Wang Yinwu's concerns were somewhat prescient. Although it was a little slow, the affairs in Hexi were still known to the eyes and ears of the Imperial City Department, and they were reported to Zhang Dejun as soon as possible.
Unlike Wang Yinwu, who still had room to digest, analyze, and judge, Zhang Dejun set out for the palace as soon as he received the news, hoping to report the bad news to Emperor Liu.
Outside the Chongzheng Hall, Prince Liu Yang and Prime Minister Zhao Pu were summoned, and they happened to bump into Zhang Dejun, who was "excited". Seeing these two people, Zhang Dejun hurriedly greeted them and saluted.
Lifting his hand to show that he was not polite, Liu Yang looked at Zhang Dejun and asked calmly: "Has Senior Officer Zhang been summoned by His Majesty as well?"
Eunuchs always seem to age more slowly. Zhang Dejun is also in his fifties, but apart from a few more wrinkles, his appearance has not changed much from what it was twenty years ago. Even his white hair Not many more.
"Back to Your Highness, I'm here without being summoned. I have something important to report!" Zhang Dejun responded.
Looking away from Zhang Dejun, Liu Yang didn't say much. He tilted his head and greeted Zhao Pu politely: "Prime Minister Zhao, let's go into the palace to have an audience. Don't keep your majesty waiting!"
Zhao Pu nodded and said with a smile: "Yes! Your Highness, please!"
However, after setting off, Zhao Pu quietly slowed down, lined up with Zhang Dejun, exchanged a look with him, and asked in a low voice: "What happened?"
Zhang Dejun squinted his eyes, slowed down his steps, and said in an equally low voice: "Something big has indeed happened!"
As he spoke, he briefly told the story of the robbery and murder of the Black Khan Mission, and then said nothing more. Zhao Pu's originally calm expression suddenly became uneasy. His eyebrows were high and the corners of his eyes twitched involuntarily.
After looking at the Chongzheng Hall, the tall and majestic gate seemed to have become the mouth of a beast eager to bite people. I felt a little cold in my heart, but I had to calm down my ups and downs and enter the hall.
Emperor Liu summoned them, and there was no need to make any other guesses about what it was about...
In the Chongzheng Hall, the oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating. When Liu Yang and the others arrived, Wang Yinwu was kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear. Emperor Liu leaned slightly sideways and sat behind the court case. He did not look furious, but the fact that his anger was not exposed made him even more frightened.
"Here you are! Sit down!" Seeing the person coming, Emperor Liu's eyes became a little angry and he motioned to Liu Yang and Zhao Pu. As for Zhang Dejun, he only glanced at him.
"Talk to the prince and Prime Minister Zhao about the matter!" Emperor Liu said to Wang Yinwu.
"Yes!" It seemed that someone came to share the pressure. Wang Yinwu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the pressure as heavy as a mountain on his body was relieved a lot. Not daring to neglect, he told the Hexi report in detail.
After Wang Yinwu said this, both Liu Yang and Zhao Pu were shocked. Even Zhao Pu, who had foresight, couldn't help but feel surprised. Zhang Dejun just briefly revealed it to him.
Without waiting for Liu Yang and Zhao Pu to answer, Emperor Liu started to complain: "What a weird thing! A mission from a country, in the territory of our Han Dynasty, under the rule of the imperial court, was robbed and killed by thieves, and almost no one survived. A whole team of border officials The military escort could not guarantee the safety along the way. Is the public security in Hexi already so bad?
Wang Yinwu concluded that the crime was committed by horse bandits. I am very curious about what kind of horse bandits dare to attack the army and kill a country's envoys. What kind of force has the strength and courage?
ah? I have heard about the horse bandits in the northwest for a long time! Now, I remember it!
Even if they are horse bandits, what are the civil and military forces in Hexi doing? Even when foreign envoys come to court, they can't protect them. Could it be that they feel that peace has been at peace for a long time, so they think that the world is at peace?
What's going on with Liu Fang? Are you just busy riding horses and hunting? Let him sit in the northwest and get such a result? Even the horse bandits can't be suppressed, so why do I need him? "
Emperor Liu's tone was not too strong, but the anger of the old emperor revealed in his words was completely beyond words. Even Liu Fang, the king of Zhao whom he always loved, was so critical, let alone others.
Zhao Pu made a judgment on the matter in his mind at the first moment. The matter was serious, the nature was too serious, the impact was too bad, and the Hexi officialdom was probably going to be shaken up.
However, Lu Duoxun has been operating in Hexi for a long time. Is there anything he can take advantage of? Almost subconsciously, Zhao Pu could not help but move closer to the direction of party struggle...
Liu Yang quickly calmed down after a brief shock. Looking at Emperor Liu who was shrouded in anger, he stood up and said: "Your Majesty, such a big case has happened, which is really shocking. However, I think we should deal with the aftermath now. First, control the negative impact to a minimum!”
"You can see clearly!" After listening to Liu Yang's suggestion, Emperor Liu's anger calmed down a little, and he said calmly: "Tell me how to deal with the aftermath!"
Facing Emperor Liu's somewhat unemotional gaze, Liu Yang's heart tightened. He also realized that if he couldn't explain the reason, he would inevitably be angry and blamed.
However, Liu Yang's mentality has been tempered for a long time. This little pressure is nothing, so he thought about it and said calmly: "First, send a special envoy to investigate the cause and effect of this matter; secondly, Second, hunt down the thieves who have committed evil deeds with all their strength, completely eliminate these evil thieves who are harming the people, and restore stability to the place; third, send envoys carrying gifts to the west to report and explain the matter, so as to avoid two conflicts. The country has had unnecessary disputes over this matter..."
Liu Yang's suggestion was still logical, well-organized, and well thought out. However, Emperor Liu's reaction was just two words: "That's it?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yang couldn't help but secretly thought that the reason why he suggested this was to control the impact of this matter as much as possible, but Emperor Liu obviously didn't think so and it must be expanded.
Staring at Liu Yang, Emperor Liu said coldly: "The matter must be investigated clearly. No matter who he is, he will be found out by me!
However, these are not bandits, they are rebellious thieves. This is a direct provocation to the imperial court. What they want to eliminate is not just one group, but all of them. Let the Privy Council issue orders and mobilize the garrison in the northwest to kill all those bandits and thieves. If there is one, kill one, if there are one thousand, kill one thousand, if there are ten thousand, kill ten thousand! "
The words "kill" came out of Emperor Liu's mouth one after another. Although it was summer, everyone present felt the chill from the inside out. Liu Yang even felt like his scalp was numb.
Emperor Liu had not yet finished speaking: "Also, in the past few years, both the Imperial City Department, the Wude Department, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate have reported that the public order in the world is becoming increasingly unstable, and there are many rogue bandits. From all directions, across roads and states, plundering merchants and traveling people?
This situation has threatened the safety of the people and even affected the stability of the country. What are our officials doing, and what are our officers and soldiers doing?
What year is it now? Twenty years since opening treasure? Could it be that I am old and confused? Otherwise, I would have thought that it was the twelfth year of Tianfu and the first year of Qianyou! "
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Take care of your health!" Emperor Liu's angry look frightened people so much that when Liu Yang saw this, he could only bite the bullet and comfort him: "As for the issue of local public security, I will also discuss it with my ministers. However, we are already working on promulgating resolution proposals.
The ministers and others believe that the reason why thieves are scurrying around is that the flow of civilian population has become more frequent. The ministers and others believe that the main direction should be to strengthen household registration inspection and management and to eliminate local security..."
Immediately afterwards, Liu Yang reported on the solution to the local security problem that was under discussion. Emperor Liu heard this, thought about it for a while, and gave an approving attitude: "Finally, you are not so slow. , this is necessary, give me a nationwide crackdown, throw those thieves who stole, robbed, raped, raped, and killed all into the prison camps. For such scourges and scum, the prison camps are their best The place to go!
Also, directly sue the local governments. If I hear that banditry is incessant and the public sentiment is unstable, it will not just be about suppressing bandits! "
"Yes!" Although Emperor Liu was still frighteningly strong, Liu Yang relaxed a little and just wanted to be reasonable.
However, the heartstrings soon tightened again, and Emperor Liu continued: "Why don't you mention such a big case in Hexi to the local civil and military officials? Wang Ming, the chief official in Hexi, is the first to bear the responsibility. I have been wise and capable all my life, but am I going to lose my security in the end? The court also wants to investigate Hexi, and I want to see what kind of officials, what kind of officers and soldiers can tolerate bandits causing such wanton harm to the place!"
"Your Majesty, the banditry in the northwest has been going on for a long time. It has only been two years since Wang Shijun came to Hexi. This..." Seeing that Emperor Liu wanted to take action on Wang Ming, Liu Yang said something pertinent.
Emperor Liu said slightly indifferently: "Then why has such a major evil deed never happened before, but it happened during his tenure and under his rule? Did he give the rebels courage, or was he simply unable to Can we manage Hexi well?"
Wang Ming was also a well-known and capable minister in the Liu Emperor's era. He was capable of both civil and military affairs and was capable in everything he did. He was always active in the upper echelons of power in the Han Dynasty. I won't mention it earlier, but for at least twenty years, every time he held a position, They are all feudal officials.
But even for such a famous minister, if something happens, he will still be blamed.
