Chapter 1359: A Rising Political Star

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience!"

"Let him in!" Emperor Liu wiped his own feet as he gave the order, while gesturing for Noble Consort Gao to sit beside him.

Soon, figures flickered outside the door. Liu Yang had not come alone—with him was another person, a young man with a clean-shaven face and short beard, of upright bearing: Zhang Qixian of Hengshui County.

Entering, under Emperor Liu's gaze, the two paid their respects, with Zhang Qixian performing the full grand kowtow.

"Rise! Be seated!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Liu wore an easygoing expression, still slowly wiping his feet as he looked at Liu Yang and asked, "What is it?"

Having been tempered on the Liaodong battlefield, Liu Yang now appeared far more confident, exuding an increasingly commanding air. He smiled and replied, "The hour is still early—I came specially to pay my respects!"

"How thoughtful of you!" Emperor Liu casually tossed aside the cloth he'd been using, his gaze cooperatively falling upon Zhang Qixian nearby: "Who is this? He looks somewhat familiar."

Though Zhang Qixian had been personally selected by the imperial court as a top-ranked jinshi, after all these years, Emperor Liu truly retained only a vague impression of him and couldn't immediately place him.

"Your subject Zhang Qixian, County Magistrate of Hengshui, kowtows before Your Majesty!" Zhang Qixian was indeed a proactive man—hearing this, he immediately rose and kowtowed while announcing his name.

"Zhang Qixian, I remember now—a jinshi of the fourth year of Kaibao, weren't you?" Emperor Liu recalled, a look of realization crossing his face.

Zhang Qixian respectfully replied, "In response to Your Majesty, that is correct!"

Looking at him, Emperor Liu chuckled lightly: "I also remember how, during the Crown Prince's western inspection tour that year, you blocked his carriage and drew on the ground to present your proposals!"

The story of drawing proposals on the ground had already become a celebrated tale, almost certain to accompany Zhang Qixian for the rest of his life. Its benefit to his reputation was obvious, especially as Zhang Qixian passed the imperial examinations and entered officialdom. Of course, the most important thing was that it had caught the Crown Prince's eye—that was the key point, and the one most envied by others.

Zhang Qixian never boasted of it, but after all these years, he couldn't help feeling some private pride. Naturally, when Emperor Liu brought it up, unable to gauge the Emperor's intentions, he cautiously replied, "Your subject was young and ignorant back then—rash, reckless, and audacious. Even now, thinking of it fills me with shame. I beg Your Majesty not to laugh at me!"

"Who among the young is not reckless?" Emperor Liu smiled. Perhaps because of his fondness for the Crown Prince, his impression of Zhang Qixian was rather favorable: "As a mere commoner, daring to block the carriage and speak frankly—how many in this world possess such courage and spirit?"

"Your Majesty overpraises me; your subject feels deeply ashamed!" Zhang Qixian was skilled at reading the room. Sensing Emperor Liu's pleasant mood, he relaxed somewhat, but his demeanor grew even more humble.

"If it were merely boldness, used to court fame, then it would be unworthy of mention. What's commendable is that you studied diligently, passed the examinations, and advanced through learning—that is no easy feat!" Emperor Liu's smile faded.

These words came from the heart. In the Great Han today, passing the jinshi examination was no easy matter. Unlike the minor examinations such as the Mingjing or medical tracks, the jinshi examination—aimed at producing officials for practical posts—had grown increasingly difficult, testing practical thinking and ability more and more. It was no longer enough to write one policy essay or engage in high-flown rhetoric.

"Magistrate Zhang may have only recently arrived in Hengshui, but he governs with skill, the people's livelihoods are stable, and there are signs of great order—within the prefecture and counties alike, he is praised by all. On this imperial visit, I specially brought him to meet Your Majesty and report on his work!" Liu Yang spoke up, smiling as he said this.

Hearing this, Emperor Liu raised an eyebrow, glanced at Liu Yang, then looked at Zhang Qixian and said in a measured tone, "I am not entirely unaware of Hengshui County. During the northern inspection in early autumn, Duke Shou mentioned to me that when he passed through Hengshui, among the common folk, he couldn't even beg a single cup of Heng brew!"

Hearing Emperor Liu say this, Zhang Qixian's heart jumped with alarm, and he hesitated: "Your Majesty, your subject..."

"I hear that since the northern campaign, you have prohibited the common folk of Hengshui from brewing? For this, you also raided some breweries and arrested quite a few people?" Emperor Liu asked.

Emperor Liu's voice betrayed no emotion. Zhang Qixian, however, possessed truly solid mental fortitude—after a brief moment of panic, he calmed himself and said respectfully, "Heng brew is famed throughout Hebei, and the county is full of breweries. In ordinary years, grain consumption is enormous. But this year, the court has decreed a northern campaign. In extraordinary times, extraordinary policies must be implemented.

With the court launching a great northern expedition, money and grain are being depleted at tremendous cost, and supplying the front lines takes top priority. Therefore, even for just my single county, unnecessary expenditures must be curtailed to meet urgent needs.

Hence I strictly prohibited brewing, to guarantee the county's food rations and supply the great army!"

Hearing his account, Emperor Liu smiled and nodded: "Good thinking, and you dared to carry it out—willing to take responsibility!"

At these words, Zhang Qixian let out a light sigh of relief, and even Liu Yang beside him relaxed somewhat—from Emperor Liu's earlier words, they had thought Li Shaoyou had lodged a complaint against Zhang Qixian.

"However!" Emperor Liu sometimes liked to pause for effect and add a twist: "The court operates a state monopoly on tea and liquor, and all liquor affairs nationwide follow the State Finance Commission's policies. Before you ordered the prohibition, did you submit a request to the prefecture and circuit, memorialize the central government, and obtain the State Finance Commission's approval? If not, this constitutes overstepping your authority and violating regulations!"

"Your Majesty!"

At these words, Liu Yang's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately spoke up. However, Emperor Liu raised a hand to stop him, merely staring calmly at Zhang Qixian's reaction.

And Zhang Qixian's expression indeed changed drastically, his face turning several shades paler as he knelt to the ground: "It was your subject's failure to think thoroughly, improper handling of affairs, and transgression of authority. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

"Forget it!" Emperor Liu waved his hand: "Though you govern but a single county, you hold the power of life and death. In balancing affairs and administering governance, you should exercise greater caution and prudence. Wanting to serve the court loyally is a good thing, but the court's systems and regulations are not mere decorations, nor are they to be ignored!"

"Your Majesty's instruction is engraved upon your subject's heart!" Zhang Qixian hastened to declare.

In the Great Han Empire today, the various institutions had largely been perfected, but this perfection was only relative. Governing such a vast empire could never truly be done in fine detail—this was, after all, a feudal empire ruled by men.

Though power was centralized and the court's authority was strong, local bureaucrats still wielded considerable power. The court grasped the overarching principles, and localities followed the major policies—but in all other respects, local authorities actually possessed ample interpretive and administrative discretion.

Take tea and liquor affairs: a state monopoly was implemented, with the Tea and Liquor Commissioner under the State Finance Commission nominally overseeing the entire nation. But how could such oversight truly reach down to every circuit and prefecture in fine detail?

Beneath the Tea and Liquor Commissioner, nearly every circuit and prefecture had its own voice and its own interests. Salt, tea, and liquor—these three commodities represented sources of revenue, represented interests.

Generally speaking, as long as annual revenues were guaranteed, the central government did not impose overly strict supervision on localities—nor could it. Therefore, local officials flexibly adjusting policies was hardly unusual.

Though this was the actual state of affairs, if one wished to make an issue of it, there was ample room to do so—it was just that this was generally not done. Emperor Liu naturally understood this as well, so saying this to Zhang Qixian was partly to give him a scare, and also a form of reminder.

Willingness to take responsibility and dare to act deserved encouragement, but if it was for the sake of political achievements, overstepping authority and indulging oneself was not necessarily a good thing. At the prefecture and county level, it might not show, but when one climbed to higher positions and reached greater status, continuing to advance would require sheathing one's blade.

Still, toward this Zhang Qixian, Emperor Liu did indeed hold an appreciative attitude. From early on, he had been cultivating and promoting talents with chancellor potential, to facilitate the succession and rotation of chancellors. Now, this Zhang Qixian had truly entered his sights.

"However, Duke Shou's assessment of you is quite favorable—he feels your actions in Hengshui are commendable, and that you are a capable official who can shoulder responsibility!" Emperor Liu smiled again and said, "He said you did very well in supplying the northern expedition. In these months of my northern inspection, from Hebei to the Yan Mountains, I have seen too many local officials abusing corvée labor, overburdening the people and breeding unrest. Yet your little Hengshui County has maintained stability throughout—that is truly rare!"

"Your subject merely did his utmost to fulfill his duties, sharing the court's burdens and easing the people's toil!" Zhang Qixian, fully relieved now, said modestly.

"For the northern campaign, how much military grain did your Hengshui County allocate, and how many laborers did you conscript?" Emperor Liu asked.

"In response to Your Majesty, in total we raised 7,639 dan of wheat and 2,038 dan of flour, and mobilized 3,782 able-bodied laborers!" Zhang Qixian answered rapidly, as if reciting from memory, without hesitation.

Compared to the overall consumption of the northern expedition, this amount of expenditure was utterly negligible—transported to the front lines, it could hardly sustain the northern army for even a single day. But for Hengshui, it was already giving everything it had.

"For a single county like yours, that is no small amount!" Emperor Liu nodded slightly and said, "But for the army at the front, while grain consumption is certainly fundamental, the military's liquor needs are also considerable. Since Hengshui is a liquor-producing area, you could have memorialized the Fiscal Commissioner to supply brewing in full!"

Hearing this, Zhang Qixian was visibly taken aback, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty's words are like a sudden awakening—they have alerted your subject. It was still my thinking that was too rigid!"