dognovel Chapter 383 Chang'an Debt
Chapter 383 Chang'an Debt
Xiamen Urban Construction Company advanced 57.8 billion yuan to renovate old neighborhoods, Tongxiang High-tech City Company misappropriated 400 million yuan of treasury funds to build a new city, and Guotou Real Estate Company spent 10 billion yuan to build 32 residential buildings for the people. The three companies misappropriated a total of 58.3 billion yuan of treasury funds, which became hidden debts.
The Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department launched a swift and thorough investigation, which was reported to the Emperor.
“All officials involved, from the Vice Minister of the Chancellery down to the Ninth-Rank Registrar, shall be punished for dereliction of duty!”
In the autumn of the twenty-second year of the Zhenguan era, a torrential downpour fell on Chang'an. Huang Wenyuan, a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, his official robes soaked through, burst through the wooden door of the Ministry of Personnel's office, clutching three heavy reports. Water droplets rolled down his beard, splashing onto the blue brick floor and leaving dark stains. His voice was extremely low, but each word was like ice: "My lord... three holes, they've pierced the sky."
Fang Xuanling, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, sat upright like a pine tree, the candlelight flickering on his deeply lined face, as he slowly unfolded the three memorials on his desk. The ink was still wet, and the numbers were startling:
"The Chang'an City Construction Office, by secret order of the Prefect of the Capital, began in July of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (645 AD) to advance 5,789,700 taels of silver to renovate seven dilapidated neighborhoods within the city. This sum... is now hanging in the air, turning into a hidden debt."
"The Tongxiang New City Construction Office, under the command of the former Tongxiang High-tech City Construction Office, began in the winter of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan by diverting 44,000 taels of silver from the treasury to construct the first phase of the so-called 'industry-city integration' new city... This silver has become water without a source."
“Even worse,” Fang Xuanling’s withered fingers traced the last line of ink, his voice suddenly becoming hoarse, “from the winter of the sixteenth year of Zhenguan to the present, the Urban Construction Department, together with the Construction Department of Tongan County, under the guise of resettling displaced disaster victims, advanced 1 million 5,900 taels of silver to carry out large-scale construction and build mansions in 32 locations… The million taels of silver has all become empty accounts!”
“In total,” Huang Wenyuan’s throat bobbed as he uttered the number with difficulty, “five million, eight hundred and thirty-nine thousand six hundred taels of silver have all been transformed into invisible shackles, locking the throat of the national treasury!”
A thunderclap boomed outside the eaves, and a pale white flash of lightning tore through the rain, instantly illuminating Fang Xuanling's suddenly closed eyes. He raised his hand and pressed it heavily on the string of numbers that could shake the very foundation of the empire, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Outside the window, the rain raged loudly, but inside the duty room, all was deathly silent, save for the occasional soft crackling of the candle wick, like the faint groan of a building about to collapse.
Hanyuan Hall, the meeting of the great dynasty.
The chill of early winter seeped into the palace, and all the officials bowed their heads, holding their breath. The Grand Censor Wei Zheng stepped forward, his tablet raised high, his voice booming like a bell, each word striking the cold, golden bricks:
"Your Majesty, I hereby impeach you! An investigation has revealed that officials of the Three Departments under the jurisdiction of the Prefect of the Capital have disregarded the laws of the land and embezzled a staggering 5,839,600 taels of silver from the treasury! This is no ordinary oversight; it undermines the very foundation of our Great Tang! I beseech Your Majesty to punish them severely as a warning to others!"
On the throne, Li Shimin's face was ashen. The hall was deathly silent, the air seemingly frozen. The Minister of Personnel stepped forward, presenting the imperial edict, unfurling the yellow silk, his voice echoing in the empty hall:
"Huang, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who was in charge of the capital region, failed in his supervisory duties. He is hereby fined one year's salary and demoted but retained in his post!"
"Minister of Revenue Huang, who is in charge of the finances, is so incompetent that he is hereby stripped of his purple robe and gold fish-shaped pouch and demoted to the position of Prefect of Tongzhou!"
"Guo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, was found negligent in his duties during the construction project. He is hereby fined one year's salary and demoted but retains his post!"
"Wang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who was in charge of the expenditure, is guilty of a serious offense. He is hereby fined one year's salary and demoted but allowed to remain in his post!"
The Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department announced the names aloud, and the impeached officials stepped forward one by one, kneeling on the cold, golden bricks, removing their official hats, belts, and robes that symbolized their rank. The hall was deathly silent, save for the crisp sound of jade tablets falling to the ground and heavy, suppressed breathing.
The purple robes and scarlet garments lay limp on the ground, like withered flowers battered by wind and rain. When the Minister of Revenue, Huang, was stripped of his purple robe, his body trembled uncontrollably, his head bowed low, only his gray hair swaying slightly in the dim light of the palace. The Vice Minister of Works, Guo, was deathly pale, sweat trickling down his forehead and dripping onto the cold floor tiles before him.
"Zhu, the supervisor of construction and director of the city building department of Chang'an," the Ministry of Personnel's voice suddenly turned stern, "is greedy for merit and has acted rashly, deceiving his superiors and subordinates. He is hereby dismissed from his post and investigated. His case will be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for severe judgment!"
"Xu, the deputy commissioner of the Urban Construction Department, knew about the matter but failed to report it. He should have been punished as well. However, considering his minor position, he is hereby reprimanded but allowed to remain in his post to observe his future conduct!"
Zhu suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly filled with bloodshot eyes and despair. His lips moved as if he wanted to argue, but two Imperial Guards silently grabbed his arms, the cold sound of their armor scraping against each other particularly jarring in the hall. His struggling sleeves swept past his kneeling colleagues, and he was finally dragged out of the hall, his figure disappearing into the shadows of the Hanyuan Hall, a symbol of supreme imperial power. Only a deathly silence remained in the hall.
The evening drums sounded deep and resonant, echoing throughout Chang'an. Fang Xuanling sat alone in his study, the last rays of dawn swallowed by the night. He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote his final admonition on the memorial:
"This is a disguised form of debt, a self-destructive act. Today's 5.83 million in shackles is the fuse for tomorrow's downfall. Under the mighty rule of Heaven, how can such a root-digging act be tolerated!"
The ink was barely dry when a commotion arose outside the window. In the distance, deep within the neighborhood, the firelight of the exorcism ritual flickered, and the faint sounds of people's prayers drifted over, praying for favorable weather and peace in the coming year. The flickering light reflected on the heavy stack of documents on Fang Xuanling's desk, and also on his deeply lined and thoughtful face.
He put down his pen and looked at the faint firelight used for exorcising evil spirits and bringing good fortune. The flickering candlelight in his eyes seemed like cracks quietly spreading beneath the vast body of the empire.
The drumbeats of the exorcism ritual struck my heart, and also struck the heavy foundation of the empire.