Fu Shanhe

Chapter 466 Powder Keg

Honglu Temple.

"Send someone to see what's happening up ahead and why so many foreigners are gathering."

After lifting the sedan curtain, Wen Siyuan asked with a frown.

Unlike other government offices, the Court of State Ceremonies operated under the leadership of the Ministry of Rites.

The Ministry of Rites was responsible for formulating plans and overseeing their implementation, while the Court of State Ceremonies was responsible for their execution; both were administrative agencies.

Internally, they presided over ceremonies, sacrifices, banquets, lectures, investitures, calendar presentations, spring festivals, imperial edicts, reports of victories, and other official duties.

It was in charge of managing the tribute from vassal states, as well as the banquets, gifts, and farewells.

It sounds like there's a lot to do, but actually there's not much work to be done.

The internal etiquette guidelines have long been established as a system, and can be followed step by step.

The number of vassal states paying tribute was relatively high in the early years of the founding of the dynasty. As the Great Yu Dynasty continued to decline, fewer and fewer countries were willing to come and pay tribute.

They might not even meet once every few years, rendering their external functions virtually nonexistent.

The functions of government offices in the Great Yu Dynasty were highly overlapping. The Court of State Ceremonies could manage affairs of foreign lands, and the governors-general and governors' offices in the border provinces also had this power.

As a relatively low-ranking and prestigious government office, local officials would not notify the Court of State Ceremonies when handling external affairs.

Even if they reported to the imperial court, people would go directly to the Ministry of Rites.

Once you reach such a prestigious position, the chances of promotion are extremely low, making it the perfect place to coast along and wait for death.

It's good that they didn't notify him; Wen Siyuan is happy to have some free time since it won't affect his salary anyway.

His intuition told him that trouble was on its way.

The last time a large number of foreigners gathered at the Honglu Temple was more than 150 years ago.

These vassal states are now unwilling to even pay their daily tributes, so sending an envoy here suddenly can't be anything good.

"Sir, I've figured it out."

These people were delegations from various vassal states in Southeast Asia, and some were even kings of foreign countries. They came to complain to the imperial court.

It is said that…”

"I don't need to hear anything!"
Tell these people that they want to file a complaint with the Ministry of Rites.

The Court of State Ceremonial was only responsible for daily receptions and had no authority to handle disputes between vassal states.

Before the servant could finish speaking, Wen Siyuan immediately interrupted him.

The vassal states of Southeast Asia lodged a complaint with the imperial court; it goes without saying who they were complaining about.

Previously, vassal states in the Indochina Peninsula had also sent people to lodge complaints.

Unfortunately, those countries in the Indochina Peninsula were unlucky; when the delegation came to complain, they happened to encounter a powerful aristocratic faction in power.

The scenario of "Who is this person in the courtroom, and why are you accusing this official?" is naturally unlikely to yield any results.

The delegation had barely handed over their credentials when they were arrested by the Five Cities Military Command as spies, and then disappeared without a trace.

Some censors and officials, dissatisfied with the monopolization of power by the noble faction, took the opportunity to impeach them in court, but they could not find any aggrieved parties.

Not only did the mission vanish without a trace, but even the vassal state that filed the complaint disappeared.

The situation in the court has changed, and the aristocratic faction is not as powerful, but Wen Siyuan still doesn't think these people can achieve anything.

No matter how the situation changes, the Marquis of Hanshui is the most powerful regional official in Dayu, and he cannot be overthrown by a few foreign envoys.

The inability to shake the Marquis of Hanshui does not mean that one cannot stir up trouble.

If officials from other factions get involved and the matter escalates into a partisan struggle, it will be another troublesome affair.

Adhering to the principle that it's better to avoid trouble, he decisively chose to get rid of the problem.

"My lord, I'm afraid that won't work."

They all came from the Ministry of Rites, and an official from there even sent a document instructing our Court of State Ceremonial to handle the matter as appropriate.

Wen Siyuan's face turned green with anger at the servant's answer.

Those colleagues in the Ministry of Rites are utterly shameless.

They are clearly the ones in charge, yet they are shifting the blame onto others.

"Master, do you have a solution to resolve the current predicament?"

Seeing his advisor so calm and collected, Wen Siyuan hurriedly asked.

Although he had some influence in the imperial court, that was by no means a reason for him to get involved in such a life-or-death matter.

If these vassal states come to file a complaint, it's fine if they don't have any evidence, but if they do have solid evidence, then they're doomed!
If he doesn't report it to the imperial court, the censors and officials will not let him off the hook.

Reporting the evidence to the imperial court would offend the Marquis of Hanshui.

"My lord, these people in front of us only claim to be envoys from foreign lands, which does not mean that they are actually envoys from foreign lands."

When it comes to matters involving foreign lands, one must be extremely cautious.

After verifying their identity, arrangements for reception will be made in accordance with regulations.

In particular, some of them claimed to be kings of foreign lands, so their identities needed to be strictly verified.

According to the "Regulations for the Administration of Vassal States," any change of ruler in a vassal state must be preceded by investiture from the Emperor of Great Yu.

Master Wang replied with a smile.

To navigate the officialdom without getting stuck in the mire, one must be familiar with the rules.

The Annam Protectorate's military operations in Southeast Asia were so large that it was impossible to keep them secret.

Even before setting out with troops, Li Mu submitted a memorial to the court requesting permission to send troops.

At that time, the situation was very favorable, and the officials of the court were very dissatisfied with the neglect of the vassal states in Southeast Asia in recent years, and wanted to teach them a lesson.

Going with the flow, the Annam Protectorate was authorized to send troops.

I thought it was just about taking back the Old Port Pacification Commission and giving a warning to the vassal states in Southeast Asia.

Unexpectedly, the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's Office that everyone knows is not the same concept as the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's Office that the Marquis of Hanshui believes in.

The map submitted by the Annam Protectorate included large tracts of land, including some vassal states that had been destroyed.

This also caused a stir in the imperial court.

Unfortunately, the previous emperor and the officials involved deliberately lost historical records in order to lessen their responsibility for the loss of cities and territories.

Some prominent families did keep records, and even collected maps from that time, but those were not official documents.

Because Chinese people like to include their own agendas, the information recorded by different sources is not entirely the same.

Controversial historical materials cannot serve as evidence to refute the errors in Li Mu's version of the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's Map.

Expanding territory is ultimately a good thing, so there's no need to take it too seriously.

Since no aggrieved parties caused trouble, the court naturally acquiesced.

The dust has settled, and now another aggrieved party has come forward to file a complaint, clearly trying to cause a major uproar.

It's a hot potato; whoever takes it will be in trouble.

The Ministry of Rites passed the buck, and the Court of State Ceremonial didn't want to take it, so they had to use the rules to throw the buck away.

"The advisor is right. Since it involves foreign affairs, we must investigate it thoroughly. We can't let a villain deceive us!"

Wen Siyuan understood immediately and said...

If the vassal king did not accept the investiture from the Great Yu, then he had illegally ascended to the throne, and the Court of State Ceremonies certainly could not recognize his status as a vassal king.

Other missions must also strictly review their credentials.

Any monarch whose signature on a state document differs from that recorded by the Court of State Ceremonies is considered to have falsified his identity.

Even if no problem is found, we still have to find one.

If the identity cannot be verified, the Court of State Ceremonial does not need to receive them.

These vassal states' delegations can go wherever they want to file a complaint; he, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, certainly won't take it into account.

……

"Your Excellency, we are envoys from a foreign country, and our official documents can prove our identity!"

The middle-aged man said tremblingly.

He had truly experienced how difficult it was to enter the government offices of the Great Yu.

They thought that after reviewing the official documents, they would be properly settled, then ministers would be sent to appease them, and then they would have an audience with the emperor to file a complaint. Finally, the emperor of Dayu issued an edict to help them restore their country.

To their utter surprise, just as they were getting to the first step, the officers demanded that they prove their identities.

"A letter of credence can serve as proof of identity? You're trying to fool me! Who can guarantee that the letter of credence you have wasn't stolen from someone else?"

The young constable said with a disdainful look.

Explaining is pointless; the orders from above are to find fault, so naturally these foreigners cannot be allowed to pass.

According to the above statement, these vassal states had not received investiture from the imperial court for many years, and the illegal changes of royal power within their countries had occurred countless times.

The monarch signing the official letter certainly doesn't match the one recorded by the Court of State Ceremonies. The information verification is flawed, and the mission's identity is not acknowledged by itself.

If the information matches, the political consequences will be even more severe. What king can live to be a hundred or two hundred years old? The official document must be a forgery.

When it came to the actual execution, the constables found checking historical records too troublesome, so they simply switched to a simplified mode, requiring the other party to prove their identity.

"Sir, what do you think we should do to prove our identities?"

As they were talking, the old man decisively handed over a wallet.

The King of Hell is not to be trifled with, but his underlings are even more troublesome.

In order to achieve their goal, they decisively chose to spend money to avoid disaster.

"This is simple. First, go to the Ministry of Rites to obtain the delegation's identity certificate, and then go to the Ministry of Justice to obtain your personal identity certificate."

Passports issued by local governments to diplomatic missions should also be prepared.

Finally, we went to the Wucheng Military Command to obtain the delegation's entry permit.

Remember, all certificates issued must bear the official seal of the government and clearly state that you are here to file a complaint against the Marquis of Hanshui.

The young constable earnestly lied.

He was willing to bet that as long as the information about suing the Marquis of Hanshui was noted, these certificates would be impossible to obtain.

No amount of money can help.

Officials love money, but they cherish their official positions even more.

At the very least, the Five Cities Garrison Command will not provide them with any certification.

They might even disappear without a trace just to curry favor with the Marquis of Hanshui.

Similar incidents are not without precedent.

Several diplomatic missions that came to complain back then have mysteriously disappeared in Beijing, and there has been no result to this day.

He deliberately placed the Five Cities Garrison last, out of consideration for the other party's understanding.

If these people are smart enough, they will leave on their own after getting a bad experience.

Of all the government offices in the capital, apart from those stubborn censors, no one was willing to provoke the Marquis of Hanshui.

"Thank you, sir!"

While they expressed their gratitude, the envoys all sensed something was amiss.

Those who are able to serve as envoys in times of crisis are certainly not ordinary people.

Such an obvious perfunctory response is obvious to any intelligent person.

Normal visits from foreign vassal states to pay tribute do not require so many procedures.

Other things can be faked, but the offerings prepared can't be fake.

The main reason why people stopped coming to pay tribute was that, apart from the Da Yu Dynasty's proactive strategic contraction, the cost of paying tribute was too high.

The Ministry of Rites also treated people differently based on their status; the higher the value of the tribute, the better the treatment they received.

If you just do it carelessly, you won't pass the test at all.

The return gifts bestowed by the Emperor of Dayu, while appearing impressive on the surface, were often worth less than one-fifth of the tribute.

At its peak, the Great Yu Dynasty had over a hundred vassal states.

If you try to save face by offering tenfold returns, you'll go bankrupt.

……

Xi'an Prefecture.

"How long has this rain been going on?"

Tan Junchen asked the clerk.

I don’t know if it’s to compensate for the drought of previous years, but this year, Guanzhong has been getting continuous rain from the very beginning.

At first, everyone was excited, thinking that the drought that had lasted for several years was finally over.

But once the rain started, it didn't seem to want to stop.

"My lord, the torrential rain has been falling for two hours straight!"

The detected rainfall was nearly a foot.

This is the third time in the past month that we have experienced extreme rainstorms.

The advisor's answer chilled Tan Junchen to the bone.

The rainfall in this month is more than the rainfall in the previous few years.

In addition to Xi'an Prefecture, other prefectures also reported being hit by torrential rains, with rainfall affecting the entire Shaanxi province.

Such rainfall would be nothing in the south, but it would be disastrous for Shaanxi.

The city's drainage system had long been overburdened.

Judging from the waterlogged courtyard, if the downpour continues, even the governor's office will be flooded.

People living in the low-lying areas of the city can probably swim in the water right now.

If Xi'an Prefecture is in such a state, other prefectures must also be facing challenges.

"Send the order down to the soldiers in the city..."

"Forget it, let's not make a big fuss!"

Tan Junchen withdrew the order halfway through its execution.

He knew better than anyone what kind of soldiers were in the city.

Expecting these people to go out and provide disaster relief is to add man-made disasters on top of natural disasters.

"My lord, judging from the intensity of the rain, the disaster situation in various places is likely to be severe."

Reduced grain production is a foregone conclusion, and some areas may even experience total crop failure.

Heavy rains have hit Shaanxi, and downstream provinces will also be under pressure.

The Yellow River has breached its banks once, and the work of dredging the river channel is not yet complete; it might happen again.

"Hurry and report the disaster to the imperial court, and apply for relief!"

Master Liu spoke up to offer a reminder.

Since Emperor Yongning ascended the throne, natural disasters in the north have never occurred in isolation.

Even though Shaanxi province was hit by a disaster, the imperial court still had the capacity to provide relief.

If multiple provinces are affected by the disaster at the same time, then we can only prepare in advance to suppress the rebellion.

As local officials, they can only take care of their own small area first.

The overall situation of the nation is a matter for the officials of the court to consider.

"The advisor is right, we must act quickly on this matter."

"Send the order down to all prefectures and counties to submit disaster reports as soon as possible. I, the governor, will report this to the imperial court!"

Tan Junchen thought for a moment and then said.

The Guanzhong Plain is a powder keg; the number of peasant uprisings that have broken out in recent years is more than in the previous two hundred years.

I thought this rainfall would alleviate the drought, but it turned into flooding instead.

If not handled properly, the people will rise up in rebellion again when the lean season arrives.

With constant rebellions under his command, even the governor dared not freely pursue wealth, lest it trigger a popular uprising.

In other places, even a three-year term as a prefectural governor can earn 100,000 taels of silver.

This unfortunate governor, after deducting bribes to his superiors, had a surplus that was not even comparable to that of a prefect in the south.

It wasn't that he was greedy for money; he mainly wanted to be transferred away from Shaanxi, this powder keg, so he could finally get a peaceful night's sleep.

Once you reach the rank of governor, there are not many positions left to choose from, and some of them are extremely difficult to fill.

Tan Junchen has limited political resources in the government, so he has to spend money to secure a good position.

(End of this chapter)