Chapter 773: The Court's Reaction in the Eastern Capital

The Eastern Capital, the Imperial City, Guangzheng Hall, the Hall of State Affairs.

During these months of the Son of Heaven's tour, this was the center of power for the entire Great Han—where state affairs were handled and where edicts and orders originated. Through trial, it seemed to have been proven that even without the Emperor present, the various offices of the court could operate smoothly.

Of course, it could not be denied that the Son of Heaven Liu Chengyou's influence over the court had penetrated to a certain depth. Though he was away from the capital, his authority remained, and Chongzheng Hall seemed to carry his will, suppressing the realm. Likewise, no one dared to imagine how state affairs and the political situation would develop without the Emperor, or what kind of scene the realm would become...

However, for the chancellors of the Hall of State Affairs, especially Chief Chancellor Li Tao, this period had been noticeably more comfortable. They truly experienced the feeling of governing the realm, harmonizing yin and yang, with no Emperor watching over them at all times—the sensation of holding great power in hand was always intoxicating.

But with news of the chaos in Guanzhong arriving, Chancellor Li's mood turned quite sour. Originally, before the Emperor returned to the capital, the realm was at peace and no great affairs troubled the state—that would have been a qualified answer sheet for them.

Who could have imagined that a mere group of captive laborers could stir up such a rebellion, especially with the Emperor touring nearby? One could imagine what thunderous wrath would follow. It was practically a slap in the face—a slap to the Son of Heaven's face, a slap to the face of the court and to them, these high ministers of state.

Sure enough, the Emperor's subsequent reaction proved this point—he directly supervised the suppression of the rebellion from nearby, with all intelligence sent straight to his presence. And they, these ministers who governed state affairs, were directly reduced to mere ornaments while chaos reigned in Guanzhong. For Chancellor Li Tao, who had been enjoying himself for over two months, this was no small blow.

The facts likewise proved that the pressure of imperial power on ministerial power had already reached a certain level—the Son of Heaven seemed able to gather power back at any moment. And in the face of Liu Chengyou's autocratic actions, they seemed to have no ability to resist. This time they could not even find a pretext for objection; ultimately, they could not raise any dissent against the Emperor personally supervising the suppression from nearby. At most, they could submit memorials expressing concern for the Emperor's safety...

Within the hall, Chancellor Li Tao, Fan Zhi, Xue Juzheng, and Wei Renpu—who had returned from his inspection tour of the prefectures and counties along the lower Yellow River—were all present. Commissioner of Military Affairs Guo Rong seemed to have been deliberately excluded. Matters that could bring these several powerful chancellors together for discussion were certainly not trivial.

Whether it was the weather being too hot or people's moods being inherently irritable, Li Tao, carrying a trace of anger, ordered outward: "Someone! Bring more ice and cold towels!"

After giving the order, Li Tao continued presiding over the meeting, pointing at the official documents on the desk and saying: "Thanks to His Majesty's personal supervision and the efforts of all ministers, the Shu rebellion has been initially pacified, and Guanzhong has returned to stability.

His Majesty's edict has arrived, and its meaning is already quite clear—you all should know it by now. The border troops and garrison officers who rendered merit in suppressing this rebellion will be reviewed and confirmed by Chancellor Wei. Tax reductions and exemptions for the affected prefectures and counties will be verified and determined by personnel sent by the State Finance Commission!"

Li Tao spoke to the two chancellors Wei Renpu and Xue Juzheng in a tone of instruction. At this, Xue Juzheng showed slight displeasure, responding with a faint acknowledgment, while Wei Renpu wore a composed expression, even carrying a gentle smile: "As it should be!"

"As for other meritorious personnel, the Ministry of Personnel will naturally evaluate them!" Li Tao's expression turned somewhat serious as he asked: "Then let us discuss—how should the remaining Shu captives be dealt with?"

At these words, no one spoke up for a moment; all considered for a while. Fan Zhi said in a deep voice: "In this Guanzhong Shu rebellion, less than two-tenths of the Shu army captives participated. The remaining captives are still considerable in number. How to resettle them requires careful consideration!"

"Wensu's words are quite right!" Li Tao nodded in approval, taking the opportunity to ask: "In your view, what would be the most appropriate way to handle this?"

Fan Zhi said: "This rebellion was ultimately caused by local government offices excessively enslaving the Shu captives, with the court exercising too little oversight. Over these past two years, deaths from abuse have repeatedly occurred, finally culminating in such consequences.

I believe that first, the policies toward them should be changed. The Shu people are also Han. Once His Majesty pacifies Chuanshu, they will also be subjects of the Great Han—they must no longer be driven as captives and slaves.

Furthermore, among the southwestern border troops, there are the Huaiwei and Huaide armies composed of Shu people. This matter will inevitably affect their morale, and the court cannot fail to consider this!"

After speaking at length, Fan Zhi said somewhat forcefully: "In my view, we should abolish the slave status of all captives, re-register them into households, allocate them farmland, and let them labor—to settle their hearts!"

"Chancellor Fan's considerations are reasonable; it should be so!" Xue Juzheng immediately expressed his approval.

Glancing at Xue Juzheng, Li Tao said: "Then should we grant them liberation and household registration in their current prefectures?"

"That would probably be inappropriate!" Fan Zhi shook his head: "The Shu captives, where they are, have suffered much forced labor. Giving them a change of environment, supplemented by policies, might yield better results!"

"How about relocating these Shu captives to strengthen the frontiers?" Wei Renpu spoke up at this moment, voicing his idea: "His Majesty has long harbored the intention of strengthening the frontiers. The lands of Lingyan, Dingbian, and Longxi could all serve as relocation sites. This way, we can both populate the borders, balance the Hu and Han, strengthen court control, and also eliminate the hidden danger of the Shu captives!"

When Wei Renpu finished speaking, the eyes of the several men all lit up. Li Tao looked toward Fan Zhi and Xue Juzheng: "What do the two of you think?"

"Agreed!" Fan Zhi nodded decisively.

Xue Juzheng did the same.

"In that case, let us jointly sign and report to His Majesty! The Hall of State Affairs should also draft a relocation plan as soon as possible!" Li Tao made the final decision.

"Additionally!" Fan Zhi added: "The Southern Tang captives within the two circuits of Huainan can be given similar treatment!"

In Huainan, there were also some former Tang army captives, but their numbers were far fewer than the Shu soldiers—only two to three thousand. For Huainan, the court had implemented a policy of direct absorption.

The chancellors reached a consensus and basically settled the matter. There should be no problem from the Emperor's side. Even if there were some discrepancies, the "liberation" of the Shu captives was foreseeable.

It could be said that the rebellion of Wang Shun and others was not without positive significance—at least it won a measure of "freedom" for the many suffering Shu soldiers, pulling them from their sea of misery. Of course, the price was their lives, and from the very beginning, they had only wanted to survive...

As for the remaining Shu captives, they would directly enjoy the benefits of the "Wang Shun Uprising." Perhaps for them, being sent back to Shu would have been the best outcome, but having already fallen to such a state, how could they dare to hope for more?

Moreover, no matter what, it was better than being worked like oxen and horses by the government, being slaves and servants. In the border prefectures, they could have a new beginning. They might even feel gratitude toward the court's "benevolence." Then, arriving at the border prefectures, holding a blade in one hand and a plow in the other, they would contribute to the stability of the Great Han's frontiers...

Of course, whether that effect could be achieved would depend on subsequent developments.

With the discussion settled, the ministers dispersed, each attending to their own duties. However, Li Tao deliberately kept Fan Zhi behind for a private talk. Although the relationship between the two had cooled over these past two years, even turning confrontational, they still maintained their surface decorum and grace—facing each other, both displayed the demeanor of modest gentlemen.

Li Tao personally ladled Fan Zhi a bowl of iced drink—the plum water that was popular in Kaifeng during summer—and said with a light smile: "The hottest days of summer are approaching; the weather grows ever more scorching. Have some cold soup to relieve the heat and dryness!"

"Thank you, Chancellor Li!" Fan Zhi's expression remained unchanged. Holding the cup with both hands, he took a few sips, and a hint of refreshment involuntarily appeared on his face. Setting down the soup bowl, he said: "May I ask what matter Chancellor Li wishes to discuss?"

At the question, Li Tao's attitude remained gentle as he said: "In pacifying the rebellion in Guanzhong, many rebels were captured. His Majesty intends to execute all the Shu captives who participated in the rebellion to uphold national law—on this point, none of us have objections.

The Shu rebels are easy to identify; the difficulty lies with those Guanzhong commoners who followed the rebellion. His Majesty's unwillingness to let them off lightly is understandable. After all, among them there may well be treacherous elements. But who was coerced and who acted voluntarily—distinguishing good from evil among them is no easy task.

His Majesty has entrusted Sun Fangqian with this matter. The man is acceptable as an official, but he handles affairs hastily and harshly, eager for quick success. I fear he may overcorrect and harm innocent good people!"

Hearing Li Tao ramble on at such length, Fan Zhi seemed to grasp his meaning. Glancing at him, he asked leisurely: "Does Chancellor Li wish to oppose His Majesty's appointment of Sun Fang and submit a memorial requesting a change of personnel?"

At these words, Li Tao's expression shifted, and he hastily waved his hand, saying: "What His Majesty has decided is without error—how would I dare to lightly propose changes! What I mean is, Wensu oversees the Ministry of Justice, responsible for all criminal matters in the realm, Guanzhong included. This time, in investigating and distinguishing the rebels, the Ministry of Justice should take action—for the state and for the people, and also to fill any gaps and oversights, lest matters be neglected!"

Hearing this, Fan Zhi thought for a moment, and a sense of derision arose in his heart. Was Li Tao trying to push him out to interfere with the Emperor's decision?