Countless facts and cases in the past have proved that the center of gravity of the empire is not in the capital, but in the palace. Emperor Liu was at the center of absolute power of the Han Dynasty.
In comparison, the location of the imperial capital has become secondary. Even Luoyang's majesty has lost a bit of color due to the long-term absence of the emperor.
It took countless manpower and material resources to complete New Luoyang, but it did not take long to actually be used. No matter what the reason was, it was regrettable in the end.
Emperor Liu made Luoyang his capital because of its beautiful mountains and rivers, but if he really wanted to say where to live comfortably, Kaifeng was the obvious choice.
When asking the nobles and ministers of the Han Dynasty, they also preferred Tokyo. The prosperity there can be said to have reached the peak of this era. The economic and transportation advantages are huge.
In today's era, when the threat of the Yellow Emperor has not broken out, although Luoyang is a thousand-year-old capital, compared with Kaifeng, it is indeed not that popular at the moment.
More importantly, it depends on habits. Taiyuan is the place where Longxing is established, and Kaifeng is the place where it was founded. What does Luoyang count? Emperor Liu has always been reluctant to overhaul the Kaifeng Palace. Perhaps he had some mysterious concerns. If Kaifeng was completely perfected and turned into a complete comfortable home, he would be really unwilling to move, and then repairing Luoyang would be meaningless.
At that time, he moved west to Luoyang and stayed there for less than ten years. He was granted Zen status in Mount Tai. When he returned to the west, he passed by Kaifeng and stopped. After a period of rest, he reached the 22nd year of Kaibao.
Therefore, Luoyang has inevitably been embarrassed in the past few years. Although it is the legitimate imperial capital of the Han Dynasty, the emperor has been absent all year round, the court institutions have been deserted, and its functions have once again been replaced by Kaifeng.
However, regardless of its historical heritage, vast city, or magnificent palaces, Luoyang is better than Kaifeng. We can see each other, the battle between the two capitals will be long-term.
It must be said that Empress Fu's death was an opportunity for Luoyang, an opportunity to welcome back the emperor and the court. In fact, this is indeed the case. After many years, Emperor Liu came to Xijing again.
Due to the period of national mourning, the welcoming ceremony was naturally less lively, but more solemn.
Luan Jia came from the north and walked around the city. When he arrived at Dingding Gate, Luoyang Mansion and officials staying in Taiwan had already prepared to welcome him. They were extremely careful and did not dare to be careless. If something went wrong, Liu might be attracted to Luan Jia. If the emperor is unhappy, the consequences are unpredictable.
In front of the Dingding Gate, Luan Jia stopped under the control of the charioteer, and immediately after, the entire team was released from the marching state. Under the curious and awed gazes of all the onlookers, the curtain was opened, and Emperor Liu slowly walked down the stairs.
Although he tried his best to show that he was strong and did not need help from others, trying to pretend to be a hard shell, his twilight state still showed up inadvertently. The death of Empress Fu was indeed a huge blow to him. .
Before, Emperor Liu's hair was still mixed with a little gray, but now it is completely white... However, the power of the old tiger is still there, and the more so, the more people are awe-inspiring.
With the miserable wind blowing across his face, Emperor Liu looked up at the tall and majestic city walls of Luoyang. After staring for a while, he murmured: "Luoyang, if I remember correctly, I haven't seen you for ten years..."
"Guan Jia, it's been eleven years!" Yan Tuo said softly after hearing this.
"It's really not short!" Emperor Liu sighed with emotion: "It's still magnificent!"
"Only if the official family is here, can it live up to the name of Xijing. Otherwise, no matter how magnificent it is, it will be like nothing!" Yan Tuo complimented carefully.
"Where is An Shouzhong?" Emperor Liu asked.
The current governor of Xijing is An Shouzhong, the king of Xiangyang. After resigning from the Anton governor's office and recuperating for a few months, he was appointed as the governor of Luoyang.
Among the many noble families in the Han Dynasty, the An family is relatively low-key, with no faults and no outstanding achievements. Among the twenty-four meritorious families with inheritance, the An family has such a low sense of existence. ’s.
However, An's family was one of the few kings with different surnames in the Han Dynasty. There were many princes in the Han Dynasty, but they were stingy in awarding princes and titles. There were strict restrictions on the clan. The princes were all tested, let alone those with different surnames.
Up to now, there are four different surnames in the Han Dynasty: Fu, Zhao, An, and Qian, and each family has a very deep historical origin. Among them, An's weight seems frivolous no matter how you look at it or how you compare it.
Needless to say, the Fu family has been an evergreen tree for three generations. A large family has great influence in the military and political circles. They have been trying to win over Liu Zhiyuan since then, not to mention the relationship between Empress Fu and the prince. The Zhao Kuangzan family has the merit of guarding Youyan and blocking Hebei. Qian Hongchu, King of Huaihai, dedicated the two Zhejiang provinces to the imperial court.
Compared with these three, An's throne came a little too easily, all because An Shenqi was based in Shannan, suppressed the two lakes, and defended the Central Plains. This point, it seems now, is not very convincing. In the eyes of many people, An Shenqi's role back then could be accomplished by any capable minister.
In fact, because An Shenqi was based in Xiangyang, the Han Dynasty had no worries about Jianghan for several years. When the imperial court freed up its hands to regain the two lakes, it was just like a cook removing an ox, and it was a matter of course. All of this had the foundation laid by An Shenqi. Of course, few people look at the problem in light of the situation at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and face up to An Shenqi's influence and contributions to the court at that time.
In the eyes of most people, An Shenqi just made his debut early and gained a high reputation. When the later Jin Dynasty collapsed, he gained another good territory and was full of luck. Although his evaluation of An Shenqi is this, his evaluation of An Shouzhong, who inherited his title, is even lower. He just has a good father.
In comparison, it was a pity for the Gao family to lose their throne, which inevitably made people resentful. You must know that Gao Xingzhou was promoted to King Linqing, and he also contributed to the pacification of Wei Bo. Compared with the troubles of Jianghan, the Wei Bo rebellion at the beginning of the country directly endangered the newly established Han Dynasty.
Even so, after Gao Xingzhou's death, the throne could not be inherited. Although it was Gao Huaide who took the initiative to reject the throne, without Emperor Liu's will behind it, Gao Huaide, no matter how humble he was, would not have taken the initiative to push the king out.
Because of those criticisms and rumors, An Shouzhong took the initiative to resign from the title of king. Emperor Liu was really moved, but in the end he still didn't agree and sent an edict to appease him. Titles, honors, and honors are given by the country, so how can we refuse them lightly?
Of course, Emperor Liu was not the only one who was considering An Shouzhong. If he approved this request, where would that leave the other kings? In addition, Emperor Liu's mind is not always so small...
"I respectfully welcome His Majesty back to the capital!" Soon, An Shouzhong and a group of important officials from Xijing arrived and saluted respectfully.
"Flat body!"
Without saying anything for a moment, Emperor Liu looked at An Shouzhong carefully. It must be said that An Shouzhong took good care of himself. He was similar in age to Emperor Liu, but he was obviously much more energetic. Like fine wine, it became more fragrant with age. In the autumn wind, his long beard and clothes are moving together. This elegant demeanor can compare with Emperor Liu.
"Long time no see, An Qing is still as charming as ever!" Emperor Liu praised softly.
Hearing this, An Shouzhong hurriedly said: "I am too old and feeble to be ashamed! Your Majesty's dragon-like appearance, phoenix grace, and sage's light are so admirable that I dare not look up even when I am dozens of steps away..."
"I heard that Luoyang is well governed by you!" Emperor Liu said again, his tone barely changing.
"In order to avoid betraying the trust of His Majesty and the court, I only slightly fulfill my duties and dare not slack off, that's all!" An Shouzhong responded.
Perhaps it was because of his long-lasting low profile and humility that An Shouzhong seemed so inconspicuous. However, in fact, throughout the process of establishing the Han Empire, he was involved in many major events, whether it was the Battle of Huainan. , the Battle of Pingnan, or the Northern Expedition...
Of course, keeping a low profile is not without its benefits. Among the many nobles and ministers, An Shouzhong was one of the very few who was not jealous of Emperor Liu. This was probably because the An family had no ties to the court and was not in love with power.
"These are all the officials left behind in Xijing, right?" Emperor Liu pointed to the people behind An Shouzhong. There were quite a few of them, more than thirty people followed him to the front of the car to see him.
"Exactly!"
At An Shouzhong's signal, the group of people once again saluted sincerely. Many people behaved nervously, even looking a little unbearable, and they did not have the demeanor of a high-ranking official.
Emperor Liu just glanced around lightly. Everyone seemed to be suppressed and lowered their heads subconsciously, not daring to look sideways.
"I have seen you, and you have seen me, so I won't have another interview!" Emperor Liu said indifferently.
"yes!"
If we say that Emperor Liu in the past was deep and reserved, giving people a sense of unpredictable awe. So today's Emperor Liu, who is so indifferent and almost pure, can make people scared to the core.
In the early years, Emperor Liu, in order to create majesty, acted too deliberately and showed his coldness. Now, there is almost no trace of his performance. However, the more he behaves like this, the more chilling he becomes.
"Enter the city!"
It was not until Emperor Liu returned to his carriage that everyone present felt relieved.
An official, who had just recovered from the shock, called out to An Shouzhong in a trembling voice: "Master Fu! Is there anything wrong with my subordinates? What do you mean by this, Your Majesty?"
An Shouzhong didn't answer. He just frowned and looked in the direction of Luan Jia. After a long time, he sighed heavily: "I don't have much to say. You must be more careful when doing things in the future..."
(End of chapter)
