Chapter 304: Having Entered the Capital, There Are Bound to Be Changes

In formulating the public security regulations for the Eastern Capital, Liu Chengyou had naturally given Fan Zhi a heads-up in advance. The regulations did not need to be overly complex or detailed, but they did need to be drawn up based on the current problems in the Eastern Capital's urban management—this was what Liu Chengyou had emphasized.

While the problem of public security could not be solved overnight, some measures that could produce immediate results were still necessary, and these were what Hou Yi, in his anxious haste to return to his office, vigorously implemented.

First was the follow-up handling of the disturbance on the night of the Winter Solstice. The laws of the Han were already severe, and with sentencing being carried out strictly this time, quite a few heads were expected to roll.

Second, in accordance with the imperial will, was the rectification of the public security officials in the Eastern Capital. Hou Yi could not easily interfere with the Patrol Inspector's office, but from top to bottom of the Kaifeng Prefecture yamen, he carried out targeted reforms—in practice, this meant arresting a few typical cases of corruption and dereliction of duty. The tactic of killing the chicken to scare the monkey rarely failed to work; Liu Chengyou was not the only one who knew it.

Third was the rectification of order in the Eastern Capital's markets. If there was one thing hardest to manage in the entire city, it was the markets. Especially those unstable elements—they were to be struck down harshly. As for the common bullies who dominated the markets, there was no mercy whatsoever.

Hou Yi was a military man who had clawed his way up from the bottom. Though he had grown increasingly cunning as an official in his old age, when it came down to real action, he was still forceful. In just a few days, the streets and alleys of the Eastern Capital were completely transformed.

Deeper measures still awaited careful implementation—such as market management, market tax collection, and patrol supervision.

"It seems this Son of Heaven does not trust us provincial ministers much!" Under the cold winter wind, four figures slowly walked out of the palace gates and stopped. One of them, an old minister with lavish ornaments, spoke up, his words carrying considerable disrespect.

This man was Liu Zhu, Military Governor of Pinglu Army in Qingzhou and Acting Grand Preceptor. His appearance was hard to compliment, and his brows and eyes carried a distinctly sinister look.

Walking with him were Guo Jin of Xiangzhou, Wang Jing of Cangzhou, and Li Yin of Beizhou. Just moments ago, Liu Chengyou had summoned the military governors to the palace again, offering warm words of comfort, chatting about this and that, and then discussing the matter of transferring their posts.

The military governors west of the Pass had already been adjusted by Liu Chengyou during the western campaign to suppress the rebellion. This time, he had set his sights on the military provinces of Hebei. These governorships basically covered most of the provincial commands in Hebei.

The four governors were swapped two by two.

However, of the Hebei provinces, the two most important—Weibo and Chengde—Liu Chengyou left untouched for now. He wanted to make adjustments, but he did not want to create chaos.

As for Weibo, though he had thoughts of moving his father-in-law Gao Xingzhou to another post, there was no hurry. As for Chengde Army, Liu Chengyou had originally wanted to recall Zhang Yanwei to the Eastern Capital to command the imperial army, but he could not find a suitable and trustworthy replacement at the moment, so he dropped the idea.

With Weibo and Chengde left alone, Liu Chengyou could freely make positional adjustments to the other governors.

And Liu Zhu, Guo Jin, and the others were not fools—they naturally understood the intent behind the Emperor's move. But there was nothing they could do. In the hall, no one dared to openly contradict or refuse, and the result was that they all swallowed their objections and departed the capital to take up their new posts immediately. As for their families and property, the new governors would send men to escort them.

They dared not object in the hall, but after leaving the palace, the only one who dared voice complaints in front of others was Liu Zhu.

"Lord Liu, you must be careful with your words!" Guo Jin seemed to recall the admonition Liu Chengyou had given him that day, and urged: "We are all military governors either way. The Son of Heaven has not demoted our ranks or honors. We should simply accept it peacefully."

This Guo Jin was quite open-minded.

Hearing the two men converse, Li Yin, Military Governor of Beizhou, and Wang Jing, Military Governor of Cangzhou, exchanged a glance. Also a military official, Li Yin appeared rather composed and modest: "The Son of Heaven holds the heavens aloft and governs the realm. Since there is a decree, we need only obey and carry it out."

As he spoke, he could not help coughing a few times. Judging by his complexion, he seemed unwell.

Beside him, Wang Jing had an even better bearing. He calmly looked at Liu Zhu and stroked his graying beard with composure: "The Son of Heaven has treated us with courtesy and favor. As subjects, how could we harbor complaints?"

Liu Zhu had thought his lament would strike a chord, but never expected these three to react this way. He swept his gaze over them, his face twitching, then gave a light snort and stalked off with a flick of his sleeve.

Seeing this, Guo Jin quickly followed, calling out "Lord Liu." He was to swap posts with Liu Zhu, and he needed to discuss the matter of his family. Xiangzhou was close by, so he planned to return to Xiangzhou first, gather his family, and head directly to Qingzhou to take up his post. He was not particularly worried about his family—with the situation growing increasingly stable, no one would provoke them without cause. What mattered most was the "family property" he had built up in Xiangzhou, and he imagined this was a topic he shared with Liu Zhu.

The two old generals, Wang Jing and Li Yin, lagged behind at a leisurely pace. Wang Jing clasped his hands toward Li Yin: "Brother Li, regarding the military affairs of Cang and Bei prefectures, you and I should make the handover clear. Also, I would trouble you to look after my family once you arrive at your post!"

"Naturally!"

Liu Chengyou made bold moves with the Hebei governors, but as for Zhe Congruan from Fuzhou, Liu Chengyou had no such intention—indeed, he had never even entertained the thought from the start. Fuzhou was not a place just anyone could manage.

Additionally, there was Murong Yanchao, Military Governor of Yunzhou. Among the governors who had come to the capital this time, he was the most special.

"Imperial Uncle, since you have come to the capital this time, do stay in the Eastern Capital for a while longer!" Though he disliked this "Imperial Uncle's" conduct in his heart, on the surface Liu Chengyou still appeared gracious.

Murong Yanchao—in civil governance or military achievement, there was little to commend. During his tenure in Yunzhou, he had also produced no good governance. His most notorious reputation was probably his greed for wealth; in not much time, he had already amassed a considerable fortune.

However, Murong Yanchao was not entirely without merits. He was skilled at adjudicating cases and discerning the truth in lawsuits, having handled quite a number of cases in Yunzhou—but there was not a single case in which he did not seek personal gain.

Local officials, cowed by his power and status, dared not easily report him, but after so long, even in the Eastern Capital, Liu Chengyou had heard of his "Imperial Uncle's" deeds.

At this moment, hearing Liu Chengyou's words, Murong Yanchao's eyes, set in his dark face, rolled around twice. After observing this younger man's expression for a while, he said casually: "I had originally planned to return east, but since His Majesty has asked me to stay, I shall remain in the Eastern Capital for some time. Besides, it is cold weather, and travel is inconvenient."

Murong Yanchao acted as though he was doing Liu Chengyou a great favor. Liu Chengyou, for his part, paid it no mind.

"The late emperor passed away nearly a year ago, and the funeral rites are still incomplete. The Rui Mausoleum has already been built. I intend to fulfill my filial duties at the start of the new year!" Liu Chengyou glanced at him and said flatly.

Hearing this, Murong Yanchao immediately reacted and said with great solemnity: "When the time comes, your subject shall bear the late emperor's coffin and guard the mausoleum!"

"The Imperial Uncle is most thoughtful..."

Originally, Liu Chengyou had wanted to discuss Yunzhou's military and civil affairs with Murong Yanchao, but after consideration, he held back and ultimately did not bring it up. Yet his not mentioning it at all basically meant he had no intention of letting him return.