Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 510 - 461 Taiyuan
"The decree not to seal off traffic on Hedong Road was issued by the Secretariat. As the Minister of the Secretariat, I bear inescapable responsibility."
Xue Ji took a deep breath and said, "I will take full responsibility for all consequences arising from the failure to promptly contain the epidemic."
"Prime Minister Xue, I disagree," Dongfang Lu, Assistant of the Ministry of Supervision, shook his head. "The Ministry of Supervision and the Secretariat jointly manage critical affairs and deliberate on state policy. The decision to delay sealing Hedong Road’s traffic also involved considerations from the Ministry of Supervision."
Heh. Hearing the words from the other end of the Nearby Worm, Li Ang let out a laugh of utter exasperation. If one person is to bear responsibility for an accident, it can indeed be called inescapable. But if a large group shares the responsibility, then it becomes a case of ’the law does not blame the masses.’
The relationship between Dongfang Lu and Xue Ji was not particularly good. Twenty-odd years ago, the Observatory claimed to have observed an abnormal celestial phenomenon—dark clouds obscuring the stars—predicting that the Yu Country would one day face a crisis of imperial in-laws meddling in state affairs. At that time, Empress Xue had just become pregnant, and Xue Ji, then Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was but a step away from the position of Prime Minister. Because of this rumor, Xue Ji had to resign from his post to protect his sister, retiring to live idly at home.
Fortunately, Empress Xue gave birth to a Prince not long after. Her relationship with the Emperor remained harmonious, and the Xue family was safe. Xue Ji then considered re-entering public service, aiming for another chance at the Prime Minister’s position. However, his repeated attempts were thwarted by Dongfang Lu, who was serving as the Imperial Censor at the time.
From then on, they harbored a mutual enmity; aside from official duties, they hardly ever met in private. Even if their carriages crossed paths on Chang’an Street, they would order their coachmen to turn and drive away. It was hard to tell how much of this was genuine personal animosity and how much was a performance for the Emperor and other ministers. Now, by acting in concert, they had effectively diffused the blame.
Li Ang took another deep breath. Just as he was about to speak again, a long, low sigh echoed from the Nearby Worm.
Emperor Yu, Li Shun, said, "This time, the fault lies in my governance, my actions have been improper. Once the epidemic subsides, I shall issue an edict confessing my faults and proclaim it to the realm."
"Your Majesty, you mustn’t!" the ministers in the grand hall cried out in unison.
An edict confessing personal faults was issued only when a dynasty faced natural disasters, calamities, national crises, or when an Emperor made a grave error. Throughout the Yu Dynasty, the number of times emperors had issued such edicts could be counted on one hand. These were issued for reasons such as frequent natural disasters like floods, droughts, and epidemics within Yu Country; or for prioritizing personal feelings over the Yu Law, thereby setting a precedent of undermining national law for personal reasons; or for indulging in sensual pleasures to the neglect of court affairs.
In the twenty-odd years of Li Shun’s reign, Yu Country had enjoyed peace and prosperity. The common people lived contentedly, the nation thrived, and its strength far surpassed that of previous eras. Even the Jing and Zhou Kingdoms had to acknowledge him as an enlightened ruler.
If he issued an edict confessing his faults, wouldn’t that place him alongside those emperors with the worst reputations in history? Wouldn’t that effectively brand his ministers as unbenevolent, unrighteous, and disloyal for failing to prevent such a situation?
"My mind is set; say no more." Emperor Yu stopped the ministers’ attempts to dissuade him and said solemnly, "Li Ang, Taiyuan Prefecture is the transportation hub of Yu Country’s Hedong Road. If Taiyuan falls, the Anbei Protectorate to the north, Youzhou to the east, Luoyang to the south, and the regions inside the pass to the west will all be affected. Tens of millions of common people would be impacted. Right now, you are the only one capable of averting this crisis."
...
Li Ang remained silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath. "I can go to Taiyuan Prefecture, but I have conditions. I need the highest authority within Hedong Road’s jurisdiction—the power to act decisively and expediently on my own authority."
"Good!" Li Shun declared. "Effective immediately, you are temporarily appointed as the Observer for Hedong Road, with the authority to act expediently without requiring approval from the court."
The Observer, formally known as the Observation Disposal Envoy, held jurisdiction over one or several circuits. They could intervene in any matter, including military affairs, finance, and public customs, and could even oversee local administration, wielding immense power.
Li Ang was not a Prince or a royal descendant. At his current age, even temporarily holding the post of Observer was unprecedented.
Yet, there was no trace of joy on Li Ang’s face.
He silently disconnected the Nearby Worm, turned to the blackboard covered in experiment logs for streptomycin, and slammed his fist onto the desk.
CRACK!
The solid wood desktop, three fingers thick, was easily pierced by his fist, leaving a gaping hole.
"How can you just lock down the city like that, closing the gates without any prior notice and not letting anyone in or out? Is there no law? Is there no Yu Law?"
"Do you know who I am? How dare you stop me? Believe it or not, with a single word, I can have you stripped of that official uniform!"
"Please, Sergeant, be merciful and let me out! I just came to the city to sell some chickens and ducks. My old mother at home is waiting for me to bring grain home..."
At the city gates of Taiyuan Prefecture, carts and horses were gridlocked, and a dense crowd had gathered. Countless common people, desperate to leave or enter the city, thronged both inside and outside the closed gates, their voices a tumultuous clamor.
"Everyone, please calm down and listen to my explanation!" The soldier in charge of guarding the gate climbed onto a platform built from wooden crates and shouted to the crowd below. "Plague cases have appeared in the city, and many people have already been infected. To everyone on both sides of the city gates, for the sake of the people of Hedong and for your own safety, please do not congregate. Disperse and find lodging with relatives or friends, or at inns or guesthouses for a few days. Once the danger from the plague has passed, the city gates will naturally reopen."
The Sergeant’s words were earnest, but the common people, who had been baking under the scorching sun for an hour, were not buying it.
A poor, old scholar in patched clothes spoke up, "Sergeant, the newspapers say the plague is extremely dangerous. Even now, nearly two hundred people are dying daily in Shuo Province. We all know this. But there are only a few dozen patients in the city. For Taiyuan Prefecture’s population of a million, a few dozen cases are insignificant. On the contrary, by imposing a temporary lockdown, aren’t you trapping a million healthy people with those plague patients? Isn’t this contrary to the court’s strategy for containing the epidemic?"
A young scholar in white robes shouted, "Exactly! Are we supposed to disrupt the daily lives and travel of a million people in Taiyuan Prefecture just for a few dozen cases? I already made plans with friends for a poetry gathering this afternoon!"
"That’s right," a portly merchant chimed in. "A minor issue like the epidemic is one thing, but business is crucial! I have goods in over a dozen carts stuck in the city warehouses. Even if the lockdown is in effect and people can’t move in or out, can’t you at least be flexible and let me move my goods out? I pay tens of thousands of strings of coins in taxes to Taiyuan Prefecture every year; I’m a law-abiding citizen!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
The common people were all talking at once, their emotions running high. The soldier on the wooden crates could only say again, "Li Ang—Mr. Li—surely you all know of him? He has now been appointed by the court as the Observer for Hedong Road and will be formally taking office in a few days. You may not trust me, but can you truly not trust Mr. Li?"
