webnovelfull Chapter 119: The Confident Emperor
Chapter 119: The Confident Emperor
Chapter 119: The Confident Emperor
Xun You and Zhong Yao looked at each other subconsciously.
Xun You groaned for a moment and said, "I heard that Lord Tang is in the palace."
They didn't know why Tang Mao suddenly changed his attitude, but the reform of the Sili Xiaowei had stagnated, and Tang Mao's inaction was the primary reason.
Zhong Yao didn't want the court to start a war, so he said, "Let's wait and see."
Xun You nodded. The most important thing now was to cut down on redundant officials.
In Wang Yun’s duty room.
Li Ru already knew the whole story, and he was excited. He said, "My Lord, this is a great thing to do!"
Wang Yun looked thoughtful and said, "The three officials are all mediocre and corrupt. Tomorrow, you will personally lead people to confiscate their seals."
Li Ru said solemnly, "I obey your orders."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard footsteps outside. Li Ru paused, turned back and went out, then immediately came back and whispered, "Prince, His Majesty has returned to the palace. He just passed by the Jiade Hall and it seems that he is going to the Yongle Palace."
Wang Yun's eyes darkened slightly, and he said nothing.
Yesterday, Empress Dowager He reprimanded him in person for the officials of the General's Mansion and the General's Mansion.
He did not bow his head, and Empress Dowager He was very angry.
There was a hint of solemnity on Wang Yun's face.
Li Ru didn't know what to say. Empress Dowager He was the empress dowager after all. If she insisted, His Majesty would be helpless.
Inside the Yongle Palace.
Empress Dowager He, Tang Ji and Tang Mao were chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was very good.
It is obvious that Empress Dowager He likes Tang Ji.
Empress Dowager He held Tang Ji's hand and said with a smile: "When Lady Tang has a child, everything will be complete. This will save me from worrying all day and night and even losing sleep..."
Empress Dowager He's biggest concern was Empress Dowager Dong and Liu Xie.
Tang Mao sat upright, worried in his heart, but smiling calmly on his face, and said, "Your Majesty is right. Since ancient times, offspring are more important than anything else, especially for Your Majesty."
Tang Ji's pretty face turned slightly red and she pursed her lips.
After Empress Dowager He finished speaking, she suddenly looked at Tang Mao and said, "I heard that Lord Tang just went to Wang Yun's duty room?"
Tang Mao's heart skipped a beat, and his mind raced. He smiled and said, "Yes. After all, I am just a subordinate. It is not appropriate to conflict with the prince..."
Empress Dowager He snorted coldly, interrupting him and saying, "What's wrong with Wang Yun even contradicting me?"
Tang Mao was even more troubled when he saw that Empress Dowager He was unhappy, but he still said, "Your Majesty, Prince... After all, this is for state affairs. I think it is imperative to 'cut down redundant officials', but the method is a little..."
Empress Dowager He was already angry, and when she saw her relative-in-law speaking for Wang Yun, her face couldn't help but turn cold.
Tang Ji quickly interrupted and said, "Mother, my father meant that this is your Majesty's national affairs, and the prince may have misunderstood the emperor's intention."
"Yes Yes,"
Tang Mao was extremely nervous. He tried to keep smiling and said, "Your Majesty, this is what I meant."
Empress Dowager He was furious. Just as she was about to speak, she looked up and saw Liu Bian coming in. She immediately frowned and said, "You still remember to come back? You still remember that you have a mother!"
There was anger and a hint of grievance in his tone.
Liu Bian came forward with a box of snacks in his hand and said with a smile: "These are snacks from Helou outside the palace. My mother likes them the most. I bought them specially."
Empress Dowager He looked at the exquisite snacks Liu Bian was holding, her lips twitched, she snorted coldly, and took it reluctantly.
When Tang Ji saw this, she stood up and made way for him.
Tang Mao lowered his head, his eyes were panicked, and he dared not breathe.
Liu Bian didn't even look at him. He sat down next to Queen Mother He, waved his hand, and said, "Mother, I know everything. I will vent your anger now. Pan Yin, go to the Secretariat and reprimand Wang Yun in public. You are so bold to contradict the Queen Mother!"
Without waiting for Pan Yin to respond, Empress Dowager He quickly reached out to stop him and said, "Forget it, scolding him makes me look petty. You should take better care of him in the future and stop him from going out of the palace to play all the time. If Tang Ji is not enough, I will select a few more for you..."
This sentence made Tang Mao and Tang Ji change color.
"It is my mother who understands me,"
Liu Bian glanced at Tang Mao and pretended to be thoughtful and said, "Mother, is it because of the two uncles? Did someone come to intercede for them? I can just cross out the names of those who need to be protected. Why bother your mother to come in person?"
Empress Dowager He opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly seemed to think of something, frowned, and said hesitantly: "There is no special person, you should be kind to those people in the General's Mansion. You should send all the people in the General's Mansion away."
Liu Bian looked at Empress Dowager He, his eyes flickering slightly.
He had long noticed that Empress Dowager He was acting a little unusually regarding He Jin's matter, but after much investigation, he found nothing.
Liu Bian moved closer calmly and whispered, "Mother, is there something you don't want to talk about?"
Empress Dowager He immediately said, "How can it be inconvenient for you, mother?"
As she spoke, she suddenly stood up, took the snacks Liu Bian brought, and said, "Go back early if you have nothing else to do. Your mother is still waiting to hold her grandson."
Without waiting for Liu Bian to speak, Empress Dowager He walked out of the side door.
Liu Bian half-closed his eyes, and a gleam of sharpness jumped out.
"What is it that you can't even tell me? And you're hiding from me?"
Liu Bian was sure that Empress Dowager He was hiding some secret, which might be related to him.
Tang Mao bowed and suddenly fell to the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, I am confused. Please punish me!"
Liu Bian took the teacup handed to him by Tang Ji and took a sip.
Tang Ji was a little surprised. What did her father do?
Liu Bian glanced at him calmly, stood up and walked out, saying, "Send Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Xun You, and Zhong Yao to the study in Jingfu Palace."
Tang Mao lay on the ground, and when he saw that Liu Bian ignored him, he became more and more uneasy.
Tang Ji became even more confused.
As soon as Liu Bian left, she helped Tang Mao up and said, "Father, what happened?"
Tang Mao smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "Father is confused."
Knowing that he still had to rely on his daughter, Tang Mao glanced around and quickly pulled her out of Yongle Palace.
As soon as she left the house, a palace maid came over quickly and said, "Lady Tang, the Queen Mother invites you."
Tang Ji pursed her lips, glanced at Tang Mao again, and turned back.
Tang Mao's eyes could not leave Tang Ji's back. The corners of his mouth twitched and he felt extremely bitter in his heart.
"Mr. Tang." At this time, a light and crisp laugh sounded behind him.
Tang Mao turned around and saw that it was Zuo Li. He raised his hand and said hurriedly, "Noble Zuo."
'Do you know how to raise your hands now?'
Zuo Li sneered in his heart, but smiled as he said, "Lord Tang, there is a rumor in the court that they want the court to directly govern Sili."
Tang Mao's eyes suddenly widened, his face turned pale, and his expression became so stiff that no one knew what he was doing.
If Sili is directly under the jurisdiction, there will be no need for the Sili Colonel!
Zuo Li looked at his expression, feeling extremely relieved, and left slowly.
……
The study room in Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Xun You and Zhong Yao bowed and took their seats.
Liu Bian sat opposite them, looking at Wang Yun, who was among them and yet seemed very far away, obviously isolated. He calmly lowered his head and picked up the teacup, a smile flashing in his eyes.
He drank a sip of tea, then looked at Wang Yun and said, "Don't worry, Wang Qing's family. After my persuasion, the Queen Mother has calmed down."
Wang Yun looked at Liu Bian with a look that was very different from before, as if he was looking at a sage monarch. He raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Liu Bian looked at him, glanced at the other three people, and suddenly said: "Wang Qingjia, have you ever reflected on why you have come to this point today?"
Wang Yun now felt that Liu Bian was an incomparable great ruler, the greatest ruler in the history. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is because I was not thoughtful and did not act completely, which caused the court and the people to be in turmoil. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Liu Bian didn't care what he thought and said, "Today we are discussing the matter, not the crime."
Then he looked at Yang Biao again and asked, "Prime Minister, what do you think?"
Yang Biao's chubby face was tense, and he looked thoughtful. He said, "Your Majesty, I think it was due to insufficient preparation beforehand and haste afterwards. Reducing redundant officials is a matter of great importance, so we should take it step by step."
Xun You listened and looked at Yang Biao in surprise. These words were quite pertinent.
Liu Bian shook his head and said, "My opinion is that the Wang family is only concerned with drawing up a list of cuts, without in-depth research and sufficient understanding of the court and the system. They didn't cut those who should be cut, and they blocked those who shouldn't be blocked. This is why the court and the public are complaining and criticizing them."
Xun You and Zhong Yao couldn't help but look at each other as they listened.
Your Majesty's words seem to make sense, but there seems to be something else behind them.
Just as Wang Yun was about to raise his hand, Liu Bian looked at him and said, "Everything should be done in layers and steps. It cannot be done in one go. Important state affairs require careful consideration. If you don't think carefully, you will fail. If you don't do things carefully, things will go wrong."
Wang Yun was also a little stunned. Liu Bian's words seemed like a rebuke, but also like a lesson.
Yang Biao, who had been watching coldly, blinked his eyes. He felt that Liu Bian's words today were different from usual. It seemed that he was more...confident?
In the silence, Zuo Li quietly came to the door, bowed, and nodded silently to Liu Bian.
Liu Bian sat up straighter and said, "The reform of Sili has been delayed for a long time, and Tang Mao resigned from his post. I have decided that Sili will be directly governed by the court."
Almost everyone looked shocked.
Tang Mao resigned, and the imperial court directly controlled Sili?
Yang Biao, Xun You, and Zhong Yao looked at Liu Bian, and couldn't help but glance at Wang Yun.
Wang Yun still had his hand raised, his eyes fixed on Liu Bian's face, he was stunned again and again, totally not knowing what to say.
The four of them were full of thoughts.
Xun You and Zhong Yao looked at each other and thought to themselves: "Your Majesty is indeed dissatisfied with the stagnation of Sili's reform."
Seeing that they were silent, Liu Bian picked up the teacup. Seeing that Wang Yun still raised his hand, he said, "Mr. Wang, what do you want to say?"
Wang Yun's face twitched, and he said, "I will follow the instructions of the Holy Lord."
Liu Bian hummed, looked around at the four people, and said: "The current priorities of the court can be summed up in four words: increase revenue and reduce expenditure! Reducing redundant officials is unwavering. The reform of money and grain transportation and salt administration cannot be stopped! Sili, as the pioneer of the 'new system', is the top priority. All the nobles must work together to support the country, eliminate bad policies, and revive the Han Dynasty!"
"We obey your command!" The four of them raised their hands and bowed.
At this point, they all noticed that His Majesty, who had just returned from outside the palace, had a high-pitched voice and sonorous words, and seemed to be particularly...confident.
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