Han Shizu

Chapter 882 The words of the heart of the minister
A private banquet ended in the friendship between the monarch and his ministers, and it was already evening.Liu Chengyou still didn't let Wang Pu out of the palace, but took him to the bedroom, and wanted to talk privately.

Not only was Wang Pu moved by the emperor's enthusiasm and closeness, but he also felt a little overwhelmed, too much grace would make people feel a certain amount of pressure.

"Sit first, Qing!" Liu Chengyou drank some wine, and with high spirits, he said to Wang Pu with a smile, "I have something for you to see!"

As he spoke, he gave instructions to Sun Yanxi, and soon, under Wang Pu's curious eyes, two servants came in carrying a large box that was full of weight, and placed it in front of him.

"You all go out!" Liu Chengyou raised his hands, then pushed open the lid himself, and motioned to Wang Pu.

Looking around, there are memorials neatly placed in the box. Judging from the volume of the box, it is estimated that there are hundreds of copies.Frowning slightly, Wang Pu picked up the letter on his face, opened it, and read it without looking at it. His expression immediately became tense, and he stood up suddenly, bowed his head and professed panic.

The memorial was an official document of impeachment against Wang Pu by officials and officials in the court, and judging from the situation, it is estimated that the entire box contained impeachment against Wang Pu.But the emperor placed it in front of him and asked him to read it in person. No matter how good Wang Pu's psychological quality is, he would inevitably feel uneasy.

Seeing his situation, Liu Chengyou quickly helped him up: "What are you doing!"

Pay attention to Wang Pu's tense expression, but Liu Chengyou smiled: "Qing misunderstood my intentions, these memorials are just people with narrow vision, writing nonsense, and there is no slander from those who are jealous of the virtuous and capable. It's like watching a joke, it's just for fun!"

As he said that, under Wang Pu's unexpected gaze, he picked up a small oil lamp in the hall and threw it directly into the box. The flame boiled oil, engulfed the memorial, and expanded rapidly.

The firelight piercing through the smoke reflected on his face, Wang Pu was still kneeling, stunned for a while.Liu Chengyou looked at him and said seriously: "Although three people make tigers and one mouth makes money, my trust in Qing has never wavered.

When you first returned to Beijing, you may not have known it, but I have received news that since you left office, Huaidong officials have been very happy, and I can't help but be overjoyed.

Why?It was Qing's resignation that made them no longer have to follow the rules, be careful in everything, and dare not slack off as they did in previous years.

How can I be dissatisfied with you, the one who holds the reins, with the behavior of Huaidong officials?All criticisms will only increase my respect for you. How many people can there be in the court who are not afraid of resentment, serve the country wholeheartedly, and act impartially? "

"Your Majesty!" Hearing Liu Chengyou's words from the bottom of his heart, Wang Pu couldn't help shaking his head again, choked up and bowed in admiration: "The sage is bright and wise, and his light shines thousands of miles. I can serve my life, and I have no regrets even though I die!"

Among the important ministers of the great Han Dynasty, in terms of honesty and integrity, Fan Zhi is comparable to Wang Pu.However, the biggest difference between the two is that Fan Zhi is strict with himself, but he urges others less and pays more attention to his own moral constraints.

When he was prime minister at the beginning of the year, his family relied on his authority to ask for land and homes in Luoyang and buy a lot of properties. However, after Liu Chengyou "concerned" about the issue of Luoyang's nobles, he immediately asked his relatives to sell all the properties, and then , Even family members and relatives are not allowed to buy property from business, they are only allowed to farm and study.As a result, among the prime ministers, Fan Zhi not only lived in poverty, but even his family and relatives did not benefit from him.

In this way, Fan Zhi has nothing to blame on the moral level.Wang Pu is even more extreme. He not only strictly demands himself and his family, but also pushes himself and others, and asks his subordinates to be consistent with him. However, there are thousands of people in this world, so how can they be of the same gender? This is why Wang Pu often suffers from the resentment of his subordinates.

The fireworks in the box shot high, the light flickered, and the smoke was lingering. The servants and guards waiting outside didn't wait for the notification, and hurried inside, wanting to escort them.

"Official!"

"What are you panicking about!" Liu Chengyou pointed to the burning memorial and ordered lightly: "Take it outside the hall and burn it clean!"

"Yes!"

Raising his hand and waving, the smoke filled the air, Liu Chengyou called Wang Pu, and wanted to walk outside the hall, he said: "I have something important to discuss with Qing!"

Under the night, the Han court is dotted with star-like lights. In the summer night, the heat has dissipated, and the gentle breeze is blowing, which is quite pleasant.

Taking a steady step, Liu Chengyou said: "Wang Qing, I have decided to attack Khitan in the north!"

Liu Chengyou's words were flat, but fell into Wang Pu's ears like thunder, and he asked in amazement: "Your Majesty has given up the Pingnan strategy?"

"Hmm!" Liu Chengyou responded, "Inside the imperial court, civil and military lords have reached a consensus to go all out for the Northern Expedition. For more than half a month, the military preparations for the Northern Expedition have been in full swing, secret preparations!"

"Then Ambassador Li is going south to Yangzhou?" Wang Pu questioned.

"It's just a trick to confuse the enemy!" Liu Chengyou said softly, "I don't expect to completely hide the Khitan people about the Northern Expedition, but it's only for a while. Try to give the court more adequate preparations, and less. The time for the Khitan people to react!"

Wang Pu nodded subconsciously, his whole body's emotions rose, and he fell into contemplation. When he considered this matter, Liu Chengyou didn't interrupt his thoughts.

"Your Majesty, is it because of the former Khitan invasion?" Wang Pu asked after a long time.

Liu Chengyou nodded again.

"However, I heard that the Khitan did not mobilize large-scale troops, and even defeated Naohou outside the Yanmen Pass! If it only stops here, it will not make His Majesty decide to change the national policy and launch a large-scale northern expedition!" Wang Pu asked a question.

"Qing is really smart!" Liu Chengyou sighed, and explained directly: "Although only ten thousand troops knocked on the pass, and the scale of the battle is not large, it is not a good sign for a big man. What's more, what outsiders don't know is that, Khitan also colluded with Yan general Zhao Siwan, intending to seize Youzhou, soldiers and horses are ready to go, if King Yan hadn't noticed it and took precautions early, I would have lost the strongest and most important foothold for defense in the north!"

Hearing this, Wang Pu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He took a deep breath and said, "In this way, I can understand why His Majesty suddenly decided to change course and attack Khitan in the north! Yanshan Mountain is dangerous. If it is not recovered, the court will It is always difficult to go south with peace of mind.

Since Khitan intends to take the initiative to invade the south, it needs to be more vigilant.The defense line in Hebei, the imperial court spent huge sums of money to build it, but it was in a passive position after all.In the past few years, the peace between the two countries was sufficient to support it, but if there was a fierce battle, the price of the imperial court's northern defense would definitely not be worth it! "

For Wang Pu's strategic vision, Liu Chengyou never doubted it. The strategic concept of "first south and then north" was proposed by him and assisted Liu Chengyou to perfect it.

"Wang Qing's opinion is very much in line with my wishes!" Liu Chengyou breathed a sigh of relief and said suddenly: "I still remember that when you put forward the idea of ​​'first south and then north', what you meant was that after Huainan was collected, we should take advantage of the situation. But when you decided to go north and south, did you think of today?"

Hearing this, Wang Pu shook his head and said with a wry smile: "How can I predict the situation ten years from now? However, I have always thought that as long as the Central Plains is stable, the old evils are eliminated, the separatists are eliminated, and the south is unified, it will be a matter of time. The country is not the case. They have developed and grown for decades. Through attacking, learning, and capturing the Han land, they have strengthened themselves. The foundation has been stabilized, and the country is still strong.

The loss of Yanyun caused almost irreparable omissions in the defense line of the Central Plains against the Hu people outside the Great Wall. If it is not restored, it will not be safe for a hundred years. Therefore, if the imperial court has enough strength to restore Yanguan to the north, the minister will naturally support it. .

Moreover, if they defeat Khitan, regain Guanshan, and then pacify Jiangnan, it will be a piece of cake! "

"What if it fails?" Liu Chengyou asked.

Hearing this, Wang Pu became very serious and said: "The number of victories and defeats is not determined by heaven. The wise monarch, the preparation of the temple, the bravery of the generals, and the dedication of the soldiers may all affect the outcome of the war. However, your majesty has decided to go north. , as a thoughtful preparation, but also with the determination to win!"

"Taught!" Liu Chengyou smiled.

After pondering for a while, Liu Chengyou suddenly changed the subject and said, "In the Wenhua Palace, you also met some of my princes, what do you think?"

Wang Pu didn't react for a while, and he didn't know what he meant, but he just answered a standard answer: "Your Highnesses are all talented and talented!"

Liu Chengyou couldn't help smiling, and said, "In your opinion, who can be the prince?"

After saying this, Wang Pu couldn't help being startled, couldn't help but looked at Liu Chengyou, and sighed in his heart, how many "surprises" His Majesty the Emperor would give him just now when he returned to Beijing.

In these years, Li Chu's voice has never been depressed in the court, and some people raised it every once in a while, but Liu Chengyou shirked it because he was still young, or stayed in the middle.Even if Wang Pu is far away in Yangzhou, he has heard about it.

In front of the ministers, Emperor Liu had never expressed his intention to establish a crown prince. It was the first time for him, Wang Pu, to experience it, and he didn't know whether it was luck or misfortune.

(End of this chapter)