Chapter 74
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Gu Yuanbai understood what Xue Yuan meant.
Because of his illness and because Xue Yuan liked him, whenever he was sick or uncomfortable, Xue Yuan would also feel miserable.
He called this “bullying him.”
No matter how you interpret it, it sounded like a deeply meaningful confession.
Xue Yuan was feigning weakness, employing the tactic of luring by seeming to let go. How could Gu Yuanbai not see through it?
What irritated Gu Yuanbai was Xue Yuan’s deliberate probing.
Every word and action was a test, probing again and again. What was he trying to find? What did he hope to see in Gu Yuanbai’s attitude?
Gu Yuanbai coughed too hard to speak. When he finally could speak and had the strength to stand straight, Xue Yuan let go, understanding without being told to step back.
Gu Yuanbai took the handkerchief, looking at him coldly, thinking, here we go again, playing games to test him.
“Let’s go,” Gu Yuanbai covered his mouth and nose with the handkerchief, coughing a few more times, “back to the palace.”
Xue Yuan stood properly, seeing the emperor off. Once the emperor and his entourage were out of sight, he turned around, leisurely carrying the birdcage back.
Suddenly, the sparrow in the cage started hitting the sides. Xue Yuan looked down and smiled, “Why are you hitting the cage? Are you so eager to die?”
He glanced at the plaque of the Chu residence nearby and realized, “Or have you taken a liking to Lord Chu?”
The sparrow’s chirping grew louder, and Xue Yuan opened the cage. The sparrow flew out into the sky.
Xue Yuan shifted his gaze from the Chu residence plaque, humming a tune written by Chang Yuyan, feeling cheerful.
A few days later, Kong Yilin and his party finally reached the western suburbs of the capital.
The main force stayed outside the western suburbs, while Kong Yilin and the inspectors from Lizhou hurried to the summer palace in Hebei to see the emperor.
Gu Yuanbai had already received the news in advance. Qin Sheng and the Donglingwei stayed behind to guard the prisoners, making sure nothing happened to them right at their doorstep.
When the weary officials arrived, the palace had prepared baths and meals.
Kong Yilin and the officials were led to the baths. After bathing, they changed into clean robes. Seeing each other refreshed, the fatigue and weariness disappeared from their faces.
Censorate official Lord Mi looked around, a rare smile on his stern face, “Now, we all look a bit more spirited.”
Another official laughed, “Thanks to His Majesty’s grace, the bath was comfortable, and the clothes fit perfectly. All the fatigue has been washed away; I feel completely refreshed.”
Someone interjected, “But I’m hungry.”
Everyone laughed heartily.
A eunuch stepped forward and led them to the dining area.
Lord Mi chatted with Kong Yilin, “Lord Kong, I see your beard has grown.”
Kong Yilin smiled wryly, “I’m tall and burly, and a beard makes me look more rough. I just hope I don’t scare His Majesty later.”
“His Majesty wouldn’t mind,” Lord Mi said, stroking his beard, “Our emperor is the most benevolent.”
Kong Yilin smiled but didn’t speak, his expression showing agreement.
Gu Yuanbai, concerned for the officials, had the Imperial Kitchen prepare a lavish meal. While the officials bathed, the dishes were set, and alcohol was plentiful.
Seeing the sumptuous feast, the officials’ stomachs growled, and their mouths watered. The leading eunuch smiled, “His Majesty said to let the officials dine first. After you are full, you can discuss matters.”
“We will be waiting outside. If you need more alcohol or tea, just call.”
The eunuchs retreated, waiting outside. With the palace attendants gone, many officials visibly relaxed.
Lord Mi took the lead, saying, “Let’s not be reserved. This is His Majesty’s kindness. Let’s eat and drink to our hearts’ content.”
After bathing and eating, the officials felt rejuvenated, their weariness from the long journey gone.
Only then did Gu Yuanbai summon them.
The officials were all spirited and energetic. They bowed to Gu Yuanbai, and Lord Mi from the Censorate loudly prostrated himself, saying, “Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty!”
“Rise,” Gu Yuanbai smiled, praising them, “You have all worked hard, uncovering so many corrupt officials and wrongdoers. I am gratified. Because of your efforts, our nation prospers, and the people can live in peace.”
The officials modestly deflected the praise. Lord Mi stepped forward to report the important matters to Gu Yuanbai.
Each had submitted a memorial, including reports from local officials, to prevent overzealous anti-corruption efforts and ensure capital inspectors didn’t abuse their power.
Gu Yuanbai read the memorials while listening to Lord Mi. Although everything was in the memorials, Lord Mi elaborated to ensure no details were missed.
When he finished, Tian Fusheng handed him a cup of tea. Lord Mi thanked him, “Thank you, Gong Gong.”
“You handled it well Minister Mi,” Gu Yuanbai nodded, “Whether dealing with Lizhou bandits or corrupt officials, your actions please me.”
“Your servant is ashamed,” Lord Mi said. “Before the anti-corruption campaign, Your Majesty had already established the rules: the amount of money embezzled would determine the severity of the punishment. We are merely following the procedures Your Majesty set.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled and spoke a few more kind words to them before sending them off to rest.
However, Kong Yilin stayed behind.
He was tall, and his once slightly hunched back had straightened completely after two long months of rigorous practice. He had become more steady and sharp. “Your Majesty, I have another memorial.”
Tian Fusheng took the memorial from him, and when Gu Yuanbai opened it, he smiled. “Minister Kong, you have done very well.”
After confirming Kong Yilin’s abilities along the way, Gu Yuanbai instructed the officials from the Supervision Bureau to contact him. After some probing, Kong Yilin was initially surprised but quickly regained his composure and respectfully accepted the task specially assigned to him by Gu Yuanbai.
Kong Yilin deeply bowed, “I will not fail in my mission.”
Gu Yuanbai gave him two tasks. First, to explore the local customs and resources along the way, seeking valuable and developable assets. Second, to investigate the situation of unregistered households and the level of education among the people in various places.
In ancient times, among a population of one million, only tens of thousands were literate. Through his investigation, Kong Yilin discovered that in some remote areas, there hadn’t been any literate individuals for decades.
Whenever there were imperial decrees or favorable policies issued by the court, due to different roads and blocked communication, these remote areas never received any news from the court.
Furthermore, he found many cases of unregistered or concealed households.
After Gu Yuanbai gained control of Jinghunan and Jiangnan, he immediately issued orders for prefectures, counties, and townships to organize household registrations and labor duties. In some areas ravaged by war and rebel raids, Gu Yuanbai waived taxes for two years to alleviate their losses.
The task of organizing household registrations required officials to personally visit each household, counting the number of people and examining their appearance and age to see if it matched the information recorded in the government registers.
This was a massive undertaking, progressing slowly, but once the approximate number of omissions in these two regions was tallied, the overall situation of the entire country could be roughly understood.
Gu Yuanbai also wanted to prioritize the task of counting households and labor duties after the anti-corruption campaign.
As the emperor flipped through the memorials, he casually said, “Minister Kong, you should be aware that there is a Supervision Bureau operating in the shadows.”
Kong Yilin’s spirit lifted, and he respectfully bowed deeply, “I am indeed aware, Your Majesty.”
Kong Yilin seemed calm, but with a nature inclined towards the unconventional, after learning about the existence of the Supervision Bureau, he almost admired Gu Yuanbai.
To establish such an organization while surrounded by power struggles and corrupt officials demonstrated the emperor’s remarkable character and astuteness.
So, upon understanding the role and significance of the Supervision Bureau, Kong Yilin almost didn’t hesitate to accept the emperor’s secret decree. The Supervision Bureau was like a hidden dagger, and this sense of being shrouded in darkness held great allure for Kong Yilin.
Gu Yuanbai smiled, placed the completed memorials on the table, picked up a teacup, and said nothing, leisurely sipping his tea.
After a while, Kong Yilin smiled bitterly, acknowledging his defeat, and bowed again, “I wonder if I have the ability to enter the Supervision Bureau, Your Majesty?”
“Does Minister Kong truly wish to enter?” Gu Yuanbai suddenly looked serious, sitting upright, his eyes sharp as he gazed at Kong Yilin, “Lord Kong possesses great talent and insights in governing the country. If you were to enter the Supervision Bureau, even if you were to achieve great merit for me, these deeds may not be known to others.”
Kong Yilin smiled, “I hold an official position and am willing to share Your Majesty’s burdens.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled again and casually added, “What if I were to consider launching an attack on Xixia?”
Kong Yilin focused, carefully pondered, and instead of answering directly, he presented an analysis of the terrain of Xixia.
Where the waters were abundant, where the forests were thick with miasma, and where the mountain passes were long neglected. Kong Yilin recounted everything he had seen and heard during his recent journey to Xixia. Finally, he stopped, his throat dry from speaking so much, “Your Majesty, I have limited knowledge and only know these.”
Gu Yuanbai contemplated for a moment, “Bring some tea.”
Kong Yilin took the tea but didn’t drink immediately. Instead, he smiled faintly and sincerely said, “Your Majesty, it is the land and education of Great Heng that nurtured me. It is the knowledge of Great Heng that granted me recognition. And it is Your Majesty who has bestowed upon me everything I have now.”
He paused and continued, “If one day I were to lean towards Xixia in the war between Great Heng and Xixia,” Kong Yilin’s eyes slightly lost focus, “then there will no longer be a place for me in Great Heng.”
Because the emperor of Great Heng possessed an extremely broad-minded and benevolent nature, Kong Yilin dared to say such words.
However, accompanying the emperor was like accompanying a tiger. Even this statement carried an element of risk. Kong Yilin was calmly gambling, and he won.
Gu Yuanbai instructed him to rest well before leaving, but before departing, he reminded him, “Regarding what you just said about Xixia, present a strategic analysis to me in ten days.”
Kong Yilin acknowledged and quietly withdrew.
The next morning, during the court assembly, Gu Yuanbai announced the upcoming task of re-counting households and organizing labor duties.
This task was so intricate and meticulous that the morning court lasted for two hours, and it wasn’t until the ministers were famished that a rough outline of the process was discussed.
After the assembly, the dignified emperor still wore his court attire, but his face was pale.
Supported by the chief eunuch, he sat at the table, where a meal was just served, still steaming. Palace maids and eunuchs came forward, orderly removing the accessories and clothing from the emperor.
After everything was removed, Gu Yuanbai supported himself, took several deep breaths, and only then did the darkness in his vision dissipate.
The imperial physicians hurriedly arrived, five or six of them standing by. Gu Yuanbai glanced at them, his forehead already covered in cold sweat. He weakly extended his hand, placing it on the table for them to pulse.
Among these imperial physicians, each one was familiar with the emperor’s health condition. They carefully observed the emperor’s complexion, asked Tian Fusheng about the symptoms of the day, and didn’t dare to overlook any possible cause.
Exhaustion, hunger, and heat.
Nothing more than these.
Gu Yuanbai cooperated with every step, even if it meant that five or six imperial physicians needed to approach and re-diagnose him one by one.
The imperial physicians gathered to discuss, and Gu Yuanbai’s breathing became somewhat labored. Tian Fusheng served him a bowl of plain congee, “Your Majesty, do you need any additional condiments?”
“No,” Gu Yuanbai said, “Just like this.”
After reluctantly finishing the bowl of congee, his stomach finally felt a bit relieved. The imperial physicians came up with a solution, handed the prescription to Tian Fusheng, and anxiously said, “Your Majesty, the prescription you’ve been taking needs to be adjusted with a few more tonics.”
Gu Yuanbai lifted a spoonful of congee, his expression unchanged as he said, “Change it.”
“Same as before, send the prescription to the Imperial Hospital, let each imperial physician sign their name after reviewing it,” Gu Yuanbai said, “If more than ninety percent agree, then go ahead and change it, no need to inform me.”
The imperial physicians hesitated to speak, “Um… understood. Your Majesty, please take care of your health, do not overexert yourself, please do not overexert yourself.”
“Very well,” Gu Yuanbai said.
After the imperial physicians left, Gu Yuanbai remained silent, continuing to sip his congee.
The palace fell silent.
“How is Wan Taifei’s health?” Gu Yuanbai broke the silence, suddenly asking.
Tian Fusheng cautiously replied, “Your Majesty, due to the recent change in weather, Wan Taifei has not left the palace for many days. But the palace attendants by her side said that her appetite has been quite good these days.”
Gu Yuanbai breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good then.”
He seemed lost in thought.
The emperor’s figure was slender but somewhat frail. Layer upon layer of clothing was necessary just to give the appearance of health.
Tian Fusheng felt a pang in his heart, “Your Majesty, please take care of yourself.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled, “Of course.”
Having finished his meal, Gu Yuanbai didn’t have the energy to deal with state affairs anymore. He laid back on the bed to rest. Outside, the guards worriedly stood by. Zhang, the chief guard, expressed his concern, “Steward Tian, His Majesty’s health…”
Tian Fusheng sighed, and the chief guard fell silent.
“When His Majesty is here, he’s like a towering mountain that intimidates everyone,” Tian Fusheng whispered after a while, “As long as His Majesty is here, no one in Great Heng dares to do anything out of line.”
The chief guard nodded, “Indeed.”
“Not only that,” Tian Fusheng chuckled, “those small countries beyond our borders, as long as His Majesty is still here, they wouldn’t dare to take a single step closer. Those people beyond the Great Wall yearn for our food and goods every day. They’re stopped by the Great Wall, just as they’re stopped by His Majesty. General Xue is out fighting the nomads, isn’t he? When General Xue pushes them back hard, they’ll know better.”
The chief guard couldn’t help but smile, but these words didn’t need to be said much; they all knew.
For them, as long as the emperor was still here, it was a day of peace and tranquility in Great Heng.
But precisely because of this, they were deeply concerned about the emperor’s health.
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