There are two palaces in Ziwei City: Wenhua Palace and Wuying Palace, which are connected from front to back and close to the East Palace. They were newly built palaces during the renovation of Xijing and were specially designed for the residence and study of princes of the right age.
In recent years, with the improvement of the prince's education system, the life of the princes has not been as comfortable as in the early years. The establishment of various rules has greatly restricted them.
Compared with the older royal brothers, the younger princes were not lucky enough to enjoy the relatively relaxed childhood they had back then.
Six of the twelve hours a day must be spent on reading and practicing martial arts. Except for important festivals and some special events, no matter the weather, it is necessary to go to school on time and get up at midnight every day.
Regarding the education of his children, as time went by and his age increased, Emperor Liu's thoughts also changed, from the loose and liberal past to the strict rules of today.
Of course, there were too many children. Emperor Liu's energy was limited and he could not take care of everyone. Unlike before when he could invest a lot of thought and education in a few princes. Therefore, the rules and regulations for the princes' schooling were also determined by Emperor Liu. Established under the instructions of the Communist Party of China and demanded strict implementation.
Rules should be established from an early age! Emperor Liu likes rules very much, and hates those who do not follow the rules, but violate the rules and act recklessly. Therefore, he will not relax his supervision of the emperor's children.
At the same time, there is one idea that he has always insisted on conveying to these nobles of the Tian family. Born in the royal family, enjoying the honor, you must also bear its responsibilities and accept its tempering. Learning martial arts is only part of it, and it is the basis for growth and success. .
As a result, the life of the princes was not so easy. The studies were very heavy and there were many exams. If you slacked off and made mistakes, you would be punished and never indulged.
After Prince Liu Yun was granted the title of Public Palace on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year last year, the boy was as happy as if he had escaped from the sea of suffering...
The person in charge of the prince's cultural and intellectual education is still Zhang Zhao, a bachelor. The old master is almost seventy-seven years old, and he is still in his twilight years, but his body is still strong and his spirit is strong.
In his later years, he basically devoted himself to the education of the prince. For ten years, he gave full play to his remaining energy. He was also highly respected in the court and was praised highly. Emperor Liu also respected him very much and also gave him a dragon-head crutch and a red sandalwood cane. wooden. In addition, you can also be granted the title of Marquis and longevity Zhanghou.
In the afternoon, summer moves westward, and the sun becomes lower, lazily releasing light and heat. The palace had strict rules and was always quiet and peaceful, but the lawn behind Wuying Hall was a bit lively.
Seven or eight princes, plus a group of noble disciples who attended the palace, were engaged in a Cuju game, running wildly, chasing the jumping colored ball, and shouting and cheering continuously.
Emperor Liu, dressed in regular clothes, sat comfortably on a stone chair on the sidelines, basking in the sun, drinking fruit wine and eating snacks. On the side, Mr. Wen Guogong rolled up his training sleeves and walked around, shouting and giving instructions from time to time, like a coach, and he was more excited than the teenagers competing on the field.
Wen Guogong Xiang Xun is almost sixty years old, and he has basically retired from the army. Although he still holds the official position of commander-in-chief, he is basically a pensioner. Apart from receiving an extra salary, he does not do anything. Specifically The person in charge of the daily affairs of the Forbidden Army is already the governor of the three yamen, Yuhou.
This is still a means for Emperor Liu to reduce the influence of generals on the army. Du Yuhou, the third-ranking officer in the Forbidden Army, is in charge of the work, and some generals with less senior qualifications and status are appointed to serve. The three departments of front, guard and inspection The commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief gradually became useless.
Of course, there is always a place for an old commander like Xiang Xun to use his spare energy. Just like the late Fenyang Gongyao Yuanfu, Xiang Xun was lucky enough to serve as the martial arts teacher of the princes, responsible for training the princes' physical fitness. Teach military strategy.
Duke Wen is still very satisfied with this position. The job of educating the prince may be more troublesome, but after all, it is a good job, which represents his majesty's trust.
And Xiang Xun, unlike others, has prestige and qualifications. With the emperor's will and the rules, he also has real power to punish the prince. In addition, in Xiang Xun's words, although he had read some books and knew some words, he was still a martial artist. He never thought that he would be able to hold the title of bachelor in his later years...
"Xingmin, come sit down and have a rest and eat some fruits!" On the side, Emperor Liu couldn't help laughing when he saw "Coach Xiang" waving, shouting, and stamping his feet. He was very busy.
Hearing this, Xiang Xun turned around, his movements immediately restrained, he lifted his robe and sat down, and said to Emperor Liu: "Old minister, you are so presumptuous!"
"I see you, even if you are in charge of a large army, you are not so excited when facing battle!" Emperor Liu made a joke: "It seems that my sons are still more difficult to manage than the soldiers!"
"Your Majesty is kidding!" Xiang Xun also laughed: "When I was in the army, I also liked to command the soldiers to play Cuju. Now, seeing the princes flying in majesty, I wish I could get off the field to participate, but my body is already old!"
"A martyr is so ambitious in his old age!" Emperor Liu poured wine for Xiang Xun himself, while Xiang Xun held the cup carefully.
Seeing his respectful performance, Emperor Liu pointed at the princes in the field and said: "Teenage boys are the most difficult age to discipline, and they are in need of discipline. Thank you for your hard work. You can beat or scold them as you should. Take it easy! Zhang Zhao has a ruler, and you also have a military stick, so don’t be scrupulous!"
"Don't worry, your majesty! The princes still abide by the rules!" Xiang Xun responded. Of course, he would only listen to the emperor's words and not take them seriously. If they were broken, how could he afford to suffer the consequences?
"I heard that the custom of Cuju among the Han people is very strong!" Emperor Liu pointed to the field and said: "When the Northern Expedition is over and the world is completely peaceful, let the government and non-governmental organizations organize some teams to specialize in Cuju competitions, which can also enrich the knowledge of the people of Tokyo. Life is..."
"Your Majesty has a wonderful idea..."
"Okay, stop complimenting me and just mention it casually!" Emperor Liu waved his hand, rushed towards Xun and said with a smile: "The emphasis in your words makes you look more and more like those great bachelors!"
"After being in contact for a long time, I got infected and made some progress!" Xiang Xun responded.
Looking at him, Emperor Liu's smile faded and he asked: "The Star People are also well versed in military strategy. In your opinion, what is the prospect of this Northern Expedition?"
Xiang Xun was slightly stunned by the sudden change of topic, but after noticing Emperor Liu's serious expression, Xiang Xun also became serious: "Your Majesty is still worried about the war?"
"How can you not worry!" Emperor Liu stretched out his hand and rubbed his forehead, as if to relieve fatigue: "Hundreds of thousands of troops, millions of people, the court is running at high speed, all for the Northern Expedition. Whenever there is a war, there is no result before , I will always be in a state of ups and downs in my heart..."
"Could it be that the war ahead is not going well?" Xiang Xun asked curiously after hearing what Emperor Liu said.
Shaking his head, Emperor Liu pointed to the north and said: "Liu Tinghan and Yang Ye have made some gains, but they only injured their skin, which is not enough, and it was just a feint attack there. On the contrary, the Eastern Route Army, which was mainly attacking, still had no major achievements. movement!"
"I am not in a hurry for success, nor have I issued an edict to urge you. It's just that from the camp in Youzhou, the commander-in-chief of the Liao Kingdom, Yelu Xiezhenke, said that we will make our army repeat the mistakes of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty in his eastern campaign... .”
Hearing this, Xiang Xun felt something strange about Emperor Liu's thoughts, and immediately sneered: "This Yelu Xiezhen, what a big tone! This person just lived in the Western Regions, won a few battles, and achieved some fame. Faced with They are only small foreign countries such as the Uighurs and Black Khans, which are not worth mentioning. What we are facing now is our great army of Han Dynasty, and it is personally conquered by His Highness the Crown Prince. The morale is strong, and there are generals such as Zhao and Guo, who will definitely let them go. Swallow the arrogance back!"
Xiang Xun was comforting himself. Emperor Liu smiled and said to himself: "The best soldiers and generals have come out together. Zhao Kuangyin and Gao Huaide should not let me down..."
During this period of time, Emperor Liu had always been calm and calm, and he was not that involved in the affairs of the Northern Expedition, but he was concerned about it in his heart.
Whenever there was a war, Emperor Liu was always uneasy, thinking a lot and worrying a lot...
"Well, let's go to the Privy Council later to see the progress and hear the military strategy!" Emperor Liu greeted Xun.
"yes!"
