"Your Majesty!" In the Guangzheng Hall, Si Yilang Song Zhun bowed and bowed to Emperor Liu who was strolling over.
Song Zhun was the number one scholar two years ago. Because he was nearly 40 years old, he had a lot of experience and had long experience in local government affairs. Therefore, unlike ordinary scholars who watched politics, Song Zhun had a deep understanding of politics from the beginning. He was given a real job and promoted quickly.
Of course, the most important thing is that he was transferred to Prince Liu Yang and became a close minister of the East Palace. Liu Yang has also promoted some subordinates in recent years, and Song Zhun is one of Si Yilang. For Song Zhun, this was obviously a carp leaping over the dragon's gate, and he succeeded in one fell swoop.
Beautiful men are always easy to impress, especially those like Song Zhun who have both good looks, talent, and grace. Seeing Song Zhun, Emperor Liu couldn't help but secretly feel "sad". At his age, he was already a bit too tall. He seems to be the kind of person who can be handsome all his life.
Nodding to Song Zhun, Emperor Liu asked, "Is the prince in there?"
"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Prince is reviewing the memorial!" Song Zhun replied respectfully.
Noticing a memorial in his hand, Emperor Liu asked, "What is this?"
Seeing Emperor Liu's initiative to ask, Song Zhun replied: "After a joint investigation by the Three Law Departments and the Huaidong Police Department, the preliminary results of the Yangzhou case have been reached. His Highness has given instructions, which I have specially ordered to convey!"
"Preliminary results?" Emperor Liu murmured, with a little amusement in his eyes. He waved his hand and said, "Go ahead!"
"I excuse you!" Song Zhun saluted again, bowed, and slowly retreated out the door.
There is a fixed hall for the prince to handle official affairs and communicate with Zhao Pu and other ministers at any time. For a period of time, Emperor Liu agreed that Liu Yang should work in the East Palace, but later some rumors spread that the Hongde Hall in the East Palace was another small court.
After that, Liu Yang never handled court affairs in the East Palace. As long as they were serious matters, he would go to the Political Hall to discuss and deal with them. On weekdays, if there was nothing else, he would always stay in the Guangzheng Hall.
In this way, the rumors quickly subsided, and the people who spread the rumors, no matter what their intentions, were dealt with, and they were directly executed by Emperor Liu's arrangements, without being too covert, the purpose was to shock the officials and those who had their minds. Miscreants. Emperor Liu was always decisive when it came to protecting the prince, and he never hesitated to resort to thunderous means when his bottom line was touched.
Entering the palace, just as Song Zhun said, Liu Yang was burying his head in his desk, with several staff waiting around him, waiting for instructions. The arrival of Emperor Liu obviously broke the calm, and everyone hurriedly saluted.
"Everyone is exempt from the courtesy!" Emperor Liu waved his hand and ordered the courtiers: "Stand back!"
"yes!"
"Why do you have time to come to Guangzheng Hall? If something happens, I will report it myself. Why bother to come in person!" Liu Yang gave up the table, helped Emperor Liu sit down, and said respectfully. .
Emperor Liu smiled: "I just have this free time, so I came here to take a look!"
Looking up and noticing the tired look on Liu Yang's face, Emperor Liu frowned slightly, pointed his hand and said, "You have been working hard lately. I heard that you are working at your desk all day long without taking a break. This is not good!"
"Thank you for your concern, Dad! There have been a lot of things happening in the imperial court recently. The Prime Minister of the Political Affairs Hall and the ministers of various ministries and government agencies are all busy. I can't slack off. I am also learning from my father!" Liu Yang said softly.
Emperor Liu shook his head and said: "There is no need to imitate me in everything. I worked too hard back then. Worrying can rejuvenate the country, but it can also harm the body. I came in just now and saw you immersed in reading, and all the staff were standing there waiting. Wait, that's not okay. They are here to assist you, not to watch you handle official business.
As a prince, you should learn how to employ people and take everything on yourself. Diligence is enough, but even if you are young and energetic, you will be exhausted sooner or later.
If you do this for a long time, your body will be damaged. If you say you want to learn from me, it’s because you can learn from me. I don’t want you to be like me in the future, so you should take care of your health.
You often advise me to worry less and take care of my body, saying that my body is related to my family, my country, and the world, but how come I don’t pay attention to it when it comes to me. You are the prince, the heir to the Han Dynasty, and the future emperor. Your body is also related to the country and the safety and stability of the Han Dynasty. Therefore, while working hard on state affairs, you should also take care of yourself..."
Hearing Emperor Liu say these words, Liu Yang bowed and bowed, and said with emotion: "My father cares so sincerely. I am very grateful. I will pay attention to it!"
"I see that there is no shortage of available people around you. There are also a lot of capable officials in the court for you to use. I just met Song Zhun and I think this person is good and can be reused!" Emperor Liu said.
Hearing this, Liu Yang also showed a smile and said: "Song Ziping is quick in thinking, outstanding in knowledge, outspoken and good at talking, but also cautious. What's more, he can be called a capable person. He has been with me for nearly two years. The servants have given me advice, and my son has benefited a lot, so I am thinking of selecting others to use him..."
Emperor Liu nodded slightly and said: "There are outstanding people in China, and there is no shortage of talented people. The imperial court is a gathering of elites. There is no shortage of knowledgeable and knowledgeable people, but not everyone can become a talented person. Among the new scholars, there are When it comes to official work, you still need experience before being entrusted with important tasks. Some people may not be able to experience it after two or three years, but people like Song Zhun can use it immediately. You have a good sense!"
Liu Yang gave a small compliment: "I don't dare take it for granted. Song Zhun is your number one pick, so he is naturally a rare talent!"
"By the way, I just heard from Song Zhun that the Yangzhou case has preliminary results. I haven't had time to ask in detail. However, after nearly two months of investigation, there should be a result!" Emperor Liu said again.
When this matter was mentioned, Liu Yang's expression became serious and he responded: "According to the investigation, Hou Zhi's corruption is indeed true, and it is not a false accusation by Huaisi! When he was in office in Yangzhou, he colluded with salt merchants and forced the local salt merchants to Supervisor, change the accounts and profit from them!"
"Oh, how much profit did he make?" Emperor Liu became interested.
Liu Yang: "According to the confession and the money seized from the Yangzhou government office and Hou Zhi's private residence, the money, gold and silver is worth about 30,000 yuan. How much of it is dirty money involved in this case needs to be determined... ....”
"That's a lot! His annual salary is only a few lumis, thirty thousand guan, which is enough for him to serve as the prefect of Yangzhou for twenty years without food or drink!" Emperor Liu raised his eyebrows and said.
However, although he was commenting on this person's matter, Emperor Liu didn't have much excitement or anger on his face. Instead, he sighed: "I usually reward my ministers, ranging from hundreds to dozens, but I still feel that the rewards are excessive.
From this point of view, I am still a bit stingy. I am a mere Yangzhou magistrate who only served for one year and received tens of thousands of benefits. How can I win over the ministers with my small money and small favors? "
"Please calm down, dad. With so many officials inside and outside the imperial court, there are bound to be some black sheep and corrupt people. Once you encounter them, deal with them in accordance with the law and uphold the laws of the country!" After hearing what Emperor Liu said, Liu Yang subconsciously gave words of comfort.
"I'm not angry!" Emperor Liu shook his head, and even had a smile on his lips: "If you pick up a lot, you won't be surprised. There is no need to get angry about it. But having said that, Yangzhou is really a good place. Ah, the good thing is that there is prosperity and wealth everywhere for people to pick from..."
Liu Yang was silent for a moment and said: "Dad, it is said that Hou Zhi confessed that his corruption and bribery were not that much. A large part of the money seized in Yangzhou came from his family's private property."
"Ha!" Emperor Liu suddenly sneered: "What do you mean, you want to use this to reduce the punishment of the crime, or even get rid of the crime? Thirty thousand guan, even if it is half, is enough to execute him more than ten times. As for the private property, only If he can earn so much from farming, and all of it is concentrated in Yangzhou, how big is the scale of the land his family uses? If we talk about the income from business, then he must be sentenced for violating the law, relying on power for personal gain, and corrupting the code of conduct! "
In the Han Dynasty, officials were explicitly prohibited from doing business. Although the reality was more complicated, as many officials and nobles had private property and businesses, at least on the surface, it was strictly prohibited.
"The word 'preliminary' is used quite meaningfully. Are there any twists and turns in it?" Emperor Liu asked what he noticed.
Liu Yang's face became more serious and he reported: "After trial, Hou Zhi confessed to the crimes he committed. However, he defended himself, saying that he was forced to do this in Yangzhou by his superiors and had no choice. Under this situation, I have to accept the consequences and join in the corruption for the time being. All actions are to gain trust and to investigate bigger corrupt officials..."
"Do you believe this?" Emperor Liu couldn't hold himself any longer and turned his head to look at Liu Yang.
Liu Yang sighed: "I also think it's a bit absurd."
