NFBE Chapter 278: No One in the Royal Family Is Simple
Chapter 278: No One in the Royal Family Is Simple
Chapter 278 The Royal Family is Not Simple
When Yang Biao and Xun Yu entered the palace of Chenliu Prince, Liu Xie was still talking with Queen Dowager Dong.
Empress Dowager Dong has aged a lot in recent years, with a head full of white hair, but her expression is more graceful than before, and she has gained a lot of weight.
Empress Dowager Dong was stunned when she heard the servant's report. She asked, "Are you saying that Wang Lang wrote a public letter to persuade Yang Biao?"
The servant was also shocked. This kind of thing had never happened before. He nodded and said, "Yes, it was written in public. The supervisors of the Censorate, the Secretariat, and the Ministry of Justice have all read it. The content is indeed 'admonition'."
Mrs. Dong looked strange and said to herself, "Strange, strange..."
No matter how euphemistic Wang Lang's wording was, "admonition" was "admonition", and publicly "admonishing" the prime minister was no small matter.
Moreover, Wang Lang is Yang Biao's man. There are many interesting things here.
Liu Xie waved his hand, and after the servants left, he said to Queen Mother Dong, "Grandmother, what should I do?"
Queen Mother Dong looked at him and said, "Since the court has closed the case, what else do you want to do?"
Liu Xie looked embarrassed and said, "My brother asked me to mediate between the new and old prime ministers. Now that Wang Lang has done this, I am afraid it will be difficult to explain later."
Empress Dowager Dong sneered and said, "Your brother is always trying to get everything done. He wants to get things done and also wants a good reputation. He is not like your father at all!"
When Liu Xie heard this, the corner of his face twitched, but he didn't dare to answer.
His father, the emperor, was extremely absurd. He threw all his ancestors, etiquette, and dignity to the winds, and didn't care what the court officials and people of the world thought of him.
It was precisely because of his absurdity that the national strength of the Han Dynasty weakened rapidly, and so many major events occurred in the late Zhongping period that almost caused the Han Dynasty to fall apart.
After his imperial brother succeeded to the throne, he worked hard and tried his best to stabilize the situation.
But there were so many problems left by the father emperor that any change of prime minister required careful planning and extreme caution.
Queen Mother Dong mocked Liu Bian, and then said: "Okay, didn't he ask you to mediate? Wait a minute, don't say a word, just talk about the matter."
Liu Xie was stunned for a moment, unable to react, and said, "My brother asked me to mediate, but I didn't say a word. How can I mediate?"
Empress Dowager Dong frowned and said, "You were so smart when you were a child, why are you so confused now?"
Liu Xie shuddered, as if waking up, raised his hand respectfully, and said, "It is my grandson who is in the court and cannot see the situation clearly. I would like to ask for your guidance, grandmother."
Empress Dowager Dong shook her head. Sometimes, she would think that Liu Bian, an unfilial man, was indeed more suitable to be the emperor than Liu Xie. At least, in terms of scheming and cunning, Liu Xie was far inferior.
Even though she was thinking about it, Liu Xie was her precious grandson who she had raised by herself, so she said, "They are all smart people. They will understand some things better if you don't say them. It's better not to say them."
Liu Xie thought for a while, came to some understanding and said: "My grandson understands."
Seeing Liu Xie sitting still, Empress Dowager Dong asked in confusion, "They are all here, why aren't you leaving yet... Is there anything else?"
Liu Xie and Empress Dowager Dong depended on each other for survival, so they had nothing to hide, so he said, "Your Majesty intends to leave the palace and tour the northern states."
Empress Dowager Dong frowned deeply and said impatiently: "He hasn't given up yet. How can he leave the capital at will at this time? Are the ministers in the court not stopping him?"
Liu Xie seemed helpless and said, "My brother is determined to leave the capital, who can stop him?"
Queen Mother Dong was still very dissatisfied with Liu Bian. In her opinion, this grandson, like his vicious mother, was not a good person!
"Then don't worry about it," Empress Dowager Dong said unhappily, "Remember my words, put away your thoughts, don't get involved so much, if he catches you, he will definitely be cruel!"
Liu Xie wanted to get some advice from Queen Mother Dong, but when he saw that Queen Mother Dong got angry when she heard about Liu Bian, he stood up and said, "Grandma, I'll take note of what you said."
Empress Dowager Dong nodded, but still worriedly gave more instructions: "No matter what Yang Biao and Xun Yu say, you just don't nod or shake your head, just let them do what they want, as long as the meaning is conveyed."
Liu Xie did not dare to agree to Yang Biao's request. What did Xun Yu want? He said, "Yes. Grandson will take his leave."
Empress Dowager Dong looked at Liu Xie's back and waited for him to leave. She could not help but sigh softly and muttered something. She turned to the statue behind her, closed her eyes, and muttered something.
Liu Xie walked towards the main hall, constantly thinking about his words.
Yang Biao and Xun Yu, who were drinking tea and waiting in the main hall, were informed of Wang Lang's verdict one after another, especially the "letter of admonition", which actually fell into Yang Biao's hands.
He read it once and then spread it out on the table.
Yang Biao's fat face was stretched straight and his small eyes kept blinking.
Wang Lang had not informed him of this matter in advance, so he was not aware of it and was wondering why Wang Lang did this.
Xun Yu sat opposite Yang Biao. Although the font was upside down, he still finished reading it quickly.
There was no movement on his somewhat mature face, he just stared at Yang Biao with slightly moving eyes.
"Minister Xun, what do you think?" Suddenly, Yang Biao raised his head and looked at Xun Yu, with a hint of asking for advice in his voice.
Xun Yu bowed to show respect and said, "According to my guess, Wang Tingwei did this to let the Prime Minister escape unscathed."
"Cut off the tail to survive?"
Yang Biao was thoughtful. This letter from Wang Lang would deal a heavy blow to his reputation and would also leave a mark in history books.
But to be precise, it was more like a "summary" and "verdict", which separated Yang Biao from all matters and only reached the level of "admonition", but he was not guilty.
Xun Yu still bowed and said, "I agree with the judgment of the court judge. It is not appropriate to make far-fetched connections and implicate the prime minister in many matters."
Yang Biao listened to Xun Yu's words, rubbed his fat face, and then said with a smile: "Minister Xun has the bearing of a prime minister."
Xun Yu bowed again and said, "I still have many things to ask the Prime Minister. I wonder if I can come to visit you tonight?"
Yang Biao looked at Xun Yu deeply, his smile became wider, and he said, "That's what I wish for."
"Mr. Yang, Mr. Xun, what are you talking about so happily?" At this time, Liu Xie strode in, looked at the two of them and laughed loudly.
Yang Biao and Xun Yu quickly stood up, raised their hands and saluted, saying, "Greetings to the Prince of Chenliu."
Liu Xie smiled, sat down in the main seat, and said, "Please take a seat, sir."
Yang Biao and Xun Yu were both puzzled by Liu Xie's sudden invitation. They sat down calmly and waited for Liu Xie to speak.
After the servant served the tea, Liu Xie politely picked up the cup and said, "Have some tea."
Yang Biao and Xun Yu naturally followed suit, took a sip, and their eyes were on Liu Xie's face.
Liu Xie was calmer than before. Even though there were two new and old prime ministers, he was not very nervous. He pretended to be silent for a moment and said, "Second Lord, the autumn grain has decreased again. The national treasury is not able to make ends meet. Do you have any solution?"
Yang Biao blinked his eyes, feeling strange.
Why did the Prince of Chenliu, who had never been involved in state affairs, suddenly become concerned about the national treasury?
But Yang Biao said nothing and glanced at Xun Yu.
As the Minister of Revenue, Xun Yu took the responsibility, and a serious expression appeared on his mature face. He said, "Your Highness, judging from the figures reported by various states, 100,000 dan is basically the limit."
Liu Xie frowned, looked at Xun Yu, and said, "I remember that before Zhongping, the national treasury had about 100 million yuan a year. Isn't it a bit too much?"
Xun Yu looked serious and said, "Your Highness, the southern states and Yizhou basically don't pay taxes, so 40% will be deducted. The northern states have been in war for years, and now they have just been pacified, and there are not many farmlands that have been recultivated, so at least 20% will be deducted. Add to that various natural and man-made disasters, and it will be difficult to save even one in ten."
Liu Xie knew a little bit about it. Hearing what Xun Yu said, he couldn't help but feel a little shocked. He asked, "Really? Only one tenth?"
People in the government and the public suspected that the Ministry of Revenue had concealed the true amount of taxes from the court and used the money for other purposes.
For example, it was used as military resources to supplement Cao Cao, the Forbidden Army camp, and to appease the Yellow Turban Army and the Black Mountain Army who had surrendered.
Yang Biao, the inactive Prime Minister, nodded at this time and said, "Your Highness, Minister Xun did not lie. The tax situation of the court is indeed not optimistic, and it will only decrease, not increase, in the foreseeable future for at least five years. The court's expenditure is increasing day by day, and the hole will get bigger and bigger."
Liu Xie never expected that the imperial court would be in such financial difficulties!
He couldn't help but frown and think hard, "Then, what's the solution? Should we pacify the South first?"
With Liu Yu's arrival in Beijing, the "war faction" in the court began to gain strength, and Liu Xie heard a lot of rumors.
Unfortunately, there was no news at all from the palace, and no one could guess what the emperor was thinking.
Yang Biao straightened his face and said, "Your Highness, the north may seem stable, but it is actually very fragile. Once there is any disturbance in the court, it may collapse at any time. Therefore, the Shangshutai's intention is to conquer the north first and then the south. First, settle the north, and wait for the right time. The royal army will be strong and powerful, and put down the rebellion in the south in one fell swoop!"
Liu Xie looked suspicious and asked, "Is that what my brother meant?"
Based on Liu Xie's understanding of Liu Bian, that royal brother who never took the ordinary path would really be so patient as to tolerate the rebellious southerners jumping up and down without reacting?
Xun Yu bowed and said, "Your Highness, did you call me here for government affairs?"
Liu Xie immediately calmed down his expression, picked up the tea cup with a smile, and said, "It's just that I have some doubts in my heart, so I can't help but ask."
Xun Yu sat back, picked up the teacup, and drank the tea gently.
Seeing that Xun Yu did not explain to Liu Xie, Yang Biao understood what he meant. He drank a sip of tea and said with a smile, "I heard that the Censorate has encountered a lot of troubles recently?"
Seeing Yang Biao change the subject, Liu Xie felt relieved and said, "Yes. The prefectures and counties seem to be somewhat opposed to the Censorate being the Patrol Censor, and they are banding together."
Liu Xie said it easily, but in fact, local officials "deeply hated" the censors and began to actively fight back. For example, at the Jizhou Salt Field, three inspectors were accused of "embezzling the law", "oppressing officials", "staying overnight in brothels", and "framing others", and the charges were verified.
Yang Biao glanced at Xun Yu and said, "Your Highness, there are some things that cannot be handled by the Shangshutai alone. We also need the assistance of the Licao."
After all, the official hat is still in the hands of the Ministry of Personnel.
Xun Yu remained expressionless, as if he had not heard anything.
Liu Xie took in the expressions of the two men, smiling as he said, "What the Prime Minister said is true. Your Majesty mentioned it a few years ago that the Censorate and the Ministry of Personnel should jointly monitor all officials. Due to various reasons, it has not been implemented. I think it is time to restart it."
"Your Highness is right." Yang Biao's fat face was full of smiles.
He is about to retire and has few followers in the government or the country. After his retirement, the uproar will have nothing to do with him.
Xun Yu also did not respond, with a thoughtful look on his face.
Liu Xie must have had some purpose in calling him over, but it definitely wasn't the 'Beijing Inspection'.
At this moment, the maid began to serve the dishes. They were not exquisite, but they were also not the dishes that ordinary people would eat. The table was filled with them.
Yang Biao's appetite was aroused. He reached out and picked up the chopsticks, smiling and said, "Your Highness, I will not be polite."
Xun Yu listened to Yang Biao calling himself "old man", and his stiff expression gradually relaxed.
The most important purpose of his attendance at the meeting today was to "reconcile" with Yang Biao.
From Yang Biao's self-introduction, he had already realized that his goal had been achieved.
"You two gentlemen, there is no need to be polite." Liu Xie said.
Yang Biao enjoyed the meal very much, and felt like a regular customer.
However, Xun Yu was slow and measured, strictly following "etiquette" and never "overstepping the line".
The meal lasted until late at night. Yang Biao was drunk. With the help of Xun Yu, he barely got into the carriage and was taken away by the servants.
Xun Yu waited for a while, then looked back at Prince Chenliu, and was silent for a long time before getting on the carriage.
From the beginning to the end, King Chenliu did not explain the purpose of the banquet for the two of them. He rambled on for so long. Except for the first few sentences about court affairs, the rest were all matters of the Yushitai!
In Yang Biao's carriage which had already gone far away, Yang Biao, who was originally drunk, suddenly opened his eyes, slowly sat up straight, and exhaled a long breath of alcohol.
"No one in the royal family is simple..."
Yang Biao's eyes were deep and he was extremely calm as he spoke softly to himself.
Liu Xie, who once competed with the current emperor for the throne, was a "taboo". Many people wanted to get rid of him in the early years.
Although he was saved by the palace, in the eyes of the government and the public, he was still a "troublesome person" who could die at any time. They could not be approached and should be avoided.
And today, he openly hosted a banquet for the two current and future prime ministers. Without the instructions or acquiescence of the palace, it would be impossible!
But unfortunately, the Prince of Chenliu did not say a single word that should have been said from beginning to end!
The fact that it wasn't mentioned only made the matter seem more serious!
"What does Your Majesty mean?" Yang Biao whispered to himself.
After all, whether Yang Biao can escape unscathed depends on the attitude of the palace!
The ascension of the emperor in the palace and his subsequent experiences cannot be described as bumpy, but rather full of crises. Not only did he lose the throne, but he might also be beheaded!
Could he really let go of those things that happened before the beginning of the Yonghan period and not think about them anymore?
Yang Biao pondered for a while, then let out a long sigh, without a trace of relief on his face.
He couldn't make up his mind, and until the last moment, he couldn't guarantee whether he could leave Luoyang City alive.
At the Chenliu Palace, Liu Xie saw off Yang Biao and Xun Yu, and was considering his wording, preparing to report to Liu Bian about today's banquet.