Chapter 739: Seeking Fame at the Cost of One's Life

By the time Liu Chengyou's carriage returned to Baima Ferry, most of the field headquarters troops had already crossed the river, leaving only the five hundred accompanying soldiers still waiting for the sovereign's return. To support the field headquarters' northward crossing, Li Fang had requisitioned thirty boats for transport.

Seeing the imperial carriage return, Shi Shouxin and Li Fang came forward together to greet him: "We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"

"Rise!" Waving his hand, Liu Chengyou looked around and asked: "How goes the river crossing?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Longqi Army, warhorses, banners, armor and weapons, provisions, and other heavy goods have all crossed the river." Shi Shouxin answered crisply: "The consorts, palace ladies, officials accompanying the carriage, and the Inner Palace troops are now preparing to cross by boat!"

Glancing at the surrounding situation, it was clear they had been waiting for his return. Li Fang asked: "Your Majesty has just returned from inspecting the dikes—would you care to rest a moment first?"

Looking at the sky, the rising sun hung high, scattering its radiance across the great river, making it glitter with golden light—somewhat beautiful, and spirit-lifting. The hour was in fact still early, but taking in the scene before Baima Ferry, Liu Chengyou waved his hand directly: "No need!"

This morning, just at dawn, Liu Chengyou had taken the princes to the Liuhe Dike, and now on his return, it had just entered the beginning of the si hour (9 AM). The princes, who had displayed an excess of energy on the dike, had returned asleep.

At Baima Ferry, the cordon had not yet been lifted. Soldiers and corvée laborers from the surrounding prefectures stood at their posts, and all ordinary traffic had ceased entirely. Around the dock, boats drifted and moored, merchants and commoners gathered awaiting passage—a bustling scene. Though somewhat noisy, they all unconsciously glanced this way, but seeing the formation at the landing, they stayed obediently, not daring to cross the line, waiting only for the official troops to lift the cordon.

"I see the boats and travelers around here have been waiting quite a while!" Liu Chengyou smiled and instructed Shi Shouxin: "Let's not keep troubling the people—go ahead and make the arrangements!"

"Yes!"

When an emperor travels through on inspection, how could it not trouble the people? On this point, Liu Chengyou did not put on a show of populist virtue, much less use it to reproach his civil and military officials.

Personally carrying the soundly sleeping Liu Xi, he went straight to Noble Consort Gao. The voluptuous noble lady greeted him eagerly. Even during the inspection tour, Liu Chengyou took turns among his consorts, doing his best to spread his favors evenly.

Facing the beautiful noble lady—her lithe figure, her charming and alluring bearing—the latent excitement hidden in his body since morning was instantly stirred. Had they not been preparing to cross the river, Liu Chengyou feared he would not have been able to resist a vigorous session.

"Go, fetch Hu Zai for me!" Before boarding the boat, Liu Chengyou instructed Zhang Dejun.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty!" Shortly after, a middle-aged official with a gaunt frame and pallid complexion arrived on orders.

Looking at Hu Zai, Liu Chengyou instructed directly: "Army Commander Bai Chongzan of the Yicheng Army is accompanying the imperial carriage on the northern tour. As for his replacement, send a dispatch to the Eastern Capital and have the Bureau of Military Affairs appoint someone as they see fit!"

"Yes!"

Hu Zai, courtesy name Zhongxi, had been fond of learning since childhood, with outstanding literary skill and brilliant talent. He was the top scholar (zhuangyuan) of the second year of Qianyou in the special imperial examination, in the same cohort as Wang Zhu. However, he had never been given significant appointment—first, because his literary air was too strong, appearing pedantic in Liu Chengyou's eyes; second, because his constitution was poor, even worse than Zhao Yan's.

Since entering court, he had rotated through the Hanlin Academy, the Three Institutes, and the Six Ministries. But this man excelled particularly at rhapsodies, eulogies, stele inscriptions, and panegyrics. Finally, last year, by writing the spirit-path stele inscriptions for Jing Fan and Zhe Congruan, he caught Liu Chengyou's eye again and was promoted to Hanlin Academician.

In recent years, as the state grew more stable and literary culture revived, with his position secure, Liu Chengyou's views had been gradually shifting. Though he would not go so far as to affect refinement, having more men of literary talent around him was hardly a bad thing.

Therefore, on this northern inspection, Hu Zai had been specifically summoned by Liu Chengyou to accompany the carriage, handling matters of documents and imperial edicts.

Now, seeing his sickly appearance, Liu Chengyou's brow furrowed slightly, and he said: "You look rather unwell! I failed to consider your health—how can you endure the fatigue of carriage and boat travel? If you cannot hold up, you should return to the Eastern Capital to recuperate!"

Hearing the emperor speak thus, Hu Zai shook his head repeatedly and answered with great deference: "Thank you for Your Majesty's concern. Your servant's health is still fine—it's just an old ailment, nothing serious!"

Liu Chengyou looked at Hu Zai a few more times, found his expression quite earnest, yet with calmness and resolve showing through his eyes, and so said nothing more.

After Liu Chengyou boarded the boat, Hu Zai turned around, his steps shifting from light to heavy, and a faint, unusual flush appeared on his face. Many knew Hu Zai was frail, but at this moment, he was in fact already riddled with illness—merely concealing it.

As for his purpose, it was not complicated. A literatus seeks fame. Hu Zai's prose was truly excellent; his piece "The Bixian Rhapsody" had spread widely through the Eastern Capital and was praised by all. Had he possessed a healthy body, he might well have become a literary master recorded in the annals of history.

Yet heaven did not favor him—frail and ill for years, treatments failing to cure him. For Hu Zai, though he had earned the top scholar title, these years had been spent in idle drift. Now, finally, he had caught the Son of Heaven's eye. Being specifically named to serve before the imperial presence and accompany the northern tour was a rare opportunity.

In this age, the protagonist and center was always the Son of Heaven of the Great Han. If one wished to leave a name in history, there was no better opportunity than serving at Liu Chengyou's side—even without great achievements, merely composing prose and drafting edicts.

In the days since departure, the edicts and proclamations spoken by Liu Chengyou, polished by Hu Zai's hand, could be said to blossom at the brush's touch—every piece elegant and brilliant, all of them works by which Hu Zai could leave his name.

Hu Zai's illness had persisted for a long time. This time, had he accepted the emperor's grace and returned to the Eastern Capital to recuperate, his chances of recovery were slim, but the opportunity in hand would be utterly abandoned.

Therefore, Hu Zai chose to force his ailing body to carry on.

After withdrawing, he quickly wrote up the edict, submitted it for review and sealing, and dispatched it to the Eastern Capital. Then, swiftly packing his luggage with his servant, he accompanied the carriage across the river.

Another half hour or more was consumed before the remaining batch of field headquarters personnel finished boarding, weighed anchor, and departed the shore, slowly heading north, preparing to cross the broad Yellow River.

With the imperial carriage departed, Baima Ferry gradually lifted its cordon. Boats came and went, docking freely; merchants and travelers entered the port; the clamor of bustle once again filled the landing. Baima Ferry quickly recovered its former prosperity. At the same time, the topic of "the emperor's inspection tour" was added to the conversations. When an emperor tours not for pleasure but to inspect prefectural governance, observe the people's condition, and minimize expenditure of manpower and wealth, it does somewhat boost popular morale.

Boarding the boat, leaving shore, sailing, reaching shore, disembarking. After all this commotion, by the time he reached the north bank, Liu Chengyou was thoroughly exhausted. Fortunately, the government offices on the north bank had made preparations to receive him, and the Longqi Army that had crossed earlier had already formed up in advance. After an hour of adjustment, they set out again, heading northwest directly toward Daming Prefecture—this being Liu Chengyou's traditional route on his northern tours.

In fact, departing from the Eastern Capital, had he taken a boat, it would have been easier and faster. But there was no helping it—first, Liu Chengyou did not like traveling by boat, considering it too risky; second, the inspection route was also planned in advance. Only some supplies traveled by water.

Following the canal northward, they rested one night at Neihuang, then set out the next day, arriving at Yuancheng in Daming Prefecture.

"May I ask what Your Majesty commands?" Wei Renpu came on orders and boarded the imperial carriage.

Looking at him, Liu Chengyou smiled: "I'm fairly familiar with Daming and its surroundings. We're about to reach Yuancheng, and I don't intend to linger here long—after resting two days, we'll continue north. Let us part ways here. The prefectures and counties along the lower reaches of the great river suffered much from flooding in past years, though these past two years have been relatively calm. Regarding reconstruction and resumption of farming, I previously sent Wang Min to inspect, and he found no small number of problems. I intend to trouble you, Minister Wei, to go east on my behalf with the dignity of a chancellor, to the lower-reach prefectures and counties, to see the current state of affairs, inspect the dikes and embankments, remove or appoint local officials, and reward the worthy while punishing the corrupt!"

In past years, the Great Han had suffered frequent floods, with Zheng, Hua, Bo, and the lower-reach prefectures and counties hit hardest. The impact was vast—a million disaster victims—and the court had spent no small amount of manpower and resources on remediation. The resulting series of political and livelihood problems had yet to be fully resolved.

Wei Renpu needed only a moment's reflection to grasp the emperor's intent. Without wasting words, he cupped his hands and answered: "Yes!"

"Let's go! Upon reaching Yuancheng, perhaps I'll have a different feeling again!" Liu Chengyou said with a light laugh.

Over in Yuancheng, Deputy Chief Commander of the Imperial Guard Command Guo Congyi, Administration Commissioner of the Western Circuit Dou Yi, and Governor of Daming Prefecture Li Huan, leading Yuancheng's officers and officials, had already ridden out in haste to welcome him.