Chapter 83: Sitting in a Row, Eating Fruit… Part 1

Raindrops fell incessantly from the eaves, rhythmically drumming against the blue stone tiles.

A heavy silence filled the council hall, broken only by the overlapping sounds of the dripping copper clepsydra and the pattering rain outside.

Every matter concerning the Eastern Expedition, large or small, awaited the Lord Chancellor’s final word. In Gu Huaiyu’s absence, not a single person among those seated dared to speak out of turn.

Finally, Shen Jun broke the silence. “Gentlemen, the scheduling of grain and fodder for the Eastern Expedition requires further deliberation.”

“The three hundred thousand piculs from the Jiangnan water transport must be divided into three batches…”

Discussions gradually began to ripple through the hall.

The officials tactfully avoided the empty seat at the head of the room, yet their eyes frequently drifted toward the hanging curtain behind it.

As the rain outside began to taper off, Gu Huaiyu stepped slowly from the rear hall.

He leaned back into the main seat with an air of weary lethargy. The collar of his scarlet official robes was slightly disheveled, and his voice carried a rare, gravelly rasp. “This Chancellor intends to mobilize the local militia and tribal levies from all regions to participate in the war. Do any of you have objections?”

Pei Jingyi followed behind him, taking his seat among the officials with a swaggering lack of restraint.

The eyes of several officials flickered between the Lord Chancellor and the General. It seemed Pei Jingyi’s “military intelligence” had been genuine. The troop numbers had originally been set, yet upon his return, Gu Huaiyu had decided to conscript even the local militia and tribal forces. The urgency of the war was becoming increasingly apparent.

Now that Gu Huaiyu had spoken, no one in the court dared to contradict him.

In the past, the Pure Stream faction would have stood up to voice their dissent. Now, they all lowered their heads in unison, as silent as cicadas in winter.

Xie Shaoling was the first to rise. He cupped his hands and accepted the order. “Everything shall be done according to the Lord Chancellor’s instructions. The Bureau of Military Affairs will immediately draft the documents to notify all regions to mobilize the militia and tribal levies. We will also allocate the corresponding supplies and military pay.”

Among the hall full of officials clad in purple and crimson, not a single person asked “why.”

Gu Huaiyu was quite satisfied with their compliance; it saved him the trouble of mediation.

He rested a finger against his chin, lost in thought for a moment. The silent hall waited for his final decision.

“This Chancellor recalls that the monthly pay for the Imperial Guard is one tael of silver and two dou of rice?”

Among those present, only Pei Jingyi hailed from the Imperial Guard. He looked at Gu Huaiyu, his thumb meaningfully brushing over his lower lip. “Your Lordship remembers correctly. During festivals, there are additional rewards of silk and brocade, and even ‘charcoal money’ for the Winter Solstice.”

The tips of Gu Huaiyu’s ears began to burn. The finger resting against his chin trembled almost imperceptibly. “Mm. The annual requirement for the Imperial Guard is—”

“Over two million, seven hundred thousand taels.”

Wei Qingya didn’t even need an abacus; the number tumbled from his lips the moment his mind turned.

Gu Huaiyu suddenly tilted his head to look at him. This slightly boyish gesture formed a strange contrast with his dignified official robes.

Wei Qingya’s face instantly flushed. He stood up and said, “Reporting to Your Lordship, the monthly pay for officers and soldiers varies. That two million, seven hundred thousand taels includes armor maintenance, horse fodder, camp repairs, and seasonal subsidies for winter and summer.”

Though the figure was staggering, no one was dissatisfied.

Rather than spending silver to build gardens for the late Emperor Rui, it was better to spend it on the blades and shields that ensured the stability of the state. This was the righteous path.

Gu Huaiyu repeated the number in his heart before suddenly tapping his finger on the desk. “And what of the various Provincial Armies?”

This question should have been answered by the Bureau of Military Affairs, but Xie Shaoling stiffened as he rose.

The pay for the Provincial Army was distributed by local prefectures. While the Bureau of Military Affairs held the official figures on paper, Xie Shaoling was no longer a naive youth. How could he not know how much water was padded into the numbers reported by the prefectures?

How much of that silver actually reached the soldiers and how much was pocketed by greedy officials? No one could say for sure.

“This official happens to know some of the truth.”

Pei Jingyi spoke up suddenly. Even in such a serious setting, he managed to flash a grin. “But Your Lordship must first grant me a small request.”

Gu Huaiyu didn’t hesitate. “Granted. Speak.”

Pei Jingyi strode to the sand table. He plucked the blue flag representing the Huainan Circuit, twirled it between his fingers, and casually stuck it back into the sand. “The monthly pay here is eight mace of silver—”

“But only three mace are actually distributed.”

“This place is six months behind on pay.”

“And over here, they don’t give silver at all—they give spoiled grain.”

He listed the conditions of seven or eight regions in quick succession. If it wasn’t embezzlement, it was arrears. There wasn’t a single place that actually distributed pay according to the figures reported to the Bureau of Military Affairs.

The faces of the seated officials changed instantly. They were all capital officials; who didn’t know about the corruption in local prefectures?

But they truly hadn’t expected the situation to be so rotten.

While the other officials managed to remain calm, Xie Shaoling’s expression darkened completely.

The affairs of the Bureau of Military Affairs and the local prefectures were a tangled mess. He had only been transferred there for half a month, and while the deep-rooted corruption of the past couldn’t be blamed on him, his youthful pride couldn’t endure showing weakness in front of Gu Huaiyu.

He stood up immediately, suppressing his fury as he asked, “Does General Pei have evidence for these claims? I will go and confront the various prefectures at once!”

Pei Jingyi sat back down in his chair.