In the Chongzheng Hall, Liu Chengyou did not deal with any government affairs. Instead, he took a nap and took a bath to wash away the dust and fatigue from his body before heading to the Long Live Hall.
It was said to be a family banquet, so there were no outsiders. They were all Liu family members, men and women, large and small, nearly forty people, including the three brothers Liu Chengyou, Liu Chengxun and Julu County Prince Liu Chengyun.
Although he did not have as many children as the imperial brother, in the past three years, King Yong Liu Chengxun seemed to have opened the seal, adding two sons and one daughter. As for Julu King Liu Chengyun, although he is the adopted son of the great ancestor Liu Zhiyuan, he is also a close relative of the royal family in terms of blood. He has always been relatively peaceful, and Liu Chengyou is also good to him.
Seven years ago, Liu Chengyun interceded for his biological father, Liu Chong, the king of Taiyuan. Later, after Liu Chong died of illness, he felt uneasy. In order to eliminate the possible suspicion in the emperor's heart, he asked to be demoted. Liu Chengyou agreed and sent him out. Over the years, he served successively in Dengzhou, Chenzhou, and Ruzhou. He did not have any outstanding political achievements during his tenure, but he was still law-abiding, and he never exceeded his limits. His official reputation was also good.
Of course, Liu Chengyou agreed to be transferred back to Tokyo. This was also the first time Liu Chengyou saw Liu Chengyun after many years. He has gained a lot of weight, and his life is obviously quite comfortable.
"How about your uncle? It's his first time in the DPRK. He is a guest and a relative from afar. Don't neglect him!" Liu Chengyou asked Liu Chengxun when the three brothers gathered together.
As his age and experience increased, Liu Chengxun became more and more magnanimous. When asked, he responded with a smile: "It is both a family matter and a state matter. How could I dare to neglect him! It's just that I, as an uncle, felt uneasy in my heart and asked him several times. I inquired about the imperial court’s attitude towards Wu Yue. This great victory in the Northern Expedition has made these vassals very uneasy!”
Liu Chengyou asked: "Then how did you reply to him?"
Liu Chengxun said: "Without His Majesty's approval, how dare I respond rashly? I just want to comfort him and let him relax. Wu Yue has always been respectful to the court, and the Han Dynasty will not treat Qian badly!"
"Very good!" Liu Chengyou showed a smile. I didn’t say much more about this, but I was still very satisfied with the growth performance of my biological brother.
"Brother Yun, please stay in Tokyo when you return to Beijing this time. I have found a new job for you!" Liu Chengyou said to Liu Chengyun again: "There is a vacancy in the post of Zong Zhengqing. You are now the head of the royal family, so you will take the responsibility. Come on!"
Liu Chengyun is now thirty-eight years old. As far as Liu Chengyou's generation is concerned, he is indeed the eldest. However, after hearing what he said, Liu Chengyou hesitated, cupped his hands and responded: "Your Majesty, when it comes to being the head of the clan, I don't dare to be a minister!"
From his tone, Liu Chengyou heard some other meanings and couldn't help but look at him. Liu Chengyun was calm and spoke directly to plead with him. He was speaking for the emperor's uncle Liu Xin. Although Liu Xin was not a direct relative of the royal family in terms of blood, in terms of seniority, Liu Xin was the tallest among the elders of the clan who were still alive except Murong Yanchao. However, although Murong Yanchao was called the emperor's uncle, his surname was not Liu after all.
As for Liu Xin, he has been guarding the tomb in Ruiling for ten years since the Xuzhou case was launched. Ten years passed by in a blink of an eye. The life in confinement in front of the mausoleum was very painful. I heard that two of Liu Xin's sons died of illness... It's quite pitiful to think about it.
In the past few years, the Queen Mother and other relatives would sometimes ask Liu Chengyou for pardon. Even if they did not fully forgive him, they could move him to a place with a better environment. After all, he was an elder of the clan and could not be abused like this, but Liu Chengyou used excuses to drag him away. It's over. Because he was too strict with his uncle Liu Xin, Emperor Liu received some criticism in this regard. After all, the values of current people are here.
Time is a good medicine. Ten years have passed, and not many people still remember what kind of evil things Liu Xin did in Xuzhou, and how angry and resentful he was, with cries and curses filling the field. Even the people of Xuzhou are living their own small lives now, and probably no one still remembers the unforgettable memory of the past.
The same goes for Liu Chengyou. He can no longer recall the anger and the urge to kill after learning about Liu Xin's brutal behavior in Xuzhou. Even when he looked through the case files again, his heart was still calm.
For Liu Xin, if he wants to be pardoned, it will only be a matter of Liu Chengyou's words, and it will not cause any objections. Some people will even praise his generosity and kindness after killing his relatives.
However, if it had been a few years earlier, Liu Chengyou might have agreed on a second thought. But now, the situation is different. In his opinion, Liu Xin is vulgar and cruel, with a tyrannical character. Ten years of suffering may not smooth out his edges, but may intensify his hatred.
Especially when his two sons died in Ruiling, Liu Chengyou would wonder whether he would take any revenge measures if Liu Xin was pardoned. After all, he is the elder of the clan and the uncle of the Han Emperor, so Liu Chengyou is unwilling to add any more twists and turns to this matter.
Therefore, for Liu Xin, in Liu Chengyou's heart, there was only one ending, and that was to be imprisoned until death. That's right, Emperor Liu's mind was still very small sometimes. Of course, this kind of consideration cannot be expressed on the table, as it would undermine his wisdom.
After thinking for a while, Liu Chengyou said: "How many grandchildren does Liu Xin have and how old are they?"
Not knowing what he meant, Liu Chengyun replied: "Your Majesty, there are only two people left who can get the teeth, one boy and one girl. The boy is seven years old and the girl is five years old!"
"You are not young!" Liu Chengyou frowned a little, hesitated a little, and ordered: "Instruct Ruiling to send this man and woman to Tokyo, and you, brother Yun, can raise them!"
After hearing this order, Liu Chengyun was stunned for a moment, and after a while he realized that this was Liu Chengyou's last "lenient treatment" to Liu Xin's family. Sighing slightly in his heart, Liu Chengyun cupped his hands and answered: "Yes!"
"Brother Yun, you must teach them well and never make the same mistakes as his grandfather!" Liu Chengyou warned again.
"Yes!" Liu Chengyun was silent. At the same time, he secretly decided not to comment on Uncle Liu's affairs.
However, I won't talk about the emperor's uncle anymore, but I can't help but want to mention the brotherly love again. Liu Chengyun paid attention to the emperor's expression and saw that he was not limited to this and was in a good mood, so he said again: "Since your majesty regards me as the Zongzheng, can I allow you to speak about the affairs of the clan?"
Glancing at him in surprise, Liu Chengyou immediately said: "That's natural!"
After the emperor made such a promise, Liu Chengyun immediately said: "Your Majesty, before I returned to Beijing, I received a letter from Liu Jun. My cousins have been trapped in Luoyang for almost seven years, and their lives are becoming increasingly difficult. Your Majesty, do you think you can allow them to work for the court? Contribute a little bit and do something?"
"The people I have given are all rich and fertile soil. How can we support them in such a huge manor?" Liu Chengyou replied.
At first, because of the Hedong incident, Liu Chong and his family were all arranged in Luoyang, where they were allowed to study, farm, and cultivate their character. When Liu Chong was alive, his sons were relatively stable, but after his death, conflicts gradually emerged.
When Liu Chong's lineage was at its peak, these people were high-spirited and domineering. Now, if you give them some land and let them study and cultivate the fields, they will never be able to survive.
He had no other source of income and was not good at managing his land. He could not sustain consumption by relying only on the family assets left by Liu Chong. Moreover, discord gradually arose between the brothers, and Liu Chengjun, as the eldest brother, could not suppress it.
To be honest, among Liu Chong's sons, Liu Chengjun and Liu Chengxian are the most peaceful. Others could not live a hard life, and more or less, they all expressed some complaints against the emperor and the court.
At this time, Liu Chengyun interceded for his brothers, and Liu Chengyou was also a little uncertain. However, after a little consideration, I decided to take it easy and at least give Liu Chengyun some face.
Therefore, Liu Chengyou said: "Among all the brothers, only Jun and Mian can take on the duties. I will order the staff to arrange it!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liu Chengyun was already satisfied with this and did not dare to expect more, so he thanked him immediately.
