Father Han Gaozu

Chapter 609

Chapter 609

Before the sky was bright, there was a sudden sound of dog barking in the distance, and the indistinct sound of dog barking staggered.

The bright moonlight fell on the palace. The palace was extremely simple. The outer wall was only as high as two people, and the inner wall probably only reached the elder's neck. He could easily see the situation inside the palace by standing on his tiptoes. The road in the palace is paved with gravel, mud is added to the gravel, and after being trampled countless times, it finally looks like a road. There are only six lonely halls in the palace, and the larger tiles are about to fall off. Traces of being repaired can still be seen, but there are many trees in the palace, but most of them have become bare at this moment, and many trees have been cut down, which are used to repair the palace.

Not to mention comparing it with Liu Chang's Weiyang Palace, but even comparing it with Lu Lu's mansion, I'm afraid this place is not qualified. At most, it can be a tie with Xiting Kingdom.

But here is the royal palace of Wu, a world-renowned rich and powerful country.

Liu Heng got up on tiptoe, his wife was still asleep.

By the light of the moon, Liu Heng changed into his clothes and walked out of the inner hall. There were already people waiting outside the hall. Deng Tong led three attendants and hurriedly visited the King of Wu.

Surrounded by them, Liu Heng walked into the Gonghong Hall next door. Deng Tong found half a piece of wax from somewhere, put it on the table, and lit it himself. The candle flickered, but the weak light could not illuminate The entire palace could only form a slightly bright world around the desk. Liu Heng knelt in front of the desk, and a servant placed various memorials in front of him, and Deng Tong hurriedly ordered them to bring the food.

The candlelight illuminated King Wu's face.

King Wu's face is very soft. When he was very young, he looked a bit mean and cold. As he grows, his face becomes softer and softer. This kind of softness is different from Zhang Buyi's softness. It is a very tough softness with clear facial lines, but it is probably the eyes that make him look very gentle. Gentle. The children's first reaction when they saw the Elder was to run away, but when they saw the King of Wu, their first reaction was to want to get closer.

His eyes are very bright, no matter who he looks at, he seems to have a slight smile and a great affinity, even far above the elder.

He sat seriously in front of the case, dealing with the memorials handed in from all over the place. He handled them very carefully, sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling, and his mind was completely on the memorials.

The candlelight illuminated half of his face, and with the jumping of the candlelight, his face was constantly jumping between light and dark.

Deng Tong stood aside with several servants, lowered their heads and did not dare to disturb them.

Soon the food was served, and Deng Tong knelt aside to feed King Wu. Liu Heng was eating, his eyes still on the memorial in his hand.

The sky gradually brightened, and the darkness gradually disappeared. King Wu's case was by the window. As the first rays of sunlight entered the inner hall, his whole body was in the light, and his whole body seemed to be shining with light.

Deng Tong looked straight at the king. This was the scene he was most looking forward to every day. Whenever the light shone on the king, the king looked so handsome, like a god, and the soft light made his whole body It looks taller and more benevolent.

Liu Heng got up slowly, exercised his muscles and bones, and looked at the sky.

"Bring the widow's red clothes."

If Liu Chang said so, then the servant would have a headache, because the elder has hundreds of sets of red clothes, but Liu Heng is not here because he only has one.

This kind of red clothes makes the king look younger and energetic. This set of clothes is much better than the clothes just now, and it has not been mended. It was given to the king by the emperor. The king does not wear it on weekdays. Only wear it for half an hour every morning.

Liu Heng put on new clothes and hurriedly walked towards the west side of the palace.

Compared with other directions, the west side of the palace is much more luxurious. It is the only palace that has been renovated, and here is the Lingwen Hall where the king's birth mother is located.

"Son, see grandma."

Liu Heng knelt outside Mrs. Bo Tai's hall and paid homage to her.

It wasn't until Grandma's voice came from inside that Liu Heng walked in.

Bo Ji is already very old, with gray hair, almost all teeth have fallen out, and the whole person has become thinner, but like Liu Heng, her appearance has become extremely kind and generous, and she looks good when she is old. Although the old man is old, he can Full of anger, he said with a smile: "You came just when my elder sister sent a letter, saying that she wanted to see me again! How many days do you think it will take to go to Chang'an by car from here?"

Liu Heng was taken aback, the elder sister mentioned by the mother was of course a certain queen mother.

Even after leaving Chang'an, Bo Ji did not alienate her from the Queen Mother, and often communicated through letters. The relationship between the two became more and more profound as they got older. The two talked freely, often recalling the past, and Talk about interesting stories about children and grandchildren today.

Liu Heng's queen is from the Lu family. She is a bit arrogant. She always quarrels with Liu Heng's other wives on weekdays. In the entire harem, the only one who can eat her to death is this wife. He quarreled with Liu Heng in public for a trivial matter, and Bo Ji told the Queen Mother about it, and the Queen Mother immediately reprimanded the Queen and told her that being rude to Bo Ji is a felony of disobedience!

Then the queen was honest, she was going to visit Bo Ji every few days, and she didn't dare to show any disrespect.

Compared to a lady who crazily murdered her son, this lady is a god-assisted one.

The problem of Queen Lu troubled all the princes and kings. The wives of King Liang, King Qi, King Jiaodong, King Changsha, King Chengyang and others were all surnamed Lu. There are very few people who are obedient. Only Queen Lu of the Wu Kingdom is the most honest. Liu Heng has nothing to do with her, but his mother does.

Liu Heng was not loved very much in the palace since he was a child, his father spent very little time with him, and he can have his current character because of his mother's teachings, Bo Ji is a very generous and gentle person, and at the same time Also a very smart guy.

Facing Aunt's question, Liu Heng was a little embarrassed, "Aunt, it's been too long, and at your age, I'm afraid you won't be able to walk such a long road."

Bo Ji felt a little dejected, and sighed, "It's okay. It's good to communicate by letter."

Bo Ji didn't hold on to this matter anymore, but instead asked: "This year's cold winter, how is the situation of the domestic people? Is there any place that has been affected?"

"Aunt, Your Majesty is kind enough to send a large amount of supplies for the winter, and there is no disaster in the country. A family of six people in Guangling Wenxiang Peak was killed by freezing. I have already punished the local officials."

"Heng. Guangling is a government office, so the officials here dare not hide that you are far away from other places. You have to go around from time to time. Don't be afraid to go out because of the cold. How about some time to visit me and hear that your minister gave a performance, asking you to hold a sacrificial ceremony to celebrate His Majesty's achievements?"

"There is such a thing."

"Your Majesty is your own younger brother. Do you still need you to do these things to please him? He trusts you so much and asked you to be in charge of governing the southern kingdom. He didn't want you to engage in these useless sacrifices to please him. Don't just watch Considering the situation in Wu, Changsha, Chu, etc. have been hit by a disaster, you have to help them reduce the pressure on the temple, this is to respect your majesty, and to serve the emperor, not through sacrifices, but by doing hard work."

"only!!"

Liu Heng salutes again.

Looking at her very obedient son, Bo Ji laughed, "I don't really need to teach you these words. I just like nagging when I grow old."

"If there is no mother, how can there be today's achievements?"

"Okay. I don't need you to coax someone. Bring me the clothes I made."

Bo Ji handed the new clothes to her son, and said with emotion: "You have been wearing this dress for three or four years, I know you only wear it when you come to visit me. Come on, and change it with this dress when you visit me in the future. Let's wear it!"

After leaving Aunt's place, Liu Heng returned to Gonghong Hall without stopping.

Several ministers have already been waiting here.

After Liu Heng sat down, they hurriedly began to report the situation in various places. The government and the public in Wu State are probably the most harmonious temple. It's a bit weird, and the reason for this situation is probably because Liu Heng has too many things to deal with, interests are scattered, and the officials have their own affairs to be busy with, and there is no time to compete with each other at all.

Kong Zang, Prime Minister of the State, seriously reported domestic affairs.

Kong Zang is the son of Liaoyi Hou Kongju, and Kongju is a famous general who fought with Emperor Gao. He is a veteran who followed Emperor Gao during the uprising. Of course, this general also has another identity, the ninth grandson of Confucius.

The ninth grandson of Confucius followed Liu Bang to conspire against him, and made repeated military exploits to become a general, with two thousand households in the city, which sounds a bit outrageous.

He passed away ten years ago. After his death, Kong Zang inherited the title. He is also a great talent. He is very knowledgeable. He can write books. The most important thing is that he is good at governing the country. His academic thinking is somewhat similar to that of Gongsun Hong. , thinking that academics should serve political institutions, because he once debated this argument with others, and he said that his ancestors studied academics in the first place to govern the country through academics?If it is not practical, what is the use of just talking about some big principles?

He also admired Shusun Tong very much. In his mouth, this notorious Confucian scholar was a great contemporary Confucian sect.

Such a slightly different great Confucianist has been reused by King Wu. He is not radical and cares about culture and education, but for Liu Heng, culture and education is a big deal.

"We have established six more county schools in South Vietnam. I have solved the problem of the teachers. The main problem now is that the children are difficult to communicate with. The teachers I have invited are all Confucian students from Qilu. The children here cannot understand Qilu's words. , the two sides cannot communicate. Teaching is extremely difficult, and there is also a lot of local opposition. There are many old and stubborn people in South Vietnam who oppose the county school everywhere and reprimand us for leading their young people astray. They also said that those Confucian scholars should teach The knowledge of Huang Lao and the Legalists."

Liu Heng listened to his words, "I'm sorry to trouble you."

"Don't dare. If you can find a way to get Nanyue to cooperate, the enlightenment will be smoother."

"Don't worry, the widow will inform the King of Nanyue and ask him to fully cooperate!"

Zhang Wu, the censor doctor, got up and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, the officials who caused disasters to the people have already been sentenced and sent to the port to serve in corvee."

"Nowadays, water transportation is frequent, and some officials use the loss as an excuse to be greedy for supplies transported by ink, and there are also port soldiers who deliberately embarrass merchant ships."

Taiwei Tian Lubo got up, "Your Majesty, our Louchuan army has discovered another island. Four ports along the coast can reach here. Building a stronghold here can help strengthen our management and control of the sea area."

The various officials stood up to report, and Liu Heng analyzed them seriously.

Liu Heng governed Wu State to the extreme. Today's Wu State has rich people and strong national power. In terms of national power alone, it has even surpassed the divided Tang State and become the number one vassal state in the world.

There are countless arable lands in Wu, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. Relying on the countless minerals here and the characteristics of being close to the sea, Liu Heng has done a lot of things. He has almost connected the coasts. There are countless ports every day. Thousands of merchant ships sailed on the coast of Wu State, and they took goods from Wu State to South Vietnam, Changsha, Chu, Qi, Zhao, Tang, Chang'an, and even Yan State. They even went to Wa Island to get supplies. Mrs. Fan, who was baring his teeth at the monkey, was so excited that he almost burst into tears when he saw the merchant ship in the state of Wu.

The well-developed commerce has raised the prices of all local goods in Wu, but the prices of necessities are falling. The people are rich and prosperous, but that's it.

The influence of the State of Wu has also gradually generalized to Nanyue, Changsha and other places. In some areas of the State of Nanyue, the orders of the King of Wu are more effective than those of the King of Nanyue. The territory of the State of Wu even reaches the south of South Vietnam through the sea. The islands and the entire sea of ​​South Vietnam are actually under the control of Wu State. In the battle between Zhao Tuo and Liu Heng, Zhao Tuo finally fell into the disadvantage.

Liu Heng will not intervene in every government affairs of the officials, nor will he force orders. He is more like the assistant of the officials. Everything is handled by the officials. If the officials encounter any problems that cannot be solved, then he will I will rely on my own identity to help and help solve the problem.

Therefore, in the court meeting, it was Liu Heng who was listening carefully, while the ministers were chattering about their own ideas.

At the end of the court meeting, several ministers left in a hurry, they still had a lot of things to do.

It was time for lunch.

Liu Heng came to eat in the hall where Concubine Dou was staying as usual.

Among Liu Heng's many wives, Concubine Dou is the most beloved. In terms of appearance, she is not the most beautiful, and in terms of character, she is not the most gentle, but Liu Heng just has a soft spot for her. Concubine Dou once Serving the Empress Dowager, which made her not lose the wind in the dispute with Queen Lu. It is not easy to say which one is closer, a distant relative who seldom meets, or a maid who once stayed by her side.She is tall, looks a bit strong, and has a bit of a temper. She is very kind to Liu Heng, but if Liu Heng makes her angry, she will fight with Liu Heng. And Liu Heng likes her most, Probably her knowledge is not bad.

Concubine Dou liked Huang Lao's study very much. She begged Liu Heng several times to ask him for the articles written by Liu An.

She believes that Huang Lao's learning is the best knowledge of governing the world in the world.

And what Confucianism, Legalism, etc., are all rubbish!

The reason why she has been by Liu Heng's side for so long and has always been favored is probably because her style is similar to Liu Heng's, she never complains, works hard, is extraordinarily thrifty, and is a good match for Liu Heng.

She and Liu Heng have three children, the eldest daughter is ready to start a family, the second son is a prince in Xiting Kingdom, and the third son has always stayed by their side.

As soon as Liu Heng walked into the hall, Liu Wu had already paid his respects.

Compared to Liu Qi who is active, troublesome, and not very obedient, Liu Wu is well-behaved, sensible, and good at talking, which is deeply loved by his mother.

Liu Heng is not the kind of person who shows his emotions. When he treats his sons, he is more serious and will not take the initiative to get close to them.

A family of three sat in the hall, and the food they ate was extremely simple.

There is meat in the meal, but not much.

Concubine Dou couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, Wu is old too, I wonder if he can be sent to the Taixue to study?"

Liu Heng was taken aback for a moment, Liu Qi had already left the country of Wu, only Liu Wu was left by his side, Concubine Dou loved her little son so much, why would she want to send him far away?

Liu Wu raised his head, also looking a little surprised.

"Wu is still young. It is not suitable to leave Wu."

"Qi is already working in Chang'an at his age, why not Wu? You can let him study with the prince! The prince is like a sage. Wu learns from him, how promising it is!"

Liu Heng narrowed his eyes, and slowly asked: "Are you asking him to study or to be king?"

Concubine Dou didn't answer.

But Liu Heng said: "Qi Neng was blessed, loved by His Majesty, and became the king of a country. This is already a blessing for my family. Sometimes, if the blessing is too great, it will easily lead to disaster."

"Wu is so smart, why should he waste his time as a prince?"

Concubine Dou was a little anxious. In name, she was not a regular wife. If Liu Heng was no longer around in the future, only the children born to the queen could be divided into kings, and the concubines were not eligible to enjoy the treatment of the Tweet Order unless she became the queen. , or all the sons-in-law are dead.

Liu Heng's face darkened, and Concubine Dou soon realized that she had slipped her words.

"Please don't blame me, Your Majesty, I just feel that."

"I have my own arrangements, you don't need to say more."

Liu Heng quickly finished the food in his hands, stood up, and asked Concubine Dou to fetch her thick clothes, "The widow is going to the south for a few days to take a look. I don't know how long it will be. You are at home and you have to serve my mother well. Grandmother's teeth are loose, and she can't eat hard food, so you have to order your servants to make it more rotten."

Liu Heng gave some instructions, and hurried out of the palace without waiting for Concubine Dou to reply.

Wu Guo never had snowfall, but this did not mean that the winter here was not cold enough.

When the carriage walked out of the palace slowly, the oncoming gust of wind howled, causing the carriage to shake from side to side.

Liu Heng sat in the carriage, rolled up the curtain, and looked outside.

The smoke from cooking in the distance rose slowly, and the passers-by were tightly wrapped, and occasionally saw four or five vendors selling their goods.

The carriage set off from Guangling, and traveled all the way across the mountains, resting in post houses and folk houses along the way, eating in restaurants, and company with merchants going to other places.

Deng Tong was driving the car, his face was flushed, and the hand holding the rein had already started to feel numb.

Liu Heng in the car gently rubbed his hands and looked at the children playing in the distance with a smile on his face.

In the cold winter of this year, King Liu Heng of Wu opened up the national treasury and rewarded widows, widows, lonely and poor people in the country, as well as old people over 80 years old and orphans under nine years old with cloth, silk, grain and meat.

(End of this chapter)