Chapter 66
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Five days after the morning court, General Xue led his troops and Zhang’s caravan from the border between the west of the capital and Hebei.
On an open field, thousands gathered, with the sound of drums and gongs echoing magnificently across the land.
Gu Yuanbai donned his imperial robes, offering toasts to heaven and earth and praying for the soldiers’ blessings and protection.
After his prayers, General Xue delivered an inspiring speech to boost morale before the expedition.
General Xue, with his vast experience, spoke passionately, even clenching his fists and gritting his teeth when recounting past conflicts with border nomads.
In the ranks, lower-ranking officers relayed each of General Xue’s words down the line, ensuring everyone heard what the commander said.
After the oath, General Xue approached Gu Yuanbai with tears in his eyes, “I will not fail Your Majesty’s trust!”
Gu Yuanbai, equally moved, wished he could join the battlefield himself. He steadied himself, smiled, helped General Xue up, and said loudly, “Then I shall await your triumphant return!”
After sending off General Xue and the caravan, the Zhang family, following the emperor’s order, diligently distributed the specially instructed edition of the “The Great Heng Daily” across the country.
When the local elites saw the newspaper, they read clearly about how the rebel allies had sent letters to win over local elites before their suppression.
Their hearts sank.
Due to the time difference, it was only about ten days after Gu Yuanbai had moved to the summer palace that this edition of the “The Great Heng Daily” was rushed across mountains and rivers to the local elites. By then, it proved that the letters sent by the powerful families of Jinghunan and Jiangnan had been in the emperor’s hands for almost a month.
Almost immediately after reading the newspaper, all the elites decided to personally visit the capital to see the emperor. Whether to prove their innocence or out of anxiety, they felt they had to go.
But not all could crowd into the capital.
So, the elites chose representatives, picking those with sufficient prominence and strong connections to Jiangnan and Jinghunan, to rush to the capital.
Halfway through their journey, they heard that the emperor had moved to the summer palace in Hebei, so they changed course to head there.
Thus, after comfortably spending over twenty days in the summer palace, Gu Yuanbai finally received these dozens of elites from all over.
Even the wealthiest of them could not flaunt their wealth in front of the emperor.
They appeared very restrained, not daring to look around or wear any inappropriate attire or accessories, appearing clean and even modest in front of Gu Yuanbai, fearing to offend.
Gu Yuanbai then ordered a brazier to be brought in.
The elites looked at the brazier, puzzled.
Gu Yuanbai smiled slightly and instructed, prompting Tian Fusheng to place a bag of white envelopes next to the brazier.
“When I sent troops to suppress the rebels in Jinghunan and Jiangnan, many local elites had already allied with them. Before the army approached, they sent letters seeking support and alliances,” Gu Yuanbai said leisurely. “This bag contains those letters.”
The elites’ eyes turned to the envelopes, their hearts pounding, their breath catching.
Gu Yuanbai continued with a smile, “I know why you are here. I never opened these letters and have no intention of wrongfully accusing my subjects based on rebel words. Since you are here, Tian Fusheng.”
Tian Fusheng responded respectfully, “This servant is here.”
Gu Yuanbai casually said, “Burn these letters.”
“Yes.” Tian Fusheng took out letter after letter from the bag and threw them into the brazier without blinking. The sparks in the brazier suddenly flared up, the firelight reflecting on the ground, and the surrounding powerful figures were already filled with shock.
The emperor was really burning them so cleanly?!
Many sharp-eyed individuals could tell at a glance that these envelopes had indeed never been opened. Some influential figures closely connected to Jiangnan recognized the notes on the top of the letter paper, and upon recognizing them, they felt a jolt of fear, their legs involuntarily going weak. They vaguely realized that these envelopes must have been addressed to them.
Seeing the letters consumed by flames, all the elites couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief as if they had narrowly escaped death.
They began to tremble, deeply grateful for the emperor’s magnanimity.
Gu Yuanbai, still smiling, said kindly, “I said I wouldn’t pursue this, and a gentleman’s word is his bond. Rest assured, everyone.”
This gesture of winning hearts left the elites profoundly moved. After paying their respects and leaving the summer palace, they still found it hard to believe.
Their initial anxiety and fear vanished completely, replaced by unwavering admiration for the emperor.
Such magnanimity and decisiveness! To burn those incriminating letters without hesitation showed incredible leniency.
In the palace, Gu Yuanbai sipped his tea and had Tian Fusheng clear away the brazier and ashes. He then leisurely resumed handling state affairs.
Historically, Gu Yuanbai could recall two other instances of letter burning: one by Cao Cao, Wei Wang, and the other by Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu.
Both of these figures had ministers who, in desperate circumstances, sent letters of surrender to the enemy. After winning, they discovered these letters and chose to burn them in front of their ministers, signaling their intent not to pursue the matter further.
The benefits of this approach were numerous: it prevented future paranoia and mutual suspicion, it was a brilliant means of winning loyalty, and it demonstrated the ruler’s broad-mindedness.
Moreover, Gu Yuanbai still planned to reclaim land from these powerful families. But with internal development ongoing and external threats looming, his immediate task was to ease tensions between the emperor and the elites.
By bringing Jinghunan and Jiangnan under his control—regions bustling with merchants—Gu Yuanbai had already unsettled the powerful families due to anti-corruption measures. Therefore, a stabilizing gesture was needed at this time.
Actions should be taken step by step, with objectives not always laid bare.
This strategy was optimal: first soften their attitudes, calm their nerves, and build their trust in the emperor, making them let down their guard completely.
Placing his teacup aside, Gu Yuanbai marked a document with a flourishing “Reviewed.”
After a moment, the chief guard entered with a respectful bow, “Your Majesty…”
He hesitated.
Gu Yuanbai glanced up lazily, “Speak.”
“I just went out and heard an extremely exquisite poem,” the chief guard said in a straightforward manner. “This poem is melodious and profound, perfectly matching the rhythm. It was composed by Master Chang Yuyan, Lord Chang. I inquired about it and learned that Lord Chang has been refining this excellent work for the past twenty or so days.”
Gu Yuanbai’s interest was piqued, “Recite it.”
The Chief Guard read the poem word by word.
The first four lines were subtle and elegant, and Gu Yuanbai vaguely sensed it was a personal poem. But as the guard continued, Gu Yuanbai fell silent.
Indeed, it was melodious and exceptional. The more Gu Yuanbai listened, the more familiar it felt. He finally interrupted, “Who is this poem dedicated to?”
The guard replied tactfully, “It’s titled ‘To a Friend: A Night Conversation with Xue Jiuyou on July 21.'”
“…” Hearing Xue Jiuyou’s name, Gu Yuanbai realized why the poem felt so familiar.
He couldn’t help but feel amused. After savoring another sip of tea, he tapped the table thoughtfully and asked, “How is Xue Jiuyou now?”
The emperor’s tone was unreadable. Tian Fusheng, who had an odd expression during the recital, recalled Xue Jiuyou’s earlier outrageous comments and felt a chill. He lowered his head, trying to stay unnoticed.
When His Majesty previously went to see Xue Yuan, the chief guard and his men were handling matters for the emperor and were not present. Later, when they returned, those who had been warned by Tian Fusheng didn’t dare to say a word about the matter. So, until now, the chief guard still did not know about Xue Yuan’s improper intentions towards His Majesty.
He answered honestly, “Master Xue’s injuries have improved significantly.”
Tian Fusheng’s eyelids twitched, internally pleading, Lord Zhang please stop talking.
He had been by His Majesty’s side for so many years, yet he still couldn’t discern His Majesty’s current thoughts. Logically, given what Xue Yuan had said, he should have been executed. However, not only did His Majesty refrain from executing anyone, but he also suppressed the matter, indicating that his attitude towards Xue Yuan was unusual. Such matters were truly beyond the involvement of those of them who were merely servants and ministers.
Gu Yuanbai, slightly amused, asked, “What made you visit him?”
“In the morning, when I went to visit Wan Taifei on behalf of His Majesty, I encountered a servant from the Xue residence on my way back,” the chief guard said. “The servant was reciting this poem, and I recognized who it was about. After asking a few questions, I followed the servant to see Lord Xue.”
The punishment guards were tall and strong, ate a lot, and had plenty of strength. When the large board came down, it could leave a patch of bruises.
Given Xue Yuan’s physical condition, nothing should have gone wrong. After all, even in such a state, he still had the strength to grab Gu Yuanbai’s hand and speak those words to him.
Gu Yuanbai thought of this, became lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly let out a sneer. He stood up and said, “Let’s go. I want to go out and see what this poem is all about.”
To see what exactly Xue Yuan was trying to do.
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