Chapter 973: The Past Three Years

"Father, is Chancellor Wang going to die?" Inside the carriage returning to the palace, the atmosphere was somewhat somber. Perhaps feeling it was too quiet, Liu Jia, who was sitting hugging Liu Chengyou's leg, suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Hearing this, Liu Chengyou immediately chided her lightly.

Looking down at his princess, perhaps because his tone was a bit stern, a trace of tears welled up in those clear, innocent eyes, as if she would burst into tears if not comforted.

Seeing this, Liu Chengyou sighed softly, patted her child's topknot, and said gently: "Duke Wang is a meritorious minister of the Great Han and a pillar of your father's court. Since he is unwell, we should sincerely pray for his well-being. Though a child's words are blameless, you must not speak recklessly!"

"Mm!" Facing her father's admonishment, Liu Jia lowered her head slightly and murmured: "I know I was wrong!"

Of course, Liu Jia's words could not be said to be entirely wrong, because Wang Pu truly was nearing the end of his life. In the fifteenth year of Qianyou, Liu Chengyou himself was nearly thirty-two years old, let alone Wang Pu.

The times produce heroes. Wang Pu could not be evaluated as a hero, but there was no doubt that he was an outstanding figure who had grown up in this chaotic era. Moreover, he did not participate in the imperial examinations until he was over forty, when he won the top scholar title and entered officialdom. Valued by Liu Chengyou, he was promoted several times and entrusted with great affairs—more than thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the vigorous early years of Qianyou, countless outstanding figures emerged to jointly eliminate turmoil and create a golden age, and Wang Pu left a resplendent mark during those dozen-plus years.

In any case, Wang Pu's life could be said to have realized his own worth—establishing achievements, rising to the pinnacle of officialdom, and leaving his name in history. Moreover, even if he truly passed away, when the final verdict was rendered, Emperor Liu would absolutely not treat him shabbily; none of the honor and glory due to him would be lacking.

Soon, that trace of melancholy in his heart was quickly extinguished. This was not only because Liu Chengyou had a heart of iron, but also because over so many years, he had already experienced the passing of too many meritorious ministers and important officials. Under the mighty force of time, the withering of old ministers was inevitable. Wang Pu was not the first, nor would he be the last.

With his emotions restored to calm, Liu Chengyou said to Liu Jia again: "Your birthday is approaching soon, my little lady Jia. Have you thought about what gift you want?"

Upon hearing the question, the little head lifted, chin tilted upward. Liu Jia thought for a moment, then said: "Whatever Father bestows, I will be delighted with. I should not pick and choose!"

Liu Chengyou could not help but smile. This was the reason he loved this eldest daughter of his—she was usually strong-willed and lively, but at such a young age, she already displayed "emotional intelligence," especially in pleasing Liu Chengyou.

Speaking of which, next month would be the Jiaqing Festival again, and Emperor Liu would grow another year older. Since the eventful eleventh and twelfth years of Qianyou, following the established national policy, from east to west, from south to north, all the vast territories controlled by the Great Han had pursued a policy of recuperation and rest. For a feudal imperial dynasty, the four words "rest with the people" were extremely important—they represented the restoration of order, the development of productive forces, and the consolidation of rule.

Of course, these three years since the end of the northern expedition had not been a time of inaction.

First, the adjustment of the nation's military was completely finished. It took a total of two years from start to finish before it was fully concluded. After a round of reorganization, the total number of troops across the nation was just over two hundred thousand—actually reduced compared to before the great Han-Liao war.

When pursuing recuperation and rest, it was naturally inadvisable to maintain a huge army, and the Great Han's external environment had already become quite comfortable. Of course, the reduction of troops did not mean the weakening of war potential. Though the influence of the Han-Liao war had not been completely shaken off, the capacity for rapid mobilization remained formidable.

The demobilized soldiers had also been given various arrangements. Aside from those who returned to their hometowns to farm, many were given positions, continuing to consolidate the court's influence at the grassroots level.

Second was the adjustment of the Great Han's bureaucratic system, which was likewise a protracted undertaking. In the years since the Great Han's founding, especially during the dozen-plus years since Liu Chengyou ascended the throne, a great deal of institutional reconstruction and reform had been carried out, but a detailed review had never been conducted.

What Liu Chengyou did this time was precisely that—especially in terms of powers and responsibilities, the divisions were made clearer, gaps were filled, making the entire bureaucratic system more rational, strengthening governance capability, and improving administrative efficiency.

Accompanying this was a major adjustment of officials at the central level and throughout the nation. For over a decade, because the nation's main theme had been "unification," although local power had long since submitted to the central government, there were far too many unreasonable aspects in the appointment of officials.

Of course, Liu Chengyou's adjustment was not a blanket dismissal, but rather assessment, transfer, and reward and punishment. Those who had stayed in one post for seven or eight years or even longer were the key targets for rectification. This situation had been fairly common in the early days of the founding.

This adjustment did not truly come to an end until the summer of last year. By now, the Great Han's military and political affairs had truly moved onto the right track, and the systems previously established had taken a big step forward in terms of implementation.

As for other aspects, the Emperor's will was reflected in transportation. The court invested enormous manpower and resources in river management, road construction, and dredging of canal waterways. Prince Yong Liu Chenghsun, who held the post of Minister of Works, left the capital several times to inspect the management projects on the Yellow River and the Bian River. To prevent levee breaches, a special edict was also issued ordering the prefectures and counties in the Yellow River and Bian River basins to arrange tree planting along the banks. In just over two years, more than three hundred thousand willow trees were planted.

At the same time, to make up for fiscal shortfalls, the court finally turned its sights to merchants and travelers. Previously, the Emperor had suppressed the voices advocating the restriction of commerce, allowing the Great Han's trade to develop in a laissez-faire manner, but in an empire rooted in agriculture, it was ultimately not the merchants' turn to do as they pleased.

Thus, once Liu Chengyou revealed this intention, the butcher's knife of cutting flesh quickly came down. Besides issuing a series of policies to regulate market order, the State Finance Commission also established a relatively clear and simple commercial tax system—the collection of customs duties and market taxes, with detailed and explicit regulations on tax rates for various types of goods. At the same time, institutional norms were also established for tax collectors. Paying taxes and collecting taxes were inherently reciprocal; at least on paper, neither side was allowed to act arbitrarily.

It was like a loose net suddenly tightening, directly encircling the merchant class. Of course, this did not represent the strangulation of commerce—it was a form of regulation to promote healthy development. But to many officials in charge of enforcement, this was a pig-slaughtering operation undertaken due to fiscal difficulties.

Moreover, it also aroused some opposition in the court; not everyone supported it. The reason was also straightforward—it infringed upon their interests. Although the Great Han explicitly stipulated that those holding public office could not engage in commerce and strictly prohibited collusion between officials and merchants, how could such a thing actually be prohibited?

Liu Chengyou understood this as well, so he usually turned a blind eye. But when he wanted to rectify commerce, no one could twist his arm. A little resistance could not even slow down the momentum.

In fact, Liu Chengyou did not even personally step in. He merely instructed the Wude Office and the State Finance Commissioner to cooperate with the Three Judicial Offices in a wave of anti-corruption and anti-graft operations, mainly targeting official-merchant collusion and power-for-money transactions.

A large number of officials were punished as a result. Among the merchants, He Fuyin, a famous wealthy merchant of the Eastern Capital, was made an example of—for bribery and illegal business practices, he was beheaded, his property confiscated, and his family exiled.

This wealthy household with deep connections, which had flourished in the Eastern Capital for over a decade, ultimately met a dismal end, with no connections able to save them. It proved with bloody facts that before power, no amount of money was of any use. Those who did not restrain themselves would instead suffer disaster from their wealth, which elicited sighs from many.

As for Liu Chengyou personally, in these three years, he had gained another son and three daughters, and the imperial house grew ever more prosperous and flourishing......