Han Shizu

Since the beginning of the new year, Liu Yang and Emperor Liu have met very rarely, even at the Qianyuan Imperial Banquet on Yuanxi, there was not much communication. The reason is that Liu Yang did not want to provoke Emperor Liu.

Now the relationship between the emperor and the crown prince can only be described as ambiguous and complicated, even Liu Yang feels that it is difficult to grasp the measure, so he has to act cautiously.

Stepping into the Chuigong Palace again, Liu Yang inevitably sighed a little in his heart. When he saw the emperor's father, his emotions became more complicated.At least from the outside, Emperor Liu's condition is not good, the royal case is still high above, but almost completely shrouded in shadow, making people unable to see his face clearly, and seems to be hiding wounds and flaws.

Looking closer, one can clearly see that the old emperor's tired face, messy gray beard, thick dark circles, and crack-like wrinkles, have completely fallen into a state of twilight.

The aloof figure made Liu Yang feel a little sad.However, he quickly calmed down and behaved as usual, saluting Emperor Liu calmly: "Your Majesty, Liu Yang, is here to see you!"

Emperor Liu sat there like a statue. After a while, there was a movement, and he waved to Liu Yang and said, "Be flat! Give me a seat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"How is your illness?" Emperor Liu asked after Liu Yang sat down.

Liu Yang asked Emperor Liu for leave on the pretext of sickness before, and he has been staying in the East Palace recently to "recover his illness" with peace of mind. Of course, Liu Yang really needs to recuperate. After all, he is in his forties and is no longer young.

And what Liu Yang did in his 30s was almost a replica of Emperor Liu back then.Not to mention anything else, after more than a month of recuperation, Liu Yang's complexion looks much better.

Therefore, Liu Yang replied very calmly: "Thank you for your concern! After this period of rest, my body has improved a lot, and my spirit has doubled!"

"In the past few years, you have worked hard!" Emperor Liu nodded calmly, and sighed: "For the sake of the country, the country, and the world, we must take good care of your body!"

These words really surprised Liu Yang, and even felt unreal. The last time Emperor Liu cared about Liu Yang's body, was it ten years ago or 20 years ago?
But no matter what, when the old emperor said these words of concern, Liu Yang was still moved in his heart. After all, it was too rare, so he hurriedly thanked him and dealt with it.

However, a bit of warmth seemed to be just an illusion. Immediately afterwards, Emperor Liu asked coldly, "What do you think of Zhang Xun and Lu Mengzheng?"

For this turning point, Liu Yang was obviously prepared in his heart, and was not surprised. After thinking for a while, he said: "Judging from the experience of working with the two of you before, the two of you are very loyal!"

"They colluded with those courtiers to build momentum, and they forced the palace together to demand that Wang Ji'en be dealt with. What do you think of such behavior?" Emperor Liu said with a cold tone, staring at Liu Yang.

Hearing the question, Liu Yang's heart was awe-inspiring, and he didn't dare to be careless. He replied in a deep voice: "Your Majesty's words are serious! In my opinion, they don't have the guts yet, they just seek something!"

"What are you looking for?" Emperor Liu's voice immediately rose a little bit, and he said with sorrow: "A Wang Ji'en, is it worth them to form a party like this? Listen to the rumors in the capital, what a '28 virtuous minister', you How do you see it?"

Liu Yang paused, then cupped his hands and said, "The little people are mediocre, ignorant and ignorant, they are just rumors, and they just follow what others say."

"It's true that everyone is saying what they say, so who started spreading it first? Who is behind the scenes?" Emperor Liu's old eyes glowed fiercely: "Bullshit '28 virtuous ministers' are just rebellious ministers! If they are gentlemen and virtuous ministers, then I am What? A faint king? A tyrant?"

"Your Majesty, calm down!" Seeing Emperor Liu's sudden attack, Liu Yang immediately got up and knelt down, bowing down.

Looking down at the appearance of Liu Yang's female lying on the ground, Emperor Liu was silent for a while, and asked coldly: "Listening to what you said, both inside and outside, you intend to excuse Zhang and Lu. Do you think Zhang Xun, Lu Mengzheng and others deserve to die? ?"

At this point, Liu Yang's expression really became dignified. According to his thinking, of course, he couldn't kill all 28 people. He was not guilty of death. If he killed them rashly, the consequences would be too great and the influence would be too wide.

However, facing the old emperor at this time, can he express his opinion directly?What on earth was the old emperor thinking? He really wanted to kill Zhang and Lu 28chen?How should I answer myself?
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Liu Yang's mind. At the same time, Xu Shilian's words in the Hongde Hall just now seemed to ring in his ears again. It would be the safest way to answer according to the old emperor's thoughts. .

However, did the old emperor really want to kill him?It should be, then Jiang Mu is already a very clear signal
Seeing Liu Yang's hesitant expression, Emperor Liu said with some impatience in his tone, "Is this question difficult for you?"

After this brief calculation, Liu Yang also settled in his mind. Facing Emperor Liu's scrutinizing eyes, Liu Yang got up and said solemnly: "Return to your majesty, Zhang, Lu and others are inherently suspected of seeking loyalty directly, but according to the court Restriction, it is true that the crime does not deserve death!"

After saying this, Emperor Liu's expression became more gloomy, and his eyes became sharper, even staring at Liu Yang with a hint of threat.Under such circumstances, Liu Yang was naturally under a lot of pressure. The old emperor's gaze made him feel like a thorn in his back, but he didn't dare to make the slightest movement, and just tried his best to keep calm.

It was like a silent confrontation. After a while, Emperor Liu's stretched body collapsed, and he leaned back on the back of the throne, as if putting away his fangs, and asked in a calm tone. : "What about Wang Jien?"

Sensing the change in the old emperor's tone, Liu Yang couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, feeling like he had overcome a dangerous crisis.Facing the new problem, after thinking for a while, he cupped his hands and said: "Wang Ji'en has been loyal to His Majesty for forty years, and if there are some mistakes and omissions, we must deal with them. We should only obey His Majesty's wishes, and foreign ministers have no right to interfere!"

Emperor Liu didn't express his opinion, but asked, "Where's the Imperial City Secretary?"

"How can the emperor abolish his eyes and ears?" Liu Yang's answer was more straightforward, concise and powerful.

The expression on Emperor Liu's old face gradually relaxed, looking at Liu Yang in front of the imperial court, he said leisurely: "You are not ignorant, why do you still want to intercede for Zhang, Lu Na and others?"

Regarding this, Liu Yang thought about it for a while before replying calmly: "After all, Zhang and Lu are ministers of the imperial court, and Lu Mengzheng has been promoted by His Majesty so far. Although the imperial court is full of talents, ministers of this level are still rare. Therefore, I couldn't bear it, and dared to say something about it."

Listening to his explanation, Emperor Liu didn't say anything for a while, and there was even a little confusion in his old eyes. After a long time, Fang said indifferently: "For these ministers who are arrogant and have ulterior motives, I originally planned to impose capital punishment, but, Since you are begging for mercy, then let it go lightly!"

In fact, even though he was furious, Emperor Liu's mind had not been burnt out, so he didn't know the serious consequences of killing Zhang and Lu Na directly.

However, if no punishment is imposed, how can they deter those bureaucratic ministers? On the other hand, the momentum has been done enough before, if it is held high, it will only make people feel that they are strong outsiders, and make those bureaucrats despise their old age even more.

Therefore, after the prince begged for mercy and remonstrance, Emperor Liu would be merciful and avoid his death, which became a smooth solution.Of course, Emperor Liu also had second-hand plans. If the prince did not plead for mercy, then he would be killed. If they wanted to be loyal and virtuous, he would grant it to them.

"Remove all those people to serve in the Northwest!" Emperor Liu made the final decision, but soon realized that it was wrong, and immediately changed his words, saying coldly: "If you dare to be so unscrupulous in the court and cause trouble, if you come If you put them together in different places, you will no longer give them the opportunity to make trouble! You can handle them separately by distributing them!"

Emperor Liu's suspicious performance still made people breathless, but fortunately his life was saved, and Liu Yang could only solemnly respond: "Yes!"

"You have been resting for a long time. If you are in good health, go back to the political affairs hall to manage the affairs, lest after a long time, the courtiers say that you, the prince, are slack!" Emperor Liu turned his attention to Liu Yang again, and looked at him calmly. He said leisurely.

Obviously, Emperor Liu's attitude towards the prince has returned to normal. As for what he said, he was just looking for a plausible excuse to let both father and son step down.

Leaving the Chuigong Hall, Liu Yang looked up at the sky under the high eaves of the hall, and he felt like he had escaped from a cage. His back was cool, and in the Shicai Hall, under heavy pressure, he still couldn't help sweating on his back.