Chapter 271: The Censor

Hearing his purpose, Liu Chengyou's mind quickly turned — another attack aimed at Shi Hongzhao. Who was this Zhao Li, and was he connected to the struggles in the Western Capital? Here in Luoyang, the conflict between Shi Hongzhao and the meritorious nobles had become the primary contradiction in military and political affairs. You impeach me, I suppress and punish you — it had been going on for some time now, and it was all a seed Liu Chengyou himself had planted.

Liu Chengyou studied the man standing alone in the hall, head bowed so low that his features could not be seen.

Shifting his body slightly, his expression unmoved, Liu Chengyou said flatly: "Do you know who Shi Hongzhao is! A mere censor of the branch office, yet you dare to appear before the Son of Heaven to impeach a founding hero of the Great Han, a governor of a vast region — what audacity!"

Liu Chengyou's words carried a faint note of protection for Shi Hongzhao, but Zhao Li seemed not to notice. Maintaining his bow, he spoke with earnest sincerity: "Your servant, as a censor, merely fulfills the duty of investigating and impeaching the officials of the Western Capital. I look only at conduct and deeds, not at the weight of power or the rank of office!"

The words were spoken with perfect righteousness, and Liu Chengyou felt a flicker of aversion. Since Shi Hongzhao had taken charge of the Western Capital, he had received no shortage of accusations and complaints against him — but this was the first time someone had come before the throne in person to impeach him. Liu Chengyou instinctively filed this man under the faction of Western Capital nobles.

Still, since the man had spoken with such high-minded conviction, and Liu Chengyou prided himself on accepting remonstrance readily, he would naturally hear him out. He waved a hand, granting him the chance to continue: "Let Us hear, then — what has Minister Shi done this time?"

At this, Zhao Li finally raised his head. A very clean face, bearing an expression of uprightness — the face reflects the heart, as they say. Liu Chengyou suddenly had the thought: perhaps this man truly was simply here to impeach Shi Hongzhao.

Zhao Li, of course, did not catch the displeasure in Liu Chengyou's tone, nor did he know that Liu Chengyou had only just praised Shi Hongzhao moments before. He said bluntly: "In his half-year tenure in the Western Capital, Duke Zheng has abused his authority to oppress his subordinates, fostered a climate of extortion, bullied the good and honest, and seized people's property..."

Hearing the same old litany, Liu Chengyou cut him off directly: "Give me something specific!"

Zhao Li faltered slightly, a hint of surprise flashing through those clear eyes. But he quickly composed himself, set aside the vague accusations, and spoke directly to the facts.

Setting aside earlier matters, since Liu Chengyou's western campaign began, Shi Hongzhao had committed no small number of offenses. The deputy magistrate of Luoyang County had established a cloth business, and during the western campaign's pacification efforts, he actively supplied military clothing, reaping considerable profit. Shi Hongzhao framed him and seized his business before letting the matter rest. Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince Wang Yan, for a verbal offense, had soldiers sent by Shi Hongzhao burst into his home and beat him with rods until he begged for mercy. Conscripting able-bodied men, transporting grain and weapons, supervising with cruel harshness — more than ten people died. During the autumn harvest, he sent men to force their way into estates and homes, apportioning grain levies and extorting the people. And Shi Hongzhao's younger brother, Shi Honglang...

In short, from Zhao Li's mouth, Shi Hongzhao was a violent tyrant, a great villain who disrupted governance and harmed the people.

Liu Chengyou's reaction to all this was very calm. He only believed half of it — many things cannot be judged by surface alone. Setting everything else aside, if Shi Hongzhao were truly as irredeemably evil as Zhao Li claimed, Luoyang would long since have been in chaos. But in fact, under the Western Capital's jurisdiction, though the people suffered, public order remained fairly stable. The ones truly having a hard time were the officials and nobles.

Of course, the rotten deeds Shi Hongzhao had done were indeed numerous — acquiring property, lining his own pockets — more serious than when he was in the Eastern Capital.

"Are you finished?" As the man's voice trailed off, Liu Chengyou's fingers, which had been lightly tapping the desk, stopped. He shifted his posture and asked flatly.

Having offered his loyal counsel, Zhao Li saw the Son of Heaven's cold reaction, and a clear look of disappointment crept onto his face. Faced with the question, he found himself unsure how to answer.

Liu Chengyou beckoned to Zhang Dejun: "He's said so much — he must be thirsty. Give him a bowl of tea to moisten his throat."

Soon, an imperial cup was presented. Zhao Li took it in a daze and gave thanks.

"We have taken note of your impeachment." Liu Chengyou's manner was perfunctory.

"Your Majesty!" This man truly had no sense of the occasion, no grasp of when to advance or retreat. He called out with agitation.

"Enough!" Liu Chengyou stopped him. "We will handle this as We see fit. If there is nothing else, you may withdraw."

To Liu Chengyou's surprise, this man was not only lacking in perception but stubborn as well. He opened his mouth, drew a deep breath, hesitated briefly, then spoke again: "Your servant has further impeachments to make!"

"Speak!" Now Liu Chengyou was genuinely interested.

"Shi Yancheng, Administrative Assistant to the Western Capital garrison, does not attend his post at the government office but handles official business from his home. Judge Jiang Chan and Deputy Prefect Cui Shu neglect their duties and dawdle in governance. Crown Prince's Groom Zhang Jining, whenever he requests leave, never performs the proper rites of attendance. Vice Bureau Director of the Bureau of Merit Li Yu and National University Erudite Li Ji gather guests at banquets, criticize state policy, and constantly voice resentful words..." In one breath, Zhao Li spat out another string of names.

Apart from a few sinecures, virtually every official with real power in the Luoyang garrison office had been impeached by him.

At this point, Liu Chengyou was fairly certain: this Zhao Li was not targeting only Shi Hongzhao.

In the end, he simply dismissed the man. But Liu Chengyou's thoughts could not help growing heavier. Luoyang's situation was far better than at the founding of the state. But the facts proved one could not be too optimistic — he had some understanding of the situation here, yet having it exposed directly to his face still left a knot in his heart.

"What do you make of the situation in Luoyang?" After pondering for a moment, Liu Chengyou asked Fan Zhi directly.

Fan Zhi understood what Liu Chengyou meant. He considered for a while, watching Liu Chengyou's expression carefully, then said gravely: "In the Western Capital, the struggle among the powerful has grown ever more intense. If it is not checked, I fear the effects will spread to military affairs, governance, and the people's livelihood!"

Fan Zhi's words carried a strong note of warning. Seeing Liu Chengyou's brows knit together, he added: "Your Majesty must understand — going too far is as bad as not going far enough!"

Clearly, Fan Zhi understood Liu Chengyou's purpose in placing Shi Hongzhao in Luoyang. The nobles and bureaucrats there had been thoroughly worn down over the past half-year. Liu Chengyou only wanted to suppress the arrogance of the nobles and strike at illegal conduct — he had no intention of destroying them. If Shi Hongzhao were allowed to continue, it would likely provoke real trouble.

Moreover, given Shi Hongzhao's own recklessness, he could not be indulged either. If he could harm officials, he could harm the people. Those dozen or more conscripted laborers who died in transport were warning enough.

Waving his hand to dismiss Fan Zhi as well, Liu Chengyou remained on the dragon throne and thought things through carefully.

Suddenly he raised his head and instructed Zhang Dejun: "Go look into this — what's the story with that Zhao Li!"

"Yes!"

The next day, Zhao Li's background was placed on Liu Chengyou's desk. A native of Luoyang, he had risen from a county clerk. His family was poor, his character upright and unbending, he took no bribes, and he had once been demoted for directly criticizing current ills and offending his superiors... To put it simply, he was a "young firebrand" — and such men generally came to no good end.

"So it seems this Zhao Li is a man of loyalty and integrity. Humble in rank, yet never forgetting his concern for the state..." Liu Chengyou put down the report and muttered quietly to himself.

After resting one day in Luoyang, Liu Chengyou set out for the Eastern Capital. He was eager to return.

But during that one day in Luoyang, Liu Chengyou directly dealt with those Zhao Li had impeached — Zhang Jining, Shi Yancheng

, Jiang Chan, Cui Shu, Li Yu, and Li Ji — retiring, dismissing, and stripping them of office, all of them, to purify the unhealthy atmosphere in Luoyang's officialdom.

The only one left untouched was, of course, the "utterly wicked" Shi Hongzhao.

Before departing, Liu Chengyou summoned Shi Hongzhao before the throne once more and gave him earnest instructions. For instance, Luoyang had the famous White Horse Temple, and throughout the Western Capital's environs there were many large and small Buddhist temples where illegal activities were rampant — he secretly instructed Shi Hongzhao to investigate and clean them up thoroughly...

When it came to making enemies, Liu Chengyou trusted that Shi Hongzhao would do an excellent job.

"Go yourself and bring me that Zhao Li!" After seeing off the triumphant army, Shi Hongzhao returned to his government office and summoned his younger brother, Shi Honglang, Commander of the Western Capital Infantry. He ordered coldly: "He dared to go before the throne and slander me — he doesn't know the meaning of death! If not for the Son of Heaven's wisdom, would I have been done in by him?"

"Yes! I'll go at once!" Shi Honglang's face was dark and vicious.

Compared to the Eastern Capital, Shi Honglang found Luoyang far more comfortable. His elder brother held great power, there were few restraints — much freer.

But when Shi Honglang led his men, swaggering and bullying their way to the Zhao family's shabby house, they found it empty. Word was that Zhao Li had already been summoned to the Eastern Capital to serve as a censor, and had taken his wife and children with him to Kaifeng...

"Elder Brother, what does the Emperor mean by this — actually promoting that villain Zhao Li?" Shi Honglang's face was full of indignation.

Learning of this, Shi Hongzhao's expression also turned unpleasant. His brows knit, his fists clenched. But gradually his body relaxed. After mulling it over for a while, he instructed Shi Honglang: "From now on, have our men keep a low profile. If anyone dares to act lawlessly again, I will deal with them personally!"

"Elder Brother—" Shi Honglang didn't understand.

"Do as I say. Spread the word to all the household servants and retainers. If anyone dares to defy my orders, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Yes!"

"Also, take your men and conduct a thorough investigation of the Buddhist temples under our jurisdiction. Get them under control — especially the White Horse Temple. Those bald-headed monks, daring to amass such enormous wealth — no wonder the Son of Heaven cannot tolerate them..."

Perhaps because his thinking was simpler, Shi Hongzhao saw things with exceptional clarity.