Chapter 56 Jinling Cangyue (Part Two) "Your Highness, please forgive me, I will help you..."
Upon receiving news of the Crown Prince's impending arrival in Nanjing, officials at all levels immediately felt a sense of urgency, making preparations in advance and diligently sending official documents to the Crown Prince's ship daily via messengers. Meanwhile, any changes occurring in the capital were also secretly reported to them.
It took more than half a month to travel south.
Although they were on the road, they couldn't stay idle. Yan Chao and several officials would discuss matters together from time to time, and Lan Huaien would often serve by their side.
But he really didn't have much experience, and while serving tea and water, he would occasionally chime in. He had a good memory, and he could recall relevant examples from memorials he had read before, which could be used as a reference.
Li Shih-huai remained remarkably composed throughout. He worked diligently while secretly observing the situation, and overall, things seemed to be going smoothly.
However, Lan Huaien sometimes had a sharp tongue, and his arrogant words were so offensive that even several officials present found them unbearable. Whenever this happened, the Crown Prince would coldly order him out, clearly having reached his breaking point.
The two were so in sync that they didn't need prior discussion or on-the-spot hints; their natural selves were completely exposed, and no one could detect any flaws.
After passing Yangzhou, fearing that the water level would be unstable and navigation would be too risky, they would have to disembark and take a horse-drawn carriage to Nanjing.
By the time they arrived in Jinling City, it was already early July.
Nanjing officials went out to welcome the Crown Prince in accordance with etiquette. After entering the city, they intended to follow the old custom and prepare a banquet to welcome the Crown Prince. However, the Crown Prince specially sent his eunuch to convey an order to refuse the banquet.
The torrential rains caused the rivers to overflow, severely damaging the city. The people were still suffering, so how could they possibly enjoy themselves? The eunuch was somewhat lenient, using slightly more tactful language, but the edict still left everyone feeling utterly ashamed.
No one had expected this situation, so they had no choice but to quickly admit their mistake. After that, they all became more cautious and attentive.
All arrangements in the palace had been made in advance, and the Crown Prince, following precedent, resided in the Chunhe Hall behind the Wenhua Hall.
As the secondary capital of the Great Qi Dynasty, Nanjing's overall layout of the imperial city was largely the same as that of the capital. Moreover, after the capital was moved to Yanjing, most of the palace names in Nanjing's imperial city remained unchanged.
Therefore, although it was Yan Chao's first time entering the Nanjing Imperial Palace, he did not feel particularly unfamiliar with it. The Wenhua Hall was similar to the Wenhua Hall in the capital, and the Chunhe Hall was located in the same place as the Eastern Palace in the capital, only the Nanjing one was much more spacious.
As she walked, the oppressive aura of the past vanished, replaced by an involuntary sigh of reminiscence for the former glory of Emperor Taizu. Standing on the steps of the palace, Yan Chao tried to look north. Across more than two thousand miles of mountains and rivers, all she could see was a vast expanse of misty waves. She felt like a traveler, but not like a wanderer.
.
On the first day of his arrival, the Crown Prince first summoned officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing. He originally intended to meet with Zhu Yongxing, the Governor of Southern Zhili, but since Zhu was still in Suzhou, he gave up on that plan.
Once the imperial edict was issued, the officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Courts all had somewhat mixed feelings.
The official structure in Nanjing was similar to that in Yanjing (Beijing). Except for the absence of a cabinet, the Ministry of War was the most powerful of the six ministries in Nanjing, unlike the six ministries in the capital. The Minister of War also served as the Nanjing Military Advisor, and was a member of the Garrison Council along with the eunuchs in charge of the inner and outer garrisons and the assistant garrison commanders. These were the true power centers in Nanjing, but the Crown Prince bypassed them and focused his attention on the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue.
It can easily give people the feeling that it's an attempt to interrogate or accuse someone.
Even Li Shih-huai was surprised, feeling that the Crown Prince's attitude was too sharp.
Given the unfamiliarity of the situation upon arrival, a hasty and impolite attack would not only alert the enemy and affect subsequent investigations and handling, but could also damage the Crown Prince's reputation if he overdoes it.
He raised this issue with the Crown Prince, speaking frankly and without reservation.
The Crown Prince said, "The journey has already been delayed for half a month, and we cannot delay any longer. I must find out what happened. If they have performed their duties diligently, they will naturally be at ease; but if they have neglected their duties, should we give them time to exonerate themselves?"
Li Shih-huai said, “If that is the case, Your Highness may summon all the ministers of the Six Ministries and the Nine Ministers. The previous memorials were not only from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue. Officials from various ministries in Nanjing are also interconnected. Your Highness is new here and it is not appropriate to show favoritism. Moreover, one-sided listening will lead to ignorance.”
The Crown Prince insisted, "I will summon the other officials tomorrow. I am new here and need to understand the most basic situation."
Seeing that he couldn't dissuade him, Li Shihai stopped talking. But he secretly thought to himself: The Crown Prince is still young and impetuous. He's unwilling to leave himself any way out now. I'm afraid he won't be able to handle the situation later.
.
A map of Nanjing was displayed before us, clearly marking all the military defenses, river fortifications, and other defensive positions in the city. Areas damaged by storms and flooding were marked in red ink. However, since the degree of recovery varied from place to place, Zheng Zhiyuan, the Vice Minister of Works, needed to explain the situation to each location.
As for the Minister of Works, he was dismissed by the emperor in a fit of anger as soon as the memorial from Nanjing was presented to the capital. The vacancy has not yet been filled, so the Vice Minister can only temporarily take over the duties.
Damaged suburban altars, mausoleums, palaces, city walls, animal-shaped ornaments, and roof railings are all under repair, though progress is somewhat slow as most are royal structures. As for the common people, the Ministry of Revenue promptly opened granaries to provide relief after the flood, but the number of casualties remains countless, not to mention the property losses.
Yan Chao frowned, sighed deeply, and asked, "Have all the disaster-stricken people been properly resettled?"
Minister of Revenue Wei Zhao replied in agreement and then presented the relevant documents on the resettlement of disaster victims for the Crown Prince to review carefully.
Yan Chao glanced at him discreetly, flipped through a few more pages, and then turned to Zheng Zhiyuan to ask, "Where is the Minister of Works now?"
"Your Highness, by order of His Majesty, Minister of Works Chu Wei has been dismissed and is under investigation. After the three judicial departments have thoroughly investigated and determined the crime, the verdict has been reported to the capital. Chu Wei is currently imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice prison awaiting further instructions."
“I have seen that report,” Yan Chao nodded slightly and closed the document. “This case is certainly not just about him. How many people did the Three Judicial Offices investigate?”
Zheng Zhiyuan paused for a moment, somewhat confused by the Crown Prince's question, and replied, "Your Highness, please forgive me. This case is being handled by the Three Judicial Offices, and I am unaware of the details."
Yan Chao then called Duan Shou in and ordered him to retrieve the secret report he had received on the ship a few days earlier. He then read it to the two of them word by word.
According to the memorials submitted to the court at that time, the dredging of the floodwaters in the city was nearing completion. However, a secret report stated that too many people had drowned in the Zhonghua Gate area of Jiangning County. Even if some survivors remained, the government ignored them, leaving them to fend for themselves, resulting in the innocent deaths of those who should have been saved. Furthermore, several affected households had not received sufficient compensation or relief; her subordinates had only investigated a small portion of these cases, and the fate of the rest remained unknown.
The two men broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this, and immediately knelt down in alarm, kowtowing repeatedly.
Yan Chao asked in a calm voice, "What punishment did Chu Wei sentence him to?"
"Autumn, Autumn Jue..."
Upon hearing this, Yan Chao's gaze faltered for a moment before he slowly raised his eyes.
.
All the officials were closely watching the situation in the palace. Several hours later, they heard that the two had left the Wenhua Hall. Just as everyone was about to go and find out what they were saying, they received news that Wei Zhao and Zheng Zhiyuan had been suspended from their posts pending impeachment.
Li Shihuai, who had just settled in, immediately went to the palace to request an audience.
He thought the Crown Prince only intended to understand the situation, but he didn't expect him to issue such an order so suddenly.
“Your Highness, although Wei Zhao and Zheng Zhiyuan are guilty, the aftermath of the floods inside and outside the city has not yet been completed. Moreover, they hold important positions and are familiar with the situation in Nanjing. If they are suspended from their posts now, the vacancies in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue cannot be filled in time, which would delay important matters. Your Highness has just arrived and is already punishing two high-ranking officials. I'm afraid this will cause panic among the people…”
Yan Chao interrupted him: "Leaving aside what they did before, after the court sent an imperial envoy and I entered the city to question them face to face, the two still lied and did not report. Do they have any respect for the court or for me? I have given them a chance to make amends, but they have no remorse whatsoever. Should we let them continue to deceive and delay work? The Grand Secretary said that it caused panic, but even a Minister of Works named Chu Wei who was sentenced to death in the autumn could not shake them. What's more, they are only suspended from their duties at the moment."
Li Shih-huai stopped arguing, his heart filled with complex emotions.
The Crown Prince was not as weak as he had appeared in the capital. However, he also knew that the political intrigues of officialdom were not as simple as he thought.
Li Shih-huai twitched his beard slightly, lowered his shrewd eyes, and asked in a low voice, "Does Your Highness have any candidates for the vacancies in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue?"
"No rush, we'll discuss it later. Someone will take over the job, but we can't afford to make the same mistake again."
She seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked at him and said, "Your Excellency is a cabinet minister in the capital, well-versed in the affairs of the Six Ministries, and also serves as the Minister of Revenue. You must be quite familiar with things in Nanjing as well."
Li Shihuai agreed, immediately understanding the Crown Prince's meaning: she wanted him to manage the affairs of the Six Ministries. This was a way of pushing him out first.
But he couldn't play dumb, so he could only reply, "It is my duty to assist Your Highness in stabilizing Southern Zhili, and I will certainly do my best."
As it turned out, the initial show of force proved effective. By the time the officials were summoned the following day, numerous impeachments had been received, and in addition to Zheng Zhiyuan and Wei Zhao, several other implicated officials were also brought down.
The three judicial departments quickly sprang into action.
Li Shih-huai temporarily took over the duties of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. Having served in the cabinet for many years, he was already very familiar with these official matters and quickly adapted to the environment and got into the swing of things. The orders issued by the new superior were executed quite efficiently by both the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue.
However, this top-down purge did indeed cause considerable turmoil in Southern Zhili. Officials were closely watched by censors, and the slightest carelessness could lead to their impeachment, creating a tense atmosphere both inside and outside the region.
Yan Chao and several officials visited the Xiaoling Mausoleum, which had been flooded, and then went to the south of the city.
The resettlement arrangements have been properly completed, but the scene before our eyes is still bleak. Fallen trees, flooded houses, destroyed villages, and muddy roads left after the floodwaters were dredged. Officials and ordinary people come and go, some lucky to have survived, others struggling to make a living.
Several light rains have fallen in the past few days. Although the river defenses have been prepared and there is no risk of another major flood, it is still unsettling and has slowed down the reconstruction and recovery process.
Liang Lu stood beside Yan Chao, holding an umbrella for her, but walking outside, it wasn't a complete shield, and fine raindrops fell on her. Yan Chao didn't seem to mind, turning back to tell him to put the umbrella away: "The rain isn't heavy, holding it in is just getting in the way." Liang Lu looked at the mud spots on the hem of her sky-blue robe and sighed inwardly.
Because they were traveling incognito, they did not attract much attention along the way. Yan Chao and his entourage walked around for a while, and during this time they summoned several county officials to get a general understanding of the situation before returning to the palace.
After finishing other matters, it was already evening when she returned to Chunhe Palace. When Liang Lu served her tea, she was lost in thought. He placed the teacup on the table and said softly, "Your Highness, Eunuch Lan wishes to see you."
Yan Chao pinched the bridge of his nose: "Is he cured?"
Strangely enough, out of all the people who went south, only Lan Huai'en suffered from acclimatization problems, experiencing abdominal pain and diarrhea for several days. She ordered Feng Jingmo to check on him, who said that the acclimatization issue had turned into a cold. Fortunately, it wasn't serious, and he had been resting for the past few days.
Liang Lu said yes, and added, "Today they said he was fine, and in the afternoon he even had a eunuch lead him around the palace."
"He seems quite relaxed." Yan Chao said goodbye, but as Liang Lu turned to leave, he suddenly asked, "I've found the tea these past few days quite good. What's his background?"
Liang Lu replied, "Your Highness, it is Mengding Ganlu, a famous tea from Sichuan, presented by Sheng Ji'an, the eunuch in charge of the Nanjing garrison. It has the effects of brightening the eyes, relieving fatigue, cooling the body, and calming the mind. Your Highness has been working hard these past few days. I have consulted Physician Feng, and this tea is just right for you."
Yan Chao nodded and said nothing more.
Lan Huaien entered the hall and bowed to her. Yan Chao looked him over; he no longer looked as haggard as he had two days ago, his complexion was much better, and his face had regained some of the lively and frivolous air he had when he was in the capital.
Yan Chao asked a couple of questions about his illness, and he replied that he had recovered. Then he lowered his head and said remorsefully, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I have held you back."
“It’s alright,” Yan Chao gently shook her head, gesturing for him to sit down before slowly saying, “Now that you’re better, I happen to have something to tell you.”
"What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"I need to go to Suzhou. In the meantime, I will leave Nanjing to you. I don't know the details of the garrison eunuch Sheng Ji'an yet, and Li Shih-huai... you know what I'm worried about."
Lan Huaien looked up in surprise: "Didn't the matter of the autumn tax already be resolved by Zhu Yongxing, the governor of Southern Zhili? The memorial has already been submitted. If Your Highness wishes to summon him, just order him to return."
"It is His Majesty's will. Moreover, the matter of the autumn tax cannot be resolved simply by suppressing a civil uprising. His Majesty's intention is that, regardless of whether Zhu Yongxing's memorial is appropriate or not, I must personally go and take a look." She picked up her teacup and took a small sip, her breathing as steady as water.
Lan Huaien understood her meaning, but remained silent for a long time. Even though he knew he should obey the order, he couldn't help but whisper, "Your Highness, I wish to go with you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
