readx;? Chapter 1: Chinese New Year (2)

Liu Chong, the envoy of Hedong Jiedu, was Liu Chengyou's own uncle, although he did not ask the court for instructions, he sent troops to Hebei without authorization, but after all, he was fighting the banner of protecting the family and defending the country. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 Therefore, even if several ministers were dissatisfied with Liu Chong, they could only pinch their noses and admit this person's actions for the time being, and could not give any punishment.

And Fu Yanqing, the Duke of Wei, did not give much face to the court when Liu Zhiyuan was alive. This year, the Liao State invaded the south on a large scale, and it was already a great fortune for the country that this person did not go to lead the way for the Khitans. Who in the whole country would dare to risk forcing this person to the side of the Khitans and accuse him of taking up his own army?

For these facts, the little emperor Liu Chengyou is of course clear in his stomach. However, today, he suddenly thundered, but it was not to listen to a few ministers who took care of his life to explain to him the reasons for the unauthorized actions of the two armies. So, he smiled coldly again and asked loudly: "Didn't you tell me before, that our monarchs and ministers have their own duties? I have entrusted all the authority of the world to you, why don't you see you giving some color to those who support the army and respect themselves? Do you still have to wait for them to openly pull the flag and rebel before you can make a move? This, this is too lazy!"

When the words fell, Yang Wei and Su Fengji immediately felt ashamed, blushed, and bowed down to apologize.

"Your Majesty, the old minister is ashamed!"

"The ministers have failed the great trust of the emperor, please punish Your Majesty!"

The privy envoy Shi Hongzhao was so angry that his eyes were on fire, his hands were clenched into fists, and he endured and endured in his sleeves, but in the end, he also bowed down and said in a muffled voice: "Your Majesty, since the founding of the Han Dynasty, there have been continuous wars, the treasury is empty, and the soldiers are tired. If not, if it is a last resort, you really shouldn't use the sword soldiers!"

"What an empty treasury!" Liu Chengyou immediately caught the loophole in Shi Hongzhao's words and bit it tightly, "Then I came to ask you, where have the salt and iron taxes and the Spring and Autumn taxes gone in the past two years?

"This ......" Shi Hongzhao couldn't answer, and repeatedly signaled to the third envoy Wang Zhang with his eyes, asking him to come forward to relieve the siege for the biggest guy. Unexpectedly, the third envoy Wang Zhang seemed to be asleep, and did not react to his hints. It wasn't until he was secretly pinched by Yang Wei that he snorted and said slowly: "Your Majesty, the minister is old and faint, and for a while now, he has been eating in the corpse position. If Your Majesty asks about finance and taxation, you might as well invite Lord Guo, the deputy envoy of the Third Division, into the palace!"

"No need, I'll summon him alone later!Just know what you have to do!" Liu Chengyou didn't put the fire on the head of "his own people", waved his hand, and categorically vetoed. "Anyway, according to what you said, the treasury has no money to fight at the moment, and the soldiers have no strength to fight!

"Shame on you!" the four ministers blushed again, and no one had the strength to continue to explain.

Liu Zhiyuan, the first emperor of the Great Han Kingdom, at the beginning of the army to expel the Khitans, in order to reduce the sacrifice of the soldiers under his command, once spread the word to the world and bought the Khitan people with a lot of money. After the capture of Bianliang, in order to stabilize the situation as soon as possible and avoid other princes from fishing in troubled waters, they adopted the method of bribery by high-ranking officials and Houlu to recruit a large number of reckless heroes to resist the Liao rebels. As a result, the Khitans were indeed driven away, and the situation was restored to the surface of stability as quickly as possible, but Hedong's savings over the years were also spent by him.

If Liu Zhiyuan does not die, and uses his prestige to suppress the princes of all walks of life, and create a five-year recuperation time for the Great Han Kingdom, perhaps the treasury will be full again. However, the sky was cloudy and the house was leaking. Liu Zhiyuan didn't wait for the throne to sit hot, so he left to go west, and followed by Li Shouzhen, Zhao Sijuan, and Wang Jingchong. The war is together, and the expenses are like flowing water. Even if Yang Wei, Wang Zhang and others have the ability, they can only support the front-line soldiers and ensure that the imperial court can produce hundreds of officials on time. If you want to save more money and food for the future, it's hard to get to the top!

"I don't want to blame you, I don't want to blame anyone today!" Seeing that the four ministers who took care of their lives were finally forced by themselves to take the initiative to retreat, Liu Chengyou felt so proud in his heart. On the surface, he made a generous appearance, sighed, shook his head and added: "You and the others are all ministers who were left by the emperor to me, and all of them are the pillars of the country. I don't want to criticize you. I, I'm just sad, sad that my Great Han Kingdom has won so weakly. It was just a matter of being wantonly bullied by the Khitans, but in fact, they were even beaten by the Southern Tang Dynasty and Southern Chu! And I, I want to be ashamed, but I have to worry that the treasury will not be able to make ends meet, and I also have to worry that the princes will take the opportunity to make trouble. I, I, the emperor, what else do I do, and what face do I have to go to see my father?"

"Ministers, ministers and others have been entrusted by the emperor, capital crimes, capital crimes!" Hearing Liu Chengyou mention the founding emperor Liu Zhiyuan, the four ministers who took care of their lives, they had no face to defend themselves. He bowed down again, his face as red as a date.

"That's it, I said, I don't want to pursue anyone!" Liu Chengyou smiled and waved his hand magnificently. "You say don't want me to do it, and I will listen to you. But how to resist the enemy, how to dispatch troops, how to make the Southern Tang and Southern Chu pay for their blood debts, you must come up with a strategy as soon as possible, and then put it into practice as soon as possible. A few Aiqing, I may agree to this request?"

"This ......" Shi Hongzhao, Yang Wei, Su Fengji, and Wang Zhang were asked each other in a daze, and after a while, they responded with difficulty, "Since Your Majesty intends to try the knife, the ministers will obey the order!"

"Alright, let's settle it. In the future, the monarchs and ministers will work together to create a peaceful and prosperous world!" Liu Chengyou was finally satisfied, laughing and knocking on bricks and nails.

After ascending the throne for so long, it was only today that he finally tasted a hint of the Holy Son. How could he not be overjoyed? As for the Nantang and Nanchu who were about to cross the river, it was just the itch of scabies! Liu Chengyou believed that he could solve it with his fingers, and he didn't need to think too much about it at all.

When you have a happy event, of course, you should share it with those close to you. Therefore, in the following time, Liu Chengyou behaved very happily. All the chapters of the four ministers are to be taken as they are. Immediately, he waved his sleeves and announced the end of today's deliberations, and asked the personal eunuch to send the four ministers out of the palace for him.

"Your Majesty rest early, Weichen retires!" Su Fengji was the first to bow and salute, and then walked quickly to the door of the imperial study. When he raised his leg, he tripped over the threshold and almost fell.

"The old minister retired!" "The minister retired!" "The minister retired!" Shi Hongzhao, Yang Wei, and Wang Zhang also saluted one after another, and then followed behind Su Fengji with a heavy heart.

The four of them originally entered the palace together, but when they left, they were divided into two groups. Su Fengji didn't even say hello, he jumped on the horse and left first. The remaining three people, Shi Hongzhao, Yang Wei and Wang Zhang, pulled the reins of their mounts and walked slowly along the heavenly street in front of the palace.

It was not yet sunset, and there were many pedestrians on the streets, and when they saw the guard of honor of the privy envoy and the Zhongshu order, they all carefully hid on the side of the road, and then tilted their heads on tiptoe, their faces full of reverence.

In these years, there are a few people in the entire Bianliang who don't know that the three people who were protected on horseback by the guards were the pillars of the entire Han Kingdom. With the history of the privy secret, Bianliang City has no worries about war. With Yang Zhongshu and Wang Ji in the same place, the government will not easily make a reckless and violent move. And in the troubled times, what is the most urgent thing for the common people, isn't it precisely that they can have a peaceful sleep and pay less taxes? As for whether the emperor can make a statement in the court, what does it have to do with the common people?

Shi Hongzhao, Yang Wei, and Wang Zhang were three, but they didn't have the heart to enjoy the adoring eyes of the people. They are all old rivers and lakes who have become elites, how can they still not show the true plan of the little emperor Liu Chengyou? However, after thinking about it repeatedly, they have to admit bitterly that they have no way to deal with it. At most, it's just a negative procrastination!

The little emperor grew up and began to show an extremely strong sense of power. And several of their ministers must make a choice in the shortest possible time, between "returning the government to the king" and "continuing to take care of their lives".

If the little emperor has half of his father's ability, even if he is greedy for power, even if he likes to act arbitrarily, at least, he can ensure that the big guy risked his life to seize the country and not fall into the hands of others. But the truth is cruel and cold, as he grows older, the little emperor Liu Chengyou shows more and more obvious signs of fainting. If the power is monopolized, I am afraid that not only will the country change hands, but also a few former ministers who take care of their lives, it is estimated that no one will be able to get a good death.

"No, it's absolutely impossible to go on like this!" Thinking of the fear, Shi Hongzhao suddenly shouted. It doesn't care how many pairs of ears there are, how many pairs of eyes there are. "Guo Shumi must be summoned back, and everyone will discuss a solution together. He is the only one who has a lot of ghost ideas, and he is the only one who can touch His Majesty's temper the most!"

"Recall him, what should Hebei do, give it all to the Khitans, just like the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun? Or let Fu Yanqing cut the land and claim the king?" Yang Wei turned his head, glared at him fiercely, and retorted in a low voice. "At this time, it is not necessary to recall Guo Shumi in a hurry, let alone mess with oneself. It's our remaining four ministers, we must work together, don't give people a chance to break through!"

"How is it possible!" Shi Hongzhao shook his head, smiling bitterly, his face full of disdain, "You didn't see Su Lao'er running so fast, you can't wait to cut off relations with us." There are also Wang Jixiang, Wang Zhang, Wang Nanle, Lao Tzu said about you. How did you become mute today, not saying a word from beginning to end?"

In the second half of the sentence, he asked Wang Zhang, the third envoy, with deep dissatisfaction. When Wang Zhang heard this, he first sneered slightly. Immediately, he sighed again and replied quietly, "What can I say? We are all ministers, and Your Majesty is the king." Your Majesty has grown up, and there is no reason for us to hold on to the power anymore. The inner person has died, and the little girl is not in good health. The old man pondered, this old bone, it is time to pick chrysanthemums. When he gets home tonight, the old man will go to the book and beg for bones. Two, let's take care of each other in the future!"