Since the succession of the Son of Heaven Liu Zheng last year, many natural disasters have occurred in various parts of the Han Kingdom.

First of all, the Yellow River in Henan County burst, followed by the earthquake in Longxi, when it came to the New Year's Day, it snowed heavily, and the heavy snow in Chang'an and Gyeonggi destroyed countless houses, and the Son of Heaven ordered officials from all over the country to help the victims, so that everyone could spend the winter in peace.

As a result, on the day of the New Year's Day, the Son of Heaven sacrificed and found a corpse in the moat outside the Chang'an Gate.

This is all ominous omen.

Liu Zheng's mood has been very bad since the end of the year.

After the New Year's Day, the counties and counties in various places came up, almost all of them had different degrees of disaster, and Langya suffered from severe spring cold, freezing to death countless green seedlings, and there was no hope for a bumper harvest this year.

Frequent floods in Henan and Yingchuan counties, people are displaced, and insects and leopards in the mountains have repeatedly injured people.

All this made Liu Zheng tired......

On this day, at the court meeting in the front hall of the Xuanshu Palace, Liu Zheng looked at the courtiers and asked: "I think that benevolence loves people, since last winter, I have not stopped issuing several edicts for the benefit of the people, such as reducing the local counties, vassal states and the royal gardens of Chang'an, the financial balances of each prefecture and county, giving priority to the relief of the people, and the county government should give or lend grain and seeds to the people's family property of less than 1,000 yuan." ”

"I also asked the Taiguan to reduce the number of dishes, the number of musicians in Yuefu, and the reduction of horses in captivity in the garden, and use the money saved to support the people to fight against infectious diseases, reduce the sentence of the criminal law, and abolish a large number of death penalty provisions, so why are natural disasters still occurring in various places?"

"Is it a loss of morality?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, what can I say to me?"

Liu Zheng is obviously asking the minister why he, the son of heaven, is so benevolent and righteous, but why he can't get the consequences that he deserves from "benevolence".

Liu Zheng was very confused.

It was quiet in the Xuanshu Hall. No one spoke.

The topic is too heavy. It's also too sensitive. Liu Zheng looked at it and said to a person in the hall: "Gong Yu, what can I teach?" ”

The people in the hall all looked at Gong Yu with their eyes.

This Gong Yu is a famous person in Langya County, well-read, very famous in the minds of readers in Langya and even the Han Kingdom, and also has a good reputation. for advisors.

Gong Yu is already old and a little old, he listened to Liu Zheng's words and said tremblingly: "Everything in the world is nothing more than the right time, the right place, the right people, and my Han country is not lacking, so Your Majesty's worries can only be attributed to heaven." ”

"Heaven, Destiny."

Gong Yu said. There was a "buzz" in the hall, and Xiao Wangzhi asked, "Dare to ask the elders." What do you mean by Destiny? ”

Gong Yu obviously knew that if he said this, someone would come to blame, so he looked at Xiao Wangzhi and said: "Former general, the mandate of heaven that the old man said has nothing to do with anything else, Your Majesty's monarchy is granted by God, and it is ordered by heaven to inherit the fortune of heaven." ”

"The destiny that the old man said is the law of heaven and nature."

"Heaven is impermanent, disasters are everywhere, this is not something that can be stopped by manpower, so it is the destiny of heaven."

Xiao Wangzhi looked at Gong Yu and said: "Then according to what the doctor said, natural disasters are unstoppable, and Your Majesty asked the officials to help the Li people, but it was also useless, and they returned in vain?" ”

"Since Your Majesty is destined by Heaven to guard the pastor on behalf of Heaven, why do you say that natural disasters are unstoppable? So, should we go with the flow of the heavens, or do nothing? ”

Gong Yu looked at Xiao Wangzhi and asked, "Then may I ask the former general, what do you think the Mandate of Heaven is?" ”

Xiao Wangzhi smiled indifferently and said, "I don't even understand people, how dare I talk about the destiny of heaven?" ”

"What is the law of nature? What is the difference between the laws of nature and the destiny of heaven? ”

"The cycle of the four seasons, birth, old age, sickness and death, this is the law of nature, the mandate of heaven is nature, and nature is the mandate of heaven, influencing each other and acting on each other."

"Then, the change of dynasty is also the destiny of heaven?"

"Yes, yes."

Today's Son of Heaven Liu Zheng respects Confucianism, after ascending the throne last year, from the land of the Han Dynasty to seek Confucian disciples, this old Gong Yu is only one of the famous people invited by Liu Zheng from Langya County, and Gong Yu came with a man named Wang Ji, but unfortunately, that Wang Ji died on the way to Chang'an.

The dead Wang Ji was actually the master of Liu He, the king of Changyi, and Liu He was abolished by Huo Guang after being the Son of Heaven for more than 20 days, so Wang Ji was very famous, and Gong Yu, who was with Wang Ji, was naturally also very famous.

Liu He, the king of Changyi, was already more than 20 years ago, and after Liu He, it was Liu Xun's father Liu Xun who ascended the throne, and later Liu He died, the army was defeated like a mountain, and the trees fell and scattered, Wang Ji and another person named Gong Sui were the only two people left in Liu He's subordinates who were not killed.

Gong Sui was later appointed by Emperor Xuan Liu Xun as the Taishou of Bohai County, and later because of his outstanding talent, he went to Chang'an to serve as the lieutenant of Shuiheng, an official of the Shaofu, specializing in the jurisdiction of Shanglin Yuan's money and goods, and later died in office.

Wang Ji was also appointed as a doctor when Emperor Xuan, but Liu Xun felt that Wang Ji was unusable and a pedantic nerd, so he didn't treat Wang Ji very well.

At the meeting of Emperor Xuan, Wang Ji resigned and returned to his hometown Langya County in frustration, and this Gong Yu is Wang Ji's old friend, Wang Ji is now dead, but Gong Yu was conscripted to Chang'an.

A type of person who was not favored in the Xuandi Dynasty, and Liu Zheng was so qualified that this time he actually made nonsense in front of everyone in the Xuanshu Palace, talking about the Mandate of Heaven, which is simply incompatible with the content of Liu Zheng's inquiry, and cannot solve any practical content, without the slightest practical significance.

This is the main reason why the former general Xiao Wangzhi felt very unacceptable and couldn't help but come out to debate with Gong Yu.

For what Xiao Wang's heart thinks, others don't know, the imperial historian Wei Xuancheng, the great Sima chariot general Shi Gao, and the Guanglu doctor Zhou Kan, these old people in the court all know it.

“…… The change of dynasties naturally belongs to the Mandate of Heaven, for example, Shang Tang Zhou Wu raised troops to kill Xia Wei Shang, which was not the Mandate of Heaven, so it was a murderer. ”

"What the Doctor said is not true! They abused and abused the people. Displacing people. The hearts of the people are lost. Therefore, everyone returned to Tang Wu, and the reason why Tang Wu gathered the crowd and punished him! ”

"The people of the world have turned away from Tang Wu and returned to Tang Wu, can Tang Wu not be king? Is this destiny? ”

Gong Yu smiled lightly and said: "The former general is a little restless, the old man complied with His Majesty's inquiry, and he was talking about the mandate of heaven, not the will of the people who changed the dynasty, and the two should not be confused." ”

"This destiny is not the destiny of the other, and the laws of nature and the destiny of heaven cannot be confused. Although he lost his way, he was also a king, and no matter how holy Tang Wu was, he was also a courtier. ”

"Ministers have the duties of ministers, kings have king's behavior, kings behave misbehaps, and everything is chaotic.

"If a courtier takes advantage of the natural disorder, the king falls into a coma and raises an army to punish him, intending to achieve his ulterior purpose. In order to be able to sit on the throne, this is not the destiny of heaven. It is the murder of the king, which is perverse. ”

Xiao Wangzhi looked at Gong Yu's shaking head and asked coldly: "According to what Dr. Gong Yu said, our Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty replaced the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty and overthrew it, is it a murder of the monarch?" Not in accordance with the will of God? ”

Gong Yu was not annoyed in the face of Xiao Wangzhi's aggressiveness, but just smiled, waved his hand and said: "The former general is too excited, the old man said, this destiny is not the other destiny, the two cannot be confused, the law of nature is not human." ”

Xiao Wangzhi listened to the sneer and was silent, and everyone became more and more confused.

However, for things that I don't understand, unfathomable and profound knowledge, it is normal for people to pretend that I also understand, otherwise others will look down on you.

Gong Yu looked at the people in the hall, smiled indifferently, and was about to speak, when someone shouted at the edge of the hall: "I don't understand!" After talking for a long time, in the end, it did not solve the problem of benevolence that His Majesty said. ”

Gong Yu looked at it, and it turned out to be a young Lang official questioning.

The person who asked this question was Huang Menlang Duqin.

"I don't read much in the next place, and the doctor will talk about the way of heaven, the destiny of heaven, and the laws of nature, but he still hasn't solved the problems that the Han Kingdom needs to solve now.

Gong Yu shook his head and said: "Your Majesty cuts the court usage, reduces the number of maids, saves costs, makes the clothing, food, housing and transportation in the palace no longer extravagant and wasteful, and advocates frugality, which is to conform to nature and conform to the mandate of heaven." ”

"The minister thinks that my dynasty set a poll tax from the time of Emperor Wu, and levied it from the age of three, this national policy is at this time and that time, when the national strength was not as strong as it is now, the strategy formulated is understandable, but now, it is a little out of place, resulting in many poor people who cannot afford to pay taxes, so they cannot have children."

"Governing the country is people-oriented, no one, where is the country from? Therefore, the minister thought that in addition to the reduction of various expenses mentioned by His Majesty before, and the rapid formulation and implementation of these regulations, the change of the poll tax of the Great Han Kingdom to be levied from the age of seven to the age of twenty is more in line with the current national conditions. ”

As soon as Gong Yu said, there was another whisper in the Xuanshu Palace, and Liu Zheng thought about it and asked: "What do you think of Aiqing?" ”

"This matter needs to be carefully considered, so it is difficult to make a decision at this time. ”

Gong Yu continued: "Changing the poll tax is one of them, and the minister feels that the current five-baht coin should be scrapped......

"Oh?"

"What?"

Everyone looked at Gong Yu in astonishment, Gong Yu nodded and said: "Abolish the currency and use grain and cloth as equivalent exchanges, just like the system before the pre-Qin period, isn't this not without the constraints of money and everyone is rich?" ”

"That's two."

"Third, the minister suggested abandoning the remote and desolate areas of Zhugu County and Dan'er County in South Vietnam, which were established during the period of Emperor Wu, to reduce the burden on the country, which are all specific actions in accordance with the mandate of heaven."

At this time, a person walked out and bowed to Liu Zheng first, Liu Zheng asked him to excuse himself, this person said to Gong Yu: "Your Excellency is old, do you feel that between actions, there is a slight inconvenience, slow behavior, not as good as youth?" ”

Gong Yu nodded and said, "That's nature." ”

The man said, "Then why don't you take off your cotton garment, be naked, and be honest, so that you don't have less weight on your body?" Traveling light? ”

Someone in the hall laughed when they heard it, and Liu Zheng couldn't help but laugh.

Gong Yu frowned and asked, "I don't know who Your Excellency is?" ”

The man shook his head and said, "Your Excellency has insight into the heavens, conforms to the will of heaven, can understand the present and the past, and speaks high-sounding, rare in the world, as for who am I?" It doesn't matter, and I can't afford your title. ”

"Your Excellency said that the coins are discarded, and the general grain cloth is exchanged for the same value, and the boy has little reading. Before knowing the pre-Qin. There are not many supplies. Therefore, there is a lot of inconvenience in smelting iron and copper, so everyone barters, that is a helpless move, since Gaozu, the Han Kingdom stands in the East, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and there is no need to barter. ”

"Now Your Excellency wants to advocate the discarding of coins and the use of coins, is this the opposite of the opposite. Is it to let the Great Han Kingdom advance, or let the people's livelihood retreat? ”

Gong Yu was about to speak, and the man said: "You seem to be doing it for the good of the Han Dynasty and making everyone not worry about the amount of money, but in fact you are doing the opposite, trying to ruin the Han Kingdom!" ”

Gong Yu finally interjected and said: "Huangkou Xiaoer, talking nonsense, you ......"

"You old disrespectful old horseman! Old miscellaneous hair! ”

The people in the main hall, from Liu Zheng to the palace guards, almost all laughed when they heard this person's answer to Gong Yu.

Imperial Doctor Wei Xuancheng said at this time: "Captain Huqiang has something to say. Judge things by facts, don't open your mouth to abuse. It is an insult to the majesty of the court. ”

This one who came out to accuse Gong Yu was none other than Gou Shen.

Gou Shen didn't plan to speak when he participated in the court meeting, Gong Yu and Xiao Wangzhi confronted each other, and he didn't bother to ask, and said that the more ruthless the two of them were, the more happy they were to watch the show.

But I didn't expect that the more this old guy Gong Yu talked about it, the more outrageous it became, the scrapped currency was purely reversing history, and even worse, he wanted to get rid of the land of South Vietnam and not want it.

There are still people in this world who dislike their own land!

Moreover, Liu Zheng and the others heard what Gong Yu said, and no one came out to oppose it, and they all remained silent.

Gou Shen finally couldn't help it, he bowed to Wei Xuancheng and asked Gong Yu: "I, a yellow-mouthed child, ask you, an old doctor, how difficult it was for Emperor Wu to recover the land of Nanyue back then, do you know?" ”

"You don't have to answer, and I'm not going to hear you say you know!"

"Let me tell you, when Gaozu was at the beginning, Zhao Tuo of Nanyue had the intention of competing with Gaozu for hegemony in the world, but between the white mountains and black waters, because of the miasma poisonous insects, Zhao Tuo returned in vain, and later Gaozu unified the world, Zhao Tuo couldn't do anything, so he bowed down to the Han Dynasty."

"This Zhao Tuo lived for more than a hundred years, experienced Gaozu Lu, and even passed Emperor Wen, although at that time Nanyue had already claimed to be part of the Han Empire, and was actually an independent country."

"Zhao Tuo worked hard, the strength of South Vietnam grew rapidly, a person has nothing to do when he is full, he will naturally think about other things, a country is at its peak, and it is inevitable to expand its territory."

"So, this Zhao Tuo fought in the south and the north through various means, west to Jiaozhi, east to Fujian and Zhejiang, all of which were the territory of Nanyue, and even he attacked to the north and laid down several counties of the Han Kingdom, and it was the period of the Later Lu Dynasty, and the Empress Lu sent troops to attack Zhao Tuo."

"However, the army has not yet crossed Wuling, and due to the unsuitable climate, unsuitable water and soil, and epidemic diseases, this southern offensive will not be over."

"And Zhao Tuo saw that my Han had no choice but to do it, so he randomly announced that the Nanyue Kingdom would secede from the Han vassal state, and he would make himself the emperor, and he would keep pace with the Han Dynasty."

"Do you know that Zhao Tuo was originally a descendant of the Zhao State in the pre-Qin period?"

Gou Shen did not wait for Gong Yu to reply and said: "This situation has been until the period of Emperor Wen, on the one hand, Emperor Wen gave official titles to the relatives of Zhao Tuo's hometown, and the ancestral tomb of Zhao Tuo's family was managed and worshiped by the county government, and on the other hand, Lu Jia was sent to South Vietnam to negotiate with Zhao Tuo. ”

"At this time, the Great Han Kingdom has recovered from the war, the national strength is getting stronger and stronger, Lu Jia arrived in South Vietnam, how did Zhao Tuo do it? He sent a letter of apology to Chang'an, saying that he had gone north to attack in the past, but he had listened to slander, and heard that Empress Lu had killed all his relatives in the old Zhao State and dug up the ancestral grave, so he was confused in anger. ”

"Hey, hey!"

Gou Shen smiled coldly and said: "The land of Nanyue is just a well-winded and rebellious boss who jumps off the beam!? These people are strong and he is weak, and if you are weak, he will want to ride on your head and do evil!" What is the righteousness? ”

"In this way, from Zhao Tuo to Zhao Hu, Zhao Xing, and Zhao Yingqi, those who have always been respectful to the Han Dynasty, although they don't have much contact, but they are also the land of the Han Dynasty, and you have nothing to do now, but you want us to give up the rule of South Vietnam, what do you say is to reduce the burden on the Han Kingdom?"

"You also said just now that without people, the country will not be a country, so if there is no land, where will people go?"

"How can you, an old horseman, say such a ruin who has no king, no father, and no cub who sells his grandfather's land and is not distressed!"

As Gou Shen spoke, Du Qin applauded loudly, and Xiao Wangzhi looked at Gou Shen and smiled.

Liu Zheng thought about it, what Gou Shen said was also right, the land of Nanyue has always been the land of the Han Dynasty, if it is discarded in his own hands, then how will he face the ancestors and ancestors in the future? Will the people of the Han Dynasty say that they are not a competent king who sticks to their territory?

Most of the people in the Xuanshu Hall who listened were inclined to Gou Shen, and Gou Shen asked Gong Yu: "You are from Langya County, have you ever thought about moving your family to Chang'an?" In that way, if there is a decree in Chang'an, you can know it early, and it also saves the rush of post wagons and horses to attack Langya County to inform the decree, so wouldn't it reduce the burden on the Han Dynasty? ”

"As for the graves of your ancestors, now hurry back and flatten them one by one, and in the future, you will resolutely not go to the sacrifice on the fifteenth day of the new year, so that you can reduce the use from your personal point of view, from the perspective of the Han Kingdom, everyone will learn from you, this is a lot of expenses, and the money saved will not be donated to the people who are suffering from the disaster now?"

"You doctor, why not?"

Gong Yu's face was already red and white this time, but Gou Shen still didn't stop, and said: "Also, the Xiongnu in the northwest have been fighting with my Han for one or two hundred years, but it's a pity that Emperor Gaozu Wu didn't see you, otherwise, Mao Dun Those Shan Yu came here, and our Han people went forward with a happy smile and said, Shan Yu, which piece of land do you fancy us, why do you need to move the people to plunder?" ”

"You just need one word, whatever you like, we will cede it to you as soon as possible, that is, the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an, we can also discuss, why? You're helping us lighten our burden, so we don't have to worry about that piece of land anymore, how worry-free! ”

"We have to thank you, Huns, Dr. Gongyu! Since then, our Han Dynasty has no tile to cover his body, there is no place to stand, and even the women and children in the family are all given to the Huns, so that he is happy to be light, and he walks alone, embarrassed one, how chic and comfortable, hehe! ”

"The country is in trouble, you don't think hard to solve the country's worries, but you talk nonsense - what is the most serious problem in the Han Kingdom today, can you give up this and don't want it there?"

"You old horseman, you are so tricky, you can't touch the roots, I'm ashamed to be a minister with you, so I don't mention this name!"

Liu Zheng's face became gloomy when he heard this, and the people who were laughing in the hall began to insult Gong Yu for being a spy and a national thief, Gong Yu's mouth trembled, and he screamed, and fell to the ground with his head tilted, and he didn't know whether he was alive or dead. (To be continued......)