With the birth of his fourteenth son, Emperor Liu's mood improved a bit. Many palace residents noticed that the smile they had not seen for several months reappeared on his face. This also made the eunuchs and maids who served him breathe a sigh of relief and no longer So trembling. Within the Han Palace, the emperor's mood was a barometer.
"Report to the official family, His Highness King Yong asks for an audience!" Yantuo approached and reported.
"Xuan! No, go and welcome him in!" Emperor Liu raised his eyes and ordered.
"yes!"
After a while, Liu Chengxun walked in with a calm expression and a calm pace. Inside, Emperor Liu was sitting cross-legged behind a food table. On the table was a plate of steaming dumplings...
"See Your Majesty!"
"Call me second brother!" Emperor Liu raised his eyelids and pretended to be displeased.
Seeing this, Liu Chengxun couldn't help but raise a slight smile and called softly: "Second brother!"
"Sit down!" Emperor Liu stretched out his hand and said, "You and I, brothers, will eat up the case!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty...Second Brother!" Facing Emperor Liu, Liu Chengxun was still a little embarrassed, even though the emperor's brother was acting so gentle and kind at this time. Some awe has become a habit.
A pair of bowls and chopsticks were already added to the table. Emperor Liu pushed the dipping sauce he had prepared to Liu Chengxun's side and said, "It's almost the winter solstice. I'm going to have a meal of dumplings in advance. You're here just in time. Come, Taste it!"
"Yes!" In response, Liu Chengxun moved his chopsticks, picked up a beautifully wrapped dumpling, dipped it in some of the palace's secret sauce, and swallowed it in one bite.
One thing is that although he did not deliberately change it, Emperor Liu brought some influence and some "inventions" in terms of diet.
"Pork stuffing!" Liu Chengxun said.
"Pork with mushrooms!" Emperor Liu said.
Looking at his biological brother, Liu Chengxun, who is over thirty years old, he no longer retains the youthful spirit of the past. What he sees in his eyes is calmness, aristocratic temperament, and open-minded demeanor.
"Second brother, I'm here to say goodbye to you!" After eating a few dumplings, Liu Chengxun started talking.
"We have to leave now! Why not stay a little longer? It's also winter now, so traveling is very inconvenient!" Looking at Liu Chengxun, Emperor Liu was not particularly surprised by his intention.
Liu Chengxun was silent. His current position is still that of Hebei's pacifier. This was originally a temporary assignment. It was different from the situation in the southeast back then. It had a greater symbolic meaning. Although he could manage everything, he did not have much real power. It's better than when he was in charge of Chang'an. Although he was young at that time, he could still do some practical things.
Nowadays, sometimes Liu Chengxun himself feels that he can only do things to gain fame. Liu Chengxun was always happy to stay in Kaifeng, but it still depended on the wishes of Liu Chengyou, the imperial brother.
Looking at him, Emperor Liu sighed softly and said: "I put you in Hebei because I want you to represent the Heavenly Family and sit down and comfort you as a prince. Now, several years have passed, the New Deal is running well, and everything has been settled. On track..."
After pondering for a while, Emperor Liu said again: "Let's stay in Tokyo for now. After this winter, we can make arrangements for next year!"
"Yes!" Hearing this, Liu Chengxun responded with his hands raised.
"Although mother has gone, there are still me and my sister!" Emperor Liu sighed and said: "In the family of six back then, there are only three of us, my brother and I, left, so we should have a good get-together! "
Emperor Liu's words obviously affected Liu Chengxun's mood, and his face also showed sadness, obviously thinking of Mr. Li again.
"Liu Chun is eleven years old too!" Liu Chengyou expressed concern.
"It's almost twelve!" Liu Chengxun smiled slightly.
Liu Chun is Liu Chengxun's eldest son. He has been smart and popular since he was a child. Compared with Emperor Liu, Liu Chengxun was much more single-minded. Except for Concubine Qian of King Yong, he almost ignored other women. Because of this, his children were not as prosperous as Emperor Liu. It was not until this summer that Qian gave birth to their fourth child.
"Let's do this, let him enter the palace and also go to the Wenhua Palace to practice!" Liu Chengyou said.
For this, Liu Chengxun naturally expressed his gratitude. This was not like those aristocratic children who studied in the palace, at least on the surface, they treated Liu Chun as a prince.
It was rare for the two brothers to talk freely. A plate of dumplings was obviously not enough, so they drank some wine before saying goodbye.
Liu Chengxun was in awe of Emperor Liu, and Emperor Liu actually valued his younger brother very much. At least, when the country was in difficulty in the early years, Emperor Liu regarded him as his successor.
Although there was never an explicit edict, the facts were clear to both top and bottom. However, as the country moved toward peace, Emperor Liu's sons also grew up one after another, and this incident was naturally treated as if it had never happened.
Liu Chengxun was originally put in charge of Chang'an solely to train him, and he lived up to expectations and became a "virtuous king". It is unrealistic to say that you are not wary of this younger brother at all. After all, Emperor Liu is such a person.
However, that caution was just the instinct of a suspicious emperor. Seriously speaking, after so many years, Liu Chengxun's performance still makes him quite satisfied. His reputation as a wise man is far and wide, but it is not enough to make him afraid. After all, people with great reputations are often easily burdened by them.
In Emperor Liu's expectations, he hoped that Liu Chengxun could become the "head of the clan" in the future. Compared with King Xu Liu Chengyun, he had much greater advantages and was closer to the royal family.
After Liu Chengxun retired, Emperor Liu couldn't help but think seriously about what position he would be given when he was transferred back to the court. Kaifeng Prefecture Yin? Pay homage to the prime minister? In charge of the department? Or give it to a feudal official with real power?
It is really not easy to have Liu Chengxun's status and authority arrangement.
...
"Chai Rong resigned from office, and he has to resign again. What's the reason this time?" Before the winter solstice, Emperor Liu received a letter of resignation from Luoyang, expressing his surprise.
If you observe carefully, you will find that Emperor Liu's face shows a little displeasure. Matters like this must naturally be reported to Emperor Liu to follow instructions. Neither the prince nor the ministers have the power to make decisions.
After hearing the inquiry, Dou Yi, who came to report the matter, said: "The father of Ying Gong passed away because of this appearance!"
As soon as this reason came out, Emperor Liu's expression returned to normal, and he even showed a little sympathy for his fellow sufferers. He murmured in a low voice: "My deceased mother, his deceased father, the sorrow of the old man, alas..."
"Your Majesty, I don't know how to reply to Duke Ying?" Dou Yi asked for instructions.
"I can't bear to rob you of my love, so I agree!" Emperor Liu took a deep breath and responded: "In addition, the Ministry of Rites will send an official to express condolences on behalf of the imperial court!"
"yes!"
After Chai's father died and Chai Rong was about to leave his official post temporarily, the post in Xijing suddenly became vacant. Emperor Liu suddenly thought of Liu Chengxun. It seems to be just right, but should I let him go?
After Dou Yi retreated, Emperor Liu told Yan Tuo: "Go there personally and send an edict to Liu Xu. The Chai Mansion will organize the funeral and ask him to go to Luoyang to pay homage on his behalf."
As he spoke, Emperor Liu quickly wrote a letter in handwriting, sealed it, and handed it to Yantuo. The Ministry of Rites sent people to represent the court, and letting Liu Xu go represented him.
After thinking about it for a while, Emperor Liu ordered someone to summon Wu Deshi Li Chongju. He was a little dissatisfied. The news of Chai's father's death was actually presented to him through a memorial in the ministry hall, but Wu Desi did not respond in advance... ..
Of course, if we insist on blaming him for this matter, the reason is somewhat untenable. It's just that Emperor Liu wanted to give him a beating or a spur.
It has been twenty years since Wudesi came into existence from scratch, and now it can be considered a giant. And this growth has been stable for so many years, but it is inevitable that there will be some problems, such as slackness and dereliction of duty. Even if Li Chongju is diligent, it is difficult to take care of everything.
