Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 263 The Shift in Power Between Host and Guest
"Shameless, utterly shameless! The people of Hezhou are suffering unbearably, yet I, as the prefect, neglect the affairs of the prefecture and instead fawn over them. It is truly hateful!"

In the Xiangguo Temple Stele Forest, Pei Zhouxian's face grew increasingly gloomy after he finished looking at the merit stele that had been completed and was just waiting to be erected. Just then, Yuan Fu arrived, and Pei Zhouxian immediately pointed at Yuan Fu's nose and cursed, "Minister Yuan has served in the court for many years and is a dignified minister and a role model for the court officials. I never expected that such a scoundrel would emerge from his ranks!"

"My lord, please calm your anger! Please allow me to explain in detail..."

Yuan Fuxing approached, bowed to Pei Zhou with a pained expression, and said...

If it were anyone else, even if they held the power of promotion, demotion, reward, and punishment, being insulted like this would likely have made Yuan Fu unable to hold back. He would either argue back or simply walk away rather than endure such humiliation.

But when Pei Zhou shouted and cursed him, he dared not utter a word in rebuttal. It is believed that anyone who knows Pei Zhou's life and deeds would not dare to get entangled in a debate with him on this issue.

Pei Zhouxian's uncle, Pei Yan, served as the Grand Chancellor when Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi died and Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian ascended the throne for the first time. He once held great power and controlled the government, but not long after, he was killed by Wu Zetian on charges of treason. His family members were also either killed or exiled.

Those who were exiled were then hunted down by cruel officials, and very few survived. Therefore, Pei Zhouxian had a blood feud with the Wu clan, which was exterminated. Although the Li emperors who ascended the throne later were all of Wu Zetian's blood, and Pei Zhouxian dared not publicly accuse the past, he was extremely resistant and disgusted by the Wu clan's regaining power.

As the governor of Bianzhou, Yuan Fu not only failed to do his best to turn the situation around in such a chaotic state, but also stayed in Xiangguo Temple to build a stele for Consort Wu Hui, hoping to win the favor and protection of the women in the harem. In Pei Zhouxian's eyes, this was undoubtedly dereliction of duty and a heinous crime!
"Lord Pei, please calm your anger. This stele was not created by my deliberate manipulation, but by Zhang Dai, Zhang Dai! He did not inform the prefecture government, but acted on his own initiative to secretly erect the stele. I discovered it, but because the matter was about to be completed, I did not... I was unaware of this matter before!"

Yuan Fu knew Pei Zhouxian's background. Even though the current Consort Wu Hui was not the same as the Empress Dowager Wu of the past, it would undoubtedly make Pei Zhouxian dissatisfied. Fearing that he would be reprimanded by Pei Zhouxian again, he quickly explained.

Before Zhang Dai even arrived, he heard Pei Zhouxian's furious shout from afar. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly that Yuan Fu was truly a rare talent. If you wanted to continue building monuments to avoid disaster, why didn't you build them at a time like this? Why did you have to do this when Pei Zhouxian was entering the prefecture? If you don't die, who will?
When Zhang Dai heard Yuan Fu trying to shift the blame onto him, he stopped in the outer room. Watching the spectacle was certainly entertaining, but it wouldn't be worth getting himself involved.

Although Pei Zhou had been quite friendly to him before, he wasn't sure how he would react after this incident. To be on the safe side, he decided to stay outside and observe the situation.

When Pei Zhou heard Yuan Fu say this, his expression stiffened for a moment, but soon his anger intensified. He pointed at Yuan Fu and angrily rebuked him: "You dog, you still have the nerve to argue! Zhang Dai is Consort Hui's nephew, and Consort Hui has shown him much kindness and protection. It is perfectly reasonable for him to be grateful and build a monument to commemorate her virtues."

"You, who receive salaries and neglect your duties, are forced to work with me. Who do you think you are! Are you a subject of the state, guarding this region, or a sycophantic, opportunistic private slave?!"

Therefore, one must first have a stance before discussing right and wrong. Pei Zhouxian's words may be somewhat hypocritical, but they are not without reason. Regardless of whether Zhang Dai's actions were right or wrong, as an official of the court, what qualifications and standing did you, Yuan Fu, have to be so enthusiastic?
However, Zhang Dai's erection of the monument to Consort Wu Hui was not simply to curry favor; in all fairness, it was not a bad thing. Although the money and silk used for disaster relief were all from Feiqian Profit, and Zhang Dai arranged for people to operate and maintain the affairs, things would not have progressed so smoothly without using Consort Wu Hui's name.

He stepped inside and saw Yuan Fu standing there with his head bowed, his expression ashen, while Pei Zhouxian still looked furious.

He stepped forward, looked at Yuan Fu with a serious expression, and said, “Lord Yuan, you are mistaken. A month ago, I passed through the territory of the state and repeatedly requested an audience, but was not granted one. How could you say that I made a secret plot on my own initiative? Moreover, when this stele was erected, I had already gone to Caozhou and was not here.”

As Magistrate Pei said, Consort Hui is a kind and loving relative of mine, and it is not unreasonable for me to erect a monument in gratitude. However, this matter was not planned by me, and this must be clarified! I have no enmity with Magistrate Yuan, so why are you framing me for this?"

At this point, he bowed to Pei Zhouxian and said, "The reason I erected this stele is that I only learned about this matter after the Yuan magistrate abused his power and forced the people of the prefecture to leave. The local people from Bianzhou flocked to Liyang and told me about it."

Since the disaster last year, Consort Hui has shown compassion for the victims, frequently donating money and goods for relief. Tens of thousands of people have survived across the north and south of the Yellow River, including the people of Bianzhou, who have also benefited greatly. Therefore, the people of Bianzhou erected a monument in gratitude, and this story is well-documented in the streets and is by no means a fabrication.

It's a pity that the charitable weaving workshops within Bianzhou were forced to disband by the prefectural government, and the assisted citizens were relocated to their villages. Otherwise, Magistrate Pei could have directly inspected the workshops and determined the truth!

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhouxian merely snorted coldly, neither responding to Zhang Dai nor continuing to reprimand Yuan Fu. He simply said in a deep voice, "Return to the prefecture first!"

After leaving Xiangguo Temple, the group headed straight for the prefectural government. The local officials had already received the news and lined up in front of the government building to welcome them.

Pei Zhou dismounted in front of the mansion, sidestepped Yuan Fu who wanted to come forward to lead his horse, and then said in a deep voice to the group of officials: "The court has heard that Yuan Fu, the governor of Bianzhou, has handled matters poorly, resulting in disharmony in the state affairs and unease in the state."

"I have been ordered to enter the prefecture to inspect and appoint officials. Upon my arrival, the Prefect of Bianzhou, Yuan Fu, will suspend his duties and seal his official seal. All prefectural affairs will be handled by his chief clerk and other senior officials. Do any of you have any objections?"

“This, this… The affairs of the state are numerous and complex, and the situation is urgent. If I were to abandon my duties, I fear the chief clerk and others would not be able to handle them properly.”

Yuan Fu hadn't expected Pei Zhouxian to be so forceful. Before even entering the prefecture, he threatened to dismiss him and strip him of his power in front of all the officials. Yuan Fu immediately voiced his opposition, knowing that some matters of state had indeed been handled improperly. If he were immediately removed from his post, there would be no chance to rectify the situation. Hearing Yuan Fu's words, the other officials nodded in agreement. Regardless of how Yuan Fu had treated them before, they were now all in the same boat. If Pei Zhouxian wanted to strip the prefect of his power upon entering the prefecture, wouldn't it be even easier to deal with them if anything went wrong next?
"If the Chief Clerk and other officials in the prefecture are unable to handle matters properly, they are clearly unfit for their positions. They should all be dismissed and replaced with capable individuals from within the prefecture. If the prefecture is depleted of talented people, I will have my own subordinates to lead the work and then petition the court to select officials!"

Pei Zhouxian had seen many storms and was naturally not intimidated by such a trivial matter. Upon hearing this, he frowned, first letting out a cold snort, then pointing at Zhang Dai and asking, "Do you know the rules and regulations?"

Is there anything I have to do with this?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's spirits lifted, and he immediately nodded, saying, "I am not the only one here. There are many others who are newly successful candidates in the imperial examinations. They have all submitted their judgments in the selection examinations and are capable of handling official duties! As long as they are benevolent and righteous, care for the suffering of the people, do not do to others what they would not have them do to them, and give others what they themselves desire, then we, the candidates, may not be unable to surpass our predecessors in the prefecture!"

He had recently faced considerable hardship and even a lot of harassment in Bianzhou, so he wasn't going to hold back. "You lot have managed to govern Bianzhou like this? I could have done a better job even if I broke my legs! You think you can just quit? Who are you trying to scare?"
Pei Zhouxian had initially had a good impression of this young man, but the matter of Consort Hui's merit stele had thrown him into a state of turmoil. When he heard this young man taking advantage of the situation, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.

He certainly couldn't replace the entire Bianzhou prefectural government, so he asked in a deep voice, "Whoever is incompetent, step forward immediately!"

Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads, no longer daring to stand with Yuan Fu. This magistrate was old but ruthless, truly someone not to be trifled with; they might all end up in trouble.

"All matters concerning the state need to be inquired about. For the time being, Prefect Yuan need not leave. He may stay in the back hall of the state government. If he needs any food or daily necessities, he may have his servants report to him!"

Although the state investigation has not yet yielded a definitive result, Pei Zhouxian has already formed a preconceived notion. After stripping Yuan Fu of his post, he ordered him to be placed under house arrest in the state government, preventing him from freely entering or leaving the area and interacting with outsiders.

However, they came lightly equipped, with their ceremonial guards still at the rear. There were only a dozen or so people traveling with them. They needed to control the prefecture and guard Yuanfu at the same time, so they were naturally short-handed.

“There is my student, Xu Shen, who is also a judge in charge of agriculture. He used to manage the weaving workshop, but he became idle after the workshop was dissolved. He was recently detained by Magistrate Yuan, but fortunately he was released without charge. If there are not enough people, I can have Xu Shen recruit local volunteers to help guard the workshop.”

Zhang Dai quickly added his own statement.

The reason for placing Yuan Fu under house arrest was to control the personnel and evidence. In particular, Pei Zhou had personally witnessed how audacious those state officials were, so he was naturally not comfortable using the personnel from Bianzhou Prefecture. After hearing Zhang Dai's suggestion, he pondered for a moment and then nodded.

Seeing the hint of joy on Zhang Dai's face, he couldn't help but remind him, "I am still an official appointed by the court. Even if I have made mistakes, they have not been investigated. You must not be negligent or offend me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai quickly nodded in agreement, thinking to himself, "What kind of person do you take me for? Do you think I'm the kind of person who would take advantage of being a guard to arrange for someone to sneak into Yuan Fu's bedroom in the middle of the night and beat him up?"

Pei Zhou first needed to arrange for his subordinates to seal all the recent documents and orders of the prefecture, so he asked Zhang Dai to send Yuan Fu back to the inner hall of the prefecture.

Zhang Dai was also worried that if he went into the back hall so rashly, he might be blocked by the servants ordered by Yuan Fu. Therefore, he led Yuan Fu to wait in the detached hall of the prefectural government for Xu Shen to bring his men over.

“Zhang Liulang, we have no past grudges or old hatreds, so why are you forcing me so hard? Even if I leave my post now, what good will it do you? If a new person enters the state in the future, knowing that you have gathered the people of the state and the local forces to force me out, I'm afraid they won't treat you well if you leave this position.”

After everyone else had left the hall, Yuan Fu, no longer arrogant, looked at Zhang Dai and said, "Things have come to this point, I don't expect you to help me out of kindness, nor is this matter for you to decide. Just let my servant leave the manor to send a letter to Weizhou, and I will repay you no matter what happens afterward!"

"I dare not hope for Lord Yuan's repayment. I would be content if the 30,000 strings of cash that were unreasonably levied on me the other day could be properly returned."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai waved his hand and laughed as he looked at Yuan Fu, whose face was pale.

"Thirty thousand strings of cash..."

Yuan Fu was also taken aback by his outrageous demands, and his eyes became hesitant and conflicted.

(End of this chapter)