Chapter 812: The Ills of Shu

"Zhao Pu, the Azure Lotus Hermit has a verse: 'The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the blue sky.' It speaks of its perilous narrowness—towering peaks, steep ridges, strong passes layered one upon another—showing its formidable terrain. Yet throughout the ages, whenever great armies entered Shu, they often succeeded. Going far back, the Western Jin destroyed Shu Han; more recently, the Later Tang campaigned against Shu. Now our Great Han advances and likewise sweeps all before us—the overall situation is nearly settled. What do you think is the reason?" Having summoned Zhao Pu to stroll with him among the palace halls, Liu Chengyou asked him in a tone of inquiry.

Hearing the question, Zhao Pu grew interested—he genuinely enjoyed discussing current affairs and the rise and fall of ages past and present with the Son of Heaven. After pondering briefly, Zhao Pu spoke at length: "Your servant believes there are four reasons.

First, Chuanshu is a land of partial peace. Lofty mountains and steep ridges, continuous perilous roads—these are indeed the barriers it relies on to protect its state, but they equally stifle its ambition to expand. Though Shu is called the Land of Abundance, even if it nurtures millions of people and fields a hundred thousand armored soldiers, how can it compare with the Central Plains and Hebei? When the realm returns to order and the center grows strong, sending troops to take Shu is like pressing an egg against Mount Tai—beyond what Shu's national strength can resist!

Second, outside armies entering Shu often do so when Shu's national strength and military power are at their weakest. Just like the Meng Shu of today—politically chaotic, militarily feeble, the sun setting in the west, tottering and about to collapse.

Third, when Shu was at its peak, its strength even surpassed that of the Great Han. But once a great master of the Central Plains emerged and struck at it repeatedly, wearing down its spirit, thus Han grew stronger while Shu grew weaker. Shu's wealth also corroded its will. The Shu sovereign Meng Chang ruled for twenty years and could be called a capable ruler, but in his later years he indulged in pleasure, gave free rein to his ministers, and became utterly benighted—how could such a man protect his state?

Fourth, the cycle of order and chaos in the realm follows the great trend—from chaos back to order. Your Majesty stands mighty in the Central Plains with the ambition to swallow heaven and earth. Raising an army to destroy Shu and return to unification is a glorious and overwhelming tide that no human force can block! Even those who try to stop it like a mantis raising its arm against a chariot will ultimately turn to ashes and dust!"

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but chuckle and said to Zhao Pu: "How many people are there with insight like Zhao Pu?"

The Emperor's assessment was no small praise. Zhao Pu accepted it with a faint smile on his lips, showing humility: "Merely a few humble opinions—I dare not deserve such lavish praise from Your Majesty!"

"No need for modesty!" Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "If you, Zhao Pu, lacked talent, how could I rely on you as a close minister to preside over affairs at Chongzheng Hall?"

As they strolled among the palace halls, the atmosphere of an approaching festival permeated everything. The Mid-Autumn Festival was near; many palace maids and eunuchs were under direction, hanging lanterns and festooning decorations to prepare for the celebration.

Seeing this, Liu Chengyou summoned a eunuch director and, pointing at the decorative brocades and colored ribbons, directly instructed: "Notify everyone—for this Mid-Autumn Festival, the palace is not to be extravagant or wasteful. Only Chongyuan Hall and Ciming Hall need modest decoration!"

Facing the Son of Heaven's instruction, the head eunuch dared not be negligent and immediately replied: "This one obeys—I shall convey His Majesty's decree at once!"

After Liu Chengyou and the others had left, a young eunuch still holding a colored lantern walked up to the eunuch director and asked blankly: "What do we do with these?"

The director shot the young eunuch a glare and scolded lightly: "What else can we do? His Majesty has issued a decree—who dares defy it? Take them all down!"

On Liu Chengyou's side, he continued toward the imperial gardens, keeping up the topic of Chuanshu with Zhao Pu. Liu Chengyou asked: "Just now in the hall, regarding the aftermath arrangements for Shu, what did you think of Chancellor Fan's proposal?"

Suddenly hearing this question, Zhao Pu instinctively glanced at Liu Chengyou, but how could he read anything from that calm expression? The Emperor's reaction in the hall just now surfaced in his mind. After mulling it over for a moment, he probed: "Does Your Majesty seem to have objections?"

"Am I asking you, or are you asking me?" Liu Chengyou said blandly: "Just speak your mind! I want to gather broad opinions and heed all views!"

With the Emperor saying this, Zhao Pu actually felt more assured—the Emperor indeed had different ideas. After all, he was someone who had been sent on a mission to Chengdu; he knew Shu's military, political, and popular conditions far better than Fan Zhi.

After another moment of deliberation, Zhao Pu clasped his hands and said: "Chancellor Fan's words are indeed a steady and reliable approach. If carried out, it could bring Chuanshu under the court's governance in a short time—of that there is no doubt."

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou said flatly: "You're not saying everything! Could Shu break away from the court if more time passes?"

Shaking his head, Zhao Pu said: "With the Great Han's strength and the court's authority, if Shu surrenders, it must submit to governance—how could it break away? It's just that your servant believes Shu's accumulated ills run deep. If handled as Chancellor Fan suggests, it would be no different from the court inheriting those ills. The court might gain Shu's peace quickly, but it would also bury hidden dangers!"

"You're implying something!" Liu Chengyou's lips curved into a slight arc. "Go on!"

Zhao Pu said: "Among the several points Chancellor Fan drafted—pacifying the people, suppressing bandits, and comforting the military—all can be implemented and should be done swiftly. These greatly benefit public order in Shu."

"So you think we shouldn't treat Shu's sovereign and ministers well?" Liu Chengyou said with a light laugh.

Zhao Pu shook his head again and said: "Treating the Shu sovereign's family with some courtesy to display Your Majesty's benevolence and tolerance is not improper. But Shu's officials and powerful elites should be treated differently. Your servant once went on a mission to Shu and observed some of its ills.

Over the years, because Meng Chang was lenient to the point of indulgence toward his ministers, Shu's powerful elites and officials have amassed wealth and land on a massive scale—especially in recent years! From the chancellors on down, they are arrogant, extravagant, and pleasure-seeking. Where did their wealth come from? By squeezing the common people and sucking dry the state's strength. This is a chronic disease. If these people are not screened and rectified at this moment of national destruction and the beginning of reorganization, but are accepted wholesale, then in the long run, how would the court's Shu territory differ from the Meng Shu state?"

Zhao Pu's words struck a chord with Liu Chengyou. Gazing at the autumn scenery of the imperial garden, he picked up a pebble and tossed it into the lake. Liu Chengyou said: "Over these two years, I've read many reports from the Wude Office and the Military Intelligence Office on Shu's military, political, and popular conditions. Chengdu is the Land of Abundance, and Shu is wealthy and prosperous—but in whose hands is that wealth concentrated? The powerful elites, bureaucrats, landlords, and merchants! In recent years, Shu has suffered grain shortages—but does it truly lack grain within its borders? If not, then in whose hands does the grain rest?

For many years, the poor common folk, though not reduced to having no place to stand, still enjoyed peace thanks to the state's stability. But after that peace was shattered by the Great Han? Land annexation grows ever more severe, refugees multiply, and public order deteriorates. Those in power all wield their ferocity to plunder the people's property and seize their fields—this is why Shu has today's chaos!

If I take Shu and do not change course and eliminate its ills, I will surely suffer the consequences in days to come!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Seeing the Emperor bare his heart, Zhao Pu immediately echoed.

Liu Chengyou continued, cold light flashing in his eyes, his tone severe: "I even suspect that over these three years, Shu's bureaucrats and powerful families, seeing the state's decline, have run rampant—refusing to restrain themselves as they pursue private gain and expand private holdings. When I destroy Shu and seek to bring order to its lands, I would have to rely on them, appease them, protect their interests... If that were so, how could I be willing?"

The coldness the Emperor displayed when saying this made even Zhao Pu shrink his neck slightly—he felt that Liu Chengyou at this moment was somewhat dangerous.

"In your view, how should I resolve this ill?" Liu Chengyou asked Zhao Pu.

Zhao Pu thought for a moment and replied: "Your servant believes the crux of the problem still lies in land. Start with the powerful elites and bureaucrats—reward the incorrupt and punish the corrupt. Conduct a thorough investigation of Shu's land, confiscate what was illegally taken, and distribute it to the poor..."

Before Zhao Pu could finish, Liu Chengyou said with a faint smile: "Following your suggestion, directly infringing on their interests like that—I fear it would easily provoke unrest in Shu!"

A trace of reminiscence showed in Liu Chengyou's eyes as he said slowly: "Back when I first succeeded to the throne, the state was burdened with many accumulated ills. Though I wished to reform, I dared not offend the masses' anger. I could only tread on thin ice and adjust step by step.

The Khitan ruler Yelu Deguang led an army of hundreds of thousands, destroyed the Jin, and took the Central Plains—yet why did he retreat north in such a short time, giving the Great Han its chance to rise? Because he infringed on the interests of the Central Plains' military governors and powerful families.

With the Khitan's strength and the size of their armies, they still ended up retreating north in disgrace. If I offend Shu's nobles, bureaucrats, and landlords now, might I be driven out of the Two Rivers?

Shu ultimately cannot be compared to Jinghu. Jingnan is small in territory; Hunan is vast, but it was rebuilding from ruins—there I could make bold and sweeping reforms..."

"Your Majesty, your servant believes that precisely because Shu's accumulated ills run so deep, vigorous rectification is all the more necessary. Otherwise, wouldn't it threaten the court's future rule? Today's Shu also cannot be compared to the Central Plains and Hebei of those years. The Khitan lost not only because they offended the Central Plains' military provinces, but also because they infringed on the common people's interests.

Though Shu's powerful elites and bureaucrats are numerous, compared to the vast common people they are still a minority. As long as we win the hearts of the majority of Shu's common folk, why worry about trouble?

The Great Han's destruction of Shu is both to complete the great enterprise of unifying the realm and to comfort the people and punish the guilty! Punish whose guilt? Naturally those powerful elites and bureaucrats who wield authority for their own ends, those tyrannical landlords who oppress the countryside. With a righteous cause, holding the high ground, raising the banner high—why worry about failing to win people's hearts?

With the Great Han's military might, having defeated their state, can we not also purge some demons and monsters?

Even if there is unrest—taking today's small disturbances in exchange for future great governance—from a long-term perspective, how do the pros and cons compare?

Moreover, Shu is sealed within its mountain passes, so any unrest can be contained within them!" Zhao Pu's lengthy discourse deeply pleased the Son of Heaven.

Watching Liu Chengyou's reaction, Zhao Pu continued: "Furthermore, not all of Shu's upper class need be purged. Those who are incorrupt should be greatly praised and promoted. Small evils receive small punishments, great evils receive great treatment—this is enough to create division among them.

In the Shu army, many are landless and propertyless. For these people, the court can grant them confiscated fields—this will greatly win the hearts of Shu's soldiers and people. Shu's state treasury and official granaries revert to the court; the wealth of Chengdu's palaces should be sent to the imperial coffers; and the confiscated ill-gotten gains can serve as rewards for the armies that campaigned against Shu. Those who are punished can also be relocated out of Shu entirely, settling the frontiers for the Great Han and cutting off future troubles..."

What Zhao Pu said divided up the cake of the Shu campaign with perfect clarity...

"Hahaha..." Liu Chengyou laughed heartily several times.

Seeing this, Zhao Pu also let a smile show. In truth, all of Zhao Pu's counsel followed the Emperor's intentions—he had discerned that Liu Chengyou harbored a desire for rectification, and so he offered these words.

Had Liu Chengyou sought swift pacification of Shu, then he would absolutely have seconded Fan Zhi's proposal. This was Zhao Pu—the clever Zhao Pu!

"As for the officials being sent to the Two Rivers, keep an eye on that as well. Selection must be strict—I want people who can get things done!" Liu Chengyou suddenly added an instruction.

"Yes!"

"Who can serve as Governor of Chengdu?" Liu Chengyou murmured quietly to himself.