Wandering aimlessly between the palace rooms, Emperor Liu never spoke, and the footsteps accompanied by the autumn wind seemed a bit dull. The longer the silence, the more depressing the atmosphere became, which made Lu Duoxun, who was accompanying him, even more tormented.
For a long time, when Lu Duoxun couldn't help but try to say something to make up for it, Emperor Liu finally said: "Do you think the Hou Zhi incident is just a matter of unclear identification and improper employment of people?"
Hearing what Emperor Liu said, Lu Duoxun's heart sank. He prided himself on being shrewd, but at this moment he couldn't help but feel distracted and uneasy. Under the suppression of Emperor Liu's "Longwei", he could not understand the meaning of these unclear words. Understand what the emperor is thinking.
He could only say uneasily: "I am guilty!"
"Haha..." Seeing this, Emperor Liu couldn't help but laugh. His tone did not change much, and he still exerted pressure calmly: "Because of the Yangzhou case and the recent trend in the court, you are in a whirlpool. You must have heard it!
What did the ministers say? You, Lu Duosun, indulged in personal friendships, used nepotism, used the state's official tools to cultivate party members, and promoted a huge corrupt crocodile!
Those who are close to vermillion are red, those who are close to ink are black. Hou Zhi is such a greedy and law-breaking person. What kind of person are you, Lu Duoxun, in private? Even I can't help but wonder if you and that Hou Zhi have the same chemistry! "
Emperor Liu's words were so serious that they shocked Lu Duoxun's heart. He immediately defended himself with some excitement: "Your Majesty, it is clear that these villains are spreading rumors and slander! Even if I die, I will not dare to corrupt the laws of the country and deceive the emperor." Don’t bother!”
"Why, are there so many villains in the court?" Emperor Liu asked with a surprised look on his face: "Don't you often say that the court is full of wise men? You Lu Duoxun also said this, right? Why, now Changed your tune?
Why do so many villains suddenly appear in the court? Just now, there are just some officials and censors. I can listen to what they say or not.
However, in the memorials I received, it was not just those Qingliu admonishers, but also what other ministers and ministers said. Do you want to follow me to Chongzheng Hall and see for yourself? "
"I don't dare!" Lu Duoxun buried his head low and bent his waist very low. This was the first time he was so embarrassed since entering the imperial court. Of course, only Emperor Liu could make him be so humble and careful. .
"I can tell you something. People say that you, Lu Duosun, are arrogant, arrogant, domineering, and arbitrary..." Emperor Liu stared at Emperor Liu and said softly: "These are not good words. , I don’t know what you think, but I can tell you my experience, is your popularity in the court so low, Lu Duosun?”
"Your Majesty!" Lu Duoxun's voice finally got louder, and he knelt neatly at the feet of Emperor Liu, and solemnly reported: "No matter how dissatisfied my ministers are, I don't care. I only want to be your Majesty's loyal minister and do my best to serve you." When working in the imperial court, even if you are isolated from other officials and become a lonely minister, it is not a pity!"
After hearing his plea, Emperor Liu looked at him silently for a while, turned around and continued walking forward, saying lightly: "Get up and talk!"
"Yes!" Perhaps because he was too excited, Lu Duoxun's eyes were already a little red. He raised his head and looked at Emperor Liu's back dimly. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat on his forehead and hurriedly got up and followed on tiptoe.
"Let's go back to Hou Zhi!" Emperor Liu was still walking slowly and said slowly: "I don't care about your personal friendship. He was recommended by you. If he commits a crime, you must be jointly and jointly responsible for it." !”
"Yes, I understand that no matter how your Majesty punishes me, I will never complain!" Lu Duoxun said immediately.
Emperor Liu paused for a moment, and then said slowly: "However, people always make mistakes. Sometimes I am not sure about people. The most unpredictable thing in the world is the human heart. Just like now, I don't know , what exactly were you, Lu Dosun, thinking in your heart when you expressed your stance to me, and are you really going to have no complaints!"
In the past, no matter what others thought, Lu Duoxun felt that Emperor Liu got along "very well". At least when he communicated with Emperor Liu, he was always in harmony with the emperor and his ministers, and he could feel Emperor Liu's regard for him. value.
However, Emperor Liu at this time completely subverted his inherent impression. At least he had never experienced such "aggression" from Emperor Liu, which caught him off guard and made it very difficult to deal with it.
There were ups and downs in his heart, probably to express his sincerity, Lu Duoxun said eagerly: "If I get the king's sword, I would rather have a disembowelment to show my sincerity!"
"No need! Why do you have to say it so seriously, so bloody, so cruel?" After hearing what he said, Emperor Liu immediately interrupted his passionate performance, and his tone was still unhurried: "If you want to compete, I can I don’t want to be King Zhou of Shang!”
Hearing what Emperor Liu said, Lu Duoxun's face turned pale, he was speechless and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, I, I, I made a mistake!"
Emperor Liu waved his hands, looking unconcerned, and said calmly: "I heard that you visited Hou Zhi in the Prison of the Ministry of Punishment. What, were you going to question and rebuke, or to comfort, discuss, and give him advice? ah?"
The fine sweat on Lu Duoxun's forehead could not be wiped away no matter how hard he wiped it. As Emperor Liu asked questions, it seeped out involuntarily, and the worry and eagerness in his eyes were particularly obvious.
Without waiting for a reply, Emperor Liu looked directly into Lu Duoxun's eyes, and his tone became serious for the first time: "Tell me honestly, was it your idea for Hou Zhi to sue Yang Kefa?"
Faced with such an unabashed question, if it were winter, Lu Dosun would have taken a breath of cold air. Of course, in this autumn, it would have been enough for him to drink up the cold air.
Emperor Liu's gaze brought a full sense of oppression. Lu Duoxun didn't dare to look at him at all. He felt that the air was oppressive and suffocating, and something was wrong all over his body.
How to answer this kind of question? I feel endless tangles and crazy contradictions in my heart. Can I admit this? If you don't admit it, it's obviously bullying the emperor in person. To be honest, it's asking for trouble. With the Hou Zhi case being determined, it will make you fall deeper into this muddy water.
Lu Duoxun's confusion was visible to the naked eye, but Emperor Liu obviously didn't want to give him time to hesitate. Seeing that he was hesitant, he asked with a smile on his face: "Why, is this question difficult to answer?"
Horrified, he subconsciously looked up at Emperor Liu. Lu Duoxun gritted his teeth and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I went to see Hou Zhi in prison that day. He did confess to me the corruption in Huaidong official circles... ..”
Still did not dare to answer directly, and Emperor Liu seemed to be satisfied. He did not go into details, but turned his head and said leisurely: "Then do you think it is credible? The prince thinks that this is Hou Zhi jumping over the wall and biting wantonly. I think it makes sense to muddy the waters in this pool!"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is wise, and His Majesty is wise!" Lu Duoxun said in a deep voice with a hint of gloom in his eyes.
"Lu Qing, if I remember correctly, it has been more than 20 years since you entered the imperial court from Jinshi High School!" Judging from the title, Emperor Liu has entered into a normal conversation again.
Seeing that Emperor Liu was looking forward to going west again, Lu Duoxun also solemnly sighed: "It has indeed been twenty years since I was appointed by your Majesty to be an official!"
"Twenty years!" Emperor Liu said: "Time flies by so quickly. Do you know why people say you have the potential to be number one, but I ranked you third and asked you to go to the third hall? How many years have you been reading?”
Lu Duoxun asked tentatively: "I was too young back then?"
When Lu Duoxun took the imperial examination, he was not yet nineteen years old. It can be said that he was in his prime and in his prime, and he was known as "Lu Lang".
"This is not the main reason!" Emperor Liu also said bluntly: "It is that you are too arrogant. Even the boring Hongwen Hall and the bitter cold of the northwest have not smoothed the edges of your bones.
Of course, I also like ministers with character and energy. Otherwise, do you think that in just twenty years, you can become a scholar, become a prime minister, and become a highly respected minister?
Wang Zhuo, that is my veteran minister, and even more so your senior. His loyalty is known both inside and outside the court. He has also been transferred to the central government. Why do I still put him second to you?
A prime minister in his early forties is extremely rare in the Han Dynasty! "
Hearing what Emperor Liu said, a wave of emotion appeared on Lu Duoxun's face, and the fire in his heart arose spontaneously. He respectfully said: "Your Majesty appreciates the favor of promotion. The sky is high and the earth is high. I am so grateful that I cannot forget it!"
"Why do I need you to be grateful? I promoted you just because you are talented, capable, and useful to the court!" Emperor Liu pointed out lightly: "However, you should also think carefully about how you can be useful to the court!" The imperial court, not competing with Zhao Pu for power in the political hall! In any case, he is the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, and as a subordinate, respect and dignity are necessary for you!"
"Remember, I can protect you once and tolerate you once, but never a third time..."
