Emperor Liu condescended to visit the palace in person to visit his old ministers. It is difficult to describe how many times he visited his old ministers in more than twenty years. However, such actions are often accompanied by some "metaphysics", especially for those ministers who are sick or seriously ill.
A long list can be made, including Gao Xingzhou, Zhao Hui, Feng Dao, Murong Yanzhao, Wang Pu, Li Chuyun, etc., including the most recent Chai Rong. They all died of illness one after another after Emperor Liu visited them.
This theorem was summarized through more than 20 years of sample accumulation, and it is still continued today. The only one who was able to remain safe and sound after Emperor Liu came to visit was Guo Wei. Of course, this old fox had to resign due to illness. The authenticity of the illness is still doubtful, but Emperor Liu regarded him as it is true.
This time, Emperor Liu visited the Duke of Yu's palace. No matter what the people in the palace thought or whether they were worried about those metaphysical matters, it had nothing to do with Emperor Liu. He himself was very safe, and everyone in the palace had to be grateful to the emperor for his favor. .
When he was still in Kaifeng, Emperor Liu was also a frequent visitor to the Wei Mansion. Outside the palace, Emperor Liu visited the house many times to discuss military and political affairs and state affairs.
However, since the move to the west, the number of visits has decreased significantly, and can be counted on a few fingers. The relationship between the monarch and his ministers has obviously become much weaker.
Among them, both people were changing. Wei Renpu consciously kept a low profile and avoided disaster, and the favor of the emperor's cronies was not what he pursued. Emperor Liu gradually became indifferent. Even now, Emperor Liu still feels that he is nostalgic, but in fact, he is the only one who feels it.
At the Duke of Yu's residence, Wei Renpu did not stay ill and have a "couch confrontation" with Emperor Liu. Instead, he waited for the reception calmly.
It is in the back garden of the palace, beside the green lake, among the pavilions, bathed in the rich spring light of late spring, drinking, eating meat and chatting. Perhaps the personal relationship is no longer as close as it used to be, and Wei Renpu is obviously a little more cautious and burdensome when speaking, but the relationship between monarch and minister is still very natural.
Visiting the patient was the purpose, but it was not the main purpose. Emperor Liu wanted to communicate more with his former confidant.
Judging from the conversation, the atmosphere was good, looking back on the past and reminiscing about the past. Starting from the twelfth year of Tianfu (947), Wei Renpu followed Emperor Liu and worked under his account. Now, a full twenty-five years have passed.
Twenty-five years of spring and autumn are enough to bring about a sea of changes, including many winds and rains, many ups and downs, and many twists and turns. If you think about it carefully, you will inevitably feel a lot of emotion.
Wei Renpu is visibly old, and so is Emperor Liu. In fact, his mentality is even more twilight. After all, he is more worried and suspicious. His temperament always makes him feel uncomfortable physically and mentally.
In the political arena of the early Han Dynasty, Wei Renpu was an unavoidable figure. This can be seen from the fact that Emperor Liu listed him as the first of the twenty-four meritorious officials and civil servants.
In the past, all the prime ministers assisted each other, each with their own characteristics and different styles. However, Emperor Liu also had the highest evaluation of Wei Renpu, calling him the minister with the most prime ministerial bearing in the Han Dynasty, and praised him for his Song Jing style.
During the period when Wei Renpu was in power and the prime minister of the country, the political style and human relations of the Han Dynasty were the smoothest and most peaceful in more than 20 years. Whether it was for officials or for the people, it was the most beautiful period. Wei Renpu also fully assumed the role of a prime minister, a colleague, and an associate minister with his outstanding political talents, sophisticated handling skills, and high moral standards. The responsibilities of yin and yang.
Moreover, compared to Yang Yi, Wang Zhang, Feng Dao, Li Tao, Fan Zhi, and even Zhao Pu and Wang Pu who are now in power, Wei Renpu has the least controversy and criticism. No one inside and outside the court disapproves of his cultivation and magnanimity. At that time, this was almost a perfect prime minister.
Of course, as a minister, he is still the prime minister who once governed the country. Being too perfect is not a good thing. At least, when the ministers feared the emperor and respected the prime minister, Emperor Liu would inevitably feel a little bit disgusted when this difference was revealed.
There is still a big difference between awe and respect, and in the heart of the suspicious Emperor Liu, it would even be magnified. After entering the Kaibao Year, Wei Renpu resigned from office and gradually disappeared from the power field of the Han Dynasty. This may not be without this reason.
To this day, Emperor Liu still has a certain respect for Wei Renpu and still appreciates his character and integrity. He is indeed a gentleman prime minister.
However, as a leader, he obviously doesn't like a subordinate who is too perfect. In contrast, today's Zhao Pu is more trusted by Emperor Liu. In addition to his more capable and decisive political talents, Zhao Pu has flaws, and they are not small, and they can be sacrificed at any time. This is not the case with Wei Renpu. In him, the brilliance of human morality is too dazzling.
Through this exchange with Wei Renpu, Emperor Liu also discovered that now he is very calm, unfazed by favors and humiliations, aloof, and does not worry about anything. Neither seeking fame nor profit, he felt like he was returning to his original nature. He was just living in the palace, so content that Emperor Liu couldn't bear to disturb him.
Emperor Liu also made some jokes with Wei Renpu, saying he was envious, saying that in his current state, it would be more suitable for him to go to the mountains and countryside, be a hermit and a master, and return to nature.
If given the opportunity, Wei Renpu may not be unhappy, but looking at Emperor Liu's attitude, he would not let him go easily, so he showed a kind of open-mindedness that takes things as they come.
This visit can be said to be a summary of the friendship between Emperor Liu and Wei Renpu for more than 20 years. When he left, Emperor Liu had a smile on his face and emotion in his expression. He also made a special statement, asking Duke Yu to live his life in peace and not disturb others.
Perhaps it was really because of metaphysics that shortly after Emperor Liu passed through the Wei Mansion, he lost the heroes of the Zhu Kingdom again, and he still went to two at once. Of course, this time, bad luck did not befall Wei Renpu. The deceased were the Duke of Ru, Li Gu, who had been ill for a long time, and the old and frail King of Xiangyang, An Shenqi.
The two passed away one after another, and both were recuperating in Tokyo. When the news came, the government and the public were shocked. In response to this, even though his heart had long been numb, Emperor Liu also showed a certain degree of sadness and sorrow, and issued a special edict to abolish the court for seven days to express his condolences.
Of course, this was just a formality. Emperor Liu rarely went to court on weekdays. At the same time, all the ministers and ministers of the imperial court kept their official duties with dignity to show their remembrance of the deceased heroes.
With the deaths of Li Gu and An Shenqi, most of the twenty-four heroes of Qianyou drafted in the early years of Kaibao have withered away, less than ten years old, and only ten are still alive: Wei Renpu, Xue Juzheng, Li Shaoyou, Fu Yanqing, Zhao Kuangzan, Guo Wei, Xiang Xun, Gao Huaide, Zhao Kuangyin, Wu Xingde.
It has to be said that there seemed to be some unexplainable misfortune lingering on the heroes of the Han Dynasty, causing them to wither quickly. Even though most people died of illness and almost none died without illness, it was precisely because of this that they seemed strange and strange.
Perhaps, in later generations, people will have unlimited speculations and conjectures about the fate of the twenty-four heroes of Qianyou. This seems to be worth exploring.
Of course, Emperor Liu had a clear conscience...
