Qionglin Garden, as Emperor Liu's only palace in Tokyo, was visited by noble people on weekdays for outings, recreation, and cooling off. Emperor Liu used to visit it frequently and often stayed there for ten and a half days.
However, in the past two years, Emperor Liu rarely went there. He seemed to be accustomed to staying in the palace and was unwilling to move much. He would only move when the Qionglin Banquet was held after the new college entrance examination.
However, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Liu had some free time and left the palace again to visit Qionglin Garden. Of course, he wasn't the only one, there were three other nobles accompanying him.
They are not ordinary nobles, Yang Ye, Pan Mei, Shi Shouxin, three princes, three generals, the older generation of generals have made great achievements. These three people are considered the most representative and are still the pillars of the army.
In the past ten years, Sangong was "driven" out of Beijing by Emperor Liu, and Pan and Shi were assigned to take turns garrisoning Daozhou and guarding the place. Yang Ye had to travel even more. From south to north, he supervised the reform of the military system and the results of inspections. At the same time, he assisted the Privy Council in building a new national defense system. Basically, he traveled to all the states in the Han Dynasty and stayed in various borders for a long time. .
Probably because he missed them, taking advantage of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Liu issued an edict to recall the three of them to prepare to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Of course, what is more important is that the influence of the three people in the capital has been eliminated and they can be returned to the central government for appointment.
Regarding these three people, Emperor Liu's attitude is positive. The empire still has many things to rely on. After ten years of exile, from all aspects, it is time to return to the dynasty.
The scenery of Jinmingchi is beautiful all year round, especially in autumn when it is at its peak, with gentle breeze and yellow flowers everywhere. When the three princes returned, although they were not as victorious as in the past, they still worked hard, so they followed Emperor Liu and enjoyed the one-stop service of Qionglin Garden as usual.
Autumn is intoxicating. On the green grass, Emperor Liu and Yang Ye competed in archery. This is a daily reserved event. Archery is obviously safer than horseback riding.
The sound of strings trembling, the sound of breaking through the air, and the sound of hitting the target are endless. As an arrow hits the red heart, it attracts a round of cheers. Shi Shouxin, who was standing by, put down the carved bow in his hand and complimented: "Your Majesty's marksmanship is getting better and better!"
Hearing this, Emperor Liu laughed: "I have been practicing for decades, and hitting the bull's eye still depends on luck. My eyesight is not that good either. The target is at the far end, and I can only see the outline of the shadow, which is blurry. Talk about it. What a great shot, what about being diligent? Shi Qing, you are making fun of me."
"I don't dare!" Shi Shouxin responded cautiously. Probably because he had been away from Beijing for a long time, he didn't know how Emperor Liu's temperament had changed, and whether he was as scary as the rumors said, so he seemed a little cautious, cautious to the point of depression.
"Compared with me, your skills are still as good as before!" Emperor Liu seemed to be in a good mood. He made a gentle expression and pointed at several archery targets in the distance.
Pan Mei and Yang Ye also came over. Hearing this, Pan Mei smiled and said, "Your Majesty's teachings, please keep them in mind at all times. Don't dare to waste your ability to start a business and make a living. Practice it all the time!"
Emperor Liu nodded and said with some emotion: "Yes! If you are neglected and slack, it will be a huge loss for the court! They are the backbone of the court and the pillars of the country. There are many places where the court relies on you, so don't let it go too early. Nanshan!”
"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty!" The three of them looked at each other and bowed together.
There is a rest area next to it. After practicing archery, the monarch and his ministers took their seats, and the palace maid served fruits and snacks. I have to say that Emperor Liu's life was somewhat enjoyable.
In autumn, there are Baishe pears from Hedong, red dates and Schisandra chinensis from the river, oranges from Xiangzhou, and cold-food almonds from Huaizhou. There are all kinds of specialties from all over the world. Of course, according to the rules, these local specialties need to be purchased by the palace. However, the specific step in the implementation process is another matter. But at least there is such a rule to avoid some local officials. In the name of paying tribute, they wantonly exploited the local area, which not only harmed the people, but also ruined the reputation of the royal family.
The monarch and his ministers drank together. Warm wine could warm the body, but the atmosphere was somewhat depressing. After all, it was difficult to return to the original harmony. Even Yang Ye was respectful and restrained.
After chatting for a few words, Emperor Liu gradually became bored when he saw their reaction. Recently, he always had the feeling that these old heroes seemed to be alienating him as the emperor. This made Emperor Liu very unhappy, but he couldn't blame him for anything. After all, wasn't this kind of awe and submission what he wanted in the first place?
I can only say that it is an age, a stage, and a mentality.
He probably felt that such conversations were boring. As he got older and talked more, he began to complain: "In recent times, I feel more and more that my heroes are withering away, and my old friends are far away, which is very sad. You people, accompany me on the road, and weather the wind and rain. , went through a lot of hardships, just to establish the country, the king and his ministers were in harmony with each other, and they were in harmony with each other.
Why are you old, but everyone wants to stay away from me and become estranged from me! The day before yesterday, Li Chongju asked me to resign again. He was only sixty-one and already feeling late. I originally wanted him to do more for the court and share more of my worries. Unfortunately, he has a very strong ambition and is not easy to persuade, so I can only Agree, it’s all about the friendship between the king and his ministers.”
Listening to the old emperor nagging like a resentful woman, not knowing what to express, the three of Yang Ye looked at each other, but they all subconsciously figured out Emperor Liu's intentions.
Pan Mei thought for a while and said in a tentative tone: "Your Majesty, I am indeed old, and maybe it's time for me to retire!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu suddenly showed anger and reprimanded Pan Mei: "Pan Zhongxun, Pan Zhongxun, don't you think that I said these words to ask you to resign? I am so arrogant. Unpopular? Are you so afraid that the birds will be hidden, and the rabbits will die and the dogs will be cooked? Are you so afraid that I am old and stupid, and treat me like a vicious tiger that eats people?"
"Your Majesty, I don't dare, I have no intention of doing this!" Emperor Liu said the heart-wrenching words so happily that Pan Meike panicked, knelt down on the seat, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
On the side, Yang Ye and Shi Shouxin were also frightened. They put down their wine glasses, held their breath and concentrated, lowering their eyebrows.
Seeing the performance of the three people, Emperor Liu was stunned for a while. When he came back to his senses, he felt that he had overreacted, but he couldn't pretend to be gentle even if he wanted to.
Looking at Pan Mei who was almost prostrated, she still felt uncomfortable in her heart. After a long time, she waved her hands and said, "Get up! What are you doing? Today is the time when our monarchs and ministers get together to talk about our friendship. I want to speak freely."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Pan Mei stood up, but cold sweat was already breaking out on her forehead. The autumn wind blew, making it very cold. Her mind became clearer and she was more careful in dealing with it.
Even though Emperor Liu tried his best to liven up the atmosphere, it was all in vain. The three princes were so respectful that he felt awkward. After the attempt failed, Emperor Liu gave up. He understood that the distance between these heroes and him was indeed getting farther and farther.
Even though Yang Ye was so close back then, he has become unfamiliar now. His respectful and cautious attitude made Emperor Liu extremely helpless. Emperor Liu was a person who was accustomed to reflection, but in this regard, he really couldn't figure out what was wrong with him.
"Okay, I want to eat, drink, and talk with you, but it's so boring, so let's stop here today!" Emperor Liu waved his hand in disinterest.
"Your Majesty, please leave!" After hearing this, the three of them stood up and said goodbye.
In Emperor Liu's eyes, this felt like he had been granted amnesty. He immediately smiled angrily and said, "Let me put it bluntly. In addition to spending the Mid-Autumn Festival together, the most important purpose of calling you back to Beijing is to prepare you to move." As for the position, the imperial court is employing people, and it also needs you, veterans, to serve you with more dedication!"
The imperial court seems to always be in the process of employing people. The three of them seemed to have expected this, so they spoke in the same tone and said respectfully: "I am always at your Majesty's disposal!"
Emperor Liu stopped being verbose and said directly: "We will discuss the specific positions and appointments after the Mid-Autumn Festival!"
"yes!"
(End of chapter)
