Chapter 1130: Changes Within and Without

In the second half of the fourth year of Kaibao, the military and political affairs of the Great Han Empire were not as calm as usual. Since the start of autumn, the personnel changes inside and outside the court had been the largest since the beginning of the Kaibao era.

The senior officials of several southern circuits had all been replaced, including Liangjiang, Minzhe, Hunan, and Liangguang. As for the original chiefs, Fan Zhi, Zan Jurun, and Bian Guidang, none remained in their posts.

Of course, this was not because the three had done anything poorly, nor because Emperor Liu had any particular designs. Bian Guidang and Duke of Ju Li Tao had both died in office one after another — of the twenty-four ministers, another was gone.

As for Fan Zhi, being advanced in years and stricken with illness, unable to continue in his post, he voluntarily submitted a memorial, and Liu Chengyou ordered him transferred back to the Eastern Capital to recuperate.

As for Zan Jurun, it was for the same reason — his health had failed him. Like Duke of Ru Li Gu, he suffered from wind-numbness, and moreover, during the great Wuyue rebellion, as the highest administrative official of Minzhe, he had overextended his physical strength too much. Though the court did not hold him to account, he felt uneasy within himself and seized the opportunity to resign; Emperor Liu approved by edict.

The situation was already quite clear — as time passed, the civil and military heavyweights and capable officials that Emperor Liu had relied upon in earlier years were withering away one by one. Murong Yanzhao had passed, Bian Guidang had died, Fan and Zan had fallen ill. Toward all this, even though he was long accustomed to it, Emperor Liu could not help but sigh, and could only treat his old ministers and old generals with added generosity.

On the other hand, after four years of pacification, regions such as Liangjiang, Minzhe, and Liangguang had been thoroughly integrated into the Great Han's governing order, with both military and civil affairs entering regular channels. It was also time to appoint military and civil officials in accordance with the court's formal regulations.

One man governing two circuits was, after all, only a temporary measure — for the present Great Han, it was not a long-term solution. Thus, with the four southeastern circuits plus the three Huguang circuits, seven circuit posts suddenly opened up at once, naturally stirring activity throughout the court and beyond.

After all, in the Great Han, no matter how many powerful temporary commissions were established in various places, the local Three Offices were the mainstream governing institutions, and under normal circumstances the highest authority in each region.

There were local officials desperately angling to transfer to the capital to sit high in the court, and naturally there was no shortage of capital officials seeking external appointments to become circuit-level magnates guarding the frontiers. Among the seven circuits, five men drew the most attention.

Among them, Wang Zhu was transferred to serve as Administration Commissioner of Jiangnan. Also a close minister who had come from the emperor's side, compared to Wang Qiwu who already sat high as chancellor, Wang Zhu's official career had been rather more "bumpy." Since the pacification of Huai in the fifth year of Qianyou, he had been sent out to serve as an official, starting from a county magistrate. Nearly fifteen years later, he had finally become the chief official of a circuit.

Even so, it still drew sidelong glances, because Wang Zhu was not yet forty, and moreover, being open-minded and guileless by nature, though his résumé was deep, he lacked political cunning. There was considerable grumbling in the court over entrusting him with a circuit.

For instance, Minister of Personnel Dou Yi directly remonstrated, saying Wang Zhu still lacked some maturity, but he could not prevail against Emperor Liu. Because no matter what shortcomings Wang Zhu had, he had always been loyal to Emperor Liu — over more than a decade of words and deeds, that reverence, even worship, seemed stamped into his very bones. Emperor Liu had heard of this as well.

Clearly, his origin as an imperial close minister served Wang Zhu for life. Jiangnan could be said to be the wealthiest circuit in the Great Han, and with this appointment Wang Zhu suddenly became a political star of the Great Han.

Lü Yin, meanwhile, was transferred to serve as Administration Commissioner of Liangzhe. His appointment to Liangzhe drew no objection from anyone, no matter how one looked at it — his résumé was so deep and his abilities so strong that the entire Great Han could hardly pick out more than a few better than him.

After all, he had risen step by step from a minor clerk in the prefectures and counties to become the emperor's "secretary." As early as several years ago, he had been qualified to govern a circuit, but Emperor Liu had taken a liking to him and kept him by his side for a few years.

Two years ago, when his mother passed away and he entered mourning, Emperor Liu only gave him a year's leave. Later he was recalled to service and given the commission of Surveillance Commissioner of the Southeast. Now, he was just succeeding Zan Jurun.

At the same time, because of the earlier rebellion, the Liangzhe region also needed a capable official like Lü Yin to govern it, and Emperor Liu felt at ease. And it could well be imagined that when Lü Yin returned to court again, the chancellor's seat would have been vacated for him, waiting for him to take his place.

Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince Li Fang was transferred to Hunan. This was somewhat unexpected, but there was no criticism either. After all, he was both an old acquaintance of the emperor and the crown prince's teacher — who would dare to quibble?

After two terms of more than a decade of development and construction, Hunan's potential had begun to show. Population growth and consecutive bumper harvests had caused Hunan's annual two-tax revenues to rise year after year, and by the fourth year of Kaibao they had become considerable — enough that the court dared not ignore them.

Among the seven circuits, the chiefs of three were directly filled by officials with credentials as imperial close ministers. Clearly, Emperor Liu did have a side that favored kin and intimates in his appointments, especially for such frontier-guarding grand officials.

If one wanted to speak of the truly unexpected, it had to be the appointment for Guangnan East Circuit — Zhang Yi. The main reason was that he was a surrendered official, yet not as famous as men like Han Xizai. Back then, he had merely been a low-ranking officer in the Southern Tang army, surrendering after defeat.

Relying on a hard enough heart, a flexible mind, a keen nose, and no mean skill, he won the appreciation of Duke of Yan Wang Pu and climbed upward step by step. By the time Wang Pu returned to court, Zhang Yi was already in charge of criminal justice for a circuit, and now he had risen further to become the chief official of a circuit.

Of course, having taken fifteen years to get there, it could hardly be called easy. Moreover, he was the uncle of Zhang Ji, the tanhua. Speaking of Zhang Ji, this young Tanhua Zhang had also been promoted to Prefectural Administrator of Shuozhou, still serving meekly under Song Qi. But for Zhang Ji, this was already not low — those who came out from the emperor's side had too great an advantage in career advancement.

Then there was Lu Huaizhong of Guangnan West Circuit — an official who had transferred from military to civil service, having previously served in the army throughout, from frontier troops to the imperial army. His main task in Guangnan was to provide logistical support for Pan Mei's southern campaign.

Carried out simultaneously with the replacement of the southeastern circuit chiefs was the adjustment of southern military commanders. Shi Shouxin, Zhao Yanjin, Zhang Yongde, and Cao Bin were successively transferred back to the Eastern Capital. Shi Shouxin was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs, ready at any time to be confirmed in the top post, while Zhao Yanjin, Zhang Yongde, and Cao Bin each became deputy commanders of the Three Bureaus.

At the same time, Gao Huaide and Xiang Xun also shifted positions, moving to garrison the Southeast. By this point, the senior generals the court had used to hold down the Southeast in the early Kaibao years had basically all been replaced, leaving only Liu Guangyi, guarding Fujian, who together with Guo Tingwei was preparing to put to sea to take Liuqiu. Though that was basically just a military excursion, expanding the frontiers was, after all, something to take seriously.

The various ministries at court also underwent an adjustment. The Censorate was given to Dou Yan. At this point, the reputation of the five Dou brothers grew ever greater — from the chancellery at the top down to the circuits and prefectures, all held substantive key posts.

The State Finance Commission saw the most frequent changes. The former Fiscal Commissioner of the Southwest, Zhang Mei, was appointed Salt and Iron Commissioner; the former Fiscal Commissioner of Hebei, Shen Yilun, was appointed Minister of the Budget; and the Ministry of Revenue was concurrently taken over by Wang Qiwu.

Han Hui, the "camel boy" Emperor Liu had always appreciated, was transferred to the Court of Judicial Review. From military to civil, from finance to justice, this son of Han Tong had clearly become Emperor Liu's key cultivation target.

Additionally, for the emperor's maternal uncle Li Ye, Emperor Liu added the title of Vice Director of the Chancellery. Perhaps before long, Li Ye would become the first person in the Great Han to serve as a chancellor by virtue of being a relative of the empress.