Although the status of Yedu has been abolished, Yuancheng's military and political status as the ruler of Xidao in Hebei Province and the ruler of Daming Prefecture is still there. During Du Chongwei's Rebellion, nearly 40% of Yuancheng's military and civilian casualties were lost, and the people's economic and property losses were huge. However, after nearly ten years of development, Yuancheng has already returned to its former prosperity.
Two straight and wide streets run across it, supplemented by several branch roads and densely packed winding alleys, forming a network of roads. A series of donkey and horse vehicles shuttled through the streets, the bustling market was filled with travelers and merchants, the crowds were buzzing, and the guise of shops and buildings flaunted in the sun...
Yuancheng is the third Han Dynasty city to abolish the city system after Kaifeng (the second is Yangzhou). However, the development of the city has also brought about management problems, such as public security, sanitation, etc.
However, in the near future of the Emperor's visit, there was peace and harmony in Yuancheng. The ruffians, ghosts and snake gods were all silenced, and they even actively cooperated with the public security. The city walls and streets were cleaned, and everything was fresh and clean, which once permeated the streets. The stinky smell in the air has also faded a lot.
When Liu Chengyou entered Yuancheng, what he saw and felt was a clean, prosperous city. Liu Chengyou seemed quite satisfied with the careful preparations made by the famous officials to welcome the arrival. Although he was suspected of stirring up troops and stirring up the crowd, after some rectification, the city's appearance had been greatly improved. Since he saw the benefits, there was no need to blame him. It’s old.
As the imperial driver entered, there were more discussions in the city.
In a teahouse in Nancheng, the fragrance was overflowing. Three literati who had visited the emperor's entry into the city were sitting together and chatting. The young scribe wearing a gray Confucian robe sighed with emotion: "Speaking of which, this is the third time I have come to Yuancheng today!"
"No!" A middle-aged man, stroking his short beard, said with a look of reminiscence in his eyes: "In the early years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Du Chongwei rebelled against Yingcheng, and the emperor also went to war with him!"
"In this way, since we are near Yuancheng, the emperor and I, Yuancheng, are destined to be together!"
"For a long time, Wei Bon has been a powerful vassal in Hebei, and Yuancheng has been the capital of Wei Bo. Dingkou, where wealth is gathered, elite soldiers are stationed, and generals guard it. It is also the last big city in Hebei to defend Tokyo. How can we not pay attention to it?" Another person said The handsome young man said slowly.
"Lü Langjun's words are good and insightful!" The short-bearded middle-aged man looked at the young man and praised.
Lu Langjun made a modest gesture, and the scene of greeting him in front of the city appeared in his mind, and he said with emotion: "The Holy Emperor came to the court and observed the weather of Yuancheng. Now the Yuxian County of Dahan is in Ningding. The people are freed from poverty, and a prosperous age can be expected." ah!"
"Lü Langjun, will you go to Beijing for the provincial examination next year?" the young man in gray robe suddenly asked out of curiosity.
Although Lu Langjun was young, he looked calm and calm. The clear smile on his face was like a spring breeze. He slowly took a sip of hot tea and said, "My knowledge is shallow, and there are more practitioners who need me. Furthermore, when recruiting scholars in the imperial court, it is no longer enough to rely solely on articles, theories, and strategies to pass the exam!"
"Didn't the imperial court establish a government-watching system?" the gray-robed young man said, and a little hope could be seen in his expression.
As the groundwork has been laid over the past few years, the scholars of the Han Dynasty are no longer as afraid of "practical affairs" as they were at the beginning, and they have gradually understood the emperor's intention, which is not to directly test out a person who is proficient in government affairs. Talent depends on knowledge, talent, and utility.
Lu Langjun said: "Even if there is a government-watching system, it still needs time to hone and settle. I am still young. Rather than entering the officialdom too early, I should spend more time to increase my knowledge and improve my knowledge..."
"There are rumors that in the future, the number of scholars in the imperial court will be less and less!" The young man in gray robe muttered, looking at Lu Langjun, with a hint of envy in his eyes: "But Lu Langjun came from a famous family and was talented and talented. Outstanding, your brother is now also a high-ranking Taoist official. With his guidance, it is not difficult to pass the exam..."
Feeling the "lemon flavor" in his friend's tone, Lu Langjun smiled modestly and stopped talking in depth on the matter. The differences between people are already reflected from the moment they are born.
Compared with the young man in gray robe, Lu Langjun has a promising future, while other high-ranking nobles in the Han Dynasty, compared with Lu Langjun, have made steady progress...
This Lu Langjun, named Lu Duan, was the younger brother of Lu Yin, the magistrate of Zhangde Prefecture (the merger of Yuanxiang and Cizhou). This time I came to Yuancheng not only for a spring outing, but also to visit teachers and find friends.
...
Liu Chengyou, on his side, has entered the palace in the city. The palaces in Yuancheng are not large in scale and were integrated on the basis of the palaces and palaces of the previous dynasties. Signs of cleaning and repairs can be clearly seen everywhere, but there are no more measures to waste people and money. It can be seen that the daimyo government still knows the rules and does not waste unnecessary thought on inviting favors and flattery to welcome the guests. After all, Li Huan, the governor, was an official who had served in the central government, and he knew something about the emperor's habits.
In the palace, Liu Chengyou immediately met with the officials of Hebei West Road and Daming Prefecture. In recent years, the officialdom of the Daming side has undergone relatively large changes. The military and political officials of Qianyou five years ago have basically changed. After encouraging the officials, he asked the ministers to take a look at him as the emperor. Most of the people here had never seen the emperor's face.
After meeting the local generals, Liu Chengyou left the chief envoy Dou Yi and the governor Li Huan alone. However, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Liu Chengyou put away his gentle smile in front of the crowd and just kept a silent face, which made Dou and Li Chen feel uneasy.
It was Dou Yi who took the initiative to ask: "I wonder what your Majesty's teachings are to these two ministers?"
Dou Yi was in his forties, in the prime of life. His posture was solemn, like that of a Northern scholar, and he exuded an aura of greatness. At first, he was recommended by Prime Minister Fan Zhi and served as the envoy to Hedong. Last year, he was transferred to West Road, Hebei and served as the chief envoy.
Liu Chengyou looked at Dou Yi, then glanced at Li Tao, and said calmly: "The two ministers have worked together for less than half a year, but they have caused a lot of commotion. I have heard about it in Tokyo. The dispute between the Taoist government and the government has become very loud, and the group There have been many discussions, I wonder what you two think?"
As soon as the emperor said this, Dou and Li glanced at each other subconsciously. Li Huan immediately stood up and worshiped: "I acted recklessly and cannot tolerate others. I am so arrogant that I have caused trouble. Please punish me!"
Seeing Li Huan's performance, Dou Yi frowned. Although he was two steps late, he stood up and held his hands in his hands. With a serious look on his face, he said briefly: "Your Majesty, please punish me!"
In later generations, there was a term "five sons admitted to the imperial examination", which refers to the five brothers in the Dou family who successively became Jinshi, and Dou Yi was the eldest brother.
Dou Yi was a man of good character, upright and outspoken. When he was in Tokyo, he once committed an offense against Yan Zhichen. Birds of a feather flock together and people divide into groups. It is not unreasonable to be able to have good relations with Fan Zhi.
He was first transferred to Hebei Province to take charge of the administration. Not long after, he had a conflict with Li Huan, the famous prefect. Dou Yi was a person who couldn't tolerate sand in his eyes, and what he did in Hedong was punishable by punishment. After taking office, he began to intervene in the affairs of the Taoist Department. As a Taoist minister, the daimyo was naturally the focus of his attention.
Li Huan had also been a parent official in Daming Mansion for several years, and he thought he had done a good job. The people were stable and the taxes were abundant. How could he be willing to suddenly have a boss who was dictating and lecturing him?
If it were just a conflict on official business, that would be fine. The key point is that the fight between the two involves personal grudges. As far as Dou Yi is concerned, he just fulfills his duties and does what is within his rights and responsibilities, and is not afraid of offending others.
As for Li Huan, it was more complicated. Originally, he had the opportunity to take the next step and take charge of Hebei West Road. His brother Li Tao also had the same plan, but with Fan Zhi's recommendation and the emperor's acquiescence, he was unable to let Li Huan take over and instead transferred Dou Yi.
To Li Huan, Dou Yi was inferior to him in terms of qualifications and knowledge, so it was just a matter of coming from behind without giving him any face. Since then, how can the two of them get along well? The quarrel between the literati eventually turned into a nasty and long drama.
And both of them are people with backgrounds, so the fight between them adds to the political atmosphere. That's right, in Beijing, Li Tao and Fan Zhi, who were originally suspected of "advancing and retreating together," began to have discord.
Dou Yi and Li Tao, you accuse me of being authoritarian and domineering, I accuse you of poor governance; you accuse me of overstepping the control and causing chaos in government, I accuse you of wasting the government... In short, there are frequent fights and constant discord.
Originally, Prime Ministers Li and Fan could suppress it, but later it became a big deal, and eventually it reached Liu Chengyou's ears.
