PCA Chapter 184

At the next day’s court assembly, Su Cen witnessed a chaotic scene.

 

The cause of the issue was still the Xuzhou flood. This natural disaster had emptied the national treasury, which had just been replenished by salt taxes. While everyone was pained by this loss, they also reflected on what to do after the grief. Several officials, led by Liu Cheng, proposed establishing charity granaries across the prefectures and counties.

 

The proposal of charity granaries wasn’t created out of nothing. Before these, there were already imperial granaries, regular granaries, military granaries, and so on. The imperial granary only supplied the salaries of officials in the capital, the regular granary was for national taxation, and the military granary mainly supplied food for the military. The grain in these granaries was vital and couldn’t be easily touched, so charity granaries emerged to fill the gap.

 

These charity granaries were essentially storehouses, collecting grain during abundant years through donations, with the purpose of relieving victims during famine years. Initially, they weren’t part of the tax system and had no fixed tax amount—how much one contributed was entirely voluntary, with the rich giving more and the poor giving less. The concept was beautiful, and the intention was good, so Li Shi didn’t make things difficult and easily approved it.

 

However, implementation wasn’t as smooth as envisioned. Though said to be voluntary, once the charity granaries were built, the voluntarily contributed grain couldn’t even cover the bottom of the warehouses. Liu Cheng, embarrassed, finally realized the shortsightedness of the common people, who only cared about immediate interests without concern for long-term development.

 

Having been Prime Minister for so many years, Liu Cheng naturally had some iron-handed methods. He decisively made charity granary contributions a mandatory tax, determined to fill these granaries.

 

This inevitably led to a war of words. After a fierce battle, Liu Cheng’s faction narrowly won. The charity granaries were established, and public anger was suppressed. It should have been one of Liu Cheng’s rare victories, but unexpectedly, a few months later, issues arose again.

 

Someone reheated this old issue, impeaching Liu Cheng for imposing heavy taxes, causing people to barely survive, and claiming that he collected taxes for personal use to satisfy his extravagant expenditures.

 

The person who submitted this memorial was the Minister of Revenue, Sima Yi, who normally was considered Liu Cheng’s chief lackey. Now this lackey had turned against him, biting his master deeply where it hurt most—completely unexpected.

 

What was more surprising was that there were many who supported this view, all from the Empress Dowager’s faction who had previously followed Liu Cheng’s lead. These cultured and refined ministers, when attacking, were like rabid dogs.

 

Liu Cheng stood in the great hall, his fingertips trembling with anger, unable to utter a word.

 

Those who had once spoken of benefiting the common people were now the same ones crying about harming the country and its people. Those who had once elevated him to the heavens were now treading him into the mud, eager to kick him while he was down.

 

Only Cui Hao was still struggling to defend him.

 

“Since the establishment of the charity granaries, Prime Minister Liu has never touched a single grain from them! All entries and exits are recorded. On what basis do you say Prime Minister Liu is lining his own pockets?!”

 

“Yes, taxes are a bit heavier now, but this is carefully calculated not to affect people’s livelihoods. It’s a bit hard now, but when real disasters come and provisions are scarce, this little bit can save lives!”

 

“Moreover, the amount of grain contributed isn’t uniformly applied. It’s based on household status—upper, middle, and lower—with amounts decreasing accordingly. The charity granaries are mainly filled by the upper-class nobles, and when it comes to the lowest households, hardly anything is collected. Where’s the burden of losing everything?”

 

As Cui Hao was about to argue further, he felt a pair of cold hands gently covering his heated ones, extinguishing not only his touch but also the fire in his chest.

 

What followed was a pain that pierced his heart.

 

Looking around, he saw those who didn’t care, those who were watching for entertainment, those waiting to kick someone when they were down—from beginning to end, no one really cared what he was saying. Standing among a group of people, he was merely performing a joke.

 

Cui Hao suddenly understood. The Empress Dowager hadn’t summoned only him yesterday. Each of these eloquent, aggressive people present had been asked the same question—”Are you interested in the Prime Minister’s position?”

 

He suddenly wanted to shout in the court: Do you have any conscience at all?

 

Previously, whenever any of these people had issues, hadn’t Liu Cheng wholeheartedly helped them? Now, seeing Liu Cheng fall out of favor, they were eager to kick him while he was down, each faster than the next.

 

Cui Hao grasped Liu Cheng’s hand. Since there was no place for them here, there was no need for him to stand here keeping up appearances for them.

 

Just as he was about to step forward, a voice timely resonated in the great hall.

 

“The charity granary system was approved through court deliberation, making it a law of our Great Zhou. Everyone present should support it. The charity granary system has been implemented for only a short time, and whether it’s good or bad cannot yet be determined. Let’s wait for a trial period before discussing further.”

 

Everyone was stunned and looked up. The Prince of Ning was seen leaning lightly against the chair back, supporting his forehead with one hand, clearly impatient.

 

The great hall momentarily fell silent.

 

Li Shi stood up and swept his gaze across the hall. “That’s all for today. Court dismissed.”

 

After everyone had left, only two figures remained in the vast, empty grand hall.

 

“Zhongpei…” Cui Hao called out several times before Liu Cheng came to his senses, only then realizing their hands were still linked together—one cold as water, one hot as fire.

 

Liu Cheng’s joints moved slightly as he gently released Cui Hao’s hand. Glancing once more at the empty dragon throne, he shook his head: “Let’s go.”

 

“Are you alright?” Cui Hao followed closely. “Don’t take them seriously. They’re just jealous of your talents.”

 

Liu Cheng smiled bitterly. Jealous of his talents? What talents did he have worth envying? They merely coveted the power behind him, and now, seeing him fall out of favor, they wanted to take his place.

 

In the end, they were just pitiful people like himself.

 

“You should have joined them in attacking me. Siding with one’s party and attacking dissenters is how one survives in officialdom.”

 

Cui Hao frowned deeply, “If that’s what officialdom is like, then it’s not worth staying.”

 

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Liu Cheng rebuked him. After leaving the grand hall, he gazed at the magnificent imperial buildings for a while, suddenly not knowing where to go.

 

“Let’s go home,” Cui Hao suggested from behind.

 

“Home?” Liu Cheng was momentarily stunned. Looking at the undulating rooftops of the hundred and eight wards outside the palace walls, he suddenly felt a profound sadness. Chang’an was so vast, yet there was no place left for him.

 

“You go ahead,” Liu Cheng turned to Cui Hao. “I need to go somewhere.”

 

When the servant came to announce the visitor, Empress Dowager Chu had just finished trimming the last of her jade phoenix flowers. Clusters of snow-white blooms were confined in a vase the thickness of a wrist, possessing a beauty born of restraint.

 

The Empress Dowager’s delicate jade hands set down the sharp scissors. After admiring her work with satisfaction for a moment, she instructed servants to place it prominently in the hall, then nodded, “Let him in.”

 

Liu Cheng, led in by the palace maids of Qingning Palace, immediately noticed the brilliantly blooming white chrysanthemums. Looking down, he saw the discarded branches and withered leaves that hadn’t been cleaned up yet, scattered on the floor.

 

Some people enjoy raising flowers, others birds, but Empress Dowager Chu delighted in cutting flowers just as they were about to bloom fully, placing them in vases where they would bask in sunlight and bathe in sweet dew. From then on, the opening and closing, life and death of these flowers were entirely under her control—obey and live, defy and die.

 

He too had once been such a flower. Now, having bloomed and withered, it was time for him to fall and return to dust.

 

The Empress Dowager noticed Liu Cheng’s gaze fixed not on her newly arranged jade phoenix flowers but on the scattered fallen blooms. She smiled lightly, “How many years have you followed me?”

 

Liu Cheng withdrew his gaze and lowered his head in response: “Since I entered office, I have followed the former emperor. It has been exactly twelve years now.”

 

At the mention of the former emperor, the Empress Dowager’s gaze softened somewhat. “Yes, I remember. You were the top scholar of that year’s examination, standing proudly before Hanyuan Hall. The former emperor specially permitted me to peek through a green gauze curtain. I thought then, what a handsome young scholar. If I had any unmarried sisters or relatives, I would have asked the former emperor to arrange a marriage.”

 

Liu Cheng bowed respectfully: “I have failed the former emperor’s trust.”

 

“No, you’ve done very well. Without you, the current situation wouldn’t have formed,” the Empress Dowager paused slightly, her phoenix eyes narrowing. “However, I want better.”

 

With these words, Liu Cheng finally understood why he was being abandoned. Despite his utmost efforts, he had only managed to achieve a balance of power with Li Shi. What the Empress Dowager wanted was something he couldn’t provide—the entire empire.

 

If the empire were unified, there would be no need for a regent. The Empress Dowager wasn’t targeting him, but Li Shi.

 

Liu Cheng inwardly sighed. After so many years of struggle, for the first time he felt a weariness seeping from his bones. He truly wanted to rest.

 

Kneeling, Liu Cheng said: “This subject entered office in the 22nd year of Yonglong. For twelve years, I have labored diligently. Though I have no great achievements, I have never dared to slack for a day. Now, illness from accumulated labor has made me unfit for duties. I request to resign from office to make way for worthier individuals, to withdraw from public affairs and grow old in my hometown. I ask the Empress Dowager to graciously approve.”

 

The Empress Dowager had hardly expected Liu Cheng to acquiesce so readily. She was momentarily taken aback, then suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, “Minister Liu is not yet forty, in the prime of his life. What talk is this of labor and illness? The emperor is young, and I still rely on you for support.”

 

Liu Cheng looked up in confusion, completely bewildered. Clearly, it was she who had chosen to abandon him, yet now she was also the one saying she wanted to use him. He was uncertain of this woman’s intentions and could only raise his head, waiting for her to continue.

 

The Empress Dowager’s beautiful red lips opened and closed as she asked: “How far would you go for His Majesty?”

 

Liu Cheng suddenly felt his throat tighten, “His Majesty is the true dragon son of heaven. This subject is willing to serve His Majesty with all his heart until death.”

 

“Very good,” the Empress Dowager smiled subtly. “I happen to have something I want you to do.”

 

 

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