Chapter 373: Summer Rain (Continued)

"Your Majesty."

Seeing that the Zhao official had remained silent for a long time, Liu Hongdao assumed the other party didn't know the details and couldn't make a judgment, so he quickly offered a more thorough explanation. "After the Yellow River channel turns at the Fenglingdu crossing in Tong Pass, the current suddenly becomes swift, but it's not absolutely impassable—it's just more difficult to navigate compared to other places..."

"I understand what you mean, and I also understand the river conditions there." Zhao Jiu didn't turn around as he directly interrupted the other. "I've passed through there several times—how could I not understand? On ordinary days, it's sufficient for moving troops and transporting supplies, but it is indeed a swift channel after all. It's only natural that you're worried it might become a bottleneck for logistics once the Northern Expedition begins... And since there was a Tang-era precedent of building plank roads and setting up guides on the rocky islets in the midstream, and our Great Song also had the precedent of assigning special officials to clear that area during campaigns against the Western Xia, that's why you came up with this suggestion."

"Yes." Liu Hongdao nodded immediately.

"So you and Hu Yin intend to have it repaired?" Zhao Jiu finally turned around to ask. "You're the Director of the Waterways Bureau overseeing the Yellow River, and he's the Minister of Works in charge of the overall effort—this matter falls squarely within your purview."

"Yes." Liu Hongdao grew even more earnest. "But we'll need to use gunpowder extensively, otherwise we definitely won't make it in time for the autumn Northern Expedition... The explosive force of gunpowder for blasting mountains is exactly what's needed here."

"This matter isn't that simple." Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiu paused for a moment for some unknown reason before shaking his head in response.

Liu Hongdao's heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to speak, but after catching sight of the rain outside through the official's silhouette, he fell silent instead.

"Since you're here, go rest for a while. Let me look over the documents and reports you've brought, and I'll give you a reply together." Zhao Jiu simply dismissed him.

Liu Hongdao, already having something on his mind and receiving the imperial order, naturally withdrew carefully and followed Zong Ying, who was standing in attendance before the hall, to the rear hall to rest.

However, although it was called the rear hall, it was actually the Shengguo Temple on the other side of the mountain to the south of Phoenix Mountain, which had simply been commandeered by the Zhao official.

But there was no help for it—after all, the old Wu-Yue palace on Phoenix Mountain was very cramped and had long fallen into disrepair. Only a rear bedchamber and a front main hall were usable, and the so-called main hall was only as wide as three rooms. As Li Gang put it when mediating among villagers in Fujian and telling local elders about the official's sage virtue, it was merely "three bays"... In fact, if it weren't for this, the Zhao official wouldn't have had to hold the Wulin Assembly out in the wild.

And now, with the continuous rain in Hangzhou during the summer of the ninth year of Jianyan, the two rows of small rooms attached to the rear bedchamber had also been soaked through, causing seven or eight out of ten rooms to leak. This forced the accompanying civil and military officials, who had originally been resting and working there, to evacuate. The nearest Shengguo Temple naturally responded enthusiastically to the call, giving up space for the temporary imperial residence and serving as the "rear hall."

Of course, this also indirectly shows that there are indeed many temples in the south.

But none of this concerned Liu Hongdao. For him, staying in the temple might even be more convenient—first, because the distance was manageable, and second, because he was separated from the official by a mountain stream and two walls, making it easier to find people to talk to and handle daily affairs... except there were too many crows. The entire Phoenix Mountain was covered in crows, and whenever he passed by, they would startle into a cacophony of caws.

Turning back to the present, that afternoon, with rain still pouring outside, Liu Hongdao followed Zong Ying to the Shengguo Temple to settle in briefly. After changing into dry clothes, he went straight out, found a guard at the gate, asked about the location of Guo Zhongxun of the Imperial Rear Reserve Army, who had just arrived from Qianzhou not long ago, and had the guard lead him there. Holding an umbrella, he went to the military camp at the foot of Phoenix Mountain to pay a visit.

Facing a high-ranking official from the Secret Pavilion who also held the concurrent post of Director of the Waterways Bureau—a post that had seemed insignificant before but was now visibly important in the grand scheme of the Northern Expedition—Guo Zhongxun naturally treated him with courtesy.

Moreover, although this visit was sudden, it had a reasonable explanation—as the former Grand Coordinator of Jiangnan West Circuit, now that Liu Hongdao was in the south, it would be strange if he didn't come to ask someone familiar about the recent situation in Jiangxi.

It was just that he seemed too eager.

Sure enough, after the two met and exchanged a few pleasantries, they sat down facing each other in the military camp at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. Tea was served, and they casually started talking about the recent rebellion in Jiangxi, gradually broadening the conversation. In the end, not only did the topics become increasingly wide-ranging, but because both sides had overlapping connections in Jiangxi, and because both understood the unspoken rules of officialdom, they even developed a sense of regretting not having met sooner.

Thus, the two chatted amiably, gradually losing track of time. Suddenly, the faint sound of bells and drums came from somewhere in the nearby mountains—not too dense, and without any martial air... How could the two not recognize this as the temple's routine? Judging by the time, it was probably a reminder for the monks to end their afternoon activities and head to the kitchen for their meal.

At this point, Liu Hongdao should have taken the initiative to take his leave.

But for some unknown reason, after glancing at the still-drizzling rain outside, the Vice Minister of War sat as steady as a mountain and asked the camp's host, Guo Zhongxun, a rather sensitive question:

"Chief Guo, I had an audience with His Majesty today and saw that his expression was quite displeased. Is there some trouble here again? Has the Fujian matter stirred up new waves, or has some incident arisen in Hangzhou itself?"

Guo Zhongxun was momentarily startled, then quickly put on a smile and replied: "For your information, Vice Minister Liu, I've only been in Hangzhou for ten days. Even if there were some inside details, how could I possibly know them?"

This was a refusal.

However, Liu Hongdao just smiled faintly and pressed on: "Regardless of whether it's true or false, big or small, if there are any rumors or accounts, Chief Guo, feel free to speak..."

This was a demand.

Yet, although the two sat facing each other and conversed like friends, their statuses and positions were vastly different.

Liu Hongdao's seniority, background, status, and current post all far surpassed the other's. Moreover, for Guo Zhongxun, whether he wanted to solidify his political foundation in Jiangxi or achieve something in the subsequent Northern Expedition, he would likely need the political resources of the man before him.

In fact, this was the fundamental reason Liu Hongdao had come to see Guo Zhongxun—he knew the other party was firmly in his grasp and wouldn't dare offend him.

Turning back to the present, after a brief hesitation, Guo Zhongxun indeed didn't dare to offend him. He let out a bitter laugh and reluctantly replied: "If that's the case, please don't laugh at me, Vice Minister Liu, if I make any mistakes or omissions."

"Naturally." Liu Hongdao nodded slightly, his demeanor clearly urging him on. "Please, speak in detail."

And seeing the other party's attitude, Guo Zhongxun knew he wouldn't be able to get through the day without revealing the bottom line, so he immediately threw caution to the wind and laid it all out:

"On my very first day in Hangzhou, I happened to witness His Majesty fly into a rage—and it was still about Fujian. It seems that in Fujian, many rural brawls had been dealt with by sentencing the offenders to the cangue and public exposure. His Majesty was furious and issued an emergency decree that very night, not only to Fujian but to all regions, forbidding this type of punishment... Vice Minister Liu, coming from Dongjing, you probably missed the news of this matter."

"Is that so? But why?"

"At first, we were all anxious. Later, when Chancellor Lu came to ask in person, we learned the reason. His Majesty believed that the punishment of the cangue and public exposure was too humiliating. Especially since some officials didn't know their limits and would sentence people to several days of the cangue after the flogging. As a result, the punished person couldn't even stand or sit—they could only lie prostrate like a dog or horse... His Majesty's original words were that in the countryside, any true hero would find such humiliation unbearable, and might just rebel and join the bandits on Mount Liang like Lin Chong because of a single cangue punishment."

"I see... This shows His Majesty's love for the people as if they were his children, and also reflects the new atmosphere since the Jianyan Restoration... Is there anything else?"

"There's also this. After arriving in Hangzhou, I heard some unfavorable rumors targeting His Majesty's practice of selling official posts. Something like 'Three hundred strings, and you become a cabinet member; two thousand piculs, and you're a Vice Prefect'... It seems the common folk have some opinions about His Majesty using official posts and ranks to raise funds."

"No matter... Just some ignorant commoners who don't understand the grand strategy of the court... Anything else?"

"Also, the heavy rains in early summer this year reportedly affected the silk production in the southeast. As a result, although the people in the Two Zhe circuits benefited from the policies of merging the head tax into the land tax and no additional levies, they didn't see much immediate benefit. The influential households found it even harder than in previous years and voiced more complaints. What's more, it's said that even the summer tax revenue was half a percent less than last year because several prefectures reported disasters."

"This is a natural disaster—how can it be blamed on His Majesty? This isn't the Han dynasty, so there's no need to even mention that theory of heavenly omens... Besides, the fact that things are still like this despite a natural disaster actually shows that His Majesty's new policies are benevolent."

"Who says otherwise?"

"However, I've always known that the summer tax in the Two Zhe circuits is no ordinary matter. The slightest disturbance will bring forth all kinds of talk."

"Exactly." Guo Zhongxun paused, then spoke earnestly. "The summer tax in the Two Zhe circuits went awry due to the rain, and in Fujian circuit due to the disturbances below. In my humble opinion, this is the greatest difficulty we face..."

"Who says otherwise?" Liu Hongdao clasped his hands and sighed faintly in the same manner. "The summer tax in Fujian circuit was a full 30% short, while in the Two Zhe circuits it was only 10% short, but the impact of that 10% is greater than Fujian's 30%... Because the summer tax in the south is primarily aimed at silk, and I still remember that before the Jingkang Incident, among the twenty-two circuits of the realm, the silk submitted by the Two Zhe circuits accounted for nearly one-fifth of the entire empire—truly one circuit matching five ordinary ones. Therefore, that half-percent shortfall in the Two Zhe circuits' summer tax is equivalent to Fujian's 30%."

Guo Zhongxun also shook his head with a bitter smile: "The silk of the Two Zhe circuits isn't just one-fifth of the summer tax—it also affects maritime trade. This year, commercial taxes in the southeast will suffer significant losses as well."

"But that still doesn't add up." Liu Hongdao shook his head as well, then looked out at the pitch-black window, where the sound of drizzling rain could still be heard. "Even if the summer tax and commercial tax losses in the Two Zhe and Fujian circuits are painful, what are they in the grand scheme of the nation? A few less bolts of silk—mere floating wealth. Even if we can't make up for it with national bonds or something, so what? How could it make His Majesty hesitate about the Northern Expedition? You must understand, the Northern Expedition isn't just about the three years of financial preparation... Since the Jingkang Incident, up to this ninth year of Jianyan, not counting the previous emperor, His Majesty has been in charge and fighting resolutely for a full eight years now, hasn't he?"

Guo Zhongxun also glanced out the window, paused for a moment, then continued: "If it's not the summer tax, then I think it must be the autumn tax. After all, the summer tax is mostly silk, while the autumn tax is grain. And if we're going to launch the Northern Expedition, a few hundred thousand bolts of silk short can be made up with some national bonds. What we should fear is a grain shortage, or even a direct disaster in the southeast that would require relief."

Liu Hongdao finally nodded heavily, then said seriously: "So, everyone here also believes that if His Majesty is hesitating, it must be because of this unceasing rain and his worry about the autumn harvest in the Two Zhe circuits?"

Guo Zhongxun also nodded heavily. With a slight stir in his heart, he finally asked a question in return: "May I ask, Vice Minister Liu, how is the north this year?"

Liu Hongdao finally smiled bitterly: "Actually, there's been too much rain in the north this year too. But interestingly, the north is just like the south—it's become a problem, but hasn't reached the point of being a full-blown disaster."

"If that's the case, it's only natural for His Majesty to have some doubts overall." Guo Zhongxun, seeing the conversation reach this point, could no longer hold back. "And Vice Minister Liu, your visit here—did you come from Dongjing because you sensed some of His Majesty's doubts, to inquire about them?"

"Not exactly. I mainly came to discuss official business. But Minister Hu of the Ministry of Works and several familiar Imperial Army commanders are indeed somewhat worried and privately asked me to come and take a look. After all, what the southeast can think of, how could Dongjing not?" Liu Hongdao also spoke the truth, because he could see that the other party clearly supported the Northern Expedition. "But I didn't expect His Majesty's hesitation to be so obvious."

Guo Zhongxun sighed softly and finally stated his position: "At this point, the arrow has already been nocked and must be loosed. And logically speaking, His Majesty is not usually someone who vacillates like this... But the autumn harvest is no ordinary matter. Given our positions, it's awkward for us to speak directly until His Majesty makes his stance clear. However, Vice Minister Liu, your seniority is exceptional, and your current post is extremely important. If you were to speak frankly, it would be excellent. If you need us to follow your lead, that would only be natural."

Liu Hongdao nodded slightly.

Then, having obtained the answer he wanted, the Vice Minister of War naturally didn't linger in the military camp. Ignoring the dark road and slippery conditions, he turned back immediately... As for Guo Zhongxun hastily sending a squad to escort him safely, that was another matter.

Braving the rain, he returned to the Shengguo Temple. The evening meal had already been served there, but given Liu Hongdao's status, he didn't need to say a word before the monks warmly gathered around to attend to him... Entering his room, monks soon presented hot water. After he changed into clean everyday clothes, other monks led him to the kitchen, where fresh seasonal vegetables were stir-fried and served on the spot.

After the meal, fruit was even cut into a platter and carefully presented.

However, Liu Hongdao had matters on his mind—how could he care about any of this? As he ate and drank, he pondered how to submit a memorial to clarify the situation and urge His Majesty to set aside his burdens and commit wholeheartedly to the Northern Expedition. After thinking it over, he decided it might be better not to submit a memorial directly, but first to approach Lu Benzhong to publish an article of his in the Phoenix Mountain Ten-Day Journal, to test the waters.

After settling on his plan, eating and drinking his fill, this fellow actually wanted to take some—he thought the Victory Fruit Temple's dry flatbread was fragrant and crispy, and the fruit wasn't bad either, so he intended to bring some along for his accompanying clerks to taste something fresh.

The monks had no choice but to quickly find a cloth sack for Vice Minister Liu to pack. As they were packing, someone else arrived at the kitchen, startling the monks into rushing to attend to him.

Liu Hongdao and this man were both in plain clothes, and it was night, with rain falling outside. Although he heard the monks address the newcomer as "Young Master" when they fawned over him, he didn't recognize him at first. But when the sack was packed and they met face to face in the kitchen lamplight, they immediately recognized each other—the newcomer was none other than Ren Baozhong, a Palace Attendant and a trusted close minister of His Majesty.

Now, Ren Baozhong, this fellow, was advanced in years, cunning by nature, utterly lacking in decorum, and moreover a mangy old Tangut dog whose hair wasn't even neat. Thus, even though he was a trusted close minister before His Majesty, no one associated with him... Of course, the reason this man was trusted probably lay in that very fact... But regardless, the two of them running into each other like this was awkward. Liu Hongdao hesitated, but didn't want to offend this man at such a critical moment. So, out of respect for the other's age, he casually offered a greeting, then hurried away without waiting for a reply.

Leaving only a flattered so-called Tangut old dog standing there stunned.

Liu Hongdao thought the chance encounter in the kitchen would end there. Unexpectedly, that evening, when the Vice Minister of War returned to his room and sat by the window to begin drafting his "On the Impermissibility of Delaying the Northern Expedition," which he planned to submit to Lü Benzhong the next day, he had only written about a hundred characters when someone suddenly knocked on his door... Opening it, he was even more astonished to see Ren Baozhong.

"Vice Minister Liu." Ren Baozhong didn't enter, but clasped his hands in the corridor. "I take the liberty... Has Your Excellency noticed that His Majesty is growing increasingly hesitant?"

Liu Hongdao, seeing the other man come straight to the point, couldn't even be bothered to critique the word "Excellency," which was steeped in barbarian connotations, and instead felt his spirits lift.

Ren Baozhong, seeing this reaction, understood at once and made no attempt to conceal anything. He clasped his hands again: "Vice Minister Liu, I too want the Northern Expedition. Because if we don't march north, if we don't let the Tangut lads pour out of Hebei to serve the state, the rift between Shaanxi and Ningxia will never be healed..."

If the Tangut lads don't all pour out of Hebei, how can you, a mangy old Tangut dog, show your skill and advance further? Liu Hongdao finally found room for a mental jab. But then, the other man's next words made him fully understand.

"Vice Minister Liu, we share the same stance. I saw in the kitchen just now that you are a courteous man. Moreover, I guessed that given your position and assignment, coming here in the midst of your busy schedule must mean more than just paying respects. It must be that Tokyo, watching the summer tax and autumn harvest, has sensed His Majesty's attitude... However, I have one point of caution for your consideration: His Majesty's hesitation may not only be over natural disasters and man-made calamities. He may also be worried that the entire court, from top to bottom, has developed a rash and aggressive tendency!" With that, Ren Baozhong turned and left, leaving Liu Hongdao standing stunned at his door.

When he closed the door and returned to his desk by the window, he hesitated before the essay he had already prepared. Ren Baozhong had just given him a new angle he hadn't considered before—that after a series of continuous purges, the court from top to bottom was now filled with people like himself who advocated war, or who longed for the Northern Expedition.

From the top—Grand Councilors, Military Commissioners, Ministers—to the middle—people like himself, Ren Baozhong, and Guo Zhongxun—and down to the younger newcomers like Hu Quan and Yu Yunwen—if they didn't advocate war, didn't think of the Northern Expedition, or didn't actively shift their stance and proclaim support for it, they would have been eliminated long ago.

In fact, thinking carefully, from the first year of Jianyan onward, not to mention peace advocates like Huang Qianshan, even Grand Councilors who advocated defense or caution, like Li Gang, Lü Haowen, and Xu Jingheng, had all been driven by the times, whether actively or passively.

Going further down, it was even more so.

For example, Zhao Mingcheng, whose experience was similar to his own but with greater seniority and age, and who had also fled to Bagongshan with him, was unable to advance in any court reshuffle because he could not fight and was unwilling to fight. On the court, one either advanced or retreated. Having failed to take a firm stance time and again, he naturally had to roll back to his hometown to study his epigraphy... Comparatively speaking, the idea that His Majesty Zhao admired the poetic talent of Yi'an Jushi and thus brought disaster upon Zhao Mingcheng was a complete joke among truly high-ranking officials.

The same was true within the Imperial Guard Army. They were either capable fighters or daring fighters, and at the very least, they showed no fear of the Northern Expedition. There was no shortage of men like Yue Fei and Li Qiong, Hebei natives who were mad with longing for their old homeland, nor of steadfast men like Li Yanxian and Ma Kuo, who had endured years of torment and were nearly red-eyed with waiting.

As for the so-called sons of steady military families, they had long been purged time and again through successive successful military actions. In the past, the Xin brothers, with five commanders in one family—how illustrious were they? Now, even their staff officer, Hu Hongxiu, had become the Grand Coordinator of Ningxia. Where were they? Men like Miao and Liu, once ranked alongside Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun, had also been gradually pushed out of the Imperial Guard.

In a sense, when His Majesty said at the Wulin Conference that he was being pushed, it was an honest statement.

At this point, for His Majesty to adopt a cautious posture in turn, to prevent those below from getting out of control, could also be considered a reasonable imperial stratagem.

And so, Liu Hongdao sat dryly by the window, listening to the night rain patter, punctuated by the occasional crow's cry. He thought back and forth, not only failing to write or polish a single character, but thinking more and more. In the end, he even inexplicably recalled the nearly nine years of personal experience from the first year of Jingkang to the ninth year of Jianyan.

From the grief and indignation of the Jingkang Humiliation, to the haste of his sudden appointment in Qingzhou, to the fear after his desperate battle with Wushu, the wretchedness on Bagongshan, the cautious diligence in Jiangxi, the busyness and desire for vengeance after returning to Tokyo, to today's situation... And, turning it over in his mind, the matter he had mentioned to Guo Zhongxun that evening—that although the Great Song had suffered disasters in the previous eight or nine years, they had been small ones. A large-scale rainfall like this year's, spreading across north and south, was truly rare... This made him sigh even more.

In short, his mind churned with a hundred turns and ten thousand phrases, yet he could not set down a single stroke. Instead, he gradually grew dazed.

In the end, Vice Minister Liu simply lay down on the desk, fell into a confused sleep, and couldn't even type out a few more characters.

But this sleep was not so peaceful. Suddenly, at some unknown hour, the Vice Minister of War was startled awake by a rumbling sound from the mountains, both startled and bewildered.

It was truly a rumbling sound. Suddenly, on Mount Fenghuang, a thunderous roar filled the ears, like rolling thunder. Then, countless crows, startled, rose up, ignoring the rain, and filled the mountain with endless cawing.

Liu Hongdao was dazed for a moment, then immediately pushed open his door and shouted loudly to inquire:

"What happened?"

But the Victory Fruit Temple was in chaos. Not to mention the monks, even the Imperial Guard soldiers and his own attendants, who had hastily risen from their rooms nearby, could not answer.

Liu Hongdao had no choice. He quickly threw on his clothes, found his attendants, called two Imperial Guardsmen, and headed straight for the main hall of the Victory Fruit Temple. But although this place, lit with many eternal lamps, had become a natural gathering point, it was equally chaotic, and no one knew what had happened... However, it must be said that Liu Hongdao, being an experienced official, knew what was important. He had already figured it out on the way: it didn't matter what happened elsewhere, the only fear was that the Imperial Carriage might be in danger.

So, he made an immediate decision. In the main hall, he ordered the monks and the Imperial Guardsmen to assemble quickly and rush to the temporary palace on the other side of the mountain to rescue His Majesty.

Just as this Vice Minister was trying to command the monks, he looked up and saw the Palace Attendant Ren Baozhong, whom he had met the previous night, recklessly gathering a squad of Imperial Guards stationed in the temple and preparing to head for the temporary palace.

Liu Hongdao silently cursed himself for being useless. Casting aside all caution, he left the monks to Lü Benzhong, who had just arrived at the main hall looking dazed, and then, almost alone, chased after Ren Baozhong and that squad of Imperial Guards, heading together for the temporary palace.

The mountain path was difficult at night, slippery and muddy with rain. Before reaching the summit, the two leaders, Liu and Ren, both older men, fell several times. Even among the accompanying Imperial Guards, a Western Mongol prince named Tuoli, who was with them, scraped his knee on a stone step and was effectively taken out of action.

But when the group reached the mountaintop and saw the temporary palace, lit up with countless lanterns despite the rainy night, with people running about, shouting, and asking questions, they knew at once that something had happened at the palace... In fact, they didn't even need to think to guess what it was. Clearly, the relentless rain had caused the temporary palace to collapse... At this, both men and the accompanying Imperial Guardsmen of the direct Chixin Company were almost all terrified.

Under the half-broken lanterns, Liu Hongdao and Ren Baozhong couldn't help but exchange a glance, seeing the terror in each other's eyes.

But the next moment, completely disregarding the difficulty of the rainy night, they hurriedly surged down toward the temporary palace, supported by those around them.

"The Imperial Carriage... where is the Imperial Carriage?" Arriving at the temporary palace in a sorry state, seeing the collapsed piles of building materials, Liu Hongdao, covered in mud, tried several times before he could shout out, his voice still trembling.

Perhaps because the mountain was now filled with voices and lanterns from all sides, and Hangzhou city had already been alerted, and the startled crows were cawing incessantly, no one answered at first.

With no other choice, Liu and Ren, shouting with trembling voices, recklessly pushed their way toward the bedchamber, which still looked relatively intact.

"Is that Minister Liu and Minister Ren? Don't panic. I am here, unharmed." In the rainy night, a familiar voice came from an open space behind the bedchamber, causing Liu Hongdao and Ren Baozhong to collapse to the ground in relief.

The next moment, Imperial Guardsmen came forward to help them up and led them before His Majesty Zhao.

But for some reason, in the brightly lit area, when they saw His Majesty Zhao standing under a large umbrella, not only without a scratch but with his clothes completely dry, Liu Hongdao and Ren Baozhong, who had already stood up, both collapsed to the ground again and, as if by agreement, covered their faces and wept loudly.

This time, it was Zhao Jiu's turn to be stunned for a moment.

PS: There is a promotion for a Spring Festival food journey in the book club. Everyone, go take a look.