HLnovel Chapter 283 Sensitive Moment
Chapter 283 Sensitive Moment
Chapter 283 Sensitive Moment
Liu Bian did not agree to Yang Biao's request.
Yang Biao sighed silently, then left Chongde Hall.
As he walked out of the palace, he didn't know how many people were looking at him.
This is the first prime minister of the Han Dynasty after a long absence. Although he has received mixed reviews, the prestige of the Yang family, which has had three prime ministers for four generations, is still unmatched.
Some people sighed for Yang Biao.
Some people sneered and shook their heads.
Some people were silent.
Under the eaves of the Shangshu Terrace and the Grand Marshal's Mansion, there were shadowy figures with evasive glances.
Yang Biao turned a blind eye, walked through the Jiade Hall with his big belly, hands behind his back, and looked arrogant. He did not go to the Shangshu Terrace, but went straight out of the palace.
Perhaps due to the fierce factional struggles during the reign of Emperor Ling, Yang Biao began to think about staying away from the court.
The Yang family is different from the ambitious Yuan family. They are extremely low-key and have no cliques. Although both have three officials in four generations, the difference between the Yang family and the Yuan family is not a little bit.
Yang Biao did nothing about this, just like a spectator.
It was not until the incident of Yuan's family that Yang Biao became nervous, divorced his wife in a hurry, and quickly expressed his "loyalty".
But when Liu Bian forced him to be the prime minister, he became "inaction", not seeking merit but avoiding mistakes.
Four or five years have passed in a flash, and today is probably the most relaxing day for Yang Biao.
He cared nothing for power, title, fame or fortune.
Even so, Yang Biao had been the prime minister for so long, and he was about to leave the palace that had once made him toss and turn and sleepless at night, and he felt complicated.
He looked back in the direction of the Shangshu Terrace, his fat face moving again and again. After a long time, he turned around and walked towards the Suzaku Gate.
When we got out of the Suzaku Gate, the steward of the mansion was already waiting. He hurried forward and whispered, "Master, they have almost all been sent out of the city."
Yang Biao let out a breath and said, "Let's go."
As he said that, Yang Biao was about to get on the carriage.
Luoyang City is a huge place of right and wrong. Although there is no past party struggles, it is still full of crises. Yang Biao, who is entangled in a bunch of old cases, can't wait to escape.
The steward was about to speak when he suddenly saw another person walking out of the Suzaku Gate.
To be precise, it was a child, all alone.
Yang Biao had one foot on the carriage. He turned around and saw that it was Liu Shao. He was startled for a moment, then quickly turned around and raised his hand and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Liu Shao blinked and said, "Prime Minister, my father asked me to take you there."
Yang Biao glanced inside the Suzaku Gate and saw that there was no one else. He was a little confused, but still said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Liu Shao was not good at speaking, and then under Yang Biao's gaze, he was the first to get on Yang Biao's carriage.
Yang Biao was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He quickly walked to the carriage, opened the curtain, and said, "Your Highness, are you going to take me out of the city?"
Liu Shao, who was sitting in the carriage, nodded and said without moving his face, "That's what my father said."
Yang Biao looked back again and saw that there were no guards. He became nervous and said, "Your Highness's guards..."
"Outside the city." Liu Shao said.
Yang Biao was a little confused about Liu Bian's intention. After hesitating for a moment, he got on the carriage and sat on Liu Shao's left side.
The carriage moved slowly and headed straight to the west of the city.
Yang Biao was full of doubts and did not speak for a while.
Liu Shaoben didn't like to talk. He just stared at Yang Biao with a hint of curiosity on his little face.
The two men remained silent, but the scene in front of the Suzaku Gate spread quietly in Luoyang City.
On the Imperial Street not far from the Suzaku Gate, inside the Household Department.
Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, Xun You and Xi Zhicai sat opposite each other. After listening to the clerk's report, they ordered him to leave and close the door.
Xi Zhicai seemed to be even sicker, his face was pale, and he kept coughing. He said, "So, your majesty wants the prime minister to leave the capital safely."
Xun You was a little annoyed and said, "If those old cases are not closed, someone will definitely dig them up in the future. If one day someone joins the eunuch party again, or even overturns the case for the Yuan family, how will we deal with it?"
Zhong Yao immediately thought of that possibility, frowned and said, "If that happens, I'm afraid the government will collapse and people will be divided."
Xi Zhicai didn't care about these things. He looked at Xun Yu and said, "Lord Yang is about to leave the capital. I believe the decree will be issued soon."
Xun Yu glanced at him and remained silent.
Xun You suddenly understood, stared at Xun Yu and said, "Uncle, can't you tell me now?"
Seeing Xun You asking, Zhong Yao hesitated for a moment and answered for Xun Yu: "Your Majesty, you are interested in reorganizing the land."
Xun You was a very smart man. Thinking of Liu Bian's occasional mention of "concerns" about the land situation, he was startled and blurted out, "Your Majesty, do you really want to divide up more land?"
Xun Yu nodded slightly and said, "The survey of land and the registration of households are preparations for the 'division of land'."
Xi Zhicai, who was originally a little crooked, slowly sat up, looking serious and solemn, and said: "More than 70% of the land of my Han Dynasty is now in the name of aristocratic families. How should it be divided?"
Xun Yu and Zhong Yao stopped talking.
Although the palace made clear its attitude towards "dividing the land", it did not give any specific instructions on how to do it.
The land is in the hands of others, and the court wants to distribute it to the people, how can others agree! ?
Besides, this "others" still supported many large and small families of the Han Dynasty.
Dividing their land would undoubtedly be digging one's own grave!
And from top to bottom in the Han Dynasty, where was it not controlled by aristocratic families?
Not to mention other things, among the powerful classes of the Han Dynasty, there might not even be one commoner among a hundred of them!
The Secretariat, the Grand Marshal's Office, the Censorate, and the Six Ministries are all controlled by aristocratic families. How many people can agree to this?
Xun You now finally understood why his uncle, who was always calm and composed, had kept his mouth shut and was reluctant to reveal anything before.
This incident was extremely shocking to him, let alone others.
Regardless of whether you agree with it in your heart, the answer to whether this thing can be done is clear - no!
Absolutely not!
Not only can't you, you can't even touch it!
"I object!"
Xun You looked gloomy, stared at Xun Yu, and said, "This cannot be done!"
This time, Zhong Yao did not speak for Xun Yu and remained silent.
Zhong Yao considered the matter carefully. From beginning to end, there was almost no feasible solution. If he was not careful, the world would be in chaos and the mountains and rivers would be destroyed!
Xi Zhicai followed up, "I am the Imperial Censor, and although I shouldn't interfere in government affairs, I am against the 'dividing the land'. I believe that there are definitely more than just the two of us who are against it. Wen Ruo, Yuan Chang, do you agree?"
Zhong Yao said with a serious face, "Your Majesty, the root of all the problems of the Han Dynasty lies in the land. If the land problem is not solved, the Yellow Turbans and the Red Turbans will rise again. This is the fundamental problem that threatens the Han Dynasty's national destiny."
Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Han people have been strong and never bowed their heads.
Whether it was the rebellions of the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuan outside the Great Wall, or the Three Qiang and Yellow Turbans within the country, they were all suppressed with all their might.
However, with the continuous rise of the aristocratic families, the foundation of the Han Dynasty was gradually eroded.
Taxes were sharply reduced and imperial power fell into the hands of others. By the late reign of Emperor Ling, the imperial court had become extremely weak and had to rely on the aristocratic families for everything.
Until now, the situation has not actually changed much.
The imperial court could not afford a penny for the wars, quelling of rebellions, and suppression of bandits in various places, and basically relied on the support of the aristocratic families.
The money and food are provided by the aristocratic families, and all aspects of the military are controlled by the aristocratic families. The local areas are entirely dependent on the aristocratic families for support and control.
In reality, the Han Dynasty court's control over local areas had become minimal.
Since Liu Bian ascended the throne, he has been working hard to implement the "New Deal" in the hope of strengthening control over the local areas, but the results have been poor over the years, which is one of the reasons why Yang Biao was replaced.
Xun You looked at Zhong Yao with a cold expression and said, "You think so too? You know that if you do this, the consequences will be more terrible than ten Yellow Turbans!"
Zhong Yao knew it very well, so he looked at Xun Yu.
This man is the future prime minister, and the burden of this matter lies on his shoulders.
Xun Yu has always been a man of few words. He looked at the three people in front of him and said, "Don't be impatient. Just wait and see. The land issue is not the most important thing at the moment. We have two primary goals: one is the 'New Deal', and the other is to quell the rebellion. If these two things are not done well, there is no way to talk about the land issue."
"Division of land" needs to rely on local government. If the "new policy" is not implemented and control over the local areas is not strengthened, local officials and aristocratic families will collude with each other and "division of land" will be out of the question.
Xun You, Zhong Yao, and Xi Zhicai listened to Xun Yu's words and nodded slightly.
As the new prime minister, Xun Yu's attitude is crucial. As long as he doesn't push things too hard, there is still room for improvement.
And what Xun Yu said does make sense. The court has many urgent matters to deal with, and "dividing the land" is still a long way off.
Xun Yu saw that he had calmed the three people down, so he asked, "Yuan Chang, did His Majesty mention the candidate for the Minister of Revenue to you?"
Zhong Yao shook his head and said, "However, I heard from the palace that it seems that His Majesty is interested in Chen Gong, the governor of Luoyang."
Xun You frowned. Chen Gong was a stubborn person. He tried many ways to win him over, but he still refused to stand by their side.
Zhong Yao continued, "I also heard that Gongda will also join the Shangshutai, and the position of Licao Shangshu may be vacant."
Xun You's expression changed and he asked, "Is the news accurate?"
Zhong Yao shook his head and said, "The news in the palace has always been varied. I heard it from others and I am just guessing."
Xi Zhicai didn't care and said, "The Grand Marshal is going to fail. The political situation is going to change drastically soon."
The owners of the Shangshu Tai and the Da Sima Mansion are going to change, which is not a big change.
Xun Yu sat up straighter and said, "I will discuss with His Majesty about the ministers of each department. If you have any candidates, you can tell me in advance. Before His Majesty's order comes down, let's not do anything unnecessary."
Xun Yu glanced at Xun You casually.
Xun You looked at him calmly and said, "Does it mean anything that Your Highness personally escorted the Prime Minister out of the capital?"
When Xi Zhicai heard this, he suddenly grasped the key point, stared at him with burning eyes, and said, "You said, Your Highness is seeing His Majesty off on his behalf?"
As soon as the words "on behalf of His Majesty" came out, Xun Yu and Zhong Yao's expressions moved slightly at the same time, and they looked at each other subconsciously.
'The prince acting on behalf of the emperor' is no small matter, and it carries a lot of 'meaning'.
Does this mean that the attitude in the palace has changed and they want to appoint a crown prince?
"Don't think too much,"
Xun Yu quickly interrupted the random thoughts of several people and said in a deep voice: "What we have to do now is to do nothing and not act rashly!"
Zhong Yao nodded and said solemnly, "I agree with Wen Ruo."
Regarding Yang Biao's recent events, everyone speculated that the "Yingchuan Party" wanted to use this to establish their authority and put Yang Biao in jail.
This includes all the people within the Yingchuan Party.
Zhong Yao was an extremely intelligent man, and a former chief justice. He keenly sensed some clues that could only be understood but not expressed in words.
Xi Zhicai hummed and said, "Let me tell you one more thing. Prince Chenliu is conducting a thorough investigation of some old cases from the previous emperor's time, and is preparing to completely resolve and put those things behind him."
Xun Yu, Xun You and Zhong Yao did not comment on this and almost simultaneously reached out to pick up the teacups and drink tea.
They looked at each other and remained silent.
Things that happened during the Zhongping years were too complicated, involving so many aspects that they could not be completely "put behind" with just a few words or one or two cases.
Xi Zhicai waited for a while, then casually said, "Someone wrote a letter suggesting that Your Majesty change the era name."
Xun You took a sip of tea and said, "Your Majesty will not agree."
At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door, very soft and cautious.
"Speak." Xun You looked at the tightly closed gatehouse and said.
The clerk pushed the door open and walked in, raised his hand to the four people, and said, "Reporting to the Minister, the palace has sent a message to the Secretariat that Sima Fang will be transferred to Qingzhou Governor, and Zhu Shijun will return home to retire. Liu Bei is the governor of Langya and is scheduled to be the governor of Xuzhou. Zhang Liao has been transferred to Hanzhong Governor."
Xun Yu, Xun You, Zhong Yao, and Xi Zhicai looked at each other, with surprise and doubt in their eyes.
They had never imagined that Sima Fang would be appointed as the governor of Qingzhou.
Sima Fang's father Sima Jun is now the Minister of Justice, and Sima Fang is promoted to the Governor of Qingzhou. The Sima family has risen rapidly and become very popular.
Xun You didn't care about the Sima family. After all, they were all Yingchuan aristocratic families. Instead, he pondered and said, "Liu Bei... is going to be the governor of Xuzhou. Is your majesty going to use this person?"
Liu Bei always claimed that he was a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, but there was no trace of him in the family tree. In addition, Liu Bei had always been a minor official, so not many people in the court or the public cared about him.
And now Liu Bei is proposed to be the governor of Xuzhou, and he will be a high-ranking official in the frontier region and cannot be ignored.
Then the person who came after this "Prince Jing of Zhongshan" is worth discussing.
Zhong Yao thought more about it and said calmly: "Your Majesty's arrangement is to encircle Dong Zhuo."
Xi Zhicai sat up straight and said, "Yuan Chang, are you saying that His Majesty is going to take action against the South? Didn't you say before that the 'New Deal' is the top priority? Now is not the time to fight!"
Zhong Yao shook his head and said, "It's hard to say, but your majesty's arrangement may have other implications."
Xun Yu glanced at Zhong Yao and said, "I still say the same thing, don't think too much, don't do anything else, just wait for the order from the palace."
The current situation is that Yang Biao has just left Beijing, and the official decree has not yet been issued. The old prime minister has been dismissed, and the new prime minister has not yet been appointed. This is an extremely sensitive moment!
Everyone could only nod, but their thoughts never stopped for a moment.
The Han Dynasty was truly a country full of complicated and tangled affairs.
At this moment, the eldest prince Liu Shao had already sent Yang Biao out of Luoyang City. He stood there, looked up at Yang Biao, raised his hand, and said crisply: "Prime Minister, take care."
Yang Biao's gratitude was stronger than ever before. He looked up at Luoyang City where he had lived for many years, raised his hand and said to Liu Shao with a smile: "Thank you, Your Highness. Please tell Your Majesty that I am very grateful. I wish Your Majesty a long life and good fortune."
Liu Shao blinked, his face looked serious, and after a long time he nodded heavily.
This he noted down.