Chapter 868: Sleepless and Unable to Eat

"Just hold a family banquet. The year-end is near; there will be plenty of chances for ruler and ministers to celebrate together."

Emperor Jian Shi said casually.

Wang De bowed and assented, and an internal attendant was sent to the central palace to deliver the order.

"The fifteenth of the first month is a festive day. This servant thought, why not hold the celebration on the fifteenth, ruler and ministers together. If Your Majesty climbs the city wall, that would be celebrating with the common folk, and all the people under heaven would surely rejoice. Wait until next year, when the Chu King is defeated and perishes, and the world is at peace — that would be a tremendous joy. What the late Emperor failed to accomplish, Your Majesty has accomplished; Your Majesty's merit far surpasses the late Emperor's. This servant offers Your Majesty early congratulations!"

Wang De's flattery was loud enough.

The moment his words fell, every palace servant in the room chimed in unison, "Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

Emperor Jian Shi burst into hearty laughter at the words.

The palace servants, as if encouraged, joined in with laughter and merriment. For a moment the atmosphere in the room was unbearably joyful.

"The fifteenth of the first month is excellent. Go and arrange it. I wish to celebrate with the common folk!"

"Yes!" Wang De, looking thoroughly delighted, took the comb from a palace servant's hand and personally combed Emperor Jian Shi's hair. Back in the day, he had been the little eunuch in charge of combing hair. Because he combed so well, he gained favor from above and rose to his present position.

Many years had passed, but the skill of combing hair had not been forgotten. Emperor Jian Shi squinted his eyes, looking thoroughly pleased.

A white hair discovered!

Wang De did not panic. Silently, unhurriedly, with just the right touch, he plucked out the white hair and quietly hid it away. From start to finish he never disturbed Emperor Jian Shi, who was still enjoying himself.

He also shot a glance at the little eunuch combing hair: take note! Don't think that just knowing how to comb hair is enough to keep your rice bowl steady — there's great learning in combing hair, and still much to study.

Once everything was properly tidied, Wang De gently roused Emperor Jian Shi.

"Let's go! The ministers must all be waiting anxiously by now."

Emperor Jian Shi at least still remembered his duties.

Wang De followed closely behind, and as he left did not forget to instruct his adopted son at his side, "Investigate properly who brought the medicine last night, and who was in charge of administering it. His Majesty rose late today — someone must be held responsible for this."

"But if His Majesty..."

"Even so, someone must be held responsible! Have the ancestral rules all been forgotten?"

With the Chu King defeated and perished, the court had recovered vast stretches of territory — some rich lands, some barren. How to handle these lands and the people on them required careful discussion.

Everyone agreed: while the new year had not yet arrived, they should quickly dispatch chief administrators to take over local civil affairs, seize control of finances, and prepare next year's summer harvest taxes.

"The northwest has suffered years of war; the people are destitute, already squeezed to the marrow. You do not think of settling the people, yet you dream of collecting summer taxes. Are you perhaps more cruel than that bandit the Chu King? It is utterly absurd!"

One minister truly could not stand it any longer and loudly denounced them to Emperor Jian Shi's face.

Seeing Emperor Jian Shi's face darken, on the verge of an outburst, Xie Changling stepped out in time. "There is reason in this. The northwest has been ravaged by war repeatedly; settling the people should be the first consideration. Dispatching chief administrators to the northwest to oversee local civil affairs is imperative. But settling the people is also urgent. Your Majesty, this humble minister believes that for the next year or two, the northwest should be exempted from taxes, so the people may resume production and become self-sufficient, and the court will no longer need to provide relief."

"Reasonable! Proceed as Minister Xie has said. Exempt the northwest from taxes for two years, and dispatch chief administrators to take over the localities as soon as possible — settle the people, restore production."

Emperor Jian Shi smiled and nodded, looking at Xie Changling, the more he looked the more satisfied he was. This was a chief minister he had personally chosen, more outstanding than anyone — a testament to how discerning his eye was.

Though he had not yet formally taken office, anyone with eyes knew that the one calling the shots in the Zhengshitang now was neither Left Chancellor Lord Hai nor Right Chancellor Yu Yu Zhaoan, who was in the south. It was the young Xie Changling, Lord Xie.

"Then who should be sent to govern the northwest?"

Next, the ministers began arguing again over the choice of candidate.

Everyone knew clearly that the person chosen to govern the northwest had to understand civil affairs, and also had to be capable of keeping Marquis Pingjiang in check. Even if he could not be kept in check, he at least had to be an equal, checking each other. They absolutely could not allow Marquis Pingjiang to continue growing in power.

By now a very dangerous saying had spread among the people: that Marquis Pingjiang was the King of the Northwest. All matters in the northwest, great and small, civil or military, were his Yiyantang.

This was very dangerous!

It left the court officials with something stuck in their throats, a thorn in their backs, as if sitting on a bed of needles!

Sleepless and unable to eat!

Under the bright heavens, how could the realm of Da Qian tolerate a King of the Northwest — a "king" who held both military and civil power in his hands!

Absolutely not!

He must be restrained in authority, in interests, in finances, in every aspect.

And these were only the moderate measures.

As for forceful measures, a court official proposed on the spot, "The Chu King is defeated and perished; it is time to recall Marquis Pingjiang to Jingcheng. He has held military power in the northwest for years — this cannot continue. Otherwise, sooner or later he will become a mortal threat to the court."

Whenever this topic came up, Emperor Jian Shi frowned and worried.

"My dear ministers, should Marquis Pingjiang be recalled, and if so, how? Do you have a plan?"

The ministers began discussing it in a hubbub of voices.

Among them were no lack of naive, foolish remarks. Naturally there were also seasoned, state-minded suggestions, though they seemed a touch timid, leaving certain people quite dissatisfied.

"Minister Xie, what is your view on this matter?"

"This humble minister believes the Chu King is still gasping for breath, not yet utterly defeated. The matter of recalling Marquis Pingjiang must be approached gradually."

Certain veteran ministers nodded repeatedly — though Xie Changling was young, his handling of affairs was very steady.

But clearly, Emperor Jian Shi was not satisfied with this answer. With a dark face, he said, "In the northwest only the petty rebel Guo Guo Dachun remains — why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? Marquis Pingjiang has toiled for the nation for years; I am deeply grateful, full of admiration, and full of heartache for him. I wish I could have Marquis Pingjiang return to Jingcheng this very moment to rest. His health, my dear ministers all know, requires long-term quiet recuperation! I cannot, for my own selfish sake, sit by and watch this pillar of the state deteriorate day by day. My dear ministers, who among you can share my burden?"

Xie Changling lowered his head slightly, brows faintly knit.

He knew Emperor Jian Shi's temperament well — at this moment one could not press hard, could not go against him. One had to smooth the fur the right way. While certain dim-witted people were still thinking, he decisively stepped forward and ended the topic. "Your Majesty, this matter requires careful deliberation to be properly resolved. Time is pressing at the moment; perhaps after this humble minister withdraws, I will first work out a plan, and then request Your Majesty's decision."

Emperor Jian Shi considered — he had indeed been too hasty, which was not conducive to resolving the matter. So he approved Xie Changling's suggestion. "Agreed! Work out a plan as soon as possible. This chronic ailment of the northwest — I hope it can be thoroughly resolved soon."

"Your Majesty, how is the Chu King's corpse to be dealt with? And how are the Chu King's family members to be handled? We await Your Majesty's decision!"

"Dismember the Chu King with a thousand cuts, only then can the hatred in my heart be appeased. As for the family members, escort them all to Jingcheng, to be discussed later!"