Han Shizu

Chapter 2057 Taizong Chapter 4 The Final Farewell
Liu Yang had a premonition that he would face some troubles at the beginning of his succession, but some troubles still appeared beyond his expectation. He could not have imagined that even during the burial of Emperor Daxing, he would have to contend with some ministers. Fan.

Some people used the old ritual of "the emperor will be buried in seven days and buried in seven months" as an example. They even used the burial period of the great ancestor Liu Hao as an example. After all, it took almost a year to suggest that Liu Hao should be buried. Yang, Emperor Daxing will be buried next year.

Such suggestions are of course contrary to Liu Yang's wishes. According to his opinion, a hundred days is enough.He was buried in July. One of the important reasons was the construction of the mausoleum. The Gao Tomb of Emperor Daxing had been repaired long ago. Why should he continue to be rigid and dogmatic, not to mention wasting time and letting Zi Gong live in Qianqiu? The palace eats ashes.

This is a conflict between two concepts and a struggle between two positions.Liu Yang's own idea was of course very simple. He wanted to complete the funeral ceremony as quickly as possible on the basis of perfection, so as to restore normal order to the empire and restore peace to the officials and the people.

This is the public side, and the private side naturally wants to end the transitional period between the old and the new as soon as possible, advance the date of his accession to the throne, and grasp the power of the emperor as soon as possible.

The intention of the ministers who advocated "burying in July" was not complicated. It was just the opposite of Liu Yang's intention. They wanted to prolong the transition period as much as possible. The new emperor would not be able to fully grasp the power of the empire as soon as possible. During this period, Give them more opportunities to operate.

This is almost an instinct, a challenge from ministerial power to monarchy. In the past, when Emperor Daxing was around, people would dare to explode from time to time. Now that the shadow above their heads has dispersed, it is natural to jump around and test this. The depth of the new emperor.

Among the people who presented the memorial, there were many scholars from the Third Academy and the Hanlin Academy. It was not surprising that they jumped out, and Liu Yang even expressed understanding to a certain extent.After all, Emperor Daxing never listened to them, and when he was still the prince, he expressed some close approval of Confucianism and came up with something to try to convince him as the new emperor. It is not surprising.

But after this incident, Liu Yang's favorable impression of those classical thoughts and doctrines was greatly reduced. Those thoughts certainly have ways to govern the country and control the subjects, and they can clearly identify the reasons for the rise and fall of the dynasty.

But at the same time, it may also be used to restrain, limit or even suppress the emperor and imperial power. Their set of etiquette should be used to restrain the subjects and to restrain the emperor himself. Liu Yang is not like the Daxing Emperor. He has certain Self-denial and enlightenment, but also don't like such a somewhat coercive approach.

Those who are pedantic and conservative are not to be feared. What is to be feared are those who have ulterior motives and use etiquette to spy on the imperial power. This makes Liu Yang have to be on guard.

The first person who surprised Liu Yang was Shangshu Youcheng Xin Zhongfu.This veteran of Kaibao and a close friend of Zhao Pu, he was almost the leader and clearly agreed with "burying in July". His words were sincere and fierce, and even gave Liu Yang a feeling that he was dissatisfied with July and that he, the heir, was unfilial.
When he was in power, the monarch and his ministers worked harmoniously and complemented each other. Liu Yang also praised him for his shrewdness, ability and diligence in state affairs.

As soon as this incident came out, Liu Yang couldn't help but sigh deeply. In times of great change, people's hearts have changed. Once the Emperor Daxing is gone, those people or things he suppressed will also raise their heads. Now it's just a matter of burial date. , has involved so much trouble, and I don’t know how many struggles of right and wrong will hit him in the future.

Facing this situation, Liu Yang's attitude was naturally consistent and resolute.From the attitude of these officials towards this matter, Liu Yang could not feel their respect for him as the emperor, and he had to suppress it.

But this time, he did not act as arbitrarily as he did regarding the title and temple title. He could see that there would be a lot of troubles in the future. If he personally took the responsibility, then he would be an emperor. You have to work hard and be busy.

The key point is that Liu Yang is not without foundation. The things he has accumulated and the experience he has honed during his more than 30 years as a prince are also unfathomable.

As soon as there were only a few signs, a large number of people rose up to argue with those who were "restoring rites".Li Fang, Han Hui, Kou Zhun, Xu Shilian, Wang Dan, Lu Zongdao and other ministers, when these people unite, their fighting power is needless to say, especially Li Fang, who talks about Confucianism, Taoism, etiquette and Dharma, let alone business. Quality, personal prestige alone can overwhelm everyone.

Therefore, after an overwhelming victory, Emperor Liu Yang humbly accepted the advice, and Emperor Daxing was buried on the 30th day of the cold month in the [-]th year of Kaibao.

A dispute over the burial period actually caused a stir in the whole court, which caused Liu Yang to have great reflection.I am not only reflecting on myself, but also on the seemingly perfect regulations of the empire. If nothing else, the imperial mourning system can hardly be called perfect. In the final analysis, it is still lack of experience. Even including Emperor Daxing, since the founding of the country, Only twice in total.

Facts have proved that even though there are so many things written in the regulations, there are still many inappropriate things when they are implemented.After all, every period and every emperor faces different situations.

Therefore, the regulations should also ensure the security and stability of the country and the country during the succession of the throne and the transition between the old and the new. We must not be clingy and conservative. Stability overrides everything else. This is the conclusion Liu Yang came to on this matter.

Liu Yang had long wanted to reform the Han Empire, but he never imagined that it would start with the mourning system.

……

In the autumn of the 30th year of Kaibao's reign, in Luoyang, in addition to the city's seclusion and the long-term ban on entertainment and alcohol, the most common scene was probably the constant presence of nobles, bureaucrats, generals, representatives of various ethnic groups, and foreign envoys from all over the empire.

Regardless of their identity or where they come from, there is only one purpose, to pay homage to the Daxing Emperor, including those retired and respected veterans of Qianyou and the heroes who opened the treasure. As long as they can still move, they all gather in the capital. There are indeed many in Luoyang City. It had not been so lively in the past year. This was the sensation caused by the death of Emperor Daxing.

Although mourning is the main reason for the gathering of heroes, there are obviously some who have other hidden motives. The inheritance of the throne and the replacement of old and new are really suitable for speculation, as long as you still have ideas about politics.People talk too much, which turned the funeral of Emperor Daxing into a political performance show by some people. There is no way to blame the "loyal and upright" people for expressing their condolences and remembrance of Emperor Daxing. Who dares to blame this? Intentionally?

In the overall sad atmosphere, there are also some disharmonious things, which are not limited to the upper-class dignitaries of the empire who have done a lot of bad things, but also include the middle- and lower-class people.During the national mourning period, you are not allowed to drink alcohol, go whoring, or engage in any party activities. If you commit a crime, you will be given a one-level penalty. You cannot get married. You cannot even hold a big funeral if someone in the family dies, so as not to offend the spirit.
Such a restriction should last for three to five days, and one can barely endure it for ten and a half months. Once it exceeds one month, gossip, bad luck and resentment will come out.Even if you are afraid of the spies of the Imperial City Department and the government's informants and dare not speak out, it is always inevitable to curse in your heart.As for who to scold, besides the imperial officials and meat-eating dignitaries, who else could be there?

Of course there are, including the Tian family, including Emperor Daxing, who has been lying in the funeral palace for two months.The change in people's hearts is just like the scene when Zi Gong returned to Beijing and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians mourned and mourned, and the sound of mourning shook the sky. It is a lie.
It has to be said that the people of the Han Dynasty are the most diligent, simple and tolerant of all the races in the world, but they are also the most ruthless and forgetful.

Of course, it is not that the new emperor Liu Yang has heard of some harsh and even pathological prohibitions during the national mourning period, and it is not that he has no ideas, but it is not easy for him to propose them rashly at the moment. More importantly, he really does not have the time and energy to care about these. Minutiae.

At this time, Liu Yang was immediately concerned when he heard the news that King Zhao Liu Fang had returned to Beijing. After asking about his itinerary and date, he specially sent Lu Guogong Zhao Mingdesi to greet him.Zhao Mingde, the son of the late Lu Guogong Zhao Kuangzan, and the brother-in-law of Zhao Wang Liu Fang.

Liu Yang was not that wary of Liu Fang. Today, he has succeeded to the throne, and the distinction between monarch and ministers has been completely established, and he is not afraid that Liu Fang will threaten the throne.But to be honest, the Daxing emperors, apart from their second son Yan Gong Liu Zhao, who had always been law-abiding, Zhao Wang Liu Fang was indeed the biggest threat to Liu Yang's throne.

Being comfortable and fearless is an attitude and skill, but being able to pass this critical stage normally and smoothly is also what Liu Yang hopes for.Even the nobles, nobles, and scholars could cause so much trouble, let alone the King of Zhao, who had a high reputation and great military exploits.Even if Liu Yang believed that Liu Fang would not do anything unwise, he had to guard against it. No one knew what kind of stimulation the death of Emperor Daxing caused to Liu Fang.
Of course, what really made Liu Yang suspicious was the edict issued by Emperor Daxing before his death. No matter how he interpreted it, it seemed unusual.Since the Three Kingdoms of Anxi and Anxi were enfeoffed, and Liu Fang was among them, why did he summon him back to Beijing alone? What was the matter?
Perhaps only God knows what Emperor Daxing's intention was, but it left a bit of embarrassment between the new monarch and his brothers.
As for Zhao Wang Liu Fang, there is a distance of nearly ten thousand miles from Jinling to Suiye. It was at the end of June that the Anxi Governor's Office received an urgent enfeoffment edict and a decree calling him to return to the court.

In Emperor Daxing's enfeoffment plan, Wei King Liu Min undoubtedly enjoyed the richest fruits, with Suiye, Guocheng, and Talas as the core including Zhuhai (Issyk-Kul Lake) Basin, Baishui City, Nidala, and Dashu The best areas of the Anxi Dudufu, including Qian (Tashkent) and Kangcheng (Hu Zhande), were all assigned to the Anxi Kingdom.

As for the Kangju Kingdom of Liu Ye, Duke of Liang, the three cities of Bakhana (Fergana), Uzgen, and Xidian in the southwest of the original Black Khanate were entrusted with the title. Although these three cities are located in the valley, they are also important east-west routes. However, the land area is not very large. The population was almost completely lost due to the war of annihilation and the continuous and cruel security war. It is now in a state of decline and backwardness and needs an extremely long recovery period.In view of this, Emperor Daxing was generous and assigned the Shule area in the southeast to Kangju State.

Shule was once the capital of the Black Khanate. When it was bullied by the Samanid Dynasty in the early years, it relied on the development of this place to make a comeback. The religious war with Khotan was also based here. It has recovered very well in the past few years.Old Thirteen obviously made a lot of money from Emperor Daxing's enfeoffment method.

In comparison, Liu Fang's Beiting Kingdom seemed stingy. Emperor Daxing granted him the northeastern region of the former Black Khan Dynasty. The territory was full of nomadic barbarians, and there was only one city, Yang City (Yang Yanzhao occupied it after thousands of miles of raids). Although the Yili River flows through Wugu City and there is Dalinkul (Lake Balkhash) in the north, it is still an economically and culturally backward and uncivilized barbarian land.

This kind of distribution is obviously not in line with the status of King Zhao Liu Fang within the Han Empire. This seems to explain why some Daxing emperors recalled him to the court.Liu Fang was obviously also happy. After confirming the division with his brothers Liu Min and Liu Ye, he led his retinue back east.

It was originally a leisurely trip, checking out the geography, people's sentiments, military affairs, and politics of Anxi and Gaochang, and even leisurely sightseeing.However, before leaving the jurisdiction of Gaochang Road, all the leisure and leisure disappeared, and the news of the death of Emperor Daxing finally spread to the northwest.

Liu Fang's feelings for his father couldn't be deeper. More importantly, compared to his three brothers who have their own thoughts, Liu Fang always has an innocent heart and has worshiped Emperor Daxing for decades. , one can imagine how devastated he felt when he suddenly heard the bad news. It was almost a sense of despair that his faith collapsed.

Riding his horse and whipping his whip, he galloped eastward, hurrying slowly and hurriedly, compressing his rest time to the extreme. By the time Liu Fang returned to Luoyang, it was already September, and the majestic and heroic demeanor that belonged to King Zhao no longer existed.When he arrived at the imperial city, he did not go to see Liu Yang, but went straight to Qianqiu Hall where the funeral palace was located.

When Emperor Liu Yang arrived at the Qianqiu Palace, everyone stood silently, with sorrow in their eyes, because Liu Fang's howling was so desolate that it made those who heard it sad and those who heard it shed tears.

In front of the Zi Palace, King Zhao Liu Fang, whose face was dusty, his skin was sallow, and his beard was messy, was lying on the mourning platform and crying loudly. He was so heart-wrenching that it was impossible to describe it in words.

Seeing this, Liu Yang couldn't help but feel a little moved. He also knew Liu Fang's temperament. Others might be coy and pretentious, but Liu Fang has always been upright and upright.Passing over the people who were saluting, Liu Yang walked to Liu Fang's side, stretched out his hand and paused in mid-air, then gently patted his back, and said in a trembling voice: "Silang, dad has gone. I never want to see you like this. Please forgive me." , don’t break your body crying.”

As soon as Liu Yang said this, Liu Fang cried even harder. He even knelt down and kowtowed so hard that the floor in the palace made a thud.

Seeing this, Liu Yang became anxious and knelt down, forcibly grabbing him, and then the two brothers hugged each other. Liu Fang kept crying, and Liu Yang also burst into tears. Soon after, the entire Qianqiu Palace was filled with crying.

After all, His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness King Zhao were both crying, how could anyone else watch.However, compared to everyone's playfulness, for Zhao Wang Liu Fang, the sadness was truly beyond words.

It was not until the evening that Emperor Liu Yang returned to Chui Gong Hall. When he was alone, a rare smile appeared on his lips. If he was not really pleased, he would not make such an inappropriate expression.

Just because, after Zhao Wang Liu Fang mourned, he solemnly paid Liu Fang a royal courtesy and called his majesty.Regardless of whether Liu Fang's performance was sincere or not, at least in a short period of time, before he officially ascended the throne, there should be no trouble with Tuo. This also gave Liu Yang some relief from his recently tense nerves.

On October 30, the [-]th year of Kaibao's reign, Emperor Shizu's emperor Zigong was buried in Gaoling deep in Mang Mountain. This also meant that the Han Empire completely bid farewell to its true founder.

From this point on, Dahan will officially usher in a new era.

(End of this chapter)