Yang Tong weakly signaled to the eunuch on the side, and the eunuch understood, walked to the front of the steps, opened a holy decree and recited it.

The content is about Yang Tong's hard work for the state in the past year, and he has done his best, but he is ashamed of his limited ability, although he has no major faults, but he has not made any achievements, coupled with the fact that he has contracted tuberculosis and tuberculosis, and is unable to take charge of national politics anymore.

After the eunuch finished reading, Yang Tong used his unusually weak voice to let the ministers present express their opinions to their heart's content, and jointly elected a king to come out.

It is no surprise that Wang Shichong and Yuan Wen have become the two best candidates for the civil and military officials.

There are even a few nameless petty officials who risked their lives to promote the general of the secret guard, and were reprimanded by Wang Shichong and Yuan Wen, if it weren't for Yang Tong having spoken, this election can express his opinion directly, and the speaker is not guilty, these people would have beaten the mess out of the hall.

Two factions were soon formed in the court, one faction was Zheng Wangfu headed by Wang Shichong's relatives, and the other faction was the stubborn party headed by Yuan Wendu, Duan Da, Lu Chu and others, and the stubborn party was Wang Shichong's collective name for these people.

The courtiers have added oil and vinegar to Wang Shichong's exploits in his life and his achievements in governing Luoyang, and portrayed him as the only saint in the world, who is supported and loved by the people, and is a great figure with great talent and vision.

Compared with the splendid articles of sycophants and doing some literary and non-contemptuous articles, Yuan Wendu's side seems to be a little complacent. But it can barely be regarded as pragmatic, but it seems to be more pragmatic and not gorgeous enough. It is not vigorous enough to look to the future, and it cannot bring the Imperial Thai Dynasty to a better and magnificent Imperial Dynasty.

The argument will never come to fruition, and after two hours, no one has persuaded anyone, saying that it is urgent, and both sides are red-eyed and thick-necked, and they are almost about to roll up their sleeves and move.

Yang Tong coughed repeatedly. Fu Lin also persuaded softly on the side, but he couldn't, so Yang Tong could only announce that he would stop arguing for the time being. After an hour, the candidates nominated by both sides will each present their own strategy for governing the country, and then he will decide.

Only then did the two sides stop arguing. Each of them returned to their seats. Get together and discuss a set of statecraft that can win the appreciation of the emperor.

……

An hour later, Yuan Wendu took the lead in presenting the statecraft of ten pieces of rice paper that he had written, Yang Tong read it, nodded incessantly, but was noncommittal, put it on the table after reading, and poured a glass of wine himself. handed it to Yuan Wendu.

"The Yuan Qing family is brilliant and well-organized. Everywhere to be fair and honest as the strategy, benefit the people and tie up the officials for the purpose, tax reduction, suppress business and agriculture, although there are small flaws, but there is no big problem, to be able to make such a strategy in just one hour, it is really commendable, give a glass of wine. ”

As he spoke, he got up and poured a glass of wine and handed it to him.

"Emperor Xie!" Yuan Wendu took the wine glass, leaned back, and retreated into the seat.

Yang Tong looked back at Wang Shichong's group who were still discussing, and asked with a smile: "Wang Aiqing has a fixed opinion?" ”

Wang Shichong is not like Yuan Wendu, who writes books, relying on his prestige in the court, speaking without scruples, and expressing his heart directly, as for whether the coherence is clear, whether it is reasonable, and whether the words he says are appropriate are not within the scope of his consideration.

He stood up and talked eloquently, saying nothing more than that the untouchables were untamable, that they would not be untouched for three days, that they would use extraordinary means in extraordinary times, that they would be merciful to the untouchables, that is, that they would be irresponsible to the royal family and the aristocracy, and that they would have to inch in and demand more, so that they would not be grateful for the newspaper, and even tried to rebel.

Even Fu Lin frowned when he heard this, and couldn't help but interrupt him: "Mencius has clouds, the people are your society, and the monarch is light, isn't King Zheng's words against the intention of the ancient sages." ”

"The princess doesn't know that governing a big country is like shepherding sheep, with sticks as the mainstay, and eagles and dogs as supplements, and the way of Confucius and Mencius is used to teach the rulers and officials how to tame and educate these barbaric and rude untouchables, in order to make the untouchables obedient and obedient, so that the royal nobles who are high up can eat their flesh and sip their milk. Mencius said that the people are precious, but the people are the foundation of the survival of the monarch and the ministers, and they should not be taken care of, just as the shepherd regards the sheep as wealth, but still wants to kill them and eat their meat, attaching importance does not mean that they should be arrogant, if the sheep that leave the circle cannot be hunted and killed in time, it will inevitably cause other sheep to follow suit, just as a riot of the rebellious people cannot be suppressed in time, and the other rebellious people will follow suit......"

The ministers shook their heads, nodded, and insisted on one thing.

Wang Shichong glanced around at the ministers and said with a smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, your wealth, your family, and your status today are all won by your ancestors on war horses, and the untouchables want to seek a half-official position, precisely because everything you do today is to sit back and enjoy it, who doesn't want to sit back and enjoy it?" Never forget that! What do you rely on to eat, drink, and talk in this hall instead of working in the fields? Relying on swords, guns, swords, and halberds to back you, and by forcing those untouchables to pay taxes, without coercive measures, which one of them will willingly pay you land rent, and recite poetry against you, and make a broad argument, which of your three wives and four concubines, men, women, and children, who does not depend on them to support you? ”

Everyone looked thoughtful.

Wang Shichong's face was ruthless: "The reason why the kingdom is declining is precisely because the shepherds are so indulged in pleasure that they forget how to use sticks and eagle dogs, so that the originally peaceful sheep are restless and cannot reproduce with peace of mind, providing comfortable conditions for the herdsmen." ”

The ministers all looked at each other, Wang Shichong said it bluntly, but they were all telling the truth.

"You can say in front of these untouchables that the king is for their welfare, but don't forget, this is just a way to appease the untouchables, if you take these words seriously, it won't be long before you find that you have personally ruined your own job, so you have to stick and eagle dog to treat the sheep, this is the foundation of our people's survival, and it is also a symbol of hierarchy between officials and people, this is the way of governing the king!"

The hall was quiet, this kind of rhetoric won the hearts of many officials, but this kind of words can often only be buried in the heart, and only a powerful person like Wang Shichong dares to be so blatantly provocative.

After a long time, there was a round of applause in the hall.

The ministers looked at the clapping people and found that it was Yang Tong who was sitting on the throne, and they were all stunned.

Yang Tong coughed and said: "I have read the book of the sages for so many years, and now it is the first time I have heard such a true insight without hypocrisy, all these years, the contradictions and confusion have always made me wonder what went wrong, obviously following the teachings of the ancient sages, thinking that there would be a good result, but often getting the worst ending, King Zheng's words have solved my confusion for many years...... Although King Zheng's strategy of governing the country violates the admonitions of the ancient sages, it is also a good strategy for stabilizing the country in extraordinary times......"

He looked at Wang Shichong, "Wang Aiqing, I have always regarded you as a teacher, but in recent years, due to different ideas, I have a lot of dislike for you, recently I have been seriously ill, and I have been thinking and reflecting on the sickbed, only to realize that the previous ideas and the results I want are really the opposite, and it is a big mistake, so I gave birth to the idea of abdicating and giving way, if you want to find a candidate who can replace me to govern the country and make the country prosperous and stable, according to me, this person is none other than King Zheng!" ”

The ministers were in an uproar, and Yuan Wendu was all panicked.

Wang Shichong was still calm and calm, and said: "I will live up to the emperor's trust!" ”

"Come on, I want to give King Zheng a glass of wine!"

Yang Tong picked up the wine jug on his table, walked off the stage, poured a glass of wine, and handed it to Wang Shichong.

In front of everyone's eyes, everyone knew that this pot of wine had been drunk by the emperor, and no one would doubt what would be in this wine.

Wang Shichong took the wine glass in Yang Tong's hand without any doubt, and stared at Yang Tong with his eyes, "It is really a blessing for the emperor to make such a wise choice!" ”

After speaking, he fell on his back.

Seeing him drink the wine, a trace of irrepressible joy flashed in Yang Tong's eyes, and he turned back to his seat, perhaps because he was too excited, and forgot to pretend to be sick for a while, and seemed to walk steadily, not at all like a sick person.

He turned his back to this Wang Shichong, and he didn't notice the cold murderous intent in Wang Shichong's eyes the moment he turned around.

The banquet ended quickly, and Yang Tong did not announce his holy decree to cede the throne to Wang Shichong, but only said that he was unwell, and when the time was ripe, he would naturally announce it, and made an excuse and returned to the inner palace.

The banquet quickly dispersed, and many people came forward to congratulate Wang Shichong, and some even called the emperor directly.

Wang Shichong thanked him one by one, didn't stay in the palace for long, and went home.

………………………………

Within a few days, there was a news from King Zheng's Mansion that made the people of Luoyang rejoice.

Wang Shichong is seriously ill.

Upon learning of this news, many people in Luoyang bought fireworks and firecrackers produced in Longmen Town and set them off at the door of their homes to celebrate and pray, praying that Wang Shichong would die on this occasion.

Yang Tong learned that Wang Shichong was seriously ill, and sent several imperial doctors in the palace to King Zheng's mansion to treat King Zheng to show the emperor's grace. In the Luoyang Palace, the imperial doctors who returned to the palace reported Wang Shichong's illness to him, and their faces were suspicious.

"Is King Zheng well?"

"Back to the emperor, the ministers checked the pulse of King Zheng, not like a sick person, but the people in King Zheng's mansion said that King Zheng had not gotten out of bed for many days, he was weak, and his mind was dazed, and the two princes couldn't tell what the cause was. (To be continued......)