Chapter 1731: The Crown Prince's Question

"Sit!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

After entering, from standing to kneeling, from kneeling to standing, and up until now, Liu Jichang finally received the treatment of being allowed to sit alongside. His mood had completely settled from its earlier anxiety, and by contrast, there was even a sense of ease.

Looking at Liu Jichang, Liu Yang raised his hand, smoothed his sleeve, and said: "Let me tell you why I've come!"

Hearing this, Liu Jichang immediately perked up and replied: "Your servant humbly awaits your instruction!"

Liu Yang: "How much do you know about Anmin Ward in the southern city?"

At these words, the ease in Liu Jichang's heart vanished in an instant. Could the Crown Prince have wandered into the wards of the southern city? Liu Jichang speculated inwardly, cautiously glancing at Liu Yang. Judging by his expression, that must be it. Liu Jichang's heart immediately sank slightly.

Burying his head in deliberation for a moment, Liu Jichang said: "To answer Your Highness, Anmin Ward is located in the southeast of the outer city, adjacent to the three wards of Kangmin, Lemin, and Huimin. The residents who dwell there are mostly outsiders, who make their living by taking on labor within the capital."

Pausing to show hesitation, Liu Jichang continued: "These four wards are the relatively impoverished wards of the Eastern Capital. Public security is also somewhat lacking, with disturbances that never cease, and criminal cases occur every year."

Examining Liu Jichang with an indifferent gaze, giving him ample pressure, Liu Yang finally said unhurriedly: "Not bad. You didn't know nothing about everything!"

The Crown Prince's gaze made Liu Jichang feel like thorns were pricking his back, and cold sweat unconsciously seeped from his forehead. Liu Jichang steeled himself and said: "This is under your servant's jurisdiction. Understanding the people's condition is my duty, and I dare not be negligent."

Only, when he said this, he was clearly lacking in confidence.

Liu Yang chuckled twice and said flatly: "Today, I took a stroll through Anmin Ward and my eyes were opened! Anmin, Kangmin, Lemin, Huimin — the ward names are well chosen, but unfortunately, the people's condition hardly lives up to them!"

At these words, Liu Jichang's heart trembled violently, and he buried his head even lower: "Your Highness, your servant, your servant..."

At this moment, Liu Jichang found it hard to explain. The four wards of the southern city could be said to be the slums of the Eastern Capital, with chaotic public security and evil running rampant. On this matter, no matter how one tried to defend oneself, it was easy to be caught on one's words.

Liu Jichang knew the situation well, but precisely because of that, he bore the fault of knowing but not asking, seeing but not acting. And if he hadn't known, the nature of the offense would be even worse — the hat of dereliction of duty and neglect of governance could be directly placed on his head.

His mind spinning wildly, Liu Jichang tried to find a reason, but any reason, any excuse, was equally unsuitable. However, while Liu Jichang was racking his brains over how to respond, Liu Yang had already spoken, sighing unhurriedly: "The four wards of the southern city being in such straits is hardly a recent matter; it must have been caused by years of accumulation. You have only been in office for a year. To say the fault lies with you would not be fair to you!"

"Your Highness is wise!" Liu Jichang snapped back to himself and immediately said with tears of gratitude. There was nothing more moving than a superior taking the initiative to explain on one's behalf. At this moment, Liu Jichang felt that the Crown Prince could not be more sagacious.

Liu Yang clearly had a scale in his heart. If he pursued the matter on these grounds, then every Prefect including Liu Jichang would bear responsibility — could he really pursue charges against all of them? Take the previous Prefect Lü Duan, for example. His governance and conduct were widely praised and affirmed. Even he couldn't solve the problem, which led to a conclusion: the emergence of the southern city slums was clearly not entirely the Prefect's fault.

"But!" Before Liu Jichang could be happy for even a few breaths, Liu Yang changed his tone and said: "Having been in office for a year, since you observed the situation, why didn't you think of ways to address and change it?

Even if you couldn't save them from poverty, couldn't you at least produce improvement measures? Those ruffians and scoundrels, those thieves who bully the poor — could you not purge them? Those officers who enforce the law crudely and beat and scold at every turn — why did you not restrain them?

The poor common folk can still rely on themselves, but the deterioration of public security and the corruption of social mores are the fault of the government. I have been thinking all day — if the government does nothing, how can the people be at peace?"

"Your Highness's rebuke is correct! It is your servant's improper governance, neglecting the people's condition in the southern city, and I willingly accept responsibility!" Hearing Liu Yang's reprimand, Liu Jichang did not dare to argue and obediently accepted the lecture. His attitude was very proper, and he even squeezed a bit of guilt onto his face.

Seeing this, Liu Yang looked up and sighed deeply: "The Eastern Capital has always been known for its cleanliness — no rotting leaves on the roads, no dust left in the streets. How is it that within the four wards of the southern city, there is indeed filth uncleaned and garbage everywhere? Have they become so poor that even the night-soil collectors are unwilling to go there?"

"And also — come to think of it, perhaps the lords of the court would hardly believe it — within the Eastern Capital, at the very feet of the Son of Heaven, there are actually beggars! The court has long had a policy to relocate all those without property or occupation who do not produce to the frontiers. Why has it not been fully implemented?"

Hearing Liu Yang say this, Liu Jichang subconsciously said: "Your Highness, the Kaifeng Prefecture has targeted relocations for the unemployed. It's just that it's difficult to identify them, and most are unwilling to be relocated to the frontiers, even deliberately avoiding and escaping.

As for those beggars, most are the old, weak, sick, and disabled. Even if relocated to the frontiers, they could not survive in the harsh borderlands. Within the city, they can at least beg for some clothing and food to sustain themselves."

"For the widowed, orphaned, childless, and alone — does the Kaifeng Prefecture have no relief measures? How much grain and cloth would they consume? To simply ignore them and watch them live alone and helpless, begging miserably for food?" Liu Yang immediately demanded: "Does the Kaibao golden age have nothing to do with them?"

This question from Liu Yang was an offhand remark made under emotion, yet it seemed to touch upon the essence of certain matters. Liu Jichang fell silent. Facing the somewhat indignant Crown Prince, he did not dare to defy him, but hearing this question, he could not help but say: "Your Highness has a benevolent heart, embracing all the people of the realm in your breast. Your servant admires you immensely.

However, it is not that your servant's compassion is unmoved. It's just that some poverty is truly difficult to relieve. The court is not omnipotent. With the Kaifeng Prefecture's financial resources, relief could perhaps be provided, but this situation is hardly limited to Kaifeng. How could all the governments of the realm take everyone in? Even if they could, it would place a burden on the government."

After Liu Jichang spoke these words, Liu Yang's expression became somewhat complex, even rather interesting. He stared at him for a good while before Liu Yang said with pointed meaning: "What you've said to me — that is a truthful word."

"Your Highness!" Liu Jichang buried his head again, looking very embarrassed.

Another moment of silence, then Liu Yang said softly: "I can understand the government's difficulties. But the most basic principle of being an official for the people — do you not understand it? Among the officials and clerks, many study the way of Confucius and Mencius. As the sages said: in poverty, cultivate one's own virtue; in success, benefit the whole world.

Your Kaifeng Prefecture cannot manage all the beggars in the realm. But those right under your jurisdiction — can you only remain helpless and do nothing?

You can think to bestow favors and benefits upon the farmers of the various counties, yet the four wards of the southern city are within the Eastern Capital, right before your eyes — why do you turn a blind eye? Why do you hear but not listen?"

"Your servant is ashamed!" At this moment, the Crown Prince was shrouded in a radiance of "greatness, righteousness, and light" that made Liu Jichang dare not look directly at him, nor did he know whether he truly felt ashamed.

Unlike Emperor Liu, who was deep in scheming and fond of putting on airs, Liu Yang still maintained a childlike heart to some degree, even somewhat idealistic. Or rather, he had been too deeply influenced by Emperor Liu, with a heavy complex of loving the people.

He had been fooled too thoroughly, yet only learned the surface. Perhaps the radiance shrouding Emperor Liu was too strong to look at directly, which also made it difficult for Liu Yang to see through to Emperor Liu's true nature as a solitary despot.

Did Emperor Liu love the people? Naturally he did — this had persisted throughout his reign, and even now his attitude had not wavered. Only, Emperor Liu's love of the people was not aimed at loving the people, but at maintaining his rule — putting on a show.

Emperor Liu had done many things to treat the common folk well, and had issued no few policies to benefit and ease the people's burdens. But when it came to executions and punishments, he had never been soft-handed. It was just that many of these cases were covered up.

"I won't make things difficult for you. I'll give you two months. Two months from now, I will go out again, and when I do, I hope to see a new atmosphere!" After deliberating for a moment, Liu Yang said calmly, but his tone brooked no doubt.

Although Liu Jichang felt it difficult, since the Crown Prince had spoken, he did not dare not comply. He sighed helplessly inwardly and bowed: "Yes!"

"There is one more matter. Today, while I was touring the southern market, I heard something. Some people are collecting taxes on behalf of the government from those street vendors and small peddlers. What is this about?" Liu Yang raised another matter.

Hearing this, Liu Jichang's face could not help but grow hot. He stammered, not knowing how to respond.

Such a reaction naturally made Liu Yang pay even more attention, and his tone grew several degrees harsher: "What, is my question so hard to answer? Or is there some hidden circumstance that cannot be spoken of openly?"

Seeing this, Liu Jichang shook his head repeatedly: "Before Your Highness, how would your servant dare to conceal anything? Your servant is aware of this matter. The root cause lies in the difficulty of collecting commercial taxes. Since the system of separate governance of markets and wards was abolished, countless merchants have emerged within the Eastern Capital — thousands upon thousands — spread throughout the wards, lanes, and streets. Some even set up stalls at their own doorsteps to conduct business.

These small peddlers and vendors conduct business, yet they are the most inconvenient to manage, and their tax money is hard to collect. The government's tax officials are severely insufficient, so they can only focus on the markets, docks, and warehouses, as well as the large merchant households and workshops. The rest is truly difficult to cover completely.

However, since those peddlers do conduct business, the government naturally should collect commercial taxes from them. Therefore, the Kaifeng Prefecture formulated a policy back then, allowing certain private organizations to be responsible for collecting taxes from those small peddlers and remitting them to the government."

At this point, Liu Jichang's voice unconsciously grew much softer, clearly somewhat embarrassed. There was one more thing he didn't mention — that this portion of income was the Kaifeng Prefecture's private coffers.

"Fine! You can even delegate the power of tax collection! A fine 'private organization' — clearly a gang of ruffians and scoundrels who prey on the people and bully the market!" Liu Yang could barely contain his anger: "In implementing this policy, did the Kaifeng Prefecture exercise any oversight? Were the details of tax collection defined? Did you have any precautions against the abuses in it?"

"Today, I witnessed it with my own eyes — their actions are lawless in the extreme!" Liu Yang's anger burst forth: "For the sake of convenience, so you could sit back and collect money every year and every month, how much oppression have the small merchants and common folk of the Eastern Capital suffered? Do you, as Prefect, know?"

Facing the angry Crown Prince, Liu Jichang found it hard to sit still.