Chapter 2138: Shizong Chronicles 6: First, Bring Down One Minister

Minister of Personnel Liu Jichang's career was actually quite legendary and inspiring. Although he was the son of Prince Xu, he was only an adopted son, and his actual origins carried a stain—his biological grandfather was Liu Xin, an imperial uncle whom Emperor Shizu had condemned in the early Qianyou era as a typical example of one who harmed the state and plagued the people.

Liu Jichang's administrative ability was not top-tier, his conduct could hardly be called upright, and he was even more lacking in moral integrity. Yet he climbed step by step to the position of chancellor of the empire, presiding over the Ministry of Personnel as its heavenly minister. Apart from extraordinary luck, this was due to his keen political instincts and outstanding talent for opportunism.

At the very least, being able to earn the recognition of two preceding emperors, Shizu and Taizong, and steadily emerging as one of the final victors amid the complex struggles of the Kangzong court—that in itself was a display of ability.

However, as he grew older and his achievements mounted, Liu Jichang gradually lost the temperament and qualities that had once carried him to prominence. His instincts were no longer sharp, his vision grew increasingly narrow, and occupying the position of heavenly minister while coveting the honor of Chief Chancellor, he served only his own family's interests.

In the past half year or so, the struggles within the court had not ceased. Although Prince Zhao had returned from Mang Mountain to his residence in the capital to recuperate, he had on the one hand refused the emperor's offer of a titular position, and on the other taken no part in court affairs. Thus, the struggle for power at the center of the court in the early Duan'gong era unfolded between Director of State Affairs Xiang Deming and Minister of Personnel Liu Jichang.

Every dynasty has its own ministers. When Liu Wenji ascended the throne, a new chapter in the history of the Great Han Empire began, and naturally the many "malpractices in appointments" of the Kangzong era had to be rectified. Even if Liu Wenji had not spoken, men like Liu Jichang would have taken the initiative to push it forward.

And so, officials of the Pingkang faction such as Wang Qinruo and Ding Wei, who had risen to high office through "improper advancement," were successively suppressed. Wang Qinruo, protected by Liu Wenji, managed to hold his ground in the Hall of State Affairs, while Ding Wei, who had already been promoted to Governor of Kaifeng, was less fortunate—in the trial of a murder case, he used excessive torture, causing the death of the criminal, violating the law, and was demoted to serve as Prefect of Fengxiang.

The old departed, the new arrived, and around the vacancies left by the suppression of the Pingkang courtiers, a fierce struggle erupted between the two chancellors, Xiang Deming and Liu Jichang—not only over the vacant posts but also through attacks on each other's faction members.

Xiang Deming had the military meritocracy behind him, while Liu Jichang enjoyed the support of the imperial clansmen in politics. Xiang Deming held the moral authority of the Director of State Affairs, while Liu Jichang had the advantage of the Minister of Personnel's powers. For a time, the two sides were evenly matched.

The Xiang-Liu struggle was a lively affair, and it actually injected some vitality into the increasingly ossified upper class of the empire. Transfers and changes in key court positions and regional governorships entered their most frequent phase in roughly a decade.

Zeng Hui had served in his post for about eight years, shouldering both military and civil responsibilities, and his performance was outstanding. Not only did he firmly defend his prefectural authority, resisting erosion from the Andong Kingdom on all fronts, but he also leveraged the advantages of the port to develop the local economy to commendable effect.

On the other hand, as a new sovereign with "inherent weakness," Liu Wenji also needed these powerful ministers to fight among themselves, checking each other—that was most beneficial to him. Of course, they had to fight without breaking.

And after the failed assassination, before long, the mastermind and several accomplices were apprehended. According to their confessions, it was because Zeng Hui had previously enforced the law strictly, cutting off their source of income, so they resorted to assassination as revenge.

As for Liu Jichang, after a period of close observation, Liu Wenji was deeply disappointed in this nominal imperial uncle. Despite his solid resume and his early reputation as a "capable official," his performance at the center of government was streets behind even his uncle, Prince Lu, Liu Ai, who was known for being "dull-witted." On the single point of placing private desire above public authority, Liu Jichang found it hard to win Liu Wenji's favor.

Looking at the entire map, there were only three places directly administered by the empire that could truly be called exclaves: Shuaibin Prefecture, Jeju Island, and Liangping County (Singapore). And Shuaibin Prefecture bore the greatest pressure in maintaining central authority—pressure that naturally came from the bordering Andong Kingdom.

To this, Liu Wenji still wore a faint smile on his lips, seemingly without the slightest displeasure, and offered him a seat as usual. Liu Wenji had summoned Liu Jichang, naturally, over the matter of the Andong Kingdom, but the specific topic was the issue of Zeng Hui, the Prefect of Shuaibin.

Of course, Liu Jichang did not seem to care about the new emperor's goodwill, and he appeared rather unselfconscious before the throne. When summoned by the emperor, he dawdled for a full half hour before slowly coming to pay his respects. When facing the sovereign, his tone and bearing in performing the rites were also quite reserved, looking entirely like someone waiting for the emperor to offer him a seat.

Then, the group of principal and accessory offenders died mysteriously in prison, and after that, the matter was quietly dropped. Zeng Hui did report the "extraordinary" aspects of the affair to the court, but it received no attention. Zeng Hui did not insist on his account either, only strengthening security for himself and his family afterward.

But achieving this required sophisticated political wisdom and strong control—otherwise, it could easily backfire. It also required the combatants to have a sense of proportion. Xiang Deming was a man of talent tempered in fire and water; he handled the balance well and could still keep the greater picture in mind amid the power struggle.

The entire struggle was a contest among the meritorious aristocratic forces, while those officials of humble origins were jointly excluded and suppressed. Even Chancellor Wang Qinruo was bullied mercilessly in the Hall of State Affairs. There was always someone mocking him for his vacillation before and after Liu Wenji's succession. Wang Qinruo was, after all, a scholar with a thin skin, and he would from time to time go before the emperor to complain and lodge accusations.

As for all this, Emperor Liu Wenji sat upright in Wansui Hall, perceiving the underlying principles, yet watching the fire from across the river. On the one hand, he turned a blind eye to the powerful ministers' suppression of Kangzong's old officials—he needed to cleanse the influence of Kangzong from all aspects. An emperor of eight years, no matter how worthless, left marks deep enough to brand the very bones of the empire, and what the powerful ministers were doing was exactly what he wanted done.

Examining his record, Liu Wenji naturally held a particularly favorable view of Zeng Hui, believing him to be a loyal minister and good official who dared to take responsibility and charge to the front line.

At the same time, capable ministers like Wang Qinruo and Ding Wei, the harder they were suppressed and the more helpless they became, the more they would gravitate toward the new emperor and serve Liu Wenji's purposes. And among the many ministers promoted by Kangzong, the only ones Liu Wenji thought highly of were Wang Qinruo and Ding Wei.

Zeng Hui's good performance was naturally not good news for the politicians, merchants, military, and civilians of the Andong Kingdom. Zeng Hui gradually became a thorn in the side of the Andong establishment. In the seventh year of Pingkang, when Zeng Hui went out on an inspection tour, he was ambushed by assassins—had his escort not protected him with their lives, he would have been dead long ago.

However, when asked about Zeng Hui's performance, Liu Jichang gave him a very low evaluation, saying he was harsh in his dealings with people and severe in governance, causing discontent among a large portion of the scholars and commoners under his jurisdiction (Andong merchants and civilians). He also mentioned that when the King of Andong came to the capital, he had impeached Zeng Hui, saying he was arrogant and overbearing, contemptuous of the imperial princes, and heedless of the law. Liu Jichang further pinned on Zeng Hui the charge of "alienating the affection among the imperial clan and damaging the relationship between the court and the vassal state."

Moreover, Liu Jichang stated on the spot that although Shuaibin was remote and distant, Zeng Hui had served one term of eight years, already greatly exceeding the court's term-limit system. The Ministry of Personnel had already begun discussing the matter of transferring him—and it would be a demotion.

Liu Wenji did not believe that Liu Jichang could not hear the appreciation in his tone for Zeng Hui, yet he still gave such an evaluation. So regarding Zeng Hui from then on, Liu Wenji did not mention a single word more.

Then he asked about the arrangement for the Administration Commissioner of the Liaodong Circuit—this was a relatively major vacancy in the court at the time, and also a new battlefield in the "Xiang-Liu struggle." Liu Jichang took the opportunity to present to the emperor the candidate recommended by the Ministry of Personnel: Song Yixiu, Deputy Director of the Palace Directorate. Liu Jichang said he had a rich resume and outstanding abilities, and was a scion of a distinguished family, fully qualified for the post. Song Yixiu was the son of Song Qi, the famed chancellor of the Kaibao era and one of the "Twenty-Four Ministers of Kaibao." Of course, more importantly, he was Liu Jichang's relative by marriage. As for this connection, Liu Wenji, who had spent several months reading through the "family affairs of the Great Han's nobles," knew it perfectly well. He still made no comment on Liu Jichang's "recommending kin without avoiding suspicion," but instead said with a chuckle that a court recommendation following the proper procedures to select talent could hardly go wrong.

By the end, Liu Wenji had completely stopped mentioning the original purpose of summoning Liu Jichang, merely listening to his report with a smile. As for the many points about Director of State Affairs Xiang Deming's "failures in governance," he only reservedly said he would look into them.

And as one could imagine, after Liu Jichang withdrew in satisfaction, Liu Wenji's expression shifted from sunny to overcast with remarkable speed. If before it had been mere dissatisfaction, after today's events, Liu Wenji had already put an "X" on Liu Jichang.

This man was no longer fit to serve as the heavenly minister of the Ministry of Personnel—he could not even remain at the center of government!

For a moment, Liu Wenji's mind was filled with the affair from over twenty years ago, when at the beginning of Taizong's reign, Prince Kang, Liu Ye, had killed the vicious servant of the Liu household in the street. And more recently, there was the matter of Liu Jichang accepting from the King of Andong, Liu Wenyuan, a thousand-year-old ginseng and a chest of precious furs and jewelry.

After going through the old accounts, Liu Wenji pondered how to drive Liu Jichang out of the court. This was not so easy, nor was it so simple—after all, Liu Jichang had built up a substantial faction within the court over many years of management, and he had the backing of the imperial clan. One had to remember that in the Hall of State Affairs, Liu Jichang was the sole representative of the imperial clan.

Liu Wenji's wariness of Liu Jichang himself was a minor matter. What he worried about was that pulling one hair might move the whole body—if he disrupted the balance of the court and allowed the "Xiang faction" to dominate alone, that situation would be even more serious.

Unless—he could change horses and dismiss both "Xiang and Liu" entirely. There was no denying that when this thought arose, Liu Wenji was tempted; his heartbeat even quickened. But when reason once again took hold of his mind, Liu Wenji decisively abandoned the notion.

Having been on the throne for less than a year, dismissing two chancellors, including the Chief Chancellor—the impact would be too great, easily provoking unease and resistance among the nobles.

While Liu Wenji was deliberating anxiously, Liu Jichang made his move. Consistent in word and deed with his performance before the throne, Zeng Hui was quickly transferred out of Shuaibin Prefecture and demoted to serve as County Magistrate of Shandan County in Ganzhou—a great relocation from the shores of the Eastern Sea to the plains of Hexi.

More importantly, this was clearly an unfair decision. Zeng Hui, already past sixty, faced a major setback in his official career. And almost unknown to anyone was that Emperor Liu Wenji had initially wanted to promote Zeng Hui to Administration Commissioner of Liaodong, to continue using him in the matter of restraining Andong.

Then, after reaching consensus within the Ministry of Personnel, Liu Jichang directly signed the appointment order for Song Yixiu as Administration Commissioner of Liaodong. Although he did so under the pretext of having obtained the "imperial will," he was breaking the rules, and Xiang Deming's counterattack followed closely, blocking the matter at the level of the Hall of State Affairs. For such a key post as a regional governor, without authorization from the Hall of State Affairs, a document signed only by the Ministry of Personnel was invalid.

The appointment of the Administration Commissioner of the Liaodong Circuit became the most intense point of the "Xiang-Liu struggle." The measures taken by both sides could be said to have completely torn off all pretense, with no further restraint. And the two chancellors' duel thoroughly provoked the dissatisfaction of the insightful officials at court. Liu Jichang needed no further comment—"old and thieving"—but even Xiang Deming's reputation declined, subject to much discussion and attack.

The position of Director of State Affairs of the Great Han, though powerful, had never been an easy seat to occupy. Throughout the years, the only one who had truly been able to overawe all the ministers was Zhao Pu, and even he had only maintained a superficial dominance. In the Kaibao era, there was no shortage of those who dared to attack Zhao Pu—the most famous being Lu Duoxun.

Under such circumstances, Emperor Liu Wenji, who had been planning for some time, made up his mind: first bring down Liu Jichang. At the very least, this was a blow against the meritorious noble bloc, and he could also make use of Xiang Deming's strength. For that reason alone, it was worth doing.

When facing simultaneous pressure from both the emperor and the Director of State Affairs, Liu Jichang's downfall became inevitable. Of course, the process still had its ups and downs. First, Censor Dong Hui submitted a memorial impeaching Liu Wei, Bureau Director of the Ministry of Works, on seven major charges: embezzling funds for planting trees and reinforcing the Yellow River dikes, accepting bribes, forcibly seizing and raping a common woman, and murder.

The moment this impeachment memorial was submitted, the entire court was in an uproar—some shocked by Liu Wei's crimes, but more importantly, by Liu Wei's identity: he was Liu Jichang's son. And Liu Wei was the "protagonist" of the great political storm that had erupted in the first year of Yongxi, when he had allowed his vicious servants and wild horses to run rampant through the streets and was killed by Prince Kang, Liu Ye.

Back then, Liu Wei had had his legs broken, and later he had been sent to the northwest to eat sand for ten years. Probably because of these events, Liu Jichang felt deeply guilty toward this son. After bringing him back to the capital, he doted on him excessively. When Kangzong succeeded to the throne and Liu Jichang rose to become chancellor in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, he arranged for his son the post of Bureau Director of the Ministry of Works.

And Liu Wei, having suffered so much hardship, far from reflecting on his own faults, only grew worse. Not only did he fail to restrain himself, but he also brought along his two sons—father and three sons "playing" together.

While the impact of Liu Wei's exposure was still fermenting, one shock after another swept over the ministers and officials as Liu Jichang's family members and old associates "exploded" one after another. With such commotion and such scale, it was clearly impossible that no one was orchestrating it behind the scenes, and almost all eyes turned to Director of State Affairs Xiang Deming.

Even more breathtaking, and what everyone was waiting for, was that Left Chief Censor Lu Zongdao received a report directly accusing Liu Jichang of accepting bribes, dereliction of duty, exceeding his authority, and great disrespect, accompanied by detailed evidence—so detailed that times, places, and persons were all complete.

After Liu Wenji ascended the throne, he had summoned Lu Zongdao, the famous remonstrating official, back from the northwest and appointed him Left Chief Censor. And given Lu Zongdao's temperament, upon receiving such a "big scoop," he did not hesitate at all—he exposed it directly.

And so the entire court was truly shaken. How could such a greedy, selfish, derelict, and lawless treacherous minister continue to hold the position of heavenly minister of the Ministry of Personnel?

Even Emperor Liu Wenji was greatly shocked. He issued an edict for the Hall of State Affairs to hold a court deliberation on the matter and ordered Liu Jichang to defend himself. At this point, Liu Jichang could no longer sit still. He flatly denied all the charges, while simultaneously biting back at Lu Zongdao, accusing him of fabricating charges to frame a chancellor—a crime deserving of death.

Liu Jichang was frantic, jumping about in desperation. To divert the fire and confuse the issue, he secretly sent his confidants to start exposing "dirty secrets" about other ministers. Who didn't have some filth under their own seat? For a time, the upper echelons of the court stank to high heaven. What astonished Liu Wenji was that many of these matters had not even been detected by the Palace City Office.

This move became Liu Jichang's swan song at the center of the empire. After all, one cannot defy the anger of the multitude—under the siege of all, Liu Jichang's right to speak was directly stripped away. Director of State Affairs Xiang Deming led the ministers in submitting a memorial requesting that Liu Jichang be removed from office and imprisoned for trial.

And so Liu Jichang, a four-dynasty veteran and once-arrogant chancellor, fell from power. His true dominance over the court had lasted only half a year. Of course, in consideration of his past merits, his life was spared: he was stripped of office, reduced to commoner status, his property confiscated, and his entire family exiled to Andong.

And for Liu Jichang, this was clearly worse than death. The Prince Xu line, however, did their duty by submitting a memorial, citing his old age and hoping for some further leniency. Liu Wenji refused. He was curious how Liu Wenyuan would treat Liu Jichang in his fallen state. Dealing with the various vassal kingdoms had become a required course for the empire's emperors, and the Andong Kingdom was honored to be the emperor's most watched vassal state.

As for the power vacuum left by Liu Jichang's downfall, it was quickly devoured by the gluttons at the top of the empire's food chain—among whom Emperor Liu Wenji ate the most.

First, the post of the Ministry of Personnel was taken over by Kou Zhun, whom Liu Wenji favored. Second, Zeng Hui, still en route to Ganzhou in the west, received a new imperial edict midway, transferring him to serve as Administration Commissioner of the Liaodong Circuit. The Great Han Empire had no shortage of political stars who had completed three-level leaps, but someone like Zeng Hui, with the trajectory of Prefect–County Magistrate–Administration Commissioner, was unique in the empire. For a time, Zeng Hui became famous throughout the imperial bureaucracy as the classic example of succeeding late in life.

As for the "meritorious officials" in the process of toppling Liu Jichang, such as Lu Zongdao and Dong Hui, each received their rewards. And throughout the emperor's distribution of rewards and honors, Director of State Affairs Xiang Deming never uttered a single word of objection on behalf of the meritorious noble bloc.

Others might not know, but how could Xiang Deming not understand? Foolish people only look at the surface and credit themselves with the merit of Liu Jichang's downfall. But Xiang Deming knew perfectly well that the emperor already held the moral high ground and the overall momentum, and his hidden methods were so formidable—Xiang Deming could not help but feel wary.

Moreover, because of his factional struggle with Liu Jichang, his own reputation had also declined—Xiang Deming was well aware of this as well. In the end, Xiang Deming could only respond with a bitter smile. This emperor—what a "fine" choice he had been!

It was plainly evident that after Liu Jichang's downfall, the chief ministers had all grown more cautious before Emperor Liu Wenji, no longer daring to display their unbridled arrogance openly. Over half a year, Liu Wenji had also successfully changed the impression he made on many powerful figures.

And as Kou Zhun, Zeng Hui, and others were elevated, the long-suppressed commoner-official faction finally gained a chance to catch their breath, once again showing signs of rising.

Of course, this—especially the elevation of Kou Zhun—also stirred discontent within the "Emperor's Faction" itself; two of the disgruntled were Wang Qinruo and Xu Shilian.

Although the first year of Duangong had not yet passed, Wang Qinruo already regarded himself as the foremost minister of the Emperor's Faction—he wanted to be Minister of Personnel too! As for Xu Shilian, his concern was simpler: he was a veteran official from Taizong's reign, no longer young, yet he was being ridden over by a junior upstart like Kou Zhun—how could he accept that?