Chapter 11: Alone, He Secures Hebei; By Land Survey, He Rectifies the Realm

Although everyone had anticipated this, when the news came directly from Liu Xiu's lips, the entire court was shaken to its core.

For today's court was dominated primarily by the Hebei clans and the Nanyang clans.

Even after Liu Xiu unified the realm, to fully balance the court's power structure, he had promoted numerous Guanzhong clans.

Yet these newcomers could never shake the foundational power of the Hebei and Nanyang factions at the core of court authority.

The reason was simple: both the Hebei and Nanyang clans had aided Liu Xiu in establishing his imperial reign, earning the Merit of Supporting the Dragon.

This Merit was inherently superior to all others.

Moreover, after years of deep-rooted cultivation within Liu Xiu's power network, their influence was entangled beyond easy disruption.

Especially the Hebei clans.

Because Liu Yang had never rebelled, the Hebei clans had suffered no purges, and their interests remained deeply intertwined.

Especially after Liu Qiang was named Crown Prince.

These men had become his staunch supporters, occupying the majority of the court.

Now, seeing Liu Xiu actually intend to depose Guo Shengtong,

this group naturally had to act.

Almost that same day, mountains of memorials opposing the move flooded onto Liu Xiu's desk.

But Liu Xiu had no intention of even acknowledging them.

He gave the most direct response possible.

He immediately stripped several of Guo Shengtong's brothers of their noble titles.

The times had changed; this Liu Xiu was no longer the emperor who once relied entirely on the Hebei clans.

After years of unification and multiple ruthless measures, he had firmly seized imperial authority.

With Gu Yi already dispatched to Hebei, Liu Xiu feared no threat whatsoever.

Indeed, this move instantly silenced the entire court.

No matter how resentful they were, faced with Liu Xiu—a sovereign wielding real power—they could only grit their teeth and submit.

Though they all sought to seize advantage,

none dared to defy him openly.

They could only console themselves with the excuse: "At least the Crown Prince has not been deposed."

Jizhou, Julu.

Gu Yi's fief lay precisely in Julu, including Julu, Yingtao, Ren County, Pingxiang, and other regions.

Unlike those ancient, time-honored great clans,

the Gu clan, though now a red-hot new aristocracy, faced the crisis of sparse lineage.

And Gu Yi had long been stationed in Luoyang.

Thus, affairs in the Hebei fief were left entirely to his younger brother, Gu Chen.

Notably, Gu Yi had never used Gu Yi's status to secure any official post for Gu Chen; indeed, he had politely declined Liu Xiu's generous offer to bestow Gu Chen with rank and title.

The reason was simple:

—Gu Chen's attribute panel was utterly mediocre.

And more crucially, he lacked any will of his own.

If he held office, as Gu Yi's own brother, he would be easily exploited by those with ill intent, indirectly damaging the entire Gu family's prestige.

In this era, prestige was vital to a clan's rise or fall.

The Gu clan was now in a critical early stage—no slip could be tolerated.

Precisely because of this, Gu Yi had simply sent Gu Chen back to Hebei and arranged for him to marry a woman from a major Hebei clan.

It must be said, this was a wise decision.

Though these Hebei clans aided the Gu clan for their own purposes, their help had been indispensable to the Gu clan's current position.

In just a few short years,

they had firmly rooted themselves in Hebei.

Concerned about Gu Yi's health, Gu Yi had not urged him to rush his journey.

By the time he arrived in Julu, Hebei officials and leaders of the great clans had already gathered there, awaiting him.

They had come specifically to welcome Gu Yi.

And at their head—

—was none other than Prince Zhen Ding, Liu Yang!

Technically, Prince Zhen Ding was a vassal king.

Even without real power, his status at least surpassed Gu Yi's.

But in the Jianwu court of today,

no one, not even Liu Yang, would dare to act with arrogance before Gu Yi—the most favored First Merit minister.

Not even Liu Yang could.

Liu Yang was truly old; years had passed since their last meeting, and now his hair was entirely white.

Yet his aura of authority had grown even stronger.

As Gu Yi stepped down from his carriage, Liu Yang let out two loud laughs and declared loudly:

"Long time no see, Marquis Guan Jun—your splendor remains undimmed, your vigor even greater than before!"

The two exchanged pleasantries.

Gu Yi watched silently throughout; though Prince Zhen Ding smiled on his face, Gu Yi clearly sensed Liu Yang's fury at Gu Yi's presence in Hebei.

Though the news of Liu Xiu's deposition of the Empress had not yet reached here.

But for these old foxes, the moment Gu Xiao appeared in Hebei, the outcome had already been obvious.

He naturally felt anger toward Gu Xiao.

But since he chose not to act directly, it already revealed Liu Yang's current stance.

Gu Yi did not interfere; he watched silently.

Indeed, just as the wine had passed three rounds, Liu Yang dismissed all the great clan members, leaving only himself to face Gu Xiao and voice his Inner Thought.

"Grand Marshal, the Empress once wrote to me, saying she sent envoys to visit you multiple times, yet each time you turned them away at your gate."

"I truly do not understand—why will you not help the Empress?"

"Your fief is in Hebei; when your younger brother came to Hebei, I extended aid to him more than once—so why do you act this way?"

"What benefit could the Yin clan of Nanyang bring you?"

Co-opt?

Gu Yi instantly guessed Liu Yang's intention.

This was the most common tactic among clan families of this era: binding each other through mutual interests, and fiercely exclusive.

Liu Yang's words meant:

Since the Gu clan intends to establish itself in Hebei, why not aid Guo Shengtong?

For this question, Gu Yi didn't even bother to respond.

Arrogance—

was one of the common ailments of nearly all great clans today.

Liu Yang clearly believed that if the Gu clan wished to establish itself in Hebei, it could not avoid his help.

Yet he did not know that the Gu clan's true trump card was only Gu Xiao and Liu Xiu!

As long as these two remained.

No one could shake the Gu clan's current position.

Seeing that Gu Xiao showed no intention to speak, Liu Yang was not discouraged; after a light sigh, he spoke again: "Marquis of Guanjun."

"I can make a promise on behalf of the Empress."

"If the Marquis of Guanjun would speak a few kind words for the Empress before Your Majesty."

"Over time, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne."

"No matter how the world changes, the Gu clan's status will never change!"

Still bribery!

But this time, it was even more direct.

This time, Gu Yi could no longer remain silent; he immediately took control of Gu Xiao to respond.

A faint smile.

"Gu Xiao!"

This faint smile seemed to strike a nerve in Liu Yang; he immediately frowned and slammed his hand on the table: "I came here personally to wait for you—that alone is granting you great face."

"Are you looking down on me?"

"Do you truly believe I fear you, this so-called Marquis of Guanjun?"

Facing the furious Liu Yang, Gu Yi found him merely noisy.

If Liu Yang had truly rebelled or sent assassins after Gu Xiao, Gu Yi might have held him in higher regard.

But now?

Gu Xiao arrived in Hebei, and he came personally to wait.

That alone revealed his stance.

When one grows old,

let alone rebel, he dares not even harbor resentment toward Liu Xiu.

He can only resort to bribery.

If we speak of bribery,

Liu Xiu can offer the Gu clan a direct imperial marriage alliance—what can you offer?

Gu Yi directly controlled Gu Xiao to wave his hand, as if suppressing Liu Yang's rage, then spoke plainly: "Great King."

"I have a word of advice."

"The world today is no longer what it was."

"Your Majesty wishes to do as he pleases—no one can stop him."

"If you obey orders, you may enjoy a peaceful old age, and truly think of your descendants."

"But if you harbor other intentions, I can only urge you to remain calm."

Undeniably, Gu Xiao was a pure warrior.

The words Gu Yi wished to say, when spoken by Gu Xiao, sounded as if he were saying: "You'd better obey, or I'll beat you to death."

In truth, Gu Yi's mind was perfectly calm—at least for now, Liu Yang meant nothing to him.

Let alone this aged version of him.

In the original history, even the Liu Yang who dared to rebel was not killed by Liu Xiu himself—he was slain outright by Geng Chun.

Let alone the current situation.

Hearing this, Liu Yang's expression grew even darker.

But it was no surprise to Gu Yi.

The current Liu Yang had lost all edge; even facing not Liu Xiu but Gu Xiao, he dared not vent all his fury.

He merely snorted, swept his sleeve, and left!

"Send someone to spread word of what just happened."

As Liu Yang left, Gu Yi immediately made arrangements.

The news of Liu Xiu deposing his empress should arrive soon; these people all have their own networks in Luoyang and will know everything.

Add to that what just occurred.

Gu Yi did not believe these men would dare harbor other intentions.

The clans of Hebei must realign themselves!

Then, Gu Yi had Gu Xiao write a letter and sent it to Liu Xiu.

He had to inform Liu Xiu of today's events.

With him here, Hebei will not fall into chaos!

Luoyang.

Quefei Hall.

"Your Majesty, given the Grand Marshal's ability, securing Hebei alone is only natural."

At this moment, Deng Yu, having just finished reading Gu Xiao's letter, was expressing his own thought to Liu Xiu.

Since Gu Xiao left Jingcheng, he had naturally become the person closest to Liu Xiu.

In truth, compared to Gu Xiao's time serving Liu Xiu, Deng Yu—who had known Liu Xiu since childhood—should have been closer.

But for some reason, Liu Xiu simply preferred Gu Xiao.

"I know."

Liu Xiu's face carried a faint trace of satisfaction as he sneered, "I overestimated the Prince of Zhending."

"He lacks even the courage to anger before the Grand Marshal."

"Is such a man fit to be a king of Great Han?"

Though he had long anticipated Gu Xiao's success in securing Hebei, Liu Xiu still felt anger at Liu Yang's performance.

This man was bringing shame upon the Liu clan!

Deng Yu lowered his head, daring not to speak further.

He was no brute like Gu Xiao.

Though he was Liu Xiu's childhood friend, since the moment Liu Xiu became emperor, their relationship could no longer remain as it once was.

Deng Yu could no longer be as casual before Liu Xiu as he had been in youth.

The hall fell silent.

After a moment of silence, Liu Xiu set down the letter, his expression returning to normal.

"With Hebei stabilized, my heart is at ease."

He seemed to speak to Deng Yu, yet also as if to himself, sighing: "The realm has been worn thin to this day."

"Since I unified the realm, I have reformed the bureaucracy, dismissed officials, reduced the army, freed slaves, and repaired waterworks—all aimed at restoring the realm swiftly."

"Yet now disasters still persist, the people are terrified, and no one feels safe."

As he spoke, Liu Xiu paused, turning to Deng Yu: "Zhonghua, you are exceptionally capable—do you have a strategy to rescue my Great Han's people from suffering?"

Deng Yu had been listening carefully to every word Liu Xiu said and had already guessed his intent, but when he heard the final question, his expression subtly changed.

All policies have been mentioned. Only one remains.

Land Survey!

This was the answer Deng Yu instantly knew, yet he strangely could not bring himself to speak it.

What is Land Survey?

Land Survey means measuring land and auditing population.

Though Liu Xiu's previous measures weakened the great clans, they were far less severe than Land Survey.

Ask any great clan in the realm today—who has not seized land or concealed population?

If Land Survey is enacted, the great clans will be forced to surrender concealed land and people; their power will regress by decades.

And Deng Yu himself hails from the great clan of Nanyang!

In truth, Deng Yu was not a man greedy for wealth or power.

On the contrary, over these years, he had increasingly taken on the demeanor of a second Gu Xiao, avoiding court intrigues.

Yet perhaps precisely because of his great clan origins, Deng Yu felt an inexplicable resistance to Land Survey.

Though he understood that as slaves across the realm became commoners, the previously uncultivated lands were now insufficient.

Land Survey would resolve this problem.

But he simply could not bring himself to say it.

This feeling was deeply contradictory—perhaps because he did not wish the Nanyang Deng clan to bear the blame, or perhaps for other reasons.

He remained silent.

Liu Xiu had been watching Deng Yu; seeing him take so long to speak, he guessed his thoughts and could not help but feel a flicker of disappointment.

This was one reason he preferred Gu Xiao.

In today's court, only Gu Xiao could truly stand with him in perfect unity.

"When Wang Mang plunged the state into chaos, land records fell into disorder. Since I restored Great Han, I ought to enact Land Survey—it may relieve the people's exhaustion."

He suddenly broke the silence, fixing Deng Yu with a piercing gaze: "What do you think, Zhonghua?"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Deng Yu took a deep breath and said gravely: "But the Grand Marshal has only just secured Hebei; if news from court reaches Hebei fully, it will surely cause upheaval."

"If we now enact Land Survey, I fear it will provoke opposition from the scholar-officials."

His words were not meant to oppose, but stemmed from genuine concern.

When Liu Xiu spoke the words "land survey," his inner turmoil dissolved, and he began to consider the aftermath of this matter!

"Hmph!"

Liu Xiu sneered with contempt, his eyes brimming with killing intent, "I am unwilling to again raise armies and wage war—not because I have lost the strength to wield the sword."

"It is so that the people of the realm may recover their breath."

"If they refuse to grant the people a path to live, then they cannot blame me!"

Liu Xiu's tone was chillingly cold; he had long held this thought.

But Liu Xiu also understood.

The land survey would surely provoke opposition from the great clans across the realm.

Though Liu Xiu was not afraid, he truly did not wish to further burden the people at this time.

But Gu Xiao's recent letter reminded him.

The realm has changed!

The clans of today are no longer the clans of the great chaos—they no longer dare raise their swords as they once did!

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Deng Yu exhaled deeply, bowing to Liu Xiu, "I pledge my support to Your Majesty!"

He had felt Liu Xiu's resolve.

"Good!"

A faint smile appeared on Liu Xiu's face as he looked at Deng Yu: "Zhonghua, you shall depart immediately for Nanyang and await my edict."

"See for me whether anyone dares deceive me!"

Deng Yu bowed his head, without hesitation, nodded, and clasped his fists in salute:

"Yes!"

——————

"The thirteenth year of Jianwu, autumn.

Disasters and calamities arose repeatedly, unceasing; the people suffered under them, their exhaustion evident throughout the four seas.

The Emperor, moved, said: 'Today, the realm endures great hardship, with calamities and portents frequent, the people barely surviving. I have pondered deeply—only the land survey can be the vital path to saving the people, rescuing them from their dire plight.'

Thus he issued an edict to the provinces and commanderies, ordering them to inspect and verify the number of qing and mu, carefully examine household registrations and ages, ensuring complete accuracy with no concealment.

He also commanded that officials of the two-thousand-dan rank be investigated for any bias, corruption, or injustice in this matter; if any unfairness is found, punishment shall be severe and without pardon, to uphold the law and pacify the common people.

——Records of the Later Han, Annals of Emperor Guangwu

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(End of Chapter)