Chapter 1051: Auspicious Signs Everywhere, The Direction of Reform

As the court's southern pacification campaign ended in victory and news of the realm's unification spread through every circuit and prefecture, at the moment when the fifteenth year of Qianyou was drawing to a close, strange phenomena began appearing simultaneously across the country.

For instance, Luoyang memorialized that deep in Mount Song's Shaoshi peak, a cliff face suddenly split open, and a clear spring flowed forth, its taste sweet, and those who drank it felt refreshed in spirit and clear in mind;

Again, Hedong Circuit reported that a dragon's roar had sounded from the former princely residence in Jinyang, heard throughout the entire city — as the place where the Great Han's dragon had risen, it seemed to be responding to the achievements the Great Han had established;

Then again, Yanzhou reported that nine beams of five-colored rosy clouds had bloomed over Mount Tai, lasting a full half-hour before dispersing. When the news arrived, someone raised the old matter before Emperor Liu once more — performing the Fengshan sacrifices at Mount Tai;

And also, Guanzhong memorialized that at the place in Chang'an where the imperial carriage had once halted, strange beast sounds were heard, like dragons and phoenixes singing in harmony...

One after another, over the span of more than a month, auspicious signs and strange omens streamed in endlessly from all parts of the Great Han. The last time the Great Han court had "erupted" on such a scale was when Liu Chengyou had first ascended the throne — of course, back then there had been people pulling strings behind the scenes, building momentum for Emperor Liu, creating the illusion of Heaven's mandate, which to a certain extent had served to confuse and stabilize the people's hearts, consolidating his imperial throne.

But this time, Emperor Liu could swear on his conscience that he had not deliberately arranged any of these flashy tricks. Yet among the local officials there was no shortage of clever men, no shortage of opportunists — someone took the lead, and imitators followed in quick succession. With Emperor Liu's vision and experience, he naturally knew exactly what lay behind these strange phenomena.

At first, Emperor Liu did not react much, only making a symbolic "noted" response. Some auspicious signs and good omens were not necessarily a bad thing — with the four seas united and heaven and earth rejoicing together, perhaps the millions of subjects could thereby gain greater confidence in and identification with the state.

But as all manner of strange sights and wonders came memorialized one after another, giving Liu Chengyou the feeling that local governments everywhere were pouring their energy and enthusiasm into "discovering" auspicious signs, Emperor Liu naturally grew displeased, feeling that this unhealthy trend needed to be cut down.

"How can there be so many auspicious signs in this world? And why do they all erupt in concentrated bursts during this bleak, withered deep-winter month? Or is it that the achievements I have made are truly capable of moving heaven and earth?" Inside Chongzheng Hall, setting down yet another memorial, Liu Chengyou could not hold back his anger, directly expressing his displeasure. Turning his head, he ordered Lü Yin: "Draft an edict, issued to all prefectures and circuits under heaven: auspicious signs and blessed omens, if granted by Heaven, let them take their natural course. Let officials at every level put their minds back on governing the registered households and relieving the people's suffering!"

"Yes!" Lü Yin responded immediately.

In fact, even if Emperor Liu had not issued this decree, Lü Yin would have offered his counsel on the matter. Going too far is as bad as not going far enough — this principle, though simple, is one that few can see through clearly and maintain rational composure about at all times. Fortunately, Emperor Liu had a clear sense of things in his heart, and of course the most important reason was that Emperor Liu genuinely did not believe in such things — hearing too much of it only made him feel annoyed.

"And Wu Xingde has always been steady and prudent — how did he get dragged into this too?" Liu Chengyou seemed not yet satisfied, saying: "Guanzhong was severely affected by drought and locusts this year. As the chief official in charge there, instead of thinking about nurturing the people, he can afford to divert his attention elsewhere?"

In the years of his administration, the Great Han's military and political system had produced no shortage of "models," and Wu Xingde was one of the more famous figures. Moreover, his experiences were widely praised and admired.

Originally just an undistinguished ordinary officer in the Jin army, he had seized the opportunity when the Khitan destroyed the Jin and the Central Plains fell into chaos — raising the banner of righteousness, leading the masses to resist the Liao, and with keen judgment throwing in his lot with the then-newly-rising Great Han, leaping in one bound to become a military governor of a province.

And throughout, Wu Xingde's governing philosophy had always been two things: above, to serve the court with utmost loyalty; below, to nurture the people with benevolence. He maintained good governance in his post, responded to national policies, and did solid practical work. By now, being able to do these things was no longer particularly remarkable, but in the early days of the Great Han's founding, in an environment where military men dominated and the influence of military provinces still lingered, he was a breath of fresh air, truly rare. And the rarest thing of all — Wu Xingde was a genuine military man by origin.

In the early Qianyou period, when the state's finances were in difficulty, Wu Xingde exhausted Heyang's tax revenues to supply the Eastern Capital; during the Qianyou reforms, he implemented them without the slightest discount, fully obeying the court's commands and carrying out national policies — he was still among those doing so.

After all these years, Wu Xingde had maintained this governing habit throughout, and every single performance had been fully noted in Liu Chengyou's eyes, who held considerable goodwill toward him. Of course, Wu Xingde had also received his due rewards — over more than a decade, he had served in many posts, from Heyang to Xuzhou, from Xuzhou to Caizhou, then from Huaibei to Guanzhong, always as a frontier grand official. Nor had his family lacked favor and reward — ennobling his wife and granting office to his sons was only proper, and his younger brother Wu Xingyou was also a general in his own right.

And succeeding Duke Shou, Li Shaoyou, as Administration Commissioner of Guanzhong was a reflection of his career advancing further. One should note that among all the Administration Commissioners of the Great Han's various circuits today, the only one who was a former vassal minister governing an entire circuit's affairs was Wu Xingde alone.

Therefore, Emperor Liu still greatly appreciated Wu Xingde. Of course, scolding him a few words now was merely venting a little. And mentioning Guanzhong's disasters, Emperor Liu grew concerned: "This winter, in the prefectures of Guanzhong, how fare the people? After such a calamitous year, have there been any deaths from cold or starvation?"

Upon the question, Lü Yin replied: "Your Majesty exempted the two taxes for the people of the affected prefectures and counties, and also transferred money and grain for disaster relief. According to Guanzhong's memorial, Governor Wu established relief stations in ten prefectures and personally inspected them, and no deaths from cold or starvation have been reported!"

"It seems Wu Xingde is still that good minister who cares for the people — he ought to be commended!" Liu Chengyou revealed a slight smile: "Next year, I shall summon him back to court to report on his duties!"

Because of the disaster situation, Wu Xingde was not among those frontier grand officials being recalled this time.

But thinking of the disaster conditions, Liu Chengyou could not help but sigh. In the fifteen years of his administration, although he had reformed abuses and innovated, establishing many policies to nurture the people, and every few years lightened some of the people's burdens.

Yet, speaking frankly, the lives of the Great Han's common people still could not be called happy — in the collection of the two taxes, the burden remained very heavy, and the poorer the place, the harder the people's livelihoods. Though there was one most prosperous and wealthy city, Kaifeng, it could hardly conceal the fact that in every circuit and prefecture there remained vast numbers of people living below the subsistence line.

Emperor Liu had spent fifteen years pacifying the various states to the south, driving out the Khitan to the north, and launching repeated military campaigns abroad, making war the main theme of the Qianyou era. What supported these military operations? At the core, it was still the squeezing of the common people...

The wise thing about the Great Han court led by Emperor Liu was that it always maintained a measure, held a bottom line, and constructed a relatively complete and reasonable system of state and social management. When it discovered that national strength and popular strength could not keep up, it decisively stopped in its tracks and focused on rest and recovery.

Throughout the entire process, although the Great Han kept advancing and social vitality kept growing, if one asked the Great Han's people to speak of their "happiness index," not many would feel satisfied.

The Palace City Office and the Wude Office had targeted investigations and monitoring of popular sentiment inside and outside the capital, and the feedback Emperor Liu received was: taxes too heavy, burdens too heavy. After experiencing fifteen years of relative peace and stability, the Great Han's people could no longer be satisfied simply by giving them a stable environment free from the ravages of war.

If the northern people felt this way, how much more so the southern people who had enjoyed peace for so long. Just as Liu Chengyou had realized before, at this stage, a new generation of people was gradually growing up and becoming the main force of Great Han society, and their aspirations, the lives they wanted, had also changed. At least, the taxes and corvée labor that had once been acceptable now seemed outdated, seemed too heavy.

In the fifteen years of Qianyou, disasters had also been frequent. Although under Liu Chengyou's supervision, each one was dealt with fully and actively remedied, even by the fifteenth year of Qianyou, whenever a disaster of any significant scale occurred, there would be refugees, there would be famine, and the court would need to provide relief. Why? Because the households had no surplus grain...

Therefore, after understanding the Great Han's actual national conditions and popular conditions, Emperor Liu knew the direction of governance for the next step — no matter what methods or policies, the sole purpose was to lighten the people's burdens.

However, this would in turn create fiscal and tax problems — if the people's burdens were lightened, the court's revenue would certainly decrease. This would inevitably bring financial pressure upon the state. Then, how to maintain state tax revenue at an adequate level, and how to alleviate fiscal pressure — this might in turn bring about internal reform within the court, the perfection of institutions, the renewal of national policies...

It was easy to imagine that problems would come one after another, linked in a chain, but the great direction was firmly set in Liu Chengyou's heart.

After all, the times were different.