Chapter 1853: The Account

On the day after the full moon, the official dispatch from the Circuit Office arrived in Zhengzhou, but it was not delivered directly into the hands of Prefectural Administrator Li Hang. Administrator Li was not in the prefectural seat overseeing the city; he had gone to Yuanwu County in the northeast of Zhengzhou to inspect the autumn harvest. Having just passed the Mid-Autumn Festival without resting, he had thrown himself straight back into official business.

At this juncture, Li Hang's "absence from his post" could all too easily give rise to misunderstanding. The messenger bearing the dispatch, unable to see Li Hang, naturally would not give up—otherwise he could hardly answer to Pan You upon his return—and so, without pausing for breath, he hurried on to Yuanwu.

Of course, Li Hang's presence in Yuanwu was not at all a matter of dodging trouble from the Circuit Office; the inspection of the autumn harvest was a real matter of business. At the same time, during this year's flood season, the Yuanwu dikes had passed through a perilous ordeal, nearly causing a major disaster, and the repaired embankments required his personal examination.

On another front, Yuanwu County was also the key area where Li Hang was implementing the new tax system; the land survey of Zhengzhou had likewise begun from this county. As a political star favored by both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, with a bright future ahead, Li Hang naturally could not defy the will of his superiors or go against the court's policies. He was extremely conscientious in promoting the new tax system—it was merely that his methods and approach to governance differed somewhat.

Pan You's nature was like fire, and his conduct swept through matters like autumn wind clearing fallen leaves, making people feel the cold season. In comparison, Li Hang's administrative style was of an entirely different stripe—broad-minded in temperament, steady in handling affairs, often giving people the feeling of a spring breeze brushing past, winning great praise and recognition.

Li Hang's starting point was already very high. Having served in the court for less than a full term, he was sent out to be the chief administrator of a prefecture—and not just any prefecture, but a major and important one like Zhengzhou. In the months since assuming office, he had shown not the slightest sign of maladjustment. He seemed to be a born bureaucrat, the kind of "governance harmonious and people at peace" aura recorded in books—Li Hang had essentially achieved it within two months of taking office.

In terms of background, Li Hang was a zhuangyuan—first in the imperial examinations. In terms of backing, he had the most reliable support in all the world: the Emperor and the Crown Prince. But most crucially, he was no embroidered pillow with a golden exterior—he had his own methods and style for dealing with people and affairs, and was even in the process of forming his own political philosophy.

It could be said that, based on his performance thus far, Li Hang was nearly the perfect image of an official within the mainstream value system of the day. Learned and courteous, erudite and knowledgeable, lenient toward others and strict with himself, he was not lacking in administrative competence—upward, he scrupulously followed orders; downward, he personally attended to affairs and observed the conditions of the people.

Therefore, although he had only recently taken up his post in Zhengzhou, Li Hang was like a fish in water, greatly supported by his subordinates. Though it was unclear how much of that support was genuine, at least the officials of Zhengzhou were willing to accept his leadership, and his reputation among the common folk spread quickly as well.

Take, for example, the Circuit Office's decree on land surveys: Li Hang pushed the matter forward on one hand while shielding his subordinates from pressure from above on the other. He did not simply drive them with harsh orders, but was willing to listen to their voices and help them solve difficulties.

With such a style of conduct, even if many people were unhappy in their hearts, at least on the surface they had to comply. When the Prefectural Administrator was already so reasonable and considerate, having gone this far, what more could they do?

Li Hang operated with the consideration of steady and sure progress. Starting with the land of Yuanwu County, he pulled in a large number of personnel from throughout the prefecture to throw into the work. Although he could not meet the Circuit Office's earlier requirement of completing the land survey of the entire prefecture before the Mid-Autumn Festival, he had managed it for Yuanwu County alone.

Of course, even governing with leniency, not everything could go smoothly. In the process of clearing the land, concealment, underreporting, shirking, and resistance occurred from time to time.

And whenever such situations arose, Li Hang would carefully investigate the circumstances, and after looking into the matter thoroughly, he would begin to reason with people. But reason could not be talked into everyone, especially when it came to matters of direct personal interest.

When reason failed, Li Hang had no choice but to take up the two weapons of power and law. Thus, in the land survey process of Yuanwu County at least, it was unavoidable that a good number of people were dealt with and punished.

It was just that, at such times, others could hardly reproach Li Hang for anything—after all, the man had reason and evidence on his side, had given ample face and sufficient time. It was only that some people did not know which way the wind blew, and being punished was their just deserts.

And before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the decree issued by the Circuit Office naturally could not be completed. On the contrary, because the autumn harvest was at hand and farm work was pressing, and the collection of the old taxes could not be neglected, Li Hang had even deliberately slowed down the preparatory work for land surveys in the other prefectures and counties.

However, Li Hang's "going his own way" in Zhengzhou naturally could not avoid running counter to the will of the Metropolitan Circuit Office. Even with Li Hang's formidable backing, it was impossible for him to be completely free of pressure. Especially after the scene of the two commissioners quarreling in the Circuit Office hall the day before yesterday spread abroad, Zhengzhou could hardly remain unaffected.

One rank higher crushes a man to death—and when the gap between the two was several ranks, Li Hang could not possibly disregard the authority of the Circuit Office entirely. On the other hand, although Li Hang had his own style of doing things and his own reform ideas, the suspicion of defying a superior's orders was still something to be avoided at all costs. After all, if Li Hang did it first and set the precedent, others could follow suit.

When the Circuit Office's messenger arrived at Yuanwu County, he still did not see Li Hang. According to the county clerks left behind, the Prefectural Administrator and the county officials had all gone down to the countryside to inspect this autumn's tax collection.

So, after another round of running about, the dispatch-bearing officer finally found Li Hang in a village below the Liuhe Dike in Yuanwu County, where he was in the midst of calculating and comparing the amounts of coin and grain taxes.

"Administrator, you've given this humble clerk quite a chase!" Having been put through such trouble, even knowing Li Hang's formidable background, the messenger's temper was hard to calm, and his words carried a hint of resentment.

Li Hang's attire at this moment closely resembled that of a bookkeeper; from inspecting the autumn grain, his very person even gave off a faint fragrance of grain. Hearing the words and observing the expression, Li Hang's face was like a spring breeze as he clasped his hands in apology: "The envoy has worked hard. Please, do rest a while in the village and have some water."

Seeing Li Hang's attitude so gentle, a good portion of the messenger's pent-up resentment dissipated. Returning the courtesy, he presented the dispatch: "This humble clerk, by order of the Governor, delivers this letter to the Administrator. Please take a look!"

Li Hang took it in passing, broke the seal, and read it, his expression gradually growing more serious. He sighed inwardly—there was no avoiding it. In fact, the conflict in the Circuit Office hall the day before yesterday had reached Li Hang's ears by the very next day, and Li Hang had already analyzed it, with results that were hardly encouraging.

Li Hang suddenly realized that his approach had been somewhat improper. Although he could not agree with Pan You's administrative style, they both served the court, and Pan You was the chief official appointed by the court to preside over the Metropolitan Circuit. Whatever his reservations, he could not directly defy him.

And a single official letter of explanation was clearly insufficient in persuasive power. Judging from the situation of the Circuit Office conflict, the disputes and clashes at the circuit level had already come to the surface. At a time like this, his own behavior could very well drag him into the middle of it, and he might be used by the conservative faction as a pawn against Pan You. But the key point was that he, Li Hang, was also a reformer—even if there were contradictions, they were internal problems...

While reflecting, Li Hang was also considering how to handle the aftermath. No matter what, at the very least he could not come into conflict with Pan You; he needed to ease the relationship. But this was not a matter of one-sided wishes—it also depended on Pan You's attitude. And before that, he needed to genuinely push forward the reform work and produce tangible results.

However, after reading Pan You's letter through, a large part of the weight lifted from Li Hang's heart. At least from the meaning expressed in the official dispatch, Pan You wanted an explanation first, not a direct strike. It seemed he was not impossible to communicate with—perhaps this Governor Pan was not the stubborn, arrogant, and rough man the rumors made him out to be.

"The accounts for this village's autumn tax still have some finishing touches remaining. Once this Administrator has settled the matter, I will accompany the envoy to Yingchang!" Li Hang said.

Giving Li Hang a somewhat surprised look or two, the messenger could not suppress his curiosity and said: "The Administrator, as the chief official of a prefecture, has no shortage of official business. However urgent tax matters may be, surely the taxes of a single county or village hardly require the Administrator's personal attention!"

"The envoy does not know the full story!" Li Hang said with a faint smile. "Yuanwu County's autumn tax this year differs from previous years—it is being collected according to the court's new system. The implementation of the new system involves changes in every aspect of both officialdom and the common folk, and problems may arise at any moment. If this Administrator does not keep a personal eye on it, I cannot rest easy!"

Li Hang spoke as lightly as drifting clouds, but upon hearing the meaning his words revealed, the messenger could not help but exclaim in astonishment: "Does the Administrator mean that the new tax system has already been formally implemented in Zhengzhou?"

"Not Zhengzhou!" Li Hang shook his head and corrected him: "Only Yuanwu!"

As Pan You's messenger, he was naturally a trusted confidant. Hearing Li Hang's so affirmative reply, he was stunned for a moment before sighing with admiration: "Even if it is only the single county of Yuanwu, that is no small feat! It seems the Circuit Office has misunderstood the Administrator! With such conduct, you are worthy of being a model of tax reform for the Metropolitan Circuit—how could you possibly be guilty of delay or procrastination?"

"The Administrator acts with vigor and decisiveness—I am full of admiration!"

Seeing this, Li Hang smiled faintly and pointed to a ledger on the table beside him: "This ledger here is this Administrator's account to Governor Pan!"