Chapter 353: The Clear-Headed Qianyou Emperor

Liu Chengyou asked a few more questions about court policies, and the results were both within expectations and within reason. The policies he had issued to benefit the people had basically not been implemented at all. On one hand, the officials were inactive; on the other, they lacked the capacity to act.

Soon, Liu Chengyou ended his halting and difficult conversation with the old farmer. He had learned more or less everything he needed to know and wanted to know. He visited a few more households in the village, and upon inquiry, the common folk here were in much the same situation. In fact, the farming household on the left side of the village was barely considered "well-off," since they still had a decent amount of labor in the family.

In terms of restoring people's livelihoods, aside from setting some positive policies from a macro perspective, Liu Chengyou could not do anything too detailed or effective. More of it would have to rely on long-term self-adjustment among the common people.

However, letting things rest and recover, governing through non-interference, and leaving matters to drift were also impossible. Everything Liu Chengyou had done since ascending the throne, compared to settling the people and nurturing households, was more accurately described as consolidating his position, establishing his authority, and thereby maintaining his rule over the Great Han realm he had inherited.

This was the most fundamental and core matter. He may have had love for the people, but as of now, Liu Chengyou's "benefit the people" policies were more of a superficial gesture, a way to show an attitude to the whole realm.

According to what the villagers said, and judging from the side, the local officials of Neihuang were doing a decent job. It was said that the County Magistrate had been promoted and appointed by Gao Xingzhou. Other matters could be temporarily ignored, but in attracting population, clarifying land boundaries, and encouraging reclamation and farming, they were very diligent. When disasters struck, they also responded actively with proactive measures, minimizing the losses suffered by the people within their jurisdiction.

This estate, built less than two years ago, was greatly disturbed by Liu Chengyou's inspection. Only after the three hundred tall horses and elite armored soldiers left, and after the thin dust raised on the dirt roads between the estates had settled, did the households in the estate dare to poke their heads out slightly to see what was going on.

They asked each other and found that every household in the estate was completely unharmed—no houses destroyed, no property or livestock lost—and the damaged thatched shed at the estate entrance had even been repaired. They were somewhat astonished. In the current state of the Great Han, even under Gao Xingzhou's governance, while an army passing through might not strip everything bare like a comb, an army that committed not the slightest infringement like this was still surprising.

The few households Liu Chengyou had visited were still completely baffled, not understanding what had happened. Even the old farmers had no concept of the identity of the young man with the heavy guard who had questioned them. It was only when the village head and ward head of the estate inquired and heard words like "Your Majesty" that they were greatly shocked and hastily led the villagers present to kneel down facing west.

The Emperor was, after all, the Emperor. In such an era of chaos and instability, survival was already difficult, but to have the opportunity to experience the majesty of the Son of Heaven at such close range was, for these ignorant folk, a stroke of good fortune.

The one who felt most regretful was the village head of this place. When the imperial army first entered the estate, he had been sharp-eyed enough to want to test the waters, but unfortunately he could not get close, having been sternly rebuffed and kept out by the imperial guardsmen.

After leaving this small estate, Liu Chengyou's face showed neither joy nor anger, wearing a deep and calm expression. It was the young Lady Zhe, attending at his side, who spoke in a pitying tone with a sigh: "I only knew that disasters in Hebei were unending and the common people impoverished, but I never imagined poverty could reach such a state!"

"This is a failure of mine as Emperor!" Hearing this, Liu Chengyou said offhandedly.

Seeing this, the young Lady Zhe quickly shook her head a few times, causing a strand of silk-like hair to fall loose, and explained to Liu Chengyou: "This humble one did not mean it that way."

Sensing the somewhat nervous tone of the young Lady Zhe, Liu Chengyou's expression relaxed, and he comforted her with a counter-question: "Fuzhou is secluded in the northern frontier, while Neihuang is in the heart of Hebei. How does the poverty of the people here compare to Fuzhou?"

At the question, the young Lady Zhe blinked her bright eyes a few times, thought for a moment, and said with a hint of pride: "Not wealthy, but every household has property, and every family has surplus grain."

"Well said—every household has property, and every family has surplus grain!" Liu Chengyou repeated with clear enunciation, his demeanor resolute and full of bearing: "This shall be my governing goal from now on!"

Speaking of ideals and goals was already Liu Chengyou's specialty.

With that, he raised his imperial whip and cracked it hard, as if venting the frustration in his heart. The fine steed beneath him let out a "whinny—" and galloped off along the dirt road.

Seeing this, the young Lady Zhe's jade-like face tightened, her delicate brows furrowed, and she immediately spurred her horse to follow. This caused Gao Huaide and Zhao Yanjin to hurriedly lead their men in a frantic rush to protect him.

In truth, it was impossible for Liu Chengyou to say that the trip to the countryside had not moved him. However, he was also clear in his heart that he, as Emperor, and the court bore a share of the "credit" for the poverty of the local people.

Over the past two years, although some unreasonable taxes had been abolished, they were mostly miscellaneous levies and apportioned public expenses. As for the regular taxes, not a single coin or grain of rice could be reduced. Moreover, in this regard, the court's supervision was not effective. Although Liu Chengyou was painstakingly rebuilding the external surveillance system, this required a process. And during this process, the central government simply could not control how local officials behaved.

In fact, since Liu Chengyou had come to power, what made him most displeased and uncomfortable was not the caution he had to exercise with the military, not the arrogance and power-grasping of veteran ministers and old associates, and not even the nation's poverty and hardship. Rather, it was the implementation and execution of policies—this was a chronic and difficult problem.

The capital region, the court, and the military—these he had already basically stabilized and brought under control. But what about beyond the capital region? Every time a policy was issued, orders would leave the Eastern Capital, reach the nearby prefectures, and then further out, timely feedback became hard to obtain.

Whenever he thought of this, Liu Chengyou's heart was filled with a surging sense of urgency and crisis. For this country, his control as Emperor was truly too weak. Even though this was a problem that all Central Plains monarchs and regimes had faced since the Later Liang.

This was also why Liu Chengyou was expending great effort and careful thought to rebuild institutions, re-establish ceremonial protocols, and promote talented people—it was simply that not enough time had passed for results to show yet.

At present, the prefectures and garrisons directly controlled by the central government were not few: the two capital regions, over half of the Central Plains, most of Guanzhong, as well as the Heyang and Hezhong regions. But relying only on these territories to support the vast bureaucracy and military of the Eastern Capital was very difficult—the support of local prefectures and garrisons was absolutely indispensable.

Over the past two years, the military governors of Shannan, Jingdong, Hedong, and even Hebei had contributed no small amount of tax revenue to the Eastern Capital. Take Weibo as an example: aside from the court remitting its taxes two years ago due to the severe damage suffered by all its prefectures in the campaign to destroy Du Chongwei, there had been no such cases since.

After Liu Chengyou came to power, even when Weibo suffered its worst disasters, Liu Chengyou only issued edicts to Daming Prefecture to provide disaster relief and reduce tribute contributions. In short, the central principle was: it could be reduced, it could be decreased, but it could never be exempted. According to the edicts issued at the start of his reign, even if a prefecture collected only a single copper coin in taxes, it had to be split in half and supplied to the Eastern Capital.

Of course, such practices would create certain negative effects. For example, his reputation as Emperor, whether the prefectures and garrisons were truly convinced, the lack of transparency in local finances, the people suffering exploitation as a result, popular resentment, popular unrest, and so on.

However, nothing was more tangible than the money and grain delivered to the Eastern Capital twice a year. Although it was said that he who wins the people's hearts wins the realm, as things stood, the common people of the realm were not the water carrying the great ship of the Great Han—the army, bureaucrats, and gentry of the Eastern Capital were. They were the foundation upon which Liu Chengyou, as helmsman, could cleave through waves and press forward.

The water might sometimes boil, but as long as it caught its breath, there would always be a day when it calmed down, as could be seen from the behavior of those ignorant folk in the estate. Moreover, the most difficult period when the Great Han could barely catch its breath had already passed. What else could possibly defeat Liu Chengyou now?

The problems he faced were how to pacify the realm, how to govern the realm, and how to bring stability to the realm. From the moment he set the strategy of "south first, then north," he had already embarked on this path that would only grow wider.

Facing the biting cold wind, he galloped for several li before stopping. After the intense exertion, Liu Chengyou's body grew hot, his rising heat forcing out sweat.

The young Lady Zhe, following closely behind, was also panting for breath, her small face flushed red, though her breathing was quite even.

Liu Chengyou's spirits seemed somewhat invigorated. He stared at Lady Zhe's face, his forceful gaze making the Worthy Consort lady feel so flustered and shy that she turned her head away...