Han Shizu

After all, he was the hero who single-handedly created the Han Empire and personally started a period of prosperity. No matter how people's hearts began to change, Emperor Shizu's influence on the Han Empire was all-round and ubiquitous. Even if he died, But the influence continues.

When it comes to the mourning period and individuals, the most intuitive manifestation is that more than a dozen senior ministers of Qianyou and Kaibao passed away one after another, either suddenly, due to illness, or died without illness, and some even committed suicide.

Among them, the one with the highest status was Pan Mei, the privy envoy and Fan Yanggong, who passed away at home during the period of the imperial examination.There are many rumors about Pan Mei's death, which are very mysterious. Some say that Pan Mei cried to death due to excessive sadness, and some say that she followed Emperor Shizu to another world to conquer the world. Of course, there are many more rumors that you can tell at first glance.

As for the real cause of Pan Mei's death, no one pays attention to it. The more legends about strange powers and chaos, the more people believe it.Although Pan Mei's death was affected by the death of Emperor Shizu, the fundamental reason was his fragile body. However, due to his meritorious service and his position, even his death was endowed with many terrifying connotations.

Emperor Liu Yang certainly felt sorry for Pan Mei's death. In Liu Yang's view, just as his name suggests, Pan Mei was a contemporary who had all the beauties of a general, and was the most perfect commander-in-chief in decades.

Among the veterans of Kaibao, some will inevitably be replaced by new people, but Pan Mei is definitely one of the meritorious veterans who Liu Yang will continue to use. His sudden death is naturally a pity.

After hearing those rumors, Liu Yang inevitably felt a little unhappy.Pan Mei was portrayed in public opinion as an image of extreme loyalty to the late emperor. She fainted and cried to death. What about being the son of the late emperor?As the crown prince who inherits the throne?Isn’t it inappropriate to not faint from crying, not to dry up your tears and cry blood, not to become sick from sadness?
Of course, Liu Yang's displeasure was not directed at Pan Mei, nor could it be directed at a respected veteran who had passed away. What really annoyed him were those who spread false rumors and attempted to manipulate public opinion.Liu Yang also concluded that if there was no one behind this incident, it would never have been possible for such a public opinion to form in just over a month.

It has to be said that during the period when he first ascended the throne, Liu Yang became much more sensitive, and his originally generous character became a little more suspicious. This was a rapid but not sudden change, and it developed naturally. It was probably A necessary transformation to evolve into a qualified and promising emperor.

The person who reported this matter to Liu Yang was none other than the Imperial City Envoy Zhang Bin. Monitoring public opinion in the capital was one of the most important responsibilities of the Imperial City Envoy.Things have changed in the Han Empire. The higher people stand, the greater the impact will be. After fully accepting the reality, they need to think about their own future and wealth.

Under the same system, everyone's position is also different. Some people are walking alone in the dust, some are walking on the road of Qingyun, some are wandering in front of the dragon gate, and some are standing high on the platform to reach the stars.
People like Zhang Bin are on the edge of a cliff, on thin ice.Emperor Shizu died. The most helpless people were obviously the concubines and palace servants who had served him. The ones who felt the most dangerous and fearful were the despised hawks like Zhang Bin.

As early as when they were camping, Zhang Bin and Wang Xuanzhen were detained by Er Li. They were not released until Zi Gong returned to Beijing. Even then, he was warned to stay calm.

How dare they be restless!Zhang Bin is quite self-aware. The owner is dead. If these hawks and dogs continue to show their teeth and claws, they will all deserve to be beaten to death.

During this period, Zhang Bin was very scared, not because he was afraid of the foreign ministers and dignitaries, but because he was not comforted and accepted by his new master.When Zhang Bin was in office, the Imperial City Department was not as arrogant and domineering as it was during Wang Jien's period, but the nature of this government office was destined to offend people and be despised by them. The court wanted Zhang Bin's head and the abolition of the Imperial City Department. There are always many people.

The "Abolition of Si Disturbance" caused by Lu and Zhang when they "overthrew the king" was just a failure.What really worries Zhang Bin is the attitude of the new emperor Liu Yang. He has never been interviewed. He took the initiative to visit him several times but was rejected. This is by no means a good sign.

For people like Zhang Bin who are physically disabled and whose work is of such nature, their psychology is naturally abnormal and it is inevitable for them to overthink things.In particular, when Liu Yang was still the prince, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the arbitrariness of the Imperial City Division. Now that the new emperor has succeeded to the throne, it would be impossible to use the Imperial City Division to appease those ministers who hate them deeply and buy off their patience. Not surprising.

God can see how pity Zhang Bin has gone through in the past few days. He couldn't find his master to wag his tail. He felt so insecure.

Fortunately, Zhang Bin was not frightened to death by himself. In the end, he was successfully summoned by Emperor Liu Yang. He was given a face-to-face briefing and clearly asked him to continue to preside over the affairs of the Imperial City Department, ensure the effective operation of the organization, and let the emperor's eyes and ears become clear again.

Zhang Bin, who was so "comforted", felt reassured and full of energy. After the Imperial City Envoy was reassured, the Imperial City Secretary also came back to his senses. The rumors and legends about "Pan Mei's Death" circulating in the wells of Xijing City were Zhang Bin. Provide a quick and efficient "performance".

In fact, Liu Yang attached great importance to both the Imperial City Division and the Wude Division. Under the influence of the old emperor for many years, he also knew the importance of the existence of the two divisions to the emperor and imperial power.

What he didn't like in the past was just that the Second Division of Imperial City and Wude were arrogant, domineering, misbehaving, and violating the law and harming others. It didn't mean that the Second Division would dig up the roots.What is clear is that if someone makes a fuss about the Second Division in the future, they will also be unable to get through to Liu Yang.

The reason why Liu Yang had shown a cold attitude towards the Second Division before was that, firstly, he was tightly tied up in funeral arrangements and spent nearly half of his time in the funeral palace every day; secondly, how to treat the Second Division, Liu Yang I still had concerns in my mind, so I hesitated.

But now, one and a half months have passed since Coffin took over the throne. The conditions in both aspects have matured, and only then have matters concerning the Imperial City and Wude Division been put on the agenda.Of course, the key lies in the handling of Zhang Bin and Wang Xuanzhen.

Hanging Palace.

Since it was still the funeral period, the imperial city was still in plain color, and everyone from the emperor Liu Yang on down wore sackcloth and wore mourning.In the palace, Wu Deshi was also summoned by the new king for the first time to listen to his report on Wu Deshi affairs.

Like Zhang Bin, Wang Xuanzhen was not having a good time in the past period. Compared with the Imperial City Department, the situation of Wude Division was better, but the improvement was extremely limited.Just because his style is slightly more restrained, his reputation is equally bad, and he is also deeply hated by the bureaucrats of the Han Dynasty.Especially after the fall of Wang Jien, the Imperial City Secretary Jiao Kuang was no longer there, and Wude Si was once again highlighted.

However, compared to Zhang Bin, Wang Xuanzhen was calmer and calmer, but he was still excited when he received the news that the new king had summoned him.For this report, Wang Xuanzhen also made full preparations, telling all the situation of Wude Division without any reservation, and even more important matters such as the intelligence system, Wude Camp, and secret file system of Wude Division were done. Specific introduction.

It has to be said that this is the first time Liu Yang has heard such a detailed and specific report from Wude Si. Although he has understood it in the past, he should not interfere too much, lest he violates Emperor Shizu's taboo.

Now, as Wang Xuanzhen explains, for Liu Yang, the fog that has been shrouding Wudesi in the past has also dispersed, and it is gradually exposed before his eyes.

It is precisely because of this that Liu Yangfang truly understood what kind of organization the Wude Division was and how terrifying it was.It can be said that the publicity of the Imperial City Division is only rampant on the outside, while the Wude Division is low-key and terrifying on the inside.

What Liu Yang is most concerned about or vigilant about are the secret files left in the Wude Division. Just from some superficial descriptions, we can know the power, or threat, of those things.

If we only count from the first year of Qianyou, Wudesi also has a history of 45 years.Different from the limitations of the Imperial City Division, Wude Division's tentacles are all over the world. Over such a long period of time, what kind of behemoth Wude Division has developed into, and how many secrets, internal information, military and political conditions of the Han Empire have been collected, Even Wu Deshi may not be completely clear.

For a moment, Liu Yang even had murderous intentions towards Wang Xuanzhen, but he restrained himself. He clearly realized that as long as Wude Si existed, some ills and problems would inevitably arise.When he was still the prince, he recognized the function of Wude Si. Now that he is the emperor, it is even more necessary to improve his perspective on the problem.

In the palace, Wang Xuanzhen always maintained a respectful posture. He was unaware of the emperor's psychological changes and did not dare to pry into it at will. He just quietly waited for the holy teachings and the emperor's "judgment" on his future and destiny.

After a brief pause, Liu Yang spoke quickly and steadily: "Emperor Daxing once said that among all the military envoys, you are the one with the most political awareness, the most capable handling, and the best sense of proportion!"

Hearing what Liu Yang said, Wang Xuanzhen suddenly felt awe-inspiring. This kind of evaluation was a bit dangerous for Wu Deshi.As the head of a secret service, he should do his duty and be a sharp knife in the hands of the emperor and a lackey under the emperor's control. This is the right way. Is engaging in politics what he should do?
His uncle Wang Yinwu lost his life because of "political crimes". Of course, Wang Yinwu's fate was essentially because he did not understand politics but wanted to interfere in politics and participated in the party disputes in the court.

If the Wudeshi does not understand politics at all, it will not last long. No matter how powerful he is, he can only become a subordinate of the Wudeshi.Therefore, in the end, it still needs to be seen how the emperor views this issue. At least when he was Emperor Shizu, Wang Xuanzhen's performance was just right. However, now it is the new king in front of him who determines his fate.

Therefore, facing Liu Yang's gaze, Wang Xuanzhen expressed sincerity and fear: "I am so virtuous and capable, as the Emperor Daxing said, I should only abide by my duty and be loyal to the best of my ability, that's all!"

Regarding this, Liu Yang was noncommittal, then thought for a moment and said, "How many people are there in the prison camp managed by Wude Division now?"

Wang Xuanzhen's business quality is indeed excellent, and he answered almost without thinking: "Your Majesty, the prisoners in the world are divided into twelve districts, with a total of 50 battalions, about [-] people!"

Since Emperor Shizu assigned the management of the prison camp to Wu Desi, the issue of the Han prisoners has no longer caused waves among the upper class of the Han Dynasty and has no longer become a stain on the "benevolent rule".However, not messing around, not mentioning it, or ignoring it does not mean that the problem does not exist.Even if he was mentally prepared, he was still shocked when he heard the number reported by Wang Xuanzhen. 50 prisoners, this scale is even larger than it was back then.

At the same time, it also aroused Liu Yang's concerns. In the past few years, although he has not heard of prisoners revolting anywhere, he definitely does not think that Wude Si's methods have become milder, resulting in less resistance. A more reasonable explanation is , if the people who resist are gone, then the resistance will naturally cease to exist.
Therefore, Liu Yang's attitude became a little serious and he asked seriously: "Tell me honestly, how many prisoners in the world die every year?"

Faced with Liu Yang's questioning look, Wang Xuanzhen only paused for a moment before decisively replying: "Your Majesty, there are about ten thousand people!"

Liu Yang was silent for a long time, and then said firmly: "The management of the prison camp must be reformed!"

"Your Majesty, please give me your permission!" Wang Xuanzhen said even more simply.

Staring at Wang Xuanzhen, Liu Yang gave instructions concisely and forcefully: "First, the casualties of prisoners must be reduced;

Second, management methods must be lenient and strict, and wanton abuse and arbitrary killing must be put to an end;

Third, the prison camp management officials in various places must be rectified, and those who are rampant, illegal, and reckless should be picked up and eliminated;

Fourth, the number of prison camps is too large. Prison camps across the country should be screened one by one, and those who have committed relatively minor crimes and have completed their sentences should be released! "

Regarding what Liu Yang said, Wang Xuanzhen silently recorded that he had no objection to the first three items. Only the last one made him hesitate in front of the emperor for the first time in his audience today:
"Your Majesty, I'd like to speak frankly. All the prisoners in the world are suffering from hard labor and have many grievances against the imperial court. Your Majesty is kind and shows mercy, but the prisoners may not appreciate it. If you indulge them, I'm afraid they won't be grateful and will instead harbor resentment. To harm the place."

Hearing what he said, Liu Yang frowned slightly, looked at Wang Xuanzhen carefully, and then said with emotion: "No wonder there are rumors among the people that the camp is like a ghost cave. Ten people enter, and one person returns with broken hands and feet!"

With a sigh, without waiting for Wang Xuanzhen to answer, he scolded: "The concerns you mentioned are indeed justified, but have you ever thought about why this situation was caused?
If we can comply with the law and act according to the rules, if we restrain ourselves and avoid impatience, show some mercy and do less cruelty, why will the prisoners' resentment be caused by this?The old evils are accumulated and difficult to recover. If there were no previous reasons, how could we be where we are today?

If you follow your will, it will lead to chaos, and the prisoners will be served as slaves until they die, so that the hidden danger will be eliminated forever!However, this approach is no different from putting out fires and raising the pot to stop the boiling water.
With 50 prisoners, you, Wu Desi, can suppress them for ten years, but can you still suppress them for 20 years?There are three hundred battalions of prisoners, divided into twelve districts of the Han Dynasty. Once there is a change and the group rises up to rebel, it will be a war everywhere. Which disaster will be greater then or today?

How can it last long if we don't investigate the root cause of problems, seek their source and treat them, and blindly suppress them? "

Facing Liu Yang's words, the deepest feeling in Wang Xuanzhen's heart was that the styles of Emperor Daxing and Emperor Daxing were indeed very different. If he were Emperor Daxing, how could he have such thoughts? If he really wanted to rebel, he would be killed. .The reason why the government of prisoners has reached such an extent today is ultimately due to the strong style of Emperor Daxing.
In comparison, the new king is much more kind.With emotion in his heart, Wang Xuanzhen said in a very submissive manner: "Your Majesty said that in a high place, there are far-reaching worries. I am like a god. If you want to cure the disease, you really need to find the root of the disease."

After complimenting him, Wang Xuanzhen still paid his respects: "However, even if you indulge the prisoner lightly, I still feel worried and don't dare to be careless. It would be great if there is a way to get the best of both worlds!"

Wang Xuanzhen's words seemed to have some connotations. Liu Yang squinted his eyes slightly, thought about it carefully, his expression changed, and he said leisurely: "How about distributing the prisoners who have committed minor crimes and those who have expired to various feudal states?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Xuanzhen said immediately.

After taking a deep look at Wang Xuanzhen, Liu Yang regained his composure and continued to give instructions in a calm tone: "The reform of the prisoner camp is the first priority of Wude Division. I know that this matter will not happen in a day." It is not something that ordinary people can accomplish! I will give you two years to focus on this matter, and there is no need to be distracted by other matters!"

Hearing Liu Yang's order, Wang Xuanzhen's heart suddenly skipped a beat. His political awareness was indeed very strong, and he understood the emperor's intention almost instantly. Although he had expected it, the fact that things were actually developing in this direction still made him quite puzzled. For unwillingness.

Apart from being unwilling to do so, he also felt deeply helpless. Couldn't he resist the imperial edict?No qualifications either!

"I obey your will!" No matter how complicated his mood was, Wang Xuanzhen still accepted Liu Yang's order completely.

"Stay back!" Liu Yang waved his hand.

"I retire!"

From the moment he left the Chui Gong Hall, Wang Xuanzhen knew that he would not be able to serve as a military envoy for long. He might have to leave office in two years, or perhaps earlier, and the emperor was already selecting his replacement.

What Wang Xuanzhen can do is to do his best to complete the errands ordered by Liu Yang. It can be seen that the new king intends to use the prison camp to reform the charity. If the errands are done well, there may not be other prospects in the future.
Liu Yang was sitting in the seat of Emperor Daxing. He stared at Wang Xuanzhen's respectfully retreating figure just like his father did when he scrutinized his courtiers. He thought to himself: "This man is indeed very talented. It would be a pity to kill him, but he would be uneasy to use him."

After Wang Xuanzhen withdrew, Liu Yang leaned on the throne again, pondered for a long time, suddenly raised his head, looked at Wang Yue who was waiting at his side, and said: "You have served me for many years. You are loyal, honest, hard-working, and reasonable. Everyone should be given something.”

Hearing what the emperor said, Wang Yue was overjoyed, but he remained reserved on his face, and even expressed his humility eagerly: "The official's words are serious! I am lucky enough to be able to serve the official, and I am lucky enough to be able to stay with the official. It’s such a great blessing, how dare you expect anything in return!”

Seeing his reaction, Liu Yang might have smiled on normal days, but during the national mourning period, he just nodded heavily, and then said: "It is both a reward and a mission, and I am not asking you to enjoy the blessing! I give you two choices. , one is to serve as the internal chamberlain, and the other is to take over as the imperial city envoy, you can consider one or two!"

Hearing what the emperor said, Wang Yue felt a surge in his heart, and his mind immediately recalled the momentum of Yan Tuo and Wang Jien back then, which could be called a model in their eunuch profession. Now, it was finally Wang Yue's turn.

However, when he noticed Liu Yang's scrutinizing eyes, he suddenly became excited and hurriedly said: "You are so stupid, how can you think of that? You just follow the orders of the officials and walk through fire and water, no matter how hard you die!"

Sure enough, after listening to his words, Liu Yang only thought about it for a moment and then decided: "You go and take over as the Imperial City Envoy!"

"Thank you, official!"

Wang Yue suppressed the excitement in his heart and left. As for Zhang Bin, Liu Yang was still generous after all. He changed his position and went to Taiyuan to guard the palace, which was considered a place for him to retire.

Next, Liu Yang met with Liu Gui, the young master, and Zhou Fang, the head of the Xiaofang Department who was rarely exposed to the outside world. The latter took the initiative to ask to see Liu Yang after Zi Palace returned to Beijing. This time it was just a systematic meeting. understanding of the report.

The Imperial City Department, the Wude Department, the Shaofu, and the Xiaobu, these four overt or covert institutions, are also a rich legacy left to Liu Yang by Emperor Shizu. Only by truly holding these in his hands can he, the new king, Have the most basic sense of security.

After all, since he ascended the throne, he naturally "discussed the truth" with the empire's dignitaries face to face, instead of worshiping the emperor in the same court in the past.