Han Shizu

Chapter 617 The Death of He Fujin

In the Han Palace, Liu Chengyou, who woke up from a hangover early in the morning, took care of himself, and the first thing he did was to visit Gao Guifei and Fang's second princess in the Yaohua Palace.When Fang left the palace, he got a report that He Fujin was deployed in the north and had already entered the palace to meet him.

Returning to Chongzheng Hall, he found that the old man was standing respectfully outside the hall, his strength was so weak that he could hardly support his old and thin body.Seeing this, Liu Chengyou hurriedly excused him from saluting, and told Zhang Dejun: "Quickly, help Mr. He into the hall!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After entering the hall and sitting down, looking at the elderly He Fujin, after a night banquet, the sickness on his face seemed to have worsened, Liu Chengyou couldn't help sighing: "It's my negligence, Mr. He is so sick, he should pay a visit at home!"

He Fujin responded humbly: "Your Majesty is so caring, the old minister is already very grateful!"

Seeing that he was seriously ill and struggling to support himself, Liu Chengyou stopped talking, and said quickly, "I called Mr. He here to consult with you about the adjustment of the defense in the north. Mr. He is in the north. I have been in charge of the army for many years, I can be said to be a good city, I am familiar with the military situation, and I hope I will not hesitate to teach you."

"I don't know, Your Majesty, how do you plan to adjust?" He Fujinchen asked in a weak voice.

Liu Chengyou said in a calm tone, "I don't want to hide anything from Mr. He. Over the years, the Privy Council has reorganized and eliminated the armies of the world, and implemented a rotation system. Now it is on the right track. Only the Northern Army, I have not made any big moves. Without him, it's just that the world is not peaceful, and the northern captives still steal the great Han mountains and rivers.

If the army in the north is rotated, the generals will be separated and it will be difficult to guarantee combat power.He Gong is all in the north, and you should know that the Hebei frontier army is of great use, not just to build the defense line that is not solid."

Listening to Liu Chengyou's words, He Fujin's cloudy eyes showed a hint of surprise, he thought about it, and said to him calmly: "Your Majesty, I have entrusted the old minister with trust, full authority to act as an agent for military affairs and defense, and has the intention of mobilizing the border defense and doing things cheaply." Power. Now that the Han and Liao peace negotiations have been held for more than three years, there are few border issues, and the ministers hold heavy power, so it should be returned to the court."

"No! Mr. He misunderstood, I didn't mean it that way! I have always trusted people, if I didn't trust anyone, I wouldn't have granted authority in the first place!" Liu Chengyou waved his hands again and again.

"Your Majesty, I am old and dying. I hope you will forgive me for saying something from the bottom of my heart!" He Fujin said calmly, "I have served in the Tang and Jin Dynasties, and even the great Han. I am tired in the army. What the court cares about is nothing but the power of a warrior and a proud soldier. It's nothing more than a disaster for the titans. Watching the rise and fall of the three generations, it is true that they have suffered greatly.

However, today's Han Dynasty is far away from the Liang, Tang, and Jin dynasties. With the strength of the center, it is far from being able to resist with the strength of a corner of the country and an army.What's more, at present, the northern army's supplies, grass, and military equipment are all in the hands of the imperial court. No matter how sharp the sword is, the handle of the sword is held in the hands of His Majesty.

And Your Majesty, who intends to accomplish great things, will one day send troops to the Northern Expedition, and at that time, the soldiers will have to fight to the death.And the soldiers have also received much grace from His Majesty, with His Majesty's power today, there is no need to tie their hands and feet with small worries."

Hearing He Fujin's statement, Liu Chengyou slowly put on a slight smile, looked at He Fujin, and said: "These words have been held in my heart for a long time. I just don't know, is it He Gong's meaning, or is it in the army?" General, do you think so?"

He Fujin: "It's just a veteran, just my humble opinion!"

Seeing that the emperor was lost in thought, He Fujin said again: "If your Majesty wants to reorganize the Northern Army, you can adjust the generals to lead the army. However, all soldiers and horses are elites who have been trained for many years and are well-trained."

"How does the general adjust?" Liu Chengyou interrupted him.

He Fujin coughed a few times, and replied: "The old minister is sick. His Majesty has seen it with his own eyes. It's just that he is dying. It's embarrassing. I implore Your Majesty, and another commander, so as to general the northern soldiers!"

Looking at He Fujin, Liu Chengyou was stunned, no wonder He Fujin was so bold today, he did not shy away from it, and spoke his heart out.Indeed, early on, he considered retiring.In fact, Liu Chengyou may not have thought about calling him back to Beijing.Not to mention anything else, just because of his illness, he is not suitable to be the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army.

Liu Chengyou didn't answer for a while, he seemed to be thinking about it.And He Fujin, with a look of hesitation on his face, added a sentence: "Among the military envoys in Hebei, Ma Quanyi and Luo Yanyu are both talented generals. Transfer away!"

"Oh?" Liu Chengyou raised his eyebrows and said to him meaningfully: "I heard that Mr. He and Li Yun have always been at odds!"

He Fujin's expression became more serious, and he faced the emperor's scrutiny, and replied: "Indeed! But I have such admonishment, it is not a personal grudge. Li Yun is arrogant, thinks very highly of himself, and has never been satisfied with the position of a military envoy. However, from the perspective of the minister, this person Military training may have merits, but it cannot convince others. It has general courage, but no handsome talent. If it is placed in the north for a long time, with its temperament and ambition, troubles will inevitably arise sooner or later, which will not be good for the morale of the army, and even affect your majesty's plan!"

"He Gong's intentions, I know!" With a soft breath, Liu Chengyou waved his hands at He Fujin: "Your Majesty's suggestion, I still need to think about it, and step back first, so that I can rest and recuperate!"

"Yes! The minister will leave!"

"Zhang Dejun, you send my imperial chariot to send Mr. He out of the palace!" With a flash of his eyes, Liu Chengyou ordered, and he was the benevolent master who treated his generals with kindness.

"How dare you! Your Majesty, please take it back!" He Fujin was startled, and hurriedly refused.

"Mr. He has worked so hard to come to Beijing to have an audience. I will send you this short trip as a token of my heart. You don't need to refuse!" Liu Chengyou said grandly, with a smile all over his face.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Taking a deep breath, He Fujin bowed down, inevitably moved.

"Zhang Dejun, help Mr. He out!"

"Yes!"

After He Fujin retreated, Liu Chengyou fell into deep thinking. He Fujin's words made him a little vigilant.Over the years, after many rounds of rectification, the Forbidden Army has basically been firmly in control.

On the contrary, it was the local army, who had conducted several large-scale trainings, how effective they were, and what the military situation was like, which made him doubtful at this time.Especially the two frontier armies, one from Hebei and one from Southwest.On the southwest side, there is no need to worry for the time being, the invasion of Shu is imminent, and the center of gravity of the imperial court lies.

As for the northern line, it has been more than six years, with nearly [-] soldiers and horses, the weight is too heavy.Liu Chengyou didn't want to move lightly, but he had to move for peace of mind.The idea of ​​the northern tour took root in Liu Chengyou's mind again.

In March of Yangchun, the weather is sunny and sunny. Outside the city of Kaifeng, the grass grows and warblers fly. In the wilderness, in the depths of the forest, there are many tourists outing to enjoy the scenery.

In the past few days, Liu Chengyou took the Hebei generals who came to Beijing to go out hunting, drinking and feasting, and connecting with each other.

On the way home from hunting, I got an urgent report: "Your Majesty, He Dushuai has passed away!"

"What!" Liu Chengyou's expression froze, and his brows were knit together: "Didn't the imperial doctor say that in the past two days, there has been some relief?"

This newspaper, the northern generals nearby, all heard it, with different expressions, all showing sorrow, only Li Yun's eyes were bright, and he almost couldn't hold back his smile.

Liu Chengyou just glanced around, without caring much, he rode his horse and set off: "Go back to the city!"

"Is there any problem with He Fujin's death?" After returning to the palace, Liu Chengyou directly summoned Li Chongju and asked seriously.

"Return to Your Majesty! He died of illness!" Li Chongju replied.

"What did the imperial doctor say!" Liu Chengyou asked.

"He Dushuai has been a soldier all his life, with a lot of hidden wounds on his body, and his old age is often the cause of seizures. He has been on the sidelines for many years, and he has become sick from hard work, and he is dying early. This time when he returned to Beijing, he was tired all the way, and his condition became more serious. Last night, he suddenly developed a high fever. , passed away." Li Chongju said.

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but close his eyes, showing remorse: "Isn't it true that I harmed Mr. He!"

"Your Majesty, He Gong's illness is no longer curable by medicine or stone. The imperial doctor also said that even if he takes good care of him, he will only survive. If he can't survive this year, His Majesty does not need to blame himself!" Li Chongju explained.

He Fujin's death happened suddenly and had nothing to do with Liu Chengyou, and he didn't need to target such a critically ill veteran.However, Liu Chengyou was caught off guard by his sudden death from illness.

More importantly, he died at the wrong time
The northern general went to Beijing to celebrate his birthday, and within a few days, the commander-in-chief of the army died. Even if he died of illness, it would inevitably arouse suspicion and speculation.Especially, when Liu Chengyou dismissed all the festivals and defenses in Beijing.

Judging from the reactions of those military envoys, one can know what kind of impact He Fujin's death will have.

Sighing heavily, Liu Chengyou quickly collected his thoughts, and ordered: "Pass down the edict, stop court for three days, and let all civil and military officials go to express condolences to Mr. He!"

Now that the matter has come to this point, Liu Chengyou can only try his best to minimize its impact.As far as Liu Chengyou is concerned, a more urgent question is in front of him. He Fujin passed away, who will succeed him?
(End of this chapter)