Chapter 1834: For the Needs of Rule

Zhao Pu listened attentively, his aged face showing little change throughout Zhao Chengzong's entire account, though his still-sharp eyes betrayed a hint of deep contemplation.

Zhao Chengzong, his mouth parched, couldn't help but take a sip of tea, watching his old father cautiously as he gradually fell silent. In truth, Zhao Pu had long been aware of some of the disorder in the localities even while he was still in office.

It was just that, at that time, the situation was still favorable, and Zhao Pu focused on maintaining stability; tax revenues were being delivered normally, so naturally he had been somewhat lenient in oversight, striking only at key targets without undertaking any deep or thorough reforms.

Over the past two years in Jiangyin, he had been quietly observing and studying county and township governance, land, and taxation, going deep into the grassroots for a more thorough understanding. His greatest impression was that the situation of officials deceiving superiors and deluding subordinates, paying lip service while acting otherwise, had grown several degrees more severe than in previous years. Perhaps it was because the Great Han had been beset by constant turmoil these past years, external contradictions triggering internal ones, or perhaps it was merely that previously hidden contradictions were gradually surfacing...

Especially in tax policy—there were far too many unscrupulous officials. If Chuzhou was indeed as Zhao Chengzong described, then it still had some bottom line and sense of proportion. As for the Jiangnan region, it was naturally prosperous, a key source of revenue for the Great Han, constantly under the court's attention, so local officials did not dare go too far and could barely maintain things.

But what of the other circuits and prefectures? What was the state of those poor, remote, backward counties and prefectures? Clearly not optimistic. One should remember that the local officials previously dealt with for acting arbitrarily, preying on the people, and abusing merchants and commoners were mostly from poor, remote, and backward regions.

Poor mountains and harsh waters breed unruly people, and likewise unruly officials and cruel clerks. Officials in economically developed regions would at least maintain some semblance of decency, and there were more resources available for them to extract; the scholars and commoners under their governance also had greater capacity to endure and resist risk—only thus was a relative balance achieved.

The rectification of officialdom and the campaign against corruption and evil that began last year, aside from causing the chaos that had already occurred, also demonstrated its positive side—a large number of corrupt officials were purged, a host of local pests were eliminated, which greatly deterred both inside and outside, and to a certain extent alleviated class contradictions.

However, Zhao Pu also realized that the current state of local governance still needed to change. Local officials must be restrained; they could not be allowed to plunder and exploit without scruples, or even do so "with legal backing." Given the current trend of social development, problems would arise sooner or later.

For now, the prosperous regions could still be pacified, but if left unchecked, it would not be long before even these wealthy areas were driven to public outrage by greedy magnates, officials, and landlords.

The key question was how to manage it. Traditional methods of combating corruption and evil, and censor oversight, were bound to be limited in effectiveness. Campaign-style purges like the one just carried out obviously could not serve as a routine measure.

After much deliberation, even though institutional changes would also have their own drawbacks, starting from the system itself—abolishing old abuses, plugging institutional loopholes, restraining the powerful through law, limiting official power, and protecting peasants—was a sound path forward.

The productive forces of the Great Han at present had made considerable progress compared to previous dynasties. Whether in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, or commercial development, its vitality far surpassed that of any earlier era.

Smelting, textiles, and agricultural and pastoral technology had also improved markedly. Though food and clothing remained a persistent problem plaguing the people of the Great Han, the chances of survival had genuinely increased, and the opportunities available to the lower classes were relatively greater. At worst, there was still the path of going to sea to brave the South Seas.

Yet, even as society developed by leaps and bounds, the speed at which the magnates occupying the dominant ruling position degenerated was also beyond imagination, almost keeping pace with the progress of social development.

Under such circumstances, even if only for the needs of rule and the prolongation of the dynasty's mandate, reform was imperative. Some matters could be compromised on or muddled through by those below, but the Emperor could not.

After pondering at length, Zhao Pu suddenly gained new insight and understanding regarding Emperor Liu's much-discussed reform measures in the capital. Why would Emperor Liu, now advanced in years, insist on pushing through fiscal and tax reforms despite the pressure from meritorious nobles and officials, and at the risk of offending all the landlords and powerful families across the realm? In the final analysis, he no longer wished to allow the localities to run amok; the obvious defects in the Great Han's current system had to be remedied.

In the past, he had not acted because matters had not yet reached that severity and things could still barely limp along. Now, making a great show of force was also because change was unavoidable. At this point, even if one did not let things run their course, even if one merely maintained the status quo, with the passage of time the abuses, harms, and contradictions would only gradually deepen and worsen, until they could no longer be suppressed and would thoroughly shake the court's rule.

On the other hand, only Emperor Liu had the ability and the prestige to drive reform forward. If these problems were left to later generations, changing them would be far too difficult.

Not to mention the distant future—even the current Crown Prince, who had been in that position for thirty years, would find it hard to accomplish anything. In Zhao Pu's eyes, the Crown Prince was fit to be a maintenance ruler, capable of following established precedents, adhering to current policies and institutions, and advancing along the existing track. But asking him to undertake major reforms would be very difficult.

As for Emperor Liu's original intentions in reforming—whether they were for the sake of the state and the altars, for the benefit of descendants, and how much of it was genuine consideration for the common people and care for the populace—that was something that needed to be met with a great big question mark.

As he pondered, some threads of thought gradually took shape in Zhao Pu's mind. Though much of it was his personal judgment, he had already formed a preliminary plan in his heart. The rest would have to wait until he returned to the capital and spoke with Emperor Liu before making further arrangements.

In the past, Emperor Liu had already been so difficult to fathom. Now, after two years without seeing him, whatever major changes had occurred with Emperor Liu and the court could not be fully understood merely from the news received in Jiangyin. He would have to be cautious.

Of course, from start to finish, Zhao Pu believed that Emperor Liu had summoned him back to the capital to entrust him with an important task. Otherwise, why would he go to the trouble of summoning him from a thousand li away to put his old bones through such hardship?

"This Chuzhou of yours—how much fiscal revenue do you have at your disposal each year?" After a long while, Zhao Pu snapped back to attention and asked again.

Upon hearing the question, Zhao Chengzong hesitated slightly before telling the truth: "Approximately three hundred thousand strings..."

"Heh heh!" Hearing this, Zhao Pu couldn't help but laugh ruefully: "The tax quota set for you by the court and the circuit is only three hundred ten thousand strings! Can this tax system really be left unreformed?"

Hearing this, Zhao Chengzong fell silent. Local revenue actually came from a wide range of sources. Besides the two main taxes, the increasingly thriving commercial tax was also a major component. Add to that the output from official lands and the revenues from government-run industries such as salt, iron, tea, cotton, and sugar—even after the Finance Commission took a large cut, what remained was more than enough to eat and drink one's fill.

In local fiscal matters, there were far too many areas lacking transparency, and far too much scheming and filthy corruption. But here in Chuzhou, at least they did not, like some places, invent all sorts of pretexts and rack their brains to squeeze out money and grain. Even when extra levies were imposed, there was a limit.

Even so, such a situation was somewhat hard for Zhao Pu, who had long served as Chief Chancellor, to accept. His stance was naturally on the side of the central government; he had to uphold the court's authority. In the past, he may have made some conservative compromises in administrative oversight, but there was a limit to that. Once the bottom line was breached, it could not be tolerated.

Raising his hand and pointing in the air, Zhao Pu very much wanted to rebuke him, yet when the words reached his throat, he found himself at a loss for what to say. It was not because Zhao Chengzong was his son—it would have been the same with any other prefect.

After thinking it over, Zhao Pu said with some severity: "There are two matters you must prepare for. First, sort out Chuzhou's past fiscal accounts and abolish those affairs that do not comply with regulations and law. Second, get a clear picture of all the land held in Chuzhou—whether cultivated fields, cotton fields, or fruit orchards, all must be recorded in detail in the registers!"

Hearing Zhao Pu's instructions, Zhao Chengzong's expression immediately turned solemn. He looked at Zhao Pu, seeming to want to speak but hesitating, and finally said: "Father, there is one matter I have long wanted to ask!"

Glancing at him, Zhao Pu said: "You want to ask why I've been recalled to the capital, right!"

Zhao Chengzong nodded: "Exactly! Could it be..."

"Your guess is correct!" Zhao Pu nodded readily: "If nothing unexpected happens, His Majesty should be reinstating me!"

Zhao Chengzong's expression shifted slightly, and he said with some concern: "I have heard something of the affairs in the capital. If you go, I fear you will face countless difficulties and invite hostility!"

Meeting Zhao Chengzong's concerned gaze, Zhao Pu smiled faintly: "In my lifetime, have I suffered little from being targeted, antagonized, attacked, and slandered? Now past sixty, I have long since seen through the affairs of this world—why should I fear a bit of mundane trouble? Besides, if I were to live out my remaining years in obscurity in Jiangyin, that would be one thing. But since His Majesty has summoned me, if there is a task to be carried out, how could I refuse?"