Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Zhao Yuan picked up his pen and wrote: "Retirement is permitted. He shall be promoted to Grand Tutor and Pillar of State, and be granted a brocade robe."

He then wrote three more documents and submitted them to the Cabinet:

"Meng Zhao, the Minister of Personnel, has been appointed as the Grand Secretary."

Chapter 3659 Free from Worries and Feeling Light

"Chen Dong of the Censorate has been transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel."

"Wei Liangchen has rendered meritorious service in clearing up fields in Jiangxi. He shall be immediately returned to the capital and promoted to Left Censor-in-Chief."

"He was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace and concurrently Junior Guardian, and his wife was granted the title of Second Rank Imperial Consort."

The cabinet ministers, upon receiving these orders, were all deeply moved by Wei Liangchen's treatment.

Although he has not yet joined the cabinet, he holds two honorary official titles of the first rank.

If this were during the Song Dynasty, the next level after the Grand Master of the Palace (特进金紫光禄大夫) would be the same as the Grand Master of the Three Departments (开府仪同三司).

With these honorary titles, Wei Liangchen could usually treat cabinet ministers as equals.

After the news was announced, Qin Hui was filled with envy and regretted not going to Qingtian, Jiangxi.

His only honorary title was the bare title of Xuanfeng Dafu, which he earned by accumulating years of service through promotions.

By carefully analyzing the changes in official positions, Qin Hui could basically guess what the emperor was thinking.

Everyone knows that Meng Zhao is mediocre, yet he was transferred to the cabinet this time, and Chen Dong took over the Ministry of Personnel.

It's nothing more than officials from Sichuan and Hanzhong. In recent years, too many people have been promoted, so we can't let Meng Zhao occupy that position any longer. We might as well bring him into the cabinet as a figurehead.

Chen Dong, being a loyal subject who followed the emperor, was politically very reliable.

He is from Jiangnan and is incorruptible. Putting him in charge of the Ministry of Personnel would help balance the distribution of officials by their place of origin.

For the past two years, Qin Hui has been paying close attention to water conservancy on both sides of the Jingjiang River and has personally dispatched his capable subordinates there.

He felt that as long as he governed Jingbei well, he should have no problem becoming the Minister of Revenue.

……

The fourth month of the lunar calendar.

When Zhang Shuye left Luoyang, all the officials came to see him off.

His hometown is in Kaifeng, which is a few days away by boat. He also welcomes everyone to visit Kaifeng when they pass through.

The willows by the Luo River suffered again, with people breaking off branches and writing poems, attracting even the newly appointed scholars to come and watch the spectacle.

As Grand Secretary Zhao Quan watched Zhang Shuye depart, he too began to contemplate retiring and returning home to enjoy his old age.

The main reason was that he was older than Zhang Shuye, and there was a powerful emperor in power, so no cabinet minister could think of seizing power.

The workload of the cabinet is so heavy that it's really hard to keep up with the demands of older people.

Just as everyone was about to leave, they saw a large number of guards approaching, accompanied by many craftsmen.

Then, carriages arrived at the shore and began unloading all sorts of odds and ends onto the boat.

Immediately afterwards, even several officials came to persuade farmers to participate.

"It's because Prime Minister Wen is leaving the capital!" an official realized.

Everyone chose to stay and wait, and those who had already left turned back upon hearing the news.

Finally, Wen Huanzhang's carriage arrived.

The officials quickly bowed and said, "Respectfully seeing off the Prime Minister on his western tour!"

Wen Huanzhang lifted the carriage curtain, smiled and waved, saying, "Farewell, everyone. I'm going to Wangchuan, but I'll come back occasionally."

“If any of you are assigned to a post or retired, you may visit Wangchuan when you pass through Lantian.”

"I will definitely kill a chicken and fish to entertain them, chickens I raised myself and fish I caught myself."

The officials laughed along; they liked Wen Huanzhang and felt no pressure dealing with him.

As for Wen Huanzhang forcing Zhang Gen to retire voluntarily, no one remembers that anymore; people prefer to remember the aspects they like.

When Wen Huanzhang moved, he had an entire fleet of ships.

The BMW was wrapped in layers of tarpaulin and pulled to the shore by a flatbed truck, where a pulley system was set up to hoist it onto the boat.

This thing also needs to be moved to Wangchuan Villa, where there are troops stationed at the entrance of the valley.

The craftsmen who developed lathes and steam engines all had to go along, and also take some time to disassemble and study BMWs.

Everything was loaded onto the ship. Wen Huanzhang stood at the bow and bowed, saying, "No need to see me off, go back now."

Despite saying that, more and more people came to say goodbye.

Many Luoyang residents also came spontaneously, and they often saw the Prime Minister entering and leaving the city.

Although there were guards separating them, they could still greet each other from a distance, and people often tried to sell treasures to the prime minister.

Putting aside other things, the agricultural officials trained by the Prime Minister made their meals more abundant.

Chinese cabbage has long been widely available and can be eaten by ordinary people. It is inexpensive, delicious, and a perfect food for getting through the winter.

There are also carrots imported from overseas, which are sweet and delicious, and I heard they can effectively prevent nymphomania.

There are more than just one or two similar vegetables.

The area surrounding Luoyang is mostly mountainous, and more and more people in those areas are growing corn and sweet potatoes.

"Xiangguo!"

Suddenly, a sentimental commoner knelt down on the shore and wept before the fleet.

More and more people knelt down, as if a virus were spreading, and the scene was filled with weeping.

People are strange sometimes; they might not even be this heartbroken and shed tears when a loved one dies.

They were heartbroken just because the prime minister left Luoyang, and they felt they had to cry when the atmosphere was right.

Prime Minister Liu Jian was also moved by the atmosphere, and his eyes welled up with tears as he said, "This is a wise prime minister for all ages!"

The revered minister Wen Huanzhang was somewhat sentimental, and his wife and children came out of the cabin to stand beside him.

Li Zhao remarked with emotion, "I've only ever heard of honest and capable officials being bid farewell by the people when they leave office. Today I realize that even when the prime minister departs the capital, the people kneel and weep to see him off. How deeply the people love and respect the prime minister!"

Chapter 3660 A Comfortable Retirement Life

Shen Rong wiped away her tears and said, "Only a prime minister who loves his people like his own children would do this."

Wen Huanzhang's sadness quickly vanished, and he laughed soon after the fleet sailed away.

When passing through Yanshi County, he visited his daughter and son-in-law's home, and eventually took his daughter, Wen Yan, to Wangchuan Villa to relax.

After entering the Yellow River and seeing fishing boats, Wen Huanzhang said to his guards, "Go and ask those fishermen if they have caught any Yellow River carp."

"If I had any, I would buy a few. Today I'll let you taste my braised carp skills!"

The fishermen were a little scared at first, but when the guards handed them the copper coins, they beamed with joy.

Instead, he said he didn't want to accept the money and would rather give the fish to the prime minister.

Whenever the boat stopped overnight at a certain place, Wen Huanzhang would host a banquet for the officials, and if it was far from the city, he would host a banquet for the local gentry.

He casually drank a little wine, asked about local historical sites, customs, and legends, and even claimed that he would travel here in the future.

It took a full month of travel to finally arrive at Wangchuan Valley.

A castle has been built at the mouth of the valley, and there are many houses nearby for soldiers and their families to live in.

The accompanying teachers, craftsmen, doctors, agricultural officials, and others lived in different areas of the valley and were allowed to roam freely for the first month, so that everyone could experience the leisurely and elegant lifestyle of Wang Wei.

There are also several attractions that are not yet completed and are estimated to take another two or three years to repair.

After all, this mountain resort stretches for more than twenty miles!

The core area where members of the royal family lived was accessible only to eunuchs and palace maids.

Soldiers stationed at the valley entrance took turns standing guard to protect the safety of the mountain resort.

After several days of continuous work, everything was arranged.

Wen Huanzhang finally relaxed and took his wife and children boating on the lake.

The mountain lake is quite large, formed by the confluence of two rivers in a low-lying area.

The widest part of the lake is about 500 meters wide, and the longest part stretches for six miles. There are also mountains that divide the lake in two, and there are pavilions and towers on the mountains in the center of the lake.

"The mountains are like a painting!"

Wen Huanzhang stood at the bow of the boat, smiling broadly as he took out his fishing rod.

The women and children were also very happy.

The courtyard where Shen Rong chose to live even had chickens and ducks, and mulberry trees were transplanted near the house.

She could take her maids and eunuchs with her to raise chickens and ducks, pick mulberry leaves and feed silkworms, and read books or play games when she was bored.

Wen Xiaomei's yard is surrounded by bamboo on all sides, which can be used for painting or for digging up bamboo shoots to eat.

An Niang didn't have these hobbies; she collected many musical instruments and would sing for everyone from time to time.

Li Zhao also composed new lyrics, and An Niang was the first to take them to try singing.

"Bring out the food and wine."

Li Zhao instructed the palace maids to do their work.

This guy is a drunkard and a glutton. He spends all his free time playing chess and cards, and has very little time for reading and writing lyrics.

The two women, surnamed Li from the Jin Dynasty and surnamed Du from Annam, had already become acquainted.

However, they seemed a little reserved and not as close as the other girls; the two of them were subtly placed outside the small circle.

Let's invite the fish for a drink first.

Li Zhao poured wine into the pot, then took a sip from the spout before rolling up his sleeves and suddenly casting his fishing rod.

Then she started snacking and drinking, only glancing at the buoy occasionally.

Wen Huanzhang chuckled and said, "Are you eating separately from the fish and shrimp? You haven't even finished these dried fruits yet, and the fish bait in the water is already gone."

"Those who are willing will take the bait," Li Qingzhao said.

It was early summer, and the children, impatient with fishing, insisted on going swimming in the lake.

Wen Huanzhang sent his guards to select a shallow spot, and a large group of guards and eunuchs who could swim watched over it.

The sons jumped right in and started playing.

The daughters, on the other hand, were more reserved and only soaked their feet and played on the shore.

In a few days, the academy here will open, and the children will be able to meet many new classmates.

Zhao Yuan also wanted to send his young children over, as childhood here was much more interesting than in the palace.

Fish in the deep lake are hard to catch, so Wen Huanzhang took off his clothes and, wearing only shorts, plunged into the middle of the lake.

"Protect the Prime Minister!"

The guards and eunuchs cried out in panic.

Wen Huanzhang resurfaced, laughing heartily, "The lake water is so refreshing, I'm going to teach the children to swim!"

Wen Huanzhang lay on the lake with his eyes closed, swimming on his back. The sunlight shone down, and the temperature was just right. He felt indescribably comfortable and at ease.

The prime minister's seat is open to anyone who wants it.

……

Last year's wheat harvest was bountiful, but this year we've been hit by a prolonged drought. God is truly cruel and merciless.

Except for Hanzhong, the entire Shaanxi province, most of Shanxi province, and a small part of Henan province are experiencing severe drought this year.

Fortunately, it was the early years of the dynasty, and the government was relatively efficient.

These provinces had not yet experienced famine, and some even had reserves in their local granaries, so the imperial court ordered the transfer of grain from the south.

Truckloads and boatloads of rice and corn were transported north.