Chapter 204: Harvest

Even Feng Dao was surprised by Liu Chengyou's crisp decisiveness—was this young Son of Heaven really so easy to persuade? He looked up and saw Liu Chengyou's calm expression, barely blinking, and Feng Dao felt a dawning realization: the Emperor must have already made up his mind long ago.

Sure enough, Liu Chengyou said mildly, "These past few days, here in the Luo Palace, I have also heard of the seething public sentiment in the Western Capital. I have long intended to put a stop to it."

"This time, I may well follow Chancellor Feng's request." Liu Chengyou said to Feng Dao, giving him face.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Feng Dao bent his old back once more.

The atmosphere between ruler and minister remained quite harmonious throughout. Liu Chengyou paced slowly, wandering for a while, then raised a finger and said thoughtfully, "Minister Shi is bold in taking on responsibility. Previously I entrusted him with full authority to rectify the unhealthy trends in the Western Capital. But his nature is too rigid, too eager for punishment and execution, and his handling of matters may have been improper in places. That I did not think it through more carefully at the time of appointment—that is my fault."

Hearing Liu Chengyou's words, Feng Dao's old eyes narrowed slightly. The Emperor's words were always worth savoring carefully. Never mind that Shi Hongzhao had been strutting and throwing his weight around in the Western Capital these past days—His Majesty was probably none too pleased with his conduct and methods either.

Though his mind was racing with thoughts, nothing showed on Feng Dao's face as he responded, "Your Majesty speaks too seriously!"

Liu Chengyou thought for a moment himself, then raised a finger: "The officials of the Western Capital have been frightened these past days. Minister Feng, you are of high virtue and great prestige, well-versed in human affairs—do console them well on my behalf. Tell all the civil and military officials and clerks that the Western Capital will not descend into chaos, and let them be at ease."

"As you command!" Feng Dao accepted the order.

After taking his leave, he strolled casually toward the palace gates, his body slightly hunched, his face wearing a deeply thoughtful expression. Only when he had exited the imperial city and boarded his carriage did he let out an old sigh: "This Emperor is not easy to serve..."

"The purpose of this western inspection tour couldn't possibly be just this, could it?" Feng Dao couldn't help muttering. But then, thinking it over, he secretly reflected: "If that is indeed the case, then the Son of Heaven's depth of scheming is all the more chilling!"

On the surface, the turmoil in the Eastern Capital appeared to be Shi Hongzhao, wielding the king's mandate, blindly expanding his scope, wantonly striking down targets, and plundering property. But with Feng Dao's seasoned shrewdness, synthesizing the situation of these past days with his exchanges with Liu Chengyou, he had fully come to understand: the one truly manipulating the entire affair behind the scenes was still this young Son of Heaven who had lately been dwelling quietly in the deep palace.

The Wude Office established by the Son of Heaven, though bearing the name of personal attendants, in reality carried out the work of secret agents and spies. As for conditions outside the palace, he likely saw them as clearly as fire, sitting back and watching events unfold.

Under the pretext of investigating corruption and punishing evil, he was in truth striking down powerful clans, seizing land from the people, and establishing his own authority. Along the way, he had caused Minister Shi and Minister Su to clash, taken the opportunity to bring down that violent minister Su Fengji, and also caused that brute Shi Hongzhao to thoroughly cut himself off from the court. And now, at the moment when people's hearts were most unsettled, he issued an edict to halt the affair and soothe the public mood.

This method of killing several birds with one stone, though still somewhat immature, would certainly not lack for results when executed by the Emperor himself, controlling the overall situation.

Having reasoned all this through, even Feng Dao could not help but feel a surge of emotion. Of course, his confidence in the future of the Great Han seemed all the stronger for it. That the Emperor knew how to wield schemes—in such times and circumstances, that was hardly a bad thing.

Moreover, while feeling these emotions, he could not help but begin pondering how, in the days ahead, he should get along with this enterprising Son of Heaven, and how to grasp the proper way of ruler and minister. Every capable sovereign was hard to serve. The old fox could almost foresee that the present Great Han court would sooner or later undergo a round of purging—Su Fengji's imprisonment was a very clear political signal.

In the coming upheaval at court, he would need to consider carefully how to preserve himself. There was one basic principle: plant his backside firmly on the Son of Heaven's side.

"Chancellor, shall we return to the residence?" The carriage driver asked from the shaft.

Snapping back to his senses, Feng Dao spoke in his vigorous old voice, instructing: "Go to the Western Capital Acting Governor's residence. His illness should be cured by now!"

After the turmoil began in the Western Capital, the Acting Governor Li Congmin had reported himself ill and stayed home.

This disturbance in the Western Capital, under Liu Chengyou's intervention, finally came to an end. But before it ended, there was one small interlude. Shi Hongzhao seemed to have gotten a bit too carried away, addicted to conducting raids and seizures. He openly complied with Liu Chengyou's orders while secretly defying them. Only when Liu Chengyou issued an order stripping him of his commission and forcing his troops back to camp did the matter finally conclude.

Liu Chengyou subsequently issued an "Edict for Reassuring Officials" and an "Edict for Reassuring the People," mainly to consolidate the gains. According to subsequent statistics, in this round of rectification, within the jurisdiction of the Western Capital, more than twenty thousand people were released from bondage, and the registered population increased by nearly two-tenths. This was what Liu Chengyou cared about most, and he issued strict orders for all local authorities to make proper arrangements.

As for other matters such as grain, cloth, and land—though the quantities were considerable, for the present court they were merely a drop in the bucket, and not something Liu Chengyou particularly concerned himself with. Su Fengji had contributed no small share to these.

And through this blow, this unhealthy trend in the Western Capital had been suppressed—at least for a short time, officials at all levels knew they needed to restrain themselves.

Because of Liu Chengyou's edict, officials and nobles could temporarily rest easy, no longer needing to live in fear. But regarding this matter, quite a few people had engaged in "reflection," and the resentment in their hearts ran deep.

Basically, it was all directed at Shi Hongzhao. Looking at the whole affair, Shi Hongzhao really was a most qualified scapegoat. His methods were crude and vicious to begin with, and his table manners were utterly appalling—he had truly eaten his fill, reaping wealth, women, prestige, and fame alike.

Of course, there was no shortage of clever people who could detect the black hand behind it all. But was the Emperor someone one could directly complain about? Especially an Emperor like this one.

After this affair, the officials of the Western Capital, high and low, would surely not dare to underestimate this Son of Heaven, Liu Chengyou, again.

On the seventeenth day of the third month, Liu Chengyou issued an edict. Throughout all the circuits and prefectures of the realm, the buying and selling of people was prohibited. Any refugees or households that had fled their registration, upon coming to the authorities to register and be entered into the rolls, regardless of their former status or crimes, would be recorded as commoners, given land, issued grain seed, and lent farming implements...

This edict of Liu Chengyou's was somewhat ruthless. Besides continuing to lure out those bandits and robbers who had fled into the mountains and forests, it also tempted those escaped households and the hidden households attached to the powerful and noble. Working for others—how could that compare in motivation to farming one's own land for one's own produce? The implicit meaning behind it was: as long as you come to the authorities, you will be protected by the authorities, and you will receive land of your own, rebuild your home...

Of course, given the present state of the Great Han, carrying this out would inevitably be difficult. But that did not stop Liu Chengyou from issuing the edict first—whatever effect it could achieve, let it achieve; whatever harvest could be reaped, let it be reaped.

Wait for another day.

On the twentieth day of the third month, Liu Chengyou, accompanied by his empress and consorts, leading the assembled officials of the Western Capital and the various military governors of the Guanzhong region who had come to Luoyang for audience by imperial summons, performed a sacrifice to Heaven in the outskirts of Luoyang, praying for blessings for the Great Han's rivers and mountains and for the common people of the realm.

After this piece of theater, Liu Chengyou's western inspection tour was drawing to a close.

But before returning to court, there were still some important arrangements and adjustments to be made regarding the Guanzhong and Hezhong regions.

After arriving in Luoyang, Liu Chengyou had issued an edict summoning the military governors of Shan, Hua, Tong, Jin, Jiang, Hezhong, and Heyang to come for an audience.

As it turned out, Li Shouzhen of Hezhong and Xue Huairang of Tongzhou both declined to come. Liu Chengyou was not surprised by the reaction of these two.