The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 8 Pigherd

The emperor was imprisoned!
Zichen Palace.

Du Rangneng and Liu Chongwang arrived together, looking very worried: "Where is the saint?"

Huangmen Liu Zipi bowed and said, "The Privy Councilor has ordered that you are not allowed to see outsiders for half a month. Please go back."

Du Rangneng stamped his feet upon hearing this, narrowed his eyes and asked, "If you must see me, what do you think?"

"The Grand Commandant is the ruler of the country, so please don't make things difficult for us villains."

"Then go and report to the palace supervisor at the west gate." Du Rangneng did not bother with the eunuch and said with a smile, "Please tell them something for me."

"Just speak, Commander."

Du Rangneng waved his hand and called Liu Zipi to his side, saying in a mosquito-like voice: "Tian Lingzi isolated himself from the outside world and accused himself of crimes, so the princes attacked him and he died at the hands of others. The king is the king, the minister is the minister. The minister is the minister, the king is the king. If the king is not the king, the minister is not the minister. If the minister is not the minister, the king is not the king. Do you remember this?"

Liu Zipi's heart trembled, and he quickly responded: "I have memorized it by heart, and I will pass it on to the Privy Councilor without missing a word."

Not only was he the Privy Councilor, he was also a personal witness of the disaster.

Tian Lingzi's evil deeds made the whole world hate him, and they threatened the former emperor, saying: If you don't get rid of this villain, you will never be able to retreat!

Later, the Jiedushi saw that the late emperor was slow to expel Tian Lingzi, so they discussed and decided to replace the emperor.
……

After Liu Zipi left, the two ministers waited outside the hall for a while. A eunuch came hurriedly from the corner of the corridor and said with his hands clasped, "The sage has just left for Tongyue Pavilion. The Grand Commandant..."

Knowing that the saint was not in the hall, Du and Liu turned around and strode away. They acted decisively, always helping each other, and hated to drag their feet. It took nearly half an hour to walk from the Purple Palace to the Tongyue Pavilion in the northeast corner of the palace. The Tongyue Pavilion was burned down during the Chaos, and was rebuilt last year to store books and pictures. Therefore, a canal was dug outside the pavilion to bring in running water as a fire prevention measure.

On autumn afternoons, the colorful fallen leaves and the gentle breeze add a touch of artistic beauty to Tongyue Pavilion.

But in such a place, there were hundreds of soldiers sitting on the spot, with spears, swords, armor and flags thrown at their feet, eating frantically, taking out money to gamble, shouting loudly, making the place a mess. They didn't look like the Northern Army guards at all!
A little further away from them, a group of eunuchs in green robes and black clothes had gloomy looks in their eyes and their hands on the handles of their ceremonial swords at their waists. It was unclear who they were dissatisfied with.

Several newly arrived children of noble families sat in the shade far away, staring at the sun, and occasionally glanced up at the Tongyue Pavilion. They sighed and were lost in thought.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Prime Minister Du Rangneng and Liu Chongwang slowly approaching.

Wang Jian, the palace guard, pushed Du Luyi and said nervously, "Your father's general is here!"

"Huh?" Du Luyi stood up suddenly and trotted to Du Rangneng. He was about to perform the father-son ceremony, but before he could raise his hand, he was slapped hard in the face, making him see stars and his ears buzz.

"I sent this boy into the Weiwei Temple to serve as an attendant. What's the purpose of using him?" Du Rangneng stared at him with his turbid eyes.

Du Luyi covered her face and whispered, "Emperor Wei..."

"Where is the emperor?" Du Rangneng was furious, like an old man. "At this time when the patriots are angry and sad, you have done nothing, so forget it. You are just leisurely enjoying the wine flowing and the water flowing. According to the law, you will be sent to prison and flogged thirty times. Can you bear it?"

“I can’t stand it…”

Du Luyi had a faint cry in her voice and said, "It is not that I have neglected my duty. I followed the emperor with my colleagues when I entered the palace. The emperor did not give any orders, nor did he talk to the officials. The only people he loved were a few people including Si Yan Zhao. After the emperor was taken to Tongyue Pavilion, the palace supervisor at the west gate did not allow us to go upstairs. May I ask, father, although the attendants have the sincere intention to protect the emperor, how can they protect the emperor now?"

"What's the point of telling you all this? You don't understand yet..." Du Rangneng shook his head and sighed, then asked again, "Where is the emperor?"

"upstairs."

After the two ministers left, the attendants present felt relieved and patted Du Luyi on the back to comfort her.

"The punishment the commander gave to Brother Du just now was also to make an example of him." A lady shrugged.

……

Tongyue Pavilion is not big. The lower three floors are all filled with files and books. Only a small hall is set up on the top floor for temporary resting place.

It was here that Li Ye read books and discussed matters with eunuchs such as Zhao and Ximen Chongsui.

When Du Rangneng knocked on the door, took off his shoes and hat and walked in, he saw Ximen Chongsui sitting opposite the saint. Ximen Chongsui's strong body leaned there, lazily. The saint sat by the window, with a scroll spread out in front of his knees, and the afternoon sun fell quietly on the words.

Du Rangneng barely managed to breathe a sigh of relief.

I thought the saint was imprisoned and suffered some kind of suffering, and it turned out that he was studying here.

Ximen Zhongsui, this guy, finally has some conscience!
The two ministers were dissatisfied and pretended not to notice the eunuchs in the room. They just bowed and said, "Saint."

Li Ye sat by the window in silence, half of his face illuminated by the sun and half in the dark. He glanced at Ximen Chongsui from the corner of his eye, and seeing that he did not respond, he continued to read the wooden slips. Zhao Shi did not know whether to sit or stand, and her eyebrows were knitted into a ball.

Ximen Chongsui could endure it more than anyone else. He kept silent, the emperor dared not speak, and the two prime ministers had to bend their backs all the time.

Zhao knew that the Privy Councilor was trying to vent his anger on General Du for the threats he had just received, and was also deliberately trying to kill the officials. She couldn't help but feel worried. What time is it? Are you still fighting? Do you have to make the ministers break into Chang'an and kidnap the emperor?
at last.

Ximen Zhongsui yawned and smacked his lips a few times, as if he had just seen someone: "Hey, when did Prime Minister Du and Mr. Liu come?"

As he spoke, he poked the emperor who was reading opposite him with his foot wrapped in footwear and said, "Won't you let me sit down? Have you learned anything after reading for half a day? I only know how to fight and kill people. If you have any questions, the two prime ministers are here to teach you."

Li Ye endured the disgusting foot odor, which was even stinkier than that of a fox swineherd. He cursed in his heart, "You dog-footed Ximen!" Then he squeaked, "No need to be polite."

Du Rangneng's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he almost wanted to run away to avoid this humiliation. But thinking that the emperor was still suffering, he had to sit down and said, "The saints love to learn, and they are self-reliant. Small streams do not accumulate to form rivers and seas. After reading through the history books of all dynasties, and then studying Han Feizi, Guliang, Xiaojing, Shi, Zhaoxuan, etc., it will not be difficult to govern the country. If you have any questions, I will ask the Hongwen Academy to choose an auspicious day for the imperial lecture."

Li Ye put down the wooden slip and wondered, "How long will it take to finish reading this vast sea of text?"

“Ordinary people need to study hard for more than ten years to achieve success, but saints and talented people can achieve success in a short time.”

"Alas! What the commander said is wrong." Li Ye shook his head and pointed at the Han Dynasty bamboo slips on the table: "I thought this Han Dynasty book was full of thoughts, but I didn't expect that I couldn't understand it at all. It was very difficult to read."

"What's the point of reading the Book of Han?" Ximen Zhongsui sneered twice and interrupted, "Nowadays, warriors are hard to control and they rebel at any time. Why don't you read military books? Damn the Book of Han, damn the Book of Han. If the rebels suddenly rise up and want to kidnap you to be the Emperor Xian, what's the use of it?"

The emperor and his minister simply ignored him. Du Rangneng changed the subject with great interest and said, "Emperor, you should not only read history for current use, but also read the various schools of thought, the system of our dynasty, Chinese and foreign officials, the people of the world, the customs of the prefectures and counties, and ordinary political affairs. If you are not clear about these..."

"What did the commander say?"

Ximen Chongsui suddenly interrupted, "A sage does not need to study to become a great scholar. Why bother! These things that the Grand Commandant has mentioned..." He paused, and then continued, "The Grand Commandant and I will assist you. If the sage is really concerned about government affairs, I will have someone pick up some of the past imperial edicts and send them to you when you are not busy. Alas, it is better not to read these memorials from the warriors. They are really annoying to me."

Du Rangneng fell silent, his smile completely gone, and he spoke harshly, "This is what Ximen Palace Supervisor meant, not what the court officials thought."

Ximen Chongsui glared at him when he heard this, then waved his hand and said, "The Saint is tired! Let's go, Commander!"

They are not arguing about what the emperor should learn or care about. They are arguing about whether the emperor should step forward and participate in politics and handle affairs!
"The attack on Sichuan and Jin was a complete failure!" Ximen Zhongsui sat up straight, glared at Li Ye, and shouted, "How many more times can you withstand this? The Grand Commandant always said that the emperor does not interfere in government affairs. Then let me ask, more than 10,000 officials in the Southern and Northern Courts cannot afford to pay their salaries for the holidays this year. Does the saint know the reason?"

"Wang Jian closed the Jianmen Gate, refused to accept the imperial edict when he was on guard duty, and demanded the governor of Xichuan. How can the saints explain this?" "When Li Keyong attacked Hebei, the Chengde army and others all submitted a petition to accuse him of his crimes. How can this be explained?"

"Let's not talk about such important matters. Which of the public offices, measurement, warehouses, rent, transportation, promotion and demotion does the sage know? How much does it cost to buy and distribute military rations, fodder, salaries, weapons, and armor in a month? The left and right Shen Ce internal and external guards are all unruly and unruly killers! Once they are short of money, they will gather together to cause trouble, and at worst, they will punish the Danfeng Sect and fight against you. What can you do as the emperor! Now that Qi and Shu have changed hands, where else in the world can you run?"

"Privy Councilor!" Du Rangneng stood up and shouted, "The sage has only been on the throne for three years, how do you know this?"

Seeing that the two were talking more and more bluntly, even with a hint of hostility, Zhao and a group of eunuchs left the table and knelt on the ground, as if to remind Li Ye, and as if to respond to Ximen Chongsui, they shouted: "Saint!"

"Crack, snap, snap."

However, Li Ye clapped his hands lightly and said indifferently: "What the Privy Councilor said is correct. I am not wise and I really don't know. The Privy Councilor is known as the Minister of Internal Affairs and is proficient in military and national affairs. I also have a few political questions at this moment and would like to ask the Privy Councilor for advice."

"Hmph, old thing." Ximen Zhongsui suppressed his anger, patted his butt and sat down, and replied: "Ask."

"The country is in turmoil, and the prefectures and counties are robbed. How many cases are decided in Chang'an in a year?"

"This is a matter for the Southern Court officials to decide, and has nothing to do with me, an old slave." Ximen Chongsui felt at ease.

"Each of the tyrants holds his own, the Jianghuai Road is cut off, how many people are sent back by the vassal states in a year?"

"The three ministries of finance are in charge of the country's finances. What are you asking?" Ximen Zhongsui pursed his lips and pointed out the source of the trouble: "The sage Du Xiang holds the purse strings, why don't you ask him?"

"Military men specialize in using force and punishment, and are good at using the inferior to overthrow the superior..." Li Ye did not ask, but carefully considered his words, and for the first time met Ximen Chongsui's gaze: "The Privy Councilor is responsible for receiving imperial decrees, communicating with the inside and outside of China, directing public affairs, and exercising military power. In this chaotic situation, do you have a good plan to control the military men?"

"These thieves are blinded by money." Ximen Zhongsui said disdainfully, "They were bribed with money and official positions. Why ask?"

"Hahaha!" Du Rangneng shook his head and refuted, asking a soul-searching question: "Since he was bribed with money and official positions, isn't a military man a commodity to the Privy Councilor? If someone offers a higher price, can the Privy Councilor dare to assert that he can keep all the fake sons in front of him? If so, why did Tian Lingzi die in Chengdu?"

Wang Jian was not the adopted son of Tian Laogou. Even though they had no grudges against each other, he still killed his father with a single blow when he became extremely rich.

This made Ximen Chongsui sweat profusely.

Upon seeing this, the eunuchs in the room began to discuss with each other in a low voice, and gave advice and ideas to the Privy Envoy from time to time.

"Enough!" How could a reliable solution to such a social problem of the century be obtained in a short time? Having made a fool of himself, Ximen Zhong waved his hand to stop the people from whispering, glared at Du Rangneng who had brought up the topic, and said through gritted teeth, "We'll see. Kong Wei's previous experience is a lesson for us, humph."

Looking back at the emperor, Li Ye had an innocent look on his face and whispered, "The Privy Councilor... it doesn't matter if I don't know. I see that the Privy Councilor is both civil and military, so I just said it casually..."

Bang!
There was a knock on the door, and Ximen Chongsui strode out without even looking back.

After watching the eunuchs leave in a swarm, Du Rangneng sat down and said earnestly, "Forgive me for my rudeness. That fellow deserves death, but the saint really needs to understand what he said in depth. Han Yu, the Hanlin scholar, is talented and famous. I have noticed that he is steady and strategic in his actions, and his character and resume are clean, so I have asked him to be by your side for consultation. In addition, the children of the noble families who have just entered the palace as palace officials should be treated with kindness by the emperor."

Li Ye was immersed in the pleasure of Ximen's defeat at this moment, and nodded: "Let's obey the commander."

Du Rangneng pondered for a moment, and then added: "Don't offend Ximen's people anymore these days. With us, there won't be any big mistakes in the important matters. The sage should keep a low profile... In addition, I heard that... the sage seems to rarely see his concubines? So he should love them with love..."

The old man blushed as he said this with a shameless face.

But if I don't care, who else will care? Alas.

However, he was surprised by the little emperor's performance this afternoon. He actually understood his intention and cooperated with him to quietly attack Ximen's authoritarian reputation. In the past two years, when encountering such a thing, the saint would not say a word, but just bowed his head and let Yang Fugong scold him.

Du Rangneng was very excited about this.

Children can be taught.

The country should prosper.

As long as we survive this turbulent and difficult period, when Zhu Quanzhong and Shi Pu stop fighting, we can take over the financial resources of Jiangnan...

"General, I wonder when Han Yu, the Imperial Academy scholar, will come to see me?" The emperor seemed to be very concerned about this person and asked.

Du Rangneng thought for a moment and replied, "I will summon him to discuss this matter tomorrow at the earliest."

As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to have remembered something important. He stood up and whispered in Li Ye's ear: "I see that the saint and the Zhao family are very close. The king is the king, and the minister is the minister. It's good, but be careful not to show it in front of others, otherwise the Ximen family will notice it and may kill you out of suspicion."

Li Ye's face gradually darkened.

You really hit the nail on the head.

If I get too close to Zhao, Xiao Feng, Liu Zipi and others, Ximen will feel that these people are different from others...

Isn't this a disaster?

This was probably the reason why most of the female attendants in the Purple Palace were indifferent to me.

While he was thinking about it, he heard Du Rangneng whispering, "If the saint truly loves Zhao, why not cultivate the land and make her his concubine, so as to justify his name and follow his words."

"I……"

Du Rangneng, however, had an expression that said, "You know what I mean." He glanced at Zhao, then stood up and bowed, "I'll take my leave, and I'll let the sage drink for himself."

……

Zhao didn't know why the commander was looking at her, so she sat down next to Li Ye, with confusion in her dark eyes.

"Don't ask." Li Ye waved his hand, his expression solemn: "The important matter that the commander mentioned should be completed at night. Let me think about it."

"event?"

Zhao's face darkened as she thought of the confrontation that just took place in Tongyue Pavilion... Could it be that the king and his minister were planning something "big"?
"Tonight, Si Yan does not need to go back to the Ye Ting Bureau."

"Where shall I go to sleep?"

Li Ye looked calm and said, "Come to my palace and I'll tell you."

Zhao was silent for a long time before she said in a low voice, "As a woman, I cannot go to court to avoid being criticized. So in times of crisis, I can only protect everyone, not the country..."

Li Ye understood the meaning of this sentence, and his face was somewhat moved. Looking at this woman of the same age as himself, he reached out and grasped her hands in his palms, holding them tightly: "I don't even know your specific name yet?"

"Zhao Ruxin."

"My father died young, and my great uncle Helian Baibai, who was my clan friend, brought me up and taught me how to ride and shoot. That's why I'm also called Helian Ruxin."

(End of this chapter)