Chapter 88: Jesus Couldn't Save Them, I Say So!

…

Dawn light faintly glowed; the morning mist had not yet fully dispersed. Before Xuande Tower, drums and horns sounded in unison, announcing the arrival of the morning court.

Zhao Yu, clad in a dragon robe and wearing a beaded crown, walked steadily toward the imperial throne.

In the court hall, civil and military officials stood in neat rows—civil officials to the east, military to the west—dressed in court robes, wearing black gauze hats, holding ceremonial tablets, their expressions reverent.

When Zhao Yu took his seat, all rose in unison and cried, "Ten thousand years!"—their voices echoing through the grand hall, majestic and powerful.

After the rites, Chancellor Zhang Dun stepped forward first and announced loudly: "Your Majesty has reigned for over ten days; all regions have been preliminarily stabilized, leaving only complex administrative matters that urgently require sorting."

Zhang Dun then clearly reported recent affairs concerning people's livelihood and taxation.

Zhao Yu nodded slightly, listening intently, occasionally asking questions, occasionally answering, responding with calm composure.

The same occurred when other chancellors and ministers presented their reports.

What comforted and reassured the chancellors and ministers was that Zhao Yu knew how to focus on the big picture and delegate authority, yet also made decisive judgments.

At the same time, Zhao Yu seemed to understand everything—at least he knew something about it. The chancellors and ministers could not deceive him; in fact, many things Zhao Yu knew were unknown to them, causing them to speak with extreme caution when advising him.

In appointments, Zhao Yu did not care whether one belonged to the New Party or the Old Party—he selected only those with ability. Those who neglected their duties, obsessed with factional struggles, or spouted empty rhetoric, he would listen to, but after hearing them, he dismissed them, leaving them with the sensation of punching cotton—his grand speeches falling on deaf ears.

Many ministers realized: Zhao Yu was a pragmatic emperor; those who only knew how to talk were destined to see their paths grow narrower.

A subtle tension and anticipation hung in the air.

The ministers knew well: though young, Zhao Yu was no ordinary man. His thoughts ran deep, his gaze sharp; his attitude toward state affairs was neither blindly harsh nor blindly lenient, but an ineffable precision and wisdom.

When the urgent matters were nearly concluded, Vice Censor-in-Chief Huang Lu stepped forward, bowed, and said: "Your Majesty, Sima Guang and others ceded territory to appease the Western Xia, yet gained nothing—this is treason. Now the Western Xia, allied with the Liao, parade their troops along our borders, pressuring Great Song. This is the legacy of their misdeeds. I humbly beg Your Majesty to reopen the case of Sima Guang's treason, to restore proper order to the court and prevent the people from shame and the state from harm."

Having spoken, Huang Lu knelt and bowed his head to the ground, his expression resolute.

Next, Palace Attendant Chen Cisheng stepped forward and spoke at length of the severe corruption that had existed since Sima Guang became chancellor under Emperor Zhezong, naming over fifty corrupt officials, and petitioning Zhao Yu to lead an anti-corruption campaign to purify the Song officialdom.

Zhao Yu had originally assumed Zhang Dun and others would send some minor censor to ignite this issue—but he had not expected them to send Huang Lu and Chen Cisheng.

These two were historically renowned censors. The former was a core New Party figure, famed for impeaching the Old Party, with clear political stance; the latter had served as censor through three reigns (Emperor Shenzong, Emperor Zhezong, and Zhao Yu's own), famed for his integrity and bold speech, the histories noting: "Three times holding the duty of remonstrance, he never compromised his advice."

The New Party had immediately sent out two heavyweights—clearly determined to win.

The Old Party, seeing this, rushed forward to defend Sima Guang and others, claiming they were noble ministers whose actions were entirely for the Zhao Song dynasty, and begged Zhao Yu to see clearly.

Then the two sides erupted into a heated quarrel, hurling accusations at each other.

Unlike previous court sessions, where Zhao Yu had sat back and watched them fight.

This time, as soon as the argument escalated into name-calling, Zhao Yu halted them: "Enough. Whether corruption exists—investigate and find out."

Without waiting for the Old Party officials to defend themselves, Zhao Yu named Cai Bian and ordered him to investigate thoroughly.

Zhao Yu's choice of Cai Bian, a core New Party member, to handle the case, clearly revealed his stance.

This relieved the New Party members who had been anxious about Zhao Yu restoring Meng Xiang's position; some even grew excited, while the Old Party members, who had believed their era had returned, felt their hearts tighten, fearing this was a new purge targeting them.

After court ended, Zhang Dun and Cai Bian went to the Chui Gong Palace to meet Zhao Yu and discuss specifics.

Zhao Yu presented the strategy Zhang Chun had given him: using Emperor Yongzheng's anti-corruption methods to conceal the smashing of the savings jars.

Zhao Yu proposed establishing a dedicated financial audit agency, "Hui Kao Fu," directly accountable to himself, led by Cai Bian to thoroughly investigate deficits in central and local finances. Through strict examination of accounts, he would track down official embezzlement and shatter the corrupt networks of local officials protecting one another.

That is, from now on, all local tax payments, expense reimbursements, departmental fund disbursements, and financial claims must pass through Hui Kao Fu for verification.

With this chain of procedures, no official, regardless of rank, could manipulate the system.

If upper officials could not profit through their positions, lower officials could not bribe their way to fill past deficits.

Then Zhao Yu implemented Zhang Chun's second strategy (in fact, Emperor Yongzheng's second tactic): new officials investigate former ones.

Wasn't the Zhao Song dynasty bloated with officials? Weren't most officials without actual posts?

Zhao Yu ordered Zhang Dun to recommend a man of high moral character as Minister of Personnel, who, together with the moderate New Party official Li Qingchen and the "honest man" Su Shi, would re-evaluate officials without actual posts and screen out usable talent.

Once these talents were selected, Cai Bian would personally lead them to investigate corruption; upon finding guilt, these investigators would immediately replace the corrupt officials' posts.

Of course, to prevent officials from falsely accusing others to gain posts, strict penalties for false accusations and frame-ups must be enforced.

Official protection had long become a systemic disease: newly appointed officials often helped their predecessors cover deficits, then left behind their own large shortfalls for the next official to fill—leading to worsening corruption, more holes, and larger deficits.

But if the successor's purpose was to investigate the predecessor's accounts, he would naturally not shield him—because doing so would only bring disaster upon himself.

Thus, under Emperor Yongzheng's tactic, corrupt officials had nowhere to hide; they could only bow their heads, confess, and accept punishment. Moreover, their successors would not cover their deficits, so they would no longer take blame for their predecessors' crimes—and even the predecessors' predecessors, if guilty of embezzlement, could not escape final punishment.

Of course, where there is policy, there is countermeasure: because transportation in this era was underdeveloped, the court's investigators needed time to reach the provinces, during which corrupt officials might hear rumors and attempt to remedy their deficits.

How to remedy? By borrowing money from local gentry, prominent clans, and wealthy households.

Generally, local gentry, prominent clans, and wealthy households had intricate ties with the government, forming a web of mutual interests; they would never refuse an official's request for loans.

And if these gentry and wealthy families successfully helped officials through the crisis, they would later receive greater compensation.

In response, the court could issue an imperial decree: any loan made to the government, regardless of source, would be immediately confiscated—in short, you lend, you lose.

Don't blame the court for being ruthless; if you choose to invest in officials, be prepared to lose everything.

And do you think this is all?

These gentry and wealthy families who bribed officials must also be investigated to the end—forcing them to return everything they stole from the state, and then some.

In short, Zhao Yu proposed a three-step approach: first dismiss the official, then demand repayment, finally confiscate property.

—Dismissal: after discovering deficits, order the official to repay within a deadline. The reason repayment follows dismissal is to prevent officials from plundering the people to cover deficits.

Zhao Yu believed: in the audit, no one, regardless of past merit, would be spared. The principle was clear: merit is merit, crime is crime. Anyone who participated in embezzlement and owed the state treasury must repay—even relatives who had benefited from their official positions must be held accountable.

Additionally, establish a secret memorial system to strengthen oversight: expand the use of secret memorials, allowing officials at all levels to report directly and confidentially to Zhao Yu, including exposing colleagues' corruption.

—This system would break the bureaucratic information monopoly, enabling Zhao Yu to directly grasp local realities and control officials' misconduct.

Of course, the matter must not be pushed too far: if an official repays the deficit within the deadline, punishment may be reduced; if he renders outstanding service, he may even be exempted—otherwise, severe punishment, including property confiscation to cover the deficit.

Also, impose heavy penalties on corrupt officials and implement collective liability: superiors bear responsibility for subordinates' corruption, forcing officials to monitor one another.

Originally, according to Zhao Yu's own idea, smashing the thirteen savings jars of Sima Guang and others would have sufficed.

But Zhang Chun said: if the emperor treated ministers like savings jars to be smashed for money, his reputation would suffer. The Empress Dowager also advised Zhao Yu to handle this matter with caution.

But punishing corrupt officials would achieve both his goals—settling scores with the hated Sima Guang and acquiring funds—without leaving any incriminating trace.

Crucially, with this move, the Zhao Song court might not be short on money for quite some time to come.

Moreover, it could also, to a certain extent, alleviate the problems of redundant officials and redundant expenses.

As for those thirteen people, they would surely become key targets of suppression. In any case, "I've got them locked in—Jesus won't save them either, I say so!"

Of course, all of this was merely the idea of Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun. As for whether it could actually work, Zhao Yu still had to discuss it with Zhang Dun and Cai Bian, who were both steadfast members of the Gaige Sect and men of lofty virtue.

What Zhao Yu truly could not tell was good or bad was that his idea had hit exactly what Zhang Dun and Cai Bian—who feared he might lean toward the old faction—had been hoping for. They were looking for a chance to purge old-faction figures on a grand scale. Wasn't this a pillow arriving just as sleep did?

Zhang Dun and Cai Bian immediately read each other's minds and heaped praise on Zhao Yu's idea, calling it the best solution to the Zhao Song dynasty's current predicament, and pledged they would carry it out at once, carry it out resolutely.

Zhao Yu could guess with his heel what tricks Zhang Dun and Cai Bian were up to.

But even knowing this would be the outcome, Zhao Yu had to go all in. After all, the mess Zhao Yu had inherited was an out-and-out shambles.

—Kangxi at least left Emperor Yongzheng eight million taels of silver. But what Zhao Xu left Zhao Yu was nothing but a mountain of foreign debt. One could say that the Zhao Song dynasty Zhao Yu took over was a glittering shell on the outside, but in reality an empty husk. Therefore, this step, Zhao Yu had to take no matter what—otherwise he'd just have to wait for death.

However, although this matter had to be done no matter what, Zhang Dun and Cai Bian's being so eager still made Zhao Yu a little uneasy at heart.

So, the moment he returned to the inner palace, Zhao Yu sent for Zhang Chun to come over.

Because of the "no battle" sign she'd hung out, Zhang Chun, after being worn out for several days, planned to rest properly for a few days, then think about what method to use to take down Zhao Yu.

Little did she expect—Zhang Chun didn't want to find Zhao Yu, yet Zhao Yu came looking for her.

Even though she didn't really want to go, since Zhao Yu had summoned her, how could Zhang Chun possibly not go?

With no choice, Zhang Chun could only come to see Zhao Yu in low spirits.

After they met, Zhao Yu got straight to the point and told Zhang Chun that he had sent Zhang Dun and Cai Bian to carry out her plan.

Zhang Chun, who had originally had little energy, the moment she heard Zhao Yu was using her plan, immediately perked up and eagerly began discussing it with Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu held nothing back—he told Zhang Chun everything: Zhang Dun and Cai Bian's attitude, and his own worries.

After hearing him out, Zhang Chun declared with full confidence: "This concubine's strategy takes institutional reform, economic methods, and strict laws as its essentials, combining kindness with severity. If carried out, it can revitalize our Great Song's finances and clean up official administration in the short term."

Seeing Zhao Yu was still uneasy, Zhang Chun added: "Although this concubine's strategy is somewhat harsh and relies on imperial authority, it will surely lay a solid foundation for the reform."

Zhao Yu voiced the part that worried him most: "It's just that, letting fellows like Zhang Dun and Cai Bian carry out this plan, they will surely use the chance to settle scores with the Yuanyou Party members."

Zhang Chun gave a slight smile (if you gave her a feather fan, she'd absolutely have to wave it a couple of times), and swayed her head as she spoke:

"With false accusations punished by counter-punishment, the men sent by Chancellor Zhang and Chancellor Cai will not dare to fabricate charges out of thin air."

"As for what His Majesty fears—that Chancellor Zhang and Chancellor Cai will only punish old-faction officials—that is also no problem. Once Chancellor Zhang and Chancellor Cai have finished investigating the old-faction officials, His Majesty can then use the same method to have Chancellor Han and Chancellor Su investigate the new-faction officials."

"If this is repeated several times, not only can it solve our Great Song's fiscal deficit, but our Great Song's officialdom will surely achieve clean administration; the prevailing climate of corruption in officialdom can also be curbed; and the dismissal of redundant posts and the rectification of inefficient, corruption-ridden yamen will be just around the corner."

"However, just to be safe, His Majesty should also employ talent without regard to convention, personally promoting some officials who are either capable or clean and pragmatic."

"Furthermore, one should promote anti-corruption thought through clean-governance texts, requiring officials to govern with a 'public heart,' treating integrity as a moral duty. One should also use official public opinion to expose corruption cases, hold open trials to warn others by example. At the same time, suppress the gentry class's dissent against anti-corruption, and strengthen imperial authority."

"One should also guard against high-pressure policies causing some officials to respond passively, or even falsify their records of governance…"

Zhang Chun, who had finally found a stage for her talents, poured out everything she could think of—including points to watch out for—to Zhao Yu in one go; it could not be said she wasn't exerting herself to the utmost.

This let Zhao Yu's heart settle down a little.

The two chatted deep into the night, with Zhang Chun sparing no effort throughout to resolve Zhao Yu's doubts and ease his mind.

Seeing Zhang Chun working so hard to help him, Zhao Yu couldn't bear to keep teasing her any longer. So, when their talk was done, Zhao Yu said to Zhang Chun: "My beloved consort has worked hard. Tonight, stay and attend to my bed."

The moment those words left Zhao Yu's mouth, Zhang Chun was nearly in tears.

She hadn't expected that the goal she had been pursuing for so many days would be achieved so easily?!!!

But the problem was—she couldn't do it today!

'Is heaven toying with me? Or is Zhao Yu toying with me?!!!'

Zhang Chun was nearly going crazy.

Seeing Zhang Chun "hesitate," Zhao Yu said: "If my beloved consort still has reservations, another time will do as well."

Zhang Chun hurriedly explained: "It is not that this concubine is unwilling—it's truly that this concubine has… has her monthly courses."

Zhao Yu was also caught off guard! He hadn't expected that Zhang Chun's path to attending his bed would be so bumpy.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Yu said to Zhang Chun: "No matter, I have a way to handle it."

Having said that, Zhao Yu scooped Zhang Chun up in his arms and carried her into the bedchamber…

……

(End of chapter)