Great Han Empire

Chapter 256 The situation changes suddenly
The Empress Dowager kindly invited Li Hong to have a meal in Yongle Palace.

This meal opened Li Hongda's horizons. For the first time, he knew what luxury is.One dish after another, and female music one after another, made Li Hong dizzy, as if he was in a dream.

When the emperor took him away from Yongle Palace, it was already dusk.The two monarchs and ministers returned to the North Palace and chatted for a while.Both of them were in a good mood, chattering and chatting.At this time, Li Hong had completely let go of his restraint. He felt that although the Son of Heaven looked serious, he was actually very kind, he spoke very funny, and treated others kindly.

The emperor introduced his masterpieces to Li Hong. One was the market in the palace and the other was a donkey cart. Go play."

Then the emperor and Li Hong talked about the frontier fortress. The two monarchs and ministers talked for a long time about the continuous war on the border and the frequent invasion of the Hu people. The suffering of the border people talked about the border policy of the Han Dynasty and the great achievements of the ancestors of the Han Dynasty in fighting against the Hu people.

The Son of Heaven said: "I have a wish, that is, I hope that the army of the Han Dynasty can defeat the Hu people, conquer the Hu people, lay a big territory for the Han Dynasty, and make great achievements for the Han Dynasty. In this way, I am As a superior king in history, I can not only surpass the achievements of Emperor Wu of the previous dynasty, but also be famous in history and be immortal through the ages."

He straightened his thin body, looked at Li Hong excitedly, and said loudly and impassionedly: "I want to completely defeat the Qiang people, end decades of Qiang people's misfortune, and then go on an expedition to the Western Regions and surrender to the countries of the Western Regions again; I also want to Go north to defeat the Xianbei people, annex the blue-eyed Dingling tribe, and then occupy the entire prairie, extending the territory of my great Han to the depths of the snowfields in the north; I still want to attack the Fuyu country, although they have already surrendered, but it is far from enough, I To conquer them and turn them into the people of my big man."

"Subject, do you think these wishes of mine can be fulfilled?" The emperor waved his hand and asked, "Can my wishes be fulfilled in my lifetime?"

Li Hong was so excited when he heard this, he turned over and knelt down, and said confidently: "Your Majesty, I firmly believe that Your Majesty will be able to do it. I am willing to fight bloody battles and bravely kill the enemy in order to realize Your Majesty's wish."

"Well, well, I've said the same thing to many people over the years, but none of them have stood by me, they've all thought me an idiot. You're the only one who agrees with my idea that I can do it all. The emperor raised his hand and said, "Okay, what a brave leopard, in the future, I will entrust you with the important task of conquering the barbarians and expanding the territory of the great Han."

The Son of Heaven immediately looked up to the sky and sighed softly: "My people, only my people understand my thoughts."

He stretched out his hand to help Li Hong up, and said with a smile, "Zimin, what do you think of little Donghou's achievements in the future?"

Li Hong's boiling mood suddenly cooled down.After all, His Majesty is going to talk to himself about the royal family.Although there is a difference between being loyal to His Majesty and being loyal to the heir to the imperial line, it is likely to be the same for His Majesty.Li Hong knew that he could not hesitate and had to answer immediately, otherwise, His Majesty would suspect that he had other ideas.At this moment, the relationship between the monarch and his subjects is harmonious, and they share their hearts and interests. Under such circumstances, what reason is there to destroy this harmony and happiness?
"I believe that the little prince is clever, witty, humble and docile, and he will definitely be a wise king in the future."

The emperor's face immediately showed joy, he grabbed Li Hong, and asked happily: "The people really think so?"

"I am loyal to Your Majesty and have no second thoughts." Li Hong knelt down on the ground again, cupped his hands and said, "The heart of a minister can only be learned from the sky. If you violate your oath, you will be punished by heaven and earth."

====================
Seeing that Li Hong hadn't returned for a long time, Li Wei and Zhao Yun were very anxious.

In the middle of the night, Li Hong, accompanied by Jian Shuo from the xiaohuangmen, was escorted by Lu Benling Wei Duan with a hundred cavalry, and returned to Zhangyuetai.Everyone swarmed up to meet him, asking questions.

Li Hong said with a smile: "Your Majesty talked with me for a long time, and kept me for dinner, so I came back late, which made everyone worry."

"My lord, it's not just worrying, Hu Ding and Qi Chen are going to lead people into the palace." Zhao Yun laughed, "They said you have been killed by the emperor."

Li Hong patted Hu Ding and Qi Shen's shoulders emotionally, and said, "I'm fine. Thank you all."

When Hu Ding and Qi Chen saw Li Hong coming back safely, their hearts finally fell to the ground. They laughed, their joy and excitement were beyond words.

"Did your lord see the empress dowager?" Li Wei asked anxiously, "What did your majesty talk to you about?"

"I saw the empress dowager. I stayed in Yongle Palace for a whole day, and I also met Princess Changping and the little prince. Today I have seen a lot. It is so luxurious to have a meal in the palace. Unbelievable."

"My lord, tell us about it." Jiang Wu said enviously, "How do the emperor and the queen mother eat?"

"Don't talk about this yet." Li Wei stopped him, "My lord, what did your majesty talk to you about? What is your majesty's purpose for this trip to Beijing? Are we still in danger? How long will your majesty confine us? "

"There is no danger." Li Hong said, "Your Majesty summoned me to Beijing entirely for the sake of the emperor's order. He has already asked me."

"How did the adults answer?"

"I agreed." Li Hong said, "At that time, I couldn't help but not agree."

Li Wei gasped.Zhao Yun, Jiang Wu, and Pound looked at each other.

Hu Ding and Qi Chen didn't care much about this matter, in their mind, whoever has the most powerful fists is the boss, there is no difference between senior and young.They are more concerned about Li Hong's life.

"My lord, when will we leave Luoyang?" Qi Chen asked, "Do you want to leave immediately?"

"It will take a long time," Li Hong said. "In February, the emperor and the queen mother will go back to their hometown in Hejian, Jizhou, to worship their ancestors. The emperor asked us to accompany us. It is estimated that we will not be able to return to Xiliang until at least April."

"Then we can have fun in Luoyang." Hu Ding said, "My lord, the emperor said, when will we be allowed to walk around as we please?"

Li Hong shook his head.Li Wei said seriously: "Your Majesty will never let us walk around in Luoyang at will."

"Why?" Hu Ding asked strangely, "Then we made a trip to Luoyang for nothing, and we didn't see anything."

"In order to ensure that the Lord's thoughts will not change, the most reliable way for the Son of Heaven is to prevent the Lord from contacting any dignitaries in Luoyang." Li Wei said, "From this moment on, the Lord is really under confinement."

"My lord, will you still enter the palace tomorrow?" Pound asked.

"Tomorrow morning, I will go to the court to report on my duties and accept questions from the emperor and the ministers."

==========================
The 25th day of the twelfth lunar month is called "the year of chaos". This is because the Kitchen God is not welcomed back until New Year's Eve after sending it away. day.

Court meeting.

There are a lot of content in today's court meeting. First, Li Hong, the guardian of Qiang, reported his duties, and then Taichang Liu Yan reported to His Majesty the arrangements for activities such as sacrifices and celebrations before and after the New Year. Zongzheng Liu Yu reported the handling of the emperor's return to Jizhou. The general reported on the expansion of the Northern Army and the recruitment of Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou, etc., about fifteen or six items, large and small.

It was the first time for Li Hong to stand in the huge Jiade Hall, the first time to participate in the imperial court meeting, the first time to see all the three lords, and the first time to feel the power and glory. He was both excited and nervous.

Li Hong stuttered and began to speak.All the officials in the hall stood quietly, solemnly and solemnly, only Li Hong's monotonous and blunt voice echoed around the hall.After Li Hong spoke for a while, his nervous mood gradually calmed down, his tone became smoother and louder.

Li Hong talked about the situation in Xiliang and the gains and losses of the battle in Yicheng in detail, then changed the subject and began to denounce the corrupt officials in Xiliang, enumerating the serious consequences caused by the corruption of officials in Xiliang. The momentum is amazing.

"I beg your Majesty, all corrupt officials involved in Xiliang's corruption are strictly forbidden to use money to redeem their sins, and they will all be beheaded for public display, so as to appease the 60 people in Xiliang. This will stop the resurgence of Xiliang's troubles." Li Hong said loudly, "If corrupt officials are not killed, the chaos in Xiliang will never be settled."

One stone stirs up a thousand waves.

Zongzheng Liu Yu who was standing near him wanted to rush up and kick him.This idiot, in Luoyang, in the court, he is still so rampant, a lifeless thing.He was so angry that he blew his beard and stared, and there was nothing he could do in a hurry.

Above the court hall, the voice of "The minister has a book to play..." suddenly rose into the sky, Zhongchang Shi, Sangong, Jiuqing, bureaucrats big and small, all scrambling to speak.

The Son of Heaven smiled coldly, stood up abruptly, stared with small eyes, and roared in a low voice: "Whoever makes any noise, pull it out and kill it!"

Suddenly, the hall fell silent.

"Do you, Aiqing, want to impeach Li Aiqing? I know, tomorrow, tomorrow's court meeting will be about one thing, how about impeaching Li Aiqing? There are too many things to do today, so don't talk about it. Dear Aiqing, finish the discussion as soon as possible, everyone Go home early to prepare for the New Year."

The emperor immediately put on a smiling face, waved at Li Hong, and said: "Li Aiqing is right, for the sake of the great Han country, I really want to kill these people." It's up to you to handle it."

As soon as the emperor's words fell, there was another disturbance in the court.

The emperor turned his back on his word, and after receiving the redemption money, he wants to go back on his word, and wants to arrest and kill him. What kind of emperor is this?The ministers were so angry that it was difficult to speak well.Li Hong really doesn't know how to live or die, he is the enemy of all critics at this time, he is still scrambling to sing the opposite, asking the emperor to kill the corrupt officials again and again, immediately, the ministers wished they could surround him and beat him up die.Li Hong is probably a dead pig who is not afraid of boiling water, and is not afraid of anyone. He even quarreled with Zhang Rang, the thin and regular servant. Seeing Li Hong's aggressive appearance, he seemed to beat Zhang Rang to death at any time.Taiwei Zhang Wenwen Zongzheng Liu Yu hurriedly pulled the two apart.

Liu Yu complained in a low voice: "Subject, what are you doing? Do you think you can do whatever you want with the support of the emperor? Do you still want to go back to Xiliang if you keep messing around like this?"

Seeing Liu Yu's angry look, Li Hong was very grateful. He leaned over to Liu Yu's ear and said, "My lord, this is what His Majesty ordered. Dare I not do it?"

Liu Yu was stunned.Li Hong turned back and took two steps, raised his hand and shouted: "Your Majesty, if corrupt officials are not killed, there will be no peace in Xiliang!"

Taiwei Zhang Wen knelt down and tried his best to remonstrate: "Your Majesty, your majesty is a golden word, how can you go back on your word and make people laugh at you..."

The Son of Heaven interrupted him unceremoniously, and said, "Master Taiwei, what do you think should be done?"

Zhang Wen hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I think this matter is complicated and it will be difficult to deal with it safely for a while. Besides, this matter is not the content of today's court meeting. Let's discuss it later?"

"I don't want to discuss it. You are right. I can't go back on my word and break my promise to the people of the world. How about this, let them pay double the redemption money according to the size of their personal guilt, and turn it in immediately, otherwise, after the fifteenth day of the first month , beheaded."

There was an uproar.In the end, His Majesty still wanted money.The ministers immediately understood, no wonder His Majesty suddenly and readily agreed a few days ago that he would go home to worship the ancestors at his own expense. It turned out that he had already made arrangements.He sang a harmony with Li Hong and tricked all the officials once.Everyone was bitter in their hearts, their faces were ashen, and they wished they could eat Li Hong's meat.You can't hate the emperor, you have to hate Li Hong.

General He Jinchu praised: "Your Majesty is wise, this method really serves multiple purposes. It not only silences the mouths of the world, but also severely punishes corrupt officials. It can also warn other corrupt officials. Your Majesty is brilliant."

The emperor snorted with a smirk, and said: "I am comfortable hearing the words of the general. Both Jing Zhaoyin and Beidi County Government came to play the chapter, saying that the Xianbei people are about to move on the border and may invade the border, so I plan to Conscript Li Aiqing's Western Expedition Army, stationed in Chang'an, as support, what is the General's opinion?"

He Jin's face froze, and then he said loudly with a smile on his face: "Your Majesty has a far-sighted vision and has gained the essence of the art of war. Your Majesty is wise."

The emperor smiled slightly, and a sneer flashed across his face.

=====================

Xu You, a subordinate of Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou, hurried to Gaotang City in Pingyuan County, Qingzhou.

Gaotang is a very famous place, and it was the famous capital of Qi State in the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period.

Xu You, nicknamed Ziyuan, was a native of Nanyang, Jingzhou, and a descendant of the Xu family in Nanyang.He was ordered by the governor Wang Fen to invite Hua Xin (read xin) and Tao Gao to Jizhou to conspire with each other.Hua Xin's style name is Ziyu, and Tao Gao's style name is Qiuhong. They are all famous people in the plains.

Hua Xin is a prudent person, doesn't like to show off, is very good at maintaining the golden mean, and is very popular with others.Hua Xin, Guan Ning and Bing Yuan from the same county all took Yingchuan Chen Shi as their teacher, and the three of them were named "Yilong".However, one day, Guan Ning broke up with Hua Xin.Because the two of them were studying together that day, when a high-ranking official passed by in a luxury car, Guan Ning didn't even look at it, while Hua Xin was not only dumbfounded, but also admired.Guan Ning immediately cut the straw mat they were sitting on with a knife in the middle. He thought that Hua Xin was a person who was greedy for glory and wealth, and he was not worthy to be his friend.

Xu You, Tao Gao, and Hua Xin are all classmates and friends, and they have known each other for a long time.After listening to Xu You's introduction, Tao Gao readily agreed.They went to find Hua Xin together.Hua Xin rejected it without hesitation.

Hua Xin said: "This matter of abolishing the establishment of the Son of Heaven is something that we small people can participate in. Haven't you seen the fate of Yi Yin and Huo Guang? His Excellency Wang Fen was tempted by Master Xiangkai, and he was bold enough to He dared to do such a thing. You see, he is doomed this time, and he might be punished by the nine clans. In my opinion, Brother Qiu Hong should not go, and Ziyuan had better leave Jizhou Mansion and return to Nanyang to avoid disaster go."

The two laughed at Huaxin for being timid and lacking in courage, and immediately set off for Jizhou.

======================
After the general went to court, he did not return to the mansion, but went directly to the mansion of Sima He Yong, the general's mansion.

He Yong welcomed General He Jin into the study.In the study, Yuan Kai, the patriarch of the Yuan clan, was chatting with his nephew Yuan Shao.

The general and Yuan Wei exchanged greetings, saluted each other and sat down.

"Sit down too, all of you." He Jin beckoned his staff to sit around him.

"Li Hong is young, very young." He Jin said, "What I said at the beginning is not wrong. Apart from fighting, this man is indeed an idiot." He then said what happened in the court today.

"Your Majesty's words are not wrong. Your Majesty has successfully won over this barbarian who doesn't understand anything. Now His Majesty's determination to abolish the prince and establish the concubine is beyond your imagination. He has already decided to move Li Hong's [-] troops to Chang'an Stationed."

"Oh." Yuan Kai said in surprise, "Can Your Majesty agree to the expansion of the Northern Army?"

"I disagree. He said that there is no money in the national treasury, and it is enough to keep the Northern Army with 3 people." He Jin said, "Master Taiwei, Lord Situ and Yang Biao, Lu Zhi and the others read too much. I want to persuade His Majesty to turn back in time to avoid a bloody massacre in Luoyang. It is pedantic, but the boss is still sober. Seeing that this matter is irreversible, the only thing we can do is fight to the death."

Yuan Kai said with a smile: "You don't have to worry about the general. When it comes to life and death, the aristocratic families can still weigh the pros and cons and support the general."

"The family bureaucrats don't want to see traitors and eunuchs taking power, and they don't want to see foreign relatives in power, so it's understandable to try their best to maintain this balance." Yuan Shao said, "But your majesty doesn't want to be controlled by others. , he wanted to change the status quo, so their persuasion and efforts were in vain in the end.”

He Yong said: "If the traitor is killed, the general will be able to completely control Luoyang and grasp the power of the country. At that time, when His Majesty returns from Jizhou, he will not be able to establish a prince. However, this seems to be contrary to His Majesty's wishes. Compared with eunuch, he seems to be more reluctant to see the general."

"How can everything go well?" He Jin smiled and nodded, "We can't underestimate the power of the traitors, let alone the aristocratic families in Beijing. I hope that the boss can persuade the aristocrats in Beijing, including Lord Sikong Xu, don't get involved too much and hurt my strong man's vitality."

"I tried my best to convince them." Yuan Kai smiled, "Just now, Ben Chu told me about the general's plan to alienate me. I hope they will take a longer view, so as to avoid the disaster on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month."

"Especially Mr. Xu Xiangxu, I'm going to make a few more trips to trouble you." He Jin reminded.

======================
(End of this chapter)