Han Shizu

It may be a little surprising, but after Wang Jien and Yan Tuo died one after another, Emperor Liu was very sad for two days, and even shed some tears silently in a place where no one was around.What he cried may not be those two old slaves, but the memories of the past few decades and the good times. After all, those two people really witnessed how Emperor Liu came to the present.
Some decades-old habits are really not easy to change, nor can they be broken easily.The person was gone, and Emperor Liu still couldn't help calling Yan Tuo's name when he was in charge of his servants in the past few days.

The death of Yantuo also had a great impact on Emperor Liu's personal life. It was not difficult to find a replacement. It was difficult to get Emperor Liu to get used to it, but unfortunately, he was not used to it.

The head of the new line of servants is Hu De, who is the eunuch serving Concubine Zhexian in Qiuhua Palace, and was forcibly begged by Emperor Liu. Obviously, it is not this person that Emperor Liu trusts, but Concubine Zhexian.Perhaps even Emperor Liu himself realized that at the moment when the old man withered, there were not even a few people he could trust, and Concubine Zhexian was obviously one of them.

Because of this incident, Concubine Gao became jealous. After all, Concubine Gao is now in charge of the affairs of the harem. Although she does not have the name of Queen, she has the truth.The emperor needs a close servant, so he should ask her opinion no matter what, even if he takes a step back, the concubine Xian can train his servants well, but the people in her Qiuhua Palace are not loyal enough to serve the officials well?

Hu De is also a senior eunuch, not yet 50 years old, young and strong, not to mention his "professional quality", and more importantly, he has a honest and upright temperament.

However, no matter how good a person is, he is not Yantuo. This is the biggest difference.At the same time, regarding the system of servants around him, Emperor Liu made more rigorous and comprehensive improvements. The most basic principle is that no one should serve alone, especially when he is going to bed. The couch, no matter what the reason, shall be executed immediately.

Even if the concubine is summoned to sleep, there must be two maids watching. Of course, with the body of the old emperor, he has long been powerless, and the job has long been ineffective, but the principle of the system is like this.

Emperor Liu's various regulations and arrangements reflect a mentality: There are always people who want to harm me.Wang Jien's reminder before his death was very effective. The end of Yelujing, the emperor of Liao who was assassinated by his servants, is indeed worth a warning.

Back then, when the news came, Emperor Liu was already vigilant, and at the same time summed up the reasons for it, so he was still generous to those around him.However, for today's old emperor, even if Yantuo and Wang Jien were killed, it is impossible for anyone else not to be suspicious.
Emperor Liu could accept that he died of old age and disease, and he would never be reconciled to "accidental" death for some inexplicable reason.No one would be able to comprehend Emperor Liu's state of mind in his later years. Similarly, it is hard for others to imagine that the old emperor has been bewildered to such a deep extent.

Emperor Liu is obviously in a bad mood recently, he looks depressed, and he is getting older, like a rotten wood that is about to rot to the heart.But this rotten wood, even if it is rotten, seems to be highly poisonous, making it even more terrifying.

Emperor Liu didn't care what other people thought, but he also tasted the feeling of powerlessness more and more.But the more he was like this, the more he doubted whether he could still subdue the officials, the more he suspected whether someone was despising Tianwei and making waves, and the more he had to make some noise to show his existence.

This kind of psychology is obviously more serious than before, and if you want Emperor Liu to settle down, I'm afraid you have to wait until he can't move.Compared with other troublesome old emperors, Emperor Liu's biggest difference is probably that he tosses nobles and bureaucrats more, and tries not to bother ordinary people as much as possible.

Of course, this may just be Emperor Liu's inaccurate self-perception. As for the specific situation, you can get the answer by looking at the current situation in the northwest and southwest, as well as the Helong, Gaochang, and Sichuan-Tibet regions.Even for Anton, without the blood supply and support of the imperial court, and without Liu Xu's hard work with great perseverance and talent, Anton may not be in the current stable situation, and it is very likely to be another bleeding point for the Han Dynasty.

Emperor Liu obviously didn't understand this point well, so whenever he was silent for a while, he couldn't help jumping out and tossing about. The older he got, the calmer he was than when he was young and middle-aged, that's the reason.

On the fifth day of March, there is only one day until Emperor Liu's birthday.The Jiaqing Festival is celebrated every year, but in recent years due to various reasons, it has not been celebrated well, and the overall atmosphere is not in place.But this year, it is obviously a big deal, and it seems that they want to get rid of the bad luck through a happy birthday.

Of course, the most important thing is that this is Emperor Liu's 59th birthday, officially entering the [-]th year of life, with a certain degree of particularity, and it is only natural to make a fuss about it.

The interior of the palace is already immersed in a festive atmosphere, with lanterns and festoons everywhere, birthday banners posted, please sweep the palace road, the whole scene is busy.Of course, the same is true for the entire Xijing City, and even for the entire Han Dynasty. At least from the public opinion report of the new imperial city envoy Zhang Bin, it can be seen that the people of the capital are "joyfully welcoming Jiaqing and celebrating birthdays happily." The people of Luoyang City are all It's smiling, but it's much more lively than in the palace.

It is logical for Zhang Bin to succeed Wang Jien as the envoy of the imperial city. After all, there has just been a traumatic accident, and there have been major breakthroughs and major adjustments in regulations and powers. A person with sufficient qualifications and familiarity with affairs is required It is not suitable for someone else to transfer someone else, so the daughter-in-law became a mother-in-law after many years, and Zhang Bin was able to strengthen his position and become the new envoy of the imperial city, becoming another influential figure inside and outside the palace.

There is only a half-level difference between the deputy envoy and the principal envoy, but it is only when you actually sit in that position that you feel the difference.Of course, Zhang Bin didn't dare to get too complacent right now. After all, Wang Jien's fate was a bloody lesson learned from the past. He didn't have such a deep master-servant relationship as Wang Jien and Emperor Liu. Anan, conscientious and conscientious, showing a diligent attitude.
The sunshine in the late spring was exceptionally bright, which made people feel very happy. Emperor Liu strolled in the palace city imperial hall with the company of Prince Liu Yang leaning on a bamboo knot.

The bamboo stick in his hand has been used for almost two years. Even though it is made of high-quality materials and has been carefully maintained on weekdays, it still looks old. Perhaps it is because of the ease of use, so Emperor Liu is reluctant to change it.

The bamboo stick was propped on the ground, and there was a "da da" sound, and Emperor Liu chatted with Liu Yang one after another: "I heard that you plan to arrange Wang Ming to be the chief political envoy of Gyeonggi Province?"

"Yes! Just want to ask His Majesty for your approval on this matter!" Liu Yang nodded, explaining the reason for the government: "The prince is the pillar of the country, loyal and hardworking, and has made great achievements. , after discussing with the ministers and others, they think that it can be the master of Gyeonggi Province, so as to comfort the heart of the old minister's meritorious deeds."

Liu Yanggang did a major event. Together with Zhao Pu, he formally promoted the action of "stopping the Western Expeditions" and it was implemented.This is a real big event for the court, officials and people of the Han Dynasty. In fact, after suffering from the ills for a long time, it is not hundreds of thousands of people who want to overthrow, but tens of thousands.

But to be able to implement this matter, formally issue an edict, and inform the world, this first needs to be approved by Emperor Liu.Obviously, after Wang Yucheng's previous statement, Emperor Liu's attitude softened and wavered.However, both Liu Yang and Zhao Pu are very familiar with Emperor Liu. In order to be considerate of the "old man" heart and reduce Emperor Liu's suspicion, the conclusion drawn by Liu Yang and Zhao Pu also highlighted a "flexibility".

Stopping the Western Expedition does not mean completely ignoring Anxi and the Western Expeditionary Army. What has changed is the political philosophy and the level of support. At least, from now on, it is no longer possible to draw blood from the country and the people without limit, so as to Supply to support Anxi's operations.

At the same time, many of the policies that have exhausted the people caused by the Western Expeditions have all been stopped, and many of the disadvantages and even outright crimes have to be gradually cleaned up. Exorbitant taxes such as the "Four Levy" have been explicitly abolished.The imperial court needs to appease people's hearts and cure the poison by scraping the bones. The most serious situation is undoubtedly the Helong area.

This is obviously a big project, and there are many people who oppose the Western Expedition. Due to the disclosure of the enfeoffment intention, the increase has doubled in the past two years. Emperor Liu was not unaware of that pressure before.

There is one thing that Emperor Liu himself is reluctant to admit, that is, from the beginning of enfeoffment, it means the separation of the feudal state and the court, and this separation will only get farther and farther away as time goes by, not closer , This is closely related to the interests of humanity, not to the transfer of personal feelings and will.

There are also many people who support the Western Expedition. This is a matter of political stance. During the ten years of the Western Expedition, a large number of bureaucrats, military officers, and merchants have emerged and gained a lot of benefits. their cheese.

The strength of these people is naturally much weaker than that of the opposition, but they are newer in appearance and stronger in cohesion. To a certain extent, they are backed by Anxi's army. Their power cannot be underestimated, so they also need to be appeased.

And Wang Ming is one of the most representative characters, a big boss.The conclusion to Wang Ming can also be seen as a signal, of course, the most important thing is to take into account Emperor Liu's feelings.

After all, Xizheng mainly reflects the will of the old emperor in the final analysis. Such a "compromising" approach, instead of criticizing and killing Xizheng completely, is to save face for Emperor Liu.The object of the compromise is not those interest groups that rely on the politics of the Western Expedition, but the old emperor. Otherwise, no matter what small group, it will not be able to withstand the heavy blows of the court.

The court's change of course does not mean that it has given up its support for the Western Expedition. After all, there are still several princes and grandchildren in Anxi.It just changed from full support to limited support, from being desperate to putting the focus back to the country, putting the financial security of the court and the livelihood of officials and people as the top priority.

Apart from the official, Emperor Liu himself contributed funds from internal funds to support it, and no one can control it.Some righteous men went west to Anxi to make a living, and some people went to Anxi to seek life, and the imperial court also supported it.If you have a noble or bureaucratic younger brother, if you want to work hard in Anxi and earn a fief, it is even more desirable.

All kinds of criminals in exile can still be transported to Anxi. If there is a disaster year and the victims are willing to go to Anxi, the imperial court will still formulate timely measures to support it.

Some people even suggested that local governments could come forward to organize and call on county gentry, scholars and common people to actively donate money to support Anxi.However, this point was decisively rejected by Liu Yang without any hesitation.

Having been in power for many years, Liu Yang is too aware of the nature of those bureaucrats. If he really wants to use such a trick, he is afraid that it will not be long before he reaches the locality, and it will become a bad government again. It is a miscellaneous tax item, and there is a high probability that the tax collected will not use the nominal Anxi.

Helong's bad governance is exactly the same as this one. Lanzhou governor Wang Long did just that. Less than [-]% of the large amount of materials and money raised in the name of supporting the Western Expedition was invested in Anxi, and the remaining [-]% was spent by the upper and lower cadres, etc. Scored cleanly.
It was precisely because of these fully considered and balanced measures that Emperor Liu did not say much about the decision to stop the Western Expedition, but tacitly supported it.Now, the appointment of Wang Ming once again took the old emperor's feelings into consideration. Emperor Liu also felt that respect, and a smile naturally appeared on his ugly old face.

Glancing at Liu Yang, Emperor Liu said: "Wang Mingguo's important minister is clean and capable, hard-working and hard-working. He is certainly responsible for the ineffective supervision of Hexi's malpractices, but it must be the cause of those corrupt moths who have caused such evils to harm the people. You need to understand these situations.

Nowadays, there are not many high-level people in the imperial court who are willing to use words and martial arts, and Wang Ming is one of them.With his qualifications and merits, he could have already entered the court to pay homage to the prime minister. It was I who suppressed him and asked him to make up for me in Hexi.

In these years, without Wang Ming in Hexi, how could Liu Min have achieved such achievements in Anxi?
I have a debt to Wang Ming, even if it is the responsibility of the capital, it is not too high! "

Hearing the old emperor's mouth full of recognition and appreciation for Wang Ming, Liu Yang couldn't help feeling a little rippling in his heart. You know, back then, Emperor Liu severely reprimanded Wang Ming and almost dismissed him from office.

In Liu Yang's interpretation, the current trust and importance may still be the problem. What Emperor Liu cares about is the "origin and extinction" of the Western Expedition, but his own face and authority.

However, judging from his attitude, his judgment with Zhao Pu this time was correct, and it was very satisfactory.
"I have had several conversations with the prince, and I am indeed experienced in governing and controlling the people. There are many things worth learning!" Liu Yang said humbly with his head lowered.