In the West Garden, Emperor Liu Hong was taking a bath in the Fragrant Canal. The canal water with the scent of rouge and incense hit him, making Liu Hong feel particularly comfortable.

Liu Hong, who was immersed in beauty and luxurious enjoyment, was extremely relaxed at this moment. Only here could his tense heart find peace.

Building the civil engineering work of the West Garden consumes national power and building a swimming pool. Doesn’t Liu Hong know that this will consume national wealth? Won’t it consume national power? Selling his official position in the West Garden, Liu Hong doesn’t know that he will be reviled by the world and accused of being stupid by the world.

?

Liu Hong is not a dull person, he understands everything and understands everything.

But he had no choice but to do something.

If Xiyuan sells his official position, the money will not reach the hands of the emperor. In the end, it will only be taken by his aristocratic family members. In short, it will either be given to the emperor or to the court ministers and elders. It cannot be saved.

In Liu Hong's mind, this is not a search, but another tenacious confrontation between him and the Han family. It's hard to get power, so why should he ask for money?

He thought that life was difficult for him as the emperor. After ten years of hard work, he was exhausted mentally and physically, but in the end he was still unable to do what he wanted.

Even though the Three Mutual Laws and the Party's imprisonment came together to tie up the hands and feet of the scholars and greatly reduce the power of the powerful ministers in the court, Liu Hong knew in his heart that his extreme behavior would not be sustainable for a long time.

Moreover, this is a style of play that injures the enemy a thousand times and damages oneself eight hundred, and will not last until the end.

As long as there are nobles and nobles in this world, the party system will be broken sooner or later, and the Three Mutual Laws will also be weakened as time goes by.

He could not kill all the scholars in the world, let alone destroy the aristocratic families who stood above the scholars, because the Han Dynasty was actually the foundation of them, and without them, the empire would not be able to function.

It's really ridiculous. Those who threaten the imperial power the most are these people... But without them, where would the imperial power be in this world?

Liu Hong couldn't destroy the clan and the noble clan, even if he could destroy him, he couldn't, because the birth of imperial power was closely related to this group of people. If there were no scholars in the country, where would the royal family come from?

The imperial power, scholars, officials, and eunuchs disturbed Liu Hong almost every day.

Since ancient times, if imperial power wanted to expand, it generally required the help of eunuchs, because eunuchs are the closest people to every emperor, which includes family affection and dependence.

The same is true for Liu Hong. He ascended the throne at the age of twelve and had no one to rely on. He knew in his heart that the eunuchs, like the ministers and relatives, were also using him for their own personal gain. But at least the personal gain that the eunuchs sought was Liu Hong's subconscious mind.

Acceptable.

Liu Hong knew to some extent how hateful Cao Jie, Wang Fu, and Zhang Rang were and how poor their reputation among the people was, but Liu Hong did not hate them.

Because at most they can only harm the common people, but cannot harm the imperial power.

The magistrates control the officials, and the scholars control public opinion. No matter how high your reputation among the people is, what's the use of being loved by others? They influence my actions all the time and want to snatch my power to govern the country!

It’s impossible to guard against it.

Liu Hong was tired. Only in this extravagant West Garden could he feel relaxed and forget the depression in his heart. More than ten years of depression almost drove him crazy. Only under the influence of the beauty and beauty of the West Garden could he relax.

Reluctantly forgetting those 'world affairs' that caused him pain!

Liu Hong was lying in the fragrant canal, with all these things running through his mind, letting the naked Ayame next to him rub his back and wash his body...

Suddenly, a eunuch hurriedly came behind him.

The eunuch was not too young. He knelt down a foot away from Liu Hong, bowed to Liu Hong on the ground, and shouted: "I see you, Your Majesty!"

Liu Hong, who had been closing his eyes just now, frowned for a moment, with a slightly troubled look on his face.

To be honest, Liu Hong liked eunuchs, especially Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong. One he called his father and the other his mother.

Ever since he entered the palace at the age of twelve, he has been favored by the eunuchs. Let alone eunuchs, even a person who has been favored by a dog since he was a child probably still has true feelings for dogs.

But the eunuch kneeling behind him at this moment was an exception.

This official was called Lu Qiang, and like Zhang Rang and others, he also held the position of regular attendant.

To be honest, Lu Qiang was a special case among the eunuchs. He would sometimes be greedy for small fortunes and seek petty selfishness. But unlike Zhang Rang, Cao Jie, Wang Fu and others, he always kept a certain thought in his heart.

loyalty to the court.

I don’t know what Lu Qiang thinks, but he seems to be very eager to become a clear leader among eunuchs.

Just when Cao Jie, Zhang Rang and others were persuading Liu Hong to add titles to the eunuchs, Lu Qiang was forcefully resigning from the position of marquis, feeling that his virtue was not worthy of the title.

When Cao Jie, Zhang Rang, Wang Fu and others were recruiting beauties for Liu Hong to enter the palace for Liu Hong's enjoyment, Lu Qiang told Liu Hong that the cost of food and clothing in the harem was huge, and the people were unable to cultivate it.

If there is hunger in the fields and households, it is better to exercise some restraint.

And even when Liu Hong launched a campaign to imprison party members and imprisoned party members and officials, Lu Qiang also came to remonstrate with him, saying that party members were imprisoned, corrupt officials were increasing among the people, and there were many rebels in the counties, so they should be pardoned gradually.

Party members, in order to ease conflicts, first focus on pacifying the chaos in all counties in the world.

In short, this Lu Qiang is a strange person among eunuchs, and at the same time he is also a breath of fresh air in the evil trend.

But it is a pity that he is the most annoying eunuch to Liu Hong.

He is not as discerning as Cao Jie, Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and others. Liu Hong doesn't like to hear what he says, even if Liu Hong knows that what he says is good.

In short, Liu Hong just felt that Lu Qiang was nagging and annoying. If he hadn't been an old man next to him, Liu Hong would have kicked Lu Qiang out of the palace long ago.

"You're here? What's the matter?" Liu Hong rolled his eyes slightly and said impatiently.

Lu Qiang's face showed a hint of helplessness: "Your Majesty doesn't want me to come? Are you annoying me?"

Liu Hong sighed and stood up naked from the water. Seeing this, Ayame next to him quickly dried Liu Hong's body and put on his clothes.

He slowly turned around and said to Lu Qiang: "You said you don't bother people? Ah? Who among the palace servants doesn't know that I don't like to be disturbed when I am taking a bath, but you, you always rush

At this moment, come over and report this and that to me! Tell me, did you do it on purpose? Ah? I just want to ask you, yes?"

Lu Qiang raised his head cautiously, looked at Liu Hong and said aggrievedly: "I am not deliberately annoying Your Majesty, but I do have something important to report!"

"Okay, every time you have something important to do, why don't Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong have as much to do as you? Tell me, what's the matter!"

"Your Majesty, Cao Poshi, the captain of the Yue Cavalry School, intercepted Xiaolian of Zhuo County at Zuo Zhonglang's Office. There was a quarrel between the two parties. Cao Poshi was so ashamed and angry that he took action against Xiaolian. Now it is an urgent matter!"

Liu Hong, who was dangling in his coat at the moment, was stunned when he heard this.

After a while, Liu Hong slowly turned his head to look at Lu Qiang, his face seemed a little embarrassed.

"What did you say? Cao Poshi went to the door of Zuo Zhonglang's office to stop Xiaolian, but he still took action?"

"yes!"

Liu Hong took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the anger in his heart.

"Can't you save me some time? He, a Yueqi captain, went to stop Xiao Lianlang who was entering Beijing. Didn't he hit those people's hands? Did he think his neck was too stiff?"

After more than ten years in power, although Liu Hong was an average emperor, his power and balancing skills were not inferior to those of Yuan Wei, Yang Ci and other clan leaders.

Just hearing about this matter, Liu Hong felt something fishy, ​​and he also felt that the Cao family might be in danger.

Cao Jiegang died not long ago. At this time, the Cao family should keep a low profile, so that Liu Hong could protect them.

But none of them live up to expectations!

Thinking of this, Liu Hong took a deep breath, then turned around suddenly and kicked over a copper basin next to him.

The Aya girls surrounding him all turned pale with fear and hurriedly knelt down on the ground.

"Cao Qing has just died a few days ago, and the people he left behind started to cause trouble for me... You quickly go to Zhang Rang and ask him to call Cao Poshi for me. In addition, the news must be blocked. This must not be done.

If the blame falls into the hands of those people, go away!"

Unexpectedly, Lu Qiang didn't move.

Liu Hong frowned: "What?"

Lu Qiang shook his head helplessly and said: "Your Majesty, it's too late. There was a fight just now in front of Zuo Zhonglang's office, and the matter spread quickly. Many of the officials in the Lang's office came to watch.

He directly helped Zhuojun Xiaolian fight Cao Poshi, but he kept making noises about this matter. Now this matter is getting bigger and bigger, and even people from the Imperial Academy have begun to go out to the past together!"

Liu Hong's mind changed slightly, and he quickly felt that something was wrong.

No matter how arrogant and domineering Cao Poshi was, how could a mere fight alarm so many officials and imperial students in the capital?

When I was young, I heard Liu Hong speak slowly: "In the Han Dynasty, there were more than 10,000 filial and honest officials in Beijing. Why did this Xiaolian from Zhuo County attract so much attention? That Xiaolian who was beaten by Cao Poshi,

What’s your name?”

"Your Majesty, his name is Liu Jian."

"Liu Jian..."

Liu Hong stood outside the Xiang Canal, stomping back and forth with his bare feet, as if recalling: "It sounds familiar."

"Your Majesty, this is the person who beheaded Helian."

"Oh, yes, yes!"

Liu Hong gently hammered his forehead: "Is it him, is he, Lu Qing's disciple?"

"Yes! Your Majesty, before entering the capital, this person once wrote a poem called "The Song of the Common People in the Cold Land", which was widely praised among the men in the capital."

Speaking of this, Lu Qiang gave a helpless smile and said: "This is specifically for the old slave and other servants of His Majesty."

Liu Hong said calmly: "I have read that poem."

"What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Haha, what the heck, it's just a tactic used by scholars to increase their reputation by scolding you. Over the years, in Luoyang City, whether they are scholars or imperial students, they have written poems and gathered to scold you.

Are there still few people? One more person is not more, and one less person is not a lot."

Lu Qiang asked curiously: "This person wrote lyrics to insult old slaves and other servants of His Majesty. Your Majesty is not angry?"
To be continued...