Chapter 1846: This Mountain Retreat Shall Not Be Built

Zhao Kuangyin's death was likewise a major event that shook the court and the country for the Great Han government. After all, of the twenty-four ministers, only three remained, and now one more was gone — proof once again that those magnificent glorious years were receding into the distance, unstoppably.

The dead take precedence over all else, and the tense situation at court caused by the tax reform eased somewhat. The Rongguo Duke's mansion held a memorial ceremony that could be called lavish, and Guangyang Earl Zhao Kuangyi seized the right to manage the funeral from his nephew and personally presided over the rites.

Although Zhao Kuangyin had been obscure for over a decade, staying mostly in his residence and rarely venturing out, the relationships he had quietly cultivated and maintained were fully revealed after his death.

Not to mention the official condolences — from imperial clansmen to princes and ministers, from disciples and former subordinates to relatives and old retainers, anyone with any connection to the Zhao family rushed to the Rongguo Duke's mansion as time allowed. Even old acquaintances from outside the capital traveled thousands of li to attend the mourning. Especially Zhao Kuangyin's old brothers-in-arms — few remained alive, but their descendants swarmed in, paying respects with the rites due to fathers and grandfathers.

The occasion was made very grand. Some offered incense, some kowtowed, and the sounds of grief and weeping continued day and night without cease. A team of forty-nine Daoist priests performed rites for seven consecutive days, and continuous banquet tables filled the duke's mansion, even spilling out onto the long street outside the residence, where the common people of the Western Capital could eat and drink freely...

A funeral was turned by Zhao Kuangyi into a grand feast, and also like a magnificent performance, proclaiming to all inside and outside the capital the Zhao family's eminence and displaying their power. Of course, for Zhao Kuangyi, through the funeral he formally took over the abundant political resources left by Zhao Kuangyin.

Dead with full honors — Zhao Kuangyin fully enjoyed that. As for the official verdict from the court, the assessment was quite high, calling him a model of loyalty and a paragon of good generals. The inscription on his spirit tablet was personally written by Duke Wu Liu Hui at Emperor Liu's command.

However, such extravagance naturally drew criticism. The gentry and commoners of the Western Capital marveled at the Zhao family's grand affair, yet also harbored secret envy and jealousy toward such ostentation. Even while the mourning period was still underway, over a dozen memorials impeaching the duke's mansion's funeral arrived on Emperor Liu's desk — besides the style issue of extravagance and ostentation, they vaguely accused the family of overstepping their rank.

All the impeachments were secret memorials. Clearly, the officials submitting them were not without caution — given the scale of the funeral, anyone who dared to openly criticize at this moment would risk offending a great many powerful figures. They only needed the matter to reach the emperor's ears, to let Emperor Liu know of their loyalty and their fearlessness before the mighty...

As for these disputes, Emperor Liu did not show much reaction, lest he appear too cold-hearted. Those impeaching memorials were all kept on file, shelved away, with no response given.

However, while chatting idly with those around him, Emperor Liu did offer some commentary on the matter: "The Luguo Duke's mansion excels at management and is the wealthiest household among the nobility. When Duke Lu passed away, his funeral was far inferior to Duke Rong's..."

Somehow the news got out. After learning of Emperor Liu's assessment, the Rongguo Duke's mansion found itself in a dilemma. It seemed the emperor was dissatisfied with such a grand display, and the sensible thing would be to voluntarily reduce the scale and keep a low profile.

Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Defang, who had returned to the capital for the funeral, held this view, but Zhao Kuangyi was unwilling after some hesitation. Zhao Kuangyin's funeral was a grand drama he had directed — how could it end anticlimactically? That would invite ridicule.

Besides, Emperor Liu's words might have been spoken casually with no deeper meaning. If the Zhao family overreacted, it would only make them look guilty. Where did that news come from, anyway? Had the Zhao family planted informants among the emperor's close attendants?

After much deliberation, he decided that inaction was better than action — everything would proceed as before, following the existing arrangements until the funeral was complete...

The weather was scorching hot. Emperor Liu hid inside Chuigong Hall. Although ice had been added and the cold air did its best to resist the summer heat's assault, sweat still occasionally seeped from Emperor Liu's forehead. Two palace maids attended at his side — one gently waved a silk fan, the other periodically wiped the sweat from Emperor Liu's brow.

This season was truly hard for Emperor Liu to endure. On one hand, he feared the heat; on the other, he dared not come into too much contact with cold things — a true torment. And every time this season came around, Emperor Liu could not help but recall the Stewards' Office's proposal to build a new summer retreat.

The Qionglin Garden in Kaifeng had been built well, but it was too small in scale, and even though it bordered the Golden Water Pool, its heat-relief effect in the deep summer was not ideal. Whenever he could not bear the heat, Emperor Liu would entertain this thought. In personal enjoyment, he considered himself already very restrained — no detached palaces, no separate villas. When touring in the past, he either stayed in post stations or imperial tents, or in existing palaces and residences across the realm.

Back then, because the various separatist regimes had built too many detached palaces during the chaotic period, Emperor Liu had specially issued an edict abolishing a large number of detached palaces and pleasure gardens — especially in the southern regions — for ease of management and to reduce maintenance costs.

The only grand construction truly devoted to personal enjoyment was the Qionglin Garden. Now at this age, with weakened spirit and a body far less robust than before, still having to endure the summer heat's torment — the more Emperor Liu thought about it, the more he felt he deserved to reward himself.

Moreover, the money and grain for construction could come from the imperial privy purse, not costing the state a single coin or grain. The Stewards' Office had made thorough preparations for the summer retreat's planning, and the site selection was basically settled — in the Jigong Mountain region where the capital's environs, the Western Circuit of the capital, the Northern Circuit of Jinghu, and the Western Circuit of Huainan met. The geography there was excellent, and the vegetation and climate were both ideal for escaping the summer heat.

It was not far from the two capitals — only six or seven hundred li — and situated at the junction of four circuits, allowing one to observe the politics and livelihoods of all four from nearby. The architectural designs had even been finalized on blueprints, awaiting only Emperor Liu's formal edict.

However, though he was tempted, with only the matter of giving the word remaining, Emperor Liu still found it hard to make up his mind. Considering the same matter and the same situation from the opposite angle, Emperor Liu thought again — at this age, who knew how many more years he could hold on? Was it worth investing a large sum of money and grain to build a summer retreat at this point?

Even if it were completed, how long could he enjoy it? Just for those two or three months each year, he would have to travel seven or eight hundred li back and forth — what was the point? Wouldn't this leave a pleasure nest for future monarchs to enjoy at ease? This was a precedent that should not be set — once you do the first, don't blame your successors for doing the fifteenth.

On the other hand, in recent years Emperor Liu had begun advocating frugality and simplicity throughout the court and country. Demanding certain behavior from others while building grand villas and retreats himself — would that not be slapping his own face? Saying one thing and doing another — how could he truly restrain his subjects?

It was amid such hesitant and contradictory feelings that the matter of the summer retreat remained stuck on paper, never coming to fruition.

"I hear Jigong Mountain has beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate — Buddha's light, seas of clouds, strange peaks and unusual rocks, waterfalls and flowing springs. It truly makes one yearn to go and experience it..." Snatching the ice-wrapped silk cloth from the palace maid's hands and wiping it across his face in a circle, Emperor Liu could not help but sigh, his gaze momentarily growing distant.

Clearly, Emperor Liu still harbored an unshakable longing for a summer retreat. However, at his sighing, the two palace maids pretended not to hear — their status and duties did not permit them to casually speak up.

With no one responding, Emperor Liu felt it dull, and a trace of irritation even appeared on his aged face. But he could hardly vent at these two proper, well-behaved maids. Frowning in thought, he suddenly called out: "Someone come!"

A eunuch attendant stepped forward, bowing at a ninety-degree angle: "This one is here. What does His Majesty command?"

"Where is Yan Tuo?" Seeing that it was not the familiar figure he knew, Emperor Liu's tone turned somewhat stern.

The eunuch attendant noticed this and quickly replied: "Your Majesty, Senior Eunuch Yan has gone to inspect the various offices and duties within the palace, and specially assigned this one to attend here!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu's expression relaxed somewhat, but he soon said flatly: "So he's arranging who attends me now..."

These words left the eunuch startled. He cautiously glanced at Emperor Liu, then quickly lowered his head — this was, after all, within Yan Tuo's authority...

"You!" Emperor Liu stared at this eunuch attendant and directly ordered: "Go, have the Stewards' Office bring me the design drawings for that Jigong Mountain summer retreat!"

"Yes!" Not daring to delay, the man hurried off.

Emperor Liu did not have to wait long. The drawings arrived — many, very detailed, a whole large chest full. But as for the detailed architectural designs, Emperor Liu understood essentially nothing; all he could grasp at a glance was the overall layout schematic.

"What a fine retreat!" After staring for a long time, Emperor Liu finally let out a long sigh, a look of regret appearing on his face. He waved his hand and ordered: "Take all these drawings and burn them..."