The car with a simple and solemn decoration style slowly stopped in front of the gate of the Duke Yu's Mansion in Tokyo. The driver gently tightened the reins, and the accompanying guards took out a low stool from behind the car and bowed to the side. Yan took off his horse and stepped forward quickly, opened the door, and carefully The ground helped Emperor Liu get out of the car.
After landing and standing still, Emperor Liu looked up at the door of Duke Yu's Mansion. Apart from the hanging plaque "Edict to Build Duke Yu's Mansion", there wasn't much that caught the eye.
"This is probably the most simple palace I have ever been to. Whether it is Xijing or Tokyo, the scene is the same!" Emperor Liu sighed softly.
In Kaifeng in winter, the climate was still very cold. The sky was gloomy, the light was dim, and there was a bit of mist in the air. The accumulated chill kept attacking. Even though Emperor Liu was wearing extra thick clothes, he still couldn't help but shiver.
This time I came out of the palace and visited the Duke of Yu's mansion. It was a surprise attack. However, I heard that Duke Wei Renpu of Yu was getting seriously ill and was becoming increasingly exhausted, so I decided to visit him in person.
In fact, Emperor Liu was still hesitant about this trip. After all, he had experienced a lot. In addition to taking the matter lightly, he could not help but have some doubts. Some metaphysics have to be believed. Emperor Liu was also worried that his personal visit was to remind Wei Renpu...
After so many years of illness or old age, and the death of so many old ministers, there were always some people whom Emperor Liu did not want to die, and Wei Renpu, the Duke of Yu, was obviously one of them.
As the most important minister during the Qianyou period, Emperor Liu relied on him as his confidant and regarded him as a good mentor and friend. His merits and prestige would not fade with the passage of time, and even became more and more fragrant with age, even though Wei Renpu had not spoken out within the court for many years. , but what is certain is that as long as he is willing to stand up, he will still get the response and support of many people.
There is no doubt that during the nearly thirty years of Emperor Liu's rule, when the Han Dynasty moved from separatism to unity, and when the world turned from chaos to peace, Wei Renpu was the most respected prime minister.
When Wei Renpu was in charge of government affairs, the court was in harmony, and there were few disputes between the upper and lower levels. Even if there were, they would be settled under Wei Renpu's mediation. During that period, the entire court was in a high-spirited and enterprising state, and everyone was working hard. Wei Renpu is the best example of doing his best in his own work.
It can be said that among the many prime ministers that Emperor Liu experienced, in terms of political clarity and harmony between the top and bottom, the "Wei Renpu Period" was second to none, and no prime minister could achieve such a height.
Unlike today, there are undercurrents surging in the imperial court, and struggles for power and profit are commonplace. The country has been unified, the world is peaceful, and people's hearts are scattered. It is not as cohesive as it was in the past, when the big Han was invincible in the world. The elite ruling class has also begun to focus on the pursuit of fame and fortune and internal friction.
Regarding this situation, Emperor Liu was very insightful, but he could not really change anything. The trend could be reversed for a while, but there would always be recurrences. After all, the environment was no longer what it was before. His power alone was obviously not enough to truly suppress everyone. Chi.
In fact, he was happy to see the ministers fighting overtly and secretly. If the ministers did not fight, how could he, the emperor, be stable? And the only thing he could do was probably act as a perfect referee on the sidelines and judge everything. disputes should be controlled within a certain range. As for more, it can only be described as weak-minded. After all, he is not a god.
And every time he thought about this, Emperor Liu couldn't help but miss the scene when Wei Renpu was in power. Of course, it was just nostalgia. He also knew in his heart that even if Wei Renpu was restored and he was in power again, the situation in the Han Dynasty would be There will be no fundamental change. Not even Emperor Liu can do anything about it, let alone Wei Renpu.
Even the gentleman prime minister Wei Renpu may not be as good as Zhao Pu and can be as stable as a rock in the endless disputes.
Having said that, why did a virtuous prime minister like Wei Renpu become famous for a while in the Qianyu era, but gradually sank into the Kaibao era, gradually or even completely disappeared from the power center of the Han Dynasty, and faded out of people's sight.
The root cause still appeared in Emperor Liu. Probably after Pingnan, Emperor Liu began to alienate Wei Renpu. It was almost a subconscious behavior.
Faced with Emperor Liu's alienation, Wei Renpu certainly felt it. He was well versed in protecting his own safety. At the peak of his career and power, he kept a low profile and even took the initiative to resign, but was rejected by Emperor Liu.
Even so, during the redistribution of central power in the imperial court in the early years of Kaibao, Wei Renpu still "successfully" retired from the position of prime minister, and was tied up by Emperor Liu with the title of a cabinet bachelor.
The Han Dynasty's cabinet was born out of the early political bachelor system. It was originally used by Emperor Liu to divide the power of the prime minister, check and balance the political hall, and assist him in handling military aircraft.
But the final development did not meet expectations. Although his status was high, he really had no real power. In particular, Emperor Liu himself gave up on the actual handling of military and state affairs, and the cabinet that relied on the emperor naturally became a An honorary position, a pension position.
Even now, Wei Renpu still wears the title of cabinet bachelor, but apart from accompanying the emperor in the early years of Kaibao for consultation, later on, Wei Renpu did not even have to be on duty in the palace, and Emperor Liu rarely summoned.
Even if he is summoned, it is not to inquire about state affairs, but just as an ordinary nobleman, chatting about romance and caring about Wei Renpu's living conditions.
It has to be said that Emperor Liu respected these veterans enough, and did not begrudge their treatment, honor, and status. However, this kind of alienation and suspicion hidden behind the prominence was very terrifying and even chilling.
But there is no way. Thunder, rain and dew are all your kindness. No matter how you feel psychologically, you must accept it honestly. This is the universal value of the contemporary world. If you deviate from this basic principle, you will abandon your faith and will completely lose your faith. Abandoned by the emperor, no matter how highly virtuous or outstanding you are, you will only end up with a miserable ending.
Logically speaking, for a wise prime minister like Wei Renpu, Emperor Liu should not be suspicious of him. Coupled with more than ten years of entrepreneurial friendship through thick and thin, no one he doubted would doubt Wei Renpu.
With Wei Renpu's character and style, it was impossible to betray Emperor Liu. However, the problem was not what Wei Renpu did, but what Emperor Liu thought.
Wei Renpu, the prime minister, had such a good reputation that he was praised by both the government and the public, and his reputation spread far and wide. Looking at his resume, after more than 20 years, there was not even a single stain on him. In his early years, he was once accused of favoritism, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. He did not retaliate at all against the officials who impeached him. He even inspected their talents and promoted them, creating a story of repaying evil with kindness.
A prime minister who was too perfect was obviously not what Emperor Liu needed, or in other words, no emperor wanted to see such a prime minister.
Wei Renpu was as innocent as a pure white lotus. He had outstanding abilities, noble character, and was praised by everyone. In the eyes of Emperor Liu, such a minister was either a virtuous and holy person, or a traitor and a loyal person.
Of course, even Emperor Liu knew very well in his heart that Wei Renpu was a loyal minister. However, many times the emperor did not simply consider whether he was loyal, and sometimes he could not help but wonder where the upper and lower limits of his loyalty were.
Emperor Liu didn't look at the world from God's perspective. He looked at Wei Renpu from his perspective. The more perfect you were, the more awkward he felt.
There is no doubt that Emperor Liu was a jealous emperor, driven by a combination of occasional inferiority and absolute conceit. In the early years, the country was still unstable, and the future of the Han Dynasty was still uncertain. He had to be suspicious of Xiongcai, maintain his rule, and ensure the safety of the imperial power.
However, as we grow older, that kind of suspicion also evolves. If it was a mixed bag of pros and cons in the past, now it has more negative impacts.
During my long career as an emperor, I also developed the mentality that there are always unscrupulous people who want to harm me, and I am always on guard against it. Wei Renpu's previous reputation was too loud, and he felt uncomfortable looking and listening, so in the past Mentors and friends are naturally alienated.
Emperor Liu was not stingy, and he was even generous and magnanimous many times afterwards, but he was really an extremely contradictory individual. He was so contradictory that if he felt there was something wrong, he would cut off even his arms, and even his heart. Pierce with a sharp edge.
The end of Wei Renpu's political career was just the product of this mental and psychological state.
In the early years, the prime ministers of the Han Dynasty were replaced casually. In fifteen years, the prime ministers were replaced five times. As for the ministers and ministers who assisted the administration, they were replaced more frequently. In the eyes of many people, Emperor Liu The performance of centralizing and constricting power also vaguely pointed out that he did not trust the prime minister.
However, after entering the Kaibao era, this speculation was obviously shattered. Taking Zhao Pu as an example, he has been in the position of prime minister for more than ten years. There may have been some hesitation in the middle, but he still sat comfortably. With.
Instead of using a virtuous prime minister like Wei Renpu, and trusting Zhao Pu for a long time, this also reflects the changes in the political environment of Emperor Liu and the Han Dynasty during the Kaibao era.
