Chapter 1067: An Edict to Deliberate on State Policy

When consciousness reawakened, Liu Chengyou only felt utterly exhausted, his mind sluggish as if rusted, his body weighed down with burden. His mouth was parched and dry, and with every breath he could smell that strange odor, that stench—low-grade wine was still wine, and after passing through the belly, its fragrance turned to foulness, enough to make one retch.

His head ached somewhat, or rather felt foggy; when he opened his eyes, they seemed dull and vacant, clearly his mind had not yet caught up. Perhaps sensing Emperor Liu's discomfort, a pair of soft hands came to rest on his head, gently kneading and pressing, the fingers slightly cool, yet bringing the Emperor considerable relief.

He closed his eyes again, and at the same time the familiar voice of the elder Lady Fu sounded by his ear—soft yet carrying strength: "His Majesty is awake. Attendants, prepare washing utensils, and also some hangover-relieving breakfast!"

He did not speak for a moment, keeping his eyes shut and enjoying the sensation. After a while, Emperor Liu opened his eyes again. His gaze had lost its usual cold sharpness as he looked at Empress Fu, the faint, pleasant scent of cosmetics from the woman lingering at the tip of his nose. He spoke: "What time is it?"

"The sun is two poles high!" the elder Lady Fu replied.

Hearing this, Emperor Liu reached up and thumped his forehead, then, unhygienically, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and remarked with feeling: "It's been a long time since I've been this dead drunk!"

"You have never once been this dead drunk!" the elder Lady Fu corrected him, then said to Emperor Liu with tenderness that was nonetheless serious: "Yesterday was indeed grand, with joy throughout the palace and beyond, and celebration across court and country alike, but Your Majesty should still exercise restraint. Though the ceremony was important, it is not as important as Your Majesty's health..."

Hearing the elder Lady Fu launch into admonishment again, Liu Chengyou did not find it irritating. After so many years of marriage, knowing each other like well-tuned instruments, he had grown accustomed to the Empress's occasional "nagging." Besides, Emperor Liu was not a man fond of drink, so he replied: "Last night I got carried away and drank a few cups too many. I'll be more careful in the future!"

"Thank you for looking after me through the night!" As he spoke, Liu Chengyou pressed his chest and stomach—his stomach still felt uncomfortable. He remembered it was the first time he had drunk so much he vomited, and fragments of returning to Wansui Hall and retching uncontrollably still lingered in his mind. He said: "There are ministers in court fond of drink, and quite a few with great capacity. One bout of drunkenness like this and I feel utterly miserable—I truly don't understand how Zhao Kuangyin and the others find pleasure in it..."

"It's good that Your Majesty knows this in his heart!" The elder Lady Fu also reached out and gently rubbed his chest.

At this moment, Empress Fu's attire, though not revealing, was still bedchamber undergarments, and combined with her status as a noble lady, the charm of a wife and mother, she was quite alluring. However, Emperor Liu had little inclination for such matters.

The elder Lady Fu was naturally genuinely concerned for Emperor Liu's health—after all... it could be felt, there had been a noticeable decline compared to earlier years... She had even specifically consulted the imperial physicians, and the answer she received was quite definitive: reduce exertion, reduce marital relations, supplement with nourishing tonics, and pay attention to diet and exercise.

"The imperial physicians say that Your Majesty's years of heavy state affairs have placed too great a burden on his body, and he needs to pay attention to recuperation!" the elder Lady Fu said to Liu Chengyou, also sparing the man's pride by placing the emphasis on "toil over state affairs."

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou sighed and said: "This is not yet the time for me to relax! The realm has just been pacified, but it is far from settled. The four barbarians have not yet submitted, our homeland has not yet been reclaimed, the state still has ills, and the people still lack adequate food and clothing... Since ancient times, founding an enterprise is difficult, but preserving it is even harder. The state still needs much tidying up. At this critical juncture, if I do not set the example, I fear the ministers will all follow suit and grow lax!"

Among the women of the harem, basically only Empress Fu could hear Emperor Liu speak of military and state affairs in this manner. And from Emperor Liu's words, the elder Lady Fu could also sense his psychological pressure, his clear understanding, and a vigorous ambition. Clearly, Liu Chengyou had not lost his fighting spirit, mainly because he had a clear direction and goal—that was of utmost importance.

Throughout history, there had been too many heroes and bold figures who fell into confusion and decline after achieving success, but Emperor Liu showed no such signs. As Empress, the elder Lady Fu felt both relief for Emperor Liu and joy for the realm and its people.

Only after washing up and eating some light vegetable congee did Liu Chengyou truly begin to feel somewhat better. To be honest, sensing his poor mental state and his heavy, burdened body, Emperor Liu truly wanted to set aside his affairs and rest properly.

Leaving Wansui Hall together with the Empress, Liu Chengyou went straight to Chongzheng Hall, where Shi Xizai was already there, sorting through memorials, already in a working state—he had taken over the affairs previously handled by Lü Yin. Seeing the Emperor arrive, he hurriedly bowed in salute.

Waving his hand, Liu Chengyou sat directly on a round stool beside his desk and asked: "No need for that! Did I not specially grant all ministers a day of rest today?"

Shi Xizai replied: "Your Majesty's grace is deeply appreciated, and we ministers give thanks, but state affairs cannot be neglected!"

This man gave Emperor Liu a single impression: upright, with a strong aura of noble righteousness. Though he often spoke high-sounding words, they also revealed genuine sincerity. Looking at his desk with its thick stacks of memorials, Liu Chengyou said: "So many memorials again?"

Shi Xizai replied: "Some are matters forwarded from the Hall of State Affairs requiring Your Majesty's perusal and approval, and the rest are letters of thanks from the ministers!"

As he spoke, Shi Xizai prepared to present them personally. Seeing this, Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "I'll look at them later. First, pick out the important ones and tell me about them—I'll listen!"

Seeing Emperor Liu already rubbing the bridge of his nose with a weary look, Shi Xizai acknowledged and respectfully reported: "Yesterday, Wang Chune of the Imperial Observatory reported that he has corrected and perfected the errors on the basis of the old calendar. The new Kaibao calendar is now complete!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu immediately perked up and said: "This is good news, a major matter! Go, send someone to fetch the new calendar—I want to see it!"

"Yes!"

Counting it up, this was the third revision of the Great Han's calendar. Initially, the old calendar was in disarray, sorted out by Zhang Zhao, Su Yugui, and others, barely serviceable. Later, Xue Juzheng took the lead in conducting a detailed review, which was relatively precise and had been in use ever since. But how to put it—those were not professionals, and in the end there were still some omissions and errors. Now Wang Chune of the Imperial Observatory was a true professional, deeply devoted to this field with profound expertise. Previously, he had been specially ordered to review and compile a new calendar, and now results had been achieved.

The function and significance of the calendar hardly needed elaboration—it was intimately connected to the people's social activities, survival, and production. It could be said that everyone lived their lives guided by it. Though he didn't understand it deeply, that didn't prevent Liu Chengyou from understanding its importance.

Wang Chune was not yet fifty, but those in this profession all seemed to possess a certain ethereal, otherworldly quality, a kind of "immortal aura." He personally brought a thick volume of the imperial calendar and came to explain and answer questions for Emperor Liu.

With a smile on his face, after letting this gentleman show off a bit before him, Liu Chengyou said: "This calendar should be quickly printed and distributed throughout the realm to replace the old one! As for you, Minister Wang, I have been remiss toward you. For your meritorious service in compiling the calendar, I award you five hundred strings of cash, one hundred bolts of silk, fifty bolts of fine silk, and a full set of carriage and robes!"

"Your servant dare not claim merit—I thank Your Majesty!" Though his words were modest, joy was hard to hide on his face. The reward was important, but the Emperor's recognition was even more so. Wang Chune then volunteered: "May I ask what the new calendar should be named?"

When it came to naming things, Emperor Liu was always simple and direct. After only a moment's consideration, he said: "Let it be called the 'Imperially Authorized Kaibao Calendar in Accordance with Heaven'!"

After handling the calendar matter, Liu Chengyou began reading through those memorials, though he remained visibly distracted throughout. Matters had their degrees of urgency—clearly, the affairs and letters of thanks in his hands were not urgent matters in his view.

Setting down his vermilion approval brush, Liu Chengyou pondered for a moment, then summoned Shi Xizai. Without wasting words, he said directly to him: "Draft an edict for me. I took up arms with heroes to pacify the realm, and I should also dismount with men of ambition to govern it. Now that the state has just been established and a hundred things await restoration—Qianyou has ended, and Kaibao has begun—how to reform governance and achieve stability requires the collective wisdom of all. Order all civil and military officials in the capital to each express their views, submit memorials with proposals, and jointly discuss state policy!"

"Yes!"

In fact, the reason so many major officials and important figures from the provinces had come to the capital was not merely to participate in the grand ceremony. One of Liu Chengyou's purposes in summoning them to the capital was to have them jointly discuss governance strategies with the central government. After all, this concerned the Great Han's development policies for the next ten or even twenty years—it could not rely solely on the central government; it was necessary to better understand local conditions and listen to voices from below.