Chapter 1080: Lord Bian Takes Office

Since ancient times, each dynasty has its own courtiers, and the same applies at the local level—when a new chief official takes office, governing policies and administrative methods will inevitably be adjusted. This is to be expected. Of course, no matter how things change, all must remain within the framework of the court's major policies, and the overall principles must follow the national strategies set by the imperial court.

Bian Guidang wanted Zan Jurun—at the very least, his predecessor had already laid a solid foundation in Hunan, and even if he merely followed in his footsteps, he could still achieve notable accomplishments. However, over the years, few are willing to remain in the shadow of another's brilliance, especially someone of Bian Guidang's standing.

Of course, Bian Guidang was not the type to court fame or recklessly alter policies just to assert his presence. In fact, merely implementing policies according to the principles of the "Kaibao New Policies" would be enough to keep him busy for quite some time.

In the months following his arrival, Bian Guidang's energy was mainly devoted to the above—especially the measures benefiting the people and agriculture, which he pushed forward at the fastest possible speed, educating and urging officials of all circuits and prefectures while proclaiming them to the people throughout the territory.

Although it would still take time for full implementation and tangible results to materialize, under the government's promotion, the people of Hunan were already greatly pleased and somewhat expectant. Especially those most intuitive and easily understood measures, such as reducing the head tax on adult males and lowering the two taxes...

Now autumn had arrived, and it was time to test the implementation of the new policies and examine the government's credibility. Though later than in previous years, the collection of the summer tax had begun. According to the quota set by the court for Hunan, Bian Guidang distributed it layer by layer based on the past conditions of each circuit and prefecture.

And it is precisely during the process of issuing such orders that problems most easily arise. As a traditional civil official, Bian Guidang was upright and principled, deeply understanding that without trust, nothing can stand. For policies already proclaimed and promises already made, he absolutely could not lose the people's faith.

Therefore, before this year's summer harvest collection began, he issued repeated orders, exhorting and admonishing officials of all prefectures and counties not to betray the court's trust and to earnestly implement the new policies. At the same time, he specially selected a batch of subordinate officials from the Administration Commissioner's office to dispatch to various localities for guidance and supervision.

In autumn, Changsha's climate was naturally pleasant, and the scenery was most pleasing to the eye. Under the rustling autumn wind, there was not a trace of desolation; instead, it brought people a sense of leisure and ease.

Of course, as Hunan's highest administrative official, Bian Guidang had neither the interest nor the time to appreciate Changsha's beautiful scenery. In his office, after handling the routine affairs at hand and taking a brief rest, Bian Guidang once again immersed himself in reviewing the various registers and records of Hunan.

To govern a place well, one must first understand its conditions, then adapt measures to local circumstances. If one is self-righteous and obstinate, then a good outcome is surely not to be expected.

As a mature politician, Bian Guidang understood this principle. During this period, he spent half his time observing Hunan's political and popular conditions, and whenever problems were discovered, he promptly rectified them.

Now, having initially gained control over Hunan's civil administration and begun implementing the new policies, he also started preparing his own governance strategies. After all, the Kaibao New Policies could not show results in a short time, while his own governing philosophy and priorities needed to be determined as early as possible.

Perhaps due to his early career experience, wherever Bian Guidang served, what he most enjoyed doing and was best at was investigating wrongdoing and purifying officialdom. His arrival in Hunan was no different.

What he was reviewing now were the criminal cases of the various prefectures of Huxiang over the years, and he quickly found his direction for governance from them—still the old method: purifying officialdom and strengthening public security.

Hunan was now somewhat of an "immigrant" region, with a large incoming population of complex composition, which inevitably brought conflicts with the original inhabitants, leading to frequent and increasingly serious civil disputes.

At the same time, due to the registration and integration of Miao, Yao, and other barbarian peoples, the relationship between Han and non-Han was not entirely harmonious, with occasional conflicts and no small number of bloody incidents. Public security was a problem with enormous room for improvement. In Bian Guidang's goals, "no one picks up lost items on the road, and doors need not be closed at night" was something that should be achieved.

Meanwhile, Zan Jurun had made outstanding contributions to the development of Huxiang, but in the management and education of officials, he lacked restraint, placing too much emphasis on achievements while neglecting integrity. As a result, Hunan's officialdom was not exactly clean—at least in Bian Guidang's eyes, it needed rectification.

The so-called "smooth governance and harmonious people" was only true on a macro level. Overall, considerable achievements had been made, but that could not conceal some underlying problems. Take Chenzhou's silver mines for example: to ensure mining and smelting output, the annual reported casualty figures among miners remained alarmingly high. Although mining accidents and other mishaps were cited as cover, Bian Guidang could see the problem at a glance—there must have been no shortage of excessive conscription of miners.

While Bian Guidang was immersed in his vision for Hunan's next phase of governance, an official dressed in a light crimson robe walked in, clasped his hands in salute and said: "Lord Bian!"

Looking up at the visitor, Bian Guidang set down the documents in his hand, a restrained smile appearing on his face as he said: "Administrator Li has come—please, sit!"

The visitor was named Li Guanxiang, formerly the chief advisor under Zhou Xingfeng, the Military Governor of Hunan, entrusted with all civil affairs of the governor's office, and later serving as Zhou Xingfeng's logistics manager. When the court took over Jinghu, in the final stage he actively surrendered, allowing Changsha to be peacefully "liberated."

To have risen to the top of the civil officials under a ruthless and bloodthirsty strongman like Zhou Xingfeng, Li Guanxiang clearly possessed considerable ability. After submitting to the court, he first assisted in stabilizing Changsha and pacifying the various prefectures, was recommended by Murong Yanzhao as the chief official of Langzhou, then transferred to Changsha as Prefectural Administrator concurrently holding the post of County Magistrate, and even had the honor of serving as Hunan's envoy to the capital to report on his duties and present tribute.

Now he held the post of Administrator of the Jinghu South Circuit, a high-ranking fifth-rank official in the locality. After years of experimentation and adjustment, the institutional positions of the various circuits' Administration Commissioner offices had basically been settled. Below the Administration Commissioner, besides the subordinate staff corresponding to prefecture and county duties, there were three main positions: the Deputy Administrator, the Administrator, and the Counselor. Among these, the Counselor was not a permanent post, serving as a transitional position—generally, prefectural-level officials would serve a stint as Counselor in the Administration Commissioner office before being promoted.

Since the previous Deputy Administrator had been transferred away, leaving a vacancy, Li Guanxiang, as Administrator, had become Bian Guidang's deputy. And because Li Guanxiang was knowledgeable, ambitious, and able to endure hardship, upon learning of Bian Guidang's uprightness and integrity, he resumed his former austere self-discipline and strict self-governance. Over time, he had earned considerable favor in Bian Guidang's eyes.

At this moment, noticing the pile of documents on the desk, he couldn't help but remark to Bian Guidang with admiration: "Is Lord Bian reviewing the circuit and prefecture registers again? Such diligence is truly admirable!"

Hearing the flattery, Bian Guidang smiled slightly: "If one cannot thoroughly understand the details of civil administration, how can one prescribe the right remedy and govern according to circumstances? It's just that Lord Zan governed Huxiang so well—I fear that if I handle things improperly, the people of the Three Xiang might suffer..."

Of course, Li Guanxiang could tell that Bian Guidang was being modest on purpose, so he immediately clasped his hands and said: "Lord Bian's uprightness and devotion to public duty are known throughout the realm. The people of Hunan are truly blessed to have such a close-to-the-people official as you!"

After a few brief pleasantries, Bian Guidang asked Li Guanxiang: "What business brings you here?"

Turning to official matters, Li Guanxiang's expression became noticeably more serious as he presented the two official documents in his hands: "The lists of corvée laborers conscripted from the various prefectures for the southern campaign against the Two Guang, along with the amounts of rewards in money and grain, have been compiled. Please review them, Lord Bian—if there are no objections, they can be promulgated!"

"This is as it should be!" Bian Guidang immediately showed his seriousness, taking the documents and browsing through them carefully.

Indeed, it had been nearly a year since the pacification of the south, and the rewards for the conscripted laborers were only now beginning to be settled. Of course, this could not be considered slow—from the court to the localities, and then to each prefecture and county, there were quite a few procedures and steps to go through.

Bian Guidang had no major objections to the amounts of the rewards—the Ministry of War had given clear instructions—but the personnel, merits, and casualty situations were what needed verification.

"Has this been verified? Any discrepancies?" He glanced at Li Guanxiang.

"It has!" Li Guanxiang answered with confidence and certainty.

After considering for a while and examining the lists of the dead and disabled, Bian Guidang said: "If there are no discrepancies, then give the order to implement it. Pay special attention to ensuring that it is distributed to each household. Also, have the officials of each prefecture and county personally visit the families to offer consolation. As for the families of the dead and wounded in Changsha, list them out as well—when I have time, I shall personally visit them!"

"Yes! Lord Bian is truly a benevolent gentleman!"

After this flattering remark, Li Guanxiang continued: "Additionally, we have received a transfer document from the Jiangnan Circuit—the first batch of relocated wealthy clans has already boarded ships and is sailing upstream. They request that our circuit prepare for reception and resettlement!"

"Oh!" At the mention of this, Bian Guidang immediately perked up and asked: "How many people?"

Li Guanxiang replied: "Approximately three thousand households!"

Clearly, Han Xizai's mission to Jiangnan had already begun its vigorous rectification work in full swing, and the first matter he handled was the relocation of the wealthy clans. Now it seemed the implementation was proceeding swiftly.

For Hunan, immigrants from Jiangnan were definitely high-quality immigrants. In this sparsely populated region, these people could serve as the vanguard for leading prosperity.

Likewise, for those Jiangnan clans forced to leave their ancestral homes, Hunan was probably the best destination—compared to those assigned to Shanyang or the northwest, they were simply fortunate. Of course, those relocated were not entirely wealthy magnates; they also included rich farmers and merchants.

Bian Guidang's brows were also creased with joy as he took the document and asked: "Where do you think this batch of people should be settled?"

Without hesitation, Li Guanxiang said: "The two prefectures of Tan and Heng can still accommodate five hundred thousand people!"