The residence Shen Yang received from Emperor Yanyou was quite spacious, with nearly twenty interconnected courtyards and over a hundred buildings arranged in orderly rows—befitting Shen Yang’s dignity as a chief minister.
Besides several old servants Shen Yang had used in his early years, he had subsequently selected thirty to forty people with nimble hands and feet and quick minds from the over one hundred slave households he’d been granted to serve. More buildings were vacated to accommodate guests and aides with their families. The vast chancellor’s residence was therefore rather lively, though the expenses within the residence were much more economical.
Even though Shen Yang served as an official with integrity and didn’t accept gifts, apart from having slaves cultivate his granted farmland, yielding at least three to four thousand shi of grain annually, as a chief minister his official salary alone amounted to two thousand shi of rice, two hundred bolts of silk, two thousand strings of cash, and so on. During festivals, the palace always granted generous rewards. In Great Chu, he absolutely qualified as a super-high-income group.
However, on this cold autumn night, only two tall candles were lit in the vast main hall of the chancellor’s residence—and these were items granted by the palace. The lighting was dim. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed rather stingy.
After Xue Ruogu, Qin Wen, and Zhang Qian returned with Shen Yang and sat in the hall staring at each other in silence for a long while, Xue Ruogu finally furrowed his brow tightly and made up his mind, saying:
“During the Jinling rebellion, Yang Zhitang defended Hong and Yuan prefectures to observe the situation. He has never been someone worth trusting. Based on today’s circumstances, organizing a new naval division under the Right Longwu Army to control defense along the river and coast east of Runzhou is something Marquis Qianyang and Prince Shou had secretly schemed long ago, so each could get what they needed—Your Excellency might enter the palace and inform His Majesty clearly of the many events that have occurred since last year and Prince Shou’s attitude today, to prevent His Majesty from being further misled by them…”
Hearing Xue Ruogu say this, Zhang Qian and Qin Wen were both shocked.
In their hearts, they truly didn’t know what kind of turmoil would be triggered in the court if the many events that occurred in Guangde Prefecture last year and Prince Shou Yang Zhitang’s attitude today were reported to His Majesty. They raised their heads to look at Shen Yang, whose face appeared even more gaunt and withered in the candlelight, not knowing what decision he would make.
Shen Yang stared at the candlelight before the hall, his aged triangular eyes murky and turbid, not speaking for a long time.
Seeing Shen Yang’s continued silence, Xue Ruogu urged again: “Although at this time Tangyi cannot do without Marquis Qianyang, and Prince Shou is also a pillar of support in the court and indispensable, whether we can make Marquis Qianyang and Prince Shou rein in at the cliff’s edge and limit their ambitions from expanding without restriction depends on whether the court’s navy can be reestablished at the fastest speed and form combat capability—otherwise, when we’ve nurtured the tiger into a calamity, it will be too late for regrets…”
Xue Ruogu’s meaning was also very clear. Regardless of whether Han Qian, Yang Zhitang, and others had ambitions or wolf’s aspirations, as long as the court could grasp absolute power, even if they had ambitions, those ambitions would become non-existent.
Rebuilding the navy was a critically important step.
His suggestion that Shen Yang enter the palace to report many matters to Emperor Yanyou was naturally not solely to inform on them. The reality was that apart from the Ministry of Finance and Salt and Iron Commission, the inner court directly controlled vast imperial estates and gardens as well as official slaves and servants—back then, the Changchun Palace imperial estate granted by Emperor Tianyou to the Linjiang Prince’s residence alone spanned dozens of li and included thousands of slave households.
Additionally, the inner court controlled large numbers of official workshops, copper and iron mines, and the power to mint coins.
At this time, beyond the increasingly straitened annual revenue of the central government, only the inner court could squeeze out over a million additional strings of cash and grain to rebuild the navy.
The central departments and offices had no authority to use the inner court treasury’s cash and grain, but His Majesty could!
The problem was that to persuade His Majesty to agree to allocate inner court treasury cash and grain, they would inevitably have to explain all the details and fine points clearly, letting His Majesty see clearly what harm organizing a new naval division under the Right Longwu Army to be responsible for defense along the river and coast east of Runzhou would cause to Great Chu’s state.
At this point, Xue Ruogu also gave Zhang Qian and Qin Wen meaningful looks, wanting them to together urge Shen Yang to make a decision early.
Just as Zhang Qian was about to say something, Shen Yang already shook his head and said with a sigh:
“His Majesty has the late emperor’s manner—extraordinarily intelligent, but sometimes still too impatient. Letting His Majesty know of this matter might make the situation even more chaotic without benefiting Great Chu’s state…”
What Zhang Qian thought in his heart was also this. He believed that some situations developing to this current step had an enormous relationship with His Majesty’s suspicion of Han Qian. Now that things had finally calmed down, if they went to expose these matters again, it was very possible that the things they hoped to resolve wouldn’t be resolved well, and instead might add fuel to the fire, making the situation even more chaotic.
“Marquis Qianyang, Prince Xin, and Prince Shou are connected together for momentary interests, but Marquis Qianyang has wolf’s ambitions, Prince Xin has disloyal intentions, and Yang Zhitang is no easy lamp either—how could they last long? Even if we first follow their wishes, it will not only benefit us in first controlling external enemies, but will also make the Empress Dowager and Li Zhigao’s side more wary of them. Perhaps one day, when His Majesty can endure what the realm cannot endure and tolerate what the realm cannot tolerate, that will be the time to reduce powerful fiefdoms,” Qin Wen said. “Moreover, no matter how thick the Han family’s foundation, how long can they sustain it? Why should we clash head-on when they’re at their sharpest?”
Qin Wen’s opinion was slightly different from Xue Ruogu’s.
With Liang naval forces’ harassment of the coast gradually becoming a major problem, expanding the navy to strengthen defense along the river and coast east of Runzhou was already an urgent priority that couldn’t be indefinitely delayed due to disputes. He advocated that the chancellor’s residence temporarily retreat a step and agree to the Right Longwu Army organizing new naval forces to defend against enemy harassment. In any case, they should first maintain Great Chu’s territory—internal strife could wait.
Although they all understood the importance of the court directly controlling a powerful navy, the problem was that apart from successfully persuading His Majesty to have the inner court provide money, where would the warships come from, and where would naval commanders be selected from?
Wouldn’t these matters still require wrangling with Xuzhou and the Privy Council?
“Alas, all of you go rest…” Shen Yang waved his hand, indicating this matter would continue to be shelved without mention.
…
…
Han Daoming and Feng Liao didn’t take their leave from Prince Shou’s residence until late at night. Walking out the side gate, they boarded an extremely inconspicuous carriage and drove through streets and alleys toward the eastern part of the city.
The curfew in Jinling City hadn’t been lifted yet, but when they encountered street patrol troops, two riders in front of the carriage would show their tokens to send them away first, escorting the carriage silently toward the Han residence.
That Han Daoming personally wore casual clothes to see Prince Shou Yang Zhitang under the pretext of proposing marriage was equivalent to directly laying their cards on the table with Prince Shou’s residence. Han Daochang, Han Duan, and Han Chengmeng, who had rushed back to Jinling with Feng Liao, were all nervously waiting in the front residence for their return.
Hearing the rumbling of carriage wheels, the main gate opened. The carriage, escorted by several riders, drove directly into the courtyard. Han Daochang and Han Duan walked over and urgently asked: “What did His Highness say?”
“Where is Father?” Han Daoming asked.
“Father went to sleep long ago,” Han Daochang said.
“Let’s talk in the hall,” Han Daoming said to his second brother Han Daochang, having no intention of disturbing their elderly father.
The front courtyard had many servant slaves and guards. With many people came many mouths—it wasn’t a place to discuss confidential matters. Han Daoming led everyone into the Mingju Hall that served as the Han residence’s main courtyard. After slave maids had served tea and all withdrawn, he spoke of the many events that occurred after he and Feng Liao went to Prince Shou’s residence.
“That old scoundrel Shen Yang—back then when we organized plague-stricken refugees into the Longque Army, it was our Han family yielding merit to him that he stole the name of Imperial Teacher. And Xue Ruogu was initially just a mere registrar in Xuzhou. That he didn’t die from miasma and plague and still obtained important positions was also because Third Brother and Han Qian appreciated him. Who would have thought these two would be ungrateful and now want to stab us in the back—truly detestable!” Han Daochang said resentfully, as if forgetting that initially they had been the ones most unable to bear seeing Han Qian succeed.
“That old scoundrel Shen Yang knows so many secrets, and even knows the inside story before and after the Sizhou civil unrest and Chishan Association’s establishment. If he reports to His Majesty, what should we do?” Han Duan asked worriedly.
No matter how tenaciously Tangyi forces fought against Shou Prefecture army on the Chu River line, no matter how optimistic Tangyi’s current situation appeared, he didn’t believe Tangyi currently had the possibility of openly opposing the court.
How much territory and how many troops did Tangyi have?
How much territory and how many troops did Great Chu have in just the prefectures and counties south of the Yangtze?
The two were completely not on the same level.
“We secretly arranged for Xue Ruogu to take up his post in Lishui in April or May last year, deliberately using his hand to expose the truth of the Shang Wensheng assassination case. According to our arrangement, within three or four months—that is, by August or September—Xue Ruogu should have already grasped the truth of the Shang Wensheng assassination case,” Feng Liao said. “However, the Shang Wensheng assassination case has stirred up no new waves even now, which shows that Xue Ruogu likely detected the abnormality of former Left Guangde Army members gathering at that time and told Shen Yang. Since Shen Yang could endure until today to make this matter clear to Prince Shou Yang Zhitang, he can probably continue to endure for some more time. We don’t need to worry about this for now…”
Feng Liao was currently Han Qian’s most important adviser. Seeing him say this, Han Daochang guessed that Han Qian’s side had long researched this matter.
Looking again at his eldest brother’s calm expression, he should also have considered this matter. Han Daochang’s heart relaxed slightly, and he inquired about the results of their continued discussions with Prince Shou Yang Zhitang.
Han Daoming drank his tea and told Han Daochang, Han Duan, and Han Chengmeng the results of his negotiations with Yang Zhitang.
These results weren’t particularly beyond their expectations, but that things could proceed so smoothly made Han Daochang extremely pleased. He said: “When the time comes, I’ll accompany Prince Shou to Yangzhou to propose marriage…”
The initial plan was for Feng Liao to accompany Yang Zhitang to Yangzhou, since it would subsequently involve negotiations with Huaidong. But for Han Daochang as a Han family elder to participate was also a natural matter. Feng Liao of course wouldn’t raise any objections.
“Can Xuzhou really produce over two million bolts of Qianyang cloth at once?” Han Duan still asked incredulously.
“Once the marriage contract is publicly announced again, we’ll have to pay both parties cash and grain monthly. How could we fake it?” Feng Liao said with a smile.
Han Duan couldn’t help but click his tongue several times. He currently served in the Salt and Iron Transport Commission—his merit rank was undistinguished and he was also suspected by officials of Zhang Chao’s faction—but he had grasped a general understanding of central government financial and revenue matters. In his heart, he of course understood what an earth-shaking matter it was for a single prefecture’s strength—moreover, a southwestern border prefecture that in court ministers’ impressions was extremely remote and barbarous—to export four to five million bolts of cloth annually.
This also meant that their next priority work would be to cover this up by every means possible, making the world mistakenly think that subsequently it was still the Han family digging into old reserves to support many matters, making the world mistakenly think that once the Han family’s old reserves were exhausted, many things in Xuzhou and Tangyi would be unsustainable, and the overall situation would continue to fall back into their control…