The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 272 The Beginning of Chaos
Empress Dowager Li smiled and said: "The emperor has no selfish interests. Everything he says and does must be in line with the expectations of the people in the world. The two ministers also care about the reputation of the royal family. The emperor does not need to worry about it."

Liu Chengyou said unhappily: "Shi Hongzhao and Yang Bin relied on their status as ministers who cared about life, their seniority and prestige, and they often ignored their son. What the emperor did was really frustrating!

Now that Mr. Geng has passed away from illness, even if you don't care about the relationship between Nian Erchen and her during her lifetime, you should still pity her unborn child. That is the blood of my Liu family.

According to Erchen, Shi and Yang were simply selfish and trying to get involved in the imperial power. They were worried that in the future, their auxiliary power would be in danger, so they tried every means to prevent Erchen from exercising imperial power! "

Empress Dowager Li said helplessly: "Your Majesty, it would be biased to think this way. The four ministers who take care of life are all ministers left behind by your father. The four ministers are indispensable for the stability of the Han Dynasty today.

It is true that Shi Yanger had some misconduct when he was fair, but if they say that they want to monopolize the government and prevent you from taking over the government, the Ai family really does not believe it."

"That's how the queen mother didn't see with her own eyes, Shi Yang and the two are arrogant and domineering in front of the emperor!" Liu Chengyou raised his voice angrily, "These two are always pointing and pointing at the son, whether this is right or that is wrong, and I don't know. Who is the emperor of the Han Dynasty?"

Empress Dowager Li took Liu Chengyou's hand and gently comforted her: "Your Majesty is young, and the senior ministers are stricter with you. This is for the sake of the country, the country, and the country. They all hope that you will become a qualified British master."

Liu Chengyou snorted and said nothing, his anger still lingering on his face.

Empress Dowager Li chuckled and said, "Let's do this. Tomorrow I will call the two Qings into the palace, give them a good scolding, and let the emperor vent his anger."

"The queen mother still treats her son as a child!" Liu Chengyou complained dissatisfiedly.

Empress Dowager Li's slightly rough palms caressed his cheek carefully, and she said with loving eyes: "Even if the emperor can dominate the world like your father in the future, in my eyes, he will still be his most beloved child."

Liu Chengyou didn't know how to speak, so he winked at Li Ye and Nie Wenjin.

Li Ye came closer, bent at ninety degrees, cupped his hands and said with a charming smile: "Sister, if you pity the official family, you should think more about the official family's great cause.

Shi and Yang were so proud of themselves that they would reject even a trivial matter such as the official's title to a favored imperial concubine, without giving the official any face. Just imagine that in the future, the official will grow older and gradually take charge of the government. What will happen to them? Are you willing to put down your power and support the official government?

Shi and Yang controlled the government, won over the courtiers, and often used their power to assist the government to reject the official will. If things go on like this, they will only breed disobedience!To be on the safe side, the Queen Mother should consider the government in advance! "

Empress Dowager Li frowned and said, "What do you mean by this?"

Nie Wenjin flattered and said with a smile: "Why don't you ask the Queen Mother to come forward and summon the ministers to discuss the dethronement of the minister Gu Ming? At the very least, Shi Yang and the two can't stay in the court anymore."

Queen Mother Li was startled and looked at Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty came to see me today just to say this?"

Liu Chengyou gritted his teeth and said: "My mother clearly knows that Shi and Yang have committed many crimes of disrespect by bullying my son at a young age. My son has been forbearing and giving in, but they are still aggressive.

The son-in-law is worried that Shi Yang Erni will one day be harmful to his mother and the son-in-law, so he wants to ask his mother to come forward to uphold justice, depose Erni, and expel him from the court! "

Empress Dowager Li let go of his hand, her expression became extremely serious, and she said in a deep voice: "Er Gong Shi Yang is the auxiliary minister left by the late emperor. It is his duty to advise the king on his words and deeds. It is precisely because they will not obey you in everything." Only by being able to stick to the true character of an old minister in his prime can I trust them to hand over the government affairs to them.

Now, you actually want to depose loyal ministers because they disagree with you and admonish you for your words and deeds? "

Liu Chengyou said unconvinced: "As an emperor, how can I be held hostage by my ministers? Besides, I am an adult and I don't need these obstructive old guys telling me what to do!"

Empress Dowager Li was sullen and said angrily: "The late emperor raised troops from Taiyuan, took over Kaifeng, established a foundation, wiped out the Khitan disaster in Hebei, and restored peace to the world. With such unparalleled achievements, he could still be humble in front of all the veterans in the court. Be polite and abide by the etiquette of the emperor and his ministers. But you are only twenty years old and have not made any contribution to the country and society. How can you have such arrogance? "

Liu Chengyou was so angry that he stood up and said angrily: "When all these court bugs are killed and the imperial power is gathered, I can also bring peace to the world!"

Empress Dowager Li was so angry that she was trembling all over. She clenched her rosary beads and clasped her hands towards the jade Buddha statue, confessing her guilt.

Li Ye said flatteringly: "The Queen Mother is highly virtuous and highly respected. Please come forward and announce the charges of Shi and Yang in the court, which will definitely convince the ministers."

Empress Dowager Li glared at him and said sternly: "What a shame! That's a bunch of nonsense!"

Li Ye was so frightened that he hurriedly lay down on the ground, sticking his butt high in the air and crying: "Sister, please don't be upset. It's my brother who said the wrong thing. He should be slapped."

Li Ye pretended to slap his mouth a few times.

Empress Dowager Li angrily scolded: "When the late emperor was still alive, you tried every possible means to seek a high position. At that time, the late emperor said that you had no talent and no virtue, and could only flatter the superiors and bully the inferiors. To make you a military envoy is already a compliment to you.

Now that you are a foreign relative and uncle, you are now the Third Secretary-General. Are you still not satisfied?Do you still want to persuade officials to depose important ministers to pave the way for you to monopolize power? "

Li Ye was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat and kowtowed: "Sister, I have wronged my younger brother. I really have no other thoughts! It is really Shi Hongzhao and Yang Bin who bullied the officials too much. The officials are not only the emperor, but also my nephew. We are a family." , how can you be bullied? My younger brother can't stand it, so he wants to vent his anger on the official family."

Nie Wenjin wanted to help him speak, but Empress Dowager Li's phoenix eyes shot sharply at him. He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he lay down behind Li Ye, not daring to express his anger.

"Second Duke Shi Yang was entrusted by the late emperor, and I believe they will never have second thoughts!"

Empress Dowager Li said in a stern tone, "Your Majesty is young and needs to learn more about how to be a king and how to govern the country from the veterans. You must not listen to slander and do anything to destroy the Great Wall!"

Li Ye and Nie Wenjin lay on the ground and did not dare to say anything. Seeing that his mother was angry, Liu Chengyou did not dare to say anything. He lowered his head and cupped his hands and said, "I will obey my mother's teachings!"

He promised, but Liu Chengyou's twinkling eyes and unconvinced face showed that he didn't listen to Queen Mother Li's words at all.

Since he could not persuade the Queen Mother, Liu Chengyou did not want to stay in the Buddhist hall anymore, so he resigned and hurried away with his two followers.

Queen Mother Li watched the three figures disappear between the palace walls and galleries, and sighed deeply helplessly.

She knows her son Mo Ruomu, and she knows that Liu Chengyou's intention to depose the old minister will not change easily.

Queen Mother Li couldn't help but think of her husband's evaluation of his two sons.

The eldest son Cheng Xun is honest and honest, treats others tolerantly, and has the demeanor of a benevolent king.

The second son, Chengyou, was narrow-minded, ruthless, and unscrupulous in his actions.

To inherit the Liu family's legacy and stabilize the country, Liu Chengxun is the best candidate.

The couple had high hopes for their eldest son, but they never expected that the eldest son would die young due to jealousy of the talent.

The throne was passed to Liu Chengyou as a last resort.

Now he has succeeded to the throne for only three years, the government has made no achievements, the Khitan in the north is frequently harassed, the Tang Kingdom in the south is Chen Bing Huaishui, and Mengshu in the southwest is professing his vassal, but the annual tribute is getting less and less, which shows his contempt for the Kaifeng court.

Surrounded by powerful enemies, Liu Chengyou was obsessed with suppressing the old ministers. Before the throne was firmly established, he began to think of cutting off the heroes.

Alas~~ Empress Dowager Li was mentally and physically exhausted and felt powerless. She could only kowtow to the jade Buddha statue, recite scriptures silently, and pray that the country of Han Dynasty would be more peaceful and that no big chaos would happen again.
~~~
"I have long said that military and state affairs should not be discussed with women. Women are ignorant and soft-hearted, and they will only cause trouble!" Returning to Nuange in Qingshou Palace, Liu Chengyou took off his beam crown and threw it to the ground, and jumped on the embroidered couch without saying a word. Reclining figuratively.

Li Yeping retreated from the serving eunuch, snatched the teapot from Nie Wenjin's hand, and sat beside the embroidered couch to pour tea.

Nie Wenjin curled his lips, had no choice but to bend down to pick up the emperor's crown, and patted the dust to wipe it clean.

"Don't worry, officials. Even if the Queen Mother doesn't nod, we can still find a way to get rid of Shi Yang Erni." Li Ye said with a smile.

Liu Chengyou took a sip of hot tea, held the stove to keep warm, and said angrily: "If the Queen Mother doesn't come forward, and with my prestige, I can't convince the ministers, how can I deal with the two pigs?"

Li Ye sneered and said: "If it doesn't work, let's behead them first! Take the lead and execute the three kings of Shi Yang directly, and then destroy their three relatives in Beijing, and declare to the court that the three of them are traitors, and anyone who dares to follow them will be punished." Treated as a major crime of treason!"

Nie Wenjin echoed sadly: "Among the three, Shi Hongzhao is the greatest threat. He is the commander of the guards' horse and infantry forces, the commander-in-chief of the forbidden army, and holds military power. But this man also has a fatal weakness!"

"Oh? Say it quickly!" Liu Chengyou was anxious, and Li Ye also looked at him.

Nie Wenjin said coldly: "Shi Hongzhao's qualifications and prestige in the army are not high. He was able to control the Forbidden Army, firstly, with Guo Wei's strong support, and secondly, by placing a group of cronies in the army, such as Shi Hongzhao's brother, Xiaodijundu Yu Hou Shihonglang, the youngest son of Yang Bin, the right guard general Yang Tingwei, Wang Zhang's nephew, the right leader guard general Wang Min, the governor of the control crane guard Yuhou Gaojin and other confidants.

On the day when we take action, we must control these people at the same time and not give them time to mobilize troops.

As a result, Shi Hongzhao and Yang Bin were no longer able to fight back and could only let the officials slaughter them.The courtiers wanted to protect themselves, and no one would dare to stand up and object. "

Liu Chengyou nodded frequently when he heard this, and his sinister eyes flashed coldly: "In one month, Guo Wei will leave Beijing and rush to Yedu. Only after he leaves can we wait for the opportunity!"

"I am willing to follow the officials and eradicate the rebellious officials!" Li Ye and Nie Wenjin shouted in unison.

"Three days later, when Guo Yunming returns to Beijing, the three of you will come together again. I will discuss it carefully with you and make sure that every hit will hit!" Liu Chengyou said solemnly.

The two agreed to stay in the palace to accompany Liu Chengyou after dinner before leaving the palace together.

Two days later, Liu Chengyou stood on the Xihuamen gate with grief, watching Mrs. Geng's coffin slowly drive out of the palace gate, towards Yangdi County, and be transported to Yingling for burial.

"My dear concubine, it's a good journey." Liu Chengyou held his hands on the battlement wall, his eyes flushed, and murmured to himself, "I will come to accompany you in a hundred years."

After being sad for a while, Liu Chengyou drove back to the palace. He didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to go back to the Qingshou Palace and lie down in the pavilion, remembering every bit of his beloved concubine's past.

As soon as we returned to Nuange, a young eunuch came over and whispered: "I'd like to report to the official family. Houzan is asking for an audience outside the palace."

Liu Chengyou lay on the embroidered couch covered with a warm brocade quilt and dozed off in a daze. He didn't react for a while and muttered: "Yes, tell him to come in~"

Just after he finished speaking, he opened his eyes suddenly and sat up: "Who were you talking about just now?"

The little eunuch repeated timidly.

Liu Chengyou's eyes widened, Houzan is back?

Isn't he in Jingzhou?Could something change happen in Jingzhou?

No, he just received a secret report from Houzan a month ago, saying that the sixth prince of Tang Dynasty Lord Li Jing appeared in Jingzhou, and he wanted to find a way to capture him alive and bring him back to Beijing to present him to him?
Did Houzan capture Li Jing's son?

Liu Chengyou's eyes lit up and he said hurriedly: "The Empress has expressed her gratitude to me!"

The little eunuch hurriedly stepped back to deliver the order.

After a while, there was a heart-wrenching cry outside the Nuan Pavilion, and a disgraced Houzan crawled in on his hands and feet.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Liu Chengyou was startled by his disheveled and dirty appearance. He covered his nose and waved his hand in disgust: "Stay away, don't come closer!"

Houzan did not dare to come closer, and knelt down a foot away from the embroidered couch, kowtowed and cried: "Thanks to the great blessing of the official family, I can return to Kaifeng alive and see the official family again."

"Why are you looking so embarrassed? What happened?" Liu Chengyou scolded impatiently.

Houzan cried and cursed and recounted what happened to him in Jingzhou, with tears streaming down his face: "Shi Kuangwei and Zhu Xiu colluded with the princes of the Tang Dynasty, and wanted to use the support of the Tang Dynasty to rebel and become independent! It turns out that Wei Chen had already captured Li Congjia , but he didn’t expect that Zhu Xiu would send troops to intercept and snatch the people away instead!

The Wei ministers fought desperately to escape the enemy's pursuit. They did not dare to stay for a long time and fled all the way back to Guanzhong. They rushed back to Kaifeng without stopping to report to the officials! "

Liu Chengyou was shocked and angry, and said sternly: "How dare Shi Kuangwei and Zhu Xiu openly send troops to attack the Forbidden Army?"

"The officials have a clear lesson. The Feilong Army officers and soldiers brought by Wei Chen to Jingzhou suffered numerous casualties. It was all thanks to the great blessings of the officials that Wei Chen escaped with his life!" Houzan cried bitterly.

"The Zhangyi Army has indeed rebelled!" Liu Chengyou clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Hou Zan clasped his fists bitterly and said: "Please ask the officials to allocate money and food to the weak ministers. I will definitely lead the army to sweep Jingzhou and capture Shi Kuangwei and Zhu Xiu alive!"

Liu Chengyou sat on the couch with a livid face and didn't speak for a long time.

Hou Zan was anxious, and just when he was about to persuade again, Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "The Zhangyi Army is located in a remote place. To me, the Han Dynasty, it is just a scabies disease. What's more, I have more important things to do now, so I can't do it here." At this time, there are extraneous branches.”

"Official family." Houzan was startled and heard the meaning of Liu Chengyou's words.

But he couldn't think of anything more important than putting down the rebellion in the feudal town.

"Come here!" Liu Chengyou raised his finger at him.

Houzan knelt down for a few steps and knelt beside the embroidered couch. Liu Chengyou leaned over and whispered a few words in his ear.

Hou Zan was greatly refreshed and said happily: "Such a big thing is indeed more important than dealing with Zhang Yi's army! What a wise official!"

Liu Chengyou sneered proudly: "This matter should not be made public. Tomorrow, when you enter the palace with Li Ye, Nie Wenjin, and Guo Yunming, I will discuss it with you in detail! Whether you come back or not, I will arrange for you to serve in the Forbidden Army and hold military power for me. With the help of the four of you, I will be sure of victory by eradicating the rebels!

When I take control of the court, it won't be too late to send troops to deal with the Changyi Army! "

"I am willing to serve the government to the death!"

(End of this chapter)