Han Shizu

Chapter 1397 Retirement
The sun rises high, the spring is infinite, and the brilliance shrouds the vertical arch hall, adding a bit of holiness and nobility to it.Just like the name of the palace, Emperor Liu is now facing the south, living in the Dragon Court, and ruling with the arch. Recently, he spends most of his time in the Palace of the Arch, and rarely even goes to the harem. This makes many people yearn for the emperor The lucky concubines can only wait and see.

"It hasn't been long, why are you so old?" A slightly surprised voice sounded in the hall, and Emperor Liu looked at Li Chongju who was kneeling in the hall with some emotion.

This is the first time in nearly a month that Li Chongju once again entered the palace to pay his respects to the saint. During this time, he has been recuperating in the palace.However, in just one month, Li Chongju's whole person has undergone earth-shaking changes.

His face was sickly, extremely haggard, his temples were stained with hoarfrost, his body was thin, and his energy and energy seemed to be emptied by a serious illness. Kneeling there seemed very difficult, and the whole person was lingering in a desolate atmosphere.

After all, I have followed my confidant for more than 20 years. Seeing his current appearance, I couldn't help feeling sour in my heart, and said, "Didn't I send an imperial doctor to diagnose you? Why didn't the disease go away? Could it be that the imperial doctor didn't try his best? "

There was a trace of sullenness in Emperor Liu's tone, as if he meant to blame the imperial doctor. Li Chongju was still a kind person, and immediately said: "Thank you for your majesty's concern! Don't blame the imperial doctor, I have already done my best! Your body, your own Clearly, in the past twenty years or so, I have not been infected with any disease, but when the disease comes, there is nothing I can do about it.”

"What can't be done! If you are sick, you can be cured, and you can take medicine if you need it!" Emperor Liu waved his hands, looking at Li Chongju's weakened appearance, some dissatisfaction accumulated in his heart seemed to dissipate, and he sighed heavily: "If you are so sick, Let me know in the morning!"

Li Chongju worshiped again: "Before this subject, I was terribly sick. Seeing him rashly would disturb the holy body. Now it has eased. I should enter the palace to thank you!"

"What are you talking about!" Emperor Liu seemed a little excited: "How can there be so many scruples! I have never seen anything, I have never experienced anything, you and I have been in harmony for more than 20 years, why do you need to be so out of touch!"

"Your Majesty's kindness to me is as great as a mountain, and I will remember it in my life, and I dare not forget it!" Li Chongju said.

After exchanging pleasantries, Emperor Liu slowly came to his senses, and looked at Li Chongju again. From his words, he seemed to feel something.Suspicion flashed in his eyes, and he stretched out his hand and said: "You don't have to do this big gift if you are not healthy, don't kneel down, get up quickly, sit down and talk!"

Said, Emperor Liu winked at Yan Tuo, Yan Tuo understood, stepped forward to help Li Chongju, and helped him sit down.Emperor Liu said gently, "I'm afraid you're here not just to say hello!"

Hearing this, Li Chongju moved his body and wanted to stand up again.Seeing this, Emperor Liu immediately said: "Sit down and talk!"

Facing Emperor Liu's eyes, Li Chongju took a deep breath, and there was a trace of solemnity on his dull face, and he said: "Your Majesty, I am old and frail, and my energy is not good enough. The most important thing, please Your Majesty, be merciful and merciful, return the quasi-officials to support, choose another talented person, and preside over the affairs of Wude!"

really!

Emperor Liu was already aware of Li Chongju's intentions, but after listening to him explain, his face was still full of emotions.Soon, all emotions disappeared, and he stared at Li Chongju blankly, probably because Emperor Liu's gaze was too lethal, even if Li Chongju had made up his mind, he couldn't help avoiding it, lowered his head, and waited for the answer, then Like waiting for a verdict.

"You also want to resign, go to court, and leave me?" After a long time, Emperor Liu finally spoke, and his tone seemed to have no emotion at all.

His heart trembled slightly, Li Chongju didn't raise his head, and replied: "The current body of the minister is indeed difficult to shoulder the heavy responsibility. I hope His Majesty will show his grace and permission. Although I have gone to court, I will always be Your Majesty's minister. I will not change for a thousand years or ten thousand years. Even in the rivers and lakes, I always feel grateful for His Majesty's kindness and pray for Your Majesty!"

"You are not even 50 years old! How can you say you are old!" Emperor Liu's voice suddenly rose, almost shaking the beams of the palace, and he raised his hand in the air a few times erratically, obviously dissatisfied: "It has been so many years, how can you Have you ever seen that I let an important minister in his prime be raised?"

"Your Majesty!" Li Chongju's voice was still old and lacking in strength, and he said sincerely: "This old and sick minister is really useless to the court!"

"I'm afraid it's not likely!" Emperor Liu narrowed his eyes slightly, and his hidden eyes seemed to be releasing some kind of dangerous signal: "It's difficult to say that you are old. If it's just an illness, you can just rest and recuperate, and you won't have to resign." At the level of an official!"

Emperor Liu's words, to Li Chongju, were nothing less than a thunderstorm. Hearing the words, his heart was shocked, and a trace of bitterness flashed across his weakened face. Then, in a sincere tone, he asked: "I beg your majesty Have some mercy!"

Li Chongju's performance was really pitiful. Emperor Liu didn't answer for a while, but watched him for a while, stood up, and walked to him with his hands behind his back.Seeing this, Li Chongju stood up tremblingly, and it seemed a little difficult to stand up. I don't know if it was because of fear or panic, or because his body was really embarrassing.

Looking at him, Emperor Liu said quietly: "Code, don't you think that in recent years, you and I have become increasingly estranged?"

Without waiting for his answer, Emperor Liu said on his own: "Since Luzhou, you have followed me for 24 years, through ups and downs, with utter devotion, and with life and death!
There are not many people in the court who are worthy of my heart, and you, Li Shouze, are one of them, and I have always relied heavily on you.Wu Desi is such a crucial position, it has been in your hands, and there has never been any doubt in the past 20 years.

That's it, in recent years, you and I seem to be drifting apart!What is it that caused a estrangement between you and me, and now, you want to resign to avoid the court?

It's me, making you feel uneasy?Are you afraid that I will be suspicious?Or do you think that I am stubborn and conceited, with a cold nature, afraid that it will be difficult to end well? "

These words are probably the most confiding words of Emperor Liu to Li Chongju in recent years. However, to Li Chongju, these words are like sharp knives, stabbing him mercilessly. fear.

And Li Chongju couldn't hold back in the end, and knelt down on the ground, crying profusely, and kowtowed: "What your majesty said, I would never dare to accept it! Don't say it, it's the minister who is secretly worried and lives up to the grace of God." , Your Majesty, please come down."

He lowered his head, looked at Li Chongju who was standing at his feet, and listened to his sound, kowtowing was really ruthless.Hearing his request, Emperor Liu's expression was finally no longer so cold. He leaned down, reached out to help him up, and sighed: "That's all! I hope that there will be a beginning and an end, but some things, it seems, are hard to force after all!"

"Your Majesty!" Li Chongju called with a choked voice, with some blood marks on his forehead.

Emperor Liu slowly turned back and took his seat, and said: "If you have made up your mind to go, I will not force you, but you can resign, but you don't have to return to your family. We are in Beijing, right in your mansion. You can recuperate with peace of mind! Whenever you think of me, go to the palace to see me!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hearing that Emperor Liu finally let go, Li Chongju bowed down again as if he had been pardoned, and thanked him emotionally.

Emperor Liu looked at the excited Li Chongju and turned his head away, feeling a sense of loss in his heart.Perhaps he had doubts about Li Chongju, but generally speaking, Emperor Liu still believed in him. For 24 years, the friendship among them cannot be summed up in a few words, but it can stand the test.

However, due to the particularity of Wu Desi's position, it is inevitable that strange situations will arise.A minister who has presided over Wu Desi for nearly 20 years, no matter how much Emperor Liu trusts him, he will always keep it, and for Li Chongju, the longer the time, the more dangerous it is.

Emperor Liu knew Li Chongju well, just like his name, he was a well-behaved and formidable person, from the time when he resigned in panic when he first took office as envoy, it can be seen.

Similarly, among the ministers, Li Chongju was one of the people who knew Emperor Liu best. He also sensed the danger from Emperor Liu's dissatisfaction with Wu Desi's many relegations in recent years, especially during the Northern Expedition.

Even if it wasn't aimed at Wu Desi, but because he was the Wu De envoy, instead of sitting on this stove and suffering, why not ask to retreat and use his whole body, this is Li Chongju's choice.

In fact, after the people from the Wu De Division found the Mobei Expeditionary Army and confirmed the safety of the two princes, Li Chongju made plans to retire and resign from office.

But he still restrained himself, until his condition got worse and the war in the Western Regions came to an end, before he entered the palace to make a statement.Of course, Li Chongju wanted to go back to his hometown in Luzhou and stay away from right and wrong from now on, but judging from Emperor Liu's arrangement, he still had to be placed in the capital and under surveillance. This point cannot be forced, Emperor Liu Those words were really frightening and frightening.

(End of this chapter)