Han Shizu

Perhaps because of the great loss of interest, the picnic in Xiyuan that night did not last long and ended with the emperor's disinterested announcement. Instead of going back to the palace, he spent the night in the imperial camp. This was not a strange place. Liu Wenpeng had experienced sleeping in the wild.

Inside the wide-open royal tent, the candlelight illuminated it brightly, and all kinds of decorations were complete, making it look like a palace that could be dismantled and moved. Liu Wenpeng sat close to the small stove built to ward off the cold night, sweating profusely from the heat but not feeling it. His young face was full of thoughts.

Liu Wenpeng rarely showed such a serious expression, but at this time, what he was thinking about was the "tour plan". As a casual emperor, he couldn't hold back his thoughts, and he was already silent. He was thinking about going on tour. Of course, all he needed to consider was where to go. The rest would be arranged by his servants.

When Liu Wenpeng was debating whether to go north or south, the brightly dressed chamberlain Qin Fu came in from outside the tent with a unhappy face and even cried when he saluted the emperor.

After coming back to his senses and observing his condition, Liu Wenpeng immediately scolded: "Are you doing this for me to see? Are you being wronged by asking you to return to the palace to deliver cooked meat to the Queen Mother?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Fu hurriedly knelt down and bowed: "The officials have misunderstood! Being able to serve the officials and the Queen Mother is a small blessing. It is such an honor, how can we talk about grievances?"

Liu Wenpeng waved his hand and asked casually: "Were you reprimanded by the Queen Mother?"

"Rather than reprimanding, the Queen Mother praised the officials for their filial piety and asked them to take care of their health." Qin Fu explained. He met the emperor's gaze, hesitated for a while, and then said, "I just heard a piece of news when I returned to the palace. , I sincerely ask the officials to make the decision.”

Seeing Qin Fu kowtow, Liu Wenpeng became interested and said, "Tell me! What happened in the palace?"

"It's not inside the palace, it's outside the palace. My younger brother Qin Xie was taken away by people from the Ministry of Punishment today and was thrown into the sky prison by Xu Shilian, the Minister of Punishment."

Qin Fu looked aggrieved and cried and explained the reason to Liu Wenpeng. Things are not complicated. The Qin brothers were born in poverty. Due to luck, Qin Fu was able to enter the palace as a slave. Because of chance, he eventually became one of the little eunuchs around Liu Wenpeng. Because of his cleverness, he stood out from the crowd.

When Liu Wenpeng ascended the throne, Qin Fu naturally rose to the top. As Qin Fu became prosperous, the Qin family also enjoyed blessings, especially his brother Qin Xie.

There are people in the palace, and it is inevitable to cause trouble outside the palace. Especially after he committed several crimes in the luxurious Xijing, and finally exposed them easily, he became even more publicized. In the eyes of bureaucrats and subordinates, they are very useful. In the past two years, "Qin officials" have gradually gained some reputation in the capital, and in a short period of time, they have "earned" a fortune.

However, the dignitaries of the Han Dynasty did not even look down on Qin Fu, the emperor's confidant eunuch, so how could they pay attention to a mere Qin Xie? I ignored him in the past just because I didn't want to make enemies for no reason whenever it happened to me. If we really got serious about it, who would take Qin Xie seriously?

The person who took action this time was Xu Shilian, the Minister of Justice. As a veteran of Yongxi, Xu Shilian was not a purely loyal and upright person. He was deep and knowledgeable, capable and skillful.

After so many years of observation, he was not only disappointed with the emperor Liu Wenpeng, but also extremely disgusted with the villains surrounding the emperor, and he had long wanted to teach him a lesson.

After a period of secret planning, the political situation of his crime was collected, and now he was arrested and prosecuted directly by the Ministry of Punishment. Moreover, the charges of arrest are very serious. In the name of the emperor, they committed plunder and exploitation. First, they deceived the emperor, and secondly, they harmed the people. If the two tunes are combined, they will be put to death. The majesty of these traitors and cowards will be brutally killed.

Of course, Qin Fu's report to the emperor was a different story. He complained that his brother Qin Xie was looking for famous horses for the emperor, and he chose a Gaochang horse, which was called the best horse. The owner had a little "minor conflict" during the "negotiation" process.

However, the officials sent by the Ministry of Punishment did not care about the right and wrong, so they used this unreasonable method to arrest Qin Xie, seal his house, and put his family under control, and so on.

Liu Wenpeng was somewhat impressed by Qin Xie, and even thought he was a good person. Previously, Liu Wenpeng had traveled out of the palace incognito, and was very interested in the "highly popular" officials of Qin. Under the leadership of the Qin brothers, he experienced the "turbulence of rivers and lakes" in the wells of Xijing, and he was very satisfied. He even stayed at Qin Xie's home for one night.

Such a loyal and interesting person was questioned for no reason by the people of the Ministry of Punishment. Liu Wenpeng became angry after hearing this. At the same time, he couldn't help but think about it. Could it be that after half a year of calm, the ministers from the outer court were causing trouble again? A small Qin Xie was worthy of being targeted by the majestic Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. Obviously, this was looking for trouble for him as the emperor. .

Liu Wenpeng actually had a good impression of Xu Shilian. He was a bit deep and didn't talk much. Unlike people like Li Hang, who always wanted to put a layer of shackles on him. At the same time, when Lu Meng was about to abolish the Imperial City Division, Xu Shilian But there are those who firmly stand on the emperor's side and hold opposing views.

Therefore, in Liu Wenpeng's eyes, Xu Shilian, a veteran of Taizong, was at least a "one of his own" even though he was not a close "imperialist" like Wang Qinruo, Dong Yan and others.

It happened that he was one of his own, and he started trouble without saying hello. Therefore, Liu Wenpeng immediately sent someone to the Ministry of Punishment to ask Xu Shilian for an explanation on the "Qin Xie Case". Regarding this matter, Qin Fu took the initiative to ask for orders, but he had no choice but to do so. Xu Shangshu was a ruthless man, and he was afraid that if he didn't seize the time, his brother would be sentenced to death in court.

A Qin Xie, whether dead or alive, only made a slight splash in Liu Wenpeng's heart. In contrast, it was those uncertain associations that made him frown.

Late at night, the imperial envoy Wang Yue came to see him according to the imperial edict. Since the "crisis of abolishing the Si", Wang Yue has once again increased the frequency of running to the palace, sharpened his head to get close to the emperor, and worked hard to brush up Liu Wenpeng's favorability.

We have to do this. Whether you love or hate the emperor Liu Wenpeng, his time is too short. If you don't manage the relationship well, there is a high probability that you will not be able to keep your position. If the emperor intervenes in the arrangement of important court positions, it may be accompanied by certain troubles and struggles, but replacing an Imperial City Secretary is really a matter of an edict, as simple as Baishui.

Therefore, Wang Yuezhe still maintained the ability of the Taizong period, but with this ability, in addition to maintaining the basic functions of the Imperial City Department, he focused more on pleasing the emperor. In fact, for eunuch slaves like Wang Yue, emperors like Liu Wenpeng are better served.

For Liu Wenpeng, Wang Yue was basically able to answer all questions. For example, when he asked about Qin Xie's affairs and whether there were any changes in the court, he immediately understood the emperor's concern and suspicion. Therefore, he assured the emperor with a firm tone that Qin Xie's matter was not a big problem. It was very possible that Xu Shangshu saw that he was rampant and lawless, and wanted to make decisions for the people, rectify the problem, and quell the people's complaints.

Liu Wenpeng was even more surprised by this. What kind of public resentment could a Qin Xie cause? So under the emperor's repeated questioning, Wang Yue was "helpless" and reported some of Qin Xie's situations in detail.

Wang Yue is a person who is very good at focusing on key points. He briefly mentions other trivial things and focuses on the past two years when Qin Xie used the pretext of paying homage to the emperor to collect swords, horses, famous utensils and rare treasures from the people. This was inevitably accompanied by plundering and enriching his own pockets. Breaking down people's doors and killing people.

Wang Yue did not mention Qin Fu in the whole article, but every incident gave people the impression that Qin Fu was behind it. Paying attention to the emperor's increasingly ugly face, Wang paused for a moment and continued: "The officials and the people were oppressed by Qin Xie The plunderers all dare to be angry but dare not speak out, just because——"

"That's enough!" Liu Wenpeng obviously couldn't listen anymore and kicked over the small stove in front of him. The flying sparks hit Wang Yue, making him almost jump.

However, seeing the emperor's angry look, he couldn't help but feel happy, but his face remained calm, and he quickly knelt down and begged: "Officials, please calm down!"

"Everything you said is true and correct?" Liu Wenpeng stared at Wang Yue coldly.

Wang Yue's face was serious and he said solemnly: "How dare I deceive you?"

"Why didn't you report it before?" Liu Wenpeng said viciously. Faced with the emperor's question, Wang Yue couldn't help but said sadly: "Qin Xie once said that the officials once stayed at his house, valued him very much, and called themselves a 'bachelor in civilian clothes'. The old slave thought about the relationship between the officials and him. Special relationship, fearful of offending the official power, so "

"Bullshit!" Liu Wenpeng finally couldn't help but cursed.

Qin Fu, the chamberlain who went to the Ministry of Punishment to deliver the edict, did not know that within half an hour of leaving the Holy Gong, their brothers were repeatedly stabbed in the back by Wang Yue, the envoy of the imperial city, which stimulated Emperor Liu Wenpeng to become murderous. In particular, Liu Wenpeng had only heard of the story of Tang Jingzong Li Zhan not long ago.

The results of the Ministry of Punishment and his party also made Qin Fu frightened and heartbroken, because when Xu Shilian, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, gave a reply, he sinned against the people of Qin Xie, made a big fuss in court, offended the prestige of the country, and was sentenced to death with a cane, but he could not survive the punishment. already dead.

Xu Shilian spoke lightly, but Qin Fu was furious, accusing Xu Shilian of illegally judging the case and disregarding human life. But who is Xu Shilian? How can he be afraid of Qin Fu and bluntly say that he will give an explanation to the emperor?

In the end, Qin Fu ran to Xiyuan in disgrace. No matter how sad and angry he was, he did not dare to show off his authority in the lobby of the Ministry of Justice. This place was one of the most majestic legal systems in the Han Empire. Anyone who dared to touch it was not a big deal. .

Full of grief and anger, he went straight to the imperial camp. As soon as he arrived outside the tent, he burst into tears and planned to go to the tent to complain. As a result, they were directly pressed down by four guards who had been prepared. Without explanation, they were gagged, tied up, and dragged into the dense forest on the side of the imperial camp. They were thrown into a deep pit that had been dug long ago and buried alive.

The emperor Liu Wenpeng was like this. He was more emotional than rational. When he fell in love, he could be regarded as a confidant. When he hated him, he discarded him like a worn-out shoe. When he killed, he didn't blink an eye.

Perhaps out of self-consciousness, Liu Wenpeng didn't care much about the follow-up to this matter. Xu Shilian submitted an "apology form" the next day, and Liu Wenpeng only scolded him for using excessive punishment, and the matter was over. Xu Shilian, who was preparing for a fight, was greatly surprised and turned against the emperor. There have also been some minor changes.

On the other hand, the Qin brothers also prove that it is not that the emperor only used his private wealth to enjoy the palace, which did not cause much harm to the empire. This is only compared to those who are obsessed with success, abuse people's power, and are extravagant. The damage is It's not that serious.

Just the two brothers of the Qin family can create a mess and cause anger and resentment among officials and the people, not to mention anything else.

Not to mention the pro-government, no matter how many disputes there were in the central government, everything still continued the rules of the Yongxi Dynasty, and Liu Yan and Zhang Qixian worked hard to maintain the situation, so the situation was relatively stable.

But judging from the two years that Liu Wenpeng was "in charge", the ghost that destroyed the autocratic monarchy was once again wandering over the Han Empire. Even though it was still far away, still wandering in the sky, but from the sky of the peaceful and prosperous era, A hint of shadow can already be seen.

The first is Liu Wenpeng's so-called pleasures that do not "waste people and money." No one really thinks that they are all purchased by the young government, all consume internal funds, all accounts are clear, and all sources are innocent.

Without going into too much detail, I will just mention that in the palace collection, there are a large number of famous wines and fine wines collected from various places during the Shizu era, including quite a few from the 1950s and 1960s. It may be a bit surprising that during the entire Taizong era, there was not a single jar of wine added to the palace. The storage left by Shizu alone was enough to meet the needs of Emperor Taizong's various banquets, ceremonies and rewards during the fourteen years. In this way, when Liu Wenpeng succeeded to the throne, 60% was left.

The remaining 60% had already bottomed out in the spring of the sixth year of Pingkang, and the Shaofu began to purchase fine wine from all over the country for aging.

At the same time, the "tribute wine" system that had been suspended for who knows how many years has resumed its function. Liu Wenpeng did not issue an edict, but in the southeast, northwest, and in all directions, as long as there were places where famous wines were produced, the government took the initiative to collect good wines, thinking that Offer wine.

At the beginning, the scale was small and the quantity was not large. It was basically used as a test, but the tea and wine envoys in the palace accepted all the orders. Then, it got out of hand. There were countless followers of Wangfengying, and famous wines from all over the country were transported continuously to the capital along the straight roads from the empire to the various roads.

Regarding this situation, of course, there were still voices in the court to advise and remind people. However, the court itself had a contribution system, but the two generations of emperors restrained it and did not allow local governments to contribute (Shizu strictly ordered procurement, while Taizong used Shizu's method). inheritance is enough).

The key to this matter still depends on the emperor's self-control and moral standards, and using these two to test Liu Wenpeng is a bit absurd.

Therefore, admonishment is useless, because the emperor cannot listen at all. Without enough wine, how can we hold a banquet, sing and dance?

The emperor will also get angry if he is annoyed, and the reason is very good. The tributes of wine from various places are the wishes of local officials and people. Are you trying to stop me from getting close to the officials and the people by admonishing me? His heart can be killed

On the other hand, local officials offered tribute wine, not only to please the emperor and add support to their official career, but also to seek personal gain or to fill some financial shortfalls through this method. An opportunity to be “honest and fair”.

If the value of the tribute wine that the emperor can get is one, then local bureaucrats can often get three or four times the benefit from it. If they do too much, it can be more than ten times. And where does this wealth come from? It is just for the livelihood of the people under their rule.

This is only the impact caused by the "tribute wine"!

From this, we can also draw another conclusion, that is, in the two years after Liu Wenpeng took charge, the officialdom of the Han Empire began to become turbid, and it was no longer possible to maintain the clarity of officialdom.

Above the court, the contradictions and constant conflicts among the dignitaries became more and more obvious. At the same time, the prime ministers headed by Wang Dan, who was also the minister, mainly just maintained the overall stability of the empire and the normal operation of the government. For local places, especially They are some shortcomings that we cannot concentrate on or have enough authority to solve.

The intricate network of political interests leads to serious constraints. People in it cannot do more than work hard to safeguard their own interests. If they do, they often get stuck in the quagmire. Of course, there are always some good ministers who are full of passion and public spirit, but compared with the overall environment, they seem insignificant.

Therefore, the Han Dynasty in the Pingkang era was still in a state of Kangping on the whole. However, the excellent, clean and high-spirited political style of the Taizong era was constantly being corrupted. This kind of corruption was not obvious and silent. , even more powerless, various obvious disease spots began to appear on the huge body of the Han Empire.

All of this was obviously caused by Emperor Kang Le. At least Liu Wenpeng, who took over the empire from Emperor Taizong, was primarily responsible!

This summer hunt lasted for another two days and ended with the emperor returning in defeat. The reason for the failure was that the string of the precious eagle bow used by Emperor Liu Wenpeng was broken, which made people feel very distressed and even more frustrated.

However, when he returned to the palace city, he was shocked and heartbroken by a piece of bad news. His two-year-old son, Liu Jiye, the crown prince of the Han Empire, had died!

In these years, while Liu Wenpeng was playing around, he also worked hard in the harem. He was forced by the Queen Mother and cared by the ministers. At the same time, he himself also hoped to have enough children.

However, the development of things often backfired. In the past few years, the concubines actually gave birth to two sons and three daughters for him, but most of them died young, and only one son and one daughter survived.

Especially the prince, who is the legitimate son born to Empress Yang, so his importance can be imagined. Although Liu Wenpeng was bored by Empress Yang's dignity and seriousness, he loved the prince she gave birth to. While naming him Jiye, he directly named him the crown prince in the autumn of the fifth year of Pingkang.

However, less than a year later, the prince he had high hopes for died so young. Even Liu Wenpeng was heartbroken and cried endlessly. Perhaps, even when Taizong passed away, Liu Wenpeng had never been so sad.

An angry emperor can kill millions of people, but a sad emperor is equally dangerous. In grief, Liu Wenpeng gave an order to execute all the dozens of palace servants serving in Kunming Palace.

The death of the crown prince must have had a profound impact, because the upper echelons of the empire once again discovered a problem. It has been six years since the emperor's death, and the emperor of the Han Empire seems to have no heir again.

Perhaps we can only wait for the emperor to work harder and regenerate? Or maybe.