After chatting for a while and resting for only a moment, Liu Chengyou took the initiative to resign, shouldered his hoe, and went to the fields again. As the elder brother, Liu Chengxun consciously set an example and refused to lag behind, so he dragged his somewhat weak body to the ground and continued to dig awkwardly on the ground.
After the two left, a civil servant not far from Liu Zhiyuan picked up the conversation between father and son. With shrewd eyes, he glanced around, put down the farming tools in his hands, walked to the field, and said to him with a smile, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
The man was in his thirties, with a pale face, good spirits, and a neatly trimmed beard. This person's name was Su Fengji, and he was a judge in Jiedu, Hedong. He was Liu Zhiyuan's confidant and was highly regarded by Liu Zhiyuan. Liu Zhiyuan was a strong and strict nature, and his subordinates feared and respected him. Only Su Fengji was lucky enough to serve him. He checked his personality and entered the manuscript. Every time he made suggestions, Liu Zhiyuan expressed more approval and less rejection. In short, Su Fengji did very well with Liu Zhiyuan.
"Oh?" Liu Zhiyuan's attitude towards Su Fengji was indeed much kinder than that of others. He actually showed him a smile that was rare for ordinary people and asked curiously: "Why are you so happy?"
Su Fengji looked very respectful, standing with a respectful bow, and glanced at Liu Chengxun and Liu Chengyou in the distance: "The prince is respectful and filial, gentle and tolerant; the second prince, although he is taciturn, is resolute and resolute, and has a lot of experience. If this is the case, isn’t it a happy event for the king? The two princes are both in the shape of a dragon and a phoenix, and they are like the sun in the sky..."
Su Fengji's flattery was loud and touched Liu Zhiyuan's heart, but his expression was serious and he responded: "How can these two sons deserve such evaluation? Well...but Dalang has a mellow nature, and indeed It’s true, as for Erlang——
After a pause, Liu Zhiyuan's eyes suddenly became a little deeper: "In the past half a year or so, his temperament has changed drastically. He is too solemn and harsh in his words and deeds. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing..."
Liu Zhiyuan obviously regarded Su Fengji as someone close to him, but he did not mean to hide his comments about his two sons. Having been with Liu Zhiyuan for a long time, Su Fengji probably understood his concerns, but Su Fengji did not dare to express any opinions rashly.
Lowering his head and looking up again, with a clever look in his eyes, Su Fengji naturally turned to the topic, with a hint in his words: "What the second prince just said is not unreasonable. The Jin Dynasty has died, and the Central Plains has no master. Hu The captives are rampant. Your Majesty should really be proactive——"
Su Fengji was obviously preparing for a long speech, but was rudely interrupted by Liu Zhiyuan: "How can we take Zhuzi's words seriously?"
Seeing that Liu Zhiyuan was "angry", Su Fengji's face became more relaxed. He was calm and thought about himself and said slowly: "The beautiful land in the east of the river has been used by the kings since ancient times. Not to mention the distance, the king of Jin supported it. , to resist the strong Liang, and Zhuangzong destroyed the Liang, that is why the Tang Dynasty prospered; ten years ago, Gaozu suppressed Hedong, fought against the world with a corner of the country, and drove straight into Luoyang, where the Jin Dynasty flourished; now the king has many soldiers Thousands of people, the people are safe and the army is strong, but the Central Plains has fallen under the iron heel of the foreigners. If we let the heroes from the east of the river go south to the Central Plains, we can expect an imperial career..."
"Shut up!" After hearing Su Fengji say such straightforward "rebellious words", Liu Zhiyuan looked furious and scolded Su Fengji with a fierce glare.
Su Fengji still had some unfinished thoughts, but faced Liu Zhiyuan's gaze and wisely closed his mouth. He thought he had guessed Liu Zhiyuan's thoughts, but at this moment, facing his fierce eyes, his heart still couldn't help but beat. Peiping King Liu Zhiyuan was not a kind person. His body could not help but tremble, and Su Fengji quickly buried his head.
Liu Zhiyuan's passionate words came to my ears: "If you dare to say such rebellious words again, I will not be spared. I am separated from the great ancestor, and I have long received the country's favor, so I should repay it. The Jin Dynasty is declining, and the emperor is dusty. Falling into the hands of the Khitan, being alone thousands of miles away, without being able to reach help, I feel heartbroken and regretful. How dare you have such rebellious thoughts! Don't say this again! Don't say this again!"
Liu Zhiyuan's emotional look seemed real. Su Fengji is also a smart man. His eyes flashed a few times and he bowed: "I understand the loyalty of the king. I have made mistakes with my nonsense, so please punish me!"
"If you repeat this argument again, you will be severely punished!" With a slight snort, Liu Zhiyuan stood up and walked away, as if he was really angry.
Seeing this, Su Fengji hurried away with several Yajiang guards, without any trace of panic on his face.
Liu Zhiyuan's answer to Su Fengji was of course insincere and nonsense. If he was truly loyal to the Jin Dynasty, during the five-year confrontation and fierce fighting between the Jin Dynasty and the Khitan, he would not have stayed at the pass and watched the success or failure, and he would have secretly taken in scattered soldiers to strengthen his own power. During the Zhongdu Bridge Incident, Du Chongwei's entire army surrendered, and when Bianliang was in danger, he was not seen taking any action to support King Qin. When Yelu Deguang entered Bian, he saw all the Jiedushi vying to see him, and he did not hesitate to send people to pay homage to the palace with heavy gifts, showing his loyalty...
It can be seen from Liu Zhiyuan's actions that he is ambitious. In fact, when he reaches his prestigious position, it is impossible not to be ambitious, and if he does not advance, he will retreat. During this period of time, many people in Hedong Civil and Military Affairs have been trying to trick him overtly or covertly. Although Su Fengji was bold and straightforward, he was not the first, nor would he be the last.
There is only one reason why Liu Zhiyuan's attitude is so "resolute": the time has not come yet. First, the situation in the world is still unclear. Although we have heard about the tyranny and arrogance of the Khitan Lord Yelv Deguang in the Central Plains, although the scholars and people have fiercely resisted, it has not yet reached a large scale. Liu Zhiyuan also felt a little guilty about the two. The hundreds of thousands of Hu and Han troops under Yelu Deguang were still very intimidating. He was not willing to use the family fortune he had worked hard to manage in Hedong to go head-to-head with the Khitans.
Liu Zhiyuan's approach at this time can be said in one word: wait and see.
The movement on Liu Zhiyuan's side caused a stir, and the civil and military officials who were hoeing the fields looked sideways. Liu Chengyou also glanced subconsciously, but soon he focused on turning over the soil. One acre must be reached.
After the King of Peking left, many people began to be lazy. This show seemed a bit anticlimactic. In the end, only Liu Chengyou and a few lowly officials completed the hoeing work in full. Those few civil and military officers were all remembered by Liu Chengyou.
When great changes are coming, there must be strange signs. At this time when all things are recovering and spring is blooming, there is always an atmosphere of imminent rain in and around Jinyang. In the evening, the commander of the south city gate reported that a "demon wind" suddenly rose, and the "Jin flag" at the top of the city was broken in half. Liu Zhiyuan asked about this, but he had no answer. Only Su Fengji took on the role of clarifying the doubts, saying that this was a warning from God that there might be drastic changes. Liu Zhiyuan was speechless. At this time, what kind of changes could happen.
Coincidentally, shortly after sunset, a piece of news came from Bianjing. Just yesterday, on the first day of the second lunar month, Yelu Deguang, the Lord of the Khitan, proclaimed himself emperor in Bian Palace with the "support" of the officials of the Tibetan and Han Dynasties. He changed the name of the Khitan state to "Liao" and the Yuan Dynasty to Datong, and officially granted amnesty to the world. Rule China legally. Accompanied by a somewhat tough edict: "From now on, Jiedushi envoys and governors are not allowed to have soldiers or war horses."
Six hundred miles flying horse came to report, and there was another wave of ups and downs in Jinyang City. Liu Zhiyuan put down his half-eaten job and urgently summoned the overlords to discuss matters in the palace.
Under the night, the palace was still solemn. The spacious and majestic main hall was completely silent and silent. There were only a few lamps burning silently, and the swaying flames released wisps of blurry light.
There were only about ten people in the hall, and Liu Zhiyuan had no intention of making a big discussion. The civil and military officials were led by Yang Bin, the right governor, and Liu Chong, the commander of Ma Bujun. There were also Liu Xin, Hu Yanke, Wang Zhang, Shi Hongzhao, Chang Si and other Liu Zhiyuan's subordinates. High-level civil and military officials. Probably because of his outstanding performance in the past six months or so, especially in recent times, Liu Chengyou is also included in the list.
Sitting upright, he sat in the second seat on the right next to his uncle Liu Chong, his expression similar to everyone else's seriousness. Of course, Liu Chengyou was not nervous at all. Yelu Deguang proclaimed himself emperor and established Liao Dynasty. He had already "expected" it, and it was not worth making a fuss about.
At the same time, Liu Chengyou's eyes occasionally glanced at a middle-aged military general at the back of the hall. He had a dignified and dignified face and a heroic demeanor. He was Guo Wei, the official of the military and horse capital of the Han Dynasty in Hedong. At this time, Guo Wei already had a certain status under Liu Zhiyuan, but that was it. Compared with Liu Chong, Liu Xin, and Shi Hongzhao among the generals, he was just a "younger brother".
The holes and eyes are like holes and eyes, and everything passes through his hands. Guo Wei, the Kongmu officer, has no control over the affairs of the soldiers and horses, but given the current situation of the soldiers and horses in Hedong, he has no control over them. Just like the Longqi Army led by Liu Chengyou, he would never be able to get involved.
However, Liu Chengyou would not look down upon this military minister who was not yet famous in the world at all. Every time he looked at him, the words "yellow robe and body" kept swirling in Liu Chengyou's mind, and his eyes involuntarily became cold.
Probably because Liu Chengyou's gaze was too cold and stern, Guo Wei noticed it and looked towards him, but only saw Liu Chengyou who had turned his head and his expression returned to calm. His thick eyebrows frowned slightly, and Guo Wei couldn't help but have a trace of doubt in his calm eyes.
"The king has arrived!" With Yajiang shouting loudly, the atmosphere in the hall became tighter and everyone cheered up.
Liu Zhiyuan was dressed in crimson robes and stepped up to the throne. Da Ma Jin Dao sat down and looked around. He spoke very quickly and said directly: "The Lord Khitan has proclaimed himself emperor. There is an uproar in the country. I am afraid that his decree has already been announced." On the way from the north. Gu Zhi asked, where should we go from the east of the river?"
