novel-bin Chapter 282: A Good Beginning and a Good End
Chapter 282: A Good Beginning and a Good End
Chapter 282: A Good Beginning and a Good End
Yang Biao listened to Pan Yin's words and looked at Liu Shao again.
He still had a smile and a hint of surprise on his face, but his mind was rapidly calculating.
Your Majesty, can you ask His Highness to cook the soup and bring it to my house personally?
Countless thoughts flashed through Yang Biao's mind in an instant, but he still didn't understand what they meant.
He never thought that Liu Bian would kill him in this way. It was too unbelievable!
Yang Biao was full of thoughts. He took the bowl with a smile and couldn't wait to open the package. He said, "Then, I thank your Majesty and your Highness!"
Liu Shao's eyes lit up as he stared at Yang Biao.
Yang Biao opened the lid, looked at the sticky soup, then glanced at Liu Shao. Without any delicate way of eating it, he just put it to his mouth and drank it in big gulps.
As soon as it reached his mouth, Yang Biao's fat face couldn't help but tremble.
It’s salty, bitter, thick and sticky!
Yang Biao drank the soup with a bitter taste in his mouth, but he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
He has already understood the profound meaning of this bowl of soup.
Although it tasted bad, Yang Biao did not resist at all. He drank it all in big gulps.
Liu Shao's eyes were as bright as stars, and he couldn't help but grab his sleeves with both hands. When Yang Biao's mouth left the bowl, he looked at Yang Biao with anticipation.
Yang Biao put down the bowl and was met with Liu Shao's little expression.
Even though he was not an experienced official, he could see what Liu Shao meant. He smiled even more and said, "Your Highness, it's delicious. Any more?"
Liu Shao smiled and said in a childish and powerful voice, "If the Prime Minister likes to drink, I will send it to you every day."
Yang Biao was startled and turned his gaze to Pan Yin.
Pan Yin bowed slightly, handed over a memorial, and said nothing.
Yang Biao took it and saw that it was his resignation letter, with a big comment "Yun" at the end.
Of course, Yang Biao was relieved. He raised his hand with Liu Shao, sighed and said, "Your Highness must have known that I am old and frail, and I am not fit for your important duties. I have already resigned from your majesty and will return to my hometown to recuperate."
Liu Shao's smile disappeared immediately. He pursed his lips, seeming to want to say something but stopped.
This is the second person who likes his soup.
He was a little afraid of his father, the emperor, and it was impossible for him to cook soup every day. The prime minister liked it so much, but he couldn't eat it anymore.
Seeing the disappointment written all over his face, Yang Biao couldn't help but said with a smile: "Your Highness, I have to go to the palace later. Can I have another bowl?"
Liu Shao's eyes lit up again and he said, "Okay!"
After saying that, he turned around and ran out the door without caring about anything else, as if he was afraid that Yang Biao would go back on his word.
Pan Yin bowed again and hurried to catch up with Liu Shao.
Yang Biao watched Liu Shao and his group leave, and suddenly he felt more relaxed than ever before. He turned around and shouted, "Quick, pack up your things, we're leaving today!"
The servants in the house were frightened and after being repeatedly yelled at by Yang Biao, they could only quickly clean up in confusion.
Yang Biao returned to the backyard and drank tea in big gulps. Before he put down the teacup, Wang Lang arrived.
Yang Biao smiled and said, "Mr. Wang, have you heard the news?"
Wang Lang sat down, his face full of seriousness, and said: "The whole Luoyang City knows about it, tell me quickly."
Yang Biao was not surprised. He smiled and told Wang Lang everything in detail.
Wang Lang looked at Yang Biao's smile and knew it was 'real'. After Yang Biao finished speaking, he said thoughtfully: "So, Your Majesty wants to cut the Gordian knot and not give those people the opportunity to cause trouble again."
Yang Biao was now completely relaxed, his fat face trembling non-stop, and he laughed loudly: "After I return from the palace, the affairs of the court will have nothing to do with me."
Wang Lang frowned and glanced at him. He really didn't understand why this 'senior brother' was so 'inactive'. He was obviously very talented, but he pretended to be like a fool.
Wang Lang was too lazy to pursue the matter and said thoughtfully, "According to what you said, His Highness is indeed a kind and honest person."
Liu Bian protected his two sons very well and rarely interacted with outsiders, so he did not know much about them.
Yang Biao didn't care. He leisurely picked up the teacup and drank his tea.
With the memorial in front of him with the word "Yun" written by Liu Bian, he was able to completely get rid of the Shangshu Tai, leave Luoyang City and avoid the dangerous court situation.
Wang Lang sat up slowly, staring at Yang Biao with burning eyes.
Yang Biao looked at his expression, his hands trembled with fear, and said, "Wang Jingxing, I can get out of this unscathed, please don't make me cause any trouble."
Wang Lang sneered and said, "You are the Prime Minister. You are leaving like this. His Majesty has approved it today. If something goes wrong tomorrow, can't they bring you back?"
Yang Biao suddenly felt cold all over, sweat broke out on his head, and he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, I will never get involved in this matter. You may have forgotten how Wang Yun's clan was exterminated."
Wang Lang raised his head and chest, his face firm, and said: "Wang Yun's sneaky behavior and plotting to depose the emperor is a way to his own death. You are the current prime minister, and what is wrong with advising the crown prince?"
Yang Biao shook his head and said, "No, no, I'd rather not do it. Hey, Mr. Wang, it's not a bad idea to not do it, don't you understand?"
Wang Lang remained calm and said, "You're just leaving like that? Do you think that His Majesty's dissatisfaction with you will be written off after you leave? No one in the court will mention it again? Don't forget, your eldest nephew is still causing trouble in the south!"
Yang Biao’s wife was Yuan Wei’s younger sister, which means that Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were both Yang Biao’s nephews!
Yang Biao's face trembled, and he said, "Then I will find a way to raise some more money?"
Wang Lang sneered and said, "At this time, you are still pretending to be confused. I just hope that when you die, you won't implicate me!"
When Yang Biao saw that Wang Lang had said this, he fell silent.
Wang Lang's words about not implicating him were naturally just an angry remark.
But Yang Biao really needs to consider that if he really just walks away like this, someone will definitely hold on to it in the future and bring up the past again.
Especially in the palace, letting him go was already a great grace. If anything were to be uncovered in the future, it would be "the utmost kindness and justice" and there would be no mercy.
"Bring me my court robes!"
Yang Biao suddenly shouted towards the door.
After the servant responded, Yang Biao asked humbly, "I plan to settle some debts of the court, write a letter to Yuan Shu, and then recommend Xun Yu, Xun You and others to Your Majesty. What do you think?"
Wang Lang pondered for a moment, sighed, and said, "If you had done it earlier, why would it have come to this?"
Instead, Yang Biao snorted coldly and said, "If I had done anything, I would have followed in the footsteps of the Yuan family three years ago!"
Wang Lang wanted to refute, but thinking about the court situation since Zhongping, he couldn't say it.
Since the Zhongping period, the eunuch party, foreign relatives, aristocratic families, powerful ministers, etc., almost all people and forces have climbed to the pinnacle of power!
But the expansion of their power meant the decline of imperial power.
The emperor in the palace was ambitious. After he ascended the throne, he successively eliminated the eunuch party, relatives by marriage, the Yuan family and powerful ministers, and gradually took back power.
But even so, the various events since the Zhongping period still hang over the city walls of Luoyang like a nightmare. Whenever there is any disturbance, countless people will dig it up and use it to attack and fight endlessly.
These things often touch upon the "reverse scales" within the palace. Once they are brought up, it will be difficult to resolve them peacefully!
The servants quickly brought the official uniform. Under the gaze of four maids, Yang Biao put it on with great difficulty. Before leaving, he said to Wang Lang, "Should I see His Majesty first, or should I arrange things first?"
Wang Lang thought for a moment and said, "Send the valuables outside the city first."
Yang Biao understood instantly, and looking at the threshold just one step away, he suddenly felt endless emotion in his heart. After a moment of silence, he said, "Jingxing, Dezu, I'll leave it to you."
Dezu is the courtesy name of Yang Xiu.
Wang Lang felt the lightness and heaviness in Yang Biao's words and nodded softly.
Yang Biao swung his arms and strode out the door.
Yang Biao first took a large group of people to Taichang, Hucao, then to the money houses, and finally to some wealthy people who had lent money to the court.
After some negotiations and wrestling, Yang Biao used some rewards, land from the court, approval of many business projects, etc., and through complex planning, he actually eliminated the court's debt of nearly 200 million yuan without any noise.
Then he returned to the Shangshutai and held a meeting of the heads of the six ministries and nine temples to settle some long-delayed "unsolved cases". He also wrote a "letter of advice" to his nephew in public.
Generally speaking, he rebuked Yuan Shu harshly and explained the righteousness of the matter to him, hoping that Yuan Shu would realize his mistake and surrender.
After completing these operations, Yang Biao stood up with a smile, raised his hand, and said politely to Xun Yu, Xun You, Zhong Yao, Sima Jun and others: "My colleagues, the affairs of the Han Dynasty are entrusted to you."
Xun Yu and the others had known about this for a long time, and when they saw Yang Biao saying goodbye, they all raised their hands and said, "Take care, Prime Minister."
Yang Biao looked at the small conference hall again, turned around and walked out, heading straight for the Chongde Hall.
Liu Yu stood under the eaves of Jiade Hall, quietly watching Yang Biao's back.
Standing behind him was Yan Rou, the official brought from Youzhou.
Yan Rou had lived in the north for many years. He had a rough face and a strong body, but his voice was very delicate. He looked at Yang Biao's back and said, "Lord Liu, is this the last time the Prime Minister will enter the palace?"
Liu Yu nodded slightly and turned towards the Shangshu Terrace.
After tomorrow, the Secretariat will change hands, and the "Yingchuan Party" will control the court.
Yan Rou followed Liu Yu's gaze and seemed to come to her senses. She whispered, "Lord Liu, there are many vacancies in the Six Departments. Don't you want to fight for them?"
A hint of hesitation flashed across Liu Yu's eyes, and he remained silent.
He was not an ambitious person, but seeing the political situation developing in an unpredictable direction, he could not sit idly by.
Yan Rou understood Liu Yu's thoughts and said nothing more.
Liu Yu watched Yang Biao walk into Chongde Hall and said, "Come with me to the Grand Marshal's Mansion tonight."
Yan Rou nodded silently.
Huangfu Song was too ill to survive until spring.
At this moment, Yang Biao entered the Chongde Hall and came to the back hall.
Before he even entered the door, he saw Liu Shao holding a bowl of soup, his eyes bright and looking at him expectantly.
Yang Biao stepped forward with a smile, raised his hand and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Liu Shao held up the bowl and said, "Prime Minister, here's some drink."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Yang Biao's fat face was full of smiles. He took the bowl of soup and drank it all in one gulp.
I thought it would be unpalatable, but for some reason, this time it was not as salty, not as thick, and vaguely tasted a bit better.
Liu Shao tilted his little face up, blinked his eyes, and waited quietly for Yang Biao to finish drinking.
Yang Biao gulped down the drink, wiped his mouth, and said with a smile: "Your Highness, it's really delicious."
The little fellow took the bowl, drank it all up, his little face lit up, and he looked at Yang Biao, as if he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Yang Biao looked at Liu Shao's pure and cute little face, and his heart moved slightly. He took out a jade pendant from his arms and handed it to Liu Shao, saying: "Your Highness, this jade pendant is for you. It can keep you safe."
The little fellow was a little curious. He took it and looked at it carefully for a while. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. He took out a small wooden sword from his arms and handed it to Yang Biao, saying, "My father taught me to carve it myself. I'm giving it to the prime minister."
Yang Biao saw that the wooden sword was very rough and was really a child's toy, but he didn't care at all. He put it away solemnly and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
The little fellow also solemnly put away the jade pendant, looked up, and said, "Will the Prime Minister come to the palace again in the future?"
Yang Biao thought about it carefully and said, "There should still be a chance."
The little guy was relieved, nodded heavily, and turned away with the bowl.
Yang Biao watched Liu Shao's back, and thought of Wang Lang's words. He pondered again and again, and looked at the dark and deep door of the back hall.
After a moment, he took a deep breath and walked over.
No one stopped them, and the eunuchs and palace maids along the way all greeted them silently.
Yang Biao, with a big belly and a dignified look, came to the gate and could already see Liu Bian writing at his desk.
He took another deep breath, calmed himself, and walked in as usual.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Yang Biao tried his best to remain calm, but there was an inexplicable tremor in his voice.
Liu Bian raised his head, looked at him for a moment, and said with a smile: "No need to be polite, please sit down."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yang Biao put down his hand and stepped back to sit on the chair.
Pan Yin stepped forward quietly and handed Yang Biao tea.
Liu Bian sat on the chair, pondering slowly in his mind.
Naturally, what happened in the palace could not escape his eyes and ears.
"I didn't expect Shaoer to like this inaction Prime Minister..."
Liu Bian talked to himself, but he didn't expect that Yang Biao would drink two bowls without showing any emotion.
Yang Biao did not drink his tea. He seemed to notice that it was too quiet. He quickly turned sideways. However, he was too fat to turn sideways. He had to stand up and raise his hand and said, "Your Majesty, I recommend Xun Yu, the Minister of Revenue, as the Prime Minister. Xun You, the Minister of Personnel, and Sima Jun, the Minister of Punishment, will serve as the Minister of the Secretariat."
Liu Bian looked normal and asked with a smile, "Where is Wang Lang?"
None of the people Yang Biao recommended had anything to do with him. Yang Biao did not mention Wang Lang, the only person recognized as a member of the "Yang Party".
Yang Biao paused and said, "Your Majesty, the Supreme Court Justice is special and should not be in the Shangshutai."
Liu Bian nodded. He had no intention of letting Wang Lang join the Secretariat.
Yang Biao lowered his head. Seeing that Liu Bian did not respond, his fat face gradually straightened up. His mind was at its highest point. He said, "Your Majesty, I have one more thing to say."
"Speak." Liu Bian was a little curious.
Yang Biao raised his head, his face serious, and said: "I request that a prince be appointed to ensure the stability of the country."
Liu Bian frowned, his eyes sharp, and said calmly: "Prime Minister, you have forgotten what I said."
Yang Biao showed no intention of backing down. He looked Liu Bian in the eye and said, "Your Majesty, the position of crown prince is vacant, evil spirits are thriving, the government and the people are restless, and the people are shaken. If you appoint a crown prince, the evil will retreat, the rebellion will collapse, and the world will be at peace!"
Liu Bian looked at Yang Biao deeply, reached out for the teacup, and took a sip slowly.
What Yang Biao said makes sense.
Liu Bian didn't know either.
But looking at history, appointing a crown prince too early will not lead to a good ending.
Not to mention others, the two with the most outstanding achievements are Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang.