novel-bin Chapter 285 The game between king and minister
Chapter 285 The game between king and minister
Chapter 285: Game between the Emperor and His Ministers
That night, at Huangfu Mansion.
Huangfu Jianshou stood in front of Huangfu Song's bed, his face was sad and his eyes were filled with helplessness and pain.
Huangfu Song's face was haggard, his eyes were sunken, and he was almost dead.
He was still holding on, slowly turning his head and looking at Huangfu Jianshou.
Huangfu Jianshou seemed to understand his look and said softly, "My second brother hasn't replied yet. I don't think he can make it back in time."
Huangfu Song showed a rare smile of relief on his face, and said weakly: "I used to worry about him, afraid that I couldn't protect him from the trouble he caused, and I didn't know what he would do after I died. Now, I don't worry about him. Remember, be upright, fair and just, and you will be fine."
Huangfu Jianshou felt more and more grief-stricken, and said softly, "I'll remember this, my child."
With the influence of Huangfu Song, as long as the brothers Huangfu Jianshou and Huangfu Jianchang were not involved in the crime of treason, their lives would basically not be in danger.
Huangfu Song looked at his eldest son quietly for a while, then looked outside the door.
Huangfu Jianshou understood and said: "We have sent people to the palace. Your Majesty will probably be there for a while."
"It's almost there." Huangfu Song said in a low voice.
Before Huangfu Jianshou could reply, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard outside.
"So fast?" Huangfu Jianshou was very surprised and walked out quickly to greet him.
Liu Bian walked hurriedly, waved his hand to stop him from saluting, went straight to the bed, sat down and looked at Huangfu Song's expression, with a lot of words stuck in his throat.
Huangfu Song has always been cautious in his words and actions and does not get involved in the right and wrong of the court.
If we say that Yang Biao stabilized the gentry, it prevented aristocratic families from all over the country from collapsing quickly.Then Huangfu Song set up the military strategy of the Han Dynasty. Because of his existence, the military preparedness of the Han Dynasty was restored little by little, curbing the ambitions of the careerists.
During the Yonghan Dynasty, Huangfu Song was a well-deserved pillar of the nation!
Now, Huangfu Song saw that the oil was running out and the lamp was running out, and this pillar of stone was about to disappear.
Huangfu Song looked at Liu Bian, bowed with difficulty, and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for seeing me off."
Liu Bian didn't know what to say for a moment. Suddenly he remembered his two sons. After a moment of silence, he said, "I have two sons. One is dull and stubborn and doesn't like to talk. The other... God won't give him a long life. He is not destined to live a long life."
Huangfu Song understood and said, "Your Majesty is still young and strong, so there is no need to worry about this."
Liu Bian shook his head subconsciously, not knowing where to start.
Huangfu Song's haggard face vaguely saw something and said, "Your Majesty, this is of great concern. The internal and external troubles are more dangerous than the current peace. The fate of the Han Dynasty depends on your Majesty, not on your descendants."
Liu Bian's expression changed slightly, and he nodded gently. His hesitant face gradually became firm. He held Huangfu Song's hand and said, "You are right. I think too far ahead."
Huangfu Song's eyes dimmed, his breath became weaker, and he said, "In the past, I felt that Your Majesty thought too much, wanted too much, and sought perfection and stability. This is not wrong. But it should not be at this time."
When Liu Bian listened, he immediately thought of Zhuge Kongming, who was of the same age as him at that time.
Zhuge Liang was cautious throughout his life. Although he helped Liu Bei achieve his goals, he did not realize their ambition to "restore the Han Dynasty and return to the old capital."
Among them, the word "cautious" caused Zhuge Liang to suffer repeated setbacks.
"Are you saying that I lack the sharpness?" Liu Bian said to himself with a thoughtful look on his face.
Huangfu Song looked at Liu Bian and said, "Your Majesty, you might as well take a closer look at Cao Cao. He is a man who is used to taking risks, but he has always succeeded."
Liu Bian's eyes suddenly glowed brightly and his heart was extremely shaken.
Huangfu Song's words woke him up.
It is not known whether it was due to his character or a series of difficulties he encountered at the beginning of his reign, which made Liu Bian always "seek stability" and unwilling to take any risks!
Huangfu Song smiled again and said, "So, I think it is not a bad thing for Liu Yu to join the Grand Marshal's Mansion. However, I always think that Lu Zigan has the best idea and Cao Cao is the most suitable person."
Looking at the Han Dynasty, it can be said that there were many talented people, but there was also a certain gap.
After the "three heroes" of Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi and Zhu Jun, those who were able to take on important responsibilities, whether it was the Secretariat or the Grand Marshal's Mansion, were all "young people".
The biggest shortcoming of these people is their lack of qualifications.
The new prime minister Xun Yu was one, and so was Cao Cao.
Liu Bian pondered and said, "Cao Cao... I always feel that he has other purposes in seizing Qiao County."
Huangfu Song seemed to take a few quick breaths, and said with all his strength: "Then it would be most appropriate to place it in the Grand Marshal's Mansion."
Liu Bian understood what Huangfu Song meant. Seeing that he was about to die, he held his hand tightly and said, "Do you have anything else to say to me?"
Huangfu Song could no longer feel his hands and feet. He could see from the corner of his eye that he was speaking in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Liu Yan is dying. Liu Zhangchen has observed that although he has some tricks, he does not have much talent. Letting him go back may help stabilize Yizhou. In the future, we must be able to take Yizhou back without bloodshed. The three Qiang tribes in Liangzhou are already lingering on and pose little threat to the court. Your Majesty does not need to worry about them. Your Majesty, destroy Yuan Shu quickly and use the power of thunder to intimidate the villains in the world. Otherwise, the northern states will collapse and the south will fall into chaos. When it is time to take risks, take risky moves. When it is time to be safe, also..."
As Huangfu Song spoke, his voice became weaker and weaker. Liu Bian leaned close to his ear, but gradually he could no longer hear his voice or feel his breathing.
Liu Bian slowly sat up and looked at Huangfu Song's closed eyes in silence.
Huangfu Jianshou, who was not far away, fell to his knees and cried bitterly.
Liu Bian sat for a long time, then stood up silently and left the ward.
He looked at the glaring sun and then slowly walked away.
Pan Yin, Dian Wei and the others didn't dare to breathe. They walked as lightly as cats and followed closely.
"The funeral was arranged by the Li Cao, and the Prince of Chenliu presided over it. He was buried in the north of Mangshan Mountain."
Liu Bian spoke to Pan Yin before getting on the carriage.
"I obey your order." Pan Yin responded quickly.
Such a scale is already an extremely grand and magnificent funeral.
When Liu Bian returned to the palace, the news of Huangfu Song's death spread throughout Luoyang City.
Huangfu Song's status has always been very special. He quietly controls the highest military institution of the Han Dynasty. In addition, he has outstanding military achievements and unparalleled prestige.
His death will certainly deal a blow to military morale and will also have a huge impact on the series of plans currently being implemented.
These are all things that happened later. Huangfu Song’s death attracted the attention of the court and the public.
After receiving the order, Liu Xie, together with the Li Cao officials, quickly organized a funeral for Huangfu Song.
The standards are very high, with the same position as the prime minister, but comparable to that of a prince.
At the funeral, the Secretariat, the Censorate, the Grand Marshal's Office, Xun Yu who was about to take over as Prime Minister, and almost all the "Yingchuan Party" were present, including the six neutral ministers, vice ministers, and court officials.
On the last day, Liu Bian from the palace and even Empress Dowager He came in person, raising the funeral standards to the climax.
The reward for the Huangfu family was also quite great. Not only did Huangfu Jianshou inherit Huangfu Song's title, but he also gave another one.
The Huangfu family has three marquises in one family!
……
More than ten days passed in a hurry, and the city of Luoyang was busy. Everyone's attention was diverted from Huangfu Song's funeral and focused on the Chancery.
It has been more than a month since Yang Biao retired, but the new prime minister's decree has not yet been issued, causing great doubts and anxiety among the court and the public.
After Huangfu Song passed away, the imperial edict appointing him as Grand Marshal was also not issued.
The Imperial Palace, inside Fanglin Garden.
Liu Bian was making tea, but the weather was getting hotter, so he had to wait until the tea cooled down before drinking it.
Not far away, two little guys, Liu Shao and Liu Yu, were sharing things. These were all Tang Mao's food and toys. The two little guys shared them slowly and methodically, whispering to each other from time to time.
"After all, they are just children..."
Liu Bian looked at them, picked up the teacup, smiled and talked to himself.
Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, and Liu Yu were sitting opposite him, listening to Liu Bian's words with some confusion.
"Drink tea."
Liu Bian turned around and smiled at the three of them.
Liu Yu took a sip of the teacup, and when Liu Bian finished, he said, "Your Majesty, Liu Biao, Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan, Sun Jian, Shi Xie and others in the south have jointly submitted a petition requesting that troops be sent to suppress the traitor Yuan Shu."
Liu Bian smiled faintly and said, "Why, are they ready?"
Liu Yu listened to Liu Bian's words and didn't know how to respond.
The situation in the south was very complicated. Sun Jian was busy expanding his territory and colluding with Shi Xie, while pretending to obey the court's orders.
Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan had constant friction and conflicts with each other from time to time.
Liu Biao took advantage of his status as an angel and a "royal relative" to recruit talents in Jingzhou and hoard money and grain, with unpredictable intentions.
Yuan Shu's marriage to Lu Bu indirectly formed an alliance with Dong Zhuo.
Each party had different thoughts. Most of the time, they wrote letters to send troops to destroy Yuan just to take the opportunity to expand their power, not to truly eliminate the enemy for the country.
Zhong Yao was suspicious of Liu Bian's delay in appointing the prime minister and the general. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Your Majesty, I heard that Langya Governor Liu Bei is trying to persuade Lu Bu to surrender, and it has been quite effective."
Liu Bian glanced at him, picked up the teapot, and said with a smile: "Liu Bei, take another look."
Zhong Yao looked at Liu Bian in confusion, feeling even more bewildered.
Xun Yu had remained silent the whole time. Seeing that Liu Bian seemed to be in a bad mood, he said, "Your Majesty, the summer grain is coming soon, but the south is eager to send troops. I am afraid they have other plans."
Liu Bian nodded after hearing this and said, "Xun Qing's family hit the nail on the head. Logically speaking, they should be rushing to harvest the summer grain at this time, but they seem to have discussed it beforehand and jointly submitted a memorial. Isn't this obvious? Did they discuss how to divide the territory?"
Zhong Yao's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Your Majesty, it is unlikely."
Those people in the south are not simple people. How can they reach consensus?
Liu Bian poured him a cup of tea and said calmly, "The Shangshutai and the Da Sima Mansion jointly issued an order to them. No one is allowed to move!"
Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, and Liu Yu all looked at Liu Bian, and then looked at each other, with confusion in their eyes.
Logically speaking, a war in the south could attract the attention of the government and the public, so wouldn't the court be able to take this opportunity to do a lot of things? Especially with the summer grain harvest approaching, many things that were difficult to do in the past could be done quietly under the cover of a war in the south?
Liu Bian drank a sip of tea leisurely, looked at Xun Yu, and said: "Xun Qing, I heard that the farmland in the northern states is constantly decreasing. The imperial court's decree has no effect?"
Xun Yu bowed, his expression unchanged, and said, "Yes. The Ministry of Revenue has already found out that it was some wealthy families who bought the land, but put it in the name of others, circumventing the restrictions of the court order."
Liu Bian smiled and asked, "Is there any way to restrict land purchases?"
Without waiting for Xun Yu to speak, Zhong Yao said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid there will be some difficulties. First, there are many wastelands and weeds. Second, the number of young and strong people is decreasing. Some land that is not sold will be abandoned, which will also make the people have no livelihood. Third, if the nobles and wealthy families are greedy and unwilling to contribute money and labor, the people will probably starve to death and their bodies will be everywhere."
Liu Bian looked at Zhong Yao, then suddenly turned to Liu Yu and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Liu?"
Liu Yu frowned and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, this is indeed not a long-term solution. But the court is in trouble now and cannot afford to resettle the victims and the people. We can wait until the court eases up and resettle the people in the ownerless land."
What Liu Yu said seemed to make sense, but in fact it was a joke.
Liu Bian had a blank expression on his face. He said, "My Lord, how much will the tax in the north be this year?"
Xun Yu sensed something and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has carefully calculated the amount and it should be around 600 million."
Liu Bian sat up slightly, raised his head, and asked, "Decreased again?"
Xun Yu bowed and said, "Yes. The northern states are plagued by banditry. Expenditure in various places is increasing, and they need to repay the money and grain borrowed to suppress the bandits. I estimate that in the next five years, this figure will basically remain at this level."
"Has your family still not made up their mind?" Liu Bian suddenly said.
Zhong Yao's usually serious face was more serious than ever before. He spoke before Xun Yu could, "Your Majesty, the implementation of the 'New Deal' is not going well. The land has not been surveyed yet, and the number of households is not clear. In addition, the court's orders are not enough in the county. If we want to... I think we have to wait until the 'New Deal' is at least halfway implemented before it is possible."
Liu Bian did not refute, but nodded calmly and said: "The imperial power does not extend below the county level..."
Xun Yu and Zhong Yao did not dare to respond.
In fact, they knew vaguely that the reason why the palace had delayed issuing an edict to appoint Xun Yu as prime minister was because Xun Yu did not make a clear statement on "dividing the land" and put forward specific strategies.
Xun Yu and the Yingchuan Party agreed to use the tactic of "delay" and repeatedly submitted petitions to the court, citing the unfinished "new policy" as the main point.
Liu Bian kept these memorials in his possession and did not respond.
In short, the new prime minister was not appointed, but a game was played between Liu Bian in the palace and the civil service group represented by the "Yingchuan Party" on the "division of land".
Liu Bian insisted that the new prime minister express his position, and his attitude was firm as he had not issued an edict for such a long time.
However, the Yingchuan Party believed that the time was not right and that the court was simply unable to accomplish this task, so they used excuses to delay the process.
Liu Yu was confused as he listened on the side and had no idea what Liu Bian was asking or what Xun Yu and Zhong Yao were answering.
After Liu Bian seemed to be talking to himself, the small pavilion suddenly became quiet.
The silent game continues.
"Father."
At this time, Liu Yu came over, handed a piece of cake to Liu Bian, and said, "My brother asked me to give it to my father."
Liu Bian looked back at Liu Shao and saw that the little guy had big bright eyes and was looking at him quietly.