I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 536: Can the high price offered by the wealthy family to Liu Bing be higher than that of Weiyang Palace?

"I shot that arrow sixteen years ago, and I was entrusted by the late Emperor Xue Ling Wang Shi." Liu Xiang calmly told the story of the past.

It took so long that Liu Bing thought about it for a while before he remembered it.

On that day, Liu Bing had already met the emperor. When he was sending the emperor away, he was hit by an arrow from the dark. Fortunately, he had gold and silver in his arms to block it and saved his life.

He never thought that it would be the work of the "Jade Faced Ghost General".

"After His Majesty returns to the palace that day, I must not wait to take action again, otherwise..." Liu Xiang stopped before he could finish the unpleasant words.

Liu Bing was no longer the dazed young man before, and he immediately understood why Wang Shi wanted to do this.

"The prince is loyal and righteous, and your majesty is benevolent and righteous." Liu Bing already praised him.

"In the past, I felt guilty, so I didn't dare to come to see the captain when I passed by here. This time, the emperor allowed me to tell me about this, and I will come here often in the future." Liu Xiang said.

Liu Bing was about the same age as Liu Xiang, and they had traveled to the Western Regions with Su Fu's mission, so they had a close friendship.

He used to think that Liu Xiang was deliberately alienating him, and that the two had different personalities and had no chance of becoming good friends, but he never expected that the other party would actually carry such a burden.

"Come here often from now on, as long as the food and wine are enough!" Liu Bing already responded cheerfully.

"I'm going to Anxi Protectorate again. I'll pass by next year and I'll definitely come to bother you... I'll leave this Chu Zi to you." Liu Xiang said calmly.

"Don't worry!"

"Take care!" Liu Xiang saluted the two of them again, then turned around and left.

This short conversation involved life and death, hatred, understanding and loyalty, which made the onlooker Liu Zhe's heart surge with excitement.

He didn't expect that the relationship between real men could be so carefree and wanton.

He never expected that his father, who was always serious at that time, would also do things that went against his "elders".

"Come, let's meet the family." Liu Bingji patted Liu Zhe on the shoulder and said with a smile.

The words "family member" made Liu Zhe feel warm in his heart. The fatigue of traveling all the way disappeared, and he seemed to have returned to Chang'an City and Weiyang Palace.

"only!"

The two brothers, who also share the blood of Gaozu, stopped being polite and walked quickly to the backyard together.

In the backyard, Liu Bing and his family had been waiting for a long time.

Xu Guanghan and his wife, who have gray hair on their temples and have a stooped figure; Xu Pingjun, who is capable and dignified; and their ten-year-old son Liu Xi and nine-year-old daughter Liu Jie.

Liu Shi's name was given by the emperor personally, and it means prosperity.

There are many clansmen in the world, but this son is the only one who can be named by the emperor.

Everyone thought it was because the emperor had a close relationship with Liu Bingji's uncle and nephew, but they didn't know that this name should belong to Liu Bingji's son.

Of course, this Liu Shi is no longer the Han Yuan Emperor Liu Shi in history.

Liu Bingji, a member of the family, was a kind person by nature, and Liu Zhe didn't put on any airs. After everyone saluted, there was no longer any barrier.

Entering the door, serving food, serving tea and toasting, a piece of music...

At night, the cool breeze blew, and Liu Bing had brought Liu Zhe to his study.

Only then did Liu Zhe realize that his cousin's study was filled with books, and no place was empty.

Looking at these books, Liu Zhe seemed to have returned to the study room in the Greenhouse Hall.

"These books were sent by the county magistrate. If you have time, you can come and read them often." Liu Bing already said with a smile.

"Brother, I understand." Liu Zhe nodded.

Liu Bing smiled. He knew that Liu Zhe hadn't fully understood it yet, but there was still time for him to think about it slowly.

"This time, you are here to guard the border."

"My pseudonym is Chu Zi, a native of Pingling, Chang'an. After General Liu and the others leave, no one will know your identity."

"From now on, you are the commander of the patrol pavilion at the east gate of Wulei City, the Western Region's Protector, and will be under the jurisdiction of Sima Zhou Chushou of the north gate."

"Zhou Chushou is one of the first good people from Chang'an City to work in the Western Regions. He is well-informed. You can learn a lot from following him."

As Liu Bing said this, he took out an iron plate from his arms that represented Liu Zhe's identity. On it were written the words "Extremely Chief Patrolling the City, Chu Zi, with a black face and no beard."

"Since you are the Chief of the City Patrol, I will treat you as an ordinary Chief of the City Patrol..."

"If anyone asks about your relationship with me, just say that your father is an old friend of mine in Chang'an City."

"After you leave next year, I will guard the Western Regions again and announce your identity. In this way, everyone in the world will know that you have completed guarding the border."

Before Liu Zhe, princes and their descendants had already come to guard the border, and the whole process was very mature.

In the past ten years, some princes and their legitimate sons have died while guarding the border. Danger is inevitable.

Liu Zhe's identity is particularly special, so Liu Bingyi would personally arrange this matter.

"The Western Region is not like Chang'an. There are many people coming and going. Don't be impulsive when something happens. Be patient and swallow hard." Liu Bing patted Liu Zhe on the shoulder and said.

"I know that I will not embarrass the Liu Ancestral Temple!" Liu Zhe said after taking the iron plate.

"There is also an iron rule to remember. Officials of the Protector of the Western Regions who are over 600 stones in size are not allowed to pass Yumen Pass without an order... Soldiers of the Protector of the Western Regions are not allowed to leave the county without an order."

"I have written down everything my brother said," Liu Zhe said.

"From now on, you will call me the Protector of the Western Region." Liu Bing already said.

"only!"

……

After sending someone to take Liu Zhe away, Liu Bing had already sat down in the study.

Under the flickering oil lamp, his face was a little blurry, as if he was deep in thought, not at all as relaxed and heroic as before.

After hesitating for a long time, he opened the small box under the case, took out a letter from it, re-opened it and placed it in front of himself.

This letter was delivered half a month ago, and the person who wrote it was Liu Bingji's benefactor, Zhang He.

Ye Tingling Zhang He is a friend and guest of Prince Ru, Liu Bingji's savior, and Zhang Anshi's brother...

Without the care of Zhang He, Xu Guanghan and Bingji, Liu Bing would definitely not have survived.

The letter on the case was signed only by Zhang He, but the text was written in Zhang Anshi's tone.

In the letter, Zhang Anshi mentioned the kindness Bingji and Zhang He had towards Liu Bingji, and sincerely asked Liu Bingji to do something.

This incident was earth-shattering and could turn the big man upside down.

Liu Bing is already a man who values ​​kindness.

Zhang Anshi used this kindness to "threaten" Liu Bingji, which really put the latter in a dilemma.

In addition to the "threat", Zhang Anshi also offered a "high price" in the letter, a price so high that even Liu Bing could not refuse.

Liu Bing was now the Marquis of Haihun with a settlement of 500 households, and he was also the Protector of the Western Regions with a real 2,000 shi, and he was the emperor's trusted nephew.

But all these combined are not as high as the price offered by Zhang Anshi.

This price is higher than Wulei City, higher than the Western Region Protectorate, and higher than the North Tower of Weiyang Palace.

Liu Bing was already thinking about many things in the future, and couldn't help but hold the letter in his hand.

At this time, Xu Pingjun happened to open the door and come in.

"Husband..."

"What's the matter?"

"Xu'er wants you to practice sword practice with him." Xu Pingjun said with a smile. "Okay, I'll go there later." Liu Bing nodded and replied.

"Then I'll go talk to him." Xu Pingjun was about to retreat.

"and many more……"

"What else can you do, husband?"

"Do you want to go back to Chang'an?" Liu Bing said apologetically, "I have been in the Western Regions for sixteen years, and we have never been back once."

Xu Pingjun seemed to see that Liu Bing had something on his mind, but in the end he just smiled.

"Whether we go to Chang'an or stay in Wulei City, as long as the whole family is together, it will be fine."

Liu Bing felt even more guilty. How could Wulei be as good as Chang'an? It was not easy for the Xu family to follow him here.

Xu Pingjun didn't say anything more. After bowing slightly, he withdrew.

Liu Bing had already looked at the letter in his hand, and then at the dancing lights, but he did not burn it after all.

This cold wind from Wu Lei will eventually reach Chang'an.

……

In this way, Liu Zhe, the eldest son of the Han Empire, began his life as a border guard in Wulei City under the pseudonym Chu Zi.

As Liu Bing has said, after Liu Xiang's team of Changyi Lang left Wulei City, not many people here knew the origin of Liu Zhe.

The East City Gate Sima Zhou Chushou was naturally the little pawn who helped Meng Xing pass the imperial examination fifteen years ago.

As the captain of the field team, his family of four moved to the Western Regions.

After more than ten years of hard work, he finally went from being the commander of the village with a salary of 200 shi to the gate commander of the city with 400 shi.

This city gate Sima is different from the city gate Sima in Chang'an City. Not only does he have to guard the city gate, he is also responsible for the security and theft detection of the entire East City and thirty miles outside the city.

His responsibilities are heavy, so his rank is higher than that of the gate Sima at the north gate of Chang'an City.

Not only did his moral character improve, Zhou Chushou's son and daughter also got married respectively and gave birth to children and grandchildren.

The Zhou family is now a big family with more than a dozen people.

They cultivated 500 acres of middle land near their farming team and raised about 100 cattle and sheep.

The entire family of Ling Ling Zongzong also has more than 100,000 yuan, which is barely enough to get a household in the Western Region.

Just like helping Meng Xing pass the imperial examination more than ten years ago, Zhou Chushou also took great care of Chu Zi, a small country party member.

This kind of care does not mean letting Chu Zi be lazy and slippery, but trying his best to help him gain knowledge in his own one-third of an acre of land.

Patrolling the city gates at night, chasing down small groups of horse bandits, searching for smuggling merchants... Zhou Chushou would always bring Liu Zhe with him to do these things that could improve his skills.

Liu Zhe is also like an eagle that has been locked in a cage for too long. After flying into the vast sky, he will continue to spread his wings and strike into the sky.

He strives to be the first in everything, does not hide in anything, and shows what a young talent should be like.

More importantly, Liu Zhe was not bothered by his origin, and he quickly became one with the ordinary soldiers around him.

The little money and food that was given to his hands every month was used to buy wine and meat without leaving anything behind, and distributed it to his soldiers.

After only two or three months, most of the eastern city of Wulei City knew that a bold young man had arrived from Chang'an City.

Liu Zhe never noticed that every time he said goodbye to his cousin Liu Bing, the latter would silently look at his back with a solemn expression.

While Liu Zhe was enjoying the torment of the wind and sand in Wulei City, turmoil first appeared in Chang'an City.

Liu Zhe had just left Chang'an City, and probably before he left Sanfu, a rumor appeared in Chang'an City.

This rumor is related to the turmoil sixteen or seventeen years ago.

Rumors say that Huo Guang died not at the hands of bandits, but at the hands of Changyi Lang, who was ambushed by the emperor in advance.

In this swirling rumor, the Emperor is not entirely the villain.

Cruel, decisive, wealthy, and capable of eradicating the roots...

These words are used to describe the emperor, but they are all first-class good words.

However, behind these clear and substantive praises, other gossips began to emerge: the emperor was ungrateful and unjust, and he was too cruel to the Huo family who had the merit of supporting him.

After these rumors spread for a few days, the spearhead turned in another direction and began to attack Queen Huo Chengjun.

First, he said that the emperor should abolish Huo Chengjun's position as queen, and then said that Huo Chengjun was indifferent to the collapse of the Huo family and had no filial piety.

Rumors like this have happened occasionally for more than ten years.

But over the years, very few people dare to discuss this matter anymore.

I don’t know why it made a comeback this time, and it was so powerful that the entire Sanfu and Guanzhong were in an uproar.

Soon after, the exact news leaked out from Weiyang Palace.

Queen Huo Chengjun and the emperor had a dispute in front of Jiaofang Palace over this matter, and the emperor and empress almost got into a fight.

Fortunately, Zhang Jieyu and Cai Jieyu tried to persuade them to make peace, so nothing more unsightly happened.

The next day, the emperor was furious at the cabinet office and summoned Jin Wu Jian Kou to the cabinet, ordering him to refrain from talking evil in Chang'an.

But how could the rumors be put to rest so easily?

Jian Kou led the pavilion soldiers to patrol around Chang'an City, which only made the rumors temporarily disappear from the streets. As for the invisible underwater, the undercurrent was still surging.

It’s the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month in the sixteenth year of reform and opening up, and it’s New Year’s Eve.

This is supposed to be a day of reunion. At this time in previous years, Liu He would always stay up with his family in the palace.

But there is something different this year. The moderate turmoil at the end of the year has filled the entire Weiyang Palace with a depressing atmosphere.

Although the turmoil sixteen years ago has long passed, many people related to it are still alive.

After the banquet was over, Liu He let everyone disperse. He himself did not go to Jiaofang Hall, but to Greenhouse Hall.

The current matter was more complicated than he imagined.

After the bell rang, a black figure appeared outside the door.

"Your Majesty, I would like to see you, Dai Zong, the captain of the embroidered clothes."

"Come in."

"only!"

Dai Zong pushed the door open and entered without forgetting to close the palace door firmly behind him.

Suddenly, apart from the figures reflected on the windows, only the emperor and his ministers were left in the greenhouse hall.

"sit!"

"Wei!" Dai Zong sat down in front of the emperor without any pretense.

Over the past ten years, many people's official positions have changed, but Dai Zong has always served as the captain of Xiuyi.

Today, there are tens of thousands of embroidered messengers, and they can be found everywhere from the Protectorate of Anxi to the Protectorate of the Two Beauties, and they form a system of their own.

Liu He couldn't tell how many embroidered messengers there were, and Dai Zong couldn't count them either.

Liu He brought Dai Zong here because of the inexplicable turmoil in Chang'an City.

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(End of this chapter)