Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1453 Great Change
Any ruler with above-average intelligence and a modicum of reason would never place the Equalization Commission in the hands of the School Affairs Office.

Unfortunately, by this time, the Emperor of Wu was already high on drugs and had lost his mind in the heat of battle, making him impossible to regard as an ordinary person.

Not to mention that after the conflict between Nanlu and the Great Emperor, he went on a killing spree. Now, he drew his sword and looked around, feeling lost. In the court, good ministers had all passed away, and there was no one left who could shoulder this heavy responsibility.

Unfortunately, after the start of spring, during this lean season, the drastic fluctuations in grain prices in Jingzhou have severely disrupted the six counties of Jiangdong.

Two years ago, the Han Kingdom tightened its grain exports to Jingzhou in the second half of the year in preparation for the war in Hebei.

Throughout last year, grain prices in Jingzhou rose steadily. (Chapter 1348)
If it weren't for the conversion of rice to sugarcane and mulberry, which allowed for the export of raw sugar and silk to generate foreign exchange and enable the purchase of grain from Shu at high prices, the entire Jingzhou region might not have been able to pay its military salaries.

Jingzhou is adjacent to Shu, and receives grain from Shu year-round, so grain prices have always been lower than those in the six counties of Jiangdong.

The people-to-people exchanges between the two places were even closer than those between the six counties of Jiangdong.

Rumors that grain prices were low in Sichuan, taxes were only one-tenth, and there was no poll tax were widely circulated in Jingzhou.

In previous years, even if Jingzhou couldn't compare to Shu, at least everyone could still survive.

Regarding the disparity between the two places, people would at most murmur about it privately.

But at this time, grain prices were about to skyrocket.

In addition, in stark contrast to Shu, even though the price of grain in Jingzhou was 3,000 coins lower than that in the six counties of Jiangdong by 500 coins, the public resentment was much greater than in Jiangdong, and there were even signs that the public resentment was boiling over.

However, you can't blame the Han state for the rapid rise in grain prices in Jingzhou.

Because the Han state had been fighting a major war with the Wei state in the north for more than a year.

Now, not only can Jingzhou not collect taxes, but the local armies also intercept money and grain, and the local government has to provide relief to the people.

As for the six counties of Jiangdong, they not only had to pay taxes to the imperial court, but also had to provide financial support to Jingzhou. The burden they bore was immense.

It was only natural that discontent arose throughout the country.

In earlier times, the emperor would have directly ordered the minting of large coins, such as the "Ten Thousand Yuan" coin!
Fortunately, there is Lü Yi, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, who submitted a memorial directly addressing the long-standing problems in the tax system. His memorial was incisive and pointed out the current ills.

What's even more remarkable is that it is followed by a plan for reform and innovation, which is meticulously analyzed and insightful about the crux of the problem.

Compared to the officials in the court who are preoccupied with factional strife and empty talk, how can their superiority be measured by mere words?

After the factional strife in Nanlu, looking at the current court, there is not a single person who can be entrusted with the affairs of the state.

The entire court of officials either remained silent or were at a loss for what to do.

At this time and in this place, only Lü Yi dares to be the first in the world and wants to solve the financial problems of the Great Wu.

This heavy responsibility must fall to Lü Yi, the school's head.

Thus, in the thirteenth year of the Yanxi era of the Han Dynasty and the thirteenth year of the Chiwu era of the Wu Dynasty, the Pingzhun Division was established in a logical and reasonable manner, and naturally came under the jurisdiction of the Xiaoshifu (Office of Investigation and Statistics).

It must be said that the timing that Mi Shiyilang chose for Lü Yi was extremely subtle.

This year was destined to be a year of many major events for the Kingdom of Wu.

So much so that the establishment of the Pingzhun Division, a major event that later influenced the entire Wu Kingdom, seemed insignificant in comparison to these matters.

On his way to his new post after being demoted, Zhu Ju was repeatedly slandered by Sun Hong, the Grand Secretary, which once again enraged Sun Quan. Sun Hong then seized the opportunity to forge an imperial edict to investigate and order the execution of Zhu Ju.

Meanwhile, the emperor, due to excessive drug use, saw a divine being descend from the heavens and bestow upon him a heavenly book, instructing him to change the era name and establish an empress.

Therefore, he ordered the imprisonment of Crown Prince Sun He, and soon after, he deposed Crown Prince Sun He, reduced him to a commoner, and exiled him to Guzhang. At the same time, he ordered the death of Prince Lu, Sun Ba.

The following month, Lady Pan was made empress, and her son Sun Liang was made crown prince.

Even after being made empress, Lady Pan was still not satisfied, because she knew that Sun Quan was seriously ill and did not have much time left. So she secretly summoned Lü Yi, Cen Hun, and Sun Hong to inquire about the past events of Empress Lü ruling from behind the curtain.

The intention is clear: to have a young ruler in the future.

When questioned by Empress Pan, Lü Yi only said that he was illiterate and ignorant of history.

Cen Hun remained silent.

Only Sun Hong, the Grand Secretary, was furious and stormed off.

Several days later, Empress Pan fell ill due to exhaustion from taking care of the seriously ill Sun Quan day and night.

While he was unconscious, the palace women strangled him to death, claiming that he had been possessed by a demon.

After the incident was exposed, six or seven people were executed.

It was February of the thirteenth year of the Chiwu era.

When Sun Quan learned that Empress Pan had been murdered by palace servants, he was filled with rage and anger.

At this moment, he finally realized that his long-term serious illness meant he might not only lose control of the court, but there might even be people in the palace who would disobey his orders.

So they wanted to recall the former Crown Prince Sun He and the former General of the Cavalry Zhu Ju, but were stopped by Princess Quan, Attendant-in-Ordinary Sun Jun, and Grand Secretary Sun Hong.

As his physical condition deteriorated rapidly, Sun Quan's periods of lucidity became increasingly rare.

Unable to recall Sun He and Zhu Ju, he had no choice but to summon his senior ministers to discuss the entrustment of the crown prince, Liang, while he still had a shred of rationality, citing the young age of the crown prince.

Faced with Sun Quan's inquiry, Sun Hong, the Grand Secretary who should have been the first to step forward, remained silent with his head bowed.

Instead, it was Attendant-in-Ordinary Sun Jun who recommended General Zhuge Ke, believing that Zhuge Ke was capable of handling important matters.

Sun Quan glanced at Sun Hong, seeing that Sun Hong remained unmoved, then looked at Sun Jun and said:

“If the general were to lead the army, I would be at ease. However, the general is too stubborn and self-willed. If he were to assist in governing, I fear he would be unable to shoulder the great responsibility, which would not be a blessing for the country.”

Sun Jun insisted, "Among the current court officials, none can match Ke's talent."

Seeing Sun Jun strongly vouch for Zhuge Ke, Sun Quan looked at his senior ministers, who all agreed with Sun Jun's statement that no one but Zhuge Ke could assist the young ruler.

Sun Quan closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Left with no other choice, he had to issue an edict to recall Zhuge Ke.

Upon leaving the palace, Grand Secretary Sun Hong glared fiercely at Sun Jun, snorted angrily, and stormed off.

Faced with Sun Hong's cold shoulder, Sun Jun's expression turned gloomy, but as he watched the other's departing figure, he suddenly revealed a cold smile.

Although Sun Hong also shares the surname Sun, he is different from Sun Jun and is not a member of the Sun clan.

He dared to show displeasure to Sun Jun because Sun Jun was one of Sun Quan's most trusted confidants in his later years.

During Sun Quan's illness and confinement to his bedside, many matters of state were reported to Sun Quan through Sun Hongzhi, who was one of the very few officials who were able to enter the palace and meet Sun Quan.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to forge an imperial edict and kill Zhu Ju.

Sun Hong had a long-standing grudge against Zhuge Ke, so he was furious at Sun Jun's strong endorsement of Zhuge Ke's appointment as regent.

After Lu Xun and Bu Zhi died one after another, the candidates to guard Xiangyang and Wuchang became Grand General Lü Dai and Grand General Zhuge Ke.

When Zhuge Ke learned that Sun Quan had summoned him back to the capital, he dared not delay and immediately set off from Wuchang to Jianye.

Several days later, he met Sun Quan in his bedroom and received an imperial edict under the bed, appointing him as Grand General and concurrently Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince.

The emperor decreed that all matters concerning officials should be handled by Ke, except for major matters involving killing or taking lives, which should then be reported to the emperor.

Sun Hong, the Grand Secretary, was appointed Junior Tutor.

He also appointed Teng Yin, the governor of Kuaiji and Beihai, as Grand Master of Ceremonies. Yin was the son-in-law of the ruler of Wu, and his wife was Princess Teng.

General Lü Ju was appointed as the Right Commander of the Crown Prince's Army.

Including the Chamberlain Sun Jun, there were a total of five people; this was a matter for later.
-
The day after the funeral arrangements were completed, in the early morning, the copper bells on the eaves of the Jianye Palace rang out softly in the wind, their sound carrying far in the silence.

Sun Quan, who had just woken up in the night, was curled up on his dragon bed, his withered fingers gripping the bright yellow brocade quilt tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The dual torment of illness and erysipelas made him feel a bone-chilling cold in the morning, as if countless ice needles were piercing his bone marrow.

"Medicines...give me medicines..."

His voice was hoarse like a broken bellows, and his cloudy eyes were bloodshot.

The eunuch standing to the side trembled with fear and shakily presented a sandalwood box.

Three crimson pills were neatly arranged in the box, gleaming eerily in the candlelight.

Sun Quan made a hoarse sound in his throat, grabbed the pill, and swallowed it whole.

The medicine took effect quickly. He first felt a pleasant warmth, and then his limbs began to twitch uncontrollably.

"Uh-"

A piercing scream shattered the morning light in the deep palace.

The attending physician, upon peeking through the curtain, was so terrified that he collapsed to the ground:

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Your Majesty?"

The physician's voice trembled; he could hardly believe his eyes.

The once mighty Emperor Sun, who once dominated Jiangdong, now had a ferocious and twisted face, his body arched at an extremely strange angle, as if an invisible force was pulling at his limbs and bones.

His withered, skeletal fingers were digging into his neck with such force that they had broken the skin and left several shocking bloody marks.

Most horrifyingly, thick, dark red blood was continuously oozing from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, trickling down his cheeks and dripping onto his bright yellow brocade robe and the imperial bed, spreading out ominous stains.

The imperial physician staggered and trembled as he crawled to the bedside, extending a trembling finger to check His Majesty's breath—utter silence.

With renewed courage, I touched the side of her neck. The skin was still warm, but the pulse had stopped beating.

"The...the emperor has died?!" This thought was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, chilling the physician to the bone.

A tremendous fear instantly gripped him: His Majesty had passed away while he was on duty?
How to do?
The physician's mind was in complete chaos. He scrambled to his feet in a panic, his legs trembling with extreme fear, and he practically crawled out of the palace on his hands and feet.

His official hat was askew and his robes were touching the ground, but he didn't care at all.

Just as he stumbled and scrambled out of the palace gate, shouting at the top of his lungs, he bumped into a figure who was about to enter to report on official business.

The two collided head-on, and the physician was so shocked that he saw stars and fell to the ground.

Sun Hong was startled by the sudden collision, and then flew into a rage. He was about to reprimand the man when he looked closely and saw that it was the physician who was disheveled, pale-faced, and trembling like a leaf.

Sun Hong's heart sank.

He saw the emperor almost every day, so he naturally knew the emperor's true health condition.

Not to mention that His Majesty just finished arranging his affairs yesterday, confirming that all matters under the jurisdiction of the relevant authorities would be handled by Zhuge Ke.

In his fear, Sun Hong wished he could guard the palace day and night just in case.

Seeing the imperial physician emerge from the emperor's bedchamber looking distracted, an extremely ominous premonition instantly enveloped him.

He grabbed Chen Ming's collar, lowered his voice, and demanded sharply:
"What's the matter that you're so panicked?!"

Looking up and recognizing Sun Hong, the physician grasped at a lifeline as if it were a lifeline, yet also as if he were facing death. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed incoherently:
"Sun, Sun Zhongshu... Something terrible has happened! His Majesty... His Majesty... He's bleeding from all seven orifices, he's... He's passed away!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Hong's pupils suddenly contracted, and his hand gripping Chen Ming's clothes tightened involuntarily, his knuckles turning white.

The news was too shocking, but he was, after all, a powerful minister who had weathered many storms, and he had made preparations long ago.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, his gaze sharp as a knife, he stared intently at Chen Ming, confirming each word clearly:

"What did you say? Look again! If you utter even a single falsehood, I will exterminate your entire family!"

"Absolutely true! How dare I speak ill of His Majesty! His Majesty... has indeed suffered a sudden attack of erysipelas, and... has already passed away!"

The physician collapsed to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

Sun Hong released his grip, stood frozen in place, his face filled with fear under the palace lantern's glow.

He glanced at the unfathomable depths of the bedchamber, took a deep breath, and suppressed the turmoil in his heart. He knew that one wrong step at this moment would lead to utter ruin.

His gaze fell on the two eunuchs on duty at the door, and he saw that they were also pale-faced and trembling even more violently than the physicians.

A cold glint flashed in Sun Hong's eyes. He suddenly pointed at one of them and ordered:
"You must immediately escort Physician Chen to the west wing. Without my order, no one is allowed to approach, and Physician Chen is not allowed to leave even a step!"

Then he pointed to another person:
"You stand guard outside the side room. If anyone asks, say that Physician Chen is preparing emergency medicine for His Majesty, and no one is allowed to enter!"

"If any one of you three goes missing, all three of you will be exterminated along with your entire clan!"

The eunuch who was pointed to glance inside mustered his courage and offered a warning:
"The Grand Secretary, there are still two on duty inside..."

Sun Hong's expression changed, and he immediately changed his mind, pushing and kicking the physician back into the palace.

At the same time, he grabbed the silent eunuch by the collar and threw him into the hall.

The long-standing intimidation, coupled with the fact that both of them were so frightened that they were completely disoriented and did not resist at all, like wooden puppets.

Sun Hong turned around, lowered his voice, and said to the eunuch at the door, enunciating each word clearly:

"Guard the doorway. No one is allowed to go in, and no one is allowed to go out. Do you understand?"

The eunuch nodded vigorously, "Understood, understood, I understand."

Sun Hong's expression softened slightly, and he lowered his tone:

"Your elder brother married a woman from a good family, and they recently had a son. They are living a very good life."

"If you can handle things well now, you will certainly benefit from it when I become the regent."

As a trusted advisor to Sun Quan, Sun Hong naturally had arrangements made for himself in the palace.

Having done all this, Sun Hong turned around and followed Sun Quan into his bedchamber.

He strode to the bedside, glanced at the stiffening body on the dragon bed, and his expression was complex and unreadable.

Having confirmed that Sun Quan was completely dead, Sun Hong forced a heavy expression of "deep worry" onto his face and, with a mix of threats and intimidation, ordered the four people huddled in a corner of the hall not to leave.

Only then did he leave the bedchamber, not forgetting to turn back and personally close the door tightly.

He reiterated to the eunuch guarding the gate that no one was to be allowed to enter or leave, then ran all the way to the palace gate and shouted loudly:

Where are the guards?

Upon hearing the news, the imperial guards gathered before the Grand Secretary at top speed.

"Attention, everyone! His Majesty has suddenly fallen ill and is currently unconscious. The imperial physicians are doing everything they can to save him. Under no circumstances should he be disturbed, or his life will be in danger!"

"From this moment forward, martial law is declared in the palace. No one is permitted to enter or visit without the permission of the Secretariat! Anyone who disobeys will be treated as a traitor and executed without exception!"

Unlike the Imperial Secretariat of the Han Dynasty, the Central Secretariat was first established by Cao Wei and later imitated by Sun Wu.

The Secretariat was in charge of drafting confidential edicts and managing the emperor's jade seal.

The Grand Secretary was the highest-ranking official in the Secretariat.

During the two years that Sun Quan was seriously ill and bedridden, rarely appearing in public, the Grand Secretary was the emperor's spokesperson, and the emperor's edicts were basically issued by Sun Hong.

At this moment, Sun Hong suddenly ordered the palace gates to be sealed off. Although the guards were somewhat surprised and uncertain, they still obeyed the order.

Having confirmed that the palace gates were sealed, Sun Hong took a deep breath of the cold morning air, turned around, and strode quickly toward the Zhongshutai government office.

He must now race against time and, before more people notice anything amiss, use his authority as Grand Secretary to make arrangements.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Since he had already forged an imperial edict to kill Zhu Ju, forging another edict to kill Zhuge Ke would be a piece of cake for him.
-
Sun Hong believed that he was deeply favored by the emperor and could meet with the emperor at any time as the Grand Secretary, thus he could seize the initiative ahead of others.

However, they never considered that as Sun Quan's control weakened in his later years, while he could place his confidants in the palace, others could also place spies in the leaky palace.

Just as Sun Hong stepped out of his palace, a maid dressed in a light green palace dress took advantage of the morning light and hurried along the familiar shadows of the palace walls. The direction she was heading was the princess's residence, which was closest to the palace.

At this moment, in the princess's bedroom in the princess's residence, the candlelight was dim, the silk curtains were lowered, and the air was filled with an ambiguous sweet fragrance and an atmosphere of desire.

Princess Sun Luban's hair was disheveled, and her well-maintained skin, partially hidden by the brocade quilt, revealed a flush of ecstasy after their lovemaking.

She leaned against Sun Jun's chest like a lazy cat, her slender, nail-painted fingers resting on his chest.

A series of extremely faint yet unusually hurried footsteps sounded outside the bedchamber, followed by the low but barely concealed panicked voice of a trusted maidservant reporting, which pierced through the heavy curtains like ice water:
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Something urgent has happened in the palace! This servant has something extremely urgent to report!"

The intimate moments inside the tent instantly froze.

Princess Quan's body suddenly stiffened.

Sun Jun tightened his grip on her arm instantly. He instinctively grabbed the loose inner garment and quickly covered Princess Quan's bare shoulders, then sat up straight.

"Come in!" Princess Quan's voice instantly turned cold and clear, carrying an unquestionable authority.

When the maid stumbled in and uttered the words "His Majesty... has passed away" through the curtain, Sun Luban gasped sharply and instinctively gripped Sun Jun's arm, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

In the third month of the thirteenth year of Chiwu, Qin Bo, who had been traveling day and night from Chang'an back home, heard of a shocking change before even entering Jianye City:
When His Majesty passed away, Grand Secretary Sun Hong attempted to suppress the news by forging an imperial edict to kill General Zhuge Ke. However, the Chamberlain Sun Jun leaked the news to Zhuge Ke in advance.

Zhuge Ke devised a plan to lure and kill Sun Hong, then announced the Emperor's death and held a funeral for him.

Qin Bo stood blankly at the gate of Jianye City, not knowing where to go or what to do.

(End of this chapter)