Han Shizu

The warm room is like spring, filled with sweet fragrance. On the bed, King Linzi or His Royal Highness King Jing, Liu Wenji, looks like a dying patient. His complexion is gloomy, his spirit is unhappy, his beard and hair are messy, and even his eyes have a kind of natural difficulty. It's a wonderful "sickness".

Liu Wenji has been recuperating from illness in recent years, intermittently and repeatedly, and his condition has worsened in recent months, to be precise, after the death of Prince Liu Jiye. Being stuck at such a time point is somewhat meaningful.

Of course, if it were not for the three staff members waiting quietly in front of the bed, Liu Wenji's illness might appear more real.

The three people in front of the couch were Cao Yong, the chief minister, Xiao Gong, the commander, and Xiao Hui, the general officer. They were all trusted ministers.

Xiao Hui mentioned it before, but after arriving in Jiangnan, the young talents trained by Mrs. Xiao were entrusted with important tasks by Liu Wenji, responsible for the training and defense of the palace guards.

Xiao Gong was also born in the Xiao clan. He grew up in the Central Plains. He studied Han Shu at a young age. In the tenth year of Yongxi's reign, he was ranked 17th in the Jinshi Department. He served as the magistrate of Sanyuan County and the judge of Yaozhou and had considerable political achievements. Later, he was transferred to serve beside Liu Wenji. Because of his profound knowledge of weapons, Liu Wenji valued him very much.

As for Cao Lili, his father Cao Jian once served under Xiao Siwen in the Lifan Academy and formed a close relationship, which later led to him joining Liu Wenji and being accepted by him. He is an eloquent person, generous and ambitious, and very talented.

Over the past few years, Liu Wenji has quietly built his own core talent team, which is low-key and unassuming. Although the scale is not large, it is full of talents. And the purpose of recruiting talents and accumulating strength, which is sinking under the water, is obviously not to prepare for going to sea to serve the country. (Liu Wenji’s fiefdom is also in the Philippine Islands)

If it was just an unwillingness or a subconscious behavior at the beginning, then over the years, when the Han Empire reached the sixth year of Pingkang, the political group with Liu Wenji as the core had already achieved very great goals. It's clear.

Whether it is the changes in the situation in the court, the emperor's willfulness and neglect of government, the personnel structure of the imperial family, or the emperor's bloodline. There are too many factors that prompt Liu Wenji and his staff to do what they cannot, do not dare, and do not want to do. Think in the direction of your imagination.

Whether it is Liu Wenji himself or his officials such as Xiao Gong, Cao Liang, and Xiao Hui, they are all knowledgeable people. Over the years, a consensus has been formed that the emperor will be so willful that it will be difficult to defend the country.

If the country is lost now, then there is no doubt about who can win it. Looking at the world, the only one is the King of Linzi.

Therefore, when the news of the death of the two-year-old prince Liu Jiye reached Jiangnan, Liu Wenji's condition worsened, while Xiao Gong and others were very excited. Cao took advantage of it and even directly expressed to Liu Wenji that this was an opportunity given by heaven to become the king.

At this time, in the annex on the bank of the West Lake, Liu Wenji had received the edict to confer the title of King of Jing and governor of Huguang. Naturally, it was inevitable for several ministers to discuss the matter.

However, if you think about it carefully, for Liu Wenji and others, there is not much room for discussion, because no matter what tricks the emperor plays, there is not much they can do. They can only resort to tricks and defend in roundabout ways. Frontal confrontation is excluded. Available outside of options.

The emperor's intentions were straightforward to Liu Wenji, who was in the middle of the situation.

Just like in front of outsiders, Liu Wenji's face remained calm, and his eyes were as calm as water. Holding the edict in his hand, he thought for a long time, then raised his head and said: "Zijing, please draw up a thank you note for me. At the same time, because of your serious illness and difficulty in seeing things, you decline the appointment in Huguang!"

"Yes!" Xiao Gong responded calmly with a sense of uprightness.

Liu Wenji looked at Xiao Hui again and said: "Bo Ren, you gather people and prepare to go to Huguang. No publicity is allowed. There should not be too many people with you, just a hundred people! In addition, find me a big ship to make special reform decorations. Suitable for seriously ill people”

Xiao Hui was slightly surprised by this, and couldn't help but look up at Liu Wenji, but seeing his calm expression, she suddenly realized something, cupped her fists and said, "Yes! I will do it immediately!"

"Yongzhi, you stay in the south of the Yangtze River and inform all your subordinates and old officials to act with caution, concentrate on studying and managing politics, and be loyal to the court!" Liu Wenji looked at Cao Liang, who had three strands of beard, and gave instructions: "Give Loujiang College to I’m optimistic, let the rest take its course!”

"Yes!" Cao Lili was not as sharp-tongued as usual at this time, but responded respectfully.

Under the careful management of Wang Xuexin and others, as well as the secret support of Liu Wenji, Loujiang College is on the right track. Although the number of students admitted every year is still not large, they are all people with excellent talents. Of course, this talent includes innate and the day after tomorrow.

At the same time, as batches of students graduated and were recommended to serve in Su, Xiu, Shang, and other prefectures and counties, the "Loujiang faction" also began to slowly rise in the official circles of the southeast. There were more than 800 students in total. People were successfully admitted to various government offices.

Although he was just a subordinate, Liu Wenji's identity and influence combined were enough to influence the political arena in Jiangnan, at least in Su, Xiu and Shang. At the same time, this group of "academic" officials also became a clear stream in Jiangnan's political arena. They were highly valued by Liu Wenji and even relied on him as his foundation.

"Your Majesty!" After the discussion, after looking at Liu Wenji's face, and after careful consideration, Cao Lili took the initiative to remind him: "The imperial doctor Zhu Hong is a flaw, and we have to guard against it, so please be careful!"

Hearing this, Liu Wenji's face finally showed a little wave of emotion. He looked at him and asked, "What are your suggestions?"

Cao Li showed a ruthless look on his face, cupped his hands and said, "It's better to get rid of him!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenji couldn't help but frown. He pondered for a while and asked Xiao Gong: "What do you think Zijing?" Just like Cao Liang's ruthless attack, Xiao Gong's attitude was also very firm and he responded: "I think it's impossible. ! For the king, the most dangerous time is after Zhu Hong diagnoses the disease and before making the report. At this moment, if he dares to repeat it, he will inevitably be guilty of deceiving the king.

What's more, the Dowager Queen has long advised that the king should be quiet and solemn, and this should be even more so in this matter. If there is any trade disturbance, it will easily lead to suspicion. "

Seeing that Xiao Gong actually refuted him, Cao Lili was not happy and immediately said: "How can you put the king's safety in danger by unexpected people?"

Xiao Gong was calm and Cao Yong was fierce. They had different opinions and argued in front of Liu Wenji not once or twice.

Seeing that the two of them were about to argue again, Liu Wenji did not sit back and listen this time. He waved his hand to stop them. After thinking for a while, he said firmly: "The world is unpredictable and people's hearts are unpredictable. However, if you don't trust people and don't trust people when you employ them, how can you plan for great things?" No risk.

There is no need to mention this matter again! "

"Your Majesty, your Majesty is wise!" Xiao Gong bowed his hands, thought for a while, and then suggested: "Zhu Hong will report his kindness to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty should extend your kindness to win over him!"

There was originally no connection between imperial physician Zhu Hong and Liu Wenji. If they were not sent by the emperor to diagnose Liu Wenji, there would be no way they would have crossed paths.

The reason why Zhu Hong was willing to cover for Liu Wenji was also very simple: to repay his kindness and to repay Concubine Xiao for protecting her in the palace in her early years. Maybe it was just something that Mrs. Xiao did casually, and she had even forgotten it long ago, but Zhu Hong always kept it in mind.

Before departure, Zhu Hong was shocked by the emperor's "deliberate" explanation, but he was also happy that the time had come to repay his kindness. Without any hesitation, he firmly chose to defend Liu Wenji and fully conveyed the emperor's instructions.

God helps those who help themselves! Zhu Hong's cooperation naturally saved Liu Wenji a lot of trouble, and Mrs. Xiao's help to him was obviously all-round.

There is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. Hangzhou under the rule of the Han Empire definitely lives up to this reputation. The not-so-vast West Lake is like a pearl embedded outside the city. Around the city, rivers are intertwined like ribbons, bringing developed water conservancy and convenient waterway transportation.

The mountains and forests around the city are not high. They are all low hills. The terraced fields in the harvest stage spread from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. Everything exudes the temperament of "good things and good things for the people".

Such a prosperous and powerful country was ruled by an absurd emperor like Liu Wenpeng. As the son of Emperor Taizong, Liu Wenji was not convinced, but felt even more distressed. The two generations of Emperor Shizu and Emperor Taizong worked hard to start and maintain their business. Even if the country is rich, how long can it withstand corruption?

Therefore, Liu Wenji believed from the bottom of his heart that what he was planning was not his personal ambitions and extravagant hopes, but for the sake of the Han Empire and the foundation of his ancestors.

If you want to achieve great things, you must first deceive yourself!

Even in autumn, the West Lake is full of tourists. Liu Wenji sat on a chariot and observed the somewhat desolate autumn scenery of the West Lake with a sad look.

Next to him, he was accompanied by a guest with special status, Chen Yaozuo, the envoy of Zhejiang Province and Zhejiang Province. Sitting indifferently, enjoying the autumn scenery together, Chen Yaozuo kept observing Liu Wenji, the newly promoted King of Jing, from the corner of his eye, and felt inexplicably nervous in his heart.

"Chen Shijun!"

Upon hearing the call, Chen Yaozuo immediately raised his hands and said, "I don't dare to accept it! What is your order, Your Majesty?"

"I don't dare to accept the order!" Chen Yaozuo was polite, and Liu Wenji was also very reserved. He pondered a little and asked: "Tell me honestly, how much money did the two Zhejiang Taoist priests spend on this reception?"

"This" Chen Yaozuo frowned tightly and looked at Liu Wenji with some confusion.

Sensing Chen Yaozuo's hesitation, Liu Wenji coughed twice and asked in a different way: "With the expense of welcoming him, can we strengthen the river embankment? Can the Qiantang ponds be cleaned and widened?"

Hearing Liu Wenji's question, Chen Yaozuo couldn't help but show a hint of embarrassment on his face. He groaned a little, looked at Liu Wenji who looked poor, and said sadly: "Your Majesty, I am ashamed to ask this question!"

In the autumn and August of the sixth year of Pingkang, Liu Wenji, the king of Jing, set out from Hangzhou and sailed westward to the two lakes.

As expected, the emperor did not agree with Liu Wenji's modest words, and still entrusted him with the post of governor of Huguang and asked him to go to Jiangling to recuperate, perform his duties, and serve the country.

As for Emperor Liu Wenpeng himself, he stayed in the southeast until mid-spring of the seventh year. After shopping around and being tired, he set off to return north.