Chapter 1850: Contradiction

Pan You's appearance was indeed hard to compliment, and when he flew into a rage, it added even more intimidation. The batch of officials from the metropolitan circuit mostly hung their heads, not daring to face his edge head-on.

Zhao Pu's push for tax reform began with personnel adjustments. From the central government down to several pilot circuits and prefectures, he replaced a large number of people, most of them openly bearing the label of "Chancellor's Faction" as Zhao Pu's old subordinates. The brazenness of his power-grabbing and the ugliness of his conduct made the entire court look askance.

As was only to be expected, a flood of impeachment memorials came pouring in, piling up on Emperor Liu's desk, saying that Zhao Pu employed people solely for personal favor, cultivated his own cliques, excluded those who disagreed with him, that his arrogance grew ever more entrenched day by day, and that his disloyal intentions were plain for all to see — and so on and so forth.

Back when Lu Duoxun was in court, he had often used these very accusations to attack Zhao Pu. Now they were being picked up and used by the court officials again, and this trick had always worked well. The cost of slinging mud was always low — whether it had any effect or not, use it first. At the very least, they had to let the Emperor know the will of us pillars of the court.

Although Emperor Liu's intention in appointing Zhao Pu and delegating authority to him was obvious, the Emperor was old after all, and heavy with suspicion. He might not truly be at ease with Zhao Pu gathering power in such a manner. Perhaps there might be unexpected gains to be had.

However, their calculations clearly failed to hit the mark. Faced with the fierce attacks from the assembled ministers, Emperor Liu instead became even more reassured. Precisely because so many people opposed Zhao Pu, he all the more needed the Emperor's support. And the aging Zhao Pu could hardly pose any real threat to imperial power anymore.

Moreover, when Zhao Pu had first been received by the Emperor, the two had already reached a tacit understanding — reform required sufficient authority, and the most critical source of that authority lay in the power over personnel and organization. Once personnel matters were straightened out, with enough qualified people to appoint, all manner of affairs could be pushed forward smoothly.

On the other hand, Zhao Pu, having been reinstated as Chancellor, also needed to re-establish his authority through this series of adjustments. After all, he had been away from court for over two years. Though his influence remained, it was ultimately not what it had been in his prime. As could be seen from the court officials' reactions, there was no longer a fierce figure like Lu Duoxun to raise the banner of "resisting Zhao," yet the attacks still came one after another. Power — once lost, returning to one's former state was extremely difficult.

Therefore, regarding the series of measures Zhao Pu took after resuming the chancellorship, Emperor Liu, in accordance with the previous tacit understanding, adopted a stance of tacit approval. He even, when faced with those impeachment memorials, complained that the court officials were wasting paper.

Of course, giving Zhao Pu full trust and such great autonomy was based on one premise — that he had to produce results, take concrete action, and let Emperor Liu see effective progress in the tax reform.

And in this regard, Zhao Pu had never let Emperor Liu down. Within three months, after initially completing the personnel adjustments, he immediately followed up by formally promulgating the long-gestating new regulations.

In fact, Zhao Pu was somewhat guilty of picking the peaches here. After all, in the major directions previously, Li Fang had led the assembled officials in discussions that had already reached near-completion, with only some details remaining. What Zhao Pu did was merely, on Li Fang's foundation, to perfect and refine — settling what was disputed and supplementing what was omitted.

Like Zhao Pu, Pan You, after his report to the court and receiving Zhao Pu's personal instructions, immediately set to work promoting the various tasks of tax reform upon arriving at the metropolitan circuit. And his approach was likewise to begin with personnel adjustments.

A new official lights three fires upon taking office. His first two fires burned against the officials and powerful magnates under the metropolitan circuit's jurisdiction. His justification was also strong — continuing the court's major policy of "anti-corruption and eliminating evil." In this matter, Pan You acted with complete ease. One should know that before Emperor Liu had even launched the nationwide campaign to purge officialdom, Pan You had already been doing this, and had persisted for over ten years.

This time, with greater position and power, he still worked with fiery vigor, showing no mercy whatsoever. Among his actions, besides rectifying the officials under the metropolitan circuit's jurisdiction, he also arrested the nephew of Marquis of Mayi, Dang Jin, and used him as a sacrificial example. No one's pleas worked — Pan You simply cited the Emperor's words and the iron laws of the Great Han, so enraging Dang Jin that he cursed loudly in his residence.

Pan You's "harsh and fierce" style of governance once again drew sidelong glances. His third fire was placed on land surveying. He set strict requirements for the work style of officials at all levels under his jurisdiction, and established clear standards for objectives. Especially after the court promulgated the new system, he actively implemented the requirement for detailed land acreage reports from local governments, demanding that all prefectures, counties, and towns under his jurisdiction thoroughly investigate and report the total acreage of arable land before the Mid-Autumn Festival. He even went so far as to utter threats — those who failed to complete the task on time would be dismissed from office and stripped of their posts.

Under such high-pressure urging from Pan You, how would the prefectural governments under the metropolitan circuit dare to be negligent? Even if dissatisfied at heart, they had no choice but to complete the land surveying tasks within the deadline according to his orders. After all, this man Pan was currently in power, and he had backing from above — resisting the pressure head-on was simply unrealistic.

And so, under the metropolitan circuit's jurisdiction, the land registries of Xuzhou, Ruzhou, Huaizhou, Mengzhou, Chenzhou, Caizhou, and other prefectures all arrived at Yingchang on time, handed over to the circuit office for review. Only one prefecture — Zhengzhou — was late in arriving.

It was now the fourteenth 【of the eighth month】. While the common people everywhere were preparing to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the officials of the metropolitan circuit office had no choice but to continue handling official business, summoned to the circuit office to summarize the land surveying work, formulate the next step of the tax reform plan, and incidentally receive admonishment from Governor Pan.

And Pan You, first of all, opened fire on the matter of Zhengzhou's tardiness. Zhengzhou was no ordinary place. Within the metropolitan circuit, aside from the two capitals, it was Zhengzhou that reigned supreme. With its advantage as a transportation hub connecting all directions, its population and land both ranking at the forefront of the entire circuit, situated between the two capitals, and having once been the old circuit seat — it was far beyond what the current seat, Xuzhou, could compare with.

For Pan You, Zhengzhou's delay was a manifestation of disobeying superior orders and neglecting official duties. Luoyang and Kaifeng, the two capitals — constrained by practical factors and limited jurisdiction, unable to be controlled — he could pinch his nose and accept. But that you, Zhengzhou, would also dare to act on your own, treating the circuit office's directives as nothing — that was simply too arrogant.

Therefore, without any hesitation, he lashed out in front of all his subordinates. However, watching Pan You's "frantic and exasperated" appearance, the assembled officials of the metropolitan circuit office adopted an attitude of watching the show, with some even revealing expressions of schadenfreude — though they restrained themselves when Pan You's gaze swept over them.

Someone stepping up to spar with Pan You — nothing could be better. For months, the officialdom of the metropolitan circuit had been shrouded under Pan You's "tyrannical might." The officials felt each day passed like a year, full of resentment, but all dared not speak out in anger.

Now that a Zhengzhou had popped up, it naturally enjoyed widespread support. Though most did not know the specific situation on Zhengzhou's side, they all shared one sentiment — hoping the matter would blow up, the bigger the better.

Zhengzhou's position was special, and the Prefectural Administrator's identity was likewise out of the ordinary. He was a zhuangyuan who had passed the court examination, and deeply trusted by His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince. What was you, Pan You, with your pig-ugly face, anyway? Just a petty man and cruel official who had stumbled into luck.

At the very first moment the Zhengzhou problem appeared, the Prefectural Administrator Li Hang, who had likewise been in office for a long time, found himself, without knowing it, already "united fronted" by the officials of the metropolitan circuit.

In the hall, the assembled subordinates said nothing, seemingly all waiting to see Pan You make a fool of himself. It was a subordinate newly promoted by Pan You himself who, to relieve his benefactor's embarrassment, cautiously reported: "To report to the Governor, Prefectural Administrator Li has sent word, saying that the tax reform cannot be rushed. Land surveying is time-consuming and labor-intensive; to obtain precise and accurate results requires ample time. He hopes the circuit office can grant an extension..."

"Grant an extension — extend until when? Next year? The year after? Or ten years and eight months?" Pan You sneered twice, then immediately rebuked: "Since the court decided to implement the reform, progress has never advanced. His Majesty once said that it is precisely because some officials harbor resentment, pay lip service while acting otherwise, deliberately delay, and intend to oppose the major policy direction. It seems my metropolitan circuit still has such people — not obeying superior intentions, not following superior orders.

Previously, if one could claim that because the court had not yet promulgated clear regulations, one did not know how to proceed, that was understandable. But now the system has been set, the great decree has been issued, and still they do not awaken — going through the motions, occupying positions without doing anything. I think some people's official careers ought to come to an end!"

Hearing Pan You speak thus, the assembled officials all fell silent as cicadas in winter. This Governor Pan was just as ever — he didn't put Li Hang in his eyes at all. By the look of it, he was going to make an example of Li Hang...

Though many held a watch-the-fun attitude, seeing Pan You's stance so fierce, they still couldn't help but feel uneasy at heart. Could this Li Hang withstand Pan You's pressure?

While everyone was lost in thought, a leisurely voice broke through Pan You's oppressive momentum: "Governor, your words are somewhat one-sided, are they not!"

The speaker was a middle-aged official, finely dressed with an extraordinary bearing. He was Li Shouyuan, Deputy Administrative Commissioner of the metropolitan circuit, the second son of Marquis of Shian, Li Jixun.

Turning his gaze to Li Shouyuan, Pan You put away his furious demeanor and asked calmly: "Oh? And what insights does Deputy Commissioner Li have?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Li Shouyuan likewise calmly clasped his hands in salute, then said: "This official merely feels that Prefectural Administrator Li's proposal is very practical and shows an attitude of earnest work. The metropolitan circuit has vast acreage of farmland and complex conditions. To clarify the land figures, one ought to proceed step by step with meticulous investigation. Acting in haste will only backfire, causing much trouble and unrest for superiors and subordinates alike.

The Governor sits high in the circuit office, issuing orders with great authority, but does not know the difficulties of the officials below in doing their work. Now is the autumn harvest season — everyone is busy inside and out. The common people are busy harvesting their crops, the government is busy coordinating tax assessment. To be able to spare a certain number of personnel and time for land surveying is already no small feat. If the Governor insists on constantly pressing and coercing subordinates, how can this matter possibly be done well?

Wherever the Governor's authority reaches, the assembled officials dare not resist. But the registries reported by the various prefectures — are they all truly done properly? Are they all sound? This official dares to assert that among them there must be those who rushed through the work merely to complete the mission. Such registries are bound to be riddled with problems — what use would they be?

Moreover, although the metropolitan circuit is among the first batch of circuits and prefectures for tax reform, the implementation of the new policy also requires time. The existing tax levies must also be collected on schedule. If the new system delays this year's collection of old taxes, then the Governor will also have difficulty accounting to the court at that time..."

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