"Lieutenant Zhou Yafu~"

After the dispersal of the dynasty, he returned to his hometown of Anhou Mansion, lay on the soft couch in the bedroom, and looked at the two brothers Liu Pengzu and Liu Sheng who were busy working by the couch, Shen Tujia let out a leisurely murmur, and then looked at Liu Sheng beside him.

"What do you think of Zhou Yafu, son?"

Hearing Shen Tujia's question, Liu Sheng immediately reacted: Old Prime Minister, this is going to test himself again.

Realizing this, Liu Sheng did not rush to speak, but turned sideways and took the decoction sent by the servants of the Hou Mansion;

sat down on the edge of the couch with half of his buttocks, coaxed and 'scared', fed Shen Tujia to drink medicine, and lay down on the couch again.

After folding the quilt for Shentu Jia, Liu Shengcai got up from the edge of the couch, sat down next to his brother Liu Pengzu, and let out a long sigh leisurely.

"Zhou Bo, the deceased Marquis of Jiang'er, gave birth to three sons."

"They are the eldest son Zhou Shengzhi, the second son Zhou Yafu, and the third son Zhou Jian."

"-Among them, Zhou Shengzhi and Zhou Jian are both sons-in-law, but Zhou Yafu is the concubine."

"After the death of Zhou Bo, the eldest son of Zhou Shengzhi, inherited the marquis; Six years later, Zhou Shengzhi was revoked of his title for murder. ”

"After that, Emperor Xiaowen of Xiantaizong recalled Zhou Bo's merits and intended to continue the lineage of the Marquis of Jiang, but he felt in a dilemma because of the bad virtue of Zhou Bo's other son-in-law, Zhou Jian."

"Knowing the intention of Emperor Xiaowen of the first Taizong, the ministers and hundreds of officials entered the palace together and unanimously recommended Zhou Yafu, the second son of Zhou Bo, to the first emperor."

"In the end, Emperor Taizong Xiaowen adopted the advice of the hundred officials and enshrined Zhou Yafu as the Marquis of Tiao, in order to continue the title of Marquis of Jiang······"

Hearing Liu Sheng's extremely accurate answer, Shen Tujia, who was lying flat on the couch, immediately nodded with satisfaction.

After thinking for a moment, he turned his head slightly and looked at Liu Sheng who was kneeling in front of the couch again.

"That son thinks, Zhou Yafu, does he have the ability to shoulder the duties of a lieutenant to lead the army to go out and quell the rebellion of Liu Bi and Liu Wu?"

Another question came from Shen Tujia's mouth, and Liu Sheng still pondered for a moment before giving his own answer.

"At the beginning, before he became a marquis, Zhou Yafu was already appointed by the first emperor as the county guard of Hanoi."

"Judging from the fact that Zhou Yafu was able to rely on his own ability to be appointed as the county guard by the first emperor, Zhou Yafu is not a person who has no talent and only relies on his father and ancestor Yu Yin to be noble."

"Later, the Marquis Zhou Shengzhi lost the marquis due to his crimes, and the first emperor wanted to continue the lineage of the Marquis of Jiang, and the ministers of the court jointly elected Zhou Yafu, which can also be seen."

"-As for this, my father's worship of Zhou Yafu as a lieutenant is because when the first emperor was dying, the sentence 'There is a priority, and Zhou Yafu can be the general'."

"And when the first emperor was dying, the reason why he had such an entrustment to his father was because of an incident that happened in the sixth year of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen······"

After speaking in an indifferent tone, Liu Sheng quietly stopped talking, and then looked at his brother Liu Pengzu beside him.

Receiving Liu Sheng's 'signal', Liu Pengzu also shook his head and smiled, and then his face turned a little pale.

"In the sixth year after Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, the first emperor was seriously ill, and the Huns took the opportunity to send troops south and invaded the border wall of our Han family on a large scale."

"Hearing the news that the Huns were attacking the border wall, the first emperor immediately ordered: Zongzheng Liu Li's garrison is overpowered; Zhu Zihou Xu Li garrisoned Thorn Gate; Hanoi County guarded Zhou Yafu's garrison of Xiliu to defend the Beijing division and guard against the Xiongnu. ”

"In order to boost morale, Emperor Xiaowen of Xiantaizong dragged his sick body and personally went to these three places to inspect and work;"

"The first emperor went to Bashang first, and then to the Thorn Gate, these two places do not need to be reported, seeing the arrival of the Son of Heaven, the military camp took the initiative to let him go;"

"And the two main generals of the two places, Liu Li and Xu Li, did not receive the news until the first emperor arrived at the military camp, and they panicked when they greeted them;"

"When sending the first emperor away, he also personally led the whole army and sent it to the gate of the camp."

But when I arrived at Hosoyanagi's barracks, the situation was very different······"

said softly, and Liu Pengzu's face immediately became a little serious.

When Liu Pengzu turned his head a little seriously, he looked at Liu Sheng beside him, and was immediately picked up by Liu Sheng.

"When the first emperor arrived near Zhou Yafu's camp, the guards who opened the way in front of him were stopped outside the camp;"

"I learned that it was the first emperor who came to offer condolences, but the guard of the military gate said: The general has an order, and the army only listens to the general's order, not the emperor's edict."

"When the first emperor took the imperial chariot and arrived outside the Xiliu camp, he sent an envoy to take the Son of Heaven to report it, and Zhou Yafu ordered to open the gate of the village to welcome the first emperor."

"Even after the first emperor entered the fine willow camp, the soldiers guarding the camp did not forget to step forward and solemnly reminded the first emperor's entourage: the general has an order, and in the barracks, no chariots and horses are allowed to gallop."

"-Hearing this, the first emperor had to order the coachman to control the reins and not let the chariot and horse go too fast."

"When he arrived in front of the big tent in the army, Zhou Yafu came out to greet him in military uniform, bowed to the emperor with a weapon in his hand, and said: The people who are in the middle of the army do not worship, please allow your majesty to allow your subordinates to pay homage in the army."

"Hearing this, the first emperor had no choice but to bow down, hold the crossbar in front of the car, and salute the soldiers·······"

At the end, Liu Sheng's face gradually became a little serious.

Between his eyebrows, he also subconsciously brought a little unhappiness.

But on his lips, Liu Sheng did not forget to continue to say the last sentence as a summary of his words.

"This incident is still widely circulated in Guanzhong to this day, the story of the 'Taizong Xiaowen Emperor Xiaoliu Military Parade'."

"It was also after this incident that Emperor Taizong Xiaowen paid more and more attention to Zhou Yafu, the Marquis."

"Soon after, the Huns retreated, the garrisons of Bashang, Jianmen, and Xiliu were all dismissed, and Zhou Yafu, the county guard of Hanoi, was also left in Chang'an by the first emperor as a lieutenant."

"A year later, Emperor Taizong Xiaowen was seriously ill and dying, so he explained to his father: There are priorities, and Zhou Yafu can be the general."

"After the death of the first emperor, my father also obeyed the entrustment of the first emperor, and Zhou Yafu still served as a lieutenant, and added the rank of 'general general' to Zhou Yafu······"

Lying flat on the couch, listening to Liu Sheng and Liu Pengzu, the two brothers, alternately talking about Zhou Yafu's 'career', Shen Tu Jia's slightly sickly pale face only brought a full look of appreciation.

Just as he was about to struggle to get up, Liu Sheng hurriedly stepped forward, gently helped Shen Tujia up, and put a few pillows behind Shen Tujia to make Shen Tujia sit up a little;

Feeling Liu Sheng's unpretentious, completely heartfelt concern and deference, Shen Tujia couldn't help but smile.

Just a moment later, Shen Tujia looked at Liu Sheng's gaze, but he was a little puzzled.

"Listening to Gongzi's words, it seems that he is a little dissatisfied with Zhou Yafu?"

"-Could it be that in the past, there was something unpleasant between Gongzi and Zhou Yafu?"

He asked with a chuckle, but Liu Sheng shook his head without thinking.

Turning around, he casually took the warm water handed by the servant and sent it to Shen Tujia's mouth little by little with a soup spoon, and while feeding, he responded with his mouth.

"No, I didn't."

"Lieutenant Zhou Yafu, I haven't even seen it, I don't know what Zhou Yafu looks like."

"But when the first emperor went to the military parade in Xiliu, Zhou Yafu's attitude towards the first emperor made it difficult for me not to feel disgusted."

"—for it seems to me that it is the duty of a soldier to obey orders;"

"And the 'obedience to orders' here is not only the soldiers obeying the orders of the superiors, but also the soldiers and generals, who must obey the orders of the Son of Heaven."

As he spoke, most of the bowl of warm water had been fed into Shen Tujia's mouth, and seeing Shen Tujia tilt his head back slightly, Liu Sheng also took the bowl away and handed it back to the servant on the side.

After sitting down again, Liu Sheng looked at Shen Tujia's gaze, and then took on a little gloom.

"But when the first emperor went to Xiliu for a military parade, Zhou Yafu showed an unrespectful posture several times;"

"Even the soldiers of the Xiliu Battalion did not shy away from saying 'We only obey the orders of the general, not the emperor's edicts', such a rebellious reverse."

"Therefore, even if the army governed by Zhou Yafu can show the appearance of elite troops, I still feel disgusted with Zhou Yafu."

"Because judging from the military parade of the first emperor Xiliu back then, Zhou Yafu can only be regarded as a capable minister and a good general at best, but he is definitely not a loyal minister."

"I am afraid it is not a good choice to put the army that is related to the safety of the temple and the society into the hands of such a person."

Seeing what Liu Sheng was thinking in his heart, and even bluntly said that he had never seen Zhou Yafu, but he was still disgusted with Zhou Yafu', Shen Tujia's face immediately took on a little playfulness.

"But the reason why Gongzi is disgusted with Zhou Yafu is precisely the reason why the first emperor has more and more trust in Zhou Yafu?"

"Doesn't Childe think there's something strange about such a difference?"

"——Why did the same thing make Gongzi feel disgusted with Zhou Yafu, but made the first emperor love Zhou Yafu more and more, and recognize Zhou Yafu's ability to govern the army?"

But when Liu Sheng heard this, he smiled slightly self-deprecatingly, and looked at Shen Tujia's gaze, but it was also full of calmness.

"The first emperor is a Ming monarch and a holy monarch who has the ability to tolerate people and is extremely broad-minded."

"But I am the heir of my father, and I have completely inherited my father's character of having a small belly and chicken intestines, and I will repay my eyes."

"It's really hard for me to recognize a courtier like Zhou Yafu, who is inferior and humble, especially a general who is still leading the army."

"For it seems to me that the most important thing for a general is loyalty to the monarch;"

"Secondly, it is the ability to command the army."

"I think that a general, as long as he is loyal enough to the monarch, will at most lose the battle, even if he lacks the ability to command the army;"

"But a person like Zhou Yafu, who has the ability to command the army, but is not loyal enough to the monarch and not respectful enough to the superiors, is like a double-edged sword."

"If you use it well, you can kill the enemy; If you don't use it well, you can also hurt yourself······"

With Liu Sheng's precise and sharp interpretation, Shen Tujia looked at Liu Sheng's gaze, and finally no longer had the slightest doubt;

From those old, cloudy eyes, all Liu Sheng could see was indescribable relief······

"Every word and word that Childe said can be said to speak to my heart."

"For Zhou Yafu, my worries are the same as those of Gongzi······"

With a smile, he said this sentence 'Let's think of going together', and saw Shen Tujia raise his head slightly and sigh leisurely;

Then, Shen Tujia's face also quietly carried a sigh and a little worry.

"Actually, the first emperor admired Zhou Yafu's talent, not because Zhou Yafu's shortcomings were not enough to disgust the first emperor."

"But in the first emperor's dynasty, there were very few credible generals in my Han family······

With another sigh, he saw Shen Tujia smile bitterly and shook his head.

"When the first emperor came to Chang'an from the dynasty, most of the founding fathers of my Han family were already old;"

"Since the time of Emperor Taizu Gao, the national policy of ruling by inaction and changing with the people has been implemented by the court has also made the new generation of generals fail to stand out from the ranks."

"The generals that the first emperor can count on are only a few humerus henchmen brought from Daiguo."

"But even those humerus henchmen have lived up to the expectations of the first emperor······"

"——First Marquis Bo Zhao, as a general of the chariot cavalry, but he committed unforgivable crimes one after another, and was forced to death by the first emperor helplessly;"

"After that, it was Lang Zhong who ordered Zhang Wu to completely ruin his reputation because of accepting bribes from others."

"Even if the first emperor did not condemn Zhang Wu for this incident in order to protect him, but gave him five hundred gold, he still could not prevent Zhang Wu's reputation from being discredited, and he could no longer express any opinions in the court······

"After Bo Zhao and Zhang Wu had accidents, the first emperor had no choice but to let Song Chang, the Marquis of Zhuangwu, take charge of the southern and northern armies."

"But as time went by, Song Chang commanded the southern and northern armies, which gradually made the first emperor have doubts in his heart······"

Full of embarrassment, Shen Tujia couldn't help but look up to the sky and let out a long sigh;

Between the eyebrows, there is a lot of nostalgia and regret visible to the naked eye.

"In the third year of the first emperor's succession to the throne, he planned to fight a decisive battle with the Huns, but because of the rebellion of Liu Xingju, the king of Jibei, the war plan against the Xiongnu was completely disrupted."

"Since then, the first emperor has never moved the idea of 'raising troops to the north and fighting a decisive battle against the Xiongnu', and only focused on internal governance and the problems of clan relatives and princes."

"Just like a sword that has not been used for many years will rust, and a bowstring that has not been opened for many years will be relaxed, and the generals of the Han family have become more and more scarce after not experiencing the baptism of war for many years."

"In the end, when Zhou Yafu became famous because of the first emperor's 'fine willow parade', my Han family had no generals who could be used······"

In the end, Shen Tu Jiacai finally shook his head and sighed bitterly, and withdrew his gaze from the roof;

When he looked at Liu Sheng again, Shen Tujia's eyebrows finally showed a little gentleness.

"Indeed, as Gongzi said: Judging from the identity of a general, Zhou Yafu is indeed just an excellent general, but he is not a deferential courtier."

"But in today's situation, it is indeed as the emperor said when he asked His Majesty when he was dying: there are priorities, and Zhou Yafu can be the general."

"—or should I say, 'There are priorities, only Zhou Yafu can do it'······"

Hearing Shen Tujia's words, Liu Sheng thought about it for a while, and finally nodded slowly.

"What the teacher means, the students understand."

"The students have no doubts about Zhou Yafu's ability to govern the army."

"It's true that as the teacher said: in the current situation, the only counterinsurgency boss in the court who can handle it is Zhou Yafu······

Seeing that Liu Sheng understood what he meant, Shen Tujia couldn't help but nod his head again.

After saying so much, the old prime minister was obviously a little tired, so he sat up slightly, supported by Liu Sheng, and lay back on the couch again.

Just lying down, Shen Tujia didn't forget what he was saying.

"As for the traitor Zhou Qiu, the culprits are those Qi Di Haoqiang who have not been moved into Guanzhong so far, but have been in Qi to fish and eat the people, and finally been able to serve Zhou Qiu and join the rebels."

"The lesson of this incident, the two sons, must be taken as a warning!"

"—In the future, when the two sons are crowned kings, they will also encounter such problems;"

"At that time, the two sons must not bless and shield them because of the bewitchment of Haoqiang, and escape the forced relocation of the court."

"Only by reporting all the heroes to the court and successfully forcibly moving them into Guanzhong, will there be real peace in the counties and places of Kanto;"

"Without these places being powerful and evil, the people of Kanto would be able to live a peaceful life for a few years······"

A serious admonition naturally caused the two brothers to get up and bow to Shentu Jia on the couch.

Then, he saw Shen Tujia close his eyes with a tired face and waved his hand at the two brothers.

"That's all for today······"

"Your Majesty has basically made arrangements for counterinsurgency, and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and recuperate at home for a while······

"Two sons, don't come to me again recently······"

Unexpectedly, a mediocre remark provoked Liu Sheng to hurriedly shake his head.

"The teacher may be old and always forgets to take his medicine;"

"Therefore, the students still come to the Hou Mansion every day and watch the teacher drink the medicine in person."

The indifferent words only caused Shen Tujia's face to suddenly become bitter, and when he looked at Liu Sheng, he couldn't help but stiffen a little.

"Uh······"

"The ······"

"—Didn't Your Majesty ask Childe to make another piece of chain mail?"

"Childe should concentrate and complete His Majesty's entrustment as soon as possible~"

"I'm not a child, why don't I take medicine on time because I don't like it?"

The words were full of weakness, but they only caused Liu Sheng to shake his head firmly, and with insight, he smiled at Shen Tujia.

"Rest assured, teacher;"

"That piece of chain mail, the student has already sent it to his father."

"The students are in the palace, and they really can't find anything else to do."

"—Instead of wasting your time, it is better to visit the teacher every day;"

"While listening to the teacher's admonition, I also accompany the teacher a lot and do my duty as a student?"

said so, but Liu Sheng had a playful smile on his face;

His eyes kept falling to his side, and the pottery bowl still had a little medicinal stains.

Seeing that Liu Sheng did not back down, Shen Tujia knew that he could not resist Liu Sheng, so he finally closed his eyes in despair and looked up to the sky and let out a lament.

"Alas······"

"In that case, when I take medicine tomorrow, Childe, you have to let me eat a bowl of honey water, right?"

"-That decoction is too bitter·········"

In the previous chapter, a reader asked: Has Zhou Yafu been made a marquis?

In the recent special period, the starting point cannot be commented on, so here is the answer to the reader's confusion.

"Historical Records: The Family of Zhou Bo, Marquis of Jiang": Zhou Bo died, Emperor Wen felt his merits, and selected his son as the most sage. (Original)

Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jiang, died, Emperor Wen thanked him for his merits, and issued an edict to select Zhou Bo's most virtuous son, and people elected Zhou Yafu, so Enyin Zhou Yafu was the Marquis of Tiao, succeeding Zhou Bo's title. (Translation)

So what's actually going on?

The answer is: After Zhou Bo's death, according to the primogeniture inheritance system, Zhou Bo's eldest son Zhou Shengzhi inherited the title of Marquis of Jiang.

Later, Zhou Shengzhi, the Marquis of Jiang, was deprived of the title of Marquis of Jiang because of murder, according to the records of historical materials, it was 'Zhou Shengzhi sat and killed, and the Marquis of Jiang was removed' - the Marquis of Jiang was abolished.

Later, Emperor Wen wanted to renew the incense for the Marquis of Jiang, so he chose Zhou Bo's concubine Zhou Yafu.

But the Marquis of Jiang has been abolished, so another feudal country was found, and Zhou Yafu was entitled: Tiaohou.

Therefore, the actual situation is: Zhou Yafu has never been a marquis, and since the first day he was named a marquis, Zhou Yafu has always been a marquis.

(End of chapter)