Chapter 1030: The Bearing of the Eldest Imperial Prince

As the lockdown on Jinling was further relaxed, along with several pacifying proclamations issued in the Crown Prince's name, the entire city settled down for the time being, regained its vitality, and shook off the tense atmosphere.

Common folk who had shut their doors to avoid disaster began taking to the streets and entering the markets. Shops opened, stalls did business, and Jinling started to recover its former bustle. Once contact with the outside was restored, merchants and citizens from all directions came upon hearing the news. Jinling was a great city, a place where wealth accumulated, and a huge market. After being suppressed by war, it now burst forth with powerful consuming power.

Of course, during these days in Jinling, besides the scholars and commoners buying daily necessities, the main consumers were the officers and soldiers of the Han army that had pacified the south. Although most of the troops were stationed outside the city, the field headquarters still gave the officers and men below some benefits, granting them leave in batches so they too could experience the sights and customs of Jinling.

The soldiers who had pacified the south had received three rounds of rewards in succession, so they had some spare cash on them, enough to enjoy themselves. Of course, compared to the whole army, those who indulged in wine and women were still a minority. What interested them most was nothing more than Jinling's pleasure quarters and brothels—especially those officers and men who would soon continue marching south to take over cities and maintain order.

"Jiangnan truly is a fine place, and Jinling is even more a city of prosperity, hardly inferior to Kaifeng!" Dressed in plain silk with a velvet robe over it, Liu Xu strolled through the streets of Jinling, sighing with emotion.

Beside him, apart from a few guards, was a young man—Liu Xu's elder maternal cousin, Geng Jixun. Hearing this, Geng Jixun couldn't help showing a hint of contempt, saying, "In my view, compared to Kaifeng's grandeur, vastness, opulence, and prosperity, Jinling falls far short! Besides, no matter how flourishing it is, is it not still submitting beneath the iron hooves of the Great Han!"

It must be said that over more than a decade, among the Great Han's nobles, officials, and common people alike, a sense of pride had arisen, also representing a kind of national identity. Although for most people this identity was still weak, the meritorious aristocrats and bureaucrats, as vested interests, were full of self-satisfaction. Therefore, when comparing Kaifeng with Jinling, they would subconsciously disparage Jinling and praise Kaifeng.

Liu Xu just smiled and said, "Now Jinling is also under the rule of the Great Han—it is no enemy state or hostile city. Father has said that the Jiangnan region will henceforth be an extremely important part of the Great Han's territory, where taxes and grain are accumulated and transported. This kind of hostility of yours is uncalled for!"

Hearing this, Geng Jixun noticed his young cousin's serious expression and hastily said, "I was just speaking off the cuff—don't take it to heart. Jinling is indeed a fine city, but no matter how good it is, it's not a place for us to stay long!"

"What, missing your family and home?" Liu Xu tilted his head to look at Geng Jixun, teasingly: "In the tender bloom of new marriage, when you should be wrapped in passion, yet you're forced to part from your beloved wife and accompany me on this trip to Jiangnan..."

Geng Jixun chuckled: "My lady is already with child, so even if I stayed in the Eastern Capital, there'd be little pleasure in it. Following south also lets me broaden my horizons—why not?"

As he spoke, Geng Jixun winked and said meaningfully to Liu Xu, "I hear the women of Jiangnan are gentle and charming. You're about the right age now—on this trip south, are you of a mind to seek out a talented beauty?"

What young man doesn't dream of romance? Liu Xu was no different. Hearing his cousin's words, a flicker of interest passed across his handsome face, but he quickly shook his head and said, "Enough. If I truly did such a thing—at such a young age, deliberately hunting for women—once I return to the capital, I'd likely earn no small scolding. A scolding for me is no great matter, but as for you who made the suggestion, the outcome would be hard to predict..."

At Liu Xu's remark, Geng Jixun's expression immediately changed, and he hastily waved his hands, saying, "I was just talking nonsense—pretend I said nothing!"

"Hahaha..." As Liu Xu laughed, Geng Jixun laughed along with him.

"These past few days, you've been lingering in Jinling's streets all day long. You say you're observing the people's condition—so what results have you observed?" Geng Jixun asked.

"Look around in every direction, and all you see is the people's condition; cast your gaze as far as it goes, and all you see is the people's livelihood!" Liu Xu said this.

He pulled a few coins from his bosom, showed them to Geng Jixun, and said, "The coins circulating in Jinling's markets are far too many and too mixed. Not only are there Qianyou Tongbao and the official coinage of Jiangnan, but even copper coins from the Southern Yue and Wuyue are here, and the quality is inconsistent. This needs to be rectified..."

In fact, when Liu Xu came here, Emperor Liu had also assigned him a task—though the greater intention was still to let him broaden his experience.

The two cousins wandered a while longer. Liu Xu climbed to a height and suddenly pointed to a place in the distance, asking, "What place is that, with such vigorous plumes of incense smoke?"

None of those around knew. Geng Jixun had someone inquire, then answered, "That is a Buddhist temple called Taicheng Temple. It has no small reputation in Jinling—said to be the ancient Jiming Temple. It has many believers. This time, since Jinling was spared the flames of war, many common folk, in gratitude, are rushing there to fulfill their vows, which is why the incense is especially vigorous!"

"Spared the calamity of war, yet instead of remembering the court's grace and the righteous deeds of the imperial army, they go to worship at that Buddhist temple—what kind of reasoning is that?" Receiving such an answer, Liu Xu's brow furrowed slightly as he spoke, a trace of displeasure showing in his words.

To this question, no one could give an answer. After considering for a moment, he said, "It seems Jinling has no small number of Buddhist and Daoist temples!"

Geng Jixun replied, "Just from what we've seen recently within Jinling city, there are nearly twenty of them!"

"I had long heard that the custom of revering Buddhism and Daoism here is very strong, and that the Li rulers and their ministers built many monasteries and temples. Now it seems it's indeed true!" Liu Xu remarked, then instructed: "In the Southern Dynasties, there were four hundred and eighty temples—who knows how many Buddhist temples and towers remain in Jiangnan today. This matter should be investigated. It's easy to imagine there must be no small number of conflicts with the court's regulations for managing Buddhist and Daoist temples!"

"Let's go!" With that instruction, Liu Xu led his party forward.

"Where are we headed? Back to the lodging?" Geng Jixun asked.

"Let's go see that Taicheng Temple. Since we've seen it, we might as well pay our respects! Grandmother is old, and her health grows increasingly frail. I was raised under her loving care—I ought to sincerely pray for blessings on her behalf!" Liu Xu sighed again.

All along, Empress Dowager Li had been a believer in Buddhism, and Liu Xu, having grown up by her side, actually held no great prejudice against Buddhism. It was just that this youth was precocious—when personal feelings conflicted with court institutions, he still chose to put public duty first.

When Liu Xu and his party returned from Taicheng Temple, Liu Xu brought back a talisman—though this was more a token of his sincerity. At the same time, from what he had observed, Taicheng Temple needed to be rectified. This temple, inside and out, was said to have over three hundred monks. Though he hadn't counted them precisely, it was clearly no small number.

This was what they meant by: I believe in you and respect you, but that doesn't mean I won't discipline you...

Returning to the lodging, Liu Xu received notice that Crown Prince Liu Yang was hosting a banquet for the ministers of Jinling, and as the eldest imperial prince accompanying him, he was to attend as well. That night, the two brothers coordinated well—one gentle and refined, the other sharp and majestic—fully displaying the bearing of the imperial house, and doing an excellent job of soothing the civil officials of Jiangnan.

Afterwards, these people received notice to return home, pack up their belongings and luggage, and, together with Li Yu, move their entire households to Kaifeng for resettlement. There was no room for objection—these people were also spoils of war of the Great Han, to be sent to Kaifeng and presented to the palace.

Of course, the more important reason was to remove these officials from the soil and water of Jiangnan, diminishing their inherent influence over the region. At the same time, more meritorious aristocrats and great landowners would also be on the relocation list. Though the court valued and cherished the Jiangnan region greatly, and its methods of conquest had been relatively restrained, such measures were unavoidable!

It was easy to imagine that pacifying and settling the Jiangnan region would still require some time, and would still need to weather several storms!