Chapter 1843: A Bustling Thoroughfare

The glow of the setting sun filtered through the window lattice into the study, illuminating Liu Xi's face. Seated upright behind the desk, Liu Xi's expression seemed uncertain and changeable. His brows furrowed in deep thought, drawing tighter and tighter, never easing.

After a long, silent deliberation, he finally raised his head and instructed a palace attendant waiting before him: "Find a way to investigate—find out who exactly instigated Zheng Jingru to submit that memorial, and who is pulling the strings behind the scenes!"

"Yes!"

After the man withdrew, Liu Xi couldn't help but sigh. This matter was a wrongful accusation against him—it simply wasn't something he had done. If he truly had such intentions, he would absolutely have planned carefully before acting; he would never resort to such crude methods, nor would he instruct Zheng Jingru, who had connections to him, to draw suspicion toward himself.

Of course, Liu Xi also believed that with Emperor Liu's wisdom, it was impossible for him not to see through the problems in this matter. Yet he had executed Zheng Jingru with such speed and such ruthless decisiveness. Emperor Liu's verdict was eight characters: "Treacherous in heart, deserving of death!"

It was as if this had set the tone for the entire affair, leaving Liu Xi inevitably anxious. Gazing northward, through layer upon layer of courtyards and countless palace gates, he could almost feel Emperor Liu's gaze fixed upon him—a gaze carrying scrutiny and warning.

The situation at court was growing ever more treacherous. Even princes and imperial kinsmen adrift in these currents found themselves at a loss. Liu Xi felt immense pressure at this moment.

With a deep sigh, Liu Xi composed himself and began reviewing the progress of land surveys in the capital region and the various existing tax issues. In this regard, he had actually been prepared for some time.

——

Zhao Pu's return to assume the chancellorship was, without question, a major event that shook the entire court and country of the Great Han. Its sensation even overshadowed the buzz surrounding Li Fang's dismissal from the chancellorship. And before Li Fang had even left the capital to take up his post in Henan, he was almost forgotten—his humiliated state serving at most as fodder for jest among the capital's powerful elite.

Compared to Li Fang's demotion and exile, the returning Zhao Pu was clearly the center of attention. In the Great Han court, the two simply could not be weighed on the same scale. The reactions of the capital's powerful figures varied, with the newly formed reformist and conservative factions being the most intense.

For the reformists, Zhao Pu's return meant that finally someone who could truly get things done was back. They rubbed their hands in anticipation, ready to follow this powerful chancellor Zhao Pu in making a great stir. For the conservatives, however, it was nothing short of a thunderbolt—the days ahead would clearly not be so easy. Zhao Pu was not like the slow and ponderous Li Fang; he was not someone to be trifled with.

The imperial edict announcing his appointment as chancellor clearly spelled out the tasks Emperor Liu had assigned to Zhao Pu. His resolute attitude toward tax reform was also made abundantly evident, and the clamor of debate at court immediately diminished greatly.

Deterrence is something invisible and intangible, but it truly exists. The moment Zhao Pu returned, some were already considering shifting their tactics of struggle, adopting flexibility and adaptability rather than blind confrontation, lest they be dealt with by Zhao Pu.

At the same time, there were those who felt as if joy had fallen from heaven and were celebrating together—these were the remnants of the former "Chancellor's Faction" who had been continuously suppressed and pruned over the past two years. Their benefactor chancellor had finally returned; their opportunity had come; their days of hardship had finally come to an end.

As word continued to spread, before Zhao Pu had even returned home, the long-quiet Zhao residence in Luoyang quickly became a bustling thoroughfare. Visitors bearing gifts came in an unending stream, nearly clogging the entire Willow Street, startling the few household servants guarding the residence.

Due to the surging crowd, the Kaifeng administration even dispatched two squads of constables to the scene to disperse onlookers, maintain order, and clear the roads. When Zhao Pu had left office back then, he had departed quietly, with no time to attend to his residence here in Luoyang. Though a few servants had been left to look after it, after two years it had inevitably grown shabby, carrying a hint of decline.

Thus, the arriving guests diligently set down their congratulatory gifts—some swept the floors, some touched up the paint, and some even repaired walls and replaced tiles, each displaying their full array of skills.

When Zhao Pu returned to the Zhao residence, what he naturally saw was a scene of bustling noise. The officials crowding the periphery naturally dared not swarm forward. Instead, the clamor gradually subsided as they gazed at Zhao Pu with eager anticipation, obediently and tacitly parting to make way for Chancellor Zhao's carriage to pass.

Before the residence gate, several vaguely familiar officials were propping up ladders, helping to replace the plaque, hanging up a new one reading "Xunyang Marquis Residence." Beside them lay several other plaques with the same text but different styles, each grand and imposing. Clearly, no small number of people had considered this matter, and their efficiency was remarkably high.

However, upon seeing this scene, facing those deferential gazes and sensing their flattery, Zhao Pu's old face looked extremely displeased. Even during his years in power, though guests had filled his doors and carriages had flowed like water, it had never reached such a spectacle. This bustling scene even struck Zhao Pu as somewhat absurd.

Watching those bureaucrats who normally maintained dignified, self-righteous airs, unabashedly lowering themselves to personally perform the lowliest of tasks merely to display sycophancy—even knowing it might not be effective, might even arouse Zhao Pu's disgust—they still did it. Among them were even several subordinates Zhao Pu had once held in high regard...

His stern gaze swept across the entire scene. Wherever his eyes fell, everyone set down what they were doing and lowered their heads in submission. The entire Zhao residence gradually fell silent, the air so still it became somewhat awkward.

Having no intention of wasting words on these opportunists, Zhao Pu directly instructed his attendants: "Open up a room for me—I'll be staying at an inn tonight!"

"Yes!"

"Since the Chancellor has already returned to his residence, why..." An official standing nearby who had overheard hurriedly spoke up.

Before he could finish, Zhao Pu pointed at the crowd inside and outside the residence and said coldly: "This is not the residence I know. I fear I could hardly get used to living here! When it has been restored to its original state, then I shall return!"

As he spoke, Zhao Pu noticed the constables maintaining order nearby and beckoned to one middle-aged man in a lictor's uniform. Seeing this, the man hurried forward, his face full of reverence: "This lowly one greets the Chancellor!"

"You're a clerk under the Luoyang administration, aren't you!" Zhao Pu said.

"Reporting to the Chancellor, this lowly one is Wang Zhou, a patrol constable under the military patrol office—"

"I don't care what your name is!" Zhao Pu flatly cut him off, directly issuing an order: "I'll give you a task. Take your subordinate patrolmen and watch over these people inside and outside the residence. Supervise them in restoring my residence to its original state!"

"This lowly one obeys!" Under the pressure of Zhao Pu's gaze, there was no room for hesitation. This minor patrol constable immediately responded, though inwardly he couldn't help thinking—judging by Chancellor Zhao's words, he had probably remembered his name after all...

Having given his instructions, Zhao Pu made to leave. But perhaps feeling that saying nothing at all would be inappropriate, he stood on the carriage shaft, cast a look around, and said with a solemn expression: "If it is official business, submit it through your superiors. If it is personal matters, I regret I cannot receive you!"

Having said this, he climbed into his carriage and soon departed in a cloud of dust under the eager gazes of the crowd. The newly returned Zhao Pu was truly the focus of immense attention. The commotion at the Zhao residence, those absurd and surreal behaviors, those ridiculous scenes—all of it quickly reached Emperor Liu's ears.

At this, Emperor Liu smiled faintly, appearing entirely unconcerned. He even quipped that the capital's officials had grown so enthusiastic and so idle that even Zhao Pu couldn't stand it and had to take refuge at an inn.

However, he immediately had Yan Tuo draw a batch of palace eunuchs and maids from the various palace bureaus and send them out of the palace to the Zhao residence to help Zhao Pu manage his household affairs. Others could be firmly refused, but faced with Emperor Liu's bestowal, one could only kowtow in gratitude for the imperial favor.

Thus, Zhao Pu never actually managed to stay at the inn. That night, after a welcoming imperial banquet, Zhao Pu was able to converse freely with Emperor Liu at length, talking late into the night. Emperor Liu even allowed Zhao Pu to stay overnight in the palace—a favor and honor surpassing all other ministers. Of course, whenever Emperor Liu displayed such closeness and favor, it also meant that the responsibilities and pressures borne by the recipient were all the greater.

Among the many reactions to Zhao Pu's return to the capital to assume the chancellorship, one naturally included Chancellor Zhao Kuangyi. It was said that he directly smashed his most beloved jade pendant—this was probably the first time in his life that Zhao Kuangyi had completely lost his composure.