"Dad, is Mr. Wang dying?" In the car returning to the palace, the atmosphere was a little gloomy. Perhaps it was too quiet. Liu Jia, who was sitting with Liu Chengyou's legs in his arms, suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
"No nonsense!" Hearing this, Liu Chengyou immediately scolded him.
The princess who looked down at him, perhaps with a harsh tone, could not help but shed a little tears in her clear and innocent eyes, as if she was about to cry if she didn't comfort her.
Seeing this, Liu Chengyou sighed slightly, touched her bun, and said softly: "The prince is the meritorious service of the great man, and he is the minister of his father. He is not feeling well, so he should sincerely pray for blessings, even if the child's words are unruly. , but you can’t lie!”
"Yeah!" Faced with his father's teachings, Liu Jia lowered her head slightly and murmured: "I know I was wrong!"
Of course, Liu Jia's words cannot be said to be completely wrong, because Wang Pu is indeed approaching the end of his life. In the fifteenth year of Qianyou's reign, Liu Chengyou himself was almost thirty-two years old, not to mention Wang Pu.
Times create heroes. Wang Pu cannot be evaluated as a hero, but there is no doubt that he is a generation of heroes who grew up in this troubled world. Moreover, it was not until he was in his forties that he took part in the imperial examination, won the title of No. 1 Scholar, and became an official. Because Liu Chengyou valued him, he made several leaps and entrusted him with important tasks, which lasted for more than thirteen years.
In the early period of the vigorous Qianyou period, countless heroes emerged to eliminate the turmoil and create a prosperous age, but Wang Pu left a mark in these more than ten years.
In any case, Wang Pu has realized his own value in this life, made great achievements, became a very popular minister, and left a name in history. Moreover, even if he did go, when the coffin was finalized, Emperor Liu would never treat him lightly, and he would not be less honored at all.
Soon, the feeling of sadness in his heart was quickly extinguished. Although Liu Chengyou's heart was as solid as stone, it was also because he had experienced the death of too many heroes and important officials over the past few years. Under the power of time, the decline of old ministers is inevitable. Wang Pu is not the first, and he will not be the last.
After regaining his composure, Liu Chengyou said to Liu Jia again: "It's my Lady Jia's birthday soon, have you thought about what gift you want?"
Upon hearing the question, Liu Jia raised her little head and tilted her pointed chin. She thought for a while and said, "Every child is happy with what daddy gives him, so he shouldn't choose between them!"
Liu Chengyou couldn't help but laugh. This was the reason why he liked this eldest daughter. She was usually very strong and lively, but at such a young age, she had already shown her "emotional intelligence", especially when it came to pleasing Liu Chengyou.
Speaking of which, next month, the Jiaqing Festival will come again, and Emperor Liu will also be one year older. Since the 11th or 12th year of the troubled Qianyou period, in accordance with the established national policy, the vast areas controlled by the Han Dynasty from east to west, from south to north, have pursued a policy of rest and recuperation. For the feudal imperial dynasty, the four words "rest with the people" are too important, which represents the restoration of order, the development of productivity, and the stability of rule.
Of course, the three years since the end of the Northern Expedition were not inactive.
First of all, the adjustment of the national military was completely completed. It took a total of two years to complete. After some rectifications, the total number of the national army was just over 200,000. Compared with before the Han-Liao War, There are still some cuts.
Recuperating and recuperating, it is naturally difficult to maintain a huge army, and the external environment of the Han Dynasty is already very comfortable. Of course, the reduction of military strength does not mean the weakening of war potential. The impact of the Han-Liao War has not been completely shaken off, but the ability to explode troops is still strong.
Various arrangements have been made for the reduced army. In addition to those who have returned to their hometowns to farm, many of them have positions, which continues to consolidate the influence of the imperial court on the grassroots.
Secondly, there is the adjustment of the Han bureaucracy, which is also a long-term task. In the years since the founding of the Han Dynasty, especially in the more than ten years since Liu Chengyou succeeded to the throne, a large number of system reconstruction and reforms have been carried out, but there has never been a detailed review.
This is what Liu Chengyou did this time, especially in terms of power and responsibilities, making the division of power and responsibilities clearer, checking for omissions and filling vacancies, making the entire bureaucracy more reasonable, enhancing governance capabilities, and improving administrative efficiency.
What followed was a major adjustment of officials at the central and national levels. For more than ten years, because the main theme of the country is "unification", although local power has long been vested in the central government, there are too many unreasonable places in the appointment of officials.
Of course, Liu Chengyou's adjustment was not to remove them all, but to assess, transfer, and punish Zang. Those who stay in office for seven or eight years or even longer are the key targets for rectification. This situation was still relatively common in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
This adjustment did not really come to an end until last summer. Only now has the Han Dynasty's military affairs truly been on the right track. The previously established system has taken a big step forward in its implementation.
As for other aspects, the emperor's will was reflected in transportation. The court invested a lot of manpower in regulating rivers, building roads, and dredging canals. Liu Chengxun, Prince of Yong, who served as Minister of Industry, went out to Beijing several times to inspect the management projects of the Yellow River and Bian River. In order to prevent the embankments from bursting, a special edict was issued to let the prefectures and counties in the Huang and Bian river basins arrange tree planting along the banks. In more than two years, more than 300,000 willows were planted.
At the same time, in order to supplement the finances, the imperial court finally targeted business travel. Previously, some emperors suppressed the voices of merchants, allowing Han commerce to develop laissez-faire. However, in an empire based on agriculture, it was not the businessmen's turn to do whatever they wanted.
Therefore, when Liu Chengyou showed this intention, the killing knife was quickly swung down. In addition to promulgating a series of policies to standardize market order, the Third Division also has a relatively clear and concise commercial tax system. The collection of taxes and municipal taxes has detailed and clear regulations on the tax rates for various commodities. At the same time, the system has also been regulated for tax collectors. Tax payment and tax collection are originally mutual, at least in the system, no one can mess up.
It was like a loose net that suddenly tightened and surrounded the merchant crowd. Of course, this does not mean the stranglehold of business. It is a norm to enable healthy development. However, for many officials who implement it, this is a pig-killing operation due to financial difficulties.
Moreover, it has aroused some opposition in the DPRK, and not everyone supports it. The reason is also very direct, it infringes on their interests. Although the Han Dynasty clearly stipulates that those who hold public office cannot engage in business, and collusion between officials and businessmen is strictly prohibited, but this is not prohibited.
Liu Chengyou also understands this, so he usually turns a blind eye, but when he wants to rectify his business, no one can stop him. A little resistance can't even slow down his momentum.
In fact, Liu Chengyou did not personally end the case, but only instructed Wu Desi and Sansi Envoy to cooperate with the Sanfa Division to carry out a wave of anti-corruption, mainly targeting collusion between officials and businessmen and power-for-money transactions.
The imperial court had to deal with a large number of officials, and among the merchants, He Fuyin, a well-known wealthy businessman in Tokyo, was used as a model and punished for bribery, illegal business, beheading, ransacking homes, and exile.
This wealthy family with a profound background and which had been prosperous in Tokyo for more than ten years finally came to a dismal end and had no use for any connections. The bloody facts prove that in the face of power, no amount of money is useless. If you don't restrain yourself, you will suffer money disaster, which has caused many people to sigh.
As for Liu Chengyou personally, in the past three years, he has added a son and three daughters, and the royal family has become more prosperous...
