After entering March, the political atmosphere in Luoyang became increasingly serious.
People were moved, and more and more officials went to pay homage to the prince.
Of course, in order to avoid suspicion, they cannot openly meet the prince. The saint is not a fool, and he has no intention of handing over power now. You are too eager, and you can only die now without waiting for the day when you can enjoy the sweet fruit.
Therefore, some smart people found another way and secretly went to the houses of Liang Zhen, Zhu Shuzong and others after dark to visit them, seek refuge in advance and build good relations with them.
Everyone could see that the saint was handing over the family's fortune step by step, and the crown prince's succession was a certainty.
In the past few years, the prince has been touring various places and has shown signs of it.
Last year the prince reorganized the Tielin and Wuwei armies, which was a clear signal.
Isn’t it obvious that this year, for the upcoming sacrifice to heaven in the southern suburbs, chiefs from all the grassland tribes and foreign kings will come?
On March 28, the day before the southern suburbs of the Heavenly Sacrifice, Shao Shude held a banquet in Shendu Garden and entertained several "guests" from afar.
After the banquet, everyone rode horses and hunted in the garden, having a great time.
Shao Shude did not end up, he just sat aside and watched.
A tall young man stood beside him and said a few words from time to time.
Everyone in the palace knows that this is Shao Xiuwen, the eldest son of King Zhao of the Yili Valley, the grandson of the emperor whom the saint has not seen for many years.
Prince Zhao's name carries "Wen", but he has been educated in the palace since he was a child, and he can be said to be both civilized and martial. He has just been able to ride a horse and hunt, and can hit five or six arrows out of ten. If he is placed in the forbidden army, his ability is not bad.
The sons of the Shao family are all martial artists.
"Your second uncle wants to arrange a marriage for you. Aweng thought about it for a while and agreed. You can go back later and get married in the capital before leaving." Shao Shu took his grandson's hand and said.
"Yes." Shao Xiuwen responded.
As a prince, marriage is a big deal and you should be absolutely cautious.
When he was in Yili, his father once vaguely revealed that he wanted to arrange a marriage for him locally.
The meaning is very clear: marrying generals and high-ranking officials of the country to strengthen internal unity and cohesion.
But when he arrived in Luoyang on behalf of his father and attended the southern suburbs worship ceremony, the situation changed again.
The prince actually actively intervened in his marriage affairs, and heard that the granddaughter of Bo Xiaofu from Fan County was offered as his wife.
Shao Xiuwen had to think about whether Xiao Fu, who once served as the Imperial Academy, had defected to the prince?
Thinking about it, the possibility seems unlikely. When my grandfather was in power, he could not tolerate sand in his eyes. Xiao Fu may have some friendship with the prince and was once inclined to him, but it was far from being a refuge.
He actually had no room to refuse this, because his grandfather had already agreed. No one could disobey his will, not even his father or his second uncle.
"Tomorrow is the heaven-sacrifice meeting. Chiefs from various tribes and heads of foreign vassals will participate. Before departure, did your father tell you anything?" Shao Shude asked.
"Father said that Zhao Guoshi was the vassal of Daxia and would never rebel against him," Shao Xiuwen said.
Shao Shude nodded and said: "Your second uncle is a warrior with a straightforward temperament. It will be beneficial to get close to him more often."
"Yes." Shao Xiuwen responded.
I secretly thought that my father said the same thing. Perhaps this is the reason why my grandfather handed over the responsibility to his second uncle instead of someone else like his sixth uncle.
He didn't have much contact with Shao Mingyi, the king of Dian, and he didn't have a deep impression. He heard that he was very resourceful and scheming, and he also commanded the army in battles in Yunnan. There were rumors in Beijing that his sixth uncle was the most like his grandfather, but it was a pity that he was born a little later and had no chance.
Inherit the throne.
Shao Xiuwen thought about it and decided that it would be best for his second uncle in the world. If his sixth uncle succeeded him, he might not be able to sleep well.
The sound of horse hooves in the field became more and more urgent, the sound of arrows piercing the air was heard continuously, and there were also faint curses.
If you listen carefully, it seems that because of the competition for prey, someone yelled and cursed. The person who was scolded felt angry and retorted on the spot. "Your mother, my maidservant" and other similar nonsense words were heard endlessly.
Shao Shude shook his head and laughed after hearing this.
Shao Xiuwen couldn't help but laugh. In the Western Regions, he could hear vulgar curses almost every day, and he himself did the same.
Maybe some people will accuse you of being discourteous before you, but in this day and age, there are people swearing in court, can you handle it?
"Your Majesty." The knight stopped far away. After dismounting, the knight was carrying a deer that was neither big nor small. He lifted it over his head with a heavy weight and said, "I offer this deer to Your Majesty. I wish Your Majesty the best."
Longevity without borders, eternal health.”
Xiao Huangmen came forward and carried the deer away.
Shao Shude smiled and said: "Wan Yanxiu, how do you look like a Jurchen? You are really good at flattering others."
"Your Majesty." Wan Yanxiu raised his head and said, "Your Majesty is the only one in this world who is worthy of being flattered by me."
Wan Yanxiu is also a wonderful person when he talks about flattering in such a fresh and refined way.
Shao Shude stood up with a smile, helped Wan Yanxiu up, and said: "I am old, and I will worship heaven in the southern suburbs tomorrow. Don't talk nonsense."
"I am extremely loyal and loyal to you, Your Majesty." Wan Yanxiu said again.
Shao Shude frowned, seemingly displeased.
"I sincerely obey your Majesty's order." Wanyanxiu immediately knelt down and said, "Baolu Prefecture has been the country's vassal for generations."
Shao Shude helped him up again and said: "You have been fighting for the country for many years and have made great achievements. Why should I be stingy with rewards? I will go to the Shaofu to pick them up and give you a hundred pieces of gold and silver."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Wanyanxiu choked with sobs.
Shao Xiuwen watched with interest.
This Jurchen leader is Wanyan Xiu, the governor of Baolu Prefecture. He once served as a general in the Fengguo Army. After the Fengguo Army was dismantled, he briefly served as the Xilin city guard and commanded the town army, and was later transferred to the Kucha town envoy. Last year,
Due to his old age, he resigned from various military positions, returned to his hometown, and continued to serve as the governor of Baolu Prefecture.
This man is brave in fighting, but he is definitely not a reckless man. On the contrary, he is very politically minded.
Tomorrow is the heaven-sacrifice meeting. The saint will not appear, but the prince will preside over it.
What does this mean? It means that the chiefs and foreign vassal princes who participated in the sacrifice to heaven will officially recognize the prince as the successor of Daxia, which is equivalent to a political statement and a very serious political event.
It is true that this matter was promoted by the saint and was part of the trust of the family. But did the saint really have no thoughts in his heart? When hundreds of chiefs and kings knelt down to the prince, the saint really felt
Will it be comfortable?
It's hard to say.
Wanyanxiu, a Jurchen chieftain, pretended to be rough and honest, flattered the saint and showed his loyalty. It seemed that he had been "reprimanded", but after the reprimand, he was rewarded with hundreds of gold and silver items.
This result actually reflects the subtle psychology of the saint.
Shao Xiuwen sighed silently. My grandfather was also a human being, and he also had emotions and desires, as well as doubts and worries.
He is actually using his reason to forcefully suppress the various emotions flooding in his heart and forcefully promote the transfer of power.
All of this is actually considering the whole world. If you act selfishly, you will firmly hand over power until the moment of death.
Of course, before my grandfather passed away, if my second uncle had acted arrogantly and tried to imitate the story of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and tried to force him into the palace, my grandfather would not have been able to suppress all kinds of dangerous thoughts, and the scene would have been ugly.
It's obvious which side the military is on.
After Wan Yanxiu offered the prey, the others shouted that he had made a mistake and stepped forward one after another to offer the prey. However, they were not so lucky. The reward of dozens of pieces of silk was considered good, but it was not comparable to Wan Yanxiu.
The palace guards came forward and took away the prey one by one, then processed and cooked it.
Today is another hunting feast.
In the past few decades, there have been countless such banquets, with different attendees, and the mood is indescribable.
****
The heaven-sacrifice meeting has been successfully concluded.
Shao Shude sat in the Guanfeng Hall of Shangyang Palace and listened carefully to the whole process.
The title of Supreme Emperor Jianwen Shenwu is still there, and in the hearts of the grassland tribes, he is still the supreme master, but he is no longer the only one.
Regarding this understanding, he has already done a good job of psychological construction.
As I get older, the more power I have to hand over, the less secure I feel. This morning I was still thinking about whether I should support a few more lucky ministers and compete with the prince, but I gave up after thinking about it.
What kind of heroism and self-confidence are all nonsense in one's old age.
A person's state of mind never changes throughout his life, and it is even more nonsense.
The great terror between life and death may be easier to overcome for someone who is indifferent to fame and fortune, but it is much more difficult for someone like him who is obsessed with profit.
The more powerful a king is, the less he can tolerate others encroaching on his power, and the less he can tolerate other people's ideas being inconsistent with his own.
It is really difficult to take this step.
He also analyzed why he always likes to run to the military camp recently. The army symbolizes table-turning force and is the source of all power. To be honest, this kind of behavior is caused by insecurity.
In fact, these are all unfounded worries.
The prince had no ability to threaten him at all, but his emotions were like maggots in the tarsal bones and were always difficult to resolve.
It can only be suppressed by reason.
"From April onwards, a copy of all major military and state affairs will be sent to the East Palace. If the prince has any objections, he can write a separate statement and submit it."
"After the summer harvest, I will follow the prince to the west to patrol the four roads within the pass, Hexi, Longyou, and north of the pass. He will control the cranes, protect the country, and determine the difficulties. The Feixiong troops will reorganize in Chang'an."
After drinking half a bowl of tea, Shao Shude ordered.
Shang Gong Liu wrote them down one by one and prepared to send them to the Political Hall, Privy Council and East Palace.
The prince cannot directly participate in political affairs, and now the saint has opened the door. But if the prince really participates actively, it would be a big mistake. He has capable people around him who can persuade him, and he will not be so naive.
The western tour of the four Kansai provinces is also a means of strengthening prestige, which will have many benefits for inheriting the unification in the future.
Not to mention reorganizing the army, this is more important than anything else.
After Liu finished recording them one by one, he secretly thought that the saint really trusted the prince. Perhaps it was because there was no suitable replacement? Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also regretted it after killing his son in his later years, but if Liu Ju was still alive, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty would look at him again
It's not pleasing to the eye, it's really contradictory.
At least until now, it is really not easy to maintain trust in the prince.