Chapter 158

Guo Wei was never indecisive; once he made up his mind, his actions were swift as thunder, without any hesitation.

Before dawn the next day, eunuchs from the Hall of Purple Sovereignty already carried three bright‑yellow Imperial Edicts, rushing to the Chancellery and the Gate‑Down Province, demanding that the edicts be drafted immediately, sealed with the jade seal, and promulgated throughout the realm.

As the first morning light pierced the clouds and fell on the streets of Kaifeng, the three edicts had already spread throughout the palace inside and out, and then, at the utmost speed, began to disseminate to every corner of the country.

The first edict, terse yet resolute, directly addressed the military governor guarding Jinzhou, Chai Rong, ordering him to hand over military affairs at once and rush back to the capital by night, with further promotion.

Since Guo Wei raised his army, Chai Rong had constantly followed him—his adopted son and his most trusted general; over the years of regional garrison duty his achievements were outstanding, and he had long been recognized as a capable minister in the court. Yet even so, the four words "return to the capital at once" made many sense something unusual; summoning Chai Rong back now was far from a simple "further promotion."

The promulgation of the second edict shocked the court and populace alike. The edict announced to the world that Guo Wei and Empress Chai, mindful of their adopted son Chai Rong's filial piety, intelligence, and diligence from childhood, and his years of service to the Later Zhou, specially granted him the imperial surname Guo, formally enrolling him in the imperial clan and recording his name on the imperial jade tablet.

Henceforth there was no longer "Chai Rong," only "Guo Rong." This edict utterly broke the bounds of blood, elevating an adopted son to the same status as imperial kinsmen; its meaning was clear to all: Guo Wei was paving the way for Chai Rong, so that he could stand before the world with legitimate right.

The third edict then fully revealed the mystery: it enfeoffed Guo Rong as Prince of Jin, concurrently appointing him Prefect of Kaifeng, placing him in command of the military and civil affairs of the capital region. As soon as it appeared, the entire court and populace erupted in an uproar, discussion surging like a tide.

Anyone with a little insight knows that during the Five Dynasties, the post of Prefect of Kaifeng carried special political significance; since the Later Liang, virtually every holder of that office had been the heir apparent, the emperor's chosen successor. Guo Wei was thus using an indisputable method to announce to the world that he had already selected his successor—Guo Rong.

Indeed, among the senior officials in the court there were one or two obstinate elders who believed that Guo Rong was ultimately an adopted son, not Guo Wei's biological offspring, and that Guo Wei still had a nephew, Li Jinjin, and a son‑in‑law, Zhang Yongde, alive; making Guo Rong the heir apparent would be improper according to ritual.

They stroked their beards, faces solemn, preparing to step forward and cite the classics to oppose these three edicts, hoping to persuade Guo Wei to change his mind.

But before they could open their mouths, Chancellor Fan Shi stepped forward first from the civil officials' ranks. This man, who yesterday had led the discussion on "the succession of the realm" and seemed to be "forcing the palace," today wore a solemn expression, bowed deeply before the throne where Guo Wei sat, and cried out loudly: "Your Majesty, your wisdom is manifest! To appoint the Prince of Jin as Prefect of Kaifeng is truly a blessing for the state and the people; I, your subject, kowtow in gratitude to Your Majesty!"

With Chancellor Fan Shi leading the hundred officials, the rest who had harbored doubts dared not voice even a hint of dissent; they all followed his example, kneeling on the ground and shouting "Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"—their voices rose and fell, echoing throughout the Hall of Purple Sovereignty.

Those ministers who yesterday had worried anxiously over the undecided succession, fearing that the Later Zhou might repeat the downfall of the Later Han, today all wore smiles, their faces relaxed.

In their view, whether Guo Rong originally bore the surname Chai or now Guo, as long as the emperor had designated an heir, the realm would have a stable foundation. Once the realm was secure, their offices, salaries, and family fortunes would naturally be secure as well; the blood‑relation closeness of the heir thus became the least important matter.

Meanwhile, Li Jinjin and Zhang Yongde, far afield, the instant they received the edict their faces turned ashen. Li Jinjin was Guo Wei's nephew by blood; for years he had campaigned south and north, earning great military merit, and had always believed himself to be Guo Wei's most likely successor.

Zhang Yongde, Guo Wei's son‑in‑law, held military power and enjoyed considerable prestige in the army; he too had aspired to the heir‑apparently position. Upon learning that Guo Wei had bestowed all honor and authority upon Guo Rong, this "outsider," both men were filled with resentment and anger, yet dared not voice any open opposition.

They could not understand why, one being a blood‑related nephew, the other a son‑in‑law closely tied by marriage, they would end up losing to an adopted son who had no connection whatsoever.

But they knew better: Guo Wei always kept his word; once he decided, no one could alter it. Now that the three edicts had been promulgated throughout the realm, Guo Rong's position as heir apparent was settled.

If they dared to openly oppose, it would be defiance of the sovereign, costing them everything they had and possibly inviting death. In the end, they could only swallow their resentment and anger, keeping it bottled up; in a secluded corner they vented their frustration by smashing cups and drinking bitter wine.

Under Guo Wei's thunderous methods, all potential dissenting voices were suppressed.

Half a month later.

Chai Rong—no, he should now be called Guo Rong.

He, dust‑and‑travel‑worn, rushed back from Jinzhou to Kaifeng.

At the palace gate he met the one who had come to greet him, his nominal "father," the present emperor of the Great Zhou, Guo Wei.

"Child, I pay my respects to Father Emperor." Guo Rong lifted his official robe toward Guo Wei, about to perform the great kowtow.

"Rise, rise." Guo Wei seized him and helped him up, his face bearing a fatherly smile he had never shown before.

He carefully examined the young man before him.

After not seeing each other for years, he had grown taller and darker.

"In Jinzhou you have suffered." Guo Wei patted his shoulder, his voice tinged with a hint of guilt.

"Guarding the nation's gate for Father Emperor is my duty; it is not hardship." Guo Rong's reply held no resentment.

Guo Wei smiled, took his hand, and walked into the palace.

"From today on, you need not suffer at the frontier any longer. I will share half of the capital's burdens with you."

Guo Wei spoke as they walked, outlining his plans for him.

He detailed the magnitude of the Prefect of Kaifeng's authority and the complexity of its affairs.

Guo Rong merely listened quietly; he had already guessed these matters when he received the edict changing his surname.

He now felt neither joy nor sorrow, as if he were taking on not an imperial heir's position but a completely ordinary posting.

His unflappable attitude toward honor and disgrace made Guo Wei increasingly pleased.

Indeed, he is the one I have chosen!

Yet Guo Wei did not immediately entrust him completely.

On the second day after Guo Rong officially took office as Prefect of Kaifeng, Guo Wei presented him with a tremendous challenge.

"Rong'er, come look."

In the imperial study, Guo Wei pointed to the memorials piled high on the desk.

"These are urgent memorials sent eight hundred li from Sichuan‑Shu and Jingnan." Guo Wei's face grew grave: "This year those two regions suffer a great drought, with total crop failure. Now large numbers of refugees have appeared; the local officials' granaries are all running low. They beg the court to open the granaries immediately and dispense grain to relieve the victims."

Guo‑Rong picked up a memorial and examined it carefully.

On the memorial, the local officials' wording was shocking to behold.

"Corpses of the starving litter the fields; people resort to eating each other's children."

"What do you think of this?" Guo Wei asked.

This is a typical test.

If Guo Rong said to open the granaries and distribute grain at once, that would show he has a benevolent heart but perhaps lacks prudence, for the court's granaries are not endless; once this door is opened, if other regions also cry poverty, the central finances will soon be dragged under.

If Guo Rong said to let the localities fend for themselves and that the court cannot intervene, that would reveal him as cold‑hearted, lacking the love a ruler should possess.

Guo Rong pondered for a moment, then did not answer immediately.

He walked to the map of the Later Zhou territories, his gaze lingering on the positions of Sichuan‑Shu and Jingnan for a long time.

Then he turned his eyes toward Jiangnan, the direction of Yangzhou.

"Father Emperor," he turned and said to Guo Wei, "I believe this matter can be resolved."

"Oh? Please speak."

"Sichuan‑Shu and Jingnan suffer drought, but our Great Zhou's Jianghuai region and the southern Tang of Jiangnan this year enjoy favorable winds and rains, with abundant harvests." Guo Rong analyzed clearly: "We need not draw grain from the capital's treasury. The route is distant and costly, not to mention that officials along the way would layer upon layer extort, so barely a tenth would reach the disaster victims."

"We can issue an edict ordering the Jianghuai officials to requisition grain locally, then transport it upstream along the river directly to Jingnan and Sichuan‑Shu."

"As for the money to purchase the grain…," Guo Rong paused, "we can borrow from the Wang family of Jiangnan."

"Borrow money from the Wang family?" Guo Wei's brows furrowed.

Although he accepted the Wang Family's "goodwill," deep down he remained wary of this family that could rival a nation in wealth.

He didn't want to have too many entanglements with the Wang Family, especially over money.

"Father Emperor, please don't rush." Guo Rong seemed to see his worry, smiling as he said, "We're not borrowing for nothing. We can use the Salt Control wells of Sichuan and the tea mountains of Jingnan as collateral."

"The Wang Family passes down literature and scholarship, but they engage in lowly trades. It's well known that merchants pursue profit. The well Salt Control of Sichuan and the tea leaves of Jingnan are in high demand in the north, with rich profits. They have no reason to refuse."

"In this way, we will both relieve the refugees' urgent need and not spend a single coin from the state treasury. Moreover, we can even use this cooperation to probe the attitude of the Jiangnan Wang Family toward our Great Zhou."

"This is achieving three gains at once."

"Good!" Upon hearing his method, Guo Wei directly slapped the table and exclaimed approval; this method he had also thought of, and had already sent a letter to the Wang Family, but this method was proposed by Chai Rong, and in Guo Wei's heart a strong sense of relief suddenly welled up.

He indeed had not chosen the wrong person. The realm of Great Zhou was placed in his hands, and he could rest easy.

"Just do as you say! This matter, I will fully entrust it to you to handle!"