ushernet Chapter 189 Ambitious Wang Yun
Chapter 189 Ambitious Wang Yun
Chapter 189 Ambitious Wang Yun
"What seed?"
In Jingfu Hall, Liu Bian had just come out of the shower and was still drying his hair when he heard Pan Yin's report.
Pan Yin bowed and said, "Yes. General He came to the capital the day before yesterday and wandered around the capital, visiting almost all the residences of the high officials in the capital."
Liu Bian shook his hair, tied his hands behind his back, looked at the bright sun outside the palace, and asked, "Where did they go?"
Pan Yin's expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly nervous. He said, "Prime Minister, we have all gone to the princes' residences. Minister Xun of the Ministry of Personnel happened to meet us at the door."
Liu Bian raised his eyebrows and laughed, "The remnants of the previous dynasty keep showing up from time to time."
When Pan Yin heard Liu Bian use the word "remnants" to describe He Miao, he bowed unconsciously, with a flash of uneasiness in his eyes.
After all, He Miao is the uncle of His Majesty and the brother of Empress Dowager He.
After He Jin "retired", He Miao also "resigned from office". Later, in the "reduction of redundant officials", the so-called "General's Mansion" was swept away, and He Miao now has no official position.
Calling someone "General" is mostly out of courtesy.
"Jizhou?"
Liu Bian tied his hair up, narrowed his eyes, and said calmly: "There are quite a lot of people who want to go to Jizhou recently."
Pan Yin didn't say anything. There were indeed quite a lot of them, from county governors to county magistrates, no less than twenty people.
The root cause is the salt policy.
The money and power involved here are too tempting!
Even He Miao, who had been hiding for more than a year, suddenly showed up and wanted to get a piece of the pie!
"Has Jian Shuo not been found yet?" Liu Bian suddenly looked at Pan Yin and asked.
He Miao was a remnant of the "foreign relatives" party, while Jian Shuo was a remnant of the eunuch party.
He had shown up once in Runan last year, but after Huangfu Jianchang tracked him down for a while, he disappeared again.
Pan Yin became more and more nervous, and said in a cautious tone, "Your Majesty, some people said they saw him in Jiujiang, and some said he was in Yuan Shu's army. No concrete evidence has been found in either the Imperial City or the Huangmen Beisi Prison."
"That's interesting."
Liu Bian half-closed his eyes and smiled warmly.
Pan Yin lowered his head and said nothing.
After a moment, Liu Bian turned and walked towards the study, saying, "Let's hold Liu Xie's wedding first."
Pan Yin responded and followed closely.
A few days later, in Shizhonglu.
Liu Bian took a cold shower and did not tie his hair up seriously. He sat in the main seat with his hair loose, discussing matters with Xun Yu, Xun You, Zhong Yao and Cai Yong.
Xun Yu held a memorial in his hand and said, "Your Majesty, the memorials from various states and counties have been submitted. After careful calculation by me and others, the cultivated areas of the six northern states, Bing, Sili, Yan, Yu, Qing, and You, are close to half. Jizhou is still fighting with the Black Mountain Army, so it is difficult to calculate. Yizhou did not submit a memorial. Yu, Xu, Jing, Yang, and Jiaozhi have not been calculated yet."
Liu Bian pondered over this number, his expression unchanged, he nodded slightly, and said: "This is already very good. The situation in Qingzhou has basically stabilized, and the banditry in Yanzhou must be eliminated as soon as possible. The land survey and household registration must also be accelerated."
Generally speaking, the most stable places in the Han Dynasty are Sili, Bingzhou, Yanzhou and Yizhou.
Xun You responded, "Your Majesty, the filling of vacancies in Yanzhou is still being perfected, and the implementation of the 'new system' will take time."
Liu Bian hummed and said, "Don't be too hasty, take your time. What do you think about the Qingzhou matter?"
The most important person in Qingzhou's affairs is Cao Cao.
In addition to his 'oppressing the gentry', 'robbing the people's land', and 'garrisoning troops wantonly' in Qingzhou, the most important thing is that Cao Cao holds tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, and the two counties of Beihai and Donglai are in his hands.
The imperial court was very worried about this, fearing that Cao Cao would become the second Dong Zhuo with his own troops.
Xun You observed Liu Bian's expression, and seeing that he could not see anything, he pretended to be thoughtful and said, "Your Majesty, General Cao has made great contributions in pacifying Qingzhou. He should be transferred back to the capital for reward when the time is right."
The court officials have always distrusted generals who commanded large troops and occupied a place.
Especially in the current situation, it is really hard to tell who is loyal and who is treacherous.
Liu Bian looked at Zhong Yao and asked, "What do you think of Zhong Qing's family?"
Zhong Yao's expression became solemn, and he raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, I think you should give me another reward!"
Cai Yong endured for a long time, and finally got a chance, so he interrupted and said, "He is already the General of the Northern Expedition, how can I reward him?"
Zhong Yao glanced at him and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, if the official position is not enough, why not give him the power and entrust all the power of Donglai and Beihai to Cao Cao!"
Erxun looked thoughtful, Zhong Yao's meaning was very simple, that is to show favor!
Liu Bian himself was not so confident about Cao Cao. He pondered for a moment and said, "Okay. Then give him the power to act on the spot and exempt the two states from taxes for one year, no, two years!"
Seeing Liu Bian's decisiveness, Zhong Yao bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Liu Bian waved his hand and said, "All the memorials impeaching Cao from the court and the public will be kept in the palace. Let's talk about Jizhou."
Cai Yong didn't expect that Cao Cao would deal with such a big matter in just a few words. He couldn't help but be careful and stop interrupting.
Xun Yu said, "Your Majesty, Zhang Liao has 15,000 men guarding the salt pans, and Envoy Ying has only 10,000 men. I'm afraid they are not strong enough to deal with the tens of thousands of Black Mountain troops. Will Your Majesty send reinforcements?"
The Black Mountain Army had millions of civilians, but the number of soldiers that could be mobilized was less than 100,000, and they were very scattered. Ying Shao was overwhelmed by the attack from various counties in Jizhou. Not only could he not wipe out the enemy, but he also had a hard time defending the city.
"hold on,"
Liu Bian said: "The court has no extra troops to send. If I am talking about the salt administration, many people have flocked to Jizhou recently."
Xun You bowed his body, his eyes wandering. He understood this the best. In the past few days, he received too many recommendations, including He Miao!
Xun Yu's mature face showed a trace of solemnity, and he raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, the salt administration is directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue. This must not be changed. Once the salt administration is out of the control of the court, it will quickly collapse and go back to the old path. The salt tax of the court will be almost gone in less than two years."
Liu Bian sat up straight and said in a deep voice: "This is what I want to say. When it comes to salt administration, no one is allowed to interfere. No matter if it's a royal relative or any other powerful person, if anyone dares to interfere, I will chop off his hand!"
"We obey your orders." Xun You and Xun Yu raised their hands at the same time.
Zhong Yao and Cai Yong bowed unconsciously when they saw Liu Bian was so serious and his words were full of murderous intent.
Liu Bian hummed, stretched out his hand to take the teacup handed over by Pan Yin, and said: "That's all for today. The next task of the court is to organize Liu Xie's wedding. It must be lively and grand. I only have this one brother, I can't treat him shabby."
Cai Yong raised his hand quickly and said, "Your Majesty, we have already made all the arrangements. The wedding will be held on August 11th. The Empress Dowager will preside over the wedding. The court and the public congratulate you."
Liu Bian took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "Well, this is a great event. In this way, we will grant amnesty to the whole country again. In addition, Bohai will be exempted from taxes for three years."
Xun You understood immediately, and said, "Yes. I will order the Public Opinion Department to prepare for it today."
The more grand Liu Xie's wedding was, the heavier the blow to the rebellion led by Yuan Shu.
"It will be held in Quefei Palace." Liu Bian said.
Cai Yong opened his mouth to say something beyond the rules, but he swallowed the words back.
Liu Bian glanced at him and asked, "How is the construction of Bohai Palace going?"
Cai Yong said: "Your Majesty, we can move in in ten days."
Liu Bian calculated the time and said, "It's just right. By the way, I plan to have the Imperial College and Hongdumen College hold a joint examination every September. For the students who pass the examination, the best ones will be admitted to fill the vacancies in the court and various places."
At present, the appointment of court officials is still mainly based on "recommendation". After Liu Bian ascended the throne, various things happened, which caused serious vacancies in official positions. This is why there were examinations in Taixue and Hongdumenxue to fill the vacancies.
Xun You, Xun Yu and others were somewhat hesitant when they saw that Liu Bian was about to establish a custom.
Cai Yong was secretly excited and said quickly: "I obey your order!"
Zhong Yao didn't say anything, his face looked thoughtful.
A few days ago, Chen Qun discussed with him some issues of selecting officials.Chen Qun believes that the current officials are mixed with good and bad people, have different conducts, and lack of assessment. They should be divided into "ranks" in addition to lost salaries.
However, what Chen Qun said was discontinuous, contradictory from time to time, and very immature.
Liu Bian knew that the two Xuns and Zhong Yao had objections, so he did not give them a chance and stood up and said, "Let's stop here today."
When the four men saw Liu Bian standing up, they immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we respectfully send you off."
Liu Bian left the Shizhong Residence and turned back, saying, "Let's go to the Grand Marshal's Mansion."
Pan Yin quickly responded and sent someone to pass the message.
At this time in the Secretariat, Yang Biao and Wang Yun quarreled again.
In Yang Biao's duty room, Wang Yun looked indifferent, suppressed his anger, and said, "I don't agree with these vacancies!"
In front of each of them was an official document regarding the filling of vacancies for officials of all ranks in Qingzhou.
This list mainly consists of three parts: one is recommended by Cao Cao, one is recommended by Qingzhou Mu Zhu Jun, and the other is selected by the Licao.
Yang Biao's fat face straightened and he said, "Master Zi, you have to tell me the reason, right?"
Wang Yun said with a determined look, "Those recommended by Cao Cao will not be allowed. Those appointed by the Ministry of Personnel are almost all from Yingchuan. Even if they are not, most of them are related to Yingchuan. Prime Minister, is it not enough for the court to have one Yingchuan clique, and we also want them to spread their cliques in the local areas?"
Yang Biao said expressionlessly, "Cao Cao recommended him, and the governor of Qingzhou agreed. If the court disagrees, it must give a reason. Also, there is no faction in the court, so you should be careful with your words, Master Zi."
Wang Yun snorted coldly and said, "The Prime Minister is blind and deaf, do you think other people can't see it?"
Yang Biao's expression suddenly darkened, and he asked, "Master Zi, what do you mean by that?"
Wang Yun had long been fed up with Yang Biao's inaction, but he had been tolerating it again and again under the pressure from Liu Bian. Seeing that Yang Biao had no attitude towards Cao Cao's growing power and was even more indulgent towards the "Yingchuan Party", how could he bear it any longer?
Wang Yun was furious and shouted directly: "According to the court regulations, these appointments require my subordinates to take effect. I am now telling the Prime Minister that I will not sign this appointment!"
Seeing Wang Yun venting his anger at him, Yang Biao's eyes widened and he was equally angry. He said, "Master Zi, you should think twice before you act!"
Wang Yun picked up the document and left.
Yang Biao stared at his back, and when he walked out, his wide eyes suddenly blinked repeatedly, and he rubbed his fat face, a look of pride flashed across his face.
"Stupid!" Yang Biao muttered to himself, picked up a pen and signed the document.
Wang Yun left Yang Biao's duty room angrily and did not return to it. Instead, he left the Shangshu Terrace and walked towards the palace gate.
This caused a burst of doubts among the big and small officials at Shangshutai, and they all gathered to look at it.
"What happened to the prince today? Why did he leave so early?"
"Yes, the prince has always been diligent in government affairs. This is the first time he has left so early, right?"
"Is there something going on? I see there is an official document in the prince's hand."
"You should say something, right? I saw the prince just walk away in anger."
"Is he arguing with the Prime Minister again?"
"Arguing again? Weren't we seeing them chatting and laughing yesterday?"
"Yesterday? Didn't you quarrel the day before yesterday?"
"Yes, Lord Yang and Lord Wang have been arguing with each other, and it seems like they never stop..."
Xun You passed by behind them, listened to their discussions, shook his head and said nothing more.
……
Wang Yun left the palace and went nowhere. He returned to his mansion in a carriage.
He sent away the frightened servants, took a pot of wine, and went to the pavilion in the backyard alone. He looked at the scorching sun and drank alone in silence.
Wang Yun's usually indifferent face was now filled with gloom, and he sighed from time to time.
He was deeply worried about the political situation. He had great ambitions, but it was difficult for him to realize them. He was filled with depression and had no one to talk to.
"Oh..." Wang Yun sighed again.
He wanted to continue to 'cut redundant officials', but everyone in the Secretariat stopped him.
He opposed such a large-scale tax cut, but no one in the court listened to him.
Xun You, Xun Yu and other members of the Yingchuan Party clearly had some hidden agenda, but Yang Biao turned a blind eye.
Cao Cao had an army of hundreds of thousands, and he wantonly oppressed the gentry, plundered money and food, and even stationed troops to strengthen himself. There was no movement in the court.
Wang Yun had many strategies to deal with those treacherous ministers, but none of them were adopted!
Wang Yun was filled with melancholy, but had no place to vent, so he could only drink silently.
He never liked it, but he drank one pot after another and got drunk without realizing it.
It was not until dusk that a servant came hurriedly and said in a hurry: "Master, why are you here? Everyone is looking for you everywhere..."
Wang Yun was drunk and sneered, "Looking for me? I'm a useless person, why are you looking for me?"
Seeing him like this, the servant became even more anxious and said, "Master, Marquis Buqi is well again. He is discussing the marriage of the King of Bohai with the Grand Empress Dowager in the palace. The Grand Empress Dowager wants you to preside over the six ceremonies. I've been looking for you for a long time!"
Wang Yun's expression brightened, he sobered up a bit, and said, "Six ceremonies? The marriage of King Bohai? Isn't Cai Yong presiding over it?"
Seeing that he was unconscious, the servant quickly asked someone to prepare water, helped Wang Yun up, and said, "Master, I want you to ask about the six ceremonies. His Majesty has sent several groups of people to look for you. Who would have thought that you would be here..."
Hearing the word "Your Majesty", Wang Yun became more sober. He stood up with difficulty and said urgently: "Hurry, take a shower and change clothes. I want to go to the palace."
The servant carefully let go of his hand, and seeing that he was unsteady on his feet, he pulled and supported him, saying, "Master, why did you drink so much? What will we do if we get to the palace..."
Wang Yun took a deep breath, suppressed the alcohol, and struggled to think, "Is Buqi Hou okay?"
The servant looked worried and said, "Well, it is said that he will take up the post of Chief Censor tomorrow."
Chief Censor?
Wang Yun suddenly became completely awake, with a strange look flashing in his eyes.
Asking for a monthly ticket~