Zhao Hui was a soldier in front of Li Cunxu's tent for more than 20 years, but he still retained a bit of awe for Zhuang Zong in the early days...
It was late at night, and two carriages were traveling through the streets of Luoyang. As the curfew approached, the patrols in the streets became much tighter, and they also encountered a wave of patrolling imperial troops on the way. However, seeing that he was the envoy of the Baoyi Army and the Jianxiong Army who had been publicly praised by the emperor, he did not dare to cross-examine him and offend him.
After passing through three lanes in succession, the carriage stopped in front of a quiet courtyard. Zhao Hui and Wang Yan got off the car, and Zhao Hui invited him to come over and talk. Immediately, he noticed the situation in front of the mansion. The middle door was wide open, and under the dim light, a young general led a few soldiers and wandered in front of the door. That was Zhao Hui's tooth general.
Seeing this, Zhao Hui frowned, stepped forward steadily, and asked the approaching Yajiang, "What's going on?"
"Jie Shuai, you are back!" The young Yajiang breathed a sigh of relief, with a bit of urgency on his face, and said, "The emperor is waiting in the palace."
"What?" Zhao Hui's expression changed drastically.
The situation is very simple. Liu Chengyou had nothing to do in the palace and came out of the palace to visit Zhao Hui.
This is the first time for Liu Chengyou to visit the minister in person.
"Why didn't you report it earlier?" Zhao Hui suppressed his surprise and couldn't help but get angry.
"The emperor said no..." Yajiang replied naively.
"You are really obedient!" Zhao Hui taught him a lesson.
At this time, Wang Yan took a deep breath, straightened his robes, and said to Zhao Hui: "Brother Zhao, let's go and see you!"
"The emperor is here in person, what a great grace..." Zhao Hui sighed.
Zhao Hui's mansion in Xijing is not luxurious, and is even a bit ordinary. But this night, every part of the mansion, corridors and doors were guarded by the imperial guards. As for Liu Chengyou, when he received the news that Zhao Hui had returned home, he was chatting with his son Zhao Yanjin in his hall, asking him about Shaanxi affairs.
Zhao Yanjin is not yet twenty years old, but he is worthy of being a general and has a lot of energy. Although he is a little nervous in front of Liu Chengyou, he responds appropriately and it can be seen that he has a very flexible mind.
Liu Chengyou ordered him to go down in advance, and Zhao Hui and Wang Yan hurried over. After investigating the threats, they successfully went straight to the king.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Hui, comes to see you!"
"No courtesy!" Liu Chengyou glanced at the two of them.
"Father."
Ignoring his son, Zhao Hui leaned over and held his hands in his hands: "Why bother your Majesty to come in person? I am really scared. Your Majesty has been waiting for a long time. I, I, I...please punish your Majesty."
Regardless of whether he was pretending or not, Zhao Hui had a very upright attitude when facing the young emperor Liu Chengyou.
Liu Chengyou was wearing ordinary clothes, but after being the emperor for more than a month, his majestic power had gradually grown, and coupled with his usual seriousness, his power was very strong.
"Qing Zhao, it doesn't have to be like this. On the contrary, I took the liberty of visiting and disturbing your house." Liu Chengyou said calmly.
"Don't dare."
Then he looked at Wang Yan: "Is Wang Qing here too?"
"Your Majesty." Wang Yan saluted again.
"I don't need to make an extra trip!" Liu Chengyou waved his hand, took a breath through his nose, and seemed to smell the smell of wine on both of them, and said: "Tonight, the Lord Ambassador, the one you are entertaining the Second Minister must be fine wine. ....."
After hearing this, they both said in unison: "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
"You don't have to be like this." Liu Chengyou ordered the accompanying chamberlain to bring a small jar of wine and said, "I came here today and brought a jar of wine with me, so I will drink with you. This is good wine produced in Xinghua Village. , is Er Qing interested?"
Hearing this, Zhao and Wang looked at each other and saw the shock in each other's eyes. They noticed Liu Chengyou's calm posture that was very different from ordinary people, and they became more cautious about this young emperor.
Liu Chengyou was looking for Zhao Hui, so naturally he was not really looking for Zhao Hui to drink. He simply ordered some meat to be prepared for them to eat, drink and talk. After brewing the atmosphere for a while, Liu Chengyou held a cup in front of his waist with one hand and behind his back with the other. Liu Chengyou sighed: "Last year, the enemy's cavalry drove forward and captured the two capitals. The Shi family could not defend China. Although the late emperor wanted to save Tunan, but He was concerned about his lack of strength and lack of support from the people. When the two ministers first rebelled in the suburbs of Shaanxi and supported the righteous cause, my father made up his mind to raise the army. Therefore, the two ministers are powerful enough to promote the rise of the Han Dynasty!"
For the two of them, Liu Chengyou spoke highly of them. But precisely because of this, the two of them hesitated: "Your Majesty has given you too much praise, and I really don't deserve it."
Seeing the expressions and reactions of the two veterans, only one word came to Liu Chengyou's mind: flattered.
"When the Han Dynasty was first established, the sky collapsed. With my humble bow, I succeeded to the throne. However, my virtues were shallow and I have been worried all day and night since I succeeded to the throne. The Han Dynasty is surrounded by packs of wolves. There are Khitan tigers in the north and Mengmen in the west. When Shu invades, the Gao family in the south is repeated, the pseudo-Tang harbors evil intentions, and there are party members in the northwest who harbor dissent. Internally, the people's livelihood is in decline, all industries are stagnant, and the government is difficult to control..."
"I thought about the poverty of the country and the people, and wanted to govern it. However, under the internal and external troubles, I felt depressed and almost had no clue. Since the Western Tour, I have been inspecting the people's livelihood and combating corruption and violence, but it is still insufficient. When people come to Beijing, I know that such If you want to defend the country, you need a general as talented as Erqing."
Faced with Liu Chengyou's compliments several times, Zhao Hui and Wang Yan became more cautious.
"I have often thought about it recently. If we want to ensure long-term peace and stability in our country, we must eliminate internal troubles and fight off foreign invaders. However, in order to fight against foreign invaders, we must first stabilize the internal situation..."
Faced with Liu Chengyou's "heartfelt" words, Zhao Hui and his wife also slowly entered the state.
"I know the foreign troubles well, but I don't know what your majesty means by the internal troubles?" Zhao Hui asked.
Upon hearing the question, Liu Chengyou turned around, twirled the rim of the cup with two fingers, and stared at Zhao Hui intently: "Zhao Qing really doesn't know?"
"Your Majesty, please make it clear."
Before Liu Chengyou could speak, Wang Yan took the initiative to speak: "Your Majesty is referring to Li Shouzhen in the river and Xue Huairang in the same state?"
Noting Wang Yan's stern expression, Liu Chengyou was slightly surprised. This Wang Shijun was obviously not as smooth as Zhao Hui. After finishing the glass of wine, Liu Chengyou raised his head and looked at the pale moon in the night sky, and sighed quietly: "Fangzhen is the foundation of the country, and the various festivals guard the world for the Han Dynasty. I am the emperor, so I should not be suspicious of myself. That's right. The Li family in Hezhong has been favored and encouraged by me and the imperial court many times. However, during this period of time, I still hear about his unusual behavior and behavior that exceeds the rules, and I am always worried in my heart."
"The two states of Pu and Tong are separated by a river and reach Guanyou, which is an important part of the country. If there are changes in it, it will inevitably affect Guanyou. The country has just been established, and the people of the world have not lived a stable life for a few days. I really don't want to use weapons. The disaster will happen again. However, I must prepare early."
After hearing what Liu Chengyou said, Zhao Hui and Wang Yan immediately cheered up.
"The other person's intentions are unknown. If the Li family cannot suppress their dissent and rebels against Puzhou, then I will put it down at all costs." As he spoke, Liu Chengyou turned around suddenly and stared at the two of them: "Jin, Jiang, The three states of Shaanxi, from the north to the south, are exerting a stranglehold on Hezhong. I asked the two ministers, if there is rebellion in Hezhong, would you like to defend it for me?"
Faced with Liu Chengyou's straightforward question, how could the two of them react? Without much hesitation, they spoke one after another:
"I am willing to be loyal to His Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, as long as you have your life, you will not give up even if you die!"
