Chapter 1388: Refusing the Court, Forever Under Another's Thumb

"Zhao Qing, what brings you here?" After all that small talk, Emperor Liu finally got around to asking about Zhao Pu's purpose.

Zhao Pu replied, "To answer Your Majesty, first is the matter of Goryeo, which has already received Your Majesty's approval and need only be carried out. Second concerns the affairs of the Western Regions and Hexi. Administration Commissioner Lu Duoxun of Hexi has submitted a memorial stating that the Hexi Circuit can no longer sustain supplying the Western Regions campaign. To avoid delaying operations, he hopes the court can dispatch another batch of military supplies to support the Western Regions!"

A hint of doubt showed in Emperor Liu's eyes as he said, "Food and pay procurement, military supply—those are the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. You all can simply approve and handle it; why does it need a separate request? Surely it's not that there are no military supplies, weapons, or grain to dispatch—the Great Han's finances haven't reached such a difficult state yet!"

Facing Emperor Liu's confusion, Zhao Pu immediately explained, "Over the past year or more, due to supporting various campaigns, the reserves in the northwestern official granaries have indeed been consumed heavily. However, Guanzhong still has surplus capacity—the great granary at Chang'an still holds seven hundred thousand dan of grain, and Longyou and Fengxiang can likewise support transshipment. The Hall of State Affairs has already issued orders to transfer two hundred thousand dan of grain to supply the Western Regions campaign!"

Hearing Zhao Pu say this, Emperor Liu's look of doubt gradually receded. Looking at him, he asked directly, "Speak plainly then—what are your thoughts on the military and governance of the northwest?"

Zhao Pu then replied calmly, "Your Majesty, in last year's northern expedition, the northwestern campaign mobilized no more than fifty thousand troops in total, yet the money and grain consumed were frankly wasteful. The roads are remote and poor, transport is inconvenient, and losses and damage are enormous. I have examined the northwestern military supply records—the money and grain transported back and forth has already exceeded what the central route army consumed. It truly is no small amount.

After the army returned, the north gained temporary peace, and the court's military expenditures dropped substantially—except for the Western Regions, where losses only grew worse. To supply the thirty-odd thousand troops fighting in the Western Regions, the court must mobilize a hundred thousand laborers for transport, over a distance of three thousand li. This is truly no small burden on the northwest and on the court!"

"So it seems you all have objections to the Western Regions campaign?" Emperor Liu understood now.

How could they not have objections? It was just that they hadn't dared raise them before—after all, Zhao Pu and the others knew what the real goal of reinforcing the Western Regions was. Now that the expeditionary force had been found and both imperial princes had returned safely, it was naturally time to consider ending the war, reducing the burden, and handling the aftermath.

"Since Your Majesty has the heart to sheathe the sword, the Western Regions campaign should also be brought to a conclusion!" Zhao Pu then spoke frankly: "According to reports from the Hexi military government, before this summer—or even earlier—the remnants of the Khitan bandits entrenched north of the Tianshan can be completely eliminated.

Thus, within the territory of Xizhou, except for the lands of Kucha and Karashahr held by the Kara-Khanids, all will be under Han rule. Therefore, we believe that regarding the northwest, especially the Western Regions situation, the court should make preparations for post-war governance and recovery in advance!"

Emperor Liu nodded: "That was precisely my intention. What other concerns do you all have?"

Zhao Pu fell silent for a moment, then spoke with a hint of caution in his tone: "Does Your Majesty not feel that the military and civil officials of the northwest are burning with zeal to expand the borders? We are only concerned that the fighting spirit of the northwestern officers and men runs so high it cannot be restrained. If the war expands and continues without end, and we sink deep into it, it will again divert the court's attention.

Gaochang is several thousand li from the Western Capital. I fear that Your Majesty's intentions will be difficult for the frontline officers and men to fully comprehend, and the court will be unable to exercise effective and timely restraint..."

Zhao Pu's words were somewhat piercing, and they struck directly at a sensitive spot in Emperor Liu's heart. Over these past months, all sorts of anxieties had filled his mind, and he placed particular weight on this aspect of the situation. The empire was too vast—the court's influence and control over the regions, especially the borderlands, was clearly relatively weak.

At present, the problem was clearly not as severe as Zhao Pu described, and Emperor Liu had sufficient confidence that the northwestern military government would not slip out of the court's control. But what about the future?

Emperor Liu had also heard something of the small clique that Lu Duoxun and other northwestern civil and military officials had formed in the northwest. And thinking carefully, Lu Duoxun had been operating in the northwest for some fifteen or sixteen years now—deeply entrenched, with influence reaching across both military and civil affairs, by no means limited to just the Hexi Circuit.

Perhaps it was time to have Lu Duoxun moved to a different post!

Emperor Liu thought this, then looked at Zhao Pu again. His gaze had narrowed slightly as he said flatly, "Zhao Pu, hearing such words from your mouth—I am quite surprised!"

Zhao Pu was silent for a moment, then lowered his head slightly and reported, "Your Majesty, in recent years, the promotion of Great Han officials has all followed the system of rotation, with orderly transfers. But looking at the court and the provinces today, there are too many senior ministers and high officials who have long remained in one place without any change.

In the past, to suppress the regions and govern the people, it was necessary to adapt flexibly. I believe this situation needs to be adjusted—to sort out the court and the provinces so that the imperial government can govern effectively!"

Zhao Pu only said half of it, but Emperor Liu clearly understood the meaning behind it—this was about striking at the rising power-holders in the localities. The northwest situation was a typical case, and Lu Duoxun was a representative figure among them.

Emperor Liu's expression showed little change. He studied Zhao Pu for a while, then revealed a slight smile, tinged with some emotion. He suddenly realized that in Zhao Pu's eyes, the Great Han of today seemed to have problems everywhere that needed correcting...

"Lu Duoxun has been in his post at Hexi for seven or eight years now, hasn't he?" Emperor Liu said leisurely.

"To answer Your Majesty, that is correct!"

"What position in the current court would suit him?" Emperor Liu got to the key point.

At the question, Zhao Pu weighed it for a moment before affirming, "Since Lü Yin was transferred to the Eastern Capital, there is a vacancy in the Liangzhe Circuit. Liangzhe is fertile land in the southeast, a source of the court's tax revenue, and needs a senior official to govern it. I believe Lu Duoxun can shoulder this important task!"

"Then it's settled!" Emperor Liu decided in a single sentence.

"Yes!" Zhao Pu accepted the order, then asked, "Your Majesty, Hexi is a strategically vital region for the court. If Hexi is unstable, the northwest will be hard to keep secure. If Lu Duoxun leaves his post, who will succeed him?"

Emperor Liu naturally understood this—an ordinary person could not handle the complex situation in the northwest. After thinking deeply for a moment, he said, "Transfer Wang Ming to Hexi to take over!"

Wang Ming was also a diligent veteran official among the Great Han's regional governors, with a rich resume and considerable military ability. Most importantly, he had previously served in an envoy post in the northwest.

After a pause, he added, "If we're going to make changes, we might as well do it on a larger scale. My frontier officials have indeed grown too comfortable in their posts these years—perhaps they've truly come to see them as their own territory!

Given enough time, they inevitably grow lax, even gradually stagnating like still water! Water needs to flow to show its vitality! First carry out the Hexi matter; the other regions can be rotated gradually, without disrupting normal local administration!"

"I understand!" Zhao Pu replied.

Of course, if personnel changes actually caused problems in local administration, that would only prove the necessity of the matter. Given Emperor Liu's forceful nature, he would probably push even harder.

In any case, the authority of the central government must be established, must be consolidated and defended—no person, no force, could be allowed to challenge it. On this point, regardless of anything else, Emperor Liu stood absolutely with Zhao Pu.

In a few brief exchanges between emperor and minister, a personnel reshuffle involving senior officials across the Great Han's court and provinces was decided. And unlike in the past, this time it targeted those entrenched power-holders who had long held sway in one region—one could call it a political storm.

And Lu Duoxun, far away in Hexi, could never have predicted that he would be made a breakthrough point, a typical example. Of course, Zhao Pu had chosen this example with clear eyes—not only because Lu Duoxun had operated in the northwest for so long with great influence, but also because in the series of northwestern campaigns, Lu Duoxun had indeed played the role of a behind-the-scenes driver.

Throughout the Western Regions campaign, his shadow had also been ever-present. As for this transfer order, Emperor Liu would not consider Lu Duoxun's reaction. He had no choice—packing his bags, returning to court to report, then proceeding to the southeast was his only path.

Perhaps for most people, the Liangzhe Circuit had a thousand and one virtues—anyone transferred to Hangzhou would be delighted. Only bureaucrats like Lu Duoxun would feel dissatisfied. No matter how good Liangzhe was, it was ultimately not where his roots lay. Even if he wasn't a tree without roots there, he could hardly move as freely as in the northwest.

But there was no help for it. No matter how much power Lu Duoxun held in the northwest, he only occupied one corner. Facing orders from the central government, he had little room to object. One who does not ascend to the Hall of State Affairs can only be driven by others in the end.

As for Emperor Liu, he still had the mind to examine these two men, Zhao Pu and Lu Duoxun. In his eyes, the two had too many similarities—both were proactive, capable ministers with outstanding talents.

It was just that Lu Duoxun had a better family background, being the descendant of officials, a member of the aristocratic bureaucracy, while Zhao Pu was the head of the commoner bureaucracy. When he targeted the Hexi matter, could there have been such considerations at play as well?

Emperor Liu suddenly felt that he needed a deeper and more thorough understanding of the current factions and cliques in the Great Han.

"Zhao Pu, I am truly curious—how is it that every policy you draft always hits the mark of my thinking?" Before Zhao Pu took his leave, Emperor Liu asked this lightly with a smile.