There was a warm and peaceful atmosphere in Ciming Hall. Empress Fu and Concubine Zhe were both there. Concubine Gao Guifei learned about the situation and came to express her condolences. Together with several princes and princesses, it was very lively.
The protagonist is of course Liu Fang. He had his grandmother, aunt, and biological mother check him over and found that he was in good condition, which made him feel relieved. Liu Fang also took off his armor and vividly told everyone about his experiences in the Southern Expedition. This boy was quite eloquent, and he was also good at creating an atmosphere and describing things vividly and very attractive, especially to those who had never been there before. The little prince and princess in the palace are particularly attractive.
However, the arrival of Emperor Liu interrupted this royal internal story. The concubines hurriedly saluted, and the children also visited the emperor in a polite manner. He conveniently held Liu Zhao, the tenth son born to Empress Fu, in his arms and stepped forward to greet the Empress Dowager.
Queen Mother Li's age and frailty are already visible to the naked eye. The gray hair and tight wrinkles all tell the traces of time. Liu Chengyou sighed slightly in his heart and said: "Mom, your grandson has returned safely and triumphantly, so you can feel at ease now!"
With a loving smile on her face, Ms. Li looked at Liu Chengyou and said, "It's a pity that Da Lang and Er Lang are still in Jiangnan. The New Year is about to start..."
After hearing this, Emperor Liu immediately said: "Don't worry, we are raising people in the Jiangnan Water Village. The situation there has begun to stabilize. They can come back before the Lantern Festival next year!"
Seeing this, Mrs. Li hurriedly said: "That's not what I meant. The scholars and people in the south of the Yangtze River are in the land, and they have just entered the Han Dynasty. They have a lot of things to do. At the time of harmony and reconciliation, you have allowed them to represent the royal family as princes and princes to regulate the government and appease the people. Don't delay state affairs because of your own selfish thoughts!"
Over the years, the Queen Mother has had some personal preferences, but when it comes to public affairs, she has always been clear about justice. This is what Emperor Liu has admired and respected the most about this old mother for a long time.
"What you said is serious. I have made arrangements with the imperial court to deal with the aftermath of Jiangnan. We can't miss important things! They are still young, so how can they be seriously entrusted with important things? Letting them out this time is for training. They will go out for a few months. , it’s time for them to come back, not only to comfort their family, but also to give them a test!” Liu Chengyou said with a smile.
"By the way, my uncle has been away for many years, and next year I plan to transfer him back to Tokyo to take up a post!" Liu Chengyou said again, looking at his mother's old face.
After saying this, Mrs. Li looked at Emperor Liu slightly suspiciously. She knew that Liu Chengyou had not liked his uncle Li Ye very much. Feeling the confusion in his mother's eyes, Liu Chengyou took the initiative to explain: "My uncle has been working abroad for more than ten years. He has done a lot of things and achieved some political achievements. I am responsible for it. With his current ability, he is also enough to make his own achievements in Daozhou." Go to Beijing and serve in the Central Committee!"
Hearing what he said, Mrs. Li's kind eyes completely relaxed, and she was as gentle as before, and responded: "This is a matter between you, the monarch and your ministers. If you think it is appropriate, and the ministers have no objections, just make the arrangements yourself. There is no need to ask me, a woman, for advice." people!"
Even though she said this, the joy on the Queen Mother's brow was too strong.
Ever since Liu Chengyou dismissed several high-ranking uncles and released their power, Queen Mother Li has never taken the initiative to gain honor for her younger brothers or the Li family over the years. It was basically Liu Chengyou himself who took the initiative to express concern about this from time to time.
Qianyou got up early, and his uncles like Li Hongxin, Li Hongyin, and Li Hongwei occupied a large part in the Forbidden Army. Later, they all became Jiezhen one after another, and they were promoted to powerful people as relatives, and their status was prominent. However, these uncles, with the exception of Li Hongwei, lacked both their talents and personal ethics, and their official reputations were not good.
Therefore, Liu Chengyou's removal of the power of his mother's relatives certainly had power considerations, but more importantly, it was because they really did not have enough ability to hold high-level positions in the court. On the other hand, he also continued to reverse the military and political affairs of the court through this kind of move. some bad practices among them.
The Queen Mother is not a saint, but she actually cares about her brothers. Although she doesn't say it, she feels depressed in her heart. Fortunately, Li Hongxin and Li Hongwei lived a prosperous life in Luoyang and could visit Kaifeng from time to time. Li Hongwei was still in important positions and is now the commander of the Hedong capital.
The one who received the most concern and love from Queen Mother Li was her younger brother Li Ye. Because in his early years, he was unwilling to be lonely in the court, trying to show off and causing trouble, which violated Emperor Liu's taboo, Liu Chengyou directly sent Li Ye to Yuanzhou as the governor.
In the next ten years, Li Ye successively served as Zhengzhou, Jinzhou, Heyang, and now Huaibei Chief Envoy. After such a long time, it was only when I went to Beijing to report on my work that I could see each other and talk about the relationship between brother and sister.
Of course, in the process of transferring to Zhudao Prefecture, Uncle Li Guo also made some great achievements, and his political achievements were definitely good. In previous evaluations, he was overall above average. But he is obviously a troubled person, and there will always be some problems every time he takes office.
When he was in Wonju, he cracked down on smuggling, but his network made a lot of profits from it; when he was in Zhengzhou, he was regulating rivers and embankments, building roads and dredging canals, and serving the people too much; while in Jinzhou, there were no major problems, but Because Duke Li Shaoyou of the State of Shou was worshiped as the chief envoy of Guanzhong, he expressed some complaints. In his remarks to others, he expressed that as an uncle, his title and official position were not as good as that of a nephew...
Although this brother-in-law has various problems, in general, after more than ten years of experience in local duties, he has been trained and has the ability to do things. Compared with his early years, he was ambitious and talented, and was quick to speak but slow to act. It's much stronger. Otherwise, he would never be given authority no matter what.
Of course, Emperor Liu's decision to transfer Li Ye back to serve in the central government cannot be ruled out as a reason to please his mother. The elderly Queen Mother's health is getting worse every year. There is no telling when the country will be mourned. Although I don't want to think that way, I have to make a difference. At least, I can understand my mother as much as I can and open up her heart.
"By the way, I have ordered people to go to Huashan and invite Taoist Chen Tuan to come to Beijing to teach my mother about scriptures and Taoism..." Liu Chengyou said again.
From Emperor Liu's words and demeanor, the Queen Mother could feel the filial piety, and Mrs. Li couldn't help but said with relief: "You are thoughtful!"
After leaving Ciming Hall, Liu Chengyou called Liu Fang, and the father and son walked among the palace rooms in the ice and frost. Strolling around, looking at Liu Fang, who was about the same size as him, Liu Chengyou chuckled and said, "As expected, as your third uncle said, he is more energetic and more condensed!"
In front of the emperor's father, Liu Fang seemed a little unable to let go. He had the seriousness of a soldier facing a commander, probably because of his experience in the army. Seeing this, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but said: "Why are you so reserved in front of me?"
Hearing this, Liu Fang smiled and responded: "After going to Lingnan, I will definitely grow and gain something!"
