A figure instantly flashed through Chen Zhizhou's mind.
A young man wearing a faded scholar's robe, yet with an unyielding straight back.
"Yes!" he blurted out, his voice tinged with an uncontrollable excitement. "Your Highness, there is such a person!"
"Oh? Tell me about him." Li Chen'an sat back down, picking up his teacup with interest.
"This person's surname is Zhang, given name Qian. He is a clerk in the prefectural office, the one who spoke to Your Highness yesterday."
Chen Zhizhou seemed to have found an outlet, his speech quickening. "He was a successful candidate in the imperial examination in the 24th year of Jingyuan, with solid scholarship and an upright character."
"It's just that... when he first arrived in Yunzhou, he refused to associate with Liu Zhubu and his ilk, so he was sidelined and assigned to manage the prefectural archives. He's been there for three years; that place is like a cold palace, not even a rat bothers to go there normally."
Zhang Qian?
Li Chen'an's mind also conjured the image of that hothead who was the first to openly contradict him at the welcoming banquet.
This person indeed had spirit and principles, but lacked a bit of brains and opportunity. If such a person were used well, he would be the sharpest of blades.
"Good, very good." Li Chen'an nodded. "Send him to see me."
In the hall, Chen Zhizhou stood respectfully to the side, his expression complex. Li Chen'an, in the main seat, was idly doodling on the back of a discarded official document with a charcoal pencil, drawing a strange, square chair with a backrest and armrests.
A moment later, Zhang Qian was brought into the main hall.
"This official, Zhang Qian, greets Your Highness." Zhang Qian bowed.
Li Chen'an didn't even lift his head, lazily grunting in response, and continued drawing his "lounge chair design."
Zhang Qian stood bowed, not daring to breathe. He didn't know whether this unpredictable Idle Prince summoning him alone was a blessing or a curse. Was it to reprimand him for his defiance at the banquet yesterday, or... did he have other intentions?
After a long while, just as Zhang Qian was about to collapse, Li Chen'an slowly spoke.
"Zhang Qian."
"This official is present."
"Yesterday at the banquet, why did you defend Chen Zhizhou and the others?"
Zhang Qian's heart tightened, thinking he was about to be held accountable. He gritted his teeth, decided to go all out, and said in a deep voice, "Replying to Your Highness, this official... this official merely felt that although Yunzhou is poor and its officials may have been derelict in their duties, but... but they did not intentionally slight Your Highness. This official did not want Your Highness to harbor resentment towards everyone in Yunzhou."
"Oh?" A smile played on Li Chen'an's lips. "So, in your opinion, this King was wrong to blame you all yesterday?"
"This official dares not!" Zhang Qian quickly said. "Your Highness's warning with the clear water was to enlighten us on the path of officialdom, and your intentions were profound. It's just... it's just that this official's words carry little weight, and seeing Yunzhou so misunderstood, I acted impulsively. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness!"
These words were spoken neither obsequiously nor arrogantly, admitting fault while also stating his true feelings.
"Impulsive?" Li Chen'an chuckled softly. "This King sees it as foolish."
Zhang Qian's face instantly flushed crimson.
Li Chen'an stood up and paced in front of him: "You thought you were upholding Yunzhou's dignity? No, you were upholding an old order that is rotten to its core."
"You are like a newly forged good blade, with excellent tempering, but unfortunately unsharpened and ignorant of the art of butchering. Seeing a stubborn rock blocking the path, you wanted to cleave it with one stroke. What was the result? The rock didn't break, but your blade chipped first."
This analogy made Zhang Qian's face instantly flush crimson. He thought of his experiences over the past three years, wasn't it exactly like this? Hitting walls everywhere, being ostracized everywhere, his passionate ambition wasted away in piles of old papers.
"Your Highness's lesson is correct." He lowered his head, his voice tinged with bitterness.
"This King doesn't lecture people, it's too much trouble." Li Chen'an waved his hand.
Li Chen'an watched him lower his head and stay silent, knowing that this hothead still didn't understand.
However, he didn't continue to preach, but instead returned to the previous topic: "You contradicted this King yesterday, do you know your mistake now?"
Zhang Qian stiffened his neck and said, "This official's collision with Your Highness is a sin, but this official's intention to defend Yunzhou, I believe, is not wrong!"
"A 'not wrong' indeed." Li Chen'an smiled. "Then tell this King, what you saw with your own eyes yesterday, why did this King abandon that bowl of 'sincere' turbid water and drink his own water?"
"Because... because that water was unclean and unfit for drinking." Zhang Qian answered honestly.
"Then why was it unclean?" Li Chen'an pressed.
"Because... the well water was drying up, difficult to obtain, and no one purified it."
"Good, then I ask you again, this King is an Imperial Prince, just arrived at his fief, and at the welcoming banquet, couldn't even get a bowl of clean water. Do you think this behind-the-scenes situation can be explained by merely the word 'poor'?"
Zhang Qian was not a fool; he had merely been blinded by his youthful passion before. Now, being questioned by Li Chen'an in a layer-by-layer manner, he instantly thought of Liu Zhubu's usual arrogance, the collusion among officials, and the common people's grievances.
The color slowly drained from his face, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Li Chen'an looked at him in that state, knowing the time was ripe, and then changed the subject.
"Remember, many times, what your eyes see is only what others want you to see, and the rules you believe in are merely tools others use to bind you."
He paused, "This King now needs to solve this water shortage, which requires building water conservancy projects and suppressing bandits to pacify the people. And doing these things all require money and grain. Now, I have just arrived, the treasury is empty, and the only hope is that batch of 'border defense relief grain' allocated by the imperial court in the Imperial Granary."
He stared intently at Zhang Qian, saying word by word: "However, there are now people who do not want this King to get this batch of grain."
He returned to the main seat and briefly recounted his previous rebuff to Zhang Qian.
"I wanted Liu Zhubu to discuss the water conservancy project with me, but he claimed illness and couldn't come. Sun Youcai, the Imperial Granary official, used the 'Great Xia Laws' as a door god, saying that without a Ministry of Revenue official document, whoever breaks into the Imperial Granary is committing treason."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian frowned deeply.
"This King has already had Chen (Prefect) post a notice, using work relief to build water conservancy projects. Now, at the city gate, there are probably many hungry people who have gathered after hearing the news. They are waiting for work to start, waiting for that bowl of life-saving porridge. But the grain is behind that door, and we can't get it."
He paused: "Zhang Qian, you are well-versed in the classics and are the most knowledgeable juren of our Great Xia Laws. You tell this King, how should this matter be handled?"
He thought for a moment, then tentatively said, "Your Highness, this matter... perhaps Chen Zhizhou could use his official seal to force the granary open? After all, he is the nominal chief official of Yunzhou."
Li Chen'an shook his head, looking at him as if he were an idiot: "Do you think an official who can't even drink clean water, his official seal, is worth a few coins in front of that Liu Zhubu? This action would only give them a handle, allowing them to say we disregard the law."
Zhang Qian's face flushed again, and he said, "Then... then why not report to the imperial court and ask the Emperor to issue a decree? With an imperial decree, they would surely not dare to disobey!"
"Good idea." Li Chen'an pretended to praise him, then asked, "How long would it take for a memorial to travel from Yunzhou to Shangdu, even by express horse?"
"Approximately... half a month."
"The Emperor's approval, and then its return, would take another half a month. That's a month gone, back and forth." Li Chen'an's voice turned cold. "Zhang Qian, can those starving people outside the city, crying for food, wait a month? Can the notice this King posted wait a month?"
Zhang Qian was rendered speechless, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He then realized he had thought too simply; all his ideas were clumsy solutions that couldn't solve immediate problems.
He felt trapped in a dead end; direct assault wouldn't work, and neither would following routine. The laws Sun Youcai cited were indeed ironclad regulations from the "Great Xia Laws" regarding national granary management, without any loopholes.
Could it be... truly unsolvable?
"Law... law..." Zhang Qian murmured, feeling trapped in a vicious cycle.
Could it be... truly unsolvable?
Time passed by, minute by minute, Li Chen'an's fingertips tapped the pebble in his hand.
"Damn it," he cursed inwardly, "The only person I can use is this hothead who is familiar with the Great Xia Laws, has some spirit but lacks adaptability.
If he can't come up with a solution, my Qingyuan plan will be shelved before it even begins. The work-relief notices have already been posted, and soon the hungry people outside the city will gather. If there's no grain then, and they cause trouble, the blame will fall on my head. Then, let alone living a comfortable retirement, my life might not even be safe..."
His fingertips, still tapping the pebble, turned a bit white from pressing too hard.
Li Chen'an finally couldn't suppress his irritation and muttered, "Sigh, what a hassle... These rules were written to manage the country well, not to starve people to death... putting the cart before the horse."
That's right! What was the original intention of the law? It was to pacify the people and stabilize the state!
Sun Youcai using the law as a shield was for personal gain, disregarding the lives of the common people. This in itself was the greatest trampling of the spirit of the law!
But, that's the principle, how can one find a weapon for counterattack within the framework of the law?
His mind raced, flipping through the pages of the "Great Xia Laws" he had diligently studied for years. Granary Law, Official Law, Censorate Law... he went through each one, and each one was rejected.
Suddenly, he thought of a volume he had overlooked—the "Military Law"!
In the "Great Xia Laws: Military Law Chapter," there was an extremely special regulation for emergency border defense situations. The regulation stipulated: In border prefectures, when facing foreign invasion, large-scale civil unrest, or major natural disasters sufficient to shake the foundations of the nation, the highest military commander in the area and any Imperial Prince with the authority to supervise the state had the right, while simultaneously reporting to the imperial court, to first requisition all money, grain, and supplies within the prefecture to stabilize the people's morale and the overall situation! This measure was intended to "first pacify internally, then resist externally," an authority for special circumstances!
Foreign invasion? No.
Large-scale civil unrest? ...Not yet occurred.
Major natural disaster? Yes! Yunzhou's severe drought and scarce rainfall was a major natural disaster!
And the gathering of hungry people due to natural disaster, which could lead to unrest at any time, wasn't this a prelude to civil unrest?
A complete logical chain instantly formed in his mind!
Zhang Qian's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his breathing became rapid. He had found it! He had found the sharp blade, hidden within the law itself, that could cut through this deadlock!
He dropped to his knees with a thud, once again before Li Chen'an, his voice trembling with barely suppressed excitement!
"Your Highness! This subject... has a solution!"
Li Chen'an slowly opened his eyes and looked at him: "Tell me."
"Your Highness! We can act according to the 'Emergency Border Defense Situation Disposal Regulation' in the 'Great Xia Laws: Military Law Chapter'!" Zhang Qian's voice was firm and resonant.
"Yunzhou has suffered a severe drought for three years, with scarce rainfall; this is a natural disaster! The fields are full of starving people; this is a sign of civil unrest! Your Highness, as an Imperial Prince, stationed at the frontier, you bear the responsibility of supervising the state and pacifying the people! Under such emergency circumstances, you have full authority to first requisition the money and grain from the Imperial Granary to stabilize the situation and provide disaster relief!"
"If that Sun Youcai dares to obstruct again with the Granary Law, he is disregarding the safety of the nation and defying military law! His crime is punishable by death!"
After he finished speaking, the entire main hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Chen Zhizhou stared at Zhang Qian, dumbfounded. He never imagined that this hothead, who usually only buried himself in old papers, could find such a thunderous solution to break the deadlock from the obscure corners of the law!
After a long while, Li Chen'an finally nodded and stood up from the main seat. He walked over to Zhang Qian and personally helped him up.
"Very good," his eyes full of approval, "Your blade is finally sharpened. And you know where to strike."
He patted Zhang Qian's shoulder: "This King now gives you a new task. My Idle Prince's residence needs a chief clerk to manage documents and assist in planning. From now on, you will be the acting chief clerk."
"From this moment on, the Yunzhou Qingyuan Plan will be entirely supervised by you. Opening the granaries to distribute grain is your first task."
"It's getting late now. Tomorrow morning, you will take this King's personal order and go to Sun Youcai to open the granaries and distribute grain."
Zhang Qian felt a surge of hot blood rush from his chest to his head. What he sought was precisely such an opportunity to realize his ambitions and uphold justice!
He bowed deeply: "This subject, Zhang Qian, accepts the order!"
As Zhang Qian turned and walked out of the main hall, Li Chen'an had already leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. The pebble in his sleeve had become somewhat warm from the sweat in his palm.
"Sigh... I just wanted to retire comfortably, why is it so tiring..." he sighed inwardly.