Chapter 746: The Governance of Chu Zhaofu

Regarding Chu Zhaofu's frugality, Liu Chengyou had some understanding of it, and after investigation, it was not for show. This man's abilities could be described as sharp and strong, and he was diligent in his work, fair in his judgments, never bending the law for personal gain, with extremely strong execution.

Of course, this man also had obvious character traits—strong ambition, aloofness, and extreme stinginess. The shabbiness of his government office was not only due to his governing style but also his miserly nature at work.

As far as Liu Chengyou knew, Chu Zhaofu had saved up all the salary and rewards he had received during his years of official service, always spending little and saving much, though in terms of food, clothing, and daily expenses, he did not pursue harsh austerity.

And the money he had accumulated over the years was not for show or amusement—most of it was handed to his family to purchase farmland and houses back in his hometown.

For a man like Chu Zhaofu, Liu Chengyou appreciated his talent and did not despise his character; on the contrary, he found this man quite genuine, even somewhat endearing.

Fiddling with a tally token in his hand, Liu Chengyou looked at Chu Zhaofu and continued to praise him from an indirect angle: "Judging by the scratch marks on this tally, it's clearly been used frequently, unlike some places where the tally buckets are already gathering dust—a sign of slack governance!"

"Your Majesty, I have also heard something of the Puxian affair. There are many military and civilian officials throughout the realm, and it's inevitable that some are good and some are bad, some wise and some foolish. For those who are negligent, dealing with them to uphold national law is sufficient. I dare not claim diligence for myself; I only seek to fulfill my duties—above, not failing my sovereign; below, not neglecting the people; and in between, not shaming my own conscience!" Chu Zhaofu replied.

What Liu Chengyou spoke of was the magistrate of Pu County in Daning Prefecture, Hedong. The man had served for two years without attending to governance, without reviewing lawsuits, without concerning himself with grain and taxes, spending his days indulging in drink and pleasure, and even brazenly claiming to practice "governing by non-interference." Of course, since he never saw any problems, the county naturally had no problems—a picture of peace.

It was only during the imperial envoy's inspection of prisons and criminal cases last year that this "father-mother official" was discovered, arrested, and sent to the Eastern Capital for judgment. The key point was that such an official had managed to serve peacefully for two whole years, and the resulting purge of Daning Prefecture's officialdom need not be detailed here—in short, the Prefect was demoted...

"Cangzhou Prefecture governs a vast area, bordering the Bohai Sea. Since ancient times it has been the prefecture of the blue sea, enjoying the benefits of fish and salt. Even to this day, it ranks among the Great Han's foremost prefectures, with a large population and proximity to the northern border. In this post, your authority and responsibility are not light—you must apply yourself diligently!" Perhaps tired from standing, Liu Chengyou sat down on the hall table, looked at Chu Zhaofu, and spoke with feeling.

"I understand, Your Majesty! Since assuming this post, I have felt the weight of responsibility and dare not be remiss. I can only devote myself wholeheartedly to repay Your Majesty's grace in elevating me!" Chu Zhaofu wore a solemn and earnest expression.

Nodding slightly, Liu Chengyou asked: "How many registered residents are under Cangzhou Prefecture's jurisdiction now? And how many able-bodied adults among them?"

Chu Zhaofu had done his homework thoroughly, reciting as if from memory: "The registered households across the counties total 25,780, with 172,725 men and women, of whom 41,849 are able-bodied adults."

Seeing how he listed the figures like treasures from his own home, Liu Chengyou smiled: "Among all the prefectures in the realm, this counts as a large population—a great increase compared to the early years of the state!"

Chu Zhaofu said: "In recent years, there has been no warfare on the northern border, the region has been stable, land output has gradually increased, and with the court's policies encouraging childbearing, the people are happy to reproduce, hence the growing population. Additionally, there are over thirty thousand refugees from Youyan who were gathered and resettled in earlier years!"

"Those people who came from the north, leaving their homes behind—have they settled well in Cangzhou?" Liu Chengyou asked with concern.

"When Commandery Duke of Bohai (Wang Jing) was in office, his governance was sound and his methods of pacifying the people were effective, so most of them put down roots within the territory and rebuilt their homes. I have personally gone to the countryside to inquire—feelings of nostalgia for their native soil are inevitable, and in the past two years as the northern border has gradually stabilized, some have drifted back north, but the majority still harbor fear about returning and live contentedly under our jurisdiction." Chu Zhaofu answered.

"They're worried about the Khitan, aren't they!" Liu Chengyou mused briefly.

"Exactly!"

Of course, the Youyan people in Cangzhou being unwilling to return home also had to do with official propaganda and control. Although the Han-Liao border had been peaceful for many years with frequent civilian trade, neither side's military deployments had relaxed in the slightest. The Khitan held all the strategic passes, and without geographical advantage, should war break out, Youyan would still be a battlefield.

Refugees who had experienced the chaos of war, having finally settled in Cangzhou, rebuilt their homes, and acquired their own land—how could they lightly leave? Even if the Han army succeeded in recovering the north in the future, whether they could bear to give up their fields and houses in Cangzhou was itself a question.

For the Cangzhou government, strict control over the Yan people's return north was also a matter of policy—population size and growth were important criteria for performance evaluation.

And in recent years, those Yan people who did return north were mostly able-bodied young men who didn't engage in production and went north to seek their fortunes. Ordinary people didn't have that kind of adventurous spirit and didn't dare take risks—steadily farming the land, paying grain and taxes, suited them better.

Liu Chengyou let out a light sigh, pointed north with his finger, and said with deep feeling: "Vast tracts of land, prefectures and counties, still remain in Khitan hands. Thinking of these people who left their homes, and then of the Han people still suffering under the hooves of barbarian cavalry, my enterprise still has a long road ahead!"

"Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have governed with vigor and diligence, and the realm has gradually grown peaceful, giving rise to today's prosperity. Once the various states are pacified and the realm unified, looking back, you can then proceed north at leisure, recover our ancestral lands, eliminate the northern threat, and bring peace to the people!" Chu Zhaofu replied.

"That day will come!" Liu Chengyou quickly recovered his spirited demeanor, confident and buoyant.

"By the way, in recent years, Cangzhou's sea salt has been sold far and wide to the northern prefectures. I hear that since you assumed office, you've opened up many new salt fields, improved the treatment of salt workers, and encouraged them to refine their salt-making techniques." Liu Chengyou asked further.

"Since ancient times, Cangzhou has been a land of fish and salt! The people along the coast mostly boil seawater to make salt for a living, and the state benefits from it as well!" Chu Zhaofu said: "Now under Cangzhou's jurisdiction, the two counties of Haiyan and Wudi have the most flourishing salt industries, with over ten thousand people earning their livelihood making salt at the salt works!"

"Grain fills the belly, salt cuts the blandness—salt's importance is in no way inferior to grain and rice!" Liu Chengyou said: "Now, how much salt does Cangzhou produce each year?"

"To answer Your Majesty, approximately 230 dan!" Chu Zhaofu replied: "However, it still cannot match the refinement of Xie salt. I have previously issued a salt-encouragement proclamation, urging salt workers to produce refined salt for tribute to the Eastern Capital!"

"Very good!" Liu Chengyou broke into a smile: "This should indeed be encouraged—rewards should be increased!"

Among the Great Han's salts, by quality, Xie salt ranked first, and it had always been the tribute salt! Chu Zhaofu's ambition to make Cangzhou salt rival Xie salt was no low goal. But Cangzhou's sea salt, compared to mineral salt, ultimately had its gaps—it wouldn't be easy until the salt-making techniques saw major improvement.

"Since last year, I've received quite a few memorials of impeachment against you, saying that you had the bodies of executed salt smugglers pierced through with sharpened stakes and hung at the salt fields, exposed to wind and sun. There has been much criticism at court, saying this greatly offends heaven's harmony..." Liu Chengyou suddenly brought up another matter.

Hearing this, Chu Zhaofu's expression shifted slightly. He looked up to observe Liu Chengyou's expression—it was very calm. After weighing his words, he replied: "The salt trade is state-run, but there are always greedy people who ignore the court's prohibitions, brazenly breaking the law by trafficking private salt for exorbitant profits. I was deeply indignant toward such people, so I used harsh laws to deter them. My methods of punishment were overly severe and frightening—that was a lapse in my judgment!"

"Issuing clear orders and enforcing strict discipline is not wrong—those who smuggle salt and steal state profits deserve to be cut off. Those who should be imprisoned, imprison; those who should be killed, kill. But hanging corpses out to dry is entirely unnecessary! Spreading such tales may indeed have a deterrent effect, but in the end it will make the people fear the government and perceive it as tyranny, and it also does no good for your reputation, Minister Chu!" Liu Chengyou said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Seeing the emperor's attitude, Chu Zhaofu breathed a slight sigh of relief and replied submissively.

"Furthermore, I don't wish to see you, Minister Chu, toiling day and night with such diligence, only to leave Cangzhou with a tarnished reputation after achieving great governance..." Liu Chengyou said.

A trace of emotion appeared on his face, and Chu Zhaofu said respectfully: "Your Majesty's kind intentions move me deeply—I am overcome with gratitude and shame!"