small stone on the cement road. He was going downhill too fast. After hitting the stone, the steering wheel swung and Zhang Fei fell forward.

Fortunately, it didn't fall on the cement floor, but fell straight into the field next to the cement floor, leaving a dog chewing the mud.

There happened to be a few girls on the field ridge who were digging wild vegetables and going home. Suddenly they saw a black shadow falling from the sky. They were startled, panicked, and backed away.

Until Zhang Fei was struggling, a tall girl about seventeen or eighteen years old at the front hesitated for a moment, then went up to help him.

Behind them, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Chen Mu hurried over. When they reached the bottom of the slope, they braked quickly. They even dropped their bicycles before the car stopped and hurriedly ran to check the situation.

"Third brother."

"Third brother."

"Third brother."

They were all afraid that something might happen to Zhang Fei.

"I'm fine."

Zhang Fei climbed up with difficulty with the help of the girl. He raised his head and wiped blood from his face covered with yellow mud. He glanced at the woman and was about to say thank you, but he suddenly froze in place.

They saw that the girl was extremely beautiful, with a fragile body, but a very tall figure. Seeing Zhang Fei look at her crazily, he quickly took a step back and bowed slightly.

"Thank you very much, little lady, for helping my third brother."

Liu Bei came over and quickly bowed his hands and thanked her. Niangzi was a title for women in the Han Dynasty, and it had the same meaning as calling other people's girls.

The girl glanced at the clothes of the people, then bowed slightly and returned Liu Bei's greeting. She said in a soft voice: "You gentlemen are polite. You should pay attention to safety when you are out. I have to go home, so I'll say goodbye."

"Forehead......"

Zhang Fei opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't. The girl had already retreated into the group of sisters. The other women also bowed slightly and turned to leave.

Chen Mu reacted quickly and said quickly: "Madam, please leave your name and where you live so that I can come and say thank you."

Langjun was not a term used to address husbands in the Han Dynasty, but was generally used to address powerful or wealthy people.

The girl is quite knowledgeable. Just by looking at the clothes of the four of them, she knew that they must be dignitaries in Luoyang City, so she called them that.

When she heard someone asking her her name and family background, she hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to respond, but because of her poor status, she was afraid of offending the powerful and harming her family, so she had no choice but to answer: "I am Xiahou Juan, and I live in the northwest of the city."

After that, he left in a hurry.

"Eh."

Zhang Fei stretched out his hand, still wanting to keep him.

But Chen Mu stopped him with a smile and said a few words in his ear, which made Zhang Fei suddenly smile.


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