Han Shizu

In August of the thirteenth year of Yongxi's reign, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Luan Jia arrived at Jinling and landed at Yanziji. Even though there was an edict in advance, regarding reception matters, Jiangnan Daosi only carried out certain mobilization within the official and military personnel system, adhering to the "principle of not disturbing the people."

However, if it really stopped there, the scene might not be a bit ugly. Therefore, the final welcoming scene was not deserted at all. On the contrary, the officials and people of Jiangning were very enthusiastic.

Starting from Yanziji, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians gathered to welcome him and escorted him, shouting and shouting along the way. When they arrived at Jinling, the whole city was in a state of turmoil. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians filled the streets and blocked the roads, and the onlookers felt like they were in a jam.

In this regard, even if it was just symbolic, Emperor Liu Yang had to ask about the situation. Did Jiangnan Dao take the imperial edict seriously, or did he think that by using this method to flatter him, he would gain his favor.

Feeling the emperor's displeasure, Wang Xuanzhen explained that the government did not organize the people to welcome the emperor, and even issued a special announcement to calm the people. As for this enthusiastic scene of welcoming the emperor, it was actually the people of Jiangning who had not heard of the holy cause for a long time and yearned for Tianyan. , so he spontaneously came to greet him.

Liu Yang only believed half of what Wang Xuanzhen said. For such a large battle, if there is no central government planning and planning, and only the people's initiative, how can it be possible to maintain the order in front of them? No one in Jiangnan Dao can afford the consequences of the order getting out of control.

As for Jiangning Shimin's initiative, Liu Yang barely gained some trust. After all, in the more than 40 years since the unification of the world, including Liu Yang's southern tour, there have only been three emperor visits to the south of the Yangtze River.

If the emperor stayed in the center for a long time, it would be fine to sit in charge of the world. However, both the ancestors and the current emperor are good at inspecting the government and observing the people's sentiments. From the frequency of the emperor's inspections, it can also be reflected that so far, the southeast region has Its status in the DPRK is extremely inconsistent with the growing productivity and economic strength of the Southeast.

Such a situation obviously makes the noble bureaucrats, scholars and common people from the southeast very unwilling, and as time goes by, this unwillingness and even dissatisfaction accumulates.

It would have been fine if it had been in the first twenty years. After all, Jiangnan was a place of surrender and devotion. As an object of conquest and recovery, it is understandable that it would be politically weak. However, if it continues like this, thirteen years have passed since the Yongxi Dynasty, and it is still like this, it will be difficult for people to accept.

After all, Jiangnan is no better than other places. It is one of the regions with the most developed economy and productivity in the Han Dynasty. It is also the beginning of water transportation. It is a thoroughfare of rivers and seas, merchants gather, cars and ships converge. In addition, with the rise of maritime trade in the past thirty years, buffs are added layer by layer. After all, no matter from which aspect, the imperial court should give an explanation to Jiangnan and even the entire southeast.

If we continue to reap benefits economically, but continue to exclude and suppress politically, it will be unconvincing, and it will not be conducive to the deep integration of the Southeast region into the Han system.

To put it bluntly, it is still a question of power and interests, which ultimately have to be reflected in the political right to speak. In fact, from the middle of the Kaibao period, the upper class in the Southeast, including those from the original separatist forces, broke through the political restrictions and blockades of the court in their official careers, and achieved some achievements. After all, the importance of the Southeast was not clear to the court. Attitudes are also slowly relaxing.

In recent years, there have been quite a few people who have reached the upper levels of the empire, such as Zhang Jie and Pan You. Of course, the endings of both of them were not so good. Others such as Xu Xuan, although they experienced ups and downs, were recognized by both the north and the south as a scholar leader and a literary giant of the generation. Before his death, he was a cabinet bachelor, able to counsel on state affairs and speak out for the southeast.

Another example is Zheng Qi, who was the chief envoy to Hedong at the time. The Jinling Order more than 40 years ago actually gradually became the governor of Longxing in the Han Empire. Of course, Zheng Qi was already over seventy years old and had been to the imperial court several times. It's time to become official.

Compared with these representative figures, what is really worthy of attention is that in recent years, more and more bureaucrats from the southeast have appeared in the political arena of the Han Dynasty. The proportion of southern scholars admitted to each imperial examination has also increased to the normal proportion. These are all manifestations of the change in the imperial court's political attitude towards Southeast Daozhou.

However, it seems that it is still not enough for the officials and people in the southeast. After all, those who firmly hold the power of the court are still mainly northern dignitaries, and in recent years, countless northern dignitaries have gone south to grab food.

Under such a political background, Emperor Yongxi visited the southeast for the first time. As the first stop, the officials and people of Jiangning, how could they not actively welcome him, show the prosperous scenery of the southeast, and make the emperor feel at home?

Even if political factors are put aside, there is still a weak connection between Liu Yang and Jinling. At the same time, just from the perspective of the national economy and people's livelihood in the Yongxi era, the loyalty and identification of the southeastern people with the imperial court are constantly rising. , just because in the Yongxi Dynasty, everyone's life was a little easier, and their lives were at least significantly improved compared to the Kaibao era.

The development of the entire southeastern region with Jiangnan Road as the core can be regarded as the most dazzling crystallization and achievement of social production and economic prosperity throughout the Yongxi era. Regarding Jiangnan, Liu Yang was always worried and concerned. This can be seen from the depth of official rectification and the intensity of encouraging farmers and businessmen.

In the past ten years or so, although Liu Yang did not come in person, the imperial court's special envoys and the emperor's secret envoys came frequently. This was also considered when Liu Wenji, the king of Linzi, was stationed in the south of the Yangtze River. This southern tour is just like the previous tour to the southwest. In addition to inspecting the political, economic, and people's livelihood conditions in the southeast, one of the main purposes is to calm the government and appease the people.

Therefore, even if he had objections to the Jiangnan Daosi's welcoming momentum, Liu Yang did not get angry, but still warned Wang Xuanzhen that Jiangning would be fine. If he went to other cities, he would mobilize hundreds of thousands more Ji Shimin, if there is a drama of greeting each other for dozens of miles, then don't blame him for being rude.

Liu Yang's performance may seem a bit unhuman. However, this is the best way to reduce the degree of disturbing the people. He believes that some people sincerely welcome him, but letting the people hide their welcome and joy in their hearts and try not to affect their daily livelihood is to love the people.

During the Kaibao era, there were still some small palaces and annexes all over the country, but by the Yongxi year, after another round of abolition by Liu Yang, as of now, there are only seven remaining in the entire Han Dynasty, except for the two capitals. The palaces are located in Taiyuan, Chang'an, and Youzhou in the north, and in the south are Chengdu, Jiangling, Panyu, and Jinling. The scale, maintenance personnel, and costs of each palace have been further reduced.

Of course, there is also Taikang Palace, but this is a royal summer resort that cost a lot of money to build in the late Kaibao period. Liu Yang has never been there since he ascended the throne.

Jinling Palace, after more than forty years, Liu Yang came here again. This time, he was the owner of this palace that was once filled with romance. For Liu Yang, who was getting older, this was also a rare novelty. The experience has given rise to a lot of sadness and emotion in my life.

The accompanying concubines, palace servants and imperial guards gradually settled in, and the ministers also slowly settled down under Jiangnan Dao's careful arrangements. With so many accompanying people, they obviously wanted to stay in Jinling Palace for a while. According to Liu Yang's plan, there would be no need for a grand guard of honor during the subsequent inspection of the southeastern region. Jinling would be a temporary base for the southern inspection.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the citizens of Jinling City let Liu Yang experience the charm of southern festivals. The whole world celebrated together, and both monarch and ministers rejoiced. Liu Yang held an imperial banquet in Jinling Palace and personally entertained honorable ministers, officials, generals from Jiangnan, as well as well-educated scholars, moral elders, celebrities and county officials, filial sons and virtuous grandsons, good people and righteous businessmen selected from thousands of people. Waited and gave an emotional speech.

Compared with Emperor Shizu who had served twice, Emperor Yongxi was actually much kinder and more sincere in the eyes of Jiangnan bureaucrats and people. After more than ten years as emperor, Liu Yang had already accumulated enough power and prestige that no one outside the imperial court was disrespectful to him.

To be fair, in the eyes of the class that occupies the main say and interpretation power in the entire operating system of the Han Empire, Emperor Yongxi's morals, words, deeds, and thoughts are in line with their views on " The understanding of "The Lord of Sage". Therefore, Liu Yang's reputation among the ruling class of the Han Empire was very good, which was also beneficial to his rule to a great extent. Of course, this is also related to Liu Yang's measured control of many things and careful compromise.

The Yongxi era was an era of "reform". To be more precise, it should be called an era of "reform". It was a "rectification and improvement" of the government and system of the ancestors. I customized it and my son changed it. This is the simplest explanation of the process from Kaibao to Yongxi.

However, in this process, Liu Yang had a part of maintenance, a part of compromise, and a part of his own persistence. It is difficult for an emperor who follows the "conciliation line" to be disliked by the ruling and exploiting classes. After all, above the bottom line, he leaves room for compromise and negotiation. And being able to successfully bring the empire into the prosperous age of Yongxi only proved that the emperor did have good political talents and the ability to control situations.

The fifty-six-year-old Emperor Yongxi was not only the supreme ruler of the Han Empire and the living god of the people of the world, he was also an old man. Compared with the former Emperor Shizu, he was much more "kind-faced and kind-hearted".

When he had an intimate banquet and communicated, and cordially expressed that he regarded everyone as "one of his own," the celebrities of Jiangnan Province were naturally moved and some had tears in their eyes.

Judging from the scene effect, Emperor Yongxi performed the political show at the Mid-Autumn Festival Night Banquet in Jinling Palace very well.

After staying in Jinling for seven days, Luan Jia set out again to patrol eastward, taking the land route, and the number of people dropped directly to 3,000.

As the chief officer of Jiangnan Road, Wang Xuanzhen was naturally among the chauffeurs, and he also had the opportunity to "climb the Luan Chariot" to have a conversation. This is really a great honor and favor for a minister who was born as a spy and has always been labeled as an "eagle dog". Encounter.

Luan drove eastward along the "Jiangsu" straight road. In the car, Liu Yang leaned on a soft pillow and stared at Wang Xuanzhen, who looked cautious. He asked about the personnel issues of Jiangnan Road: "You have been in charge of Jiangnan Road for long enough. It’s time to make a move, do you have any ideas about the successor?”

When asked, there was no surprise on Wang Xuanzhen's face. He had obviously been prepared for his departure. Without answering, he asked instead: "I wonder if your Majesty has any candidate of your choice?"

Liu Yang directly named one person: "How about Chen Shenghua, deputy envoy of Jiangnan Province?"

Hearing this name, Wang Xuanzhen suddenly snorted in his heart. Chen Shenghua was a bureaucrat who came from Sichuan and Sichuan. He had an official career in the Han Dynasty for forty years. He was a shrewd and capable man, and he dared to confront the powerful and powerful. He argued with reason and enforced the law impartially. He was regarded as a "famous minister of Yongxi" of his generation.

Even in the first year of Yongxi's reign, Chen Shenghua was just a magistrate of Runzhou. Within ten years, he became the deputy chief envoy of Jiangnan Province. There were several ranks in between, which shows that he had good fortune. Of course, it was also a late fortune. After all, as of this year, Chen Shenghua is 66 years old.

Moreover, he has never dealt with Wang Xuanzhen. Facing the emperor's gaze, Wang Xuanzhen thought about it for a while, but said: "Chen Shanze has the talent to help the world, and he is more than enough to govern Jiangnan Road!"

Now it was Liu Yang's turn to be surprised, and he couldn't help but said: "I heard that your relationship with Chen Shenghua has never been good."

Wang Xuanzhen replied calmly: "Although Chen Shanze despises my personal ethics, as long as I don't waste official business, I don't need to argue with him. In terms of politics, this person is especially good at managing finances and water conservancy affairs, which is very suitable for the political situation of Jiangnan Province."

However, Chen Shanze is already old and his energy is low after all, so he may not be able to perform his duties for long."

Wang Xuanzhen's evaluation was quite fair, but after hearing this, Liu Yang couldn't help but sigh and said: "The old man has great ambitions, and the martyrs have great ambitions in their old age! The Han Dynasty has no shortage of veterans who have passed the age of sixty. , age is not a big problem, you can still use your talents to govern the country and bring peace to the people!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" The emperor said so, so naturally Wang Xuanzhen could only agree.

Keeping an eye on Wang Xuanzhen's reaction, Liu Yang suddenly smiled and asked, "Don't you care about where you will go after resigning from Jiangnan Province?"

To this, Wang Xuanzhen responded calmly: "Your Majesty has an order, and I dare not resign. Even if I let the old minister return to his hometown to farm, it is just a matter of buying a set of farm tools!"

"Haha." Liu Yang smiled, with a hint of hoarseness in his old laughter, and said, "It would be a huge injustice to let you go back to farming!"

"Your Majesty is ridiculous! I don't dare to accept it!" Wang Xuanzhen said immediately.

Liu Yang waved his hand that looked a little thin, and said: "Let me tell you directly, I have agreed to Han Hui's invitation to become an official. If he leaves the court, I plan to let you handle the errands of the Metropolitan Procuratorate." Take over!”

In the Yongxi Dynasty, the duty of being the governor was an important task, and for Wang Xuanzhen, it was even more of a luxury, because once the edict was issued, it also meant that Wang Xuanzhen would become the prime minister. Thirteen years ago, he I never dared to think about it.

"Your Majesty is so kind and trustworthy! My Lord. My Lord." Wang Xuanzhen knelt in the car, his excitement difficult to express in words for a moment.

Seeing this, Liu Yang said with a hint of sadness: "The Du Cha Envoy is an important task. You are already in your sixties. If we delay it for a few more years, I'm afraid you won't be able to bear it anymore."