The chaos in Chang'an this time seems to be caused by Wu Zui.

But in fact, the subsequent development of this matter has long had nothing to do with witchcraft.

This is an unintentional collision between Hou Quan and Emperor Quan, an occasional battle.

When Liu Chang was still in Chang'an, although such a situation could be avoided, when he left Chang'an, the empress dowager was anxious to issue orders. When the empress dowager's order endangered the interests of the emperor's clan, the ministers made their own choices in it.

Zhao Ping survived, but Hou Feng died.

The most important news was read to the ministers by Hou Feng's death.

Emperor Quan won, but later Quan retreated.

But one main problem is that the empress dowager's order was not entirely to harm Liu Chang's interests, but the starting point was to protect the emperor's safety and eliminate traitors. As a natural imperial sect, the Legalists did nothing in it. Of course, they can be said to be because of the emperor's interests. But from a deeper perspective, there was a conflict between these young people of the Legalists, including many young ministers promoted by Liu Changxin, and these older generation ministers.

Most of the people involved in the Queen Mother’s move this time were these old ministers. Some of the Legalists contributed to the fire, and some of them watched the fire from the other side of the river. It was not that they were unable to participate, but they probably just simply did not want to save them. The Legalists’ radical policies have always been suppressed by the old ministers led by Zhou Chang. As the imperial party, there are also barriers within them.

Zhang Buyi found the best opportunity. In name, he and Liu Zhang were the leaders who quelled the turmoil, and their success also marked the victory of the powerful faction.

All the ministers who made sharp swords for the king always end up in a miserable way.

After being stained with dirty blood, they will be kicked away ruthlessly and twisted off. This is not only Empress Lu or a certain king, but has been like this in all dynasties.

The cruel officials probably knew their ultimate destiny, but they would still do so.

When Hou Feng died, most of the ministers of the Empress Dowager's faction who followed him were punished. A fence-bearer like Wang Tianqi was also very aware of the times and immediately submitted a report to the emperor to punish those who participated in the killing of the imperial students. After subduing the Empress Dowager's ministers according to the orders of Zhang Buyi and Zhaoping, and asking for military power, the doctor's order, Lieutenant, Xiuyi, Tingwei and other departments completely broke with the Empress Dowager. The city gate lieutenant still asked the Empress Dowager's delegation to serve as the position.

But anyone with a discerning eye knows that Lu Chan is a person with no ability, neither courage nor ability.

It is a bit unrealistic to think that he continues to be the Queen Mother’s knife.

The empress dowager's power is so great that on the one hand, she relies on these ministers who have military power.

During this turmoil, everyone has their own minds.

Liu Chang had no idea of ​​fighting for power with the Empress Dowager, but the ministers had this idea.

Before Xiao He passed away, he was worried about two issues.

One is worried about Liu Chang, and the other is worried about Lu.

He always felt that these two would always be opposite to one.

As a retainer of Xiao Xiang for many years and as a retainer of Liu Chang, Zhao Ping has always had a deep fear of the Lu family.

There is probably no final winner in the conflict between the two factions, only the losers, and the biggest losers are the nobles in Chang'anli.

There are about 300 high-ranking titles with famous surnames in Chang'an, and Empress Lü killed half of them this time.

It is the kind of killing the weeds and roots, and the chickens and dogs are not kept.

This means that even if Hou Feng was sealed and Chang Liu overturned the case for them, he would have to postpone the title in the end. There were no living people in the entire clan and there was no way to establish these titles. Empress Lu didn't know if she was interested. Although the people she killed could have something to do with Wu Zui, most of them were marquis who had nothing to do and had a very bad reputation. Those who were serious about Wu Zui, who might have survived.

However, the Empress Dowager still did a little too much. After all, no matter how bad the reputation is... it cannot reach the level of killing the clan. It has the greatest relationship with Wu, and it may not be just a rebellion together.

Anyway, this incident scared the nobles of the great man. They changed their original style. They often held banquets, invited each other, compared each other's property, showed off, married, and expanded their influence. If you open a mine, I am responsible for transportation, cooperate in all aspects, coexist and prosper together, but when the Queen Mother did this, everyone immediately began to think that they had too many friends.

I originally thought it was more friends and more roads, but I didn’t expect that this road was actually Huangquan Road.

Those who survive now are either doing practical things or those dead houses who rarely interact with outsiders and entertain themselves with their wives and concubines at home.

Those who are full of social talents and have wide connections on weekdays can do anything, and have a lot of friends and hold banquets and sing day and night. Who doesn’t know you in Chang’an has died tragically at this moment, and the cause of death is that there are too many friends.

If you are not good to be friends with, go and be friends with Wu Zui.

These surviving nobles did not dare to blame the Queen Mother, but just put all their anger on Hou Feng.

After Hou Feng died, his family disappeared.

This was probably the Queen Mother’s promise to help settle his family.

Hou Feng offended these nobles too ruthlessly. It would be great if he could save his family. If he did not commit suicide, he would definitely receive crazy revenge from the nobles. If he could not revenge on the empress dowager, he would not be able to revenge on you? Think about how miserable the nobles and ministers in the court united to deal with one person.

Not to mention anything else, just say that Chen Ping's son Chen Dao was executed because he once served under Wu Zui's command.

When Chen Ping was young, his family was very poor. He lived with his brother Uncle Chen, and his family had 30 acres of land.

This thirty acres of land is calculated based on the Qin and Han mu. If it is Qin mu, fifty acres can support the family. If it is Han mu, it is okay to support the family for thirty acres, but it is a bit reluctant.

His brother, Uncle Chen, knew that Chen Ping liked to study, so he took on all the labor at home, so he asked Chen Ping to study with peace of mind and provide for Chen Ping frugality. After Chen Ping grew up, he was very handsome, tall and big, and a man with a strong man. Someone mocked him: "Why is the family so poor and still eating so strong?"

Uncle Chen's wife hated Chen Ping very much and thought he was lazy, so she always helped others insult Chen Ping.

Uncle Chen was furious and divorced his wife.

Chen Ping respected this brother very much. His brother passed away and left a son. Chen Ping also taught him with all his might, but Yu Zi really had no talent, was lazy and flirted with labor, and was always mingled with those tyrants. Chen Ping gave him a trivial official position to make him livelihood... As a result, he was killed by Hou Feng on the charge of treason.

Chen Ping appeared in the palace at that time, probably to plead for his Youzi.

With Chen Ping's respect for his brother, he killed his only son, and his fate in the future would be better than commit suicide and give himself some pleasure.

The Empress Dowager was indeed not wrong. As soon as she did this, she directly changed the entire atmosphere in Chang'an.

Nowadays, these people don’t even dare to go out. Not to mention friends, they don’t even dare to know others. Who knows if they will do this again in the future?

Liu Chang was sitting in the Houde Hall, and Zhao Ping just lowered his head, looking very sad and angry.

Zhao Ping was a man from the Warring States Period. Now that he is alive, it is even more uncomfortable for him than death.

According to the extreme atmosphere of the Warring States Period, his life like this was the greatest humiliation for him.

Liu Chang was not a person from the Warring States Period, but he could understand this trend.

The older he is, the stronger this trend will be. If Zhang Buyi scolds Luan Bu and others as old dogs, these people will at most quarrel with him. But if he scolds Zhou Chang like this, Zhou Chang will have to fight with him. People in the Warring States Period can only be killed and cannot be humiliated.

Of course, while inheriting this style, the Han Dynasty also made improvements, and could be humiliated, but not greatly humiliated. If Liu Bang humiliated his ministers repeatedly according to the style of the Warring States Period, then all the humiliated ministers in the temple should commit suicide, and the temple was empty. It can be said that Emperor Gao made indelible contributions to changing the style.

"No outsiders know about the domestic affairs. Those who know about them are my confidants and dare not tell them to the outside world... Everyone thinks that the emperor's decree you are talking about is my brother's... All the wrong things have been taken over by Hou Feng, so why are you doing this?"

"Your Majesty, how can I let Hou Feng and others die on my behalf? This is a matter of morality and has nothing to do with whether the people in the world know it."

"Your Majesty, you are studying Xunzi's theory. Xunzi once said that even those who do good deeds in private cannot forget the reward to him. To make him rewarded in public, even if he commits a minor crime, he must bring him to the people of the world to deal with him and let him receive the punishment he deserves!"

Liu Chang looked at the stubborn servant in front of him, and the many retentions in his heart gave in under his aggrieved expression and his pale hair.

"Okay... I'm now freeing you from being a commoner... As you are old, I'll save you from your death penalty and cut off your hair!"

"Let's keep this life for the time being. Go to Tang State, find a place to farm for me, and make more food to atone for me."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!"

Zhao Ping possessed himself and saluted, and the grief on his face finally dissipated.

Liu Chang couldn't help but say, "Why is this?"

Zhao Ping shook his head and said firmly: "If you don't make clear rewards and punishments, how can Your Majesty govern the world well?"

President Liu stood up, walked to Zhao Ping, and looked at the old shepherd seriously.

"I still think that after you resign from your post in your old age, you will build a house next to Xiao Xiangling to allow you to support you there..."

Zhao Ping said guiltily: "What do I have to serve Xiao Xiang?"

He pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I have no contribution to my followers for these days and cannot repay your kindness... I will not be able to continue to serve you in the future. Please take care of me."

But if you ask Zhou Chang, he can tell you what happened when Xiang Yu chased you in Pengcheng.

If you ask Zhang Cang, he can tell you about the fact that the King of Qin almost executed him angrily.

If you go to Qi State and ask Fu Sheng, he might even tell you about the Battle of Changping.

I still have too little experience and have no such experience when encountering big scenes.

Fortunately for the temple, the Northern Army did not participate in this operation, and they refused to implement the Queen Mother's edict.

The one who took the lead in refusing the empress dowager's edict was General Zhou Yafu.

Zhou Yafu believed that the Northern Army was the army of the emperor and would not be accepted by the emperor's order. If it were not for rebellion, he would not have taken action.

He even caught the envoys sent by the Queen Mother, seized them and sent them back to only one person to report.

As for Han Xin, he didn't care about these things at all.

Liu Chang looked at the people in front of him coldly and said, "A few witches will make you so unbearable... My ministers are useless!!"

Everyone hurriedly apologized.

Liu Chang asked, "Are those witches still alive?"

Zhang Shizhi walked out and replied: "Your Majesty, more than 20 people have made a verdict and have not been killed."

"It's good that there are still those who are alive... bring all these witches to me!!"

Zhou Chang was stunned and hurriedly stood up, "Your Majesty, Xuanshi Hall is not a place for execution..."

"Who said I'm going to be executed here?! Bring them all over here!!"

Chief Liu issued an order, and the Tingwei dared not refuse to obey.

The ministers were all a little scared at this moment. This tyrant would not kill these witches in front of everyone, right?

Xiang Yu liked to do this at the beginning, and he would always pull the offenders to everyone to cook them, and sometimes he would distribute the meat to others.

Just as the ministers were talking, the witches were finally brought over.
To be continued...