Chapter 397: Duke Shi Guards Luo: Resentment Rises on All Sides

The situation in Jingnan and Xiangzhou quickly reached the Eastern Capital and was reported to the Son of Heaven, going so smoothly that even Liu Chengyou was greatly surprised—had his mind not remained clear throughout, he might have harbored the illusion that all within the four seas were submitting to him.

"Duke Qi is truly a senior statesman of the realm, a pillar of the south. His loyalty is commendable, truly commendable!" Liu Chengyou's eyes narrowed into a joyful arc as he praised An Shenqi.

Fan Zhi stood respectfully in the hall and said: "Duke Qi is strict without blemish, modest and self-contained, well-versed in the strategies of the orthodox and the unorthodox, thoroughly familiar with the arts of the void and the solid. To station him at Xiangzhou is like having a Great Wall—Your Majesty may rest easy!"

Liu Chengyou nodded, his delight evident on his face: "I hear his son An Shouzhong is also a promising young talent, widely renowned in Xiangzhou. Duke Qi intends to have him enter the court as a general. The state is precisely in need of men of ability—with such fine talent, how could I not gladly accept him?" Liu Chengyou pointed to an attendant official at the side: "Convey my order to the Bureau of Military Affairs—once An Shouzhong arrives in the Eastern Capital, arrange his military post appropriately according to his abilities!"

"The name An Shouzhong is well chosen too—Duke Qi's heart is one of utter sincerity..."

"Yes!"

The official receiving the order was named Wang Zhu, a man of refined and courteous bearing. Hmm, Wang Qiwu had gone south to take up his post in Suzhou, and the Emperor now had a new young man by his side.

In the third year of Qianyou, the Great Han held its regular imperial examinations. Minister of Rites Zhao Shangjiao again presided over the examinations. This time, the scale of talent recruitment was unprecedented—over a thousand candidates were selected across all subjects. As for this Wang Zhu, he had passed the jinshi examination with a high ranking, and, most fortunately, had been "drawn" by the Son of Heaven, receiving the post of Right Reminder, serving before the imperial presence.

As for the name "Wang Zhu," Liu Chengyou had a vague impression of it in his mind. Sometimes, the names and deeds of famous ministers and valiant generals are easily forgotten, while the protagonists of certain "little stories" remain long in one's memory.

The story went something like this: when Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, held a banquet, Wang Zhu was among the guests. Deep in his cups, he thought of his former lord of the Later Zhou and made a great commotion. Zhao Kuangyin did not punish him and ordered someone to help him down to rest. Wang Zhu refused, hiding behind a screen and weeping bitterly. A minister submitted a memorial asking Zhao Kuangyin to punish him for harboring nostalgia for the previous dynasty. Zhao Kuangyin, displaying his magnanimity, said that a scholar drunk on wine, whose temperament was known, was not worth making a fuss over...

Later, Wang Zhu died of a sudden illness.

And so, among the many high-ranking jinshi, Liu Chengyou picked out this Wang Zhu, who had "caught his eye." By now, he no longer needed to fixate solely on "historical celebrities"—there was no need...

"Your Majesty, regarding what the King of Nanping has requested—the matter of supplying grain and provisions—how should we reply?" Fan Zhi asked.

At the mention of this, Liu Chengyou could not help but laugh, smiling somewhat reservedly: "This Gao Baorong—his stingy nature truly comes from his father. Now he's even bargaining over prices with me!"

A hint of a smile also appeared on Fan Zhi's perpetually stern face as he said: "What I see, however, is the King of Nanping's reverence for Your Majesty and the court!"

After a moment of deliberation, Liu Chengyou said: "Send someone to reply to Gao Baorong—tell him I agree to his request. The army stationed at Li, let him supply grain for three months; after that, the three prefectures of Xiang, An, and Ying will deliver it!"

Then he glanced at Fan Zhi, his tone laden with emotion: "Jingnan has been so obedient to the court. If they have difficulties, I too should show understanding. Otherwise, if word spreads, how would the world view us, the sovereign and ministers of the Great Han? We must not be too overbearing... As such, issue an edict granting Gao Baorong fifty bolts of silk—consider it a token of my regard!"

"Yes!"

As for this deployment in Jinghu, Liu Chengyou's intent went beyond scheming against the Southern Tang—it was hardly just about those troops and those provisions.

This was the first time since the first year of Qianyou, when he had repelled the Meng Shu and pacified Hezhong, that Liu Chengyou had again bared his claws outward. It was also an experiment, and the results were gratifying. The facts proved that the Great Han's central government now had far greater influence over the regions than Liu Chengyou had imagined.

All along, given the hardships and difficulties since the founding of the state, constrained by the times and the national situation, Liu Chengyou had been cautious and circumspect, as if treading on thin ice. But from now on, whether in governance or in war, he felt he could afford to be bolder...

"Your Majesty, recently the central government has received numerous memorials from officials of the Western Capital's branch office, all impeaching the Western Capital's Acting Military Governor, Shi Hongzhao!" Fan Zhi raised the matter: "The Hall of State Affairs dared not decide on its own—we await Your Majesty's instruction!"

"Mm... I suppose it's more of the same old clichés!" Liu Chengyou asked lightly, looking utterly unconcerned.

Ever since Shi Hongzhao had been sent out to Luoyang, with his overbearing and unreasonable style, he had tormented the Western Capital's officials, meritorious subjects, powerful magnates, and wealthy merchants to the point of "ecstasy." Throughout his tenure, impeachments and denunciations had flowed in ceaselessly. If a single month passed without receiving accusations from the Western Capital, the Eastern Capital side would actually find it strange.

However, thanks to the scheming Son of Heaven Liu Chengyou, he was quite satisfied with Shi Hongzhao's work in Luoyang. There were so many meritorious subjects and wealthy magnates in the Western Capital sucking the blood of the Great Han—it was just right for a villain like Shi Hongzhao to grind them down.

Thus, hearing Fan Zhi raise the impeachment of Shi Hongzhao again, Liu Chengyou was not surprised and took it as routine.

However, Fan Zhi clearly had other thoughts, and reminded him: "Your Majesty, this time the situation is somewhat unusual!"

"Oh?" This indeed caught Liu Chengyou's attention: "What's going on? Speak!"

"Because of Your Majesty's earlier edict to verify the nation's lands and registered households, Shi Hongzhao ordered his subordinate officials, soldiers, and corvée laborers to conduct a comprehensive investigation throughout Luoyang's territory. This was in compliance with the imperial edict, but the lower-ranking officials acted far too wantonly. Many Great Han officials and meritorious subjects own land and estates in the Western Capital, and a great many are unregistered. Shi Hongzhao, following the old registers, checked against them like searching for a horse by its picture—anything not in the registers was confiscated in full."

"As a result, throughout the Western Capital, countless families were ruined and lost their lands. Resentment among the people accumulated to the point of hatred. Some pooled their wealth to hire wandering knights to assassinate him, but they were all captured and cruelly killed by Shi Hongzhao. He then sent troops to conduct a massive manhunt within the Western Capital city for the masterminds, arresting dozens, subjecting them to harsh interrogation without verification, and without reporting to the Eastern Capital, had them all executed in the marketplace!"

"Your Majesty, as it stands now in the Western Capital, scholars, commoners, officials, and merchants alike all rage against Shi's governance—the cries of grievance are enough to fill the roads..."

After hearing Fan Zhi's report, Liu Chengyou's expression could not help but turn considerably more serious. Frowning, he said: "Duke Zheng acted in accordance with the court's edict—what fault is there in that? Where does this popular resentment come from?"

Then he glanced at Fan Zhi: "Land is the foundation of the people, the basis of food and clothing. Those who own fields stretching across the countryside—why did they not register with the authorities earlier? Do I not know the reasons? In these years, have the people recruited to reclaim and cultivate land in the Western Capital, or the lands granted as military merit rewards, ever been disturbed? The popular resentment and anger Minister Fan speaks of—who exactly does it refer to?"

Though it was not directed at Fan Zhi, the Son of Heaven's successive questions fell upon Fan Zhi's ears, filling this normally composed and stern minister with unease.

Seeing Liu Chengyou's cold, hard expression and his apparent intention to continue shielding Shi Hongzhao, Fan Zhi silently sighed to himself: "Your Majesty..."

Before he could get the words out, Liu Chengyou continued: "However, Duke Zheng is a military man through and through, always harsh and overbearing. His excessive actions and improper handling are indeed inexcusable. Arbitrary arrests and wanton killings smack of treating human lives like grass—that is even more inexcusable!"

After this statement, Liu Chengyou looked at Fan Zhi: "Minister Fan, what do you think should be done about this matter?"

The Son of Heaven's question clearly showed signs of a change of heart, but Fan Zhi remained composed and cautious in his attitude: "Duke Zheng, while in Luo, has always governed with harsh punishments and strict laws. Though order prevails, the people are truly unsettled. Let me ask—the scholars and commoners of the Western Capital, when they take to the streets, walk in haste; when they speak privately, they dare not raise their voices; throughout the hundred-odd market wards, there is not a single trace of laughter. Under Duke Zheng's tenure, the people of the Western Capital cannot live in peace, the merchants cannot conduct their business joyfully, and their accumulated grievances are many. Especially this time—his handling has been far too improper..."

After listing Shi Hongzhao's faults, Fan Zhi thought of something and revised his words: "However, these situations all come from memorials and hearsay. As for the actual facts, Your Majesty will need to send someone to verify. The Western Capital's Acting Military Governor is after all a key national post, and Duke Zheng is a founding meritorious minister. As for the specific handling, I await Your Majesty's wise decision!"

After hearing Fan Zhi's words, Liu Chengyou took a deep breath and asked: "How long has Shi Hongzhao been serving in the Western Capital?"

"In four months, it will be three full years!" Fan Zhi replied.

"Then let him move to a new post. The Hall of State Affairs may deliberate on what position he should be transferred to—whether to recall him to the Eastern Capital or move him to another garrison!" Liu Chengyou instructed directly.

As for transferring Shi Hongzhao away, Liu Chengyou had actually long harbored this intention. If he let him keep suppressing things, Luoyang would probably be ruined...

"Yes!"

Just as Fan Zhi was about to take his leave, Liu Chengyou suddenly asked in a flat tone: "Among those whose lands were confiscated by Duke Zheng—does your Fan family happen to be among them?"