Chapter 339: Governor Hou Holds Court

The idea of moving the capital was something Liu Chengyou had never discussed with anyone, because for the time being, it was neither urgent nor necessary—only someone with nothing better to do would actually try to implement such a plan now.

Given the current circumstances, Kaifeng was the most suitable capital for the Great Han, not just from an economic and fiscal standpoint, but more importantly, for the governance of the Central Plains and Hebei. Though the Great Han had risen from Hedong, as a northern state, its ruling core still lay in the Central Plains and Hebei.

To firmly hold these two territories, only the Eastern Capital and Yedu could achieve that radiating effect in all directions—even Luoyang was too far off to the side. As for moving the capital to Yedu, there was even less need for such trouble.

As for military considerations, given the current situation the Great Han faced in the realm, at this critical moment of transitioning from chaos to order, maintaining a massive military force in the Eastern Capital had its advantages, especially in campaigns north and south. To the north, the Khitan need not be feared crossing the Yellow River again for now, and the various powers to the south were even less of a concern—if they truly had the strength to push into the Central Plains, there would be no Northern Han today.

And the city of Kaifeng, up to now, had not yet suffered the devastation and destruction of Yellow River floods. Liu Chengyou's thoughts of moving the capital were merely considerations for the future. Faced with the situation where Kaifeng needed rebuilding, he hesitated over the enormous investment required.

But upon deeper reflection, he found that a large-scale renovation of Kaifeng was indeed necessary. First, given Kaifeng's current urban conditions, it truly could no longer meet the needs of its social and economic development. Second, for a very long time to come—at least until the north and south were unified—there would be no need to move the capital.

Though Liu Chengyou harbored ambitions to sweep across the realm, he also lacked absolute confidence in pacifying all the states in a short time—that would be a span of at least ten years. And Liu Chengyou could not tolerate Kaifeng's deteriorating urban environment all the way until the realm was unified, even if purely for the sake of the city's developmental needs.

After much deliberation, this Kaifeng—it still needed to be rebuilt......

Taking a deep breath, Liu Chengyou seriously pondered this problem in his mind. His initial consideration was after the southern campaign.

"Is the young lord still brooding over Kaifeng matters?" The young Lady Zhe tilted her head slightly, gazing at Liu Chengyou, who had stood there lost in thought for quite some time.

Snapping back to himself, Liu Chengyou said casually: "On the fifteenth of the month, I'm heading north to Fengqiu for a hunt—you'll accompany me!"

Hearing this, the young Lady Zhe immediately perked up, excitement flashing in her bright eyes, and replied with a smile filling her face: "Thank you, young lord!"

"When the time comes, I can take the opportunity to see the equestrian prowess of the proud lady of Fuzhou!"

Turning his head to see Zhao Kuangyin standing in attendance to the side, Liu Chengyou suddenly had a thought and beckoned him over.

"What does my lord command?" Zhao Kuangyin stepped forward and asked with proper decorum.

"Mm......" Liu Chengyou opened his mouth but stopped, then waved his hand: "Nothing!"

Liu Chengyou had originally had a sudden impulse to ask Zhao Kuangyin about the matter of moving the capital, treating it as casual examination and opinion-gathering. But he quickly extinguished this thought—after all, such an uncertain major matter was not something to be spoken of lightly. If word got out, it might send the wrong signal, disturb people's minds, and cause unnecessary political turmoil.

Even if he could order him to keep silent, there was truly no need to waste unnecessary words over that fleeting thought.

Though Zhao Kuangyin found Liu Chengyou's unusual behavior puzzling, he maintained the propriety of a subject, his expression calm as ever as he withdrew. That attitude of deference, even submissiveness, carried no deliberate flattery—his bearing was entirely composed. This was probably how he had served Guo Rong in the official histories.

As his thoughts drifted, he suddenly noticed common folk in the neighborhood calling out to friends and companions, gathering and moving toward one direction with considerable commotion, catching Liu Chengyou's attention.

"Go ask what's going on," Liu Chengyou ordered.

He didn't wait long before Zhao Kuangyin returned to report: "It's Governor Hou holding court at the Kaifeng administration, and the nearby commoners heard the news and are heading over."

Recalling briefly, he realized that the Kaifeng government office was indeed not far away. Liu Chengyou couldn't help but feel curious: "What kind of case could cause such a stir?"

Zhao Kuangyin glanced at Liu Chengyou briefly, doing his best to keep his voice free of emotion: "Word has it, it involves the Imperial Uncle Murong!"

"Oh?" Liu Chengyou was instantly intrigued. His eyes blinked a few times as he thought briefly: "Let's go take a look!"

The Kaifeng administration was one of the few imposing government offices in the city of Kaifeng. An ordinary person standing before its gates could feel an immense sense of intimidation.

It was just past noon, the gates wide open. Nearby commoners gathered before the office, maintaining solemn silence under the watch of the yamen runners on guard.

In the main hall, Hou Yi, the Governor of Kaifeng who was past sixty, sat presiding over the case. Clad in a purple robe with an official cap atop his head, this proper attire on the old warrior Hou Yi surprisingly showed little incongruity.

Generally speaking, unless it was a major or important case, the old Governor Hou would not personally preside over court. As an old man who was as slippery as a loach in officialdom, he was very skilled at shirking work—most cases accepted by the Kaifeng administration were handled by its Administrative Assistant. Since taking office, the old Governor Hou appeared on the surface to not manage much or accomplish many things, yet upon careful reflection, he had done quite a few practical deeds. Reaching such a level in officialdom was truly no easy feat for a man who came from the ranks of common soldiers.

This particular case, though not involving loss of life, concerned a powerful noble and imperial relative. Ordinary people truly wouldn't dare to try it, so there was no choice but to trouble Hou Yi to handle it personally.

The matter had in fact already been investigated thoroughly—it only needed to go through the motions in court, and it wasn't complicated. It concerned Murong Yanchao's construction of his residence in the Eastern Capital. Since the winter of last year, he had recruited nearly three hundred craftsmen and laborers in succession.

In the early period, wages were generally paid by the day. The problem was that in the later period, deductions, arrears, and even outright refusal to pay after completion occurred. When the craftsmen came to demand their wages, they were instead bullied and beaten, with some injured to the point of disability.

In the hall, five commoners in shabby clothing with rough, weathered faces stood with heads bowed, trembling as they waited. Standing opposite them was a middle-aged man with a short beard, dressed in fine clothing—not Murong Yanchao himself, but the steward of his household, and his attitude was somewhat arrogant.

The case had already been tried to a certain stage.

Hou Yi slammed the gavel hard, glared with his old eyes, and barked sternly: "If one person brings a false accusation, could a hundred people all bring false accusations at once? Right and wrong, cause and effect—this official has long since investigated and ascertained the truth. You wicked servant, do you still dare to quibble in open court?"

Not waiting for the steward to explain, Hou Yi continued: "Those who shared your wrongdoing have long since confessed. It's clear that you, wicked servant, used your petty authority as overseer to deduct wages and grain from the hired workers, pocketing them for yourself. When the matter came to light and the craftsmen came demanding payment, you harbored vicious intentions and ordered your household retainers to beat and drive them off, leaving three craftsmen severely injured and disabled......"

Though Hou Yi was old, his mind was very clear. His articulation was precise, his expression cold and severe, and with the murderous aura accumulated from decades of military life, he was truly intimidating.

Murong Yanchao's steward had also come out of the military, and in this open court, he appeared quite confident. Though his arrogance had diminished somewhat, he remained defiant, still invoking Murong Yanchao: "Your Excellency must not be deceived by these base commoners. Clearly they are the ones with insatiable greed. Having been instructed by my master, how could I short them any wages or grain? Your Excellency should investigate carefully. To have me summoned to court without cause—if you judge this case wrongly and pass the wrong sentence, I'm afraid......"

"Afraid of what!" Hou Yi's old face actually turned calm and peaceful at this point.

Seeing this, the steward felt smug and hinted with feigned subtlety: "My master is, after all, a proper Imperial Uncle!"

"What a wicked servant! In open court, so arrogant, trying to use the Imperial Uncle to pressure this official—you truly don't know your place! This official is just about to charge you with contempt of court!" Hou Yi's expression turned sharply, his gray-white hair and beard seeming to radiate killing intent: "Come now, beat him!"

With that, he pulled two red-headed tally sticks from the bamboo cylinder on the case table and tossed them down—first, twenty strokes of the board.

The bailiffs below immediately stepped forward with their staves, heedless of anything, forcefully knocking him down, then administered the punishment without holding back.

Miserable yet gratifying cries of pain rang through the hall. When the punishment was more than half done, Hou Yi finally said slowly: "You wicked servant, you still dare to bring up the Imperial Uncle! You deceived your master, hoodwinked those above and below, committed such evil deeds, stirred up trouble all the way to this office, and still dare to make empty threats—you truly don't know what it means to die!"

Hou Yi's style of judging cases was rough and direct—after a brief round of questioning and presenting the collected evidence, he passed judgment immediately. The deducted wages were to be fully returned, and compensation was to be given to each of the injured craftsmen. The funds for this, besides the steward's embezzled amounts, would have to come from his master Murong Yanchao as well, since he had failed to control his subordinates.

As for the steward who committed the crime and those who followed him in wrongdoing, all were sentenced to exile—this was already a lenient judgment. By the laws of the early Han, it would have been a capital offense. It was only because no lives had been lost; otherwise, lives would have had to be repaid with lives.

With the judgment passed, the crowd was jubilant.

Zhao Kuangyin watched the entire court proceeding from start to finish, his expression calm but with a thoughtful look flashing across his face. He left the crowd and went to report to Liu Chengyou, who was sitting idly in a quiet spot.

Hearing his report, Liu Chengyou wore an amused expression: "From what you've described, this Governor Hou does have some skill in trying cases and passing judgments......"

"Yuanlang," Liu Chengyou called out.

"What does my lord command?" Zhao Kuangyin asked.

"Tell me, could a mere steward really deceive his master to such an extent?"

Zhao Kuangyin hesitated slightly, then said carefully: "Perhaps the Imperial Uncle, being confined to his home and not concerning himself with internal or external affairs, was deceived by him."

Hearing his answer, Liu Chengyou smiled. From Zhao Kuangyin's reaction, it was clear he had been using his brain.

Obviously, there was more to this case beneath the surface. Hou Yi and Murong Yanchao might have communicated beforehand. However, Liu Chengyou didn't care too much—as long as the case was handled properly, that was fine......