The Child Emperor

(Thanks to the reader "a lack of shares Gong" for the red tip.)

There was a suppressed sadness in the prime minister's mansion. Everyone was cautious, running on tiptoe, and even controlling their breathing, as if they were afraid that their breath would hurt others.

The prime minister of Great Chu, Yin Wuxian, was dying. No matter how skilled a doctor, no matter how precious a tonic, he couldn't bring this decaying body back to life.

The wives and concubines wept and the children and grandchildren cried. Yin Wuyan heard it in his ears and felt very noisy. He gently shook his fingers, called his eldest son Yin Cuo, and said a word softly.

Yin Cuo didn't hear clearly, so he hurriedly waved to the family members in the room, asking them to stop crying, and then put it to his father's mouth and listened carefully.

"Hongxian'er..." Yin harmlessly said a name.

Yin Cuo turned his head and saw that the young woman named Hong Xiaoer cried the most, her eyes were swollen like peaches, "Father, please rest assured, we will take care of our little aunt and treat it like our own mother."

Hong Xiao'er was even smaller than one of Yin's harmless granddaughters. Hearing this, she burst into tears. Under the stern gaze of others, she covered her mouth with her hands and stopped crying, her face flushed red.

"Go back, go home..." Yin Wuxian spat out a few more words.

Yin Cuo was slightly taken aback, thinking that his father was confused, "Father, this is our home."

Yin Wuxian slowly shook his head.

Yin Cuo still didn't understand, an old servant guessed softly: "Your Excellency is talking about Jiangnan's hometown, right?"

Yin Wuhao blinked to indicate that was what he meant, and Yin Cuo was even more confused, "My father was an official all his life and worked for the court for many years, and his descendants were all born and raised in the capital..."

Yin Wuxian coughed violently, his eyes became more and more angry, Yin Cuo did not dare to make excuses, and hurriedly said: "Go home, all the descendants of the Yin family will go home, and all the properties in the capital are sold."

Yin Wuhao's anger dissipated and his coughing stopped, but his breathing was still heavy. He wanted to explain in detail why the Yin family had to leave Beijing and return home, but it was too difficult to speak, and among the many children and grandchildren, not many of them could really understand what he said. I mean, instead of wasting time, it's better to order directly.

The old prime minister grabbed the eldest son's arm tightly with his skinny palms. Yin Cuo couldn't bear the pain, but he didn't expect the dying old man to have such great strength, and swore: "If any of the descendants of the Yin family stay in the capital, they will definitely If you are expelled from your own clan, you will never be allowed to enter your family again."

Satisfied, Yin Wuhao released his palms and gasped on his back, as if he had forgotten that there were still a group of people in the room. After a long time, he suddenly asked in a clear voice, "Why hasn't anyone come yet?"

"We are all here, who is father looking for?" Yin Tso asked in confusion.

"In the palace."

"Not yet, I probably didn't know that my father was so ill." Yin Cuo lied, in fact, he felt that it was impossible for the palace to send someone to visit.

"Where's the minister?" Yin Wuxian asked again.

The Yin family looked at each other. Yin Cuo hesitated for a while before he said, "Father, when such a big thing happened in the court, who... who is willing to come?"

"not even one?"

Yin Cuo was even more embarrassed. The prime minister's death was a major event. In normal times, the ministers who came to condolences would line up in the alley, but now they are left out in the cold, because the emperor has changed in the palace. Everyone knows this. The emperor didn't particularly appreciate the old prime minister, and even if Yin Wuxian was healthy, he was likely to be replaced.

"There are two of them, both of them are junior officials of the Zhongshu Province. I have sent them away." According to the usual standards of the Yin family, only officials of the third rank and above are worthy of notification. Those two are Zhongshushe people. The six-rank junior officials were not qualified to meet the prime minister, and Yin Cuo was not familiar with them, and did not remember that they had contact with their own family.

"please come in."

"They've... gone home."

"You go and invite yourself."

Yin Cuo felt that his father was becoming more and more abnormal, so he couldn't help reminding him: "Father, what you want to see is Zhongshu Jian or Zhongshuling, I'm talking about Zhongshusheren Nan Zhijin and Zhao Ruosu..."

"It's them, please, go immediately..." Yin Wuxian coughed violently.

Yin Cuo couldn't, so he had to let his family take good care of his father. He personally went to invite the two Zhongshu Sheren. On the way, he met an acquaintance and heard some things. The death was just in time, and if it was four or five days later, it might cause a lot of trouble.

Yin Wuhao was lying on the bed, and the sound of sobbing came out little by little, like a vulture testing the life and death of its prey, Yin Wuharm became more and more irritable, and waved everyone out, leaving only the concubine Hongxiaoer, He asked her to rub her chest, thinking that she could absorb some vitality from this young body, but he was still bored, so he also drove the concubine away and lay down quietly.

He thought about his life, the state of Chu, and the trend of the court, and finally thought of the emperor, and murmured, "It will come, and there will be people in the palace."

The Zhongshu Department is responsible for drafting the imperial decree. The highest official, the Zhongshujian, is only of the fourth rank. The number of staff in the Zhongshushe is not fixed. Usually there are ten people of lower rank, only the sixth rank. If they can gain the trust of the emperor, these people can still be said to be high-ranking people. Humble and powerful, but since Emperor Wu was middle-aged, Zhongshu Province had not received this kind of trust, and the officials in the province were just a group of writers.

Nan Zhijin was in his fifties, Zhao Ruosu was in his thirties, both had worked in the Zhongshu Province for many years.

When Prime Minister Yin Wuxian was dying, the person he wanted to see was not a high-ranking member of the same dynasty, or a subordinate of the Prime Minister's mansion, but these two people. No wonder the eldest son Yin Cuo felt strange. In fact, Nan Zhijin and Zhao Ruosu dared to be in the group It was a strange thing to visit the door at the most silent time, but Yin Cuo didn't pay attention to it at that time.

The two arrived as soon as they were invited, and what surprised Yin Cuo even more happened. After the servant brought tea, his father even kicked him out of the room to have a secret conversation with the two Zhongshu Sheren.

Yin Wuhao leaned on the quilt and politely invited the guests to drink tea, first apologizing for his eldest son's previous neglect, and then asking, "When does Your Majesty plan to ascend the throne?"

The two Zhongshushe people looked at each other. Although they had the same position and rank, Nan Zhijin was older. He naturally let him speak in front of the prime minister. He first stood up, and then sat back on the chair under the prime minister's signal. With only the corner of his butt, he replied respectfully, "Your Majesty does not intend to ascend the throne."

"Well, that's right. Your Majesty is restoring the throne. You don't need to take the throne again.

"Three days later, the queen mother and the ministers will go to the imperial temple."

"Oh, it's a pity I can't move... How are things outside?"

"Shangguan Sheng was intercepted by the general at Hangu Pass, and he was likely to fight a battle, but His Majesty did not send troops to chase after him. The court was basically stable, His Majesty pardoned everyone, Taifu Cui was still in charge of the Southern Army, and the King of Donghai was even invited to enter the palace. Stayed for one night. Hundreds of people were killed or injured in the palace, and many positions were adjusted. Yang Feng was appointed as the permanent attendant of the middle, and another eunuch Liu Jie was released and served as the middle palm seal. "

"Liu Jie... I remember that he once presented a seal to His Majesty in the Hall of Diligence and Administration. After so long in prison, he should come out, but does he have a seal to hold?"

Nan Zhijin shook his head, "Bao Xi has not yet been found, His Majesty doesn't seem to be in a hurry and has not sent anyone to look for it."

"I'm not in a hurry, and I can forgive the enemy. Well, His Majesty's second proclamation as emperor is indeed different from the first time."

The topic became sensitive from then on, and the two Zhongshu Sheren looked at each other again, this time it was the young Zhao Ruosu who said, "I'm afraid this is a temporary forbearance, when Your Majesty abdicated, no one in the court objected, Your Majesty This time back to the Supreme, it is not the ministers who rely on it.”

"Are you worried that His Majesty will settle accounts in the autumn?"

"Looking at His Majesty's actions, there is indeed such a possibility. The day before yesterday morning, it was a flag of the Northern Army that stunned the old guards and forced Taifu Cui to bow his head. Flag, the real army has not arrived in the capital until today."

"Haha..." Yin Wuxian coughed a few more times, and then said solemnly, "There is someone who has a successor to Emperor Wu."

"I'm afraid that Da Chu can't bear a new emperor for the time being."

Yin Wuxian looked at the two Zhongshu Sheren, very few people understood the importance of these two small officials, and no one understood the close relationship between the prime minister and these two people, they could say anything.

"Accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger." Yin Wuhua sighed, "The emperor is not only a 'tiger', but also a child. He has minions and can easily hurt people, but his mind is very simple, that is, he wants to stand at the top and let everyone To admire him, be loyal to him, obey him, and please him, the most important thing is that all children need their parents and servants to arrange everything for him. The same is true for the emperor. The most diligent emperor can't manage every day. At the beginning, he wanted to catch Everything, a wise man will give him everything, don't argue, let alone oppose it. When he finds that he can't grasp everything, and he feels bored and tired, he will let go, and then someone can catch it."

"My lord, in the event of an emergency, who should take care of all this?" Nan Zhijin asked. This was the most important purpose for him and Zhao Ruosu to visit the prime minister.

Yin Wuxian had been thinking about it for a long time, then he fell into deep thought again, and after a while, he said: "After I die, the first prime minister must be the one chosen by Your Majesty as a last resort, and it will not last long, and the second must be your Majesty's sincere appreciation. You won’t be able to be a person for a long time, at least half a year, as long as a year, there will be a third and fourth prime minister in Great Chu, and those who are able to share the worries of Your Majesty must be among them. judged."

The two Zhongshusheren stood up at the same time and bowed their hands to each other. Zhao Ruosu was not satisfied and asked, "No matter what, your Majesty will choose a prime minister in the court, which one is Sir Yin most optimistic about?"

A smile appeared on Yin Wuxian's face, "If I say this person's name, it will hurt him and you, too, the first key to coaxing a child is to make the child think that everything is his own idea. Can't say, can't say."

Yin Wuxian closed his eyes. He had already explained his funeral. He didn't owe Da Chu any more. As for the emperor, he never thought he owed anyone.

The two Zhongshu Sheren were about to leave, but Zhao Ruosu was not at ease, and asked another question: "Your Majesty seems to really believe that there will be a strong enemy invading Chu in the future, not only to send generals to the Western Regions, but also to negotiate with the Xiongnu."

Yin Wuxian didn't open his eyes, "Your Majesty's rejuvenation from the military will inevitably focus on military force and less literature. The so-called strong enemy is just an excuse to promote military generals - let him go, but you must let your Majesty understand that this move is difficult and dangerous. heavy..."

Yin Wuxian seemed to have something to say, but he didn't speak again. The two Zhongshu Sheren quietly withdrew and left the Prime Minister's Mansion. Their positions were too low. No one paid any attention to this visit, not even the Prime Minister's eldest son Yin Cuo. They are soon forgotten.

At this time, Han Ruzi had not even heard the names of these two people.

In the afternoon of the next day, Yang Feng, the general servant of the middle school, came to visit the prime minister on behalf of the emperor. The two chatted for a while. The old prime minister looked good, and said many words of repentance and gratitude, which were inconsistent, but he did not notice.

That night, Prime Minister Yin Wuxian took his last breath.

After Han Ruzi returned to the throne, the first difficulty he faced was to choose a new prime minister among a group of ministers he did not trust.