I, Liu Bian, the hero

Chapter 68
"Could it be this fool..."

Curiosity arose in Liu Bian's heart, he cupped his hands and asked for advice: "I don't understand, please teach me, Father."

Emperor Ling thought for a while, then suddenly got up and said: "The weather is not bad today, my son and I will go outside for a walk."

As soon as Liu Bian guessed, he knew that Emperor Ling must have something to say to him in private, so he said, "Yes."

Ever since, Emperor Ling took Liu Bian out of Yutang Hall, and walked towards Lantai and Jiade Hall without going far, but Emperor Ling didn't speak along the way, which made Liu Bian quite puzzled.

Don't you want to chat with him in private?
Not long after, Emperor Ling brought Liu Bian to a small garden next to the Jiade Hall. It was a rather small garden, but even though it was small, there was a large pool, terraces and waterside pavilions in the garden.

Emperor Ling led Liu Bian into the pavilion near the lake, turned his head and told Zhang Rang, "Father, you and everyone take a hundred steps back."

Zhang Rang was subconsciously a little uneasy. After all, Emperor Ling asked him to avoid such things. It is very rare for monarchs and ministers to get along with each other in the past ten or twenty years. Fortunately, it is Shihou Liubian who is beside Emperor Ling today. Zhang Rang thought to himself that this is the prince There is no reason to take the opportunity to harm him.

"Old minister obeys." He arched his hands, bowed and retreated, and the rest of the young eunuchs also retreated a hundred steps.

Seeing Liu Bian looking at Zhang Rang's leaving back in surprise, Emperor Ling said meaningfully, "What? My son thought I couldn't order Zhang Changshi?"

"Your words... are very specific. 』

Liu Bian was surprised, and followed Lingdi's words, pretending to be stupid and tentatively said: "I have indeed heard some unfavorable remarks against Zhang Changshi, saying that he deceived the emperor with clever words, and today, it seems that this is not the case. thing?"

"Ah."

Emperor Ling snorted, sat down in the pavilion, and immediately signaled Liu Bian to sit down as well.

Sitting on the stone bench after Liu Bian thanked him, Emperor Ling looked at the lake full of water and asked, "Since you have heard the unfavorable remarks against Zhang Changshi, you must have heard some words against me before and after entering the palace. Unfavorable rumors, let’s hear them.”

"Ask this as soon as you come up? 』

Liu Bian's heart trembled, even though he was mature, he didn't know how to answer at this moment.

Have you never heard of it?
Or answer truthfully?

"I dare not." Liu Bian cupped his hands.

"Tell me, I won't blame you." Lingdi said calmly.

Glancing at Emperor Ling and thinking for a while, Liu Bian guessed that Emperor Ling probably wanted to reveal some truth to him, and decided to answer truthfully: "That's the case... forgive me for offending you. Before and after entering the palace, I did hear some things that were not good for the emperor. There are rumors that the father favors eunuchs, prostitutes officials, and other things..."

"Favoring eunuchs, selling officials to sell nobles." Lingdi muttered softly, and suddenly laughed: "Is it the scholars from the government and the public who said it?"

In fact, Liu Bian didn't know who these rumors originated from, and said honestly: "This minister doesn't know."

"Heh." Emperor Ling laughed again, and immediately asked Liu Bian: "Since I ascended the throne, I don't know how many courtiers have advised me to be a Mingjun. My son can know that he can be called a Mingjun?"

Liu Bian felt that Emperor Ling's words were a bit lacklustre: "My son knows that he is a wise monarch."

Emperor Ling glanced at Liu Bian, and asked again: "Then, what is wise?"

This is a bit broad, Liu Bian thought for a while and said: "There are clear rewards and punishments, the ability to distinguish loyalty from disobedience, follow remonstrance like flow... and so on?"

"Hahaha." Emperor Ling laughed a few times, and then argued seriously to Liu: "No, my son remembers, the Mingjun mentioned by the ministers refers to the monarch who does not oppose them and only entrusts them with important tasks!"

"..."

Liu Bian suddenly realized that he had guessed wrong. The question Lingdi just asked was actually quite level, but he didn't understand it at first.

This stupid gentleman...has something!
There was some surprise on his face.

However, Emperor Ling made a mistake, mistakenly thought that the son in front of him could not accept it, and smiled in his heart: Although my son is smart, he is still young.

But he didn't care. After all, in his opinion, Liu Bian was still too young, and it was not surprising that he couldn't accept it for a while. After all, his experience was gradually explored during his ten or twenty years of being an emperor.

He asked Liu Bian, "Do you know Liang Ji?"

"I know." Liu Bian nodded and said, "General Domineering."

Liang Ji, as mentioned by the father and son, is the relative of Shun Emperor. After the death of Han Shun Emperor, his sister Liang was promoted to the empress dowager, and she was in charge of the government. Emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Among them, Emperor Chong of the Han Dynasty was only three years old when he first stood up, and unfortunately died of illness in Yutang Palace.

Emperor Han Zhi was only nine years old when he was proclaimed emperor. Because he was dissatisfied with Liang Ji's arrogance and domineering, he called him a domineering general, and was poisoned to death by Liang Ji immediately.

Emperor Huan, who was finally supported, finally killed Liang Ji with the help of a group of harem eunuchs and took back the imperial power.

By the way, since then, the Han Dynasty has guarded against the queen's natal family being too powerful, so as not to repeat the disaster of Liang Ji. This is also Liu Bian's clear statement that Cai Yan will be the queen in the future, but no one thinks that Cai Yan The reason for dissuading them is the reason that the family is too small.

"Yes, Domineering General, since you know, I won't say more."

After hearing Liu Bian's words, Emperor Ling nodded and continued: "... I was not born by Emperor Huan, but was chosen by Empress Dowager Dou. I was also very puzzled at the beginning, why did the first emperor favor eunuchs so much? ? Until I know what happened to Liang Ji."

As he spoke, there was a bit of sneer on his face, and he sneered: "Liang Ji has ruled the government for more than [-] years, and none of the three princes and nine ministers in the court dared to defy, let alone assist the late emperor to eradicate this crooked minister. In the end, Emperor Huan joined hands with the eunuch Only then did Liang Ji and his henchmen be eradicated... Bian'er, tell me, if you were Emperor Huan, would you trust eunuchs or courtiers?"

"Trust the eunuch." Liu Bian replied sincerely.

Emperor Ling smiled and did not criticize, and continued: "Emperor Huan was only fifteen years old when he succeeded to the throne. When I succeeded to the throne, I was even younger, only 12 years old. Controlling the state affairs, and co-recording official affairs with Grand Tutor Chen Fan and Situ Hu Guang. His son Dou Ji is a servant, nephew Dou Shao is an infantry captain, and other members of the Dou clan, relatives, friends and guests all hold important positions... Hearing this, Who did I think of?"

"Liang Ji." Liu Bian said, frowning.

Emperor Ling didn't comment, shook his head and continued: "Dou Wu is not an arrogant and domineering idiot like Liang Ji, on the contrary, Dou Wu attaches great importance to reputation, and often gives his own points to the Tai students, and orders people to use the food and meals in the car. , distributed to the poor, recruited Confucian scholars and scholars, and supported me..."

"..."

The more Liu Bian heard it, the more he felt that it was contrary to harmony, because he felt that what Dou Wu did was very similar to Wang Mang in the "before Gongqian usurpation".

At this time, Emperor Ling looked at the lake full of water, and said with a complicated expression: "At first, when I learned that I could inherit the throne of Emperor Huan, I was very excited, but I didn't know until I arrived in Luoyang. During the government, Emperor Huan did not give in. The only difference is that Liang Ji was arrogant and domineering, and all officials dared not disobey, while Dou Wu pretended to be humble and pardoned many party members who were imprisoned during Emperor Huan without authorization, and was regarded as a scholar by the scholars of the world. The leader, touting every day, he is smarter than Liang Ji, and he also learned the lesson of Liang Ji's death. Less than half a year after I succeeded to the throne, he joined forces with Grand Tutor Chen Fan to try to eradicate the eunuch... Chen Fan, what is his moral character? I don't comment, but I don't like him, and Emperor Huan doesn't like him either, can my son know why?"

"Why?" Liu Bian asked.

Emperor Ling didn't answer directly, instead he asked Liu Bian: "If some courtiers persuade my son in the future, saying that Cai Ji's background is not good and she is not suitable to be a queen, what will I do?"

Liu Bian immediately understood: "Father means that Taifu Chen..."

"Hmm." Emperor Ling nodded and said, "Emperor Huan wanted to make the Tian family his queen, but it was Chen Fan who led the scholars in the court to obstruct him in every possible way and persuaded Emperor Huan to make the Dou family his queen..." At this point, he paused After a pause, I added: "I am not dissatisfied with Queen Mother Dou. On the contrary, Queen Mother Dou has treated me well. I am still grateful to this day. I just want you to understand the relationship between Dou Wu and Chen Fan at that time, and the relationship between the two of them in court. status and prestige in the

Seeing Liu Bian nodded, Emperor Ling continued: "My son also knows what happened later. The Zhongchang servants Cao Jie, Wang Fu and others took the first step and killed the rest of Dou Wu's party members and arrested a large number of scholars. All of this was unknown to me when I was young at the time, so I sometimes thought that if Dou Wu, Chen Fan and others were successful at that time and killed Cao Jie, Wang Fu and others, it would be another look. What kind of scene?... What does my son think?"

Liu Bian hesitated for a moment, and said conservatively, "Maybe...the disaster of Liang Ji will be repeated."

Emperor Ling laughed lightly, and asked again: "What will happen to me?"

Liu Bian glanced at Emperor Ling stealthily, saw him looking at him, and said, "Father is afraid... I am afraid that he will become a puppet emperor, so he cannot leave the harem."

When he said these words, he also suddenly realized one thing, that is, why Emperor Ling called Zhang Rang's father and Zhao Zhong his mother, probably because Dou Wu and Chen Fan's actions at that time threatened him intentionally or unintentionally. In order to win over the eunuchs in the harem to protect himself, he had no choice but to resort to this trick.

Otherwise, how could even a 12-year-old child casually call two eunuchs as parents?

Thinking about it this way, it can be seen that Emperor Ling is actually not stupid, on the contrary he is very smart.

But such a smart person, why would he do such absurd things as putting dogs in official uniforms?

Perhaps seeing that the atmosphere is good now, Liu Bian asked curiously: "I heard that my father used to have fun in the palace, so I have never seen a donkey before, so I drove a donkey cart to play in the palace, which attracted bureaucrats to imitate. For a while, the price of private donkeys rose sharply..."

"Haha." Emperor Ling laughed loudly, and then mocked: "It's not that I was raised in a deep palace since I was young. I lived in Hejian when I was young. Although your family lived in poverty after your ancestor passed away, do you think I have not Ever seen a donkey?"

"Then...the matter of putting the dog in the official uniform, there is also something inside?" Liu Bian asked curiously.

"Hehehe." Emperor Ling seemed to have thought of something interesting, and laughed when he heard the words, and then explained: "...Dou Wu was dead at that time, and I wanted to posthumously posthumously posthumously your ancestor as emperor and canonize your grandmother as empress dowager. However, the court officials obstructed me in every possible way, and I had no choice but to let it go. Afterwards, Zhang Changshi gave me this idea, just to scold those people! It's a pity that although I enjoyed it for a while, I couldn't really follow my wishes. "

Liu Bian suddenly realized that Emperor Ling deliberately used this incident to scold those people, no wonder he would do such absurd things.

Indeed, Emperor Ling's biological father, Liu Shu, Marquis of Xieduting, only received the posthumous posthumous posthumous title of Emperor Xiaoren, but not the title of emperor.

Similarly, although Emperor Ling's biological mother, Empress Dowager Dong of Yongle Palace, was called Empress Dowager by both the government and the public, her real title was Nobleman of Shenyuan and Empress Xiaoren, and she could not actually be called Empress Dowager—the empress dowager was Dou Miao, That is, Empress Dowager Dou.

What's interesting is that Cao Teng, Cao Cao's grandfather in history, was honored as "Emperor Gao" by Cao Cao's grandson Cao Rui, and enjoyed the title of emperor.

Cao Teng, as an eunuch, can get the title of emperor, why can't Liu Shu, the biological father of Emperor Ling?

It can be seen that there is only one reason, that is, Emperor Ling did not really regain the imperial power, and he could not issue an order and submit to the government and the public.

Just when Liu Bian was thinking secretly, Emperor Ling suddenly asked him: "In my son's opinion, what is an eunuch?"

"Father's question is quite broad, Rong Erchen thinks about it..."

At this time, Liu Bian already knew that Lingdi's questions often had profound meanings, so he replied thoughtfully: "Rootless duckweed? Someone who can be driven?"

"Rootless duckweed?"

Emperor Ling pondered for a while, then nodded appreciatively: "I never expected my son to have such an insight."

After that, he lowered his voice and said to Liu Bian seriously: "My son, remember, eunuchs are minions, if you cut off your minions, you will be trapped in a cage!"

"..."

Liu Bian opened his mouth, a strange look flashed in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)