Chapter 512: Military and Civil Affairs of the Eastern Capital

With the news of the peace treaty between the two states and the Son of Heaven returning in triumph spreading from the south, hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside the Eastern Capital erupted in jubilation. Officials rejoiced at the outstanding achievements, and common folk celebrated the end of war.

Over the nearly half a year since the war began, life had not been easy for ordinary scholars and commoners. Everything was prioritized for supplying the great army in Huainan, shipped to the front lines. Rising grain prices and shortages of materials caused great hardship for low-ranking clerks and ordinary people alike, who also had to worry about the safety of their sons conscripted into the army.

Fortunately, the war had finally ended, in this splendid season of late spring, at the start of the year's plans. With the wastage of war reduced, the government of the Eastern Capital could also draw more grain and cloth from the granaries to stabilize prices.

Before the imperial carriage returned to the capital, the civil and military officials of the Eastern Capital were immersed in a flurry of busy and complex work. For the great ministers, especially those holding the reins of the central government, whether the Emperor was present or absent made an entirely different world of difference.

Most importantly, before even returning to the capital, Liu Chengyou had already sent an edict early on, directing the State Finance Commission, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the two directorates of the imperial army and their various relevant offices to prepare for the post-war settlement of Huainan and the recording of merits and rewards for the officers and soldiers who campaigned against Huainan.

In the Hall of State Affairs, Feng Dao, Fan Zhi, Li Tao, and Xue Juzheng, the several chancellors managing court affairs, gathered together to discuss the matter again. The main issue was still the problem of dispatching officials to Huainan.

"Taking fourteen prefectures in one stroke—there are too many vacancies to fill at every level!" Feng Dao said from the center, taking a sip of tea. "Huainan is pressing urgently. Many prefectures and counties have no government functioning. If this goes on for long, chaos is certain to break out!"

"Having received the edict previously, we've already transferred over fifty prefectural and county officials from the two capitals. As for the jinshi degree holders from the regular and special examinations of the early Qianyou years, all who could be transferred have been sent to the two circuits!" Li Tao, who managed the Ministry of Personnel, responded. He looked somewhat troubled, but his tone was relaxed—after all, this was largely a happy kind of worry.

For the two circuits of East Huainan and West Huainan, appointments of regional magnates and senior generals were easy to find; the difficulty lay precisely in the various offices at the prefectural and county level. As early as when Shouchun first fell, Liu Chengyou had ordered the Eastern Capital to prepare a batch of mid- and lower-ranking officials to fill the posts in Guang, Shou, Hao, and Si prefectures. But it was far from enough. Although many Tang officials had been induced to surrender in Huainan and many local clerks had been appointed, the vacancies that the Northern Han court needed to fill to strengthen its control remained very large.

As he spoke, Li Tao suggested: "Should we send all the jinshi from the regular and special examinations of the past two years to Huainan as well?"

"No!" The moment he finished, Fan Zhi said directly with a stern face: "These jinshi lack experience in governance and managing the people. They still need to train in their posts. The prefectures and counties of Huainan are all newly taken territories with unfamiliar conditions and complex situations. There is much official and urgent business to handle, so we must fill these posts with those who have political talent and seniority! However, from among the jinshi, we may select the older ones and the elite and appoint them exceptionally!"

Li Tao added: "Among the two capitals, there are still many hereditary officials from meritorious families. They have received much grace from the state and are worthy of trust—we can appoint them!"

Fan Zhi still objected: "They have neither political talent nor much learning—how can they govern a region?"

"Then what does Chancellor Fan propose we do?" Seeing Fan Zhi repeatedly slap his own face and show him no respect, Li Tao was displeased and shot back.

Fan Zhi thought for a moment, then looked at Feng Dao: "Select officials from the various military provinces of Hedong, Henan, and Hebei to fill the posts. What does Chancellor Feng think?"

Hearing Fan Zhi's suggestion, Feng Dao instinctively glanced at him twice, stroked his white beard, pondered for a while, then nodded: "Very good! The various military provinces have stable military and civil governance. Transferring some personnel to support Huainan will not affect the overall situation!"

"As for the vacancies in the various local provinces, the court can gradually replenish them afterward!" Fan Zhi said calmly, his eyes slightly narrowed.

The several chancellors present now understood perfectly well what intention lay behind Fan Zhi's proposal. Feng Dao couldn't help but look at Fan Zhi twice, thinking to himself—could the Son of Heaven have sent him a secret edict?

Setting aside his stray thoughts, Feng Dao turned to Xue Juzheng, the Deputy Commissioner of the State Finance Commission, and asked: "How is the preparation of money, cloth, grain, and rice for rewarding the three armies going?"

At this mention, Xue Juzheng wore a bitter expression and shook his head: "Not even half is ready!"

Liu Chengyou had issued an edict for the Eastern Capital to prepare five thousand jin of gold, one hundred fifty thousand min of silver, one hundred thousand bolts of silk, and two hundred thousand shi of grain and rice, to record merits and reward the officers and soldiers of the three armies.

This was no small sum, and it had tormented the officials of the State Finance Commission. Seeming to understand Xue Juzheng's difficulty, Feng Dao merely reminded him: "His Majesty will soon return to court, and the imperial army will also return to the capital. This matter cannot be delayed!"

Xue Juzheng nodded and said: "Once the portion of the Southern Tang's annual tribute arrives, along with transfers from the various local granaries and the sale of the army's captured goods, it should be about enough!"

The State Finance Commission of the Great Han managed the nation's finances in its entirety. Though its power was heavy, it was the hardest office in the entire court to hold, after all, for the whole country. Although the Son of Heaven Liu Chengyou was frugal, every major undertaking never lacked great expenditure. Take this southern campaign for example—truly most of three years' accumulated savings had been consumed in it.

While the chancellors deliberated in the Hall of State Affairs, the Bureau of Military Affairs was also holding a high-level military conference—this was already the third time during this period. Besides the chief and deputy commissioners of the Bureau of Military Affairs, there was also Wei Renpu, the Minister of War, and Shang Hongqian, the commander of the Palace Command.

Shang Hongqian picked up the merit-reward and promotion list jointly compiled by the Ministry of War and the Bureau of Military Affairs, gave it a brief scan, and said with great emotion: "After this campaign, the imperial army has undergone another great transformation! Rising talents surge like clouds. I think it won't be long before we go down to the troops and see nothing but unfamiliar faces!"

"The commander jests!" Guo Wei said calmly: "In this southern campaign, the army's outstanding talents vied to distinguish themselves, and those who performed excellently are too numerous to count. The court recording merits and rewarding labor is only proper. Moreover, the outcome of this battle also proves that His Majesty and all the gentlemen's rectification of the imperial army has been remarkably effective!"

Guo Wei's speech was becoming more and more astute.

"The garrison arrangements for the armies of the two Huainan circuits still need some adjustment!" Wei Renpu's mind was entirely on official matters. He said: "The command headquarters His Majesty established, governing the garrison troops of one circuit, is the first of its kind in the Great Han and needs careful handling. The imperial army's external garrisons also need coordination from the Bureau of Military Affairs!"

"What Chancellor Wei says is quite right!" Zheng Renhui spoke up proactively, bowing to the several men: "The urgent tasks at hand, besides rewarding merits and punishing faults and adjusting garrisons and rotations, are the adjustments to the imperial army in the Eastern Capital. The Imperial Guard cavalry and infantry originally garrisoned at the Western Capital, Hua, Chan, and Weibo should take this opportunity to rotate. The various armies that campaigned have also suffered considerable losses and need replenishment!"

"His Majesty's edict mentioned this matter!" Wei Renpu nodded, thought for a moment, and said: "The establishment, official titles, and pay of the two directorates of the imperial army all need further adjustment. As for the missing troop quotas, in my humble opinion, we could select the strong and able from provinces such as Hedong, Weibo, and Chengde to fill the imperial army!"

Glancing at Wei Renpu, Guo Wei nodded: "Border garrison soldiers can also be conscripted!"

From what these civil and military officials of the Eastern Capital were discussing, one could basically see where the Northern Han's next targets would lie. Before Liu Chengyou had even returned to the capital, he had already issued edicts—the court was about to forcefully intervene in the military and civil affairs of the military provinces!

After the meeting dispersed, Guo Wei summoned Zheng Renhui and asked him: "Has any new report come from Guanzhong?"

Zheng Renhui shook his head, causing Chancellor Guo's brows to furrow. Seeing this, Zheng Renhui said: "The court has fully twenty thousand troops in Jingzhao and Fengxiang. With Governor Zhao's ability, offense may be insufficient, but defense should be no worry. Chancellor need not be concerned!"

"Geographically, the Shu army holding Qinfeng is always disadvantageous to our dynasty!" Guo Wei thought for a moment and instructed: "We must strengthen attention on Guanzhong military affairs. If I guess correctly, the Son of Heaven will absolutely not allow being constrained by the Meng Shu. Now that we have taken all of the Southern Tang's territory north of the Yangtze, once we free up our hands, we will surely resolve the southwestern border threat!"

Zheng Renhui was also a man of insight. He nodded in approval, a hint of excitement in his brows and eyes, and said to Guo Wei: "Chancellor, given the way the world's situation is developing, the time when the realm returns to unification is probably not far off!"

Hearing this, Guo Wei thought seriously for a moment, his expression grave, then suddenly raised his head and said to Zheng Renhui: "Rixin, have you ever considered being posted out to the provinces?"

Startled by the sudden words, Zheng Renhui was taken aback for a moment, but upon reflection, he somewhat understood Guo Wei's concerns. Although the Bureau of Military Affairs had had part of its authority divided off by the Ministry of War, it still held the military orders of the entire realm—great in power and influence. And the closeness between Guo Wei and Zheng Renhui, the chief and deputy commissioners, was known to the entire court.

After only a brief moment of thought, Zheng Renhui said: "I am old and frail. It was only through Chancellor's recommendation and promotion that I came to hold the reins of the pivotal bureau. If Chancellor has arrangements, I naturally have no objection!"

"Lord Zheng understands the greater picture!" Seeing his reaction, Guo Wei said with emotion: "His Majesty's newly established Judicial Commissioner office has not yet been staffed. I wish to recommend Rixin to serve as Judicial Commissioner of the East Huainan circuit!"