The imperial capital is Chang'an.

The most prosperous city in the land of Jiuzhou.

The highest place in the city is in the southwest corner, named Longshouyuan, and the largest building in the land of Jiuzhou is crawling on Longshouyuan.

Weiyang Palace!

This is the main palace of the Western Han Empire, which is the largest symbol of power of a nation on Jiuzhou, and has gone through more than ten dynasties before and after, and has become the place of governance and power center of more than ten dynasties.

Until the end of the Tang Dynasty, wars broke out, and this palace finally came to the end of the road and was destroyed by the sword war.

For hundreds of years after that, Weiyang Palace ceased to exist, only ruins.

But Emperor Taizu started from Cao Mang, he was the emperor of the Liu family of the Han Dynasty, and the soldiers around him were all after the Liu family at the beginning of the army, so he won the world not only restored the era name to Han, but also restarted many old systems of the Han Dynasty, such as requisitioning 100,000 noble children of Mengyuan to rebuild Weiyang Palace.

The scale of the newly-born Weiyang Palace is better than in the past, especially the main hall of the Great Dynasty, which is built in a luxurious style.

The main hall is built on the high platform, with magnolia as the rafters, the fragrance is precious, when the weather is fine, the sun shines on the magnolia rafters, and the whole hall is surrounded by a light and elegant fragrance.

There are beams and pillars to enter the main hall, the beams and pillars are made of the trunk of the poplar tree that is immortal in the northwest for thousands of years, and there is a layer of gold skin wrapped outside, and there is a Jiao soul around the gold skin, and the gods and ghosts do not invade.

The roof rafters are covered with gold leaf, and the door is a Tao Te Ching, and every time the wind blows through the door, there is a faint sound of old Taoist chanting.

The hall is paved with a layer of white marble, it has craftsman maintenance, the stone surface is rough and has a smooth texture, from south to north to draw the customs of the land of Jiuzhou.

There are three roads leading to the main hall, with slopes on both sides and steps in the middle, and Emperor Taizu was sympathetic to his subordinates, stipulating that old ministers over sixty years old could take ox carts to go up the hall from the slopes, while others had to climb the steps.

At the end of the day, it was freezing cold.

Wu Hanlin stood under the steps of the palace and looked up at the main hall.

The sky is dark, and the main hall is full of light, which makes people look forward to it.

A big man in armor walked out from behind him, and the big man laughed softly: "The weather is cold, what is the Wujun guard doing here? Is it to block the cold wind from blowing into the holy hall?"

Hearing this, Wu Hanlin Wan'er said: "General Zhengbei laughed at me, I rarely have the opportunity to come to this ground to see the saint, it is inevitable that I will be excited, and I dare not move forward." Furthermore, the name of the county guard, please don't mention it again to the general of Zhengbei, once it is rumored......"

He shook his head, and said the rest of the word.

Officialdom is always like this, and each other's meanings depend on guessing.

General Zhengbei had a rough face and a bold temperament, and he smiled: "Okay, Lao Wu, you have to hold it in front of me Wu Poyu, and the position of the county guard is undoubtedly in your pocket, and you won't take it this time?"

Wu Hanlin also smiled, he waved his hand and said: "General Zhengbei said that he laughed, this official rushed to the capital this time to meet the saint and feel the grace ......of heaven, and secondly, to report to the saint in person the changes in the public sentiment in Pingyang Mansion this year;

Speaking of this, he paused, and his face gradually became solemn: "We have indeed had some bad things happen in the county recently, and this must also be reported by the official himself to the saint, if it is just to write a document and a piece of paper, I am afraid it will not be clear." ”

Another official came over, and he clasped his hands and said, "Lord Wu, General Wu, what are you two muttering outside on this cold day? Hurry up and enter the main hall to prepare for the court meeting." ”

When the two saw this person, they bowed together: "Meet Lord Tingwei." ”

Ting Wei waved his hand and said, "Okay, we have all arrived at the feet of the saint, what kind of ceremony do we have to see between us?" Let's go, hurry up and enter the main hall." ”

Climb the stairs, and on each step there are sergeants.

The sergeants stood expressionless and motionless, like stone men under the cold wind.

Wu Hanlin walked up to the main hall with a calm face, and looked back, the sky under the four fields was vast and vast, but there was no bleakness, more majestic and majestic.

Today is the first day of the winter month, the first day of the first month of November, and hundreds of officials are approaching.

Because of the short-lived national fortune of the Mengyuan Dynasty, the improper enthronement of the Great Song Emperor and the repeated insults from foreign countries, the social affairs of the first two dynasties were not blessed by the sky, so the new Han Dynasty did not follow the old system of the first two dynasties, it followed the Han and Tang Dynasty systems to be revised and reconstructed.

Originally, Emperor Taizu followed the Han Dynasty system, meeting every five days, and then resting for one day.

However, he soon discovered that there was a drawback in this system, that after thousands of years of development, the land area had increased, the foreign knowledge had increased, the population of the people had increased, the frequency of five-day meetings was too low, and there were too many things to solve.

So Emperor Taizu ordered to change the date of the dynasty, and there was a large court meeting of civil and military officials every five days a month, and a small court meeting every other day, which were the Son of Heaven meeting of high-ranking civil and military officials above the third rank and the three divisions of the general meeting below the official rank of the third grade.

On the first day of the first day of the month, the eunuchs in the palace have already set up the futon in advance, and the hundred officials will find their own position after going to the palace to kneel and sit.

This point also follows the old system of the Han and Tang dynasties, like the previous dynasties, when the hundred officials were standing to listen to the announcement and kneeling to report, Emperor Taizu said that this was not in line with the ancestral system, and changed back to the rules of kneeling and saluting and standing to report.

The scale of the court meeting was huge, and hundreds of officials were sprinkled in the main hall, and the civil and military officials were divided into two teams, the civil officials were in one team, sitting in the east and facing the west, and the military attachés were headed by the captain, sitting in the west and facing the east.

The seats are arranged according to the rank and authority of the knighthood, the status of the noble and the low, the three provinces and the six departments, are clear.

Wu Hanlin belongs to the local officials who report on their work, and they are at the front of the queue, and they often have important matters to report.

Before the emperor entered the palace, he could talk, and the officials began to greet each other when they met, and they did not talk about business, but only made appointments for meetings, some for dinner, some for operas, and some for prostitution.

Wu Hanlin is a feudal official, and his official rank is nothing in the hall, but he is a real power faction, and many county guards are not as powerful as him, so there are many people who are willing to befriend him.

As soon as he stood still, someone came over to salute: "The Martial Governor's Mansion has been fine lately? When did you come to the capital? We are really fated to meet again." It is said that a group of orchids have recently come to the capital and are doing very well, so let's go down to the court and take a look?"

Wu Hanlin smiled and refused: "It's been a bumpy road, and the old waist is going to break, so I don't dare to toss anymore, after all, I'm old." ”

Someone came up to pay a visit: "Xiaguan Cao Yuqing gave you a salute, what is the matter with my father's trip?"

Hearing this, the surrounding magistrates pouted one after another, its mother's stinky and shameless sycophant hillbilly actually brought the set of small places in the countryside to the court?

Lose face!

Some people retreated to both sides, ashamed to be in the company of this person.

Wu Hanlin smiled and chatted with Cao Yuqing in a whisper, at this time, the crowd was noisy and louder by two decibels, and many people looked at the door of the main hall.

Li Changge stepped in.

This is the real feudal official.

Tingtianjian specializes in ghosts and gods, so they are an independent camp, but because they often have to deal with the army and local armed forces, they can also be regarded as a military attaché group.

Li Changge was transferred to Tingtianjian as a champion Lang, he was born in a civil official, and many of his friends and classmates were high-level officials in the civil official group.

So he has a bit of a taste for civil and military food, and as soon as he enters the main hall, many people come to greet him.

Wu Hanlin also saluted him, Li Changge gave him a look and went to visit his friends one by one, and then walked to Wu Hanlin's side and chuckled: "Lord Wu came early enough." ”

"It's the singer who came too late. Wu Hanlin smiled, "I was immersed in the gentle countryside last night, and I was reluctant to get up this morning?"

Li Changge sighed: "You are really an old man. ”

Wu Hanlin saluted: "Each other." ”

The two looked at each other and smiled, and each returned to the team.

At this time, a long bell rang outside the main hall, and a big man pinched his waist and shouted: "The time has come, all officials must not make noise!

"Hooray!" the officials shouted in unison.

Jin entered the hall, Emperor Taijia in a big yellow dragon robe walked out, he leaned north and sat down and nodded to the south, and the head of the hall shouted: "If there is something to do to go out of class and play early, there is nothing to roll up the curtain and retreat." ”

Prime Minister Lang Zhihuan walked out, raised the wat board and said loudly: "There is a snow disaster in the area of the Beijing Division today, and there are many injuries to the soldiers and civilians. I hope that Your Majesty will be relieved of his sins, save penalty and taxes, pray for natural disasters, and relieve all people. ”

Emperor Taijia frowned and said, "This heavy snow in the north seems to involve a wide range?"

Lang Zhihuan nodded heavily: "Yes, as far as the minister knows, the snow disaster in Northeast Prefecture is the most serious, and many villages have been blocked by heavy snow, and the county officials have sent letters in an urgent manner for eight hundred miles, saying that the people in some villages are short of food, and the whole village is blocked by snow!"

The sound of gasping for air sounded, and everyone turned their heads to each other.

The emperor's brows furrowed even more, this court has come to such a fierce letter, who can stand it?

A eunuch standing beside him took a slight half step forward and knelt on the ground to salute him.

The Emperor said, "Yes." ”

This scene made the magistrates a little baffled, but the Beijing officials knew what was going on.

This thin-looking, obscure eunuch is now at the helm of another powerful institution.

This powerful institution is called Huangquan Prison!

The "eunuch" in Huangquan Jian is taken from two meanings, one is supervision, and the other is internal supervision, and the members in it are all close to the emperor and are his real cronies.

The eunuch who kowtowed was surnamed Wan, and the specific name of the officials was not very clear, but they only knew that the emperor had great trust in him.

He is now the father-in-law of the chief of Ouchi, accompanying the emperor to the court, and every time he wants to speak, he will kneel on the ground and salute, and if the emperor allows him to speak, he will reply with the word 'quasi'.

Eunuch Wan got up and lowered his head to face Lang Zhihuan, and asked softly: "The slave has seen Lord Lang, dare to ask, is there any situation where the whole village is missing in the village trapped in the heavy snow?"

Lang Zhihuan said: "Back to Gonggong Wan, there are! There are four urgent letters sent by Northeast Prefecture yesterday, and all four of them mention this matter, and all the people in the village disappeared after the heavy snowfall!"

Eunuch Wan retreated.

The Emperor glanced at him, and he nodded a little heavily.

Lang Zhihuan continued to report the clerical news sent from various places, and the emperor frowned once when he heard the news.

After hearing this, he reluctantly raised his hand and nodded, and said, "The prime minister will rest first, and change the captain to talk to me." ”

Lang Zhihuan retreated, and an old man with a burly body and a majestic physique slowly got up.

This is the Imperial Captain, Zhu Zhongsu.

Zhu Zhongsu walked forward and said, "Your Majesty should let Lord Lang make a report first, the old minister's words, I'm afraid Your Majesty will be even more unhappy when he hears it." ”

The emperor sighed: "Hearing Aiqing say this, I am already unhappy. But Aiqing is loyal and caring, and she knows how to pave the way for me, you say, I'm ready, where are the homeless people rebelling?"

Zhu Zhongsu said solemnly: "In the past two years, the wind and rain in the grassland outside the Saiwai have been smooth, and the tribes of Mengyuan have been able to cultivate and recuperate. Lao Chen has just received a report from the frontier army, and after the winter, Meng Yuan will start training his army again, and the people who train for them - "

"It's the criminal minister Huang Wuxi!"

The Manchu Dynasty was shocked.

Wu Hanlin subconsciously wanted to stand up, and then he thought that this was in the court and not in his mansion, and he forcibly suppressed the throbbing in his heart.

The emperor's reaction was no less than his, he stood up violently and asked, "Huang Wuxuan is training the Luo Lu thief? Is this news serious?"

Zhu Zhong said calmly: "After the old minister got the news last month, he sent elite spies to find out the news, judging from the news they sent back. ”

"Seriously!"

The emperor angrily grabbed the teacup on the dragon chair and threw it on the ground, he said sharply: "Huang Wuxi, Huang Wuxi! You surrendered to the Tartars and even gave them military training? Good, good! Very good!"

After venting for a short time, he quickly calmed down and sat down, stared at Zhu Zhongsu and said, "Zhu Aiqing, you proud disciple, it's so good!"

Zhu Zhongsu bowed his head and knelt down, and said, "The old minister deserves to die!"

The emperor shook his head and said, "Get up, this matter has nothing to do with you, I just said something angry." I just don't understand, Huang Wuyu's thief betrayed my court, how could he still train the Luo thief?"

An official came out and said indignantly: "Your Majesty, Wechen heard that the Luo Lu thief gave his favorite fifth daughter to Huang Wuyu as his wife, and they already have several children, so Wechen thinks that this thief must recognize the thief as his father!"

Hearing this, the emperor was even more angry, and couldn't help but pat the armrest of the dragon chair and said, "What a thief who recognizes the thief as his father!

Another official came out and said: "Your Majesty, don't be angry, the dragon body is safe, this Tartar is exhausted, even if they train the army, what can they do?" Wechen implored Your Majesty to take care of the dragon body for all the people, and not to be angry about such an inconsequential matter. ”

The emperor said impatiently: "Ma Aiqing's words are really light, this is an inconsequential trivial matter, how can I not be angry after hearing these news?"

Seeing that he was angry, the official said in a panic: "Your Majesty is angry, Your Majesty is angry, this little fish can't make any waves in the sea, my New Han Dynasty has the blessing of the sky, and the Tartars have long been exhausted, even if they ......"

"Shut up!" the emperor was furious, "the prime minister just said that I was hit by a snowstorm in the north, and the Taiwei just said that the Tartars have been in good weather for two consecutive years, and now you come to tell me that I have the blessing of the heavens and that the Tartars are exhausted?

The official was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed, and shouted again and again: "Wechen is reckless, Wechen deserves to die!" But Wechen just hopes that His Majesty can be happy!"

The Emperor said, "It's easy to make me happy, someone can go outside the plug to exterminate the remnants of the Tartars, take the head of the Yellow Desireless and send it back." ”

Speaking of this, he suddenly smiled slightly, and said to the kneeling official: "Ma Aiqing, since you are loyal to me and want to make me happy, why don't I give you some soldiers and horses, and you can take the soldiers and horses to the outside of the fortress to bring me back the head of Huang Wuxi, how about it?"

The official didn't dare to speak anymore, so he quickly kowtowed.

Wu Hanlin rolled his eyes when he looked at it, some Beijing officials were able to set foot on this palace hall and really relied on the blessing of their ancestors, and they didn't have any brains at all!

The emperor waved his hand angrily, and the official surnamed Ma hurriedly went back to kneel on the ground as if he were in amnesty.

At this time, Eunuch Wan took another half step forward, knelt down and kowtowed.

"Exactly. ”

Eunuch Wan said to him: "Your Majesty, Lord Ma's words are not unreasonable, the Tartars are indeed exhausted, and the wind and rain outside the Fortress in the past two years are just their return to the light." ”

"Your Majesty, you can think about it, according to Si Tianjian's report, the heavy snow is rampant this year, and the further north it goes, the more rampant it becomes, you must know that this outside the city is closer to the north than the northern border of this dynasty, and they must have also encountered heavy snowstorms. ”

Speaking of this, he looked at the Taiwei and asked, "Lord Taiwei, what the slave family said is the truth?"

Zhu Zhongsu said: "What Gonggong Wan said is very true, the grassland has indeed suffered a heavy snowstorm that has been rare for many years, and many cattle and sheep have frozen to death, which is also one of the reasons why Luo Lu wants to train in winter. ”

Eunuch Wan said: "Yes, the Luo thieves want to train their troops, because the frozen cattle and sheep are wasted if they are not eaten quickly. And this winter, he fed the soldiers, and he must have counted on these soldiers to plunder everywhere after the beginning of spring to feed the tribal people. ”

"So as long as Your Majesty orders the border passes to be strictly defended, and the Tartar thieves can't grab our cattle and sheep grain, then they will have a hard time next year!"

Hearing this analysis, the emperor laughed and said: "Misfortune and blessing are relied on, blessing and misfortune are lurking, this year's snow disaster will inevitably cause huge losses to the people of our dynasty, but in comparison, it is indeed the loss outside the Saiwai is greater, and they can't afford it." ”

Eunuch Wan also smiled and said, "The slave thinks that this is exactly the case. ”

An official stepped forward and said, "According to Gonggong Wan, this blizzard is a good omen." ”

Another official responded: "Yes, since ancient times, it has been said that Ruixue is a good year, this heavy snow, the people will have a bumper harvest in the coming year, and the national strength of our Han Dynasty will inevitably be enhanced." ”

"What the Lord Wan said is very true, what the adults said is very true, the people have already prepared food before the winter, so the heavy snow does not have much impact on them. On the contrary, it can let them have a good winter, rest their strength and work next year. ”

Prime Minister Lang Zhihuan couldn't sit still, he came out and said: "Your Majesty must know that with the snow disaster comes severe cold, and this kind of cold can freeze people to death and also freeze crops and seedlings!"

"Moreover, when the old minister goes up and down the court, he will take a look around the city, many families in the city have not prepared enough food for the winter, the number of beggars has increased greatly, and the common people can only live with porridge. ”

"And this is still the imperial capital, put in the countryside of the four seas, I don't know how hard the life of the people is!"

Li Changge came out and said, "What the Prime Minister said is very true. ”

The emperor smiled and said: "You Aiqing don't have to argue, I understand what you say, and it's not wrong to stand on your own side." ”

"This blizzard will inevitably cause great damage to bitter cold places such as Saiwai and the Western Regions, but it will also be torture for the people of our dynasty. ”

He stood up with a deep groan and said, "Prime Minister Lang Zhihuan listens to the order. ”

"Starting tomorrow, all county governments will be ordered to open warehouses and release grain to help the victims. ”

"Qinglong listened. ”

Out of the shadows behind a pillar came a man in Tsing Yi and knelt down.

"The county governments will supervise the investigation of the opening of the warehouse, and if any officials dare to be greedy for grain and grass for disaster relief, they will be severely punished!"

After listening to the holy decree, the civil and military officials stood up and shouted: "Long live my emperor!"

The emperor sat down with a smile, and the officials returned to their positions one after another, at this time he pointed to Li Changge and said: "Li Yushuai, since you are out of the ranks, you will stay first, you are a rare guest of mine, since I appointed you to merge the county, I haven't seen you for two years!"

Li Changge said admiringly: "Two years and one month, Your Majesty has a good memory. ”

The Emperor asked, "So, why did you come back this time?"

Li Changge said: "Lord Liu Bo, the prefect of Shangyuan Prefecture, persecuted the people under his jurisdiction with evil arts, and seized the good fate of scholars, which is not tolerated. In addition, he has colluded with the Tartars, and I don't know what he is seeking!"

The green tendons on the emperor's forehead jumped, and he smiled bitterly: "You guys one by one, you really don't make me feel comfortable, don't you bring me good news?"

Li Changge arched his hand and said: "The minister also has good news, the minister found a talent in the jurisdiction, this person is young, but loyal and courageous, thoughtful, he started from the township, only half a year from the white clothes to be promoted to the iron captain, this time to crack the Liu Bo case, is his credit." ”

The Emperor asked, "Oh, what's this man's name?"

"Wang Qilin!"