In Guangzheng Hall, Liu Yang stood in front of the propped-up window lattice, looking up at the scenery outside the hall. Although it was winter, the sky was blue and the wind was clear, but Liu Yang's face was full of melancholy and slightly worried.
Time passed quietly, and without realizing it, Liu Yang was now thirty years old. Compared to a few years ago, his appearance and demeanor had not changed much. He had already matured.
That is to say, the beard is a little thicker, and at the same time, the whole person has more troubles and worries. Not only because of the internal conflicts in the East Palace, but also for the country and the country.
In the past few years, Emperor Liu's trust in him has always been consistent, and he has once again delegated power to him. The biggest sign is that he has also let go of the power of execution and appointment of officials below the fifth rank.
This trust not only touched Liu Yang, but also put great pressure on him. Judging from the past two years, the power in his hands has been infinitely close to that of the emperor, which is unmatched by any previous prince.
Of course, the relationship between father and son, the Yellow Emperor and the crown prince is also rare. If it can have a beginning and an end, it will also be a good story in the inheritance of imperial power.
And Liu Yang's pressure probably comes from this, which is not only a feeling of this kind of almost unreserved trust, but also a feeling of concern for the country and the people.
Liu Yang had nothing to do with dexterity since he was a child, and was even a little slow. In the past, when facing Emperor Liu, he would often carry a booklet with him to record Emperor Liu's guidance and instructions, so as not to forget or appear in the process of conveying them. omission.
This is a good habit. Since it shows his seriousness, it also shows his respect for Emperor Liu. Now, this habit has been changed. After all, he can't just be a good student forever, and always be a yes man in front of Emperor Liu. He needs to have his own majesty and prestige. In addition, over the years, his ability to accept and process information has long been developed.
But in fact, he paid close attention to this good habit, and often reviewed Emperor Liu's various instructions and quotations for self-reflection.
Liu Yang was obviously a smart man, and he was also a smart prince. Therefore, he did not become arrogant and arrogant because of Emperor Liu's trust and delegation of power over the years. He took everything for granted.
It is related to the influence of Emperor Liu. Liu Yang is also a person who loves to read history and often uses history as a guide. He also knows very well that Emperor Liu's trust is hard-won and extremely rare.
But as a prince, if he loses his original intention and becomes conceited, the danger is not far away. It is true that a prince who has been in power for more than 20 years has already accumulated a powerful political force in the court. If Emperor Liu suddenly dies one day, Liu Yang will be able to win the support of the ministers very smoothly. He ascended the throne, accepted political power, and took charge of the Han Empire.
However, in front of Emperor Liu, those so-called strengths and foundations seemed insignificant. Liu Yang really knew in his heart that everything he had now came from Emperor Liu and from the four words "Jane is in the Emperor's heart". If one day he loses this, everything will become a lie.
Therefore, even as the most powerful prince in history, Liu Yang never dared to be arrogant and always remained humble, maintaining respect and loyalty to Emperor Liu.
There is a saying that the Han Empire is now politically stable and the imperial family is "harmonious". Prince Liu Yang's role and contribution are much greater than that of Emperor Liu.
Without a prince like Liu Yang, and relying solely on Emperor Liu's strong character and style, we don't know what kind of situation this situation will present internally.
From this point of view, Emperor Liu was lucky. There was Empress Fu in the harem who was wiser than her eldest grandson, a diligent and gentle prince in the court, and Zhao Pu, an expert in governing the country, in the political hall.
With the help of these three people, in the nearly twenty years when the Han Dynasty was heading towards a prosperous age, it was able to be as stable as Mount Tai and move forward through the waves. Emperor Liu was a good player at playing power and fighting, but this was based on his status as emperor and the imperial power he held. Without these two things, he would not be able to "do everything to his advantage".
During Emperor Liu's thirty-year career as emperor, including when he was still in the Hedong Palace, countless examples could be found to prove that Emperor Liu was not good at dealing with interpersonal relationships.
In the early years, you may have been able to suppress your true nature, maintain false humility when facing people you trust and value, release gentleness and kindness, and pretend to be a holy lord and wise king.
However, the emperor has been in office for a long time, the country is at peace, the world is stable, and he is used to being aloof and monopolistic, and the humility of the past is constantly disappearing.
For Emperor Liu, everyone and everything need a foundation of trust, but nowadays, there are actually fewer and fewer people who can gain his trust.
Even Wei Renpu can be suspicious, so who else can make him feel his heart and soul? In the past, the relationship between Emperor Liu and Wei Renpu, Wang Pu, Murong Yanzhao, and Chai Rong, the civil and military ministers, was a good story. It was a model of the harmony between the emperor and his ministers.
But these people all passed away one after another. At the same time, did these people have unreserved respect and loyalty to Emperor Liu? Emperor Liu himself didn't believe it. The key was that Emperor Liu was in that position, and these people needed to rely on Emperor Liu to realize their life values and ideals. This was a mutually beneficial relationship.
Even Yang Ye was loyal and reverent towards Emperor Liu. Let’s not talk about the past for now, but now, if we interview Yang Ye’s inner world, his feelings and awe towards Emperor Liu will also account for the majority.
This is Emperor Liu, an emperor who gradually became a single husband and a loner, a political creature who was extremely thoroughly assimilated by power.
It is conceivable that without Empress Fu and the prince, Emperor Liu's old age would be difficult to see any glory. Perhaps he would only be surrounded by loneliness and coldness.
Even the little Concubine Zhou Yifei, who has been favored all these years, has never entered Emperor Liu's heart behind the backs of you and me. No matter how favored she is, she is just one of Emperor Liu's concubines. If she falls out of favor, the ending will be with Concubine Zhou Shu. Maybe there won't be any essential difference.
For Emperor Liu, Liu Yang's role was already very special, and it was even more important in terms of the overall situation of the court. Take the Zhao-Lu party struggle that has lasted for several years in the court. Emperor Liu rarely ended up personally involved, but for the sake of the harmony and stability of the court, the role of the prince Liu Yang in it was rarely known.
Although he disliked Lu Duoxun, Liu Yang still tried his best to maintain a balanced situation and coordinate the relationship in the court. Liu Yang often settled the "lawsuits" between Zhao and Lu.
Take Zhao Pu as an example. He has been the prime minister for fifteen or sixteen years. This is really shocking when Emperor Liu is in charge of the country. Not to mention other things, let’s look at how the prime ministers of the Han Dynasty behaved during the Qianyu era. Those who come here will know.
But how could Zhao Puhe be able to gain the trust of Emperor Liu so much that he was willing and dared to put him in the position of prime minister for so long? Just because of his outstanding ability to govern the country and because he would cater to Emperor Liu?
Obviously it is impossible. The world will not be unable to function just because of the lack of Zhao Pu, and the court does not lack the talents of prime ministers. Liu Yang, the prince who could take on important responsibilities, was also a guarantee for Emperor Liu.
In Emperor Liu's eyes, with Liu Yang around, he was not afraid that Zhao Pu's power would threaten his imperial power. With Zhao Pu around, he was also not afraid of Liu Yang, the prince, overstepping his authority. This was also a kind of check and balance.
Of course, this situation will occur because Emperor Liu is increasingly leaning towards stability and security, and is unwilling to change easily unless necessary.
However, one thing that cannot be denied is the role that Prince Liu Yang played in it. In the past twenty years, while the Han Dynasty has been developing steadily, the upper class has begun to solidify and form fixed classes and interest groups. The root cause may also come from the solidification of Emperor Liu's own thoughts.
