Chapter 1077: A Regional Magnate

"What is it?" Setting aside his complacent reflections, Liu Chengyou turned around, noting the several memorials in Lü Yin's hands, and asked.

Lü Yin replied solemnly: "Your Majesty, regarding the adjustments to the chief administrators of the various circuits, the Guangzheng Hall has already deliberated and reached a decision. We await Your Majesty's approval!"

"Oh?" Liu Chengyou immediately became serious—this was a major matter. He reached out his hand at once: "Let me see!"

Hearing this, Lü Yin promptly presented the topmost memorial. Emperor Liu sat down before the map, opened it, and carefully reviewed it. The Administration Commissioner, in the current official system of the Great Han, was unquestionably the principal administrative chief of the local circuits and prefectures, and through more than a decade of practice, it had become an established institution, accepted by the bureaucracy and incorporated into the Great Han's statutes.

However, up to the present, only those circuits where the situation was stable and governance had been firmly established had a separate Administration Commissioner appointed. All along, taking into account differences in local conditions, the border situation, or special assignments, Liu Chengyou had also employed some flexible arrangements in appointing officials.

Under these circumstances, offices such as Pacification Commissioner, Comfort Commissioner, Patrol Commissioner, and Inspection Commissioner came into being. The position of Pacification Commissioner was unquestionably Liu Chengyou's "original creation." It first appeared in the Great Han in the fifth year of Qianyou, when Fan Zhi, under the title of Hedong Pacification Commissioner, went north to inspect and clear up criminal cases, and later directly led the Hedong reforms, bringing it completely under the court's governance.

Later, when Li Tao was removed from the chancellorship, in order to comfort the old minister, to pacify the recently recovered Jinghu region, and to show the importance attached to Jinghu, he was specially appointed Jinghu Pacification Commissioner, going south to Tanzhou. Beyond its supervisory function, this already carried some administrative attributes.

Thereafter, when Chuanshu was pacified, Zhao Pu first administered the prefectures and counties of Shu as acting Prefect of Chengdu, and later became the Southwest Pacification Commissioner, coordinating with the three circuit Administration Commissioners of Chuanshu to govern and reassure the people. Although administrative power still remained in the hands of the Administration Commissioners, the Pacification Commissioner's influence had already risen.

Up to the present, Li Tao as Pacification Commissioner of the Two Guang, Fan Zhi as Pacification Commissioner of the Two Jiang, and Zan Jurun as Pacification Commissioner of Minzhe—these were already fully responsible for the administration of newly acquired territories. Of course, whether in Liu Chengyou's view or in the Great Han's statutes, the Pacification Commissioner remained a temporary assignment.

Adding Zhao Pu, who still served as Pacification Commissioner of Chuanshu, the Great Han now had "Four Great Pacification Commissioners," among whom Zhao Pu naturally drew the most attention. He was the most astute and capable, and also the youngest—still only just past forty—which showed Liu Chengyou's favor and trust.

There were two Comfort Commissioners: Han Xizai as Southeast Comfort Commissioner, and Prince Yong, Liu Chenghsun, as Youji Comfort Commissioner. As mentioned earlier, Han Xizai was mainly sent to carry out reforms, while Liu Chenghsun represented the imperial house in holding down Hebei, with greater symbolic significance.

Offices like Patrol Inspector had appeared frequently—countless numbers had been established since the founding of the state. They were generally set up to suppress local unrest, maintain public order, or quell rebellions, ranging from a circuit-wide Patrol Inspector, to one covering several prefectures, down to a single prefecture or even a single county. Kaifeng also had a Capital Patrol Inspector.

In earlier years, Commandery Duke Dai, Zhe Congruan, served as Patrol Inspector of the Six Northwestern Prefectures, leading troops west to suppress the rebellions of the various northwestern barbarian tribes such as the Wild Chickens and Cattle Killers, and the post was abolished once the rebellions were quelled.

However, with local tranquility, strengthened public security, the perfection of the provincial military system, and the establishment of the imperial army's patrol inspectorate, local Patrol Inspectors were gradually abolished as well. Previously, Duke Xing, Shi Hongzhao, as Longxi Patrol Inspector, had taken over from the aged and infirm Duke Bao, Wang Jing, to hold down Lanzhou and protect the fruits of expansion, becoming one of the few remaining Patrol Inspectors in the Great Han.

As for Inspection Commissioner, that too was an "original creation," a position of a military nature. Altogether only two men had been entrusted with this post. One was Li Gu's Jianghuai Inspection Commissioner, set up in preparation for pacifying the south; the other was Guo Rong, who before the southern pacification was entrusted as Northwest Inspection Commissioner. Of course, there were also differences in the actual extent of their powers.

This lay both in differences of circumstances and objectives, and in the degree of authority the emperor delegated. In an imperial age, as an emperor holding great power and speaking with the authority of Heaven, his likes and dislikes, his closeness and distance, his degree of trust, could often determine different powers for the same position—this was fundamentally unavoidable.

Guo Rong's Inspection Commissionership naturally did not match Li Gu's power in Jianghuai. The most direct manifestation was that the troops Guo Rong could mobilize in the northwest numbered only five thousand, with restrictions in many aspects, and detailed reports were required afterward. However, Li Gu's Jianghuai Inspection Commissionership had long since been abolished.

Speaking of control over military power, over all these years Liu Chengyou had racked his brains, sparing no effort whether in personnel selection or institutional design. Yet at times, one had to admit that it was impossible for the court and the emperor to completely and thoroughly control the entire nation's armies and eliminate all hidden dangers.

The state was so vast, the territory so expansive, and the transmission of information so inconvenient—especially in places facing military pressure—that if every matter required requesting instructions from the Eastern Capital before deciding and acting, it would be too late by the time the answer arrived.

Of course, one could be absolute, strictly controlling the generals, but the consequence of that would be military rigidity, inability to respond to changes, and ultimately internal control at the cost of external threats. Therefore, in the early days, Liu Chengyou had also overcorrected, but later he made changes, not completely strangling the autonomy of commanders in order to restrain military officers. At first, in response to military pressure from Liao in the Hebei direction, he had granted a certain degree of troop mobilization authority to He Fujin, the then Commander-in-Chief of Hebei.

No policy or institution is perfect; each has its loopholes and deficiencies, and must be continuously adjusted according to the development of circumstances. In border military affairs, Liu Chengyou could only patch things up on the basis of delegating authority.

In fact, as long as the state's political power was stable and the court's authority was sufficient, under the operation of a reasonable system, basic guarantees could be obtained. But once the court's authority was gone and the state was in turmoil, no matter how strong the restrictions, they would be powerless.

However, practices like placing military, political, and financial power all in the hands of one person—such a thing could not happen in the Great Han.

Having rambled on so much, Emperor Liu had also finished reviewing the list. He rose directly, walked to the imperial desk, picked up the vermilion brush to make his approval, and said to Lü Yin: "I have no objections. They may be appointed as proposed. As for all those being transferred, have them return to the capital quickly to report on their duties!"

"Yes!"

Liu Chengyou was basically satisfied with the proposed appointments for the various circuit chiefs, because they essentially reflected his own will. In this list, besides the Pacification Commissioners mentioned above, the remaining circuit chiefs included both familiar faces and new ones.

Shanyang Circuit and Guannei Circuit remained with Song Qi and Wu Xingde; Bian Guangfan was transferred to Hubei Circuit; the early Censor-in-Chief, Huaixi Judicial Commissioner, and former Huaibei Circuit Administration Commissioner Bian Guidang was transferred to Hunan Circuit; Wang Ming of Chuandong was transferred to Huaidong; Chu Zhaofu was transferred to the Yan Mountains Circuit; Wu Tingzuo of Hexi Circuit—a man accomplished in both civil and military affairs who had achieved notable results in Lanzhou previously; Lu Huaizhong went west to Lanzhou for Longyou Circuit—likewise a talent capable of handling urgent border matters.

Additionally, there was Shi Hongzhao's son, Shi Dechong, promoted to Hedong Circuit; the emperor's maternal uncle, Commandery Duke of Linzi, Li Hongwei, to Henan Circuit; Duke of Shou, Li Shaoyou, transferred to Hebei Circuit; and somewhat unexpectedly for Jingxi Circuit, the former Prefect of Jiangling, Sun Guangxian—an old minister, an old politician, and also a surrendered official. It must be said that his knowledge and foresight from years past had reaped the greatest reward after all these years.

Of course, there was also the most important and highest-ranking circuit, the Capital Circuit, with Song Yanwo appointed to it. Hebei, Henan, and the Capital Circuit—these three key circuits of the Central Plains could be said to be the core region of the Great Han's rule, its foundation. And their chief administrators—whether Li Shaoyou, Li Hongwei, or Song Yanwo—were all relatives of the imperial house, close kin of the royal family. Clearly, Liu Chengyou did not appoint solely by merit; he also had a side that favored kin.

"Anything else? Say it all at once!" Liu Chengyou continued asking Lü Yin.

Lü Yin replied: "The Bureau of Military Affairs has received a memorial from Li Wanchao, Patrol Inspector of Feng and Sheng, saying that he is old and frail, afraid he cannot bear the weight of defense duties, and hopes the court will make preparations early!"

Hearing this report, Emperor Liu immediately slapped his forehead and said: "This is meant for me to hear! It is indeed my negligence—four years have passed in the blink of an eye......"