gnovel Chapter 56 It's Not Easy Being a Ruler, It's Full of Worries
Chapter 56 It's Not Easy Being a Ruler, It's Full of Worries
The first day of the fifth month of the first year of the Qingtai era, the Gengzi day.
The emperor would sit in the Hall of Civilization to receive the congratulations of all officials. All officials of the ninth rank and above in the capital, as well as all those who came to pay homage, were eligible to take their places.
There were many people, but they were all in good order.
The Grand Councilor, Chancellor, and Co-Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery were ranked among the chief ministers, placing them at the very top.
The ranks of Left and Right Attendants-in-Ordinary, Vice Directors of the Secretariat, Grand Master of Remonstrance, Attendants-in-Ordinary, Secretary of the Secretariat, Recorders of the Daily Life and their Attendants, Left and Right Remonstrance Officials, Left and Right Remonstrance Officials, and Attendants of the Court of Transmission are in the horizontal order.
The Grand Censor, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, and the Attendant Censor were on the left, and the Palace Attendant Censor was on the right. The Grand Censor was a third-rank official or above, and the Vice Censor-in-Chief was a fifth-rank official or above; they stood separately.
Those who held the titles of Garrison Commander, Deputy Marshal, Commander-in-Chief, Military Governor, Inspector, Commander of the Militia, Commander of the Defense, and concurrently Grand Commander and Grand Protector, were ranked below the regular officials.
Gao Xingzhou was ranked in the third rank, second only to the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers.
Separated by dozens of steps, one could only see the tall figure seated on the throne, dressed in black robes and crimson skirts; the expression on Li Congke's face was obscured beneath the swaying of his crown.
Bells and drums resounded, and melodious music filled the air as the officials stepped forward in turn to offer their congratulations.
When it was Gao Xingzhou's turn, he knelt down first and announced his position and name: "Your subject, Gao Xingzhou, Military Governor of Zhangwu and Prefect of Yanzhou, respectfully wishes Your Majesty a long life, boundless prosperity, an everlasting dynasty, and peace and prosperity for the nation. Your virtuous rule shines throughout the world, and your benevolence extends to all corners of the earth."
After delivering his congratulatory remarks, he rose, raised his sleeves, lifted his feet, twirled his robes, and spun around, his purple robes fluttering and gold embroidery shimmering, completing the bowing dance.
Li Congke sat motionless, like a clay or wooden sculpture, without any reaction. Only the eunuch in charge of ceremonies said in a shrill voice, "Gao Xingzhou may enter the ranks."
Gao Xingzhou stepped back, his gaze falling on the back of the person a few steps in front of him who had congratulated him before him.
Shi Jingtang was appointed Grand Commandant and concurrently Chancellor.
The position of Inspector was a nominal official without salary. Its main purpose was to identify the corresponding rank and determine the order of duties, thereby incorporating the extra-establishment system of regional military governors, such as their envoys, staff officers, and military officers, into the entire imperial system.
The military governors, who were initially appointed as inspectors, began as left and right attendants. From the reigns of Emperor Xizong and Emperor Zhaozong onwards, the regional military governors became powerful and military men gained power. By the time they were granted the authority to command troops, their rank was already high. The acting governors were appointed as inspectors of state, and it was common for military governors to start as inspectors of public office.
By accumulating experience, one can gradually rise to the ranks of Grand Protector, Grand Tutor, and Grand Commandant, with only Grand Preceptor above them. Because Grand Commandant is the highest military rank, all those in command of the army are addressed as such, but it does not necessarily place one among the Three Dukes.
The Grand Secretary was a true second-rank official, and he had to be addressed as "Lord Grand Secretary" in person. He also received a salary.
Gao Xingzhou was the Grand Tutor, which was one rank lower than Shi Jingtang, and he did not have the title of Envoy or Chancellor. Their status and income were very different.
After all the officials had offered their congratulations, the Grand Secretary presented the memorials from various prefectures, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat presented the auspicious omens, the Minister of Revenue presented the tributes from various prefectures, the Minister of Rites presented the tributes from various foreign tribes, and the Grand Astrologer presented the celestial phenomena...
The lengthy gift-giving ceremony lasted the entire morning.
Finally, after the court attendant finished his report, the emperor hosted a banquet, and the attendant rose to leave the hall without saying much throughout.
Gao Xingzhou left the main hall and glanced back at the magnificent building, originally named Xuanzheng, later changed to Zhenguan, and then renamed Wenming by the Liang Kingdom.
Today's grand court assembly made Li Congke feel like a fierce tiger, imprisoned in a cage called the Imperial Palace.
After waiting for two days, the imperial envoy arrived to deliver an imperial decree that the emperor would host a banquet at the Linde Hall the following evening.
Gao Xingzhou finally had the opportunity to meet Li Congke in a slightly more relaxed setting.
……
When the emperor held banquets, he wore his usual attire, consisting only of a yellow robe and a jacket. Li Congke changed out of his imperial robes and wore a round-necked, front-opening jacket with an ochre-yellow long robe over it. He then rode in a palanquin to the Linde Hall.
Gao Xingzhou rose from his seat to express his gratitude, but Li Congke told him to rise and dispense with the formalities.
As the eunuch drew out the words "Open the banquet," the two comrades who had fought side by side and bled on the battlefield, though far apart, finally sat down together.
Gao Xingzhou glanced at the dishes on the table. The vegetables and fruits were fresh, the meat was succulent, the soup was smooth and soothing, and the tableware was tricolor ceramic bowls and plates, which was the standard for a banquet.
The banquets were divided into three classes, with the Rhyme Banquet being the lowest. The Poetry Banquet was in the middle, featuring juicy shark fin soup served on jade platters; the Literary Banquet was the highest, adorned with gold and jade ornaments, and served with fresh venison.
Noticing Gao Xingzhou's gaze, Li Congke's expression turned slightly awkward: "It's not that I'm unwilling to offer you something nice to entertain you, Minister Gao; it's just that I'm out of money."
A single sentence broke through the awkwardness and distance between the two who hadn't seen each other for so long, and Gao Xingzhou couldn't help but smile.
Ah San was like this in the army before: generous with money, fond of drinking, and his wife Liu was very strict. She would often be short of money and have to borrow money from him to make ends meet.
Li Congke waved his hand, ordering the musicians to leave, leaving only a few eunuchs to serve him, and began the conversation.
"Your Excellency Gao personally came to attend the late Emperor's funeral; how thoughtful of you."
"That is the duty of a subject."
"I have read the list of gifts submitted by the Ministry of Revenue. Yanzhou donated three thousand strings of cash. The northwest is barren and the people are poor. It must have been difficult for you."
Gao Xingzhou cut straight to the point: "This money was originally intended for building fortifications on the border. The Sui Prefecture incident led to some subsidies from the Dingnan Army, leaving this money behind."
"Something has happened in Suizhou."
When the emperor hosted a banquet for the feudal lords, he would prepare in advance to avoid making any mistakes in his speech.
The construction of Qingjian City and the change of ownership of Suizhou would certainly not be overlooked.
Li Congke stirred the soup in his bowl: "Gao Sizhen was originally the prefect of Suizhou. It is not inappropriate for his son Gao Junli to succeed him. It is better than letting it fall into the hands of the Li family of Xiazhou."
The attendant quickly picked up his pen to write it down, lest he forget what the emperor had said later.
"Gao Qing, you see, every word and action of mine is recorded in the daily log and submitted to the Secretariat for review."
Li Congke said self-deprecatingly, "Now even if I want to swear, I have to think it over carefully. The old days were so much more carefree."
"As the supreme ruler, Your Majesty should naturally adapt to the changes in your environment and body. You will get used to it."
"I can't get used to it, it's so frustrating."
"Your Majesty has been on the throne for less than a month. After a while, you will surely be able to settle down and accept things as they are."
"Accept it as it is."
Li Congke gave a wry smile: "Gao Qing, we've known each other for many years, are you aware of the source of my headaches and anxieties?"
"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and with everything neglected, all matters of great importance must be addressed. Allow me to guess. Firstly, could it be wealth?"
"Indeed, you've been in Beijing for several days and have already heard that rumor, haven't you?"
Gao Xingzhou nodded silently. The proverb "Remove the Bodhisattva, lift up a piece of iron" was widely circulated, and he knew the severity of the change in morale within the army. He asked His Majesty what countermeasures he had.
"Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice; what can she do?"
Li Congke smiled bitterly again: "The reason we dug up the old rules for paying homage on the first day of the fifth month from the old documents is also to collect some money from you military leaders to subsidize the palace's expenses."
The emperor spoke so bluntly that Gao Xingzhou was speechless. Had the treasury been so depleted that it had reached such a dire state?
"Li Zhuanmei advised me not to follow his previous words, but I cannot escape the infamy of breaking my promise."
Li Congke confided his worries: "The amount of unpaid taxes accumulated over the years in the Three Departments' accounts is enough to amount to millions. Minister Gao, tell me, should this debt be collected or not?"
"This is not a matter for an outsider to comment on."
Gao Xingzhou remained true to his principles: "Logically speaking, if we forcibly levy taxes, officials will only take the opportunity to exploit the people."
"You still need to be so careful with your words."
"Without money to reward the troops, morale will waver; pursuing outstanding debts will alienate the people; exempting taxes and levies will cut off the officials' source of income. I am in a difficult position."
Li Congke just wanted his friend to know about his predicament, just like he used to complain about it when he was drunk in the army.
A silent atmosphere hung between the emperor and his ministers, and Gao Xingzhou didn't know how to respond.
"It is no secret that Meng Zhixiang usurped the throne and declared himself emperor. The two Sichuan regions were separated from the current dynasty's territory, and Hanzhong was also taken away."
Li Congke gave a bitter smile for the third time tonight: "This matter will once again be blamed on me."
"I risked being beheaded and my entire family wiped out, but Meng Zhixiang got a great deal for nothing. He even compared Zhang Qianzhao and Sun Hanshao's defection to Chen Ping and Xu You's defection to Cao Cao, saying that a hero who has gained such a worthy man is like having two wings."
Li Congke's words were tinged with resentment, yet he was helpless.
Zhang Qianzhao had no choice but to either accept the consequences of his actions or defect to a foreign country.
To Gao Xingzhou's surprise, the next message read: "Liu Suiqing, the governor of Xingzhou, was summoned when I raised my army, but he hesitated and did not come. I could understand that, upon hearing that I led my troops into Luoyang, he actually gathered all the garrison troops from Sanquan, Xixian, Jinniu, and Sanglin and returned, handing over all the towns south of Sanguan Pass to the Shu people!"
"This... how can we abandon our land and not defend it?"
Liu Suiqing was far too foolish. With the overall situation already settled, what was the point of following the emperor? He would have been better off guarding his homeland and fulfilling his duty as a subject.
"Unfortunately, no matter how angry I am, I cannot punish him. Liu Suiqing's cousin, Liu Suiyong, refused to accept Wang Sitong, allowing me to easily capture Chang'an. He is a meritorious official. Moreover, they are Liu Xun's son and nephew."
Liu Xun's nephews and nieces were also nominally the woman's nephews and nieces.
She came from a humble background, and whether she was literate or skilled in martial arts, she had very few relatives who were worthy of her attention. She could only rely on her ex-husband's nephews and nieces to help her rise to prominence.
The reasons why these two men were able to hold important positions as deputy governors and prefects in the current dynasty, and why they sided with Li Congke this time, are self-evident.
Gao Xingzhou felt a slight ripple in his heart; the memory of their meeting the day before had resurfaced.
With such a weak foundation, it must have been very difficult for her to establish herself in the harem all these years.
"Gao Qing, regarding your report on the Dingnan Army..."
Li Congke got back to the point and asked Fu Yanqing the same question: "Li Yichao has lost Suizhou and his strength has been weakened. Do you still want to deal with him?"
Having only recently ascended the throne, Li Congke was unwilling to cause trouble under his rule, so it was only natural for him to ask this question.
"If the Dingnan Army behaves itself and behaves itself, I will not provoke any trouble."
Upon receiving the report, Li Congke learned of Gao Xingzhou's strategy of squeezing the Dingnan Army's living space and pointed out its problems: "If you exert pressure from all sides, there's no guarantee that Li Yichao won't resort to desperate measures. If he does take a risk..."
Both the emperor and his minister were well aware of what Li Yichao would do.
"Gao Qing, you are already aware of the court's difficulties. Do you still intend to persist?"
From a holistic perspective, temporarily showing leniency and avoiding provoking Li Yichao is a wise strategic choice.
"If we tolerate evil and allow it to fester, in time, the Difficult Army will surely become a threat to our northwestern border, and we should then eradicate it."
What Gao Xingzhou said was true, plus a reason that Li Congke found hard to refuse: "Moreover, this is a regret that the late emperor did not fulfill."
Seeing his unwavering determination, Li Congke sighed softly, "Go ahead and do it. It's just a pity that I can't help you much."
With just a few words, the fate of Dingnan Army was decided.
"You shall handle the affairs of the Northwest yourself. If you can quell the Dingnan army, you will have fulfilled one of the late emperor's last wishes."
Having obtained the emperor's approval was precisely the purpose of Gao Xingzhou's trip. He solemnly thanked him, saying, "We do not need the court's assistance in dealing with the Dingnan Army, but we must be wary of the Khitan."
"I will take care of the defense of the northern border myself."
Preventing the Khitan from invading the borders has always been a key concern for the imperial court, and Gao Xingzhou's reminder was merely out of caution.
"I will issue an edict to the Zhenwu Army, ordering Yang Tan to strengthen defenses and send an additional garrison to guard against the Khitan invasion. As for the Lulong Army, Prince Zhao Dejun of Beiping has been guarding Youzhou for nearly ten years, and I will also issue an edict to express my condolences."
Gao Xingzhou astutely noticed that Li Congke had overlooked something.
Both the present dynasty and the Khitan were great powers in the world, with their borders stretching for more than two thousand miles. Lulong and Zhenwu were located at the eastern and western ends respectively. Who would be entrusted with guarding the important Hedong region in the middle?
The same issue had been debated in the imperial court a year and a half ago.
In the winter of the third year of Changxing, Prince Qin, Li Congrong, reported: "I have seen frequent reports from the north that the Khitan tribe has moved its camps closer to the border, and the Turks and Turks have already invaded the border areas. Although there are many garrison troops, there is no commander. It is advisable to appoint a general as soon as possible to pacify Yun and Shuo."
The invasion of Yunzhong by the Khitans was no small matter, and a great general was needed to defend Taiyuan. The Privy Councilors Fan Yanguang and Zhao Yanshou discussed the matter for a long time without reaching a decision.
The late emperor was furious that they had not reported the matter and severely reprimanded everyone.
Fan Yanguang, Zhao Yanshou, and others were terrified and had no answer, so they returned to their own academy, intending to recommend Kang Yicheng for selection.
"Taiyuan, the northern gate of the country, is a place where important ministers should be appointed."
Li Song, who had served as the chief secretary of the Chengde Army and was later admitted to the Privy Council, stood up at the lowest position and pleaded, "The court's heavy troops are mostly stationed in the north, and they must be led by a senior official. In my opinion, none other than Grand Commandant Shi is suitable!"
Just then, the late emperor sent an imperial envoy to urge them to act, and with Li Song's strong recommendation, everyone agreed to his suggestion.
He then appointed Shi Jingtang as Grand Councilor, Prefect of Taiyuan, Garrison Commander of Beijing, and Military Governor of Hedong, concurrently serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry of Datong, Zhenwu, Zhangguo, and Weise armies, and bestowed upon him the title of Meritorious Minister for Loyalty and Contribution to the Nation.
Since the late emperor was Shi Jingtang's father-in-law and son-in-law, he could naturally trust him to appoint him to a position.
Gao Xingzhou glanced at the emperor with concern. Given the current situation, would Li Congke let the tiger return to the mountain?
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Place Name Comparison
Xingzhou: present-day Lueyang County, Hanzhong City