Perhaps it truly did have something to do with Li Chi — after all, he was called the Human Emperor.

Since Dachu’s founding, the weather had been favorable and the harvests good, and even the droughts in the Northwest had been less severe than in former times. For several years running, rainfall had been plentiful.

Come to think of it, from Liangzhou southward and westward — including the entirety of what had been Yongzhou during the Chu period — drought had once seemed the most natural thing in the world, and abundant rain the anomaly.

The years had been good of late, and the lives of the Northwest’s people were faring well. Coupled with the court’s allocation of support, the region already showed signs of stability and order.

Li Chi did not linger in Liangzhou City the whole time. After resting for a few days, he went to inspect the Western Frontier Direct Road.

This road concerned not only the security of the frontier, but also whether the lives of the Western Frontier’s people would grow better and better.

With this road in place, transportation and communication would become smoother, and the lives of the Northwest’s people would naturally improve.

By Li Chi’s imperial decree, after Lu Chonglou had collaborated with the Western Frontier border troops to suppress the various Western Domain states, he was to proceed to the road construction site to oversee the work.

There had recently been rumors that the Ministry of Works officials responsible for supervising the Direct Road’s construction may have been engaged in embezzlement.

Li Chi left Gao Xining and the other women behind, and set out with Xiahou Zuo, Dantai Qi, Tang Pidi, and the others.

When they were still some tens of li away, Lu Chonglou was already waiting by the roadside — accompanied only by three or five attendants.

Li Chi was somewhat surprised to find only Lu Chonglou waiting there. He had expected all the local officials to come and receive him.

“Your servant begs Your Majesty’s pardon.”

Lu Chonglou lifted his robe and knelt: “The work on the road truly cannot be left for even a moment. Your servant had no choice but to come alone to receive Your Majesty. In truth, even your servant did not wish to come — but feared Your Majesty would scold your servant…”

Li Chi asked with curiosity: “Has something serious happened?”

“No.”

Lu Chonglou replied: “It is simply… too difficult to build.”

Li Chi had always known the Western Frontier Direct Road would not be easy to build — after all, it had to cut through mountains and cross ridges. He had seen the Ministry of Works’ plans, and so had never entertained the notion that a road like this could be finished in just a few short years.

“Stand and speak.”

Li Chi had Lu Chonglou mount up, and they rode together toward the construction site.

“The matter We had you investigate some time ago — was there substance to it?”

“Your Majesty, there was — and there wasn’t.”

Lu Chonglou looked at Li Chi with a complicated expression, as though he wished to explain something, but in the end only said, with an equally complicated tone: “Once Your Majesty arrives and sees the place, you will understand.”

Li Chi and his party immediately spurred their horses forward. Tens of li of road — and yet it took a full day and night to traverse, which showed just how difficult it was.

“Your Majesty.”

Once they arrived at the construction site, Lu Chonglou and Li Chi climbed to higher ground and pointed in the direction of the worksite.

“Your servant initially did not think it would be so difficult, for your servant had also seen the Ministry of Works’ plans.”

Lu Chonglou looked considerably darker than when he had been in Chang’an. His skin was peeling in many places, and he looked so haggard he seemed like a different person altogether.

He said to Li Chi: “Your Majesty, look over there. Although the Ministry of Works’ plans were drawn in detail, the ground in this place has extremely complex geology. The plans show positions — they cannot show geology.”

“The area several zhang ahead is all loose stone and earth. One shovel down could trigger a landslide. Some time ago, more than thirty laborers were buried by a landslide of rock and mud. All of them perished, and for half of them, not even their bodies could be recovered.”

“Every possible method was tried to stabilize it — driving piles, laying nets — and it took several months just to clear those few zhang of road.”

“But just beyond that lies bedrock that cannot be broken at all. Swing a great hammer with an iron chisel with all your strength, and all you get is a white mark.”

At this point, Lu Chonglou’s eyes had begun to redden slightly.

“Your Majesty ordered your servant to investigate the embezzlement. Your servant investigated… and yes, the accounts do show irregularities. But no one embezzled.”

He looked at Li Chi, and those eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.

“People are dying every day. The official overseeing the work here is paying out condolence money every single day… Yet when these matters were reported upward, no one dared tell Your Majesty how terribly the casualties truly were.”

“That one over there.”

Lu Chonglou pointed to an official directing work on a slope in the distance: “His name is Gao Youxin — a senior secretary in the Ministry of Works. He has been here for two years. When he arrived he weighed over a hundred and sixty or seventy jin. Now he weighs only ninety-some jin…”

“Your servant investigated — all the silver passed through his hands, yet he kept not a single copper coin for himself. He even put in all his own salary from these past several years.”

“Most of the time, he wanted the craftsmen to be able to eat a bit of meat. And sometimes, he used it to add a share of condolence money for those who had died…”

Lu Chonglou looked at Li Chi: “For these two years, Gao Youxin has been submitting memorials — but the matter of the deaths was suppressed by Xu Ji, and Xu Ji has been pressing him relentlessly, even issuing an ironclad command that the Western Frontier Direct Road be completed within five years…”

Li Chi’s eyes had also begun to redden slightly.

Lu Chonglou said: “Gao Youxin has spent these two years carrying a farewell letter on his person every single day, telling his subordinates that if something happens to him, they are not to attempt a rescue. Rescuing one person in this place might cost three or five more lives. He told them simply to look for his remains at the foot of the mountain and send the farewell letter home to his family…”

Lu Chonglou lowered his head: “Only after coming here this time did your servant truly understand — one word from the great officials at court, and the people below must either run their legs off, or stake their lives.”

“Every single tael of silver spent here was spent on human lives. Your servant knows Gao Youxin also made errors — he even acted beyond his authority, diverting a portion of funds from the local offices. The local officials were furious and cursed him for it — yet they still gave him the money. Your servant did not know how to deal with him. Your servant had no way to deal with him.”

Li Chi asked: “Why has even Lian Xiuwu never reported this to Us? He is the Minister of Works — can it be that even he did not know of these matters?”

Lu Chonglou said: “This matter was taken over by Xu Ji two years ago. All memorials relating to the Western Frontier Direct Road were sent directly to him — even the Minister of Works had no authority to inquire.”

Li Chi let out a heavy breath.

A senior secretary of the fifth rank — and for two years here, every day had been like walking through the gates of hell.

And then there were the craftsmen — how much harder was their lot than even Gao Youxin’s?

Li Chi was silent, and did not lash out, but the color had already drained from his face.

“Lu Chonglou, We have a task for you.”

“Your servant awaits Your Majesty’s command.”

“We will first go around and meet Gao Youxin. Walk with Us and We’ll talk along the way.”

“As Your Majesty commands.”

Riding on horseback was already entirely impossible here. In truth, not long after Lu Chonglou had received Li Chi, the terrain had become impassable on horseback.

Gao Youxin and his people appeared to be just on the other side of a ravine — but that ravine ran deep, and while it looked only two or three li away, getting around it meant detouring for tens of li.

“It seems that in many local matters, whenever human lives are involved, things tend to get suppressed — whatever the reason behind it, this practice is ultimately wrong.”

Li Chi said: “These past few years you have also seen many talented young men, and you have seen much of what goes on in the regions…”

He looked toward Lu Chonglou: “In the shortest possible time, seek out a group of people for Us. Only you yourself are to know who they are — not a third person besides Us and you may learn of this. These people must be fair and upright, and must possess the courage to fear no powerful authority.”

Lu Chonglou had a rough sense of what Li Chi meant. He bowed: “Your servant obeys.”

Li Chi then looked toward Yu Jiuling: “Your old subordinates — many were assigned to the Military Intelligence Bureau, and later transferred to the Tingwei office. Among them, list for Us those who can be entrusted with important responsibilities.”

Yu Jiuling quickly acknowledged.

“Old Tang, Xiahou, Dantai…”

Li Chi looked toward the three great generals: “From each of your respective armies, select men who are loyal, upright, brave, and stalwart. Compile a list and present it to Us — the same as Lu Chonglou. These lists are for each of you alone to know. There must be no comparing notes, no coordination, no discussion among you.”

Tang Pidi and the other two bowed in unison: “As commanded.”

“There needs to be a box.”

Li Chi murmured to himself.

A box — through which things inside could reach Li Chi directly, without passing through the hands of the court’s senior officials.

At present it was Xu Ji; in the future it would be the cabinet. What was placed inside these boxes would be delivered to only one person — the Emperor of Dachu.

Because what had happened with Gao Youxin was a terrifying thing.

A man like this — who had given his all, who had put his very life on the line, who was loyal, upright, and fearless.

Yet if something went wrong, the person who would bear the blame would certainly be him. Li Chi felt that Xu Ji’s words could not be fully trusted, but in a matter like this, if Xu Ji submitted a memorial saying that a Ministry of Works official deserved to die, a senior secretary of the fifth rank — Li Chi would never personally investigate the matter himself. At most he would hand it to the Tingwei office for verification.

And it was entirely possible that a fine official like this would be executed on a casual order from Xu Ji.

Between powerful ministers and local officials stood not only a vast gulf in rank, but the boundary between life and death.

Tens of li of road, detouring around — and it was nightfall again by the time they arrived.

Li Chi did not send anyone to summon Gao Youxin, but waited at the encampment. It was not until the middle of the night that Gao Youxin finally returned, covered in dust.

He had barely entered the camp when he was called before Li Chi. With still a dozen or so steps remaining between them, Gao Youxin threw himself to the ground with a thud.

“Your guilty servant Gao Youxin kowtows before Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years…”

Before the words were out of his mouth, Li Chi had already stepped forward and lifted Gao Youxin to his feet.

“We did not come to see you earlier because We thought Our arrival would only add to your difficulties. Had the craftsmen known at night that We had come, it might have caused a commotion. We feared not only that We would have been of no help, but that there could have been danger.”

Li Chi gestured toward a spot nearby: “While We waited for you just now, We prepared some dishes. Come and eat.”

Gao Youxin was so nervous he didn’t know what to say, nor whether he should eat. For a moment he stood there, ill at ease and at a complete loss.

“Sit down.”

Li Chi pointed to the seat beside him.

Gao Youxin perched on the edge of the seat, not daring to raise his head. One could see, as he sat there, that his hands were trembling.

“We have heard that you diverted some silver?”

The moment Li Chi said this, Gao Youxin threw himself to his knees again with a thud.

“Your guilty servant confesses his guilt. Your guilty servant deserves ten thousand deaths…”

Li Chi reached out and pulled him back up: “Let Us finish speaking.”

Li Chi said: “The matter of diverting the silver — that deserves punishment. Then let the punishment be a deduction of one year’s salary.”

Gao Youxin was stunned. He truly had not expected this to be the verdict.

Tang Pidi smiled without comment. Xiahou Zuo also smiled without comment. Dantai Qi glanced at him, also said nothing. But Yu Jiuling felt it was somewhat unjust — this was such a fine official, a man who had not kept a single copper coin of his salary for two years, and he was still going to have another year docked? That seemed rather harsh?

Li Chi asked Gao Youxin: “You are currently fifth rank?”

Gao Youxin quickly replied: “Your Majesty, it is upper fifth rank. Your servant was originally a sixth-rank senior secretary in the Ministry of Works, and was promoted half a rank upon being assigned here…”

Li Chi looked toward Lu Chonglou: “When you return, draft a memorial and submit it to Us, proposing Gao Youxin’s elevation to full third rank, with the title of Deputy Minister, and triple salary. Submit the memorial promptly, and We will approve it.”

Lu Chonglou bowed: “As your servant commands.”

Li Chi could of course have proclaimed the promotion of Gao Youxin to full third rank right then and there.

But by having Lu Chonglou submit a memorial first, he was making a statement to all the civil and military officials of the court, to Xu Ji, and to Lian Xiuwu as well.

Matters of the Ministry of Works — the Chief Minister may intervene, but if the Ministry of Works’ own officials cannot even argue their ground on such matters, that too is a dereliction of duty.

Having had matters wrested away by Xu Ji and then turning a blind eye — that was not merely a dereliction of duty, but a betrayal of it.

Gao Youxin was both nervous and overwhelmed with emotion. Standing there, he was completely at a loss, unable to get even a word out.

Lu Chonglou bowed and asked: “Your Majesty said just now that the punishment for Gao Youxin is to dock one month’s salary — is that to be docked beginning next month, or deferred?”

Li Chi said: “Did We not just say he is now full third rank?”

Lu Chonglou said: “Your Majesty said you wanted your servant to submit a memorial, and for Your Majesty to approve it. Your Majesty did not say he was full third rank starting now.”

Li Chi smiled slightly: “The memorial you submit is to complete the formalities. We did not say he is full third rank from this moment — so then We will say it formally now: he is full third rank from this moment.”

Li Chi looked toward Lu Chonglou: “Furthermore… the deduction is from the salary of an upper fifth-rank senior secretary. He is now full third rank. From next month he draws triple the salary of full third rank — what does that have to do with an upper fifth-rank senior secretary?”

Lu Chonglou smiled and bowed: “Your servant understands.”

Li Chi pulled Gao Youxin by the arm: “Eat!”

—