Chapter 16: Corruption
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Gongsun Jingsheng said with a smile, “Those are all the funds collected from the people to purchase horses.”
“Every commoner between the ages of fifteen and fifty-six must pay one suan each year—one hundred and twenty coins—to supplement the supply of weapons and maintain the horses.”
“Those between seven and fourteen must also pay twenty coins a year as a head tax, to support the Son of Heaven.”
Liu Jin stared at him blankly. Gongsun Jingsheng, puzzled, asked, “What is it?”
Liu Jin shook his head. “Nothing. I have learned something new. Thank you, Uncle.”
He had thought that the people only needed to pay the land tax and perform corvee labor. He had never imagined there were also horse-maintenance levies and payments to support the Son of Heaven.
Whenever the state ran out of money, it sought to squeeze the common people at the bottom. The powerful and privileged could use their wealth to escape every form of labor and service. The ones who suffered, as always, were the ordinary people.
Liu Jin idly flipped through the bamboo account scrolls. As he looked through one ledger after another, he raised his head and glanced at Gongsun Jingsheng. The look in his eyes left Gongsun Jingsheng puzzled and uneasy.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Uncle, I am leaving.”
So he really had already begun embezzling!
The large sums appeared to be in order, but the scattered smaller amounts were all suspicious. Tens of coins here, hundreds there—multiplied across a population of thirty million, those insignificant scraps and leftovers alone had accumulated into a staggering sum.
Watching Liu Jin’s departing back, Gongsun Jingsheng muttered inwardly, What is wrong with him? Could he have noticed something? But he soon shook his head. Surely that was impossible. The ledgers were so complicated—how could he possibly have seen through them?
…
The Xuanshi Palace.
Emperor Wu of Han was bent over a memorial when the embroidered-cloak envoy Bao Shengzhi came to pay his respects. Bowing, he said, “Your Majesty, the Imperial Grandson went to the Office of the Grand Servant today.”
“Oh.”
Without raising his head, Emperor Wu continued reading the memorial. From time to time his brows drew tightly together, then tightened further still. Clearly, something had displeased him.
He swiftly wrote his reply:
“Keep yourself in order and govern Yan well. I am in good health. Do not come to Chang’an.”
The memorial had been submitted by Prince Liu Dan of Yan. In recent days, Emperor Wu had often been ill, and Liu Dan had begged to come to Chang’an to attend upon him. He had been refused.
“What did he go to the Office of the Grand Servant for?”
Emperor Wu tossed the memorial aside and looked up at Bao Shengzhi.
Bao Shengzhi replied, “I hear he went to study the administration of horse affairs under Grand Servant Gongsun.”
“Several officials of the Office of the Grand Servant were privately discussing the Imperial Grandson.”
Emperor Wu frowned. “What were they saying?”
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“Most of it concerned the Imperial Grandson’s recent attempts to seek an audience with Your Majesty and how, having been refused, he had become the subject of gossip.”
Emperor Wu gave a cold laugh. “So, just as he said, they truly regard My Imperial Grandson as a stray dog wagging its tail and begging for pity?”
“They have grown tired of living!”
His imperial brows rose sharply, his face filled with killing intent.
“Go tell Du Zhou to charge such men with slandering the Imperial Grandson and have them executed for Me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Wait.”
Emperor Wu rose and slowly walked outside the Xuanshi Palace. With his hands clasped behind his back, he asked Bao Shengzhi, who stood nearby, “What do you think of My Imperial Grandson?”
“His Highness the Imperial Grandson is benevolent, filial, intelligent, loyal, and devoted.”
“Why do you say he is benevolent, filial, and intelligent?”
Bao Shengzhi considered his words before replying, “He can converse cheerfully with an old stranger without the slightest trace of an imperial heir’s arrogance. He respects the elderly—that is filial virtue.”
“The dragon-bone waterwheel benefits both the state and the people—that is intelligence.”
Emperor Wu narrowed his eyes. “Does being loyal and devoted imply that he places too much emphasis on sentiment and is therefore rather weak?”
Bao Shengzhi did not dare answer. Whatever he said would displease the emperor, and the matter was beyond his station to judge. He could only reply, “Your servant is too foolish to say.”
Emperor Wu waved his hand. “Go attend to your duties. Keep an eye on him, and tell Me what happens when he leaves the palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
With his hands behind his back, Emperor Wu stood outside the Xuanshi Palace. His face appeared slightly aged, and the dark circles beneath his eyes were heavy. When his eyes closed, he seemed even more imposing.
“Can you carry My empire?” he murmured. “Then I shall teach you.”
“You little rascal. Consider it repayment for what your grandfather has owed you all these years. Hmph. You sent something good to your grandmother—do you really think she could value you more than I do?”
…
The Changle Palace complex, Crown Prince’s Palace.
After returning, Liu Jin immediately went to find his father, Crown Prince Liu Ju.
“Father, Guanzhong has only just endured a severe drought, and the people are already burdened with heavy corvee labor. Has Grandfather issued an edict exempting Guanzhong from this summer’s taxes?”
Liu Ju shook his head. “The state is short of money. How could your great-grandfather give up the taxes from a region as large as Guanzhong? Half a year’s revenue from Guanzhong alone amounts to tens of millions of coins.”
“You should submit a memorial and beg Great-Grandfather to grant the exemption.”
“Today, after leaving the palace, I learned how difficult life is for the common people.”
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It was difficult for him to imagine the poverty and suffering of two thousand years ago. In both of his lives, he had never witnessed anything like it. In the past, he had always spoken of loving the people—but what did loving the people truly mean? Without reaching this level, one had no right to speak of it. When poor, one could only preserve one’s own virtue; when accomplished, one should aid the entire world.
He had not once been an accomplished man before. But now he was the Imperial Grandson of the Great Han, and with that came an obligation—especially after witnessing the people’s suffering firsthand.
Liu Ju nodded slightly. “My son, you possess great benevolence. This is the way of a gentleman. I shall submit the memorial tomorrow.”
Liu Jin nodded. That was not the purpose of his visit today, so he continued, “Father, could you summon Chancellor Gongsun and Grand Servant Gongsun to the Crown Prince’s Palace for dinner?”
“Why?” Liu Ju asked, puzzled.
“There are matters I must discuss with them. They are very important.”
When Gongsun He had come to the Crown Prince’s Palace to see you, he said the same thing. What are you all plotting? Liu Ju wondered, his face full of confusion. Nevertheless, he said, “I shall have someone summon them to the Crown Prince’s Palace at once.”
“Good!”
…
At lamp-lighting time, the lamps of the Longxin Palace illuminated the Longxin, Changqiu, Daxia, Linhua, and other halls as brightly as day. Gilded oil lamps could be seen everywhere.
Food had already been prepared in the Crown Prince’s Palace, and low tables had been arranged. Liu Ju and Liu Jin sat in the principal and secondary seats, waiting for Chancellor Gongsun He and his son, Gongsun Jingsheng.
It was worth noting that Emperor Wu had already weakened the chancellor’s authority in order to strengthen central control. The offices of Grand General and Grand Marshal now seemed to stand above that of chancellor.
Ever since Wei Qing’s death, the position had remained vacant.
Footsteps sounded outside the hall. Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng entered respectfully. They first paid their respects to the Crown Prince according to the rites between ruler and subject, then exchanged greetings according to family custom.
“Please take your seats,” Liu Ju said.
After sitting down, Gongsun He asked curiously, “Your Highness, why have you summoned me and my worthless son?”
Liu Ju shook his head. “Uncle, it is Jin’er who wished to see you.”
Gongsun He looked suspiciously at him. “Does Jin’er have something to say?”
Liu Jin’s gaze settled on Gongsun Jingsheng, and he spoke calmly.
“Uncle, you embezzled thirty million coins. Does Granduncle know?”
Gongsun He froze. He stared at Gongsun Jingsheng in astonishment, and then his expression changed drastically. His face darkened as anger surged through him.
Gongsun Jingsheng was so nervous that the words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them.
“Where would there be thirty million coins? At most, it was only nineteen million.”
“You really did embezzle them.”
“This…”
Gongsun Jingsheng lowered his head, wishing he could slap himself. How could he have been so stupid? Had he not just indirectly admitted to embezzling military funds?
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