I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

Chapter 123. Just because it's always been this way, does that mean it's right?

With the Changping granary wide open, the truth was revealed.

Zhao Mingcheng did not linger in front of the warehouse, nor did he immediately take drastic measures against Zhou Xu and the others who were kneeling and begging for forgiveness.

The most important thing right now is not to vent anger or establish authority, but to start disaster relief as quickly as possible and save lives in this mess.

Zhao Mingcheng instructed Lu Zhang to continue leading men to maintain order.

He took Cao Fu back to the second hall of the prefectural government office.

He then ordered that the three officials—Prefect Zhou Xu, Vice Prefect Wu Ming'an, and Supervisor of the Ever-Normal Granary Wang Qian—be separated and then led to separate side rooms in the main hall for an audience.

Zhao Mingcheng wanted to question him alone.

Inside the second hall, Zhao Mingcheng sat in the main seat, while Cao Fu spread out paper and pen on the side table, ready to take notes.

"Bring Zhou Xu, the prefect of Ruzhou," Zhao Mingcheng said calmly.

Before long, Zhou Xu was led in by two imperial guards.

In a single day, the governor of the state seemed to have aged ten years.

His official hat was slightly askew, his robe was wrinkled, his face was still wet with tears, his eyes were unfocused, and his steps were unsteady.

Upon entering the hall, he dared not raise his head, walked straight into the center of the hall, and lifted his robe to kneel down.

"Prefect Zhou, please have a seat."

Zhao Mingcheng pointed to a chair at the next seat.

Zhou Xu was stunned, somewhat incredulous. Hesitantly, he sat down with half his buttocks touching the edge of the chair, his back still hunched.

"Judge Cao is here to record today's questions. Prefect Zhou, please don't be shy. You can speak frankly later," Zhao Mingcheng said bluntly.

Zhou Xu glanced quickly at Cao Fu, who was engrossed in writing, his Adam's apple bobbing, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.

Some things are better said in private.

But once it's written down and becomes official documentation, it becomes irrefutable evidence. He feared that Zhao Mingcheng had Cao Fu record the evidence of his crimes.

Zhao Mingcheng noticed his concerns and said calmly.

"Rest assured, Magistrate Zhou. Judge Cao's record is only for clarifying the facts and considering the appropriate course of action. Since I am asking you, it is to hear the truth, not to fabricate charges based on your testimony. Please speak freely."

Having received this assurance, Zhou Xu's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but he remained cautious and first cupped his hands in greeting.

"Pacifying Envoy, this humble official—this humble official is muddle-headed, incompetent in governing the prefecture, the granaries are empty, and I have deceived my superiors; I deserve to die a thousand deaths! All the blame lies with this humble official, and I am willing to accept any punishment from the court!"

Zhou Xuxian pleaded guilty, adopting the most conciliatory stance.

Zhao Mingcheng neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying...

"Prefect Zhou, I have read your resume. You have served in several prefectures and held the seal for more than ten years. During the Yuan You era in Mizhou, you opened the granary to relieve hail disaster and saved thousands of people, for which you were commended by the imperial court."

During the Shaosheng era in Chenzhou, to ensure the timely transport of grain northwards, he personally used his salary to cover warehouse losses, earning him a reputation for integrity. Why, then, upon arriving in Ruzhou and facing such a severe drought, did he act so contrary to his usual practice, not only failing to provide substantial relief but also driving out the people to cover up the situation and fabricate a peaceful facade?

Zhao Mingcheng's words pointed out that Zhou Xu was not a born corrupt and cruel official, and had even accomplished something.

What shocked Zhou Xu even more was that this young pacification envoy actually knew about his past.

Zhou Xu's eyes welled up with tears, and sorrow welled up within him.

"The pacification envoy is wise to see this—"

Zhou Xu's voice choked with emotion.

"This humble official—how could this humble official be such a heartless person? When I first saw the drought, I was also extremely anxious. I even thought of opening the granaries to distribute grain, gathering wealthy households to donate, and seeking help from neighboring prefectures! But—but—"

Zhou Xu sighed heavily.

"The document that the pacification commissioner saw in the granary today is just the tip of the iceberg."

Two years ago, when I first took office as the prefect of Ruzhou, the Ever-Normal Granary had 40,000 shi of grain in its books, but in reality, it had less than 4,000 shi, and most of it was moldy. The same was true for the Charity Granary and the Guanghui Granary.

When a new governor takes over, the accounts are handed over, but afterwards everyone keeps quiet about it. Why?

Because everyone from top to bottom knows that the grain in this granary has long been borrowed out with a series of official documents! Military expenses need to be raised, the principal of the seedling loan needs to be replenished, the insufficient tribute needs to be made up, and even neighboring prefectures and counties can issue an official document to borrow grain when they are temporarily short of funds!

Borrowing without repaying, year after year, my predecessor did the same, and so did his predecessor's; it's the same in every prefecture, this—

This is almost a common understanding in official circles.

All the imperial envoys and inspectors throughout history have only glanced at the account books and listened to our reports. As long as the accounts are balanced, the numbers are correct, and the scene is passable, who would actually break the locks and open the granaries to see if it contains sand or grain?

As Zhou Xu spoke, he suddenly became excited.

"I have also thought about reform and making amends, but how can I do that? Should I borrow from local grain merchants?"

The pacification commissioner may not know this, but in the eyes of grain merchants, the Ruzhou government has long since lost all credibility!

The largest grain merchant in the area, the Shen family, had a history of lending 3,000 shi of grain to the Ruzhou government during their grandfather's generation, in order to raise military provisions. A written agreement was drawn up to grant the loan.

The salt certificates were supposed to be used as compensation, but those certificates have not been redeemed to this day!

During the time of Shen's father, the Ruzhou government imposed a price reduction policy, forcibly purchasing 5,000 shi of grain at a 30% discount, with only 30% of the payment made!

Now that I've taken up my post, last year, to cover the book deficit, I had no choice but to borrow two thousand shi of grain from the grain merchants as an emergency measure, promising to repay it with new tea this spring. But the tea permit was intercepted by the transport office! The grain merchants treat me like a plague carrier, avoiding me like the plague, let alone talking about borrowing grain.

"What about the wealthy families in that area?" Cao Fu put down his pen and couldn't help but ask.

"Wealthy households?" Zhou Xu smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Wealthy households are even less of a concern. Over the past twenty years, they have been subjected to countless rounds of extortion under various pretexts such as 'donation campaigns,' 'grain tax for official positions,' and 'serving the court.'"

During the Yuan You era, these wealthy households donated grain and received the plaque of "righteous people"; during the Shao Sheng era, the New Party came to power and, under the pretext of "attacking the old party," confiscated the property of a group of people.

Nowadays, wealthy local households have learned to be shrewd. They hide their grain carefully, pretend to be poor and complain in front of others, and cry to officials that their business is struggling and they have no surplus grain. So the government can't just go to their homes and rob them of their grain.

As for transporting grain to neighboring states—”

Zhou Xu sighed, his face filled with despair.

Zhengzhou replied, "Our prefecture is also suffering from drought, and our granaries are barely enough for our own survival"; Yingchang Prefecture said, "Not a single grain of grain transported north has been touched"; He...

The Southern Prefecture (Luoyang) was of a higher rank and completely ignored the documents from Ruzhou.

Why? Because their granaries are probably in a similar state to those in Ruzhou! Whoever admits to having no food first will be the first to be condemned!

Everyone—everyone's just competing to see who can hold out the longest, to see who's unlucky enough to encounter an inescapable disaster, or—to run into a meticulous imperial envoy!

By the end, Zhou Xu was in tears, not to defend himself, but to lament his inescapable predicament.

"Pacifier, I am fifty-eight years old this year. I have been in officialdom for thirty years. I do not seek any further advancement. I only hope to endure two more years, retire peacefully, and return to my hometown to live as a farmer. That would be enough for me."

But now—now, I happen to be in office, facing this drought, the worst in decades, and I happen to be the one in charge of pacification—

You took this so seriously!

I know that the crime of deceiving the emperor is serious enough to lead to the confiscation of one's property and the extermination of one's entire family; I would not regret dying.

But my sons and nephews have studied diligently for years. If, because of my fault, their entire family will be barred from taking the imperial examinations for three generations, their futures ruined. —Your humble servant—

"This humble official truly deserves to die!"

After Zhou Xu finished speaking these heartfelt words, he leaned on the arm of his chair, his expression somber, and poured out all the cautiousness he had accumulated over the decades, as well as the immense fear and grievance he felt at that moment.

He wasn't born evil; he was simply gradually assimilated and bound by the system in that cesspool of "it's always been this way" and "everyone does it this way."

Ultimately, he too became part of the systemic corruption, and perhaps the most tragic link, about to be pushed out to take the blame.

Zhao Mingcheng listened quietly without interrupting until Zhou Xu calmed down.

Cao Fu's notes were already filled with Zhou Xu's statements.

After a long silence, Zhao Mingcheng slowly spoke.

"Prefect Zhou, are you saying that this has been the practice in every officialdom, and it's an unspoken understanding, so you also feel that it should be this way, and that it's the only way, right?"

Zhou Xu raised his head and looked at Zhao Mingcheng blankly, not understanding what he meant.

Zhao Mingcheng stared intently at him.

"Prefect Zhou, I will ask you only one question: Is it right simply because it has always been this way?"

"Just because it's always been this way, does that mean it's right?"

These seven words struck Zhou Xu's heart like a heavy hammer!

He had been in officialdom for thirty years, hearing countless high-sounding admonitions and countless intrigues and backstabbing hints, but never before had anyone questioned this "normal state of officialdom" that was taken for granted so directly and so sharply!

Yes, that's always been the case, so is it right?

Granaries, meant to store grain for famine relief, have become embezzled funds; officials, meant to help the people and provide disaster relief, have become actors in whitewashing the truth; and the people, meant to be the foundation of the nation, have become numbers that can be driven away and left to starve!

What's wrong with that?

This is wrong from beginning to end!

Zhou Xu stared, mouth agape, at Zhao Mingcheng's young yet resolute face in the candlelight, and suddenly felt an unprecedented shock and shame.

He discovered that what he had painstakingly cultivated and maintained for the past thirty years was nothing more than a massive, collective lie.

And this lie is being ruthlessly exposed by the young appeaser in front of him.

"The pacification envoy—" Zhou Xu murmured, unsure how to respond.

"Prefect Zhou, I understand your predicament and know that this matter is not solely your fault."

Zhao Mingcheng's tone softened slightly.

"But hardship is not a reason to disregard human life, and the flaws of the system are not an excuse for you to deceive your superiors and cover up the truth."

The people who starved to death in the dilapidated temple, the famine victims waiting desperately for life-saving porridge in front of the government office—they were real people. Your future, your family, are important, but aren't their lives important too?

Zhou Xu was speechless and lowered his head deeply.

Zhou Xu completely collapsed, and his last bit of hope was shattered.

He slumped into the chair and muttered to himself.

"Then—then what should I do? Please, Envoy—show me the way—" Zhou Xu's tone was pleading.

Zhao Mingcheng sat up straight, his expression solemn.

I'm giving you two options; you choose.

"Firstly, I can arrest you right now and submit all those approvals and IOUs to the court for dereliction of duty. You should know what your fate will be. As for the disaster relief in Ruzhou, I can request that someone else be appointed. It may be slower and more chaotic, but it can still be done."

Upon hearing Zhao Mingcheng's words, Zhou Xu trembled and his face turned ashen.

But Zhao Mingcheng hadn't finished speaking; he continued.

"The second option is for you to redeem yourself through meritorious service. Right now, the state treasury still has some grain stored up, enough to sustain five or six hundred people for three or four days, but it's better than nothing."

I hereby order you, in your capacity as Prefect, to oversee disaster relief efforts by setting up soup kitchens at three locations: the square in front of the government office, the Confucian Temple, and the drill ground.

You personally carry a gong and patrol the streets to announce that Imperial Envoy Zhao, the Pacification Commissioner, has already dispatched grain, which will arrive soon, and that the granary is now open to release the stored grain. This will help to calm the hearts of the local people.

Then, organize all the able-bodied clerks and officials to register the disaster victims and distribute grain in an orderly manner, according to the regulations I will provide later.

Use all the skills you've developed over the years for maintaining order and calming people down in the right places.

Zhao Mingcheng looked at the faint light that was gradually igniting in Zhou Xu's eyes and continued.

"Prefect Zhou, as long as you do your best to handle this matter well and stabilize the most critical group of disaster victims right now."

When I return to the capital to report, I will write: Zhou Xu, the prefect of Ruzhou, although he made a minor mistake after the disaster broke out, was able to repent and make amends for his crime by doing his best to maintain order during the disaster relief, opening granaries to distribute relief, and comforting the displaced people. His later merits can make up for his past mistakes.

In this way, your merits and demerits will cancel each other out, you won't be impeached, investigated further, or have your family implicated, and you can retire with dignity. Would you choose this path?

"Yes! I'm willing! I'm a thousand times willing!"

Zhou Xu felt a sudden sense of relief. He almost slid off the chair and knelt down, banging his head on the ground and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Pacifier, have shown me mercy! You have shown me the way! I—I will do my utmost to carry out the relief work! I will never dare to be negligent or conceal anything again! If there is any further mishap, I will take my own life without the pacifier's intervention!"

Zhou Xu's words came from the bottom of his heart.

Zhao Mingcheng didn't just talk about lofty ideals; instead, he gave him a tangible and attainable way to make a living, and more importantly, an opportunity to salvage some dignity and conscience.

At this moment, Zhou Xu felt that this young pacification commissioner was different from any of his superiors in his thirty years of official career—this young pacification commissioner understood the difficulties of the local area, but he insisted on doing the right thing, and he was willing to take responsibility and give his subordinates opportunities.

"Alright, get up."

Zhao Mingcheng gestured for him to stand up.

"Remember what you said. Judge Cao will explain the disaster relief regulations to you in detail later."

What you need to do now is to immediately pull yourself together, act like a governor, go to the government office, and tell the disaster victims that the imperial court has not forgotten them, and that the grain will arrive soon!

Zhou Xu straightened his official robes, cupped his hands again, and said cautiously.

"Pacifying Envoy, I am grateful for your order—but—please allow me to ask one more question—the government's grain rations are only enough for three or four days now, what about the grain rations that follow—"

"Just do as I say for now, I'll figure out how to get the grain later," Zhao Mingcheng waved his hand.

"Yes, sir! I will arrange it immediately!"

Zhou Xu wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, tried to straighten his hunched back, and his eyes regained their sparkle, although they were still bloodshot and tired, but no longer the ashen despair of the past.

He bowed deeply to Zhao Mingcheng again, then cupped his hands to Cao Fu, before turning around and walking resolutely out of the hall, his steps still somewhat unsteady.

Watching Zhou Xu's departing figure, Cao Fu put down his pen, sighed softly, and murmured.

"Tell him that this man does indeed have his pitiful and lamentable aspects, but the granaries are so empty that it has ultimately harmed the people."

Zhao Mingcheng's gaze was far-reaching: "It's pitiful and lamentable, but what's even more tragic is the system that created officials like him."

"Let's solve the immediate problem of feeding the disaster victims first, then we can discuss other things. Brother Wenzhong, let's follow the simplified version of the disaster relief regulations we agreed on on the way. You and Zhou Xu should explain it clearly, making sure it's simple and easy to implement, and preventing any corruption among officials."

"Your humble servant understands."

Cao Fu nodded and was about to continue tidying up when Zhao Mingcheng said something.

"Let Prefect Wu Ming'an in."

Cao Fu was taken aback, but then he understood.

After speaking with the prefect, one becomes a sub-prefect.

Prefect Wu Ming'an was about to face this young pacification commissioner.

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