Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 367 The Power of Rumors and Prophecies

The next day, the sky was clear.

The imperial garden was lush with vegetation and the air was fresh.

Emperor Zhao Zhen, unusually in high spirits, went to the rear garden with his attendants to enjoy the flowers and relax, hoping to dispel his gloomy mood of the past few days with the vibrant spring.

The peonies and peonies in the garden are in full bloom, with Yao Huang and Wei Zi peonies vying for beauty.

Zhao Zhen strolled among them, his expression softening slightly, occasionally pausing to admire the scenery.

Just then, Liu Hui approached.

Although his official rank was not high, he was a eunuch in the Imperial City Bureau who was in charge of "collecting and listening to the obvious and the obscure," that is, collecting rumors, prophecies, and strange tales from the people.

Throughout history, folk songs and prophecies have often been regarded as harbingers of popular sentiment or even rebellion. Therefore, the Song Dynasty also established this position to listen to them, report them in a timely manner, and prevent problems before they occur.

The famous rumors of the "Sichuan Rebellion of 1894-1895" three years ago were reported to the Emperor by Liu Hui in advance. The Emperor mobilized a lot of manpower and resources to prevent the rumors from becoming true. This was not only the Emperor's decision, but also Liu Hui's contribution.

Therefore, Liu Hui enjoyed the emperor's trust.

From another perspective, the rumors about the "Sichuan Rebellion of 1894-1895" that this person mentioned can be said to be directly related to the ups and downs of Zhang Fangping's official career.

The so-called "Sichuan Rebellion of 1894" refers to a prophecy that was widely circulated in Sichuan: "In the year of Jiawu, Sichuan will experience turmoil."

Its nature is similar to the "Year of Jiazi, Great Fortune for the World" used by the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The reason it is Jiawu year is because Meng Zhixiang declared himself emperor in Chengdu and established the Later Shu during the Five Dynasties period, which was Jiawu year. In the fourth year of Chunhua, Wang Xiaobo started a rebellion and led his people to attack and plunder prefectures and counties, which was also Jiawu year.

Therefore, many people with ulterior motives predicted that in the sixth year of the Huangyou reign, war would break out again in Shu.

The fundamental reason for the emergence of such rumors and the attention they have received lies in the uniqueness of the Shu region itself. Historically, the Shu region has been remote and difficult to access, with a large population and a mix of Yi and Han people, resulting in many irreconcilable conflicts.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty court took extra precautions against Sichuan when encountering unusual celestial phenomena and natural disasters.

In the fifth year of the Huangyou reign, the emperor, having learned of the rumors of the "Sichuan Rebellion of 1894" from Liu Hui, successively dispatched capable officials to Sichuan. Zhang Fangping, the prefect of Chengdu, was in charge of rectifying officialdom; Gao Liangfu, the transport commissioner of Yizhou Road, was in charge of exempting Sichuan from paying tribute of silk for three years; and Yan Du, the salt and iron judge, was in charge of thoroughly investigating the salt wells in southern Sichuan.

These policies, aimed at appeasing the people of Sichuan, all stemmed from the officials' fear of the "Sichuan Rebellion of 1894-1895".

While these measures were effective, they did not completely quell the rumors. Nong Zhigao, who had been defeated by Di Qing, fled west to Dali. When the people of Shu learned of this, they associated it with the rumors and began to panic, to the point that "the border troops shouted at night, and there were no people living in the wilderness."

As a result, large-scale military mobilization began in Sichuan. The border fortresses throughout southern Sichuan were reinforced with more than double the number of troops, and laborers were conscripted to build fortifications. At the same time, the Privy Council dispatched tens of thousands of Song infantry and cavalry from Shaanxi to Sichuan via Hanzhong to garrison the region.

Fortunately, Nong Zhigao eventually died in Dali and did not invade Sichuan.

This prevented the rumors of the "Sichuan Rebellion of 1894-1895" from becoming reality, and this incident also became an important political asset for Zhang Fangping to be reinstated as the Commissioner of the Three Departments.

Of course, all of this happened before Lu Beigu transmigrated, so Lu Beigu wasn't very clear about it.

At this moment, Liu Hui's expression was solemn. He approached Zhao Zhen and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this servant has important matters to report."

Zhao Zhen was in a good mood. Seeing that it was him and knowing his duties, he casually asked, "Speak, where have you heard these strange and supernatural tales again?"

Liu Hui's duty was to collect rumors, prophecies, and strange tales from the people, which meant that most of the time, what he reported to the emperor was unreliable, or even a bit ridiculous.

If out of a hundred things, there is even one that can be considered a real threat to the court's rule, then Liu Hui's work efficiency is already considered very high.

Therefore, Emperor Zhao Zhen usually just listened to it as amusement and didn't take it to heart.

But it would be absolutely unacceptable if there wasn't someone to report to him.

Every ruler fears being deceived. Rumors, prophecies, and strange tales circulating among the people, though often absurd, can often reflect the true state of affairs among the people at that time.

However, Liu Hui did not speak directly as usual, but instead looked around hesitantly.

Zhao Zhen understood, waved his hand, and told the other attendants to step back, leaving only Deng Xuanyan by his side.

Liu Hui then lowered his voice, his tone carrying a deliberately feigned fear: "Your Majesty, this servant has recently overheard some rumors circulating among the people of Hebei concerning the Liuta River project, and the rumors are quite ominous."

"Oh?" Zhao Zhen frowned slightly, his interest in admiring the flowers waning somewhat. "Six Towers River again? What are you talking about?"

Since last year, the Liutahe River case has become a huge mess, involving many people. Because the cost of managing the Yellow River is extremely high, the eastern dike has not been repaired yet, and only the western dike, which is where Liao envoys would pass, has been repaired first.

"Return to Your Majesty."

Liu Hui swallowed hard, as if still shaken.

"There are unfounded rumors that the Liuta River breached its banks last year, drowning tens of thousands of people. The resentment is soaring and lingering. Some sorcerers even claim that opening the river and digging deep into the earth's veins disturbed the spirits of the mountains and rivers, causing the earth's energy to leak out and not gather. This is the root cause of the recent earthquakes in Hebei and even Youzhou!"

"Any more?"

Seeing that Liu Hui seemed hesitant to speak, Zhao Zhen asked.

"And there's something even more absurd: it's said that there's a village near the project whose name is similar to Your Majesty's own name, and the shape of the shovels used for river control looks just like funerary objects. Such ominous omens are spreading like wildfire, which is probably not a good sign! It's my duty, and although I know these words are absurd, I dare not fail to report them to Your Majesty, considering the frequent natural disasters."

His words, seemingly a report of rumors, actually cleverly wove together elements that would most likely trigger Zhao Zhen's emotions, such as "public resentment," "geographical influences," "taboo names," and "inauspicious objects."

Especially when considered in light of the recent earthquake in Hebei and the massive quake in Youzhou within the Liao Kingdom's territory, these rumors seem somewhat eerily "come true."

The relaxed expression on Zhao Zhen's face vanished instantly, replaced by a gloomy look.

He already believed in fate and spirits because of the difficulties of the country and the problem of having an heir. Although Liu Hui's words came from the common people, they vaguely resonated with his inner worries.

The Liutahe Project, overseen by Wen Yanbo and Fu Bi, not only wasted manpower and resources and caused a major disaster, but also brought forth so many "ominous signs"!
He stood silently before a blooming peony, but his gaze was no longer on the flower.

The spring breeze brought the fragrance of flowers, but it could not dispel the heaviness in his heart.

Deng Xuanyan stood to the side, holding his breath and feeling the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm.

After a long silence, Zhao Zhen slowly turned around, his voice as cold as ice: "Deng Xuanyan."

"The servant is here."

"Convey my imperial edict." Zhao Zhen's gaze swept over Liu Hui, finally settling on Deng Xuanyan. "I hereby dispatch a capable official from the Inner Palace Secretariat as an imperial envoy, and transfer a personal officer from the Imperial City Guard to Hebei Province to conduct a special investigation into matters related to the Liuta River project. The investigation should focus on verifying village names, the forms of artifacts, and other relevant information. Furthermore, they should conduct in-depth interviews with the people to gather genuine opinions about the project and to ascertain whether there are any rumors linking it to disasters or other unusual occurrences." "Yes! This servant obeys." Deng Xuanyan's heart skipped a beat.

Liu Hui prostrated himself and said, "Your Majesty is wise! This way, the truth can be clearly distinguished and the people's hearts can be at peace."

Zhao Zhen didn't look at them again, turning to gaze at the garden full of spring colors, but felt that behind the riotous beauty, there was an unsettling atmosphere.

Many things within the Forbidden City cannot be kept secret, especially the major actions of the Inner Palace Attendants Bureau.

The news spread like wildfire. Although no official edict was issued, the rumor that "the imperial envoy has been ordered to leave the capital" quickly reached the Council of State Affairs.

It was nearly noon, and the atmosphere inside the government hall was so heavy it seemed like water could drip from it.

Prime Minister Wen Yanbo, Vice Prime Minister Fu Bi, and Vice Chancellor Wang Yaochen and Zeng Gongliang held an emergency meeting.

The spring sunshine outside the window was beautiful, but the atmosphere inside the hall was somber.

"The merits and demerits of the Liutahe Project have long been a matter of public and government consensus!"

Wen Yanbo couldn't contain himself any longer and angrily retorted.

"Now the eunuchs are actually using baseless rumors to mislead the emperor, and even sending imperial envoys to imprison him! If this trend continues, powerful eunuchs will dominate the court, and the country will be doomed!"

The fact that Wen Yanbo could say such a thing clearly shows that he was genuinely anxious.

Wen Yanbo's rise to power was inextricably linked to his association with Consort Zhang. He, Liu Hang, and Zhang Yaozu were all in cahoots, belonging to Consort Zhang's faction.

This major stain has always followed him.

Even though he was the prime minister and even controlled half of the court with his cronies, many people were still extremely dissatisfied with him.

It was precisely because Wen Yanbo was eager to make a name for himself and quell public opinion that he strongly advocated for the Six Towers River project. If this project had been completed, his position as prime minister would have been unshakeable.

Unfortunately, Li Zhongchang, who came from a family with a long history of river management, messed things up.

The Liutahe case thus became his second major stain.

Regardless of who it is or what their purpose is, if they want to continue investigating the closed Liutahe case, Wen Yanbo's only reaction is—"They're after me!"

Therefore, it is not surprising that Wen Yanbo reacted with such a near-outburst of anger and used such strong and inflammatory language.

Although Fu Bi was Wen Yanbo's ally, Fu Bi inherited the court resources left by his father-in-law Yan Shu, and his relationship with Wen Yanbo was one of cooperation, not dependence.

The joint responsibility for the Liutahe case alone was not enough to shake Fu Bi's position as prime minister. Moreover, he was very independent, so his attitude at this time was not consistent with that of Wen Yanbo.

Fu Bi calmly said, "The most worrying thing is that the imperial envoy carries a secret decree and his authority is unclear. If he is misled by someone with ulterior motives in Hebei, he may be framed and tortured to extract confessions, which may lead to wrongful imprisonment and implicate countless people. The Liuta River incident involves many river works and officials. Once a major case is launched, the situation in Hebei will also be out of control."

"Cough cough."

Wang Yaochen coughed repeatedly and said weakly, "The appearance of the imperial envoy indicates the Emperor's suspicion. Kuanfu, calm down. If we do not handle this situation properly, the consequences will be even worse."

It's true that Wang Yaochen and Wen Yanbo were born in the same year, but he was quite different from other contemporaries like Han Qi and Bao Zheng, who were stationed in local areas before Wen Yanbo took office and were immediately promoted back to the central government after Wen Yanbo came to power. Wang Yaochen was already the Deputy Privy Councilor before Wen Yanbo became Prime Minister, and his promotion from Deputy Privy Councilor to Vice Chancellor was not due to Wen Yanbo's promotion, but because Wang Yaochen reminded Wen Yanbo during the Liu Hang incident, which led to Liu Hang's downfall and allowed him to be added to the Council of State Affairs.

Having been in officialdom for a long time, Wen Yanbo gradually calmed down from his rage after hearing Wang Yaochen's reminder.

Yes, things might not be that simple.

What if the person who set this up was deliberately trying to provoke him into stopping the thing?
"Then the Emperor will immediately become suspicious of me! The Emperor will think, if there is nothing fishy going on here, why am I reacting so strongly? The Emperor certainly won't think that I'm afraid someone will use this to shake my position as Prime Minister, he will only think that these things really cannot be stopped from being investigated! On the other hand, I can only advise the Emperor not to send the imperial envoy to investigate, but to issue an edict through the Secretariat to send officials from the outer court to investigate."

Wen Yanbo's mind raced, and he figured out the key points almost instantly.

After calming down, he said, "The deeper meaning of this matter is probably that they want to use it to link it to our governance and shake the emperor's trust. We must not sit idly by and wait for our doom. I will submit a memorial to defend myself, explain the ins and outs of the Liutahe project, denounce the falsehoods of the slander, and earnestly request the emperor not to believe the rumors, to rescind the order, or at least to order the officials of the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice to cooperate in the investigation to ensure fairness."

In the political environment of the Song Dynasty, the emperor always retained the power to issue decrees without going through the Secretariat, and then appoint an official or investigate a case.

The former was called "slanted official" and the latter was called "central envoy prison".

However, the chief ministers of the State Affairs Hall also had the power to dissuade the emperor, and even refuse to cooperate in implementing his policies.

This seemingly contradictory situation is actually not contradictory at all. Rather, it is an ingenious design of the Song Dynasty's political system. Because often, the emperor does not really want to promote a certain person or investigate a certain case, but only uses this as a way to express his opinion on the inaction of the foreign court and thus put pressure on it.

"As it should be."

Zeng Gongliang, who had remained silent until now, added: "At the same time, the Hebei Circuit Pacification Commissioner, Transport Commissioner and other officials need to handle the situation with caution, and in any matter that is involved, they must present the facts truthfully."

Zeng Gongliang came from an official family. As a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Tiansheng era, he was closer to Song Xiang, but had no connection with Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi, and others.

Last year, Zeng Gongliang briefly served as the acting prefect of Kaifeng for a few months before being urgently promoted to the Council of State Affairs. The Emperor's purpose was to limit Wen Yanbo and prevent him from becoming too powerful in the Council of State Affairs.

Furthermore, Zeng Gongliang had absolutely no connection to the Liutahe case, so he didn't care.

I didn't say anything earlier because I was afraid of getting dirty water splashed on myself, and now I'm just saying some bland, polite words.

Seeing this, Wen Yanbo was not surprised.

He simply said, "We must work together to overcome this difficulty."

He then looked at Fu Bi and asked, "Minister Fu, will you accompany me to submit this memorial?"

Fu Bi nodded. Although his responsibility in the Liutahe case was not as great as Wen Yanbo's, it was still a secondary leadership responsibility, so he could not avoid it.

"Cough cough."

Wang Yaochen coughed violently again, then forced himself to say, "The Emperor is currently very angry. When you submit your memorial, your words must be sincere and your reasoning must be clear. You must not only defend yourself but also show that you are considering the overall situation."

"clear."

Subsequently, Wen Yanbo and Fu Bi jointly submitted a memorial, arguing that the eunuchs often caused harm to the local people and made them uneasy, and requested the emperor to withdraw the imperial edict. The Secretariat then issued an edict ordering the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice to send capable personnel to investigate the case.

(End of this chapter)