In the West Garden, Emperor Liu Hong was bathing in the incense canal, and the canal water accompanied by the fragrance of rouge and rhino hit his body, making Liu Hong feel particularly comfortable.

Liu Hong, who was immersed in beauty and extravagant enjoyment, was extremely relaxed at the moment, and his tense heart could only be at peace here.

The construction of the West Garden civil engineering, the cost of national strength, the construction of a swimming pool, Liu Hong does not know that this will cost the country's wealth? Won't it cost the country? Xiyuan sells officials, Liu Hong doesn't know that he will be scolded by the world and accused by the world of being mediocre?

Liu Hong is not a dull person, he understands everything, knows everything.

But he couldn't help it, there were things he had to do.

Xiyuan sells officials, this money is not in the hands of him, the emperor, and in the end, it will only be taken by his family, in short, it is not for the emperor, or for the court and the minister, and it can't be saved.

In Liu Hong's heart, this is not a looting, but another stubborn confrontation between him and the Han family.

He thought that his life as an emperor was not easy, and he was exhausted after ten years of hard work, but in the end he was still unable to do so.

Even if the three mutual laws and the party came out together, trapped the hands and feet of the scholars, and greatly reduced the power of the gate lord in the court, Liu Hong knew in his heart that his radical behavior would not last for a long time after all.

And this is a way of playing with 1,000 enemies and 800 self-losses, and it can't last the last.

As long as there is still a day in the world, the party will be broken sooner or later, and the three mutual laws will be weakened with the change of time.

He couldn't kill all the scholars in the world, let alone destroy the family lords who stood above the scholars, because the Han Dynasty was actually the foundation they formed, and without them, the empire would not be able to function after all.

It's ridiculous, these people are the ones who threaten the imperial power the most...... But without them, where would the imperial power come from in this world?

Liu Hong can't destroy the Valle Yue and Shi clan, even if he can't destroy him, because the birth of imperial power is closely related to this group of people. If there are no scholars in the country, where does the royal family come from?

Imperial power, scholars, lords, eunuchs, these forces disturbed Liu Hong almost without a day of peace.

Since ancient times, if the imperial power wants to expand and extend, it generally needs the help of eunuchs, because eunuchs are the closest people to every emperor, which contains a family affection and a dependence.

The same is true for Liu Hong, he ascended the throne at the age of twelve, there is no one to rely on, he knows in his heart that the eunuchs, like the ministers and relatives, are also using him for their own personal gain, but at least the eunuchs seek personal interests, which Liu Hong can accept subconsciously.

Cao Jie, Wang Fu, and Zhang Rang are so hateful and how bad their reputation among the people is, Liu Hong knows a little bit about them, but Liu Hong doesn't hate them.

Because they can only be a disaster for the common people at most, and cannot be a disaster for the imperial power.

What is the use of controlling the officials and the scholars controlling public opinion, no matter how high the reputation among the people is, no matter how much they are loved? They are always at the mercy of my actions, trying to snatch my right to govern the country!

It's hard to prevent.

Liu Hong is tired, he can only feel relaxed in this extravagant West Garden, can he forget the bitterness in his heart, more than ten years of depression almost drove him crazy, only under the cultivation of the beautiful scenery and beauty of the West Garden, he can barely forget those painful 'world things'!

Liu Hong was lying in the incense canal, his mind was turning over and over these things, and he let the naked colorful girl next to him rub his back and wash his body......

Suddenly, a eunuch hurried behind him.

The eunuch was not young, he knelt down a foot behind Liu Hong, bowed to Liu Hong for a long time, and shouted: "Old slave see Your Majesty!" ”

Liu Hong, who was still recuperating with his eyes closed, frowned for a moment, and his face showed a little annoyance.

To be honest, Liu Hong likes eunuchs, especially Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, one is called his father and the other is called his mother.

Since he entered the palace at the age of twelve, the eunuchs have raised him, let alone a eunuch, even if he has been raised by a dog since he was a child, he is afraid that he also has true feelings for dogs.

But the eunuch kneeling behind him at this moment was an exception.

This official eunuch is called Lu Qiang, and like Zhang Rang and others, he is also a regular servant.

To tell the truth, Lu Qiang is a special case among the eunuchs, he sometimes greeds for small fortunes and seeks petty selfishness, but he is different from Zhang Rang, Cao Jie, Wang Fu and others, but he always retains a loyalty to the court in his heart.

I don't know what Lu Qiang thinks, he seems to be very eager to become a clear stream among eunuchs.

Just when Cao Jie, Zhang Rang and others persuaded Liu Hong to add knighthoods to the eunuchs, Lu Qiang was forcibly resigning from the position of marquis, and he felt that his virtue was not worthy.

In Cao Jie, Zhang Rang, Wang Fu and others wantonly recruited colorful girls into the palace for Liu Hong to enjoy in the people, but Lu Qiang told Liu Hong that the cost of food and clothing in the harem was huge, and the people were unable to cultivate the fields, and the households were hungry, so it was better to be modest.

And even, when Liu Hong initiated the party and wantonly detained the party members and the ministers, Lu Qiang also came to admonish, saying that the party members were imprisoned, there were more corrupt officials among the people, and there were many rebels in the counties, so the party members should be pardoned slowly to alleviate the contradictions, and the main thing to do was to fix the rebellion in the counties of the world.

In short, this Lu Qiang is a strange guy among the eunuchs, and he is also a clear stream in the evil wind.

But it's a pity that he is Liu Hong's most annoying eunuch, and there is no one.

He is not as discerning as Cao Jie, Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and others. Liu Hong doesn't like to listen to what he says, even if Liu Hong knows that he is saying good things.

In short, Liu Hong just felt that Lu Qiang was chatty and annoying, if he wasn't also an old man around him, Liu Hong would have kicked Lu Qiang out of the palace a long time ago.

"You're here? What's the matter? Liu Hong rolled his eyes slightly, and said impatiently.

Lu Qiang's face showed a little helplessness: "Your Majesty doesn't want the old slave to come?" Annoyed old slave? ”

Liu Hong sighed and stood up from the water naked, and the colorful girl next to him saw this, and quickly dried Liu Hong's body and put on clothes.

He turned around slowly and said to Lu Qiang, "Do you say that you are not annoying?" Yes? This palace servant, who doesn't know that when I am bathing, I don't like to be disturbed, but what about you, every time you rush to report this and that to me at this moment! You say, did you do it on purpose? Yes? I'll just ask you, is it? ”

Lu Qiang raised his head cautiously, looked at Liu Hong and said aggrievedly: "It's not that the old slave deliberately annoyed Your Majesty, it's just, it's just that the old slave does have something important to report!" ”

"Okay, every time you have something important, why don't Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong have as much to do as you? Tell me, what's the matter! ”

"Your Majesty, Cao Poshi, the captain of the Yue Cavalry, intercepted Zhuojun Xiaolian in the Zuo Zhonglang Department, and the two sides had a quarrel, Cao Poshi was ashamed and angry, and Xiaolian started to do it, and now it is an urgent matter!"

Liu Hong was swaying around in his coat at the moment, and he couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this.

After a while, Fang saw Liu Hong slowly turn his head to look at Lu Qiang, his face seemed to be a little embarrassed.

"What do you say? Cao Poshi went to the door of Zuo Zhonglang's office to stop Xiaolian, and he still did it? ”

"Yes!"

Liu Hong took a deep breath, as if trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart.

"Can't you give me some snacks? He was a captain of the Yue Cavalry and went to stop Xiao Lianlang who entered Beijing, didn't he hit those people? Did he think his neck was too hard? ”

After more than ten years in power, although Liu Hong, the emperor, is ordinary, he is not inferior to Yuan Kui, Yang Ci and other suzerains in the art of balancing power.

Just as soon as he heard this, Liu Hong felt that something was wrong, and he also felt that the Cao family might be in danger.

Not long after Cao Jie died, the Cao family at this time should be low-key, so that Liu Hong can keep them.

But none of them are angry!

Thinking of this, Liu Hong took a deep breath, then turned around abruptly and kicked over a copper bowl next to him.

The colorful girls around her were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"Cao Qing has only been dead for a few days, and these people he left behind have begun to make trouble for me...... You hurry up and find Zhang Rang, ask him to call Cao Poshi to me, and ask for news blockade, this matter must not fall into the hands of those people, go quickly! ”

Unexpectedly, Lu Qiang didn't move.

Liu Hong frowned: "What?" ”

Lu Qiang shook his head helplessly, and said: "Your Majesty, it's too late, the Zuo Zhong Lang Office has already started a fight in front of the door, and the matter is spreading very quickly, many Lang officials in the Lang Office have gone to watch, although they did not directly help Zhuo Jun Xiaolian and Cao Poshi fight, but they are also constantly clamoring about this matter, this matter is getting bigger and bigger now, it is Taixue Zhongren, and some people have begun to go to the place of the past together!" ”

Liu Hong's mind turned slightly, and he soon felt that something was wrong.

Even if Cao Poshi is arrogant and domineering, how can a brawl alarm so many Lang officials and students in Beijing?

When he was young, Fang listened to Liu Hong slowly speak: "The filial piety of the Han Dynasty in Beijing is more than 10,000, how can the filial piety of this Zhuo County be so concerning?" What is the name of Xiaolian, who was beaten by Cao Poshi? ”

"Back to Your Majesty, his name is Liu Jian."

"Liu Jian......"

Liu Hong stood outside the incense canal, stamping back and forth with bare feet, as if recalling: "It sounds familiar." ”

"Back to Your Majesty, the one who beheads and the head of the company is this person."

"Oh, yes, yes!"

Liu Hong gently hammered his forehead: "It's him, it's him, Lu Qing's protégé?" ”

"Yes! Your Majesty, before entering Beijing, this person once made a word, called the cold land people, and it was mostly praised among the Lang Lang in Beijing. ”

Speaking of this, Lu Qiang smiled helplessly and said, "It's specially for the old slave to wait for His Majesty's close attendants." ”

Liu Hong said lightly: "I've seen that word." ”

"What does Your Majesty think?"

"Hehe, what is it, it's just a trick used by scholars to increase their reputation by scolding you, so many years, in Luoyang City, whether it is a scholar or a student, there are still few people who write words and scold you? One more of him is not more, and one less of him is not less. ”

Lu Qiangqi said: "This person wrote lyrics to insult the old slave and other His Majesty's close servants, Your Majesty is not angry?" ”

"Joke, he's not scolding me, why should I be angry? There are many people in the world who scold you, if I am angry, how can I live until now! You deserve not to be angry! ”

Speaking of this, he saw Liu Hong squinting his eyes and looking up at the sky.

"Don't scold two sentences, in this world, if the people of the Li Shu family want to come out, they will eventually be shocked...... But the key is, can it be used by me, no matter how hard he scolds, can he still have the pain of Yang Qiu's scolding? ”

Lu Qiang couldn't help but be silent when he heard this.

He understood the meaning of Liu Hong's words in his heart.

Eunuchs are an extension of imperial power, but from another point of view, eunuchs are also the shield of imperial power.

Some evil things that the Son of Heaven can't do have to be done by eunuchs, and the eunuchs have to bear the infamy when they turn around.

For example, the Yang Qiu cool official, who is evil to the eunuchs on weekdays, shouts all day long to kill the eunuchs, and scolds the eunuchs for disorderly government, Wang Fu and Cao Jie and others hate him and hate him, but does Liu Hong take it seriously?

I don't take it seriously at all, and I love it!

Because at the critical moment, Yang Qiu can become Liu Hong's knife in his hand, getting rid of those who feel like an eyesore for the Son of Heaven.

As for the eunuchs, they are also knives in the hands of the Son of Heaven, which are used to deal with the party and the scholars.

The emperor never worried about the people under him scolding and biting each other, and he was not afraid of knives colliding with each other!

He only sees if this person can be the knife in his hand, and that's the key.

If you can become a knife in the hands of the Son of Heaven, you won't be happy if you don't scold me.

There is a sentence in later generations, Lu Qiang doesn't know, but if he knows, he will definitely empathize.

Nearest the king nearest the gallows.

……

Liu Hong muttered in a low voice: "This Liu Jian, his reputation has risen very rapidly in recent years." ”

"Yes, since the Northern Xinjiang beheaded Helian, until he entered Beijing, this person can be said to have been smooth all the way."

"I understand, they are using him to make medicine for me before entering Beijing with the great merit of Northern Xinjiang, and they want to give some fierce medicine to the Cao family, hehe, it's still the same way, and they use it every year, so there are no new things?"

"So the old slave specially came to inform Your Majesty and hurry up and get ready, I'm afraid it won't be long before those people come to see ......"

"Your Majesty!"

Suddenly, I saw another eunuch hurrying from a distance, and bowed to Liu Hongchang: "Your Majesty, Situ Chen Tan, Shangshu Lu Zhi, Taishi Ling Shan Yang, Captain Ma Riyan, Zuo Zhonglang Han said, Lang Cao Cao, Lang Tao Qian, ......."

"Alright, alright."

Liu Hong waved his hand impatiently and said, "It's really fast, let's say, how many people came?" ”

"Twenty-eight."

"Hehe, what a big pomp, this is a reminder that I can't be seen."

Lu Qiang hesitated: "Your Majesty? ”

saw Liu Hongyi wave his hand and said, "Change clothes!" I'm going to meet these great men's ministers. ”

……

When he was young, Liu Hong came out of the pool and came to the West Garden Summoning Hall, where a group of ministers came to see him.

A group of courtiers entered the hall and paid homage to Liu Hong.

Afterwards, he listened to Situ Chen's words: "Your Majesty, Cao Poshi, the captain of the Yue Cavalry, stabbed the filial piety of the new Beijing in front of the Lang Bureau, the matter is very important, the ministers and others dare not delay, and hurry up to show Your Majesty!" ”

Liu Hong looked at him with a smile: "Straight stab? Isn't it a beating? ”

"Your Majesty knows about this?"

Liu Hong nodded and sighed: "This matter is at most half an hour ago, Zhu Qing can learn about this in such a short time, and gather here, and the trust is so fast, how can I fall behind Zhu Qing?" Make Zhuqing more beautiful than before me? ”

When the group heard this, they looked at each other, some sighed, and some frowned slightly.

In this game, including Liu Hong, everyone is a thousand-year-old fox, and everyone has a rough idea of whose tricks they have.

Seeing the moves, it's not once or twice, and they are very familiar with each other's routines.

"Back to Your Majesty, it's not a beating, it's an assassination, it is said that Cao Poshi has drawn his sword in front of the Lang Office, and more than 100 Lang Zhong who were present in this matter can testify, and there will be no mistake!"

Liu Hong grinned and sighed: "More than 100 Lang officials testify? Alas, it reminds me of the grievance after the spring moon, think about it carefully, how similar that situation is to today, right, Chen Qing? ”

Chen Tan hurriedly said: "What Your Majesty said, the ministers are unknown. ”

Liu Hong's face sank suddenly.

In the first month of this year, the Han army defeated Xianbei in northern Xinjiang, and beheaded and won the body of Tanshi Huai, all because Liu Hongli overrode the public opinion in advance, and wholeheartedly adopted the policy of merging the state and Youzhou Zhushu Shi County to defend the northern expedition to Xianbei, so that there was this great victory.

For a time, Liu Hong's imperial authority soared unprecedentedly.

Liu Hong took the hot iron to strike, and he was a little anxious for quick success.

He ordered the secretary to play the assassination of the history and the county guard to corrupt and cruel the people, to put it bluntly, he wanted to find an excuse to replace a group of protégés and county guards of the family in the place, and then find a way to install a group of his own people.

Of course, the emperor gave orders, and he could not directly participate in who to take and who to replace.

Therefore, this matter must still be entrusted to the eunuchs.

Liu Hong instructed Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and others, and instructed Taiwei Xu Yu and Sikong Zhang Ji to take out a group of local clan henchmen and rearrange them in the locality.

As for why the eunuchs were allowed to give these two people, it was very simple, because these two people were also the emperor's people.

Sikong Zhang Ji was Liu Hong's teacher who gave him a lecture on Confucianism in the palace after he ascended the throne, a proper teacher of the emperor, without the emperor's instructions, how could the eunuchs command him?

So, the eunuchs, together with the emperor's teacher, reported twenty-six corrupt officials and county guards, and wanted to take them all down.

The problem is that these people are all confidants of the ministers of the central family, how can they let your emperor instruct the eunuchs to change them?

Subsequently, an extremely strange scene appeared in Luoyang City.

The people of the counties complained about their grievances, and came to the capital to petition, saying that the investigation of the imperial court was untrue, and they wanted to show the snow for the 26 officials.

At the same time, Sikong Chen Tan, Yilang Cao Cao Shangshu, and the impeachment of Taiwei Xu Yu and Sikong Zhang Ji and others were all out of party selfishness, and they were "releasing the owl and imprisoning the phoenix".

But just imagine, in today's Han world, where are the officials not greedy? Where are the officials not violent? Is there a clean place in the world?

Not to mention these twenty-six people, all the county guards and assassins of the entire Han Dynasty are listed together, and none of them are clean.

The local Haoqiang is busy annexing the land, and the annexed Li Shu is living a difficult and difficult life...... Whose people and Haoqiang had head cramps and ran to the capital to shout grievances for these twenty-six people?

Grievances ...... When did the people of the Han Dynasty become so protective of officials, and they still loved these twenty-six?

How much power must be operating behind this to make so many people petition in Luoyang, and there is such a festive effect.

This is the people shouting injustice, it is clearly smoking the emperor's ear scraper.

But fortunately, when Chen Tan impeached Xu Yu and Zhang Ji, he saved face for Liu Hong, and only said that they were colluding with the eunuchs.

But anyone with a discerning eye knows that what the eunuch did? Bah!

Hehe, can the eunuch collude with Liu Hong's teacher to give Liu Hong eye medicine?

In the end, the court's scholars' 'shouting and striking' once again forced Liu Hong to back down.

As if he had given up Yang Qiu, he once again compromised and admitted defeat, gave up Xu Yu and Zhang Ji, and worshiped all those who had been wronged as councilors.

What is the position of the six hundred stone councillor, that is the reserve post of important officials of the imperial court.

People in this position will be filled at any time.

It's like this time after Tao Qian's Youzhou assassin Shi arrived, he was appointed after arriving in Beijing, and he would go to take office when the next fat vacancy came out.

In addition, Liu Hong's teacher Zhang Ji and his confidant Xu Yu were also honorably laid off because of this incident.

And the position of Taiwei was given to Yang Ci, and the position of Situ was given to Chen Tan, the head of a public secretary family, and the first hero of this incident.

And the vacated twenty-six positions, Liu Hong did not stretch out his hand again, but was appointed by Shang Shutai to go through the procedure again, and filled the protégés and former officials of the ministers again.

Of course, Liu Hong is not busy in vain, at least one round of officials has been changed, and he has collected money.

Half a year has passed, and Liu Hong's shame on that incident has not passed, and these people are ready to do it again.

Their target this time is the Cao family.

Cao Jie is dead, and the ministers of the court hate him very much, and for the Cao family who has lost the backing of Cao Jie, the ministers of the family and the Manchu dynasty will not let go!

The opportunity to beat the water dogs, they have always been the right to handle the heat.

In fact, with Liu Hong's current imperial mentality, he naturally knows that Cao Jie is dead, and there is no point in preserving his remaining lineage, so give up on them and find new fast knives, such as Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, they can still continue to use them!

But think about it carefully, the person who welcomed himself into the palace was Cao Jie, and he was not dead for less than a year, so he had to attack his relatives, Liu Hong felt a little unbearable.

is still the same sentence, these eunuchs are like relatives in his heart, much closer than these eyesore.

The emperor wanted to work hard to preserve Cao Jie's family.

"Zhuqing, from my point of view, this matter is not yet a direct stab, after all, it is just a trivial matter of a market brawl, and a slight punishment is enough, why should Zhuqing put down state affairs and come here to see me together?"

Suddenly, a voice said: "Your Majesty, it is not a trivial matter for the courtiers to block Xiaolian's entry into Beijing and beat him on the street, it is a matter of the face of the heavenly family and the system of the court, and this beaten Xiaolian is a person who has made great contributions to breaking Hu in the north!" This matter must be investigated, and the minister thought that Cao Poshi should be taken down immediately and handed over to the court lieutenant for careful interrogation, but there is still a commander behind the scenes! ”

Liu Hong turned his head to look, and it turned out to be Cao Cao.

He took a deep breath, it was him again!

This is willing to be a pawn of the second generation of the Yuan family!

Liu Hong closed his eyes, thought for a long time, and said, "Where is the offender?" ”

Zuo Zhong Lang Han said: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister has ordered someone to send them to the court for interrogation, but after obtaining the record, I will wait for everyone to do justice." ”

"Hehe, all of you Aiqing are standing in front of me, what are you talking about? Send a decree, let the Tingwei Mansion release people, send everyone here, and I will see what Cao Poshi has done to hurt that filial piety! I can tired all the relatives to investigate the Cao family to the end! ”