I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 542: The king and his ministers interact with each other: see who can pretend, who is more ruthless, and who has the darkest tricks!

Dai Zong left and Zhang Anshi came.

Today, he came alone.

The moment he walked into the Greenhouse Hall, he suddenly felt that the Greenhouse Hall, which used to be very bright, now looked like a tomb.

Every window lattice exudes the smell of death.

He looked at the emperor sitting on the couch from a distance, his mood was very complicated, even a little in a trance.

Unexpectedly, the emperor, who had never bowed his head, would be so weak and weak at this moment, and even showed signs of death.

Perhaps in order to cover up the rebellious thoughts in his heart, Zhang Anshi quickened his pace and trotted all the way to the emperor.

"Mr. Zhang Ge, there is no need to salute. If you have something to report, please come."

"only!"

For some reason, there seemed to be an invisible wall between the monarch and his ministers.

The same thing happened when they first met more than ten years ago.

More than ten years later, it turned out to be the case again.

After careful calculation, the time when the monarch and his ministers could truly trust each other without reservation was the short few months of Dao Huo.

The past is like smoke, many things are not worth recalling and cannot be changed.

Zhang Anshi reported the major events in the world to the emperor one by one, and then the greenhouse palace fell into silence again.

In fact, Liu He had just learned about many of the things he told Chen from the love letter submitted by Dai Zong, and he knew them in more detail.

Liu He waited for Zhang Anshi to mention today's topic.

"General Wei sent people to deliver good news. He severely defeated the rebel Liu Xu's army and wiped out 30,000 enemies in Linhuai County. The rebels have returned to Guangling Kingdom." Zhang Anshi said.

"Chang Hui lives up to my heart." Liu He praised lightly.

"General Wei is brave, but the traitor Liu Xu is unpopular. Defeat and death are just around the corner." Zhang Anshi said carefully.

"So, I can just sit back and enjoy the success and wait for the good news?" Liu He asked with his eyes slightly closed.

"Before the Dragon Boat Festival, the rebellion of the traitor Liu Xu will definitely be put down; before the Zhongyuan Dynasty, all settlements will be completed. By that time, the world will be restored to peace."

Liu He calculated the time, four months to quell the rebellion, and five months to eliminate the remaining enemies. If this could be achieved smoothly, it would be a big deal.

"Four or five months is not long. I don't know how many people will be displaced because of this. This uncle of mine really deserves death." Liu He said.

"King Liu Xu of Guangling has always been violent and dissolute. He has always coveted the throne. He has even practiced witchcraft and cursed the emperor many times. He is really bold and reckless." Zhang Anshi said.

"Mr. Zhang Ge, speaking of the art of witchcraft, I would like to ask if you have any clues about the witchcraft case in Chang'an City?" Liu He asked again.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Anle and Jian Kou are still investigating. These witchcraft and poisonous things have been buried for a long time, and we can't find any clues at the moment." Zhang Anshi apologized for the two of them.

"It seems that this matter will have to be settled in the end?" Liu He mocked.

"You don't say anything about your strange power, your majesty is the emperor, and with the protection of heaven, you will definitely not be hindered." Zhang Anshi consoled him.

"After hearing what Mr. Zhang Ge said, I felt a little relieved. My injury has not yet healed, and Mr. Zhang Ge has to do more work in the court." Liu He said calmly.

"Your Majesty said something serious. This is the duty of a humble minister." Zhang Anshi said goodbye.

"So what's the progress of the Huo bandit incident?" Liu He asked a new question.

"They are just bandits selling sheep's heads for dog meat. They seem to be menacing, but they will not threaten Chang'an City. Your Majesty can sit peacefully in the palace." Zhang Anshi quickly replied.

"Then when can everything be pacified?"

"This, I'm afraid it will take some time. There are so many strongmen and bandits that it will not be easy to completely exterminate them." Zhang Anshi hesitated.

"It is difficult to clear out bandits and bandits, so I know not to act too hastily." Liu He said with some disappointment.

"The county guards of Henan County, Wuyuan County, Youfufeng and other places, as well as Zuo Fengyi and Youfufeng, have once again written to appeal to His Majesty to send troops to assist in the suppression."

"How many people are needed?"

"The cabinet did the math and found that each county has requested a total of 15,000 troops... Fortunately, they are all the third auxiliary and the counties near the third auxiliary, so it is not considered a labor force."

Liu He nodded, but did not immediately accept Zhang Anshi's words.

There are not many troops left in Chang'an City. Subtracting the 30,000 soldiers that Chang Hui took away, there are exactly 20,000 soldiers left in Chang'an City.

After deducting the necessary guards and casual soldiers in each palace, there are actually only about 15,000 Southern and Northern troops who can mobilize emergency response.

After they were all sent out, Liu He still had some concerns.

However, the two turbulent forces in the south and the north did not allow Liu He to hesitate too much, and he had to make a decision.

"There are not many Southern and Northern armies available for mobilization in Chang'an City, but Chang'an City is the heart of the Han Dynasty..."

"With Ling County as a barrier, Sanfu as a barrier, and Hangu Pass as a key, the city is filled with kind people and hundreds of officials..."

"I think there is no need to keep too many soldiers, so I will dispatch 15,000 people to assist in the suppression at their request. The cabinet will arrange how many people to send from each county."

Zhang Anshi was a little moved by Liu He's move. He stood up excitedly and actually gave a big salute to the emperor.

"His Majesty cares about the world. It is a blessing for me as a great man. The officers and soldiers will definitely work together and work hard to restore peace to the world as soon as possible."

"Lao Zhang Ge, please be free. This is also my duty. Only when the world is at peace can I be safe." Liu He smiled weakly, but this smile was a bit complicated.

"Wei!" Zhang Anshi stopped being polite and sat back down again.

"I have one more thing. I would like to hear Mr. Zhang Ge's opinion."

"Your Majesty can issue an edict."

"A few days ago, Mr. Wei Ge once again mentioned the matter of abolishing the queen, which made me a little unhappy, but I have to admit that what he said is reasonable."

"I am dissatisfied with what Zhang Ge said. In the past ten years, I have always felt ashamed of the queen, so I have never abolished the queen. I even want to make Liu Zhe the heir..."

"You have been assisting the emperor for more than ten years. You and I know each other well. You should also know that I will not change my mind easily."

"But now, Zhe'er has just guarded the border, and the Han Dynasty has become turbulent, which really makes me have a lot of doubts and wavering."

"My prime minister would like to hear Mr. Zhang Ge's opinion on whether he should abolish the queen and make Zhe'er the crown prince."

The emperor asked very sincerely, which seemed to surprise Zhang Anshi.

"Your Majesty, this matter..."

"Zhang Ge is my boss and my relative. I want to hear your opinion." Liu He raised his hand to interrupt Zhang Anshi and insisted.

It was only then, with the emperor's insistence, that Zhang Anshi's embarrassment and nervousness calmed down a bit.

"Your Majesty is in the prime of life. There is no need to rush into abolishing the queen and establishing a heir apparent..." Zhang Anshi chose his words carefully.

"If Mr. Zhang Ge had said this a few months ago, it would have enlightened me. But after I was assassinated, my injuries have not healed for a long time, and I am always worried that there will be an accident."

"Your Majesty..." Zhang Anshi was a little flustered.

"Mr. Zhang Ge, please listen to what I have to say."

"only!"

"My remarks about life and death are not scaremongering, but words from the bottom of my heart."

"Of course, I may be just unfounded. Maybe the injury will heal naturally in a few days..."

"But this incident also reminds me that a country cannot be without a king for a day. The throne of the emperor is related to the safety of the Han Dynasty, and it cannot be without the slightest plan."

"So I want to ask Mr. Zhang Ge, if we don't appoint Zhe'er as the crown prince, who should we appoint as the crown prince?" Liu He's deep voice was slightly disappointed as he rambled on, not like he was standing in the same place. The age is more like the age of an octogenarian.

Zhang Anshi listened quietly, his heart surging, but his face was very calm, as if he was listening to something unrelated.

It wasn't until the emperor's final question was raised that Zhang Anshi showed a trace of vigilance and uneasiness.

"There are only you and me here. If Mr. Zhang Ge has any advice, just say so." The emperor asked again.

For a moment, Zhang Anshi almost blurted out the answer in his heart.

However, he immediately thought of the misjudgments he had made against the Emperor over the years and the consequences of those misjudgments...

It stopped abruptly at that moment.

What the Emperor is best at is luring others into saying what they think, and then finding loopholes to catch them all.

Even though the emperor looked extremely weak at this moment, not even as strong as an old man in his sixties, Zhang Anshi still did not dare to open his heart.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Jieyu is the sister-in-law of Wei Chen. Wei Chen really dare not talk about establishing a heir apparent, otherwise it will be suspected of overstepping his bounds."

"Your Majesty stands higher than anyone in the world and can see farther. He will definitely be able to come up with a perfect plan to restore peace to the big man."

"Mr. Zhang Ge is still as cautious as ever, but I have no sense of propriety anymore." Liu He smiled meaningfully again.

"Your Majesty is so complimentary."

"Let's not talk about establishing a heir. I would like to ask Mr. Zhang Ge, do you think I should abolish him first?"

"Deposing an empress and establishing a crown prince are two things of the same thing, and even a minor minister cannot talk about it lightly..." Zhang Anshi resisted again.

"Today, I just want to hear what you, Zhang Anshi, are thinking. If you continue to push back, I will only punish you with a crime of disrespect!" Liu He feigned angrily.

Under the emperor's pressing pressure, Zhang Anshi could no longer retreat and had to give an answer.

"The Queen was the source of the turmoil in Chang'an, but she was not at fault after all. To abolish her suddenly would be detrimental to His Majesty's reputation..."

"The people's sentiments are so strong that they must not listen at all, but they must not listen at all. I think it would be best if the queen can ask for her resignation."

After Zhang Anshi went through many detours, he finally expressed his thoughts tactfully.

There were no outsiders in the Greenhouse Palace at this moment, and it was considered a private occasion, but Zhang Anshi's words were very weighty and his position was very clear.

Liu He's "unnecessary" temptation got an expected result.

Zhang Anshi wasted his last chance.

The gears in his heart began to turn, and he made the final decision.

"What Mr. Zhang Ge said makes sense, but after all, I have not made up my mind about the abolition of the queen. I will make a decision when the situation becomes more stable."

The emperor's repetitions made Zhang Anshi feel a little dazed. One moment, the emperor was anxious to establish the throne, but the next moment he suppressed the matter.

Is it possible that people who are about to die are particularly indecisive?

But the Emperor Xiaowu at that time became more ruthless and decisive as he got older?

Zhang Anshi looked at the emperor's pale face, and suddenly felt a sense of contempt and irritation.

The emperor can wait, but Zhang Anshi can't wait any longer!

Especially after meeting the Emperor today, Zhang Anshi felt that he could no longer wait.

"Your Majesty, the Holy Ming Zhuzhao, will surely be able to make the right decision for the world."

The mutual testing dialogue between the monarch and his subjects ended in false feelings.

Liu He watched Zhang Anshi's figure disappear at the door, feeling very confused and regretful.

He knew that Zhang Anshi was hiding many things from him. The latter had gone too far on the road of "deceiving the emperor" and had no chance to look back.

That true or false loyalty may never have a chance to be shown in front of Liu He.

Liu He suddenly began to miss the Zhang Anshi from more than ten years ago.

Although Zhang Anshi was cautious at that time, he was still loyal to the emperor and often dared to contradict him face to face.

But now Zhang Anshi is not only more cautious than before, but also rarely shows his loyalty.

Is this to blame Zhang Anshi for becoming more selfish, or Liu He for being too arbitrary.

The reasons for this are unclear.

In other words, it’s not the fault of either of them, it’s just that the interests they value are different.

For a long time, Liu He has always wanted to find the greatest common denominator of interests for the powerful Han Dynasty, but he obviously still thought of this matter too simply.

The aristocratic family will not withdraw from the stage of history smoothly like this.

Liu He knew that now was the best time to deal with the wealthy family, and the aristocratic family also knew that this was the last chance to make a comeback.

Since the needles are facing each other, there is no room for negotiation and compromise.

"Fan Ke." Liu He called Fan Ke in.

"Wei Chen is here."

"Go and tell Dai Zong that the letter will be sent out immediately without any delay."

"only!"

"In addition, another edict should be drawn up, saying that I am still injured and want to concentrate on recuperating. After the cabinet has submitted the report, you can approve it on my behalf."

"only!"

……

In the study of the General's Mansion, Zhang Anshi and Wei Xian sat facing each other.

In order to avoid suspicion, they didn't visit each other that often on weekdays, but today they didn't care about that much anymore.

Zhang Anshi told the details of today's meeting with the emperor, without any reservations.

Then, the study fell into a long silence.

"So, the emperor's injury has not improved yet, and is likely to get worse?" Wei Xian asked.

"The county magistrate looks bad, and he is indecisive on the matter of deposing the queen. He is not as decisive as before. I am afraid it is all due to his injuries." Zhang Anshi said.

"So that's it. In the afternoon, the county magistrate issued an edict to concentrate on recuperating from illness. I'm afraid I won't be able to manage politics." Wei Xian said.

"I never thought that the assassination that day was actually a fake act and hurt the county magistrate." Zhang Anshi felt a little guilty, but this guilt was fleeting.

"Yes, although we were loyal, we ended up hurting the dragon's body and did an evil thing that was disobedient to the emperor." Wei Xian said with a bitter smile.

Zhang Anshi and Wei Xian risked their lives to plan the assassination. Their original intention was to drive a wedge between the emperor and the queen.

However, they obviously underestimated the feelings between the emperor and the empress - the emperor did not even suspect Empress Huo.

Even if Zhang Anshi planned the witchcraft case, the Huo bandit case and the Guangling King's rebellion case, the emperor still did not make up his mind to abolish the emperor.

Zhang Anshi and Wei Xian are running out of cards.

The next one is the biggest card.

(End of this chapter)