Chapter 73

Chapter 74: Hidden Worries

With money, things are easier to accomplish. Under strong financial support, the four original manors of the Zhao family were all abandoned. New villages were rebuilt at suitable locations near the main road, along the White Water River, and around the princely residence, named Dongzhao Village, Xizhao Village, Nanzhao Village, and Beizhao Village, forming a pattern of stars surrounding the moon. Each village implemented the baojia system according to the law, with ten households forming one jia and a hundred households forming one bao, and each village having a major bao.

The head of the major bao was concurrently held by a steward from the manor. For the jia leaders and bao leaders, Zhao Cheng did not appoint them based on wealth as usual, but instead selected capable and honest people from the bao. Then, Zhao Cheng equipped each jia with new farming tools and livestock, of course, not for free, but on an installment basis. Each jia had one harvester, one thresher, one rice planter, and one integrated plowing and fertilizing machine, which were managed and maintained by a designated person appointed by the bao leader.

Some jia pooled their resources to buy oxen, while others, being poorer, had to rely on human labor. This required cooperation among the households. Zhao Cheng united the self-sufficient tenant farmers through shared interests, turning individual households into small interest groups, which then formed a larger group, ultimately uniting around the princely residence. Although this method was primitive, it was the most practical at this stage.

The semi-mechanized farming tools inevitably shortened the time farmers spent managing the land, giving them more free time. Zhao Cheng then introduced his next plan at the right moment. Those who wanted to raise livestock could raise pigs, ducks, or chickens, with feed, technology, and seedlings provided by the manor. After raising them, the manor would purchase them and pay wages. Those who wanted to work could find jobs in various craft workshops. Even those who said they were too clumsy to learn anything could work as porters at the newly built docks, where raw materials for the workshops were continuously delivered and finished products needed to be transported out. As long as they had strength, they could earn enough to support their families. Some clever and skilled people even opened small shops near the docks, providing food and accommodation. The tenants benefited from these changes and saw hope!

This year, Zhao Cheng's manor, through his efforts, had taken initial shape, while the court was in chaos, with constant party struggles, entering a 'Warring States' era.

First, the eunuch Tong Guan, no, the dead inner courtier, since gaining the emperor's favor and the care of Cai Jing, abused his power and colluded with others, causing strong dissatisfaction among the court and the people. He increasingly disregarded the court officials, falsely issuing imperial edicts and arbitrarily appointing officials without going through the Secretariat, even keeping Cai Jing in the dark. The rift between the two deepened, and they often argued in the imperial court.

Cai Jing was no pushover. When Emperor Zhezong wanted to appoint Tong Guan as the Grand Master of Ceremonies in Kaifeng, Cai Jing opposed it, saying sarcastically, "Can a eunuch be appointed as a Grand Master of Ceremonies?" He refused to comply with the imperial edict, forcing the emperor to back down. Tong Guan, with a small mind, immediately went to Zheng Juzhong, who was also harboring resentment. Two years ago, Zheng Juzhong had first praised Cai Jing's achievements and requested his restoration as the Left Chancellor. Cai Jing had promised to recommend Zheng Juzhong for the position of Chief of the Military Council after his restoration, but a year had passed with no action. Zheng Juzhong had teamed up with Zhang Kangguo to bring down Cai Jing, but their ally suddenly died, leaving him isolated. The two quickly found common ground.

It was unclear whether Cai Jing had manipulated things behind the scenes or if someone was simply fed up with Tong Guan's actions. At an early court session in March, the right censor Chen He submitted a memorial accusing Tong Guan and others of abusing their power and requested that the emperor exile them to remote regions. Before Chen He could finish speaking, Emperor Zhezong, angry, got up to leave. Chen He, seeing this, rushed forward and grabbed the emperor's clothes, asking him to listen to his petition. One wanted to leave, the other wouldn't let him, and with a 'rip,' the emperor's clothes were torn. The inner courtiers asked the emperor to change his clothes, but he waved them off, saying, "Let's keep this to reward upright and principled ministers." This gave the impression of a wise ruler, but the next day, Tong Guan whispered in the emperor's ear, and the emperor changed his mind. Chen He was exiled to Xin Prefecture for 'arrogance and disrespect.'

With this move, Tong Guan did not want to be passive. As the emperor's close confidant, he knew the emperor's preferences and struck directly. He bribed the Taoist Guo Tianxin to secretly tell the emperor, "There are sunspots, a sign of ministers deceiving the emperor." Though baseless, it struck a chord with Emperor Zhezong, who was already wary after Zhang Kangguo's mysterious death in the court. He decided to take action against Cai Jing.

Although Emperor Zhezong was frivolous, he was not without cunning. He knew that Cai Jing had carefully cultivated his power in the court for many years, with a vast and deeply rooted network. If he dealt with Cai Jing first, his followers would surely retaliate. The best approach was to cut off the branches before uprooting the root. With a plan in place, he began to act systematically, much like his son Zhao Cheng.

The first step was to remove Cai Jing's in-laws. Cai You's father-in-law, Song Qonian, the former Transport Commissioner of the Capital Region and current Prefect of Kaifeng, was dismissed and placed in Qizhou. Song Qonian's eldest son, Song Bian, lost his position as Transport Commissioner of the Two Zhejiangs and was placed in Ying Prefecture. His other son, Song Zhen, was also dismissed. Cai Xiu's father-in-law, Hu Shiwen, the Transport Commissioner of the Two Huai, was dismissed and appointed to manage the Wanshou Temple, receiving a temple salary for retirement.

The second step was to demote Cai Jing's trusted lieutenants. Liu Bing, who had risen to prominence through the creation of the Dasha music, was currently the Academician of the Hanlin Academy and Minister of Works, and was demoted to a local official. Cai Juhou, the Right Censor, Longtu Pavilion Academician Qiang Yuanming, and Ye Mengde were also demoted and sent to local posts.

The third step was to remove the Cai faction from the government. Lin Shu, the Deputy Chief of the Secretariat, who was uneducated and had read 'ang' as 'yang' and 'zhen' as 'wa' in the court, was attacked by the censors for his lack of knowledge and decorum and was appointed to manage the Dongxiao Temple. Yu Shen, the Deputy Chief of the Chancellery, was appointed to manage Qing Prefecture. Another Cai faction member, Xue Ang, a native of Hangzhou and a close ally of Cai Jing, had no particular skills, did not read the Records of the Grand Historian or the Book of Han while serving in the library, and could not write imperial edicts as a Hanlin Academician, but had risen to a high position through flattery, was also dismissed.

With the emperor taking action, the court officials saw the signs and began to submit memorials impeaching Cai Jing. As the saying goes, "When the wall falls, everyone pushes." Emperor Zhezong, appearing as a wise ruler, responded to the people's calls and, in June, ordered Cai Jing to be reassigned as the Master of the Central Great One Palace. However, at this critical moment, he fell back into his old habits, suddenly remembering Cai Jing's good qualities. Although he dismissed Cai Jing from his position and allowed him to retire, he still allowed him to live in the capital and attend court on the first and fifteenth of each month. For this, the censor Hong Yanzhang and the student Chen Chaolao continued to impeach Cai Jing, accusing him of treachery and demanding his exile, but their requests were not accepted.

With Cai Jing out of power, Zheng Juzhong became the Chief of the Military Council, He Zhizhong became the Left Minister of the Board of Works, and the opponent of Cai Jing, Zhang Shangying, was appointed as the Right Minister of the Board of Works and Deputy Chief of the Secretariat. The court underwent another reshuffle.

Time passed quickly in the midst of busyness. Soon it was time for the autumn harvest and planting. The tenants moved into their new homes before winter, and with two good harvests and the income from part-time work during the off-season, they had money left over after paying rent for the first time. Just as families were preparing for weddings, a decree arrived: the empress had passed away, and the capital was to observe a 49-day ban on slaughtering, a 100-day ban on music and sacrifices, and a 100-day ban on weddings for officials and a one-month ban for the common people.

The Zhao manor was now draped in white, with white paper covering the lanterns. A memorial hall had been set up in the main hall, with incense and candles burning continuously. Everyone had changed into mourning clothes, removing their jewelry, and Zhao Cheng, in deep mourning, wore hemp clothes and shoes, his head covered in hemp. "Uncle Huang, have we received any news from the capital?" Zhao Cheng asked, sitting cross-legged on a mat, his face pale from exhaustion. He had been guarding the memorial hall since receiving the news last night.

"Your Highness, no," Huang Jingchen added a few paper offerings to the fire and shook his head.

"Uncle Huang, did the messenger not mention when I should return to the capital for the funeral?" Zhao Cheng asked, though it was a redundant question. If the messenger had said anything, he wouldn't be waiting here. However, he felt uneasy. His unease did not stem from the deceased empress, a woman he had no memory of and no feelings for, but from the strangeness of the situation. According to the clan laws, regardless of which concubine gave birth to a child, the empress was theoretically their mother, while the birth mother was not. Now, the "mother" had died, and he was only informed, not told to return for the funeral, which was incomprehensible in a society that valued filial piety.

"Your Highness, don't worry. Perhaps the messenger is still on the way. It's not uncommon for the funeral announcement and the imperial edict to be sent separately," Huang Jingchen said, though his heart was not at ease. The two events the prince had mentioned had been confirmed, and if so, the great turmoil he had spoken of would indeed come to the Song Dynasty. The one who could save the Song Dynasty from this turmoil might be this young prince, and he must protect him.

"Uncle Huang, I feel that someone is deliberately preventing me from returning to the capital for the funeral. Should I submit another petition to request permission to return?" Zhao Cheng asked, after some thought.

"Ah," Huang Jingchen looked at Zhao Cheng and drew in a sharp breath. How had he not thought of this? With the empress dead and the position vacant, the most likely candidate to become the new empress was Consort Zheng. Although the prince was not the eldest son, he was a legitimate son and, by right, the second in line to the throne. If a regular official violated the rule of not returning for a parent's funeral, they would be impeached and dismissed. For a prince, the consequences could be even more severe.

"Your Highness, if the imperial edict does not arrive by tomorrow, I will personally return to the capital to request the edict for your return," Huang Jingchen said, having understood the critical point. He knew that he was the only one in the manor who could accomplish this task.

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