Chapter 1504: Chancellor Zhao, Devoted to the Last

Autumn deepened, and the autumn wind grew stronger, a thread of coolness beginning to envelop the land of the Yellow River and Luo River. On the Celestial Avenue in the southern city of the Western Capital, banners fluttered in the wind, iron cavalry cleared the way, the imperial entourage followed, and the guard soldiers, neat and imposing, protected the Son of Heaven's carriage like stars encircling the moon as it slowly left the city.

In the solemn atmosphere, without the slightest ripple, the imperial carriage passed through the barbican, through the towering city walls, and only when it reached outside the city did the entire procession come to a halt.

Before the city gate, Crown Prince Liu Yang was leading the assembled officials in standing respectfully to the left of the road. Yan Tuo trotted forward to convey the imperial order, and Emperor Liu summoned the Crown Prince to board the carriage. Liu Yang naturally dared not be slow—hunching his body slightly, he quickly stepped forward and climbed aboard Emperor Liu's overbearing, domineering vehicle.

The interior of the imperial carriage was warm, with not a trace of autumn chill, and a faint, delicate fragrance permeated the spacious compartment. In a way unseen by others, Emperor Liu maintained a languid posture, and only when the Crown Prince boarded did he slowly sit up.

"While I'm away, the affairs of the court I leave to you, and this family I also leave to you!" To Liu Yang, Emperor Liu had no idle chatter; he had him sit beside him and directly gave his parting instructions: "Your mother's health is not good—take good care of her. Your younger brothers and sisters, look after them as well. Especially the studies of Liu Ye and Liu Xin—you must supervise them strictly; severity is fine, but do not let them run wild. You are both Crown Prince and elder brother—show your authority..."

Facing Emperor Liu's admonitions, Liu Yang was momentarily stunned. He had thought that Emperor Liu had summoned him to give some final pointers on state affairs before leaving the capital, but he hadn't expected Emperor Liu to ramble on about what seemed like trivial household matters.

Yet a strange feeling grew in his heart. Facing this kind, benevolent, nagging Emperor Liu, Liu Yang instead felt a sense of peace and calm.

"Your son will surely take good care of the family and the state—please rest assured on your eastern tour, Father!" Liu Yang pledged with firm resolve.

Seeing Liu Yang's solemn expression, Emperor Liu smiled with pleasure, reached out and warmly patted his shoulder, saying: "I have nothing more to say—everything that needed saying has been said! Go on down, I should be setting off!"

With a resounding cry of "Set forth!", the imperial carriage started moving again, officially embarking on the eastern tour. Dukes, ministers, consorts, palace attendants, and guards—nearly ten thousand people accompanied the imperial procession, marching grandly along the straight road toward the south.

Liu Yang, meanwhile, waited until the last batch of rear-guard soldiers had left the city and gone far before leading his people back inside. Soon, the Dingding Gate returned to its usual scene—the occupied streets emptied, and the passageways were opened again...

This eastern tour by Emperor Liu was in fact long planned. Since last year, he had wanted to spend some time in Kaifeng, but due to major policy adjustments at court and many internal affairs, he had never been able to make the trip.

This year, the eastern tour was put back on the agenda, and even the itinerary had been drawn up—but then a great flood struck the Central Plains, causing widespread disaster, and naturally the plan was shelved again.

Dragging on and on, it was only at the tail end of early autumn that Emperor Liu finally issued the edict for the tour. But because of the turbulent events of these past months, the purpose of the tour had also changed—less leisure and pleasure, more concern for the state and the people. The scholars and commoners of the prefectures and counties along the river, who had suffered great physical, mental, and financial damage from the flood and epidemic, also needed the Son of Heaven's grace and comfort.

The entourage of nearly ten thousand people stretched for several li. After all, this was not a military campaign, so it was not so tightly packed, and the accompanying procession carried large quantities of supplies and attendants, including the families and retainers of the dukes and ministers. In terms of scale, this ranked among the largest of Emperor Liu's previous tours.

As the Chief Chancellor of the current court, Zhao Pu was also among those accompanying the procession. Those left in the capital to assist the Crown Prince were Wang Qiwu. To be fair, this was Zhao Pu's first time accompanying Emperor Liu on a tour since becoming chancellor—it could be counted as a mark of favor. After all, accompanying the imperial procession, coming and going at the emperor's side, and constantly being summoned for discussion—such opportunities were probably even more numerous than when in the capital.

Emperor Liu had also told Zhao Pu that he understood how he toiled for state affairs, day after day for years on end, far too hard—so he should take this opportunity to get out, see the sights, and relax his mind.

Although Zhao Pu felt he didn't need it, he still had to express sincere gratitude for Emperor Liu's concern. Of course, what Zhao Pu himself was thinking was that he could take this time to personally observe the local governance and administration of the people.

Zhao Pu's carriage was not far from the imperial one—Emperor Liu had personally arranged it so, to show closeness and to make it convenient to summon him at any time. Perhaps the road was smooth, or perhaps the shock absorption was well done—bumping was inevitable, but it was still comfortable enough not to interfere with Zhao Pu reviewing official documents.

Although the capital and the court had been handed over to the Crown Prince, the true center of the Great Han was clearly still at the field headquarters, still with Emperor Liu—especially with a workhorse chancellor like Zhao Pu present.

Clearly, Zhao Pu could not rest. Even during this tour, he still did not forget official business, still tirelessly handling whatever affairs he could manage.

And beside Zhao Pu's carriage waited dozens of sharp couriers and postal clerks, all ready at a moment's notice to transmit documents and government orders.

Having sat in the carriage for nearly two hours, Zhao Pu finally found a moment to rest, opening the carriage window to glance outside. The great procession was still moving slowly, still far from leaving Luoyang's urban area, and all around were various buildings—towns and villages could be seen, and the atmosphere of everyday life was thick.

Looking at such a scene, Zhao Pu couldn't help but sigh. His spirits did not seem high—it was a kind of psychological unease.

The carriage was steady and comfortable to sit in, but Zhao Pu always felt a strange sensation. His mind unconsciously drifted back to the Hall of State Affairs—he had only just left Luoyang, and already he was missing that desk he had sat at for years.

Perhaps it was the psychology of "a great man cannot go a single day without power" at work—Zhao Pu felt he preferred issuing orders and directing affairs in the Hall of State Affairs, for that brought him greater psychological stability.

"Is Chancellor Zhao there?" A call came from outside as Zhao Pu's thoughts wandered.

The somewhat shrill voice was quickly reported—it was His Majesty the Emperor summoning him. Zhao Pu was startled at first, then quickly recovered, tidied himself slightly, and prepared to get off the carriage to go see the emperor. Horses were already prepared by attendants and guards outside the carriage.

"Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty!" Zhao Pu was, unsurprisingly, honored with the opportunity to board the carriage and meet the emperor face to face.

"Enough, no need for ceremony!" Emperor Liu looked with a smile at Zhao Pu's respectful posture, gesturing for him to sit, saying: "We're still on the road—bending over like that must be tiring. Sit down!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhao Pu expressed his gratitude, then asked: "May I ask what instructions Your Majesty has for your servant?"

Emperor Liu sized him up for a moment, then said: "Nothing much—the journey is lonely, so I specially summoned you, Zhao Qing, for a chat. You look tired; you've been handling official business in the carriage again, haven't you! I've heard that in less than two hours, over a dozen couriers have already been dispatched in all directions. My original intention was to let you relax—seeing you work so hard makes me feel ashamed!"

Hearing this, Zhao Pu wore a faint smile and said: "Your Majesty's concern moves me to tears. But since Your Majesty has entrusted me with state affairs, I must do my duty—how could I dare slack off just because of a journey!"

Seeing his manner, persuasion would likely be useless—and of course, it was also clear that Zhao Pu was enjoying himself. So Emperor Liu appropriately changed the subject: "How is the epidemic relief in the Central Plains going?"

At this mention, Zhao Pu's expression turned serious and earnest, and he reported calmly: "According to recent reports from the various prefectures, it has been barely brought under control. Road traffic in all prefectures has been effectively blocked, and the court has transferred over a thousand medical officers and physicians to provide support. The cause of this epidemic lies in the drinking water after the floods; the local governments have also organized the digging of new wells and the search for clean water sources..."

"Drinking water is indeed a critical issue!" Emperor Liu sighed: "What other difficulties are there?"

Zhao Pu said: "There are difficulties of all kinds, but the most pressing is the shortage of doctors and medicine. I have already ordered transfers from various regions!"

"We must still make every effort to control it. Strict orders must be given to all local officials—anyone who is negligent in this matter will be severely punished without mercy!" Emperor Liu said coldly.

"Yes! Your servant understands!" Zhao Pu nodded. He naturally understood—such matters were no less dangerous than the floods themselves.

Floods can sweep away people and cause enormous destruction to production and property, but those can be rebuilt and repaired. But once an epidemic breaks out, if it cannot be contained and spreads, what's truly endangered is the lives of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people. Of course, given the current mobility of the population, it wouldn't be that exaggerated, but Zhao Pu dared not be the least bit careless—if something went wrong, he would be held responsible.