The marching camp was set up in the east of Baima City. Although there were a large number of miscellaneous personnel accompanying the march, everything was still arranged according to the requirements of marching and fighting. Strict military laws, traceable traces, and strong binding force also suffered for those nobles who accompanied Emperor Liu on a tour for the first time. Officials.
The general responsible for the conduct of the camp was Liu Tinghan, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Household. This general was favored by Emperor Liu during the Northern Expedition and was transferred to the imperial court. Seven or eight years later, he was not very famous in the court, but because he was close to Emperor Liu and held the important position of guard, no one looked down upon him.
"General, Your Majesty has summoned you!" After inspecting the camp and setting up defenses as usual, he returned to the military tent and heard the report.
Without any hesitation, Liu Tinghan put down the water he had only drank half a mouthful of, packed up his armor, and went to the imperial tent to pay homage to you.
"I have been summoned to see you. I wonder if your Majesty has any instructions?" Liu Tinghan bowed his hands in the imperial tent.
The imperial tent is quite large, with a ceiling height of three feet and three feet, which can accommodate fifty people worshiping at the same time. All the equipment is placed neatly and orderly. It took nearly two hours just to build this imperial tent.
That is because it is not a real march and fight, so I can have this kind of leisure. Liu Tinghan stood alone among them, looking much lonely. Looking at him, Emperor Liu chuckled and said: "I walked around the camp and I was very organized. Although I haven't been in the army for a long time, I haven't given up my ability to march and fight. !”
"Your Majesty, you praise me!" Liu Tinghan was a little confused. He called him. He probably didn't just want to praise him. He responded: "I am just doing what I should do as a general!"
"There are many ministers accompanying us, even more officials, and there is no shortage of children and female relatives. They haven't caused you any trouble, right?" Liu Chengyou asked.
"Your Majesty is here, surrounded by the power of heaven, and the laws of Han Dynasty are strict. No one dares to violate the order!" Liu Tinghan complimented.
Emperor Liu believed what he said, but it was hard to believe that there was harmony among such a mixed crowd. Emperor Liu cared about Liu Tinghan because his qualifications and merits were relatively shallow, and not everyone was willing to sell his face. However, since he could not bring up the difficulty, Emperor Liu said no more.
Looking at him, he directly ordered: "Next, change the route!"
After hearing the question, Liu Tinghan immediately said: "Your Majesty, please tell me so that I can make arrangements as soon as possible!"
"Turn to the southeast and pass through Puzhou and Jeju. I want to see the Wuzhang River first!" Emperor Liu said.
"Yes!" Liu Tinghan responded without any hesitation.
Emperor Liu had an accidental thought when he was inspecting the river embankment. The Wuzhang River was an important canal in the Central Plains. It was opened in the seventh year of Qianyou's reign. It used Bianshui and Jinshui as its source. As its name suggests, the river is five feet wide.
It is not a big river, but Kaifeng is directly connected to the northern states of Henan Province through this river. By the fourth year of Kaibao, the amount of grain transported to Tokyo through the Wuzhang River each year had reached 350,000 shi. Perhaps it cannot be compared with the transport capacity of the North-South Canal, but this number is already considerable. This is an important supplement to Tokyo's water transport and the backbone of Henan's water transport. In addition, if the route is changed, Emperor Liu can also visit the famous Liangshan Park along the way.
"Your Majesty, if you change the itinerary, please inform the officials of the states and counties along the way to prepare for the pick-up!" Shi Xizai, as the minister of Chongzheng Palace, was still working as the emperor's secretary during the tour, so he reminded him at this time.
"You can write a letter to inform all the states and counties, but there is no need to go to war over the matter of taking over. It's good like this in Huazhou. The states and counties are as usual. I can just be a tourist. I am not allowed to bother the people or disturb the people. What's more, It is strictly forbidden to use the excuse of welcoming the troops to dedicate more than the contribution of officers and soldiers!" Emperor Liu ordered Shi Xizai.
"yes!"
This was also something that Emperor Liu had to emphasize during his previous tours. Contributions were declined and disturbance to the people was strictly prohibited. Although there were many people on the road, all materials were available. Even if there was a shortage, there was a special fund to purchase it.
The biggest difference between Emperor Liu and Emperor Sui Yang is probably that despite all the troubles, he always cared about the people of Li. Otherwise, if we really let go and rectify it, the big man will not be able to withstand it. Take local contribution as an example. If he is like Yang Guang and demands that the local government use all the fine wines and food, he is afraid that he will not be rich in the first place. The Henan states are about to return to the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Shi Xizai obviously recognized Emperor Liu's wise emperor's demeanor. With admiration in his eyes, he praised: "Your Majesty greets you in a simple manner and refuses to contribute anything. He cares about the people so much. It is a blessing to the people. Why worry about the country not being stable?" !”
After hearing what he said, Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "After all, I went on tour to observe the local government and people's sentiments to see the effect of the new policies. If I disturb the people because of this, wouldn't it be a fault? Furthermore, in terms of contribution, Is there anything I haven’t seen in these years?”
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"Well, there is no need to be received by the officials of the prefectures and counties along the way. The chief officials of the prefectures and counties in Henan are ordered to go to Licheng before the first day of April to wait for the edict. At that time, I will summon them together!" Emperor Liu pondered for a moment and then said: "As for the journey along the way, I have eyes and ears myself, and I know how to listen and see, so I won't bother them to introduce it!"
"yes!"
"What are you holding in your hand?" Noticing the pile of memorials held by Shi Xizai, Emperor Liu asked, "Not long after leaving Tokyo, is there such a memorial?"
Faced with Emperor Liu's doubts, Shi Xizai explained: "This is a joint performance by Tao Gu, the envoy of Xuanwei, and some accompanying officials, and is about to be presented to His Majesty for viewing!"
"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu frowned immediately. When Tao Gu was mentioned, he immediately became confused as to what the old man was up to.
"What's the matter? You want them to jointly submit a memorial?" Emperor Liu expressed curiosity.
You must know that during the twenty years Emperor Liu was in power, during such a long period of time, the number of times he received joint memorials was very few. Therefore, when it came to Tao Gu and noticed Shi Xizai's expression, he naturally noticed something strange.
Glancing at Liu Chengyou carefully, Shi Xizai reported: "Your Majesty, all ministers have reported that this tour will be in Henan and will be touring Mount Tai in the east. I hope that your Majesty will carry out the Zen ceremony!"
As soon as he opened his mouth, Emperor Liu suddenly realized that this was probably the only thing that could allow Tao Gu and others to boldly connect. At the same time, he also paid attention to it. Feng Chan was no small matter, especially for an emperor.
Speaking of which, this is not the first time that ministers have petitioned him to confer Zen status. As early as the success of the Northern Expedition that year, a group of ministers in the DPRK and Henan Province submitted letters. Later, there were some scattered suggestions.
However, what moved Emperor Liu the most was probably this time.
There was an obvious change in his expression, but he quickly suppressed it. After pondering for a while, Emperor Liu said: "Feng Chan! Do you think my current achievements are enough to Feng Chan?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Xizai said affirmatively: "Your Majesty took charge of the country at a time of crisis when he was young and weak. He worked hard for fifteen years to change the world, unify the rivers and mountains, and recreate a prosperous age. Now that the world is peaceful, all barbarians have surrendered, and all nations have come to court, Your Majesty's His achievements are worthy of recognition in ancient and modern times, and I think it is feasible to become a Zen master!"
After listening to Shi Xizai's words, Emperor Liu was still very useful, but he quickly controlled his complacency and said: "It's a pity that there is still the Khitan Liao Kingdom in the north, and western Liaoning and eastern Liaoning have not been recovered. I'm afraid it's not enough for me to grant Zen like this." ah!"
Of course, the ministers and people would never take this seriously, and Shi Xizai also said the same. The only problem lies with Emperor Liu himself. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder. He feels that his achievements are unfinished and his moral character is insufficient, and he cannot be persuaded by others.
After a long time, Emperor Liu finally got rid of the ups and downs of his mood, and said leisurely: "I was originally on a tour this time, and being granted Zen status is a major event. How could I be so hasty? Please keep this letter of request for the Zen status. , Let’s discuss it later!”
"Your Majesty!" Shi Xizai was very surprised and tried to persuade him.
Emperor Liu raised his hand to stop him and said, "You are very knowledgeable. Tell me, how many of the emperors in the past dynasties have successfully achieved Zen status?"
Shi Xizai had no choice but to obey his fate.
Before Emperor Liu, there were many emperors who tried to confer Zen status, but few succeeded. In Shi Xizai's view, there were only five people who succeeded in conferring Zen status, namely Emperor Qin, Wu of Han, Guangwu of Han, Gaozong of Tang, and Xuanzong of Tang.
It can be seen from this that the significance of Fengchan to an emperor can represent his historical status. And if Emperor Liu succeeds in conferring Zen status, he will be comparable to Emperor Qin and Han Wu, and no one will say anything.
However, even though I was excited, I suppressed it all the time. Because I valued it, I demanded perfection even more. After Shi Xizai retired, Emperor Liu lay on his side on the couch, looking through the joint memorial written by Tao Gu and others. He naturally praised him and his achievements so much that he even blushed. However, looking at Have to relish...
Obviously, Emperor Liu was very moved by the matter of being granted Zen status. However, as a person with a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, he was still unwilling to act rashly while the north was still undecided.
