Lingnan, Xingwangfu.
In the west of the city, Jinheli, Prince Gui's Mansion in the west district.
Because King Gui had reached the age of opening a palace, after the late Emperor Zhongzong, Emperor Liu Shengqian and Prince Liu Jixing were proposed to be the crown prince of the Han Dynasty, the emperor changed the title of various sons and changed the title of the remaining four sons to princes.
And in order to show his royal style, he built the Prince's Palace for his second son, King Gui Liu Xuanxing, in Jinheli, Xichengfang City, the most prosperous area of Prince Xing's Palace. Whether it was for the purpose of strengthening the Liu family's male sons, or to increase the prestige of the Liu family dynasty and prove that he was from a prominent family in the Central Plains, the emperor went against the norm and increased the titles and prestige of his disciples.
King Gui also left the palace and lived in Jinheli after the death of the late emperor Liu Sheng. Whether it was because of the new emperor Liu Jixing's wishes or out of etiquette, King Gui had to leave the palace.
Perhaps it was because the Southern Han Dynasty was located in the south of Lingnan. In the eyes of the Central Plains people, it was a barbaric land, a place used by the imperial court to exile and distribute people. Since ancient times, it has not been valued by literati and people with lofty ideals. There are some literati and knowledgeable people, and they are also the descendants of the exiles in those days. Of course, there are also some esoteric masters among them, but there are very few who can really be used by the court.
In addition, since the emperor Liu Yan, the emperors who ascended the throne were young and not very ambitious. They did not have the courage of the emperor Liu Yan, or even the early Emperor Zhongzong Liu Sheng and the Emperor Xiang Liu Yin. Not only were the ministries and agencies in the three provinces established by the central government and the standing officials at all levels far from enough, but they were also probably worried about being too public and attracting the attention of the various separatist governments in the Central Plains, so each emperor did not even establish a queen.
After Emperor Zhongzong, Liu Sheng, killed his brother and ascended the throne, he actually developed his own grand plans for several years, and also thought about developing his talents and strategies. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, because the surrounding forces were eager to look at it, and coupled with internal reasons in the Han Dynasty, it actually died young.
Surrounding areas such as the Southern Tang Dynasty were too strong at the time, and there were Dali, Annan, and Fujian on their sides. In addition, the Han Dynasty had always devalued military generals and talents, and they were no longer able to advance northward and eastward. This made Liu Sheng depressed all the time, and later he heard that the Zhou Dynasty was rising and wanted to go south, and that powerful forces such as Shuzhong and the Southern Tang Dynasty were helpless. He knew that one day the Han Dynasty would not be spared. Maybe his early death had something to do with it. .
In this era, although there were many separatist forces, and each of them claimed the title of king or emperor, they generally had their own queens and empresses. On the contrary, in the Southern Han Dynasty, except for Emperor Gaozu, none of the emperors who came to the throne later had a queen.
Whether it was due to the emperor's personal reasons or because he was afraid that a big tree would attract trouble, Zhongzong Liu Sheng only had a group of maids from the draft in the palace, and a group of various female relatives who had their homes confiscated and annihilated. Liu Sheng chose several wives according to the facts, the more famous ones are Lady Jade Ma Min, Lady Ya Lu Ya, Lady Yuan (Life) Li Liji and Lady Fang Pan Yulian, the mother of King Gui.
It can be said that except for Mrs. Yuan, the other ladies all have certain backgrounds. Mrs. Yu's family is now quite big in Prince Xing's Mansion, and there are not a few children in the family who hold local positions. It goes without saying that Mrs. Ya's father Lu Ying was powerful in the court that day, and the current popularity of his disciples. ; And Mrs. Fang, who has made a difference, is admired in every aspect.
Therefore, among the ladies in the palace, only Mrs. Yuan is more restrained. Moreover, she became famous only in the early days of her accession to the throne and was favored by Emperor Liu Sheng. Later, Lady Jade Ma Min took the dominant position in the palace, but there was no news about her in the palace.
Maybe many people have no impression of Mrs. Yuan. Even Liu Jixing will only see her on important occasions. One can imagine her low profile. But why some people still remember her shows that not only did she hide her edge very well, but she also appeared inadvertently at critical moments.
Of course, the ministers in the court were all old-timers. They didn't see that Emperor Liu Sheng had any intention of establishing a queen, so they were naturally afraid of getting into trouble, so most of them kept their lives and kept silent. From then on, Emperor Liu Sheng never mentioned the queen again. Those officials in the court who looked up to the emperor did not dare to write a letter. Even when they had diplomatic relations with foreign countries, they could only say that the imperial concubine should deal with it.
The mother of the former crown prince and current emperor Liu Jixing was not even remembered in his memory. She was probably just a concubine when Zhongzong was the prince. On the contrary, King Gui's mother, Mrs. Fang Pan Yulian, although she has never been favored by Liu Sheng, her position in the palace is stable. Firstly, she gave birth to a prince and was named a prince. Secondly, her father was a general in the army. So when it came time for King Gui to open his mansion, all this benefited King Gui a lot, and everything fell into place.
The palace occupies a large area and houses various subordinate officials of the palace. The royal palace is actually like an imperial city institution. It is divided into two palaces, the inner and outer. Both the inner and outer palaces have officials affiliated with the palace. But because King Gui has not yet reached the age of being crowned, there is actually not much difference between the inside and outside of King Gui's palace. However, unlike other governments and separatist forces, as the eldest prince under the emperor of the Lingnan Han Kingdom, the Gui Palace is still quite large and imposing.
According to the agreement of Zongzheng Temple, Prince Gui’s Mansion will consist of one Wangfu, one to join the army, two to serve in the Prince’s literature, one to offer wine, one to be the chief historian of the Prince, one to be a Sima, one to be the chief bookkeeper, one to be a historian, and one to join the army in the record office. One person; one for meritorious service; one for each of the six ministries; one for the government; two persons for signatures.
Perhaps compared to the princes in the heyday of the former Tang Dynasty, the current configuration of officials in the palace is at least half less. Of course, without the emperor's instructions, who dares to make the decision. But compared to the princes at the peak of the former Tang Dynasty, the power of the princes now may not be small. In terms of the current situation of the Han Dynasty, which is located in the south of Lingnan, there are still many positions in the imperial court that do not have chief officials, while the subordinate officials in the royal palace have full functions. As a prince who has not yet taken the imperial title, this is already a very high courtesy.
The current Prince Fu in the palace was newly appointed after the death of Zhao Zhangzhou, the Prince of Heaven. He was Jian Wenhui, the number one scholar in the Gaozu Dynasty. He was personally recommended by Zhao Zhangzhou. On that day, Zhao Zhangzhou, as the Prince Fu of Gui Palace and the right-hand servant of Emperor Zhongzong Liu Sheng, could be said to be famous in Prince Xing Palace, much more famous than Li Yi, the Prince Fu of Wei Palace.
When King Liu Jixing of Wei fell from his horse and had an accident, a group of ministers headed by Zhao Zhangzhou strongly recommended King Gui as the crown prince. Later, contrary to expectations, King Wei not only recovered, but was actually made the crown prince by the emperor. From then on, Zhao Zhangzhou received a cold reception from the emperor. First, he was relieved of his position as right servant because of his age, and later he was exempted from entering the court to discuss politics.
Zhao Zhangzhou was ashamed and frightened, knowing that he could not make a big splash in the hands of the emperor Liu Sheng. Although the prince crowned him as Duke of the country after supervising the country to show the court's favor, he was so frightened that he became ill. rise. He was already old, and before Liu Sheng, he died before he could survive the new year. Before he died, he did a good deed, which was to recommend a royal tutor to the frightened King Gui, which was recognized by the emperor.
And this Wangfu was Jian Wenhui, a scholar from Xianning County in the South China Sea. He was promoted by Emperor Gaozu. He continued to study and gain experience in foreign posts. He finally rose to prominence in the hands of Emperor Zhongzong Liu Sheng and was transferred back to Prince Xing's Mansion. Beijing official. He also served as the magistrate of Panyu County in the Xingwang Palace in the capital. By the end of the Qianhe period, he actually became one of the famous literati in the Xingwang Palace. He was as famous as the current minister Zan Huanghou Li Yi, and even became the emperor Liu Sheng. Several sons, teachers of those young princes.
After the new emperor Liu Jixing ascended the throne, Jian Wenhui still became the royal tutor of the Gui Palace, but his rank was still only the fourth rank. However, Liu Jixing gave him a bachelor's degree, which allowed him to participate in government affairs from time to time. And unlike the royal masters of other royal masters, this is an official title that truly belongs to the prince.
Compared with the third rank of the royal master of the Prince's Mansion in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the official rank of Jian Wenhui, the king's master, was a full two ranks lower. If the official rank of the ninth rank in the Sui and Tang Dynasties was further divided, it would be a full four or five rank difference. Of course, in the Liu family dynasty of Lingnan and Southern Han Dynasty, it is considered very good to be able to achieve this level of official rank, because there are no first or second grade officials in the court, and the highest level is a full third grade. Moreover, as someone holding the position of being in charge of Xiangxun and being responsible for the prince's faults, Jian Wenhui's identity became more sensitive.
The person who proposed joining the army was named Huang Dong. He was the son of Emperor Gaozu Chao Zuopu She Huang Sun. It can be said that he came from a famous family. Although this Huang Dong is not a famous general or staff officer, his family background is there. In particular, he has also been good at the art of war since he was a child, and his family background is good at strategy. When he was young, Yongchuan, who had served as a regimental training envoy under his father Huang Sun, worked solidly as a military staff member for five years.
Because he responded to the new emperor Liu Jixing's move to recruit talents from across the country, he was promoted by the local government to come back to Prince Xing's Mansion for training. In addition to his father's connections in the court that day, he actually got the position in the Prince's Mansion. Because there was only one person in the Lingnan Dahan Prince's Mansion who was advising to join the army, he was given the rank of fifth rank. From the local area to the capital city, he was promoted several levels for nothing, which shows that his strength is also amazing.
But for the same reason as Wang Fu, his position as a daily adviser and counselor on common affairs is also an extremely sensitive position. King Gui was able to use him because he was once a trusted subordinate of his maternal father, Pan Chongche. Although Pan Chongche never publicly supported his nephew, King Gui believed that his grandfather would not harm him.
As for the two literary scholars, they were both scholars who moved south to the Central Plains, and they were both Jinshi from the Emperor Gaozu's dynasty. They had served abroad and had no ambition to return to the capital. They were usually quite famous in Prince Xing's Mansion. As for the rest of the subordinate officials, they all became bright for a while. Anyway, these people who were able to enter Prince Gui's Mansion were all well-known figures in Prince Xing's Mansion or Lingnan.
And there is another more special position in the palace, Chang Shi! It's actually from the fifth level. Corresponding to Chang Shi is Sima, who is in charge of the military affairs of the palace. This position is also relatively sensitive for the Lingnan Han Dynasty, which controls military affairs, so it is reasonable to only assign him the rank of sixth grade. .
At this time, in the government hall of the palace, King Gui was sitting on a chair. On both sides of him sat Wang Fu Jian Wenhui, Huang Dong who was advising to join the army, the palace chief Shi Fengqing and the palace Sima Tan Bo. Jian Wenhui and Feng Qing sat on the left, while Huang Dong and Tan Bo were naturally listed on the right.
Although his childlike innocence has faded, King Gui still looks young, far from mature. He is not as tall and strong as Emperor Liu Jixing, but his eyebrows do remind him of his mother Pan Yulian. Although he was sitting there solemnly, he didn't look like an adult. On the contrary, the natural arrogance between his eyebrows makes people feel that he has been in a high position for a long time and is in a prosperous age.
Originally, based on the education of Tianfang's wife Pan Yulian, King Gui would not have such a arrogant feeling. However, since the vanguard king Liu Jixing had an accident, some officials with ulterior motives instigated the plan by Wang Fu Zhao Zhangzhou, and King Gui had some ideas of his own, King Gui's mind gradually changed. Although Liu Jixing later successfully ascended the throne as emperor, and even King Gui Liu Xuanxing was worried about revenge, and felt a little scared in his heart, but now that the situation is calm, King Gui seems to have ideas again.
It is true that now, King Gui has opened his own palace as a prince. Although the officials who followed Zhao Zhangzhou on that day knew that Liu Jixing had become the emperor, King Gui was at least the first prince in the current dynasty, and he was also another almost adult prince in the royal family. These officials were even mainly middle- and lower-level officials, so many people still gathered around King Gui, which made King Gui quite thoughtful.
"Everyone, it is said that Liu Yuan wants to open four new offices in the country. These four offices are obviously assigned regular duties. The specifications are still being discussed. I wonder if you have any suggestions for me!" He seemed to be thinking to himself. This royal brother showed no respect at all and called his subordinates by their first names without any worry.
And although it seemed that he was asking for advice, the look and feeling of King Gui Liu Xuanxing clearly showed that he was not too respectful to his subordinates. What is evident in his words is that he has no independent opinion and wants his subordinates to give him a solution.
Everyone obviously understood that King Gui had always been dissatisfied with his brother. The sons of the late Emperor Liu Sheng, King Jing Qingxing and King Mei Chongxing, were still young. King Zhen Baoxing was one year younger than the emperor and a few months younger than King Gui. He was the brother of the emperor's mother.
Among the abilities displayed by these brothers now, only Emperor Liu Jixing and King Gui Liu Xuanxing are the smartest. In particular, the most terrifying time in the Han Dynasty was when the King of Heavenly Guard Liu Jixing fell from his horse. How many people were ready to make a move, how many people stood in the middle, and many ministers in the court supported King Gui openly or covertly. Although King Wei Liu Jixing later recovered and successfully became the crown prince, the precocious King Gui obviously did not give up.
Although Zhao Zhangzhou, the former king of King Gui, passed away years ago, he has only now been replaced by Jianwenhui. Obviously, this Jianwenhui is now far less famous and courageous than his predecessor. He was not yet able to lead the group of talents that Zhao Zhangzhou left that day. The influence of the Han court in Lingnan was also not as good. Many people even believed that Jian Wenhui was a confidant of the current emperor Liu Yun (Liu Jixing), but King Gui did not seem to pursue the details. He is usually as arrogant as ever in front of a few people, and he seems to have no respect for them.
It has to be said that King Gui has the capital. First of all, his mother was one of the wives of the late emperor. Now that the new emperor has become a concubine, King Gui himself has been granted the title of prince. Of course, the most important thing is that his maternal ancestor is currently a very important boss in the Han military, Pan Chongche, a famous swordsman in the world.
Jian Wenhui's slim figure sat upright on the chair, watching several people silently. Although he was a little disdainful of King Gui's arrogance, he did not say anything to stop it. He respected Zhao Zhangzhou, and had been appreciated by Zhao Zhangzhou that day, and intended to give him his foundation in the court, but he knew the current situation of the Han Dynasty better than anyone else.
Although it was Zhao Zhangzhou who promoted him, Jian Wenhui knew that he really came to the fore because of the current emperor Liu Jixing. He will always remember that day when he was called into the palace by the emperor and analyzed the current situation of the Han Dynasty. The emperor asked him to talk about his ideals. Finally, the emperor asked him to teach and assist King Gui, without any intention of targeting King Gui. .
They are also about the same age, so why is there such a big gap in their thoughts? Jian Wenhui felt infinite emotion in his heart. King Gui is just a child in front of the emperor! Jian Wenhui also waited for a while and saw that King Gui's expression changed a little. He couldn't help but gently stroked the beard under his chin, and still pondered for a few seconds.
Jian Wenhui was not pretending, but felt that King Gui was indeed unable to be at the same level as the emperor. He looked at King Gui quietly, and when he saw him looking towards him, Fang said calmly: "The prince has always had his own opinions, and he is very popular in the court. Although he does not attend the court every day, he must know the trends in the court. There are more than ministers waiting for. The emperor has been moving around frequently in the past few years, and there are actions on the domestic and border lines. There must be deep meaning. The prince is the first prince of the Han Dynasty. The current state affairs are beneficial to the prince. If you have any opinions or ideas, the prince is free to discuss them with you. As I said, I will share your worries for the prince!"
He was neither humble nor arrogant, neither offending King Gui nor damaging the face of his colleagues. More importantly, his publicity to King Gui was also a warning, and he did not care about King Gui's identity at all. Because although he gradually became famous in the hands of the late emperor Liu Sheng, after the death of the late emperor, he still studied the new emperor Liu Jixing carefully, not to mention the grand plan of the new emperor Liu Jixing moved his heart.
I know that an emperor like Liu Jixing, not only has a legitimate position in the court, but also has the support of the Taoist Taoist priests, and his position cannot be shaken by ordinary people. Coupled with the fact that since Liu Jixing took over the Han Dynasty, this series of reforms and measures to strengthen the country were far beyond the expectations of officials in the Han Dynasty.
It's not that Jian Wenhui is completely dependent on Emperor Liu Jixing, it's that Liu Jixing's development has gone beyond the scope of ordinary people's thoughts. Jian Wenhui doesn't think anyone in the court can compete with the emperor now, let alone these old politicians, let alone King Gui, a newly grown prince.
Jian Wenhui has no doubt that King Gui is smart and capable, but now in the face of the rule of Emperor Liu Jixing, King Gui's personal ability pales in comparison, and there is no comparison at all, and King Gui cannot copy it at all.
It's not a blow to King Gui even if I don't say it, I just don't want King Gui to be too ignorant. As the Prince's Fu, he had the responsibility to guide King Gui, so he had to remind King Gui, and also tactfully pushed the topic to King Gui himself. He is now able to achieve the position of Wang Fu, obviously not just by relying on other things. Instead of being biased, they will highlight their own importance on the issue.
The few people sitting together seemed to be as expected, and there was no joy or anger on their faces. But when Jian Wenhui spoke, they all nodded, obviously approving of Jian Wenhui's handling.
King Gui's eyes jumped a few times involuntarily. Although he was young, he was very smart, so he naturally understood what Jian Wenhui meant. Although he felt a little angry with Jian Wenhui, he had to admit that this was the truth. But his face didn't change color. He nodded and looked at everyone thoughtfully as if nothing had happened.
"The current tentative decision must be to open mansions in the four directions of east, west, south and north. The purpose is naturally to strengthen the current territorial stability of the Han Kingdom, and it should also involve expanding the borders. What I am considering now is, How much benefit can you get from this decision!" King Gui, on the other hand, was not at all like a person at such a young age, and spoke his thoughts calmly.
"My lord, how much benefit do you think the emperor will give you? Also, according to the convention, the prince should go to his own fiefdom to become a vassal! If the emperor follows this action and asks the prince to go to Guizhou to become a vassal, I don't know. What do you think?" Jian Wenhui said calmly, feeling happy that King Gui had such an idea, but he had to remind him of the fact.
King Gui's expression suddenly changed. He had obviously thought of this a long time ago. Jian Wenhui's stabbing was like a knife stabbing his blood. He fell silent for a moment. He was obviously worried about this, because he heard that the emperor was now preparing to use that area as a battlefield to attack Chu. Although this was a military strategy and would not be mentioned to the outside world, the current form is like this of.
It wasn't that he was afraid of death, but looking back, he realized that he had no foundation at all in the army. Even if he had, those were his grandfather Pan Chongche's men, but they were all taken to the northwest, not to mention that Pan Chongche had never publicly supported him. .
If he is really sent to join the feudal clan, he will face a large number of soldiers whom he has never known. What's more, I heard that these soldiers are all the emperor's disciples and commanders trained by him, so isn't he just a polished commander?
"Your Majesty, don't be nervous!" Sima Tanbo said loudly: "This matter is still under discussion. Wei Chen believes that no matter what, your Majesty must first establish a career in the army and gradually establish his own prestige. This is a long-term solution! "What is surprising is that this Tan Bo is actually a descendant of the famous Lingnan general Tan Hongqi, a subordinate of Liu Chonggui, the Jiedushi envoy Liu Yin who was fighting for power in Lingnan. After Tan Hongqi was executed that day, his descendants retained I got one and passed it down to Tan Bo for three generations, and he was also capable of both civil and military skills.
The hall suddenly became cold because of Sima Tanbo's words. Because this seems to be a fact, what King Gui put on the facade, there is really no network in this regard. Tan Bo knows this very well, and his family's survival in Lingnan is a good example. Therefore, there was no mercy in Tan Bo's words. As the person with the lowest official rank present, Tan Bo did not want to be forgotten.
"What Sima said is absolutely true!" Chief Shi Feng Qing cupped his hands and said to King Gui: "What the prince needs now is experience, so that more people in the court can pay attention to the prince! Wei Chen thought that if the feudal lordship is really over this time, maybe it will be good for him. This is a good thing for the prince!”
King Gui thought about it with a surprised look on his face, and it seemed to make some sense. Seeing the different expressions of everyone, I felt a little depressed, but I still said in a deep voice: "Then how should I make a decision?"
"Your Majesty, you don't have to do anything, but go to the palace to meet Concubine Fang!" Jian Wenhui said calmly, cupping his hands!
A smile finally appeared on King Gui's face. Indeed, as a free concubine in the palace, Concubine Fang's influence was inevitable.
In every class society, everyone is actually an independent individual. He has only one clear class. Of course, they only live at one class level, or only live within this class status. There are all kinds of people in any era, and naturally there are people with all levels of thinking. There is no one who has not been marked by these marks of each class and each specific class.
Of course, because in every society, everyone wants to work hard for themselves. Think of any method or method to push yourself to the next level, or try to retain your superiority in the current level as much as possible.
Therefore, in each society, due to the different circumstances and origins of each person, the class distinction of everyone in this society will be more obvious and cruel, and it will also make people of each era feel comfortable living in their own class. People or groups are more crazily striving and enterprising for it.
In this era, people like Guo Rong of Zhou, Li Jing of Tang, Meng Chang of Shu, and Liu Jixing of Southern Han are undoubtedly the highest class of people in the social class of this era. They seem to have been deeply marked by the era and class, and of course they hope to keep this mark of their own.
King Gui naturally wanted to push his way to another level. Jian Wenhui and Feng Qing also wanted to do so. Even Tan Bo's family had been working hard, let alone later Jin literati like Jian Wenhui.
King Gui knew this better than anyone else. If he could not stand, he might be eliminated, or even more likely to be annihilated by the rapidly developing Han Dynasty. To understand what you need, you need to contact the grassroots and understand the operations of various departments. If you don't practice it, even if the real power of the Han Dynasty is in your own hands, what's the use!
It seems that one word awakens the dreamer!
