After crossing Yishui and entering Waqiao Pass, I got off the bus and stood in front of the military yamen. I looked at the layout. As a city gate where the military dominates and civilians assist, the yamen's temperament is obviously different. The words on the plaque are all revealing. Iron-blooded and chilling.
Standing firmly on the square bluestone ground, Liu Chengyou glanced at Luo Yanxuan, who was upright, and said: "Please help me, the general from the north, to support me, thank you for your hard work!"
"Your Majesty is far away in Longting, thousands of miles away, and cannot serve you. It is an honor for the general to be able to serve you now and do the work of dogs and horses!" Luo Yanxuan said.
"I'm so glad you have such a heart!" Liu Chengyou said.
"The yamen have been sorted out. Please move your Majesty!" Luo Yanxuan said with his hands in hand.
Behind him, the queen, concubines and ladies also followed, accompanied by the palace attendants, and the whole family stood together neatly. Before taking two steps, Liu Chengyou suddenly turned around and called: "An Shouzhong!"
"Here, what are your orders, Your Majesty?" An Shouzhong, who was fair and handsome and dressed in black armor, stood up.
An Shouzhong, now twenty-five years old, has now become the commander of the right wing of the Longqi Army due to his contribution to the Huainan War and his many years of experience in the imperial court. This time, he was specially named by Liu Chengyou to accompany him north. Of course, Liu Chengyou did this because he considered An Shenqi and gave the father and son a chance to get together. After all, An Shenqi was an only son at a very old age.
Pointing to the Luan Jia parked behind him, Liu Chengyou ordered: "Lead a group of people and drive this car north along the official road to meet King Yan. After receiving him, let him ride the imperial jia south and tell him that I am here Wait for him in Guan Nei!"
"Yes!" An Shouzhong responded without hesitation.
On the sidelines, the generals from the north who heard this order were a little surprised. They felt that the emperor was a little too generous to Zhao Kuangzan and actually greeted him with a royal chariot for him to ride on.
As for An Shenqi, he couldn't help but frown. He couldn't figure out the emperor's intention. Was he to show his favor to paralyze Zhao Kuangzan to facilitate his actions, or was he determined to continue the favor and not deal with it?
His thoughtful eyes carefully passed over the emperor's face, and he could only see a calm face, and even a little smile could be seen in his expression. Liu Chengyou, on the other hand, walked calmly and entered the Yamen amidst the stars.
In the back office, Liu Chengyou was sitting at the table, sipping tea soup one mouthful at a time. Empress Fu was beside her, cooking the tea herself.
Seeing his expression, Fuhou moved gracefully to pour him tea, and couldn't help but ask softly: "Erlang, are you worried?"
"You saw it." Liu Chengyou raised his eyes and looked at the Empress.
Da Fu's jade lips raised a beautiful arc and said: "Your performance is too obvious. You have rarely been like this after being married for so many years. What kind of difficulties and undecisions have you encountered?"
The couple, who knew each other well and were in love with each other, had almost no secrets, especially when Liu Chengyou didn't deliberately hide it.
Looking at Fuhou's beautiful and graceful face, Liu Chengyou shook his head and said, "It's not a difficult decision. I've thought about the pros and cons clearly, but I just feel a little depressed in my heart."
"Is it related to the military in the north?" Dafu asked.
Liu Chengyou nodded, but he didn't mean to reveal his feelings. Seeing this, Da Fu didn't ask any more questions. She never forced or spoke too much about things Liu Chengyou didn't want to say.
After thinking for a while, Da Fu came closer, picked up the tea cup for Liu Chengyou with his own hands, and said with a smile: "Although I don't understand military affairs, I can still see that the soldiers in the north are strong and powerful, and the generals are also very respectful to you. With these loyal Protect the warriors and protect the country and the border, I believe there is no difficulty that Erlang cannot solve!"
"That's true!" Liu Chengyou expressed his approval to Empress Fu's words calmly.
In fact, in this short period of time, Liu Chengyou had already thought clearly that he would not deal with You Yan or Zhao Kuangzan for the time being. The reason is simple. Before he can level the southern countries and complete the "Southern First" strategy, he needs stability.
Nowadays, it is not easy to maintain a balanced and stable situation in the north. When there is an established route to follow, it is really inconvenient to cause a chaos.
You must know that his current northern tour, in addition to inspecting civil affairs and people's livelihood, is to appease the morale of the military, strengthen defense, and ensure the stability of the northern border. Under such a premise, how could he choose to take the initiative to cause trouble and break the balance?
It is true that Liu Chengyou was tempted by An Shenqi's suggestion. However, in terms of priorities, in the face of the overall national strategy, Youyan's issue became secondary and needed to be compromised and put aside.
The existence of the Yan Army was a challenge and a drawback to the authority of the imperial court. The longer it went on, it might become a chronic disease. However, it also has its limitations. There is an upper limit to the growth of its strength. It is difficult to rely on the influence of the imperial court.
In the future, once we have no worries about the south, we will be more confident when heading north to solve the problem of Youyan.
Of course, the decision is easy to make, but what makes Liu Chengyou depressed is the feeling of being "controlled by others." Today's Liu Chengyou is no longer the young emperor he was back then. He no longer needs to walk on thin ice and is cautious in everything. His behavior of forbearance and retreat has been reduced a lot in recent years.
As time goes by and his age grows, Liu Chengyou's possessiveness and desire for control continue to strengthen, and his style of dealing with things becomes more and more powerful.
Regarding You Yan's issue, I am afraid that only if Zhao Kuangzan takes the initiative to return the government and serve as an army, will he feel relaxed and relieved. As for the rest, as long as the court needs to use means, it is not the most "perfect" solution. However, as a mature political animal, Liu Chengyou can also understand what choices Zhao Kuangzan will make and how he will react. However, understanding is understanding, and what is really going on in one’s mind is another matter.
At the same time, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but think about why An Shenqi took the initiative to bring up the matter of solving You Yan. After careful consideration, I can only explain it by using my position and seeking my government.
Everyone has their own interests and demands. In recent years, the Han Dynasty has frequently used force in the south, with brilliant results. A large number of generals have been able to rise to prominence, achieve meritorious deeds, and shine on the lintel.
How could the soldiers in the north not have any ideas about this? As the leader of the Northern Army, An Shenqi naturally needs to show his expression. On the other hand, the predecessor, He Fujin, was credited with spreading the law and building the defense line. He came to An Shenqi from the north. If he did not make any achievements, he would probably just stay in the position deployed by the capital for a few years and then step down.
If nothing happens to the North in the next few years, it will have nothing to do with him from now on. In the Northern Expedition of Khitan, given his age, he could not catch up. Even if he caught up, whether the emperor would use him or not was still a question.
If Youyan's problem can be solved during his term of office, it will also be an opportunity for An Shenqi to improve his family's status in the Han Dynasty.
Similarly, if An Shenqi is placed in the south by Liu Chengyou and takes charge of the matter, it is expected that he will not care about the Youzhou issue and will probably not even mention it.
