It was early in the morning, and the morning mist had not yet dispersed. In front of the palace, a thin figure walked from the long street and came into the sight of the guards. When they got closer, they realized that it was a young man.
Wearing a light blue robe that has almost faded, there is no crown on top, and his hair is simply tied with a bamboo stick. His face is haggard, his eyes are deep and determined, and the whites of his eyes are bloodshot.
This was obviously not a normal person. The city guard noticed it, and one of them immediately planned to inquire, but was stopped by the captain.
"This man has a strange expression on his face. He may not be a good man!" said the soldier.
Hearing this, the captain just tilted his chin forward and said, "Let's see and then talk!"
The garrison squad within the imperial city, even an ordinary guard, all has a background. They are either noble children or military school students who have joined the army under their protection, or they are elite soldiers selected from the front-line army.
To be able to become the captain of the imperial city's defense, his background is certainly not ordinary. He was born in the Qian family in Hangzhou. In terms of seniority, he is still the grandson of Qian Chu.
Although he stopped the subordinate, his eyes were fixed on the young man, his eyes were very alert, and he was ready to rush forward and take him down at any time.
From a few feet away, one could feel the eager gazes of the group of guards, but the young man seemed to be unaware of it. He just walked with heavy steps towards the Dengwen Pavilion under the imperial city step by step.
Looking at his movements, the guards couldn't help but look surprised, with a little curiosity and exploration in their gazes. The soldier who had spoken just now could not help but turn aside and whispered: "Captain, how long has it been since no one has been beating the drum?"
"No matter how long it takes, stay alert, keep an eye on people, and wait for summons from the palace at any time?" Captain Qian looked thoughtful and spoke in a calm tone.
"Yes!" the soldier agreed, rolled his eyes, and couldn't help but sigh: "It would be great if I could wait to see him sent to the palace. I have been transferred to the capital for such a long time, and I haven't seen what the sagging arch palace looks like up close. What if? If I can see the beauty of the sky with my own eyes, I will have no regrets in this life..."
"You kid!" After hearing what he said, Captain Qian immediately laughed and scolded: "Why do you put so much thought into it? Are you talking nonsense here in broad daylight?"
As he spoke, his expression became solemn and he lectured: "Cheer up and stand firm at your post. If you dare to neglect yourself again, I will send you to the Military Justice Department first!"
Seeing that the captain had become serious, the guard did not dare to be frivolous anymore and hurriedly begged for mercy: "Captain, please be merciful. I just need to shut up!"
Although the words of the defender are exaggerated, they also reflect some realistic conditions. Within the imperial city, the rules are strict. Each camp under the Ouchi Army has a fixed patrol area. The rules are strictly enforced. Unless the guard is transferred, no mistakes can be made.
The imperial city's palace is strategically located, but it is on the periphery, and the officers, soldiers and guards attached to it can only be on the periphery of the imperial city even if they are transferred. As for the palace city, it is almost a forbidden area.
For the guards at the grassroots level, let alone seeing the beauty of the sky, even taking a look at it from a distance is a luxury. This guard came from Qingzhou and was the son of a county magistrate. He had served in Beijing for three years and had only seen Luan Jia at most, and that was also a heavy guard...
This is true even for the imperial guards who guard the imperial city and the emperor, not to mention the ordinary people. It can only be said that Emperor Liu has gradually lived up to the image that his courtiers imagined and respected.
As the young man picked up the wooden hammer, without hesitation, he struck it on the cowhide drum. The "dong-dong" sound was enough to deafen the ears, spreading to the north to the imperial city, to the south to the neighborhoods, and towards the surrounding area... ....
In the palace, Emperor Liu was having breakfast. The dishes were very simple, including one cake, one porridge and one dish. Apart from the ingredients and top-notch cooking, from the surface, it was not even as sumptuous as the breakfasts of ordinary people in the capital. After all, it was not as rich for most ordinary people. He said that he still had two meals a day, and the old emperor just wanted to maintain his health, and now he didn't even dare to drink soup with a little more oil and water.
When Deng heard the sound of the drum, the old emperor was obviously stunned for a moment. He rolled up the cake in his hand and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing it and swallowing it, he thought about it.
Taking the silk handkerchief and wiping his mouth, Emperor Liu asked Yantuo with a little emotion in his tone: "How long has it been since the Dengwen drum was beaten?"
Yantuo was also a little surprised, but his face was calm and he replied calmly: "Reporter, I can't remember exactly how long it took. I only remember that the last time I was in Tokyo, it was because of a plowing matter." Cattle theft case..."
From the development and changes of the Dengwen drum system in the Kaibao Dynasty, we can also see the changes in Emperor Liu's governance. Generally speaking, he cannot escape the evaluation of "lazyness".
The Dengwen drum system that once served as a way for Emperor Liu to face the common people and listen to their inner feelings has become in name only in the 28th year of Kaibao. This is by no means a problem with the system itself. The problem is only with the old emperor.
As Yantuo said, the last time he heard the sound of drums and was received by Emperor Liu in person was several years ago. At that time, Empress Fu was still here, and Emperor Liu was not yet disheartened or suspicious. Now this is causing heart disease.
That time, it was because a farmer in the suburbs of Kaifeng lost his cow and went directly to play the drum. As a result, Emperor Liu still received him in person, and when he learned the specific situation, how ugly that old face was, he just handed it over to Kaifeng Mansion for disposal.
After that, Emperor Liu completely exploded. In fact, in the past ten years or so, he had long been tired of some "trivial" things that beat the news drum. However, the system stipulated that he should show people-friendly and diligent On the political side, I just gritted my teeth and held on.
But if we really want to understand people's sentiments through Dengwengu, judging from the results of many years of practice, the effect is not significant. So taking advantage of the "lost cow case", Emperor Liu issued an edict and made a patch. He ordered that people not be allowed to complain about non-human life or major special cases.
This is almost aimed at the common people. Officials should have a sense of propriety. Emperor Liu originally thought so. However, the subsequent development of the "Cow Throwing Case" almost overturned Emperor Liu's understanding of the "Dengwendeng System".
After investigation by Wude Division, it was found that the old farmer who complained was under the instigation of someone else. The person behind the scenes was not a big shot. He was just a censor of the Inspectorate, and there was no conspiracy.
The purpose was even more absurd. The second person believed that the emperor should listen more to the remonstrances and advice of the imperial censors. He despised the petition system and instigated the old farmer to appeal just to see what Emperor Liu would do. How to deal with it also made Emperor Liu realize what a ridiculous and inefficient decision it was to let go of public opinion. The emperor is so high up there, how can he communicate directly with fools and untouchables...
When such a report was submitted to the imperial court, one can imagine how the old emperor's mentality exploded. In the end, the old farmer thought that he was mediocre and deceived, so he was given a slight punishment and let go after twenty lashes.
The fate of the imperial censor was miserable. He was executed for "the crime of deceiving the king", and was also charged with the crime of "having ulterior motives". His family was also implicated, his family property was lost, and he was sent to Anxi...
However, none of these could really vent the anger and hostility in Emperor Liu's chest. He thought of a lot from this, and recalled that the most sensational "imperial examination fraud case" of the year had the shadow of Qin King Liu Xu behind it.
Emperor Liu even couldn't help but wonder if there was another story behind every public complaint case in the past, whether there was someone behind it, and whether it was different people with different purposes in the past so many years. "Playing" with him as the emperor...
After all, ordinary people, who are basically unwilling to deal with the government, might not even be able to find their way to the palace to play drums. Those who can beat the Dengwen drum must be people with certain knowledge and background. But it happened that there were indeed some ordinary people who complained directly to Emperor Liu in the past.
The "lost cow case" had a great impact on Emperor Liu, so much so that he lost interest in the Dengwen drum system. When the emperor clearly expressed his thoughts on a certain aspect, the result was doomed, and the Dengwen drum system existed in name only. Not surprising.
But now, after many years, the Dengwen drum sounded again. While in a daze, Emperor Liu couldn't help but wonder what the reason was. It shouldn't be like losing a chicken or dying a dog...
Immediately ordered Yantuo to personally bring the visitor into the palace!
