Chapter 1851: Tit for Tat

"Since the court has already established its major policies, this official need only comply—naturally, I would not dare to defy them."

As he spoke, Li Shouyuan raised his eyes to glance at Pan You, sneering contemptuously: "However, Governor Pan speaks with such certainty, invoking the court's major policies and new institutional measures at every turn—but the new tax regulations nowhere authorize you to coerce those beneath you so willfully, nor to act with such arbitrary self-indulgence. The court's new policies are not yours to interpret as you please, Governor Pan!

Your recent conduct, Governor Pan—reckless, hasty, eager for quick results—whether it was instigated by orders from above, or whether you are using the new system as a pretext to pursue private ends, that, I fear, remains very much open to question!"

When Li Shouyuan's words fell, the entire hall was startled. What was happening with Li Hang of Zhengzhou was still unclear, but in this official hall, the Deputy Commissioner had formally launched an attack on Governor Pan. The assembled metropolitan officials lowered their eyes and kept their expressions meek, yet their ears stood high, their gazes barely concealing anticipation—tense and excited as they watched the situation unfold.

Pan You naturally noticed this obvious shift in the hall's atmosphere, and could not help but take a few more looks at Li Shouyuan. A flash of anger rose to his face, and his tone turned stern: "Deputy Commissioner Li's accusations, I dare not accept, nor could I bear them. In my governance, I obey the Son of Heaven above and follow the people's will below. As for tax reform, the foundation lies in the land; if the land is not clarified, taxes cannot be collected, and the new policies will surely fail to be implemented.

Everything I have done has followed the court's decrees, all for the sake of the reform's greater cause. This tirade of yours today, Deputy Commissioner Li—stirring up trouble without cause—what exactly is your intention? Could it be that you deliberately seek to obstruct the metropolitan tax reform?"

"Oh? So there is no longer any right for this Li to speak in the great hall of the Metropolitan Circuit?" At this, Li Shouyuan also let out two cold laughs, and clasped his hands toward the northwest: "When the court originally established the post of Deputy Commissioner, besides assisting the principal official in governance and pacifying the people, it also carried the duty of restraining and balancing the principal official, lest he act arbitrarily and harm the state and the people! One who eats the sovereign's stipend must be loyal to the sovereign's affairs. As the Metropolitan Deputy Commissioner, when the Governor errs in governance, it is my duty to speak frankly in the public interest and plead the people's case. I would rather be attacked for 'ulterior motives' than remain silent!"

Seeing Li Shouyuan's air of righteous self-importance, Pan You could not help but sneer: "A fine 'loyalty to the sovereign's affairs' indeed! I devote myself wholly to the public good, implementing the new system, and yet I become a treacherous minister who harms the state and the people? You speak of frank counsel in the public interest, but in truth your words are nothing but evasions and pretexts, harboring a heart set on obstructing the tax reform. What benefit does such remonstrance bring the state? And why should I heed such counsel?"

The moment Pan You's words ended, Li Shouyuan shot back: "And what is your intention, Governor Pan, in heaping such baseless accusations upon me? My father and I have been steeped in the state's grace, and we hold deep gratitude in our hearts. Toward the court's major policies, we have only actively advanced them, never failing expectations—how could we delay or obstruct?

But how the new policies are advanced is not for you alone, Governor Pan, to decide, nor are the new tax regulations yours to interpret arbitrarily.

When Governor Pan first arrived in Yingchang, you declared publicly that you had come to serve the state loyally, to plead for the people, and to answer His Majesty's call to do real work.

The officials of the Metropolitan Circuit, high and low, have all been watching your performance with wide eyes. Yet judging by your conduct over these past months, Governor Pan, I must say it truly defies agreement!

When the Governor uses raw power to coerce his fellow officials, those officials will in turn use raw power to oppress the common people. Pressure passed down layer upon layer is bound to breed chaos—when the people's sentiments are already unstable, how can reform even be discussed?

Governor Pan has been in office for a mere three months, whereas I have served here for three years already. I consider myself somewhat better acquainted with the conditions of the Metropolitan Circuit, high and low.

Reform is certainly imperative, but it cannot come at the cost of neglecting the daily administration of the various prefectural offices. If we act too rashly and reform ourselves into chaos, how will we answer to the court?

The Metropolitan Circuit has vast lands, complex terrain, and intricate local conditions. Surveying and measuring the land takes time, manpower, and effort—it simply cannot be completed in a short period. The prefectural governments, beyond their regular duties, can hardly spare additional manpower, especially during this busy autumn season.

Therefore, I repeat my earlier words: the work must be done, but it should proceed slowly rather than hastily, steadily rather than chaotically.

I hope Governor Pan will deign to listen to others. If you insist on going your own way, then the day the people's grievances boil over and complaints fill the air—the consequences will not be something our Metropolitan Circuit can bear!"

When Li Shouyuan finished, Pan You did not immediately fire back. Instead, he stared at the man again, studying him carefully. He had to admit—this man truly appeared dignified and imposing, immaculately dressed. Compared to Pan You's own appearance... there was simply no comparison at all.

His brow furrowed involuntarily. Of course, Pan You was not feeling ashamed of his own looks—rather, he was pondering the man Li Shouyuan. Over the past several months since Pan You had taken office in the Metropolitan Circuit, Li Shouyuan, as his deputy, had neither explicitly supported his work nor opposed it. He had cooperated as much as possible in every matter, never clashing with him—he had seemed like a fine partner.

And Pan You had not concerned himself with whether Li Shouyuan was biding his time or harboring other schemes, so long as he did not interfere with the tax reform. Yet after months of silence, at this very hall meeting, with the land-survey deadline looming, Li Shouyuan had suddenly launched his attack, aiming his spear directly at Pan You. This left Pan You both furious and, unavoidably, alarmed.

Pan You's governance was fierce and his methods hasty—that was a matter of temperament, a reflection of his political philosophy. But this did not mean he was foolish, devoid of political acumen. Relying on luck alone, he could never have held prefectural posts without loss for over a decade, nor could he have secured the top seat of the Metropolitan Circuit.

What Pan You worried about was this: Li Shouyuan's move clearly did not represent merely himself. Who else stood behind him? What further actions might follow? And why choose this particular moment to attack—was there some pretext?

Though Pan You had some preparation for this, the fact that the ringleader was Li Shouyuan—a son of the meritorious nobility, his own deputy—still made Pan You look at him with new eyes.

On the other hand, he sensed that this Li Shouyuan would not be easy to deal with! Though he confronted Pan You head-on with fierce argument, from start to finish his stance was perfectly clear: he fully supported the court's established policies and guidelines—he, Li, only had objections to how they were being advanced and implemented.

Li Shouyuan targeted Pan You, attacked his governance, with clear aims—and still managed to present himself in the grand guise of one serving the state and the people...

And Li Shouyuan's performance was clearly far more clever—and far more troublesome—than directly attacking the new policies. Pan You had been trying to crush Li Shouyuan with the weight of state affairs and the new-system reform, but Li Shouyuan simply refused to take that bait. His stance was explicit: he fully supported the new policies; his dissatisfaction was with Pan You alone—and even then, not with him personally, only with his governing style and methods...

Though Pan You knew that what men like Li Shouyuan truly opposed was still the tax reform itself, this most powerful weapon could not be wielded against him. That feeling was especially galling.

And Li Shouyuan's targeting of Pan You, his targeting of the new policies, was naturally not without cause. Behind it lay a struggle over interests, and also a life-and-death struggle over power.

When the court was to replace the general, Li Shouyuan had stood an excellent chance—his birth, ability, and reputation were all solid. But things had gone against his wishes: that ugly fellow Pan You, an outsider, had taken the position that should have been his. How could he accept it willingly?

Naturally, Pan You became even harder to look at, and the series of Pan You's performances since taking office made Li Shouyuan loathe him all the more. The conflict with Dang Jin had only intensified that deep-seated antagonism.

One should know that in Duke of Rong Zhao Kuangyin's circle, Li Jixun and Dang Jin were both core members—Li Jixun in particular played the role of the elder brother. The two families naturally had good relations, so when Pan You used the Mayi Marquis's household to establish his authority, he naturally offended Dang Hou's good nephew, Li Shouyuan.

And the metropolitan area, being a place where the powerful and noble clustered, close to the center of power, with excellent land—countless people had acquired estates within the Metropolitan Circuit, including the family of the Shian Marquis.

Under the new tax system, though these powerful families with their vast landholdings enjoyed a certain tax exemption, the sharp rise in costs and the increased burden of taxation were already a foregone conclusion. Emperor Liu had said that this tax reform was about cutting flesh from the great landowners—and as far as the metropolitan area was concerned, the principal landowners were precisely these powerful families.

If he could have risen to the position, with power in his hands, that would have been one thing—but instead that ugly Pan had come to take the seat. Unwilling and resentful, with power and interests at stake, how could a man like Li Shouyuan possibly set aside his grudge and cooperate with Pan You's governance?