Chapter 68: The Sovereign's Ambition to Reclaim Lost Territory (Part 1)

Tokyo, Kaifeng.

It was nearing the end of the year, and Kaifeng had just experienced a heavy snowfall. The thick layer of snow in the city promised a bountiful harvest for the coming year, offering some comfort to the officials who had been troubled by the drought in the south. However, the snow on the streets of Tokyo did not last long; it was quickly cleared by the city's labor force, ensuring that it would not obstruct pedestrians. In particular, the Imperial Street, which extended from the Xuan德 Gate, the main southern gate of the Imperial City, all the way to Zhou Bridge, was two hundred paces wide and resembled a vast square, yet not a trace of snow remained.

The imperial palace of the Northern Song in Kaifeng was not particularly large in area, at least not compared to the Daming Palace in Chang'an, the western capital of the Sui and Tang dynasties. When Zhu Wen established the capital in Kaifeng, Bianzhou was already a prosperous place with a population exceeding one hundred thousand, leaving no room for large-scale construction. He had to make do by converting the original governor's office into a palace. During the Five Dynasties period, each dynasty rose and fell rapidly, leaving no time or resources to improve the palace. When the Song Dynasty was established, Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin barely managed to renovate the imperial city, and when Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, he planned to expand the palace but abandoned the idea due to opposition from nearby residents.

However, no matter how simple and cramped the palace might be, the facade would never be neglected. The Xuan德 Gate, the main gate of the imperial city, stood nearly ten zhang (about 33 meters) tall, with five gates arranged horizontally. "All the gates were adorned with golden nails and red lacquer, the walls were built with bricks and stones, engraved with dragons, phoenixes, and flying clouds. The eaves and rafters were intricately carved and painted, the roof covered with glazed tiles, and the corners adorned with red balustrades and colorful railings." It was more like a beautifully constructed building than a city gate, hence it was also known as the Xuan德 Tower. On either side of the Xuan德 Gate were two smaller gates, the Left Flank Gate and the Right Flank Gate, which were slightly smaller in scale.

Behind the Xuan德 Gate was a vast square that could accommodate ten thousand people. Beyond the square stood the main hall of the Kaifeng imperial city, the Daqing Hall. Located on the central axis of the imperial city, the Daqing Hall was the most magnificent and splendid building. However, it was only used for grand ceremonies on New Year's Day and the Winter Solstice, or for other major state events. For the monthly court sessions, such as the one today, only the Wende Hall to the west of the Daqing Hall was used.

At the fourth watch of the night, the sky was still dark, and the winter wind was bone-chilling, but the Imperial Street in front of the imperial city was already bustling with activity. This day was the 15th day of the 11th month of the second year of the Xining era, the day of the monthly court session, which was only one level below the grand ceremonies on New Year's Day and the Winter Solstice. All civil and military officials of the eighth rank and above, who had the right to attend the court session, were making their way to the Imperial Street to head to the imperial city. Among the officials on the Imperial Street were prime ministers and princes in golden and purple attire, accompanied by a hundred or more attendants, as well as lesser officials in green and blue robes riding alone. Even without counting the attendants, the number of officials was already in the hundreds.

Because the court session started so early, most of the officials and their attendants on the Imperial Street were still hungry. It was not that their kitchens were not active before they left, but because on either side of the Imperial Street were two thousand-step-long corridors known as the Imperial Corridors. Inside these corridors, there were many stalls selling breakfast, offering a variety of dishes such as water rice, roasted meat, dried meat, tripe, and kidneys, both from the north and the south. Officials could eat whatever they wanted without having to wake up their cooks or wives. The width of the Imperial Street ensured that the presence of these stalls did not cause congestion.

After the officials and their attendants had eaten and drunk their fill in the Imperial Corridors, they arrived at the foot of the imperial city and dismounted. The five gates of the Xuan德 Gate were usually closed, only opening when the emperor made an inspection or during grand ceremonies. The officials dismounted and entered the palace through the side gates next to the main gate. The chancellors and high-ranking officials also entered through the side gates, but they could ride their horses directly into the palace. They were responsible for important state affairs and enjoyed special privileges, allowing them to enter the imperial city and dismount only at the second gate.

Another large group of riders arrived at the Xuan德 Gate, a group of over eighty people, which was smaller than the hundred or so attendants of the prime minister but far more numerous than other civil and military officials. This was the treatment reserved for high-ranking officials. The group of over eighty people, led by two officials in red robes with golden belts, held the green parasols reserved for chancellors, escorting a middle-aged official in a purple robe with a square collar and a golden fish bag at his waist, all the way to the imperial city.

As soon as this official arrived on horseback, the officials still outside the imperial city bowed and made way, showing even more respect than they had for the prime minister Chen Shengzhi who had just entered the palace. This was Wang Anshi, the current vice-chancellor, who was the most favored by the emperor and had the ambition to reverse the decline of the state and wash away the accumulated problems of a hundred years.

Wang Anshi rode a common gelding, and the purple of his official robe had faded considerably. He was broad-shouldered and tall, with a physique as strong as an ox, but his face was dark, as if he had not washed properly for years. Some had said that he and Wen Yanbo, who was also tall and strong, were like oxen capable of carrying heavy loads and traveling far, suitable for the role of chancellors. However, Wen Yanbo, now the chief military commissioner, and Wang Anshi were like bitter enemies, unable to coexist.

At the Xuan德 Gate, Wang Anshi did not linger but rode straight into the imperial city. He and the other officials entered the imperial city through the Xuan德 Gate, facing the square in front of the Daqing Hall. Turning left, they passed through a horizontal gate that divided the central and western parts of the palace, arriving at the Wende Gate. Wang Anshi dismounted here and walked slowly into the Wende Gate.

Behind the Wende Gate was a hundred-step-long imperial path leading directly to the Wende Hall. On either side of the imperial path were the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, facing each other. Beyond the Bell and Drum Towers, there were two long corridors known as the East and West Upper Gate Halls. After passing through the Wende Gate, the civil and military officials did not enter the hall directly but lined up in two groups, one for civil officials and one for military officials, at the East and West Upper Gate Halls, waiting for the court session to begin.

Wang Anshi had arrived relatively late, and most of the officials who needed to attend the court session were already there. The two gate halls were filled with people, but it was completely silent, with only the sound of breathing audible. No one dared to speak or move, not even the prime minister. The censors and gate officials were watching closely, and any loud noise or incorrect positioning would result in immediate reprimand or impeachment after the court session.

Wang Anshi walked silently from the back to the front, and the civil officials in the eastern group bowed and made way for him. Wang Anshi did not stop until he reached the group of Hanlin scholars. For some reason, only five of the six Hanlin scholars were present, and his old friend and now bitter rival, Sima Guang, was nowhere to be seen, likely claiming illness due to opposition to some policy.

Thinking of Sima Guang, Wang Anshi sighed inwardly. As the new laws were gradually implemented, such as the Even Transport Law, the Green Sprout Law, and the Agricultural Water Conservancy Law, his old friends like Sima Guang, Lu Gongzhu, and Teng Fu had one by one parted ways with him, even inciting public opinion to oppose the reforms. Those who had initially supported the reforms were now silenced by the public opinion.

Do they not know how difficult the state's finances are?

The wealth accumulated by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong was depleted during Emperor Zhenzong's reign, with the construction of the Heavenly Book and the Temple of the Supreme Clearness. When Emperor Renzong ascended the throne, the state had just begun to save some money, but it was quickly spent on the endless wars in the northwest due to the rebellion of the Tangut. The state treasury was already barely able to cope, and after the deaths of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Yingzong, the expenses for the two national funerals finally exposed the last bit of the state's financial reserves.

What was Sima Guang's solution? To reduce the rewards given to officials who participated in the national funerals.

What a brilliant strategy!

A deficit of fifteen million guan could finally be reduced by a few hundred thousand!

They spoke of righteousness and disdained profit, but they did not resign their salaries or donate their wealth. If all the civil officials were truly righteous and disdained profit, the annual deficit of ten million guan might indeed be filled.

But is that possible?

Would Sima Guang dare to suggest such a thing?

The three redundancies—redundant troops, redundant officials, and redundant expenses—were the main reasons for the financial difficulties of the Song Dynasty. The million-strong army maintained by the state consumed eighty percent of the fiscal expenditure, and its combat effectiveness was perhaps not even as good as the ten thousand elite troops under Emperor Taizu.

To reduce the enormous military expenses, Prime Minister Pang Ji of the Renzong era had once undertaken the arduous task of reducing the army by eighty thousand. He signed a military order, vowing to accept the death penalty if any of the reduced troops rebelled. However, Sima Guang, who regarded Pang Ji as a father, never had the courage to suggest reducing the army and saving expenses, only urging the emperor to save more.

Incompetent in achieving success, but proficient in causing failure, Wang Anshi had long seen through these so-called virtuous officials.

Passing the group of Hanlin scholars, he continued forward, walking to the front of the line. Standing in his position in the eastern group, Wang Anshi held his tablet, closed his eyes, and waited for the court session to begin. In front of him, only the two remaining prime ministers stood, and one more step would bring him to the pinnacle of power.

Wang Anshi did not have to wait long. Most of the officials who needed to attend the court session had arrived, and it was time for the session to begin. The East and West Upper Gate officials counted the number of people, and the censor-in-chief, Lu Gongzhu, led two palace attendants into the hall.

They passed by the group of chancellors and high-ranking officials, not looking at anyone, except for Lu Gongzhu, who glanced at Wang Anshi with a look of disdain. His position as censor-in-chief could be said to have been due to Wang Anshi, but Lu Gongzhu was not happy about it. Wang Anshi's intention was not benevolent; he simply wanted to drive his brother, Lu Gongbi, the chief military commissioner, out of the capital.

As chief military commissioner, Lu Gongbi was in charge of military affairs and often said that the state should remain calm and seek peace, strongly opposing Wang Anshi's policy of expanding the northwest. Together with another chief military commissioner, Wen Yanbo, he almost returned the newly captured Suide City to the Western Xia. After opposition from the border commanders, the plan failed, and the commander who captured Suide, Zhong E, was demoted to Suizhou to appease the Western Xia. Wang Anshi could not tolerate these two huge obstacles and knew that his reforms to the military system and the horse system, such as the Troop System and the Horse System, would be hindered if they remained.

Wen Yanbo was too experienced to be easily moved, but Lu Gongbi, although the eldest son of the former prime minister Lu Yijian, lacked the influence of Wen Yanbo, who had been in power for decades. Moreover, he had a brother, Lu Gongzhu, who was a Hanlin scholar. Therefore, not long ago, Lu Gongzhu was recommended to become the censor-in-chief, leading the censors and remonstrators in the court.

To prevent officials from monopolizing power, the court usually did not allow brothers, fathers, and sons, or close relatives to hold positions in the chancellery and the censors' office. If such a situation arose, the one who had been in office longer would have to resign and be assigned to a post outside the capital, without exception. If someone tried to stay, the censors would have a field day. Sometimes, even relatives by marriage appearing in both the chancellery and the censors' office would be attacked by the censors. This was an unwritten rule, and few dared to violate it. As the censor-in-chief, Lu Gongzhu had to set an example, so his brother Lu Gongbi's days in the chief military commissioner's office were numbered.

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