Han Shizu

From the time the new emperor ascended the throne, the era when the Han Empire belonged to Emperor Kangzong and Liu Wenpeng had completely passed. Among all the emperors of the Han Dynasty, including Liu Wenji, no one could compare with Liu Wenpeng in terms of smooth succession, stability of the country, and superior situation.

However, after eight years, the current empire has undergone major changes compared to the early years of Pingkang, and the situation is not that good.

The emperor's power was weak, the government was unstable, and it was difficult to talk about political clarity. There were many conflicts among the powerful, and the government was like a wild horse that had lost its control. There were redundant officials, extravagance, and comparisons. All the rules and good styles of the Taizong era were overthrown. break in.

The only thing worthy of praise may be that the private economy is still very dynamic and has achieved further development. However, the gap between the rich and the poor has widened, and the trend of local powerful clans and gentry and landlords has resurfaced.

From the prosperous age of Yongxi to the "well-off" of Pingkang, Emperor Kangzong and Liu Wenpeng obviously shouldered an unshirkable responsibility. After all, he was not a real little emperor and had enough ability to take care of himself.

However, introspection from Kangzong's standpoint seems to be somewhat worthy of "understanding". To be fair, Kangzong may not be wise, but he is smart enough; he is absurd and willful, but not cruel; he enjoys neglecting government, is self-respecting, and is idealistic in doing things. He turns state tools for personal use and regards the world as private property, but the harm to the country is Perhaps it is not as negative as the negative effects brought about by the dedication of many "promising" wise kings in history.

At the end of the Kangzong era, although many meritorious veterans were squeezed out and many loyal and upright people were demoted, they were never good at killing ministers. It may not be fair and just to treat those senior citizens who have made contributions, but for most people, it still gives them a basic level of decency.

In the final analysis, regardless of his status as emperor, Kangzong was just an ordinary person in a position that was not suitable for him. He is arrogant, vain, and has no enterprising spirit. His ancestors passed down to him a huge asset that can be said to be the largest in history. The world's wealth and billions of people are at his disposal. He can take whatever he wants. In the case of world peace and insufficient ambition, he will not enjoy it and will not Spend money, don't waste it, what else do you want him to do?

To hold Kangzong to the standards of Shizu and Taizong is simply to impose harsh demands on him. He was a mortal with mortal greed and selfish desires, and what he did was completely in line with the style and standards of most feudal autocratic monarchs.

In fact, until his death, Kangzong had to thank Emperor Shizu and Emperor Taizong, especially Emperor Taizong. If the foundation of the empire they left behind was not strong enough to withstand his creation, perhaps the temple name "Kang" would not be his turn.

If he had done the same thing in another historical period, he might have been assigned temple names such as "Xi", "Xi", "Min", and "Zhi".

Regarding the posthumous title of Kangzong Temple, the imperial court also went through some discussions, which really took some brains. It is impossible to have a bad posthumous title, otherwise how could the ministers of the Pingkang era behave themselves, and how would they thank the world? The posthumous title of Yimei cannot be given ideally, so in the end he was given an unconventional title like "Kang", and the posthumous title was much "shorter". Emperor Ruiming Wu Minxiao was really unable to stick it on his face. golden

Of course, from the perspective of the new emperor Liu Wenji, he might be more inclined to give Kangzong a posthumous title, but in the end he still recognized the suggestions of his ministers. From the reign title to the posthumous title of the late emperor, Liu Wenji always followed his advice. This was also the tone of Liu Wenji's governance during the Duangong period.

After all, Kangzong left, leaving an extremely complicated and troublesome situation for Liu Wenji, who had just ascended the throne. The Han Empire was obviously sick again, and this time, Liu Wenji, a "doctor", was needed to diagnose and treat it.

But before that, what he really wants to do is how to consolidate his throne. This is the basis of everything he does. In this regard, even without Mrs. Xiao's reminder, he still had full thinking and understanding.

The problem is serious and the challenge is arduous. However, for Liu Wenji, no matter how difficult it is, it cannot be more difficult than the ten years of disappointment and even despair of persistence and suffering, and it cannot be more difficult than being sick in bed and dormant and waiting for several years.

When Liu Wenji ascended the throne, settled on the dragon's bed, and safely accepted the worship of officials and envoys from various countries, he knew that the most difficult moment was over, and "the supreme emperor" was his greatest source of confidence and confidence.

Liu Wenji is not an immature Liu Wenpeng. He has been deeply influenced by Shizu and Taizong since he was a child, and he has been working hard in the imperial system for more than 20 years. The hardships and experiences he has experienced have made him full of wisdom from his thoughts to his vision, and he has a deep understanding of the empire. He could see people, things, and systems far more clearly and profoundly than Liu Wenpeng. When he sat in the position of emperor, he knew better how to exert its functions.

At the beginning of his succession to the throne, Liu Wenji was constantly under pressure and all kinds of troubles. Even though he had shown himself to be easy-going and harmless enough, there were still people who kept testing him.

But no matter how much trouble there is, in the final analysis, it is still a human problem. If you can grasp the changes in the court's favor and handle the interpersonal relationships with the powerful, even if nothing is accomplished for the time being, Liu Wenji can at least be as stable as Mount Tai.

Liu Wenji did not interfere much in the personnel issues of the new dynasty. Especially in the political affairs hall of Guangzheng Palace, which represented the center of imperial power, the configuration of the late Kangzong period was basically maintained.

Although such a structure made the nobles powerful, it had an advantage for Liu Wenji, who had not yet established himself. At least he had innate support from Kou Zhun, Xu Shilian, Xiang Minzhong, and Wang Qinruo. These four people have become the central spokesmen of the empire's vast group of common people bureaucrats, far worse than before.

You must know that when the common people's bureaucrats were at their peak, at least at the central level, they had to overshadow the noble bureaucrats. Of course, this needs to be viewed after dialectically excluding the influence of the emperor. The development of the entire Kangzong era seems to indicate one thing. In the current Han Empire, the meritorious nobles ultimately have the final say.

As for Shangshu Ling Wang Dan, his downfall is inevitable. On the one hand, he cannot control the situation. On the one hand, someone needs to pay for the twists and turns in Liu Wenji's succession. As the "Prime Minister", from the moment he stood on the side of Queen Mother Murong, if he failed, he would have to dismount.

However, Liu Wenji cared about his veteran ministers from three dynasties and his past achievements, so he gave him a dignity and allowed him to serve as the mausoleum envoy to supervise the construction of Kangzong's mausoleum and the subsequent state funeral ceremonies.

It needs to be mentioned here that after King Zhao came out and supported the emperor, and the court reached a consensus on Liu Wenji's succession, Kangzong's funeral affairs were continued. Liu Wenji's accession to the throne was also after the national mourning in accordance with the principle of "changing the sun for the moon".

However, Kangzong did not build a mausoleum during his lifetime. Therefore, his "An Ning" was still under urgent construction, and it would take some time before the big burial. During this period, the Zi Palace had to be parked in the Chui Gong Hall.

To show respect, after Liu Wenji ascended the throne, he chose the palace where he would manage politics and affairs in the Long Live Hall, where Shizu often lived in his later years. Ever since, the Emperor Duangong did not live in the Chui Gong Palace.

As for Liu Wenji's arrangement with Wang Dan, many dignitaries saw it and expressed satisfaction. At least this cautious and tolerant attitude was worthy of praise. Compared with Kang Zong's absurdity and elusiveness, Liu Wenji, who had just come to power, performed admirably. It's so comforting. Wang Dan's resignation as prime minister was probably the "prime minister's abdication" with the least impact on the court. Compared with the impact of this incident, the position itself of Shangshu Ling was more anticipated. By the first year of Duangong, Shangshu Ling's status and authority as the Prime Minister of the Han Empire had been completely consolidated. He was the leader of hundreds of officials who assisted the emperor in administering government affairs and managing the country.

When the Liu Wenji era had just begun, this position could not be established solely by relying on the emperor's support. As for the successor to Shangshu Ling, Liu Wenji first asked Zhao Wang Liu Fang, who strongly supported him, to be the successor.

The result was not beyond his expectation. Liu Fang refused directly. He did not feel worried about the emperor's suspicion at all. He just calmly explained a few words to Liu Wenji and asked him to behave himself and treat his subjects well.

Liu Fang had a profound understanding of Liu Wenji's qualifications, capabilities, and abilities as early as when he was on his southern tour, and he still remembers them vividly. Within and outside the court, only a few people could see clearly the issue of the new emperor Liu Wenji, and Zhao Wang Liu Fang was obviously one of them.

Faced with King Zhao's frank confession, Liu Wenji felt relieved and bowed to him, bending at ninety degrees.

At the same time, as a token of gratitude, Liu Wenji later granted the posthumous title of Empress Xiaocheng to Concubine Zhe. At that time, King Lu was directly kicked out of the court for this matter. At that time, there were constant discussions in the court. But when it came to Liu Wenji, it was as easy as drinking water. The whole court had only approval and almost no objection.

This move undoubtedly allowed Liu Wenji to gain the recognition and support of the dozens of descendants of Empress Zhe.

Another great hero, Yang Ye, was not ignored by Liu Wenji. Of course, it was unrealistic for Yang, who had been retired for many years and was over 80 years old, to become the prime minister. Therefore, Liu Wenji asked Yang Yanzhao to be the prime minister and also gave him a "general" The reason for becoming a prime minister was also rejected by Yang Yanzhao, and he asked the emperor to find someone else who was virtuous.

Due to Empress Yang's relationship, the Yang family's situation in the court was somewhat sensitive. If it weren't for Lao Yang Ye's fierce loyalty to the late emperor and the empire, he would never have spoken out rashly.

Later, Emperor Liu Wenji continued to show his "obedience to advice" and adopted the suggestions of his ministers. Finance envoy Xiang Deming succeeded him as Shangshu Ling and presided over the operation of the government. This incident first aroused the dissatisfaction of Liu Jichang (son of Liu Chengyun, King of Xu), the Minister of Civil Affairs. This clan veteran became more and more eager to reach the top as he got older.

Back then, Lu Mengzheng had overthrown him as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Now, with the Ling of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in front of him and being overthrown by Xiang Deming again, he was naturally unwilling to accept it. Therefore, the center of the imperial court during the Duan Gong period was based on the struggle between Shangshu Ling and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

In this regard, Xiang Deming, whose background, qualifications, achievements, and abilities were profound enough, did not fear Liu Jichang at all, while the emperor Liu Wenji stood beside him, silently observing, waiting, and waiting for an opportunity to remove these old nobles. Of course, even if they survive, they can survive. Each of them is over sixty years old. How many years can they last?

Of course, compared to the seemingly significant personnel changes in the court, Liu Wenji only really intervened or cared about a few positions, and he got them done.

First, Zhe Weichang, the commander of the Guannei capital, was appointed as the commander of the inspection department. Zhe Weichang was the great-grandson of Ruan, the Duke of Dai, and the younger brother of Wei Zheng, the late Duke of the county.

Xiao Hui was also appointed as the deputy capital commander of the Imperial Army, mainly responsible for the imperial squads. At the same time, Cao used to be transferred to the central government and was appointed as a cabinet bachelor and an expert in making imperial edicts.

Of course, Xiao Gong will not be forgotten, and Liu Wenji appointed him as the Shaofu. Liu Gui, the former Shaofu, died suddenly in the spring of the ninth year of Pingkang in a late spring cold. He had no illness or disaster during his lifetime, so he died without illness.

Although he was an eunuch, he had served three generations of kings with very different styles. However, being able to control the imperial Shaofu, a huge royal property institution, for more than thirty years as an eunuch was enough to leave a mark in history.

At the same time, although Liu Gui died, the complete set of affairs, financial, and personnel management systems he had established during his many years of service in the Shaofu remained completely intact. It is easy to do things, but difficult to establish rules. This is the most powerful thing about Liu Gui, and it is also the fundamental reason why he has been able to serve in the post of Shaofu for more than 30 years. If he just relies on pleasing the emperor, it is not enough.

Of course, the secret service agency, which played an important role in the imperial power, was also brought under Liu Wenji's control in a very short period of time. Xiaobu, Zheng Yuanguo lived up to his promise. After Liu Wenji ascended the throne, he took the initiative to retire and asked to return to his hometown to support himself. Liu Wenji agreed. In addition to giving him a large amount of gold and silver, he was also awarded a third-grade civil official and gold and purple clothing, and gave him a heavy gift. His grace allowed him to return to his hometown and support his family in his old age.

Wang Yue, the famous envoy of the imperial city, paid the price for his previous half-heartedness and double-mindedness. Of course, considering that he had served two generations of late emperors for decades, he still tried his best and did not kill him. Instead, he was exiled to Nanyang, so that He took his property, attendants, concubines, and descendants with him (eunuchs were not insulated from women and children), and left the mainland, bidding farewell to the court forever. Although Wang Yue was unwilling to give up, he kowtowed in thanks in the end.

In contrast, Lin Te, who had been waiting and watching, stayed, of course not in the position of Wude Envoy. After having a conversation with him and carefully examining this person, Liu Wenji decided to use him as the southeast transfer envoy. For Lin Te, this was an appointment of great significance. He was so grateful that he knelt down to Liu Wenji on the spot to show his loyalty.

The last person to be treated like this was Wang Xuanzhen, and Wang Xuanzhen's subsequent experiences are still a role model in the minds of everyone in the secret service system. He even worshiped the prime minister and even became an auxiliary minister. Even if he was later ostracized, he was still a minister with a special background. The peak that can be reached (Although Li Shaoyou, Duke of Shou State, is responsible for the specific establishment of Wude Division, he cannot be regarded simply as a spy minister.)

At the beginning of his accession to the throne, Liu Wenji's series of operations, whether he was seeking fame in vain or pragmatically making profits, were all aimed at building a moat to consolidate his throne, and they were very successful.

By the summer and June of the first year of Duangong, Liu Wenji had completely secured the throne. In the past few months, although he did not speak much in the court, no one in the court dared to look down upon him like he did in the early days of Kangzong. Even ignoring the emperor's opinions seems to be the effect of the emperor's different temperament.