novelAbuy Chapter 52: Many Troubles Upon Ascending the Throne
Chapter 52: Many Troubles Upon Ascending the Throne
The moon has set, the stars have faded, the east is still dark, the past is gone, and a new day is about to begin.
What is it like to be an emperor?
Most people in the world have never experienced this and can only imagine it: holding great power, being invincible, prospering when they obey and perishing when they defy, and having countless beautiful women to enjoy.
However, for the newly enthroned Li Congke, it marked the beginning of a busy, troublesome, and painful period.
April 7th, Bingzi day.
On the second day after his ascension to the throne, Li Congke issued a controversial edict ordering the Henan Prefecture to use the wealth of the capital's residents to support the army.
The eighth day of the fourth lunar month, Dingchou day.
Just one day later, another imperial edict was issued: five months' rent for housing and taxes would be provided to all residents, regardless of rank.
Upon ascending the throne, Li Congke issued two edicts containing such contents, which was out of necessity.
He was known for his generosity and generosity, and was supported by the various armies after he entered Qi. He promised, "When I enter Luoyang, I will be rewarded with hundreds of thousands of coins."
When Li Conghou issued an edict to the soldiers of the western expeditionary force, he promised that each soldier would be rewarded with two hundred thousand strings of cash upon the pacification of Fengxiang. Li Congke then presented a folded reward: one hundred strings of cash per person. With ten thousand soldiers, this would require one million strings of cash.
Even if we fold the reward money in half again, the cost of rewarding the army would still be 500,000 strings of cash. Does the treasury have that kind of money?
When Feng Yun, who was in charge of the finances, was killed, the newly appointed Minister of the Three Departments, Wang Mei, calmly replied, "There are millions in the treasury."
Li Congke was very pleased, but little did he know that Li Conghou had already thoroughly emptied the imperial treasury.
After checking the inventory, the gold and silk reserves amounted to no more than 30,000 taels and 30,000 bolts. Where would they find the money for the reward?
Why would Wang Mei still believe there are millions of strings of cash involved? This shows a lack of practical understanding.
The figures recorded in the ledgers were mostly accumulated rents, revenue from the monopolies of salt, iron, and alcohol, all of which were accounts receivable, and nine out of ten of them could not be collected.
Wang Mei, seeing only the figures on the books, assumed there were over three million strings of cash and was overjoyed, wanting to share the Emperor's burdens. Little did she know she had stepped into a deep pit, from which she couldn't climb out. (Note 1)
An emperor's promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold; how can he break his word?
Li Congke was furious, so Wang Mei proposed to use the funds to make up the difference.
"率" means to gather. How do you gather money? You can't exactly rob someone, can you?
Li Congke said to the ruling authorities, "The army must be rewarded, and the people must be cared for. What should we do now?"
Several ministers, even skilled cooks without rice, proposed to levy a housing tax, requiring a prepayment of five months' rent for both owner-occupied and rented properties.
Living in Beijing is not easy; how many people can afford nearly six months' rent upfront?
When the imperial edict was issued, the entire city was in uproar.
The officials tried every means to collect money from the people, but only managed to collect 60,000 strings of cash. Li Congke ordered the military inspector to imprison the prisoners, and supervised them day and night. The prison was full, and the poor committed suicide or jumped into wells one after another.
The soldiers paraded through the market, all with an arrogant air. The people of the market gathered and cursed them, saying, "You guys fought for the main force and made great contributions, yet we have to whip you and beat you, and pay you for your service. You guys are still so proud of yourselves. Don't you feel ashamed before heaven and earth?!"
Li Congke exhausted the treasury and contributions from various provinces, and the Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubines contributed palace items, clothing, hairpins, and earrings, but it was still difficult to make up for the shortfall, reaching only 200,000 strings of cash, which was more than half short of the promised amount.
From the emperor to the common people, everyone was constantly worried about the issue of how to pay the army.
That night, Li Zhuanmei, the Minister of the Treasury, who was granted the title of Golden Purple and appointed Academician of the Privy Council, was on duty.
Li Congke was annoyed and rebuked him, saying, "You are renowned for your talent, yet you cannot devise such a plan for me. Where will you put your talent if you cannot even do this?"
"Your Majesty's talent and ability are inadequate, and I was appointed to a position of great importance. Your Majesty's promotion of me is excessive and will not benefit the Holy Dynasty. However, the treasury is empty and the military rewards are insufficient, which is not my fault."
Li Zhuanmei quickly shifted the blame and then made some remarks.
"When Emperor Mingzong passed away, the imperial treasury was already depleted from excessive rewards. Then, the Prince of E took over the court, and discipline was greatly corrupted. Even with unlimited wealth, it was impossible to satisfy the arrogant and unruly soldiers. Therefore, Your Majesty was isolated in Qiyang and gained the empire."
"I believe that the survival of a nation does not depend solely on rewarding its citizens. It requires that laws and regulations be established at the top, and that a sense of shame be instilled in the people below. Rewards should be commensurate with merit, and punishments should be commensurate with crime. This is close to the principles of reason and morality."
"If Your Majesty does not reverse the mistake of rewarding a rogue army, you will only bring hardship to the people, and their survival will be uncertain. You should use the current funds to provide for them, and not follow your previous words to seek personal gain."
Li Zhuanmei came up with a bunch of reasons, but the core of them was just one: break your promise, or don't reward someone if you don't have the money.
Having spent half his life in the military, Li Congke knew the temperament of these soldiers very well. If it were as simple as Li Zhuanmei said, they could easily renege on their debts.
"Let me consider it."
Besides lacking money, he had other things to worry about.
April 10th, Ji-Mao day.
The governor of Wei reported that the Prince of E died on the 9th of this month.
When news of Li Conghou's death reached him, Li Congke appeared, at least outwardly, to be very sad.
To this day, although he has ascended the throne, he has not attended the Mingtang Hall or worn the imperial robes, demonstrating his commitment to his principles.
Back in the palace, removing the mask he wore for others, Li Congke revealed his true expression—a deep sadness.
"Shigekichi, Yuzumi, it is your father who has ruined you."
The news that Li Chongji, the eldest son, was imprisoned in Songzhou had already reached back. Li Conghou sent Chu Kuangzuo, a court official of the Western Ban, to kill him. Before his death, Chu Kuangzuo was severely beaten and tortured, and was forced to hand over his family property.
When Li Youcheng, the daughter imprisoned in the palace, was reunited with her father, she was already a cold corpse.
"Yuzumi, please forgive your father!"
"His Majesty……"
"I know."
Li Congke suppressed his sobs, wiped away his tears, and took the white mourning clothes brought by the eunuch, putting them on: "I will observe mourning for the Prince of E."
"Empress Kong and her four sons are still in the palace. They request to become nuns. What is the proper course of action?"
Lady Kong was the daughter of Kong Xun, the tax commissioner of the Former Liang Dynasty. She had not yet been formally married and, strictly speaking, was not yet an empress. Her father was the adopted son of Zhu Wen, who participated in the assassination of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang and Empress He, but died a natural death.
Kong Xun was cunning and treacherous. Li Siyuan once wanted to arrange a marriage between him and An Chonghui. Because he was on good terms with Kong Xun, An Chonghui asked for his opinion.
Kong Xun replied, "As a minister who holds confidential matters, it is not appropriate for you to marry a prince."
An Chonghui refused the late emperor's request, but Kong Xun secretly sent someone to petition the late emperor to marry his daughter to the prince. Li Siyuan then arranged for Li Conghou to marry his daughter.
Having recognized Kong Xun's true character, An Chonghui became his enemy.
"If you had become in-laws with your godfather, you wouldn't have met such a tragic end."
Li Congke harbored complex feelings toward An Chonghui, who had once framed him. He knew very well the reason for their enmity: after the destruction of Liang, his adoptive father was stationed in Zhenzhou. During a banquet, he remembered something and couldn't help but beat An Chonghui up—damn it, why did you have to talk so much?
An Chonghui was beaten for no reason and harbored resentment towards himself from then on. (Note 2)
It is said that when he was convicted and knew he was doomed to die, he cried out on his deathbed, "I deserve to die, but I regret that I could not help the country get rid of the Prince of Lu!"
Li Congke muttered to himself, "You were right. If my godfather had listened to your advice and killed me, none of this would have happened."
"Your Majesty, regarding Empress Kong and her four sons..."
Li Congke didn't even turn his head: "Send someone to ask her where Chongji and the others are?"
Some blood must be shed. Li Conghou's direct descendants must not remain in the world.
"Let's just consider it revenge. That's just my personality," Li Congke told himself.
April 15th, Jia Shen year.
When Li Congke learned of the death of the Prince of E, he observed mourning in the inner garden, where his ministers offered their condolences.
April 16th, the day of Yi-You.
Li Congke removed his mourning clothes and put on a ceremonial robe: the crown had twelve white pearl tassels, the robe was black with twelve patterns on the skirt and the collar was decorated with a rising dragon, and he wore a leather belt, a wide belt, a sword, and a pendant. His socks were adorned with gold ornaments. The robe was second only to the ceremonial robe worn when worshipping the Supreme God.
The emperor ascended the throne in the Mingtang Hall, and all civil and military officials took their places in their court attire. He then proclaimed the decree: the first year of Yingshun would be renamed the first year of Qingtai, and a general amnesty would be granted throughout the land.
Once he has secured his throne, the next step should be to adjust the personnel in the court and seize central power.
April 18th, Dinghai year.
Hao Qiong, the Commissioner of the Northern Xuanhui Court, was appointed as the Commissioner of the Southern Xuanhui Court and concurrently served as the Privy Councilor.
Wang Mei, the Commissioner of the Three Departments, was reassigned as the Commissioner of the Northern Court of Xuanhui, and Liu Xu, the Chancellor, was ordered to take charge of the Three Departments.
Kongmu clerk Liu Yanlang was appointed Zhuangzhai Shi, in charge of the imperial estates in the two capitals, as well as imperial assets such as mills, inns, vegetable gardens, and cart workshops.
Song Shenqian, the general who persuaded Wang Sitong to surrender, was rescued and appointed Imperial City Envoy, in charge of the opening and closing of palace gates, security, and reconnaissance. (Note 3)
Several senior officials were appointed as assistants: Han Zhaoyun, the judge of the military governor, was appointed as the Left Grand Counselor and Academician of the Duanming Hall; Ma Yisun, the judge of the provincial administration, was appointed as the Academician of the Hanlin Academy; and Li Zhuanmei, the chief secretary, was appointed as the Academician of the Privy Council.
It wasn't that Li Congke didn't want to promote his cronies to high positions; Wang Mei's example was right in front of him—officials who had been in local government for a long time and lacked experience in central governance would only make a fool of themselves if they were suddenly promoted to unsuitable positions.
The three chief ministers, Li Yu, Liu Xu, and Feng Dao, remained in their posts for the time being.
However, according to convention, the former prime minister must be replaced. Why? Because his position is too important, and he has served the previous emperor; could the emperor really trust him to retain him?
There are rewards as well as punishments.
April 19th, the day of Wuzi.
The surrendered Imperial Guard Commander Kang Yicheng was beheaded outside Xingjiao Gate, and his entire clan was exterminated.
Among those executed along with him was a very old man.
Kang Yicheng left home to join the army at a young age. After he rose to a high position, he naturally had a housekeeper to clean the mansion. Because he was not efficient enough, he was often lightly punished.
One day, Kang Yicheng suddenly felt sorry for the old man and asked him his surname, only to find that they shared the same surname.
They then inquired about their hometown, relatives, and descendants, only to discover that he was their biological father. They embraced and wept, astonishing all who heard it.
Who would have thought that after enjoying wealth and status for only a few years, Kang's father would be implicated by his son and die along with him? Truly, fortune and misfortune are unpredictable.
On that day, an imperial edict was issued: "Privy Councilors Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun, Commissioner of the Southern Court of Xuanhui Meng Hanqiong, Governor of Xijing Wang Sitong, and former Military Governor of Binzhou Yao Yanchou conspired to incite conflict and recklessly wage war, sowing discord among themselves, nearly causing their downfall. They should be publicly executed to appease the public, and their official titles and ranks should be stripped."
Li Congke was handling various matters, but there was still one important matter that had not been completed.
Less than half a year after the late emperor's death, his coffin was still kept in the Eryi Hall on the west side.
Lu Wenji, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, bestowed upon him the posthumous title of Emperor Shengzhi Rende Qinxiao, with the temple name Mingzong.
Chancellor Feng Daoyi requested that the four characters "圣智仁德" be changed to "圣德和武".
Virtue precedes wisdom, and martial prowess surpasses benevolence. Li Siyuan spent his life on the battlefield, so how could his posthumous title not include the character "martial"? The change was extremely appropriate, and Li Congke immediately approved it.
Liu Xu wrote the posthumous title inscription, and Li Yu wrote the eulogy. The burial is scheduled for the 27th of this month at Huiling Mausoleum.
Just as people's hearts were gradually settling down and all departments were getting back on track, before the civil and military officials could even breathe a sigh of relief, a piece of news once again shook the court.
April 21st, Gengyin day.
The Fengxiang Prefecture reported that Meng Zhixiang of Xichuan had usurped the title of Great Shu, ascended the throne in Chengdu, and adopted the reign title Mingde.