The eighteenth year of Yongping (75 years) just passed was really the most unstable year after the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in June, Liu Zhuang, the forty-six-year-old Emperor of the Han Ming Dynasty, died of illness; In July, a great plague occurred in many places in the Central Plains, and then there was a great drought in Luoyang and Sanzhou; In August, the Northern Xiongnu counterattacked in an all-round way, and more than half of the four strongholds of the Western Regions Protectorate were lost. The successive blows cast a shadow on the new emperor Liu Wei's accession to the throne.

At the beginning of the first year of the founding, that is, at the beginning of 76 A.D., it was late winter. A blizzard swooped down to the north. In Luoyang City, the ground hardened and the water froze. Everyone felt the cold they had never felt before. Just because you're cold doesn't mean you're cold.

For example, there is a person whose inner world at this time is another season, sunny and warm as spring. Whoever it is, when it comes to this, will be like this. Because, the throne of the Son of Heaven belongs to only one person. Whoever gets it, the world is theirs. And he was only nineteen years old. And this new genius will be even more proud and joyful. Because the world he got was a rare world.

From Emperor Guangwu to Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, the rivers and mountains built by his grandfather and father are rising to the sky, laying a solid foundation for him to create a great cause. Although some difficulties have been encountered so far, it has not shaken the country's foundation. As long as he wants to do it, as long as he works hard, or in other words, as long as he does not make mistakes, steps on the path of his father, and continues to move forward, the future will be brilliant. It is not difficult to create a prosperous era and let the power of the Han Empire spread far and wide.

He is Liu Wei, Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty, who has just ascended the throne. Emperor Zhang of Han sat on the main hall of the court, stroking the gilded chair handle, and couldn't help but be excited. In August last year, he had just taken over the government, and the young emperor showed amazing courage in stabilizing the situation, and his first order after ascending the throne was to exempt Yan, Henan, and Xuzhou from land rents and drafts, and to provide relief to the victims.

In October last year, just as Liu Wei was freeing up his hands to prepare to deal with the problems of the Western Regions, the war in the Western Regions changed dramatically.

On the eighth day of October last year, the new hussar general Geng Bing and the Western Regions Xuanfu envoy Ban Chao jointly sent a red feather urgent envoy to Lubu to report the victory: on the third day of September in the eighteenth year of Yongping, Hami Shu has six hundred Xuanjia captains rode under the city of Shule to burn the company camp by night fire, causing chaos in the enemy camp, and the Han army's 600 iron cavalry broke the 30,000 army of the Hun Zuolu Liwang, and beheaded the enemy chief Xu Bu nearly 4,700 levels, this battle rescued more than 200 people from the remnants of Geng Gong of the Shule defenders, and captured cattle, sheep and horses.

Nearly 5,000 enemy chieftains, including the Xiongnu general Xu Bu, were killed, which was a major result that had not been seen for many years since the war against the Xiongnu! Except for Huo Quzhi and Wei Qing, the Han Empire has not had such a god for a long time! When the good news came, the anxious new emperor was full of pride, and the civil and military officials were also excited about this unprecedented victory. While people were excited, they also asked each other: Who is Li Tong, the captain of the military army who achieved such a major victory?

However, the excitement of Lubu's victory has not passed, and another secret performance made the new emperor even more dumbfounded, Ban Chao and Geng Gong secret: After Captain Li Tong escorted Geng Gong's department back to Hami, in order to rescue the besieged in Liuzhong City, Li Tong entrusted Hami City to Ban Chao and Geng Gong, and personally led all 1,000 Xuanjia horsemen under his command, and set off in the early morning of September 13, and braved the wind and snow to attack the Xiongnu royal court in Jinwei Mountain......

Surprised and worried, Emperor Han Zhang couldn't help but sigh in his heart: What a good courtier who is loyal to the monarch and patriotic!

Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, it is the twenty-eighth of February in the first year of the founding of the first year (76 AD), which is almost March, and Luoyang is still a scene of midwinter. The sky over the city was gloomy, the dark clouds pressed low, there was no wind in the air, it was cold and stuffy. At noon, there were scattered snowflakes falling in the sky, but they were still small, only like smoke, drifting in the lonely streets.

There is a tavern on the north side of the south of Luoyang City Desheng Gate, because the people who live in the left near Lu are civilians, so far the tavern is very simple, the earthen wall in the south has cracked a finger wide gap, in order to prevent wind penetration, the store only used a few pieces of coarse cloth to block it indiscriminately, and piled up more than half a person's high brick stack under the earthen wall, with this brick stack on top, the earthen wall will not collapse.

There were only three square tables in the room, and the straw mats laid under the tables had not been replaced for many years, and they were black, with many large holes, and faintly emitted a foul smell. There were only five customers in the shop, and four of them sat around the stove, on which wine was hot.

Each of the four of them was holding a dried salted fish in their hands, and their voices were talking in low voices, and sometimes they burst into a burst of laughter. Another guest, dressed as a soldier, in his thirties, tall and strong, hid in a corner against the wall, holding a large ceramic bowl, munching on it as if no one was around.

After only a few moments, half of the small mountain of corn in the bowl had been eaten by him, and the soldier stopped, poured a plate of tempeh sauce and a plate of stewed chicken offal into the bowl, mixed them, ate them all by two, asked for some hot water, and drank the water mixed with the rice grains in one go.

The four guests sitting around the fireplace saw that he was eating happily, looked at him in a daze for a while, looked at the dried salted fish in their hands, couldn't help but take a small bite, and invariably took the pot of hot wine on the stove.

An old man's body trembled under the cold wind that seeped in, subconsciously wrapped his deep clothes, stood up, opened the window, looked at the sky outside, sighed, and said: "It's almost March, and the snow is like this, I'm afraid that I will miss the agricultural ......time."

The middle-aged man sitting at the bottom of him answered: "Uncle Zhang, I heard that if some big person in the world dies, the celestial phenomena must be sensitive, either a landslide and a crack, or a major flood or drought. Last year, the emperor died, there was another plague, another drought, and the Huns also ran over to make trouble. This is the first year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the first year of the new emperor's succession, haven't you heard of any big people passing away? Not long ago, Lu Bu reported that there was a captain surnamed Li in the Western Regions who broke the Huns with 30,000 Huns with 600 cavalry, which is impossible to think about. Could it be that there is a greasy ...... here?"

"Hugh is nonsense!" The old man who was called Uncle Zhang glared at him and said: "The major affairs of the imperial court, in the Rong worship, in front of everyone's eyes, how can the war exploits be faked?" What kind of celestial induction, my old man has lived for so long, he has seen more things, he has never seen any celestial induction, these things are all made up by those officials of Taichang Temple, we ordinary people don't mix blindly. I heard that the Captain Li you just mentioned was only nineteen years old, but Fang remembered a character, that is, Huo Biyao, who also made great achievements at this age, but it is a pity that Huo Hou died young! If Huo Biyao was still there, how could the Huns have jumped up to now, it's a pity! ”

The middle-aged man shook his head and said unconvinced: "Uncle Zhang, what you said is wrong. I heard that this captain surnamed Li is a prisoner of crime, and he killed people to go to the border, and he was not even as good as me in birth, how can he be compared with a natural nobleman like Huo Hou? Huo Hou was originally a relative of the emperor, and the stars in the sky were reincarnated, otherwise he could have made such a great contribution and enjoyed such a great wealth? How can this surnamed Li be compared? Maybe it was the Huns who had a camp roar and let him pick up a bargain. ”

That Uncle Zhang smiled and said, "What star is reincarnated?" Huo Bi Yao was born differently when he was born, hiding in his mother's arms to breastfeed? It's not the same to only cry and not speak? Isn't it the same as eating kang and sprinkling kang and eating kang? The old man's words caused everyone to burst into laughter, and even the soldier sitting in the corner couldn't help but laugh.

The middle-aged man blushed, smiled reluctantly, and retorted: "Uncle Zhang, don't be unconvinced. What people can do and what they can't do in this life, how much blessing they enjoy, and how much sin they suffer are all destined by God. We were born poor and cheap, so we could only stay here and lick the salted fish and drink the old soju. Huo Hou is a noble person as soon as he lands, and we can't think of what people eat and drink. You know? That's fate. Huo Biyao was born to do great things, thinking that our Han and the Huns had fought for so many years, and there were many defeats and few victories. Only when Huo Hou went out on the expedition did he raise his eyebrows, Huo Hou fought a big victory that had not been won in a hundred years, he fought everything, attacked everything, killed so many Huns, and he was not injured at all. Isn't this God's blessing? That's why I said that Huo Biyao is a god! Not everyone can do that. Or your old man will also try to fight with the Huns, but I am afraid that your old man will even have bones and scum...... "The words at the bottom are too ugly, and the middle-aged man stopped talking about this.

The old man was not angry, and still said unhurriedly: "All things are born with their own strengths. Of course, you can't compare me with Huo Hou back then, but if you let Huo Hou compare pottery with my old man, I'm afraid he won't be able to. You just said that Huo Hou is a god, he is invincible and invincible. Then why is he young, he died of illness in his twenties, it can be seen that it is not so magical. ”

The middle-aged man grinned and argued angrily: "Uncle Zhang, I don't like to hear what you say." Who said Huo Hou died of illness? He was the Heavenly Evil Star who was killed by the Lord of the Heavens, because the killing was too heavy in every battle, and the heavens did not want him to exterminate the Huns, so he was called back. ”

"A mouthful of firewood!" The old man was a little angry now, "Huo Hou obviously died of illness when he was infected with the epidemic, where is God afraid that he will exterminate the Huns?" The Huns have plagued my Han for hundreds of years, and there are many people who have killed my Han, Huo Hou, as the general of my Han, is it wrong to kill the Huns? You are stupid to be a servant next to Zhao Tingzhi's Confucian student, look at what you have learned, your mind is full of what heavenly and human induction, it is simply unreasonable! The Han and the Xiongnu were originally feuding, either you die or I die, and it is not too much to kill. ”

"Huh," the middle-aged man sneered and retorted, "Uncle Zhang, I didn't say you, you haven't lived to understand it at such an old age." Let me ask you, what did Huo Hou say when he shot Guan Neihou Li Dang? What does this mean? It shows that Huo Hou is indeed the Heavenly Evil Star, and he will kill his own people when he is angry! My master said, who else is in the Huo family now? It's long gone, what does this mean? It shows that God has the virtue of a good life, and he doesn't want the Heavenly Evil Star to continue to commit evil in the world. My master said: God pays attention to the balance of civil and military, the cycle of five virtues, from ancient times to the present, there are a few generals who can fight have a good end, killing too much, damaging yin virtue! Isn't this celestial induction or what? Hmph, I see, the captain surnamed Li in Hami slaughtered 5,000 Huns at once last year, and I heard that he didn't even let go of the prisoners. This man is vicious, and his killing is too heavy, and he is afraid that he will not end up well in the future......"

The soldier in the corner was about to leave, but when he heard the last words of the middle-aged man, he couldn't help frowning and stopped.

He snorted coldly, grabbed the middle-aged man and said coldly: "You thief bird, have you forgotten that your ancestors are Han?" Since the founding of Gaozu, the Huns have knocked on the side every year, burned, killed and looted, and killed millions of my innocent people, which Huns did not have the blood of my Han people on their hands, why didn't they hear Confucianism say that there was a celestial induction, and the Huns would be retributed? Since Emperor Xiaowu sent the famous generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to attack the Xiongnu three times, collect the Hetao area, seize the Hexi Corridor, and seal the wolf Juxu, only then did the northern territory of the Han Dynasty be pushed from along the Great Wall to Mobei, and since then the country can enjoy peace in peace, and the people will no longer be slaughtered by the Huns. Shall you corrupt be obliterated? You listen to Lao Tzu, Huo Biyao's family affairs, Li Xiaowei's exploits, how can you, a little servant, talk about it, tell the master behind you, and then dare to talk nonsense and maliciously slander, Lao Tzu will cut you with a knife! ”

After that, he kicked the man to the ground, held the hilt of his sword, and looked at him coldly, as if he was about to kill if he didn't agree with him.

"This ...... This ......"

The middle-aged man was so angry that he was shocked and angry, his mouth squirmed a few times, but he didn't dare to argue anymore, he was stared at viciously by the soldier, and he didn't dare to look at him. The soldier spat at the middle-aged man, threw down a few copper coins, and was about to leave.

The middle-aged man on the ground didn't dare to raise his eyes, and when he saw that he was leaving, after a while, Fang stubbornly stammered and asked, "You...... Who are you? Everyone is just drinking and chatting, and they haven't provoked you, what are we doing with our nossy business? ”

The officer was already leaving, but when he heard this, he turned his head, his eyes were cold, he turned around the crowd a few times, and said proudly: "Listen with your dog ears, Lao Tzu is Fan Qiang, who was originally a military marquis under the command of Captain Hami Li, and this time he returned to Beijing on a business trip, and now lives in the military camp of the Lieutenant's Mansion. ”

——————

The snow outside had stopped, and the north wind was strong, and the snow particles were blowing on the face, making people feel a slight pain. Fan Qiang got out of the tavern, sorted out his bags slightly, turned on his horse, turned around the corner, and saw more than ten horsemen from the lieutenant's mansion following the galloping road, riding towards this side.

The first person shouted at Fan Qiang: "The person who came in front is Fan Junhou?" ”

"It's a certain family, I don't know what you think?" Fan Qiang reined in the war horse and asked.

"Hehe, great, I've finally found Your Excellency!" The person who came also stopped at the horse, hugged his fist with a smile and said: "I am Guan Pu, the commander of the guards of the Dongping Palace, hurry up, go with me, my prince summoned me, and I have been waiting for a long time." ”

"Prince Dongping?"

Fan Qiang was a little inexplicable, but he didn't want to ask too much, so he could only follow Guan Pu to meet this revered virtuous king.

Liu Cang was the younger brother of the late Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, and among the ten vassal kings born to Emperor Liu Xiu of Guangwu, Liu Cang, King of Dongping, was the most outstanding one. Liu Cang has been reading scriptures since he was a child, and he is erudite and talented, and his wisdom is quite high. His eyebrows and beard are very beautiful, and his belt is eight circles long, when Emperor Liu Zhuang of the Han Ming Dynasty was the crown prince, he admired this younger brother very much, and after succeeding to the throne as emperor, he paid more attention to Liu Cang.

In the first year of Yongping (58 years), Liu Cang, the king of Dongping, was appointed as a hussar general, stayed in Beijing to assist the government, was above the three dukes, and placed 40 historians in Changshipeng. There were no forty subordinates in the four mansions of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Emperor Ming specially set up to give preferential treatment to Liu Cang. As a result, Liu Cang became the only vassal king in the Eastern Han Dynasty to serve as an auxiliary ruler.

At the same time, Emperor Ming named Liu Cang's son as a county marquis, and donated the five counties of Shouzhang and Xuchang in Dongdong County and Nanpingyang, Lu and Huling in Shanyang County to Dongpingguo. Whenever Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty went out to inspect, Liu Cang stayed in Beijing to guard the Empress Dowager. When Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was in power, Liu Cang served as an assistant for five years, and made great contributions to the "peaceful and prosperous era" of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty.

Why is he a virtuous king? It can only be described as "talented, outspoken, and knowledgeable". When Liu Cang was in power, it had been more than 30 years since Guangwu Zhongxing, and there was nothing to do in all directions, Liu Cang believed that the world was peaceful and a system of etiquette and music should be formulated.

He once said: "The old classics of the Han system, the temples play their own music, and they don't have to attack each other, so as to understand their virtues." Emperor Gao was ordered to prosper Longxing, punish the tyrannical Qin, and the world got its own place and danced martial virtues. Emperor Xiaowen bowed to frugality, Ze Shi all over the world, and made the dance of virtue. Emperor Guangwu was ordered to rise in the middle of the chaos, set things right, and the title was completed, and the merits were towering. The song of the husband is so virtuous, the dance is so like gong, and the temple music should be called the dance of the great martial arts. ”

Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty allowed the performance, so Liu Cang and the ministers jointly formulated a complete set of ritual music systems such as crown worship and crown car uniforms in the northern and southern suburbs, as well as the song of Guangwu Temple and the dance of Bayou, which are recorded in the "Ritual Music" and "Yufu Zhi".

In the fourth year of Yongping, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty went out to watch the city mansion, and soon came the news that he was going to go hunting in Hanoi, Liu Cang immediately advised Emperor Ming: "I heard that according to the season, Zhongchun should be engaged in agriculture, and there should be big actions without gathering crowds." Legend goes: 'If hunting is out of season, if you can't eat and drink, if you don't enjoy the gifts, if you don't have a temperate entry and exit, then the tree is not straight or bent.' This is not in keeping with the spring season. I know that His Majesty is now out of the house, and he is always frugal in his work, and everywhere he passes, the officials praise His Majesty for having the virtues mentioned in the "Gantang". Nevertheless, the act is not in accordance with etiquette, and it is not something that can be shown to the people of the Quartet. His Majesty toured the fields and inspected the crops, and soon returned to the capital. In the autumn and winter, they will be invigorated, reorganize the car, prepare a thorough guard, and set up a feather flag. The poem says: 'The sage is dignified and dignified, and the inner virtue gives the outward appearance a dignified expression. 'The minister was indignant, and bowed down to write a recital himself, begging to do my best to proclaim my loyalty wherever His Majesty was. ”

Emperor Ming listened to Liu Cang's opinion and immediately returned to the palace.

During the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, although Liu Cang was in a noble position below one person and above all the people, he had no intention of arrogance. On the contrary, Liu Cang was very uneasy because of the "many longs and prestige" during the auxiliary government, so he repeatedly asked to resign from the auxiliary government and leave his residence to seal the Dongping Kingdom in order to maintain the authority of the emperor.

Liu Cang Shangshu: "The minister Liu Cang is tired and has low talents, is protected by His Majesty's special love and grace, is taught by benevolence at home, and is the first to receive the knighthood in the court, His Majesty issued an edict to praise him, and promulgated it to the Quartet, with the ability to only shoulder firewood and grass, but he was promoted to the use of a gentleman. Even if he is a husband, he still does not forget the favor of a spoonful of food, and the minister is in the position of prime minister, and he is a relative of the same family! The bones should be exposed in the fertile field, before the hundred officials, but the stupidity of the talents, coupled with the sickness that has always existed, is really ashamed to hold the important position, and the disgrace of the office of the prime minister, will be ridiculed by the poet's 'three hundred cheeks'. Now that the country is calm and there is no hostile situation thousands of miles away, it is a time when it is about to follow the rule of inaction by virtue, civil officials can still be merged and dismissed, and military attache positions are not suitable for new establishment. In the past, he did not appoint him to political affairs, but it was because of his deep love that he could not bear to publicize his mistakes. Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.. Since the establishment of the Han Dynasty, the children of the clan could not hold the position of minister. It is hoped that Your Majesty will prudently observe the deeds of Emperor Yu to support his younger brother, follow the old system of inheritance, and end His Majesty's profound kindness. I ask that the seal and ribbon of the Hussar General be handed over and that I return to my enclosure, hoping that Your Majesty will have sympathy and grant my request. ”

Emperor Ming of Han did not agree and still treated him favorably. Since then, he has repeatedly stated his begging, and his words are very earnest. In the fifth year of Yongping, Emperor Ming agreed to his return to the feudal state, but did not agree to him handing over the general's seal and ribbon. In the spring of the fifteenth year of Yongping, Emperor Ming drove Dongping and gave Liu Cang 15 million in money and 40,000 horses of cloth. The emperor wrote his own "Guangwu Benji" to Liu Cang, Liu Cang took this opportunity to present "Guangwu ordered in the Xing Song" Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty thought it was very good, because of the elegant rhetoric of the song, Emperor Ming thought it was very good, because of the elegant rhetoric of the song, the special school secretary Lang Jia Kui for the ode to make annotations.

Liu Wei has also had a very deep relationship with this uncle since he was a child, and after Liu Wei succeeded to the throne last year, his respect and favor for Liu Cang greatly exceeded that of his previous life, and no prince and king could compare with him. In the Han Dynasty system, only the emperor's daughter could be crowned a county princess, and the daughters of the princes and kings could be named the township lord and pavilion owner. Liu Wei succeeded to the throne and deliberately made an exception to crown Liu Cang's five daughters as county princesses.

It is said that although Liu Cang has long ceased to assist the government, but he is still very concerned about national affairs, this time he summoned Fan Qiang, I am afraid it is also for the war in the Western Regions, although Li Tong won a big victory, but the Western Regions is still the enemy is strong and I am weak, I hope the imperial court can send reinforcements as soon as possible.

Fan Qiang thought crankily along the way, followed Guan Pu and soon came to the Dongping Palace, Fan Qiang was just a small military marquis, this level was too low, he was arranged by Guan Pu to wait in the gatehouse, Guan Pu went in first to tell the ......

(To be continued)