Chapter 39: Are You Making Sport of Me?

Zhao Ding said, “According to the Ministry of Justice’s preliminary investigation, five officials are implicated: Li Chunhe, director of the Treasury Office’s Silk and Coin Case Section; Sun Zhi, registrar of the Treasury Office; Zhang Daoming, assistant director of the Directorate of Armaments; Wang Yuanshan, registrar of the Directorate of Armaments; and Liu Chong, registrar of the Iron Case Section of the Salt and Iron Bureau.”

When Zhao Ning heard this, he thought, Damn it, they really are treating me like a fool!

Such a massive case had been investigated for half a month, and they had produced five men for him.

And the highest-ranking among them was merely a section director!

A section director was only a seventh-rank official. A registrar was a petty ninth-rank official, while an assistant director was a seventh-rank official!

“What of the Court of Judicial Review? Did they not investigate?”

“They did, but claiming that they were overwhelmed by the recent flood of criminal cases, they sent only one man. That man recently contracted a cold and is now on sick leave at home.”

“And the Censorate?”

“The censors mainly observed and took notes for the purpose of future impeachment. They did not directly participate in the interrogation.”

Zhao Ning slammed his hand onto the table and rose abruptly. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

They were treating him like a source of amusement!

Such a huge case, and in the end there were only a few insignificant officials?

They had even dragged out a registrar!

The registrar of the Iron Case Section of the Salt and Iron Bureau was merely a low-ranking clerk responsible for recording iron accounts.

And they claimed he had been involved in the corruption surrounding the armor and weapons produced by the Directorate of Armaments?

Did they take him for an idiot?

Zhao Ding said, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The case is still under investigation. I will devote every effort to pursuing it.”

If Zhao Ding, the vice prefect of Kaifeng, had not been involved, they probably would not even have handed over these five men.

The whole affair would simply have been allowed to fade away.

At that moment, Zhao Ning felt deeply the corruption and darkness of the Great Song bureaucracy.

“What of Prince Yun? Was it not said that he was connected to this matter? Is there any new evidence?”

“Not at present. I investigated the matter myself. The iron was not sold to the Directorate of Armaments by Prince Yun, but by a merchant named Wang Xun, who owned an ironworks in Cizhou, Hebei.”

“However, this ironworks sold a great deal of iron to the Directorate of Armaments every year—at least one hundred thousand jin, and as much as five hundred thousand.”

“What sort of background does this man have? Why did the Directorate of Armaments purchase his iron?”

The Great Song possessed a strict system of state monopolies.

State monopolies meant that certain industries were controlled and operated by the government.

Salt and iron, for example.

Unlike during the Han dynasty, however, private parties were forbidden from mining iron ore in the Great Song, while iron smelting itself was open to private enterprise.

This system had been established to make full use of private smelting techniques and increase iron production.

After all, the Great Song’s demand for iron had reached unprecedented heights. Both the military and agriculture were desperately in need of it.

Cooperating extensively with private merchants was another distinctive feature of the Great Song.

Cizhou in Hebei alone had many ironworks. It was said that archaeologists in later generations even excavated a number of Song-era ironworks there.

Yet cooperation was one thing; not every merchant was allowed to do business with the imperial government.

Those who were permitted to cooperate all had powerful connections.

The volume of iron sold by a man like Wang Xun already represented a large-scale arrangement.

What exactly lay behind those five hundred thousand jin?

“However, I made inquiries with Wang Si. Wang Xun was recommended by a man named Li Zhong. That Li Zhong is none other than the steward of Prince Yun’s residence.”

“And Li Zhong? Has he been arrested?”

“We went to Prince Yun’s residence to ask about him. They said that Li Zhong had returned to his hometown two months ago.”

Zhao Ning was stunned.

What the—

After thinking for a while, Zhao Ning wondered how this matter should be handled.

This was no longer merely a case involving the Directorate of Armaments. It also involved bureaucratic negligence, perhaps even officials protecting one another and covering up the truth.

“Investigate along two separate lines. Let the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review continue their own inquiries, but do not interfere with their investigations any further. I will establish a special investigative bureau for you on a temporary basis and have the Imperial City Bureau assist you. You will have full authority over the investigation. You need not report to the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review. Report directly to me.”

Zhao Ding immediately understood what the emperor intended.

The Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice had handed over five minor officials, and the emperor was clearly dissatisfied.

If they continued investigating together, it would be exhausting and bring him no benefit.

By splitting the investigation into two lines, the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review could carry on with their inquiries, though the emperor had no expectation that they would produce anything truly useful. The other line was the crucial one. Once it uncovered the truth, the matter could be handed directly into the judicial process for judgment.

In this way, the temporary special investigative bureau would expose the incompetence of the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice, highlighting the officials’ failure to perform their duties.

That would provide grounds for personnel reforms in both institutions.

Brilliant!

Zhao Ding could not help praising the emperor’s arrangement inwardly.

He had previously heard that the current Emperor Zhao, when he had been Crown Prince, was an extremely low-profile and frugal man who never flaunted his abilities.

Now, however, he appeared to be a truly capable ruler, decisive and clear-sighted.

Zhao Ding said, “This minister receives Your Majesty’s command.”

“Go and investigate without restraint. Do not fear whoever you uncover. I refuse to believe that there is no law left in this realm!”

I’ll be waiting for you to uncover a few of those gentlemen. We’ll execute them, confiscate their estates, and take their money!

I can hardly wait!

“Yes!”

Zhao Ning had given Zhao Ding a post in the Directorate of Armaments, appointed him vice prefect of Kaifeng, and now temporarily established a special investigative bureau with the Imperial City Bureau assigned to assist him.

Why?

To give him an opportunity to earn merit!

The moment he distinguished himself, Zhao Ning would promote him.

This was how one cultivated and supported loyal talent.

Once a capable minister like Zhao Ding entered the central government, Zhao Ning would be able to carry out his reforms with far greater freedom.

On the twentieth day of the twelfth month, Zong Ze, prefect of Cizhou and chief commander of the Hebei Volunteer Army, arrived in Xiangzhou and met Zhao Gou, Grand Marshal of the Hebei forces.

“This subordinate pays his respects to the Grand Marshal!”

The young man in his early twenties seated in the center was Zhao Gou.

At that time, Zhao Gou was still the ninth prince, the Prince of Kang.

The previous month, Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, had sent him to negotiate peace with Wanyan Zonghan, who was then in Hebei. Zong Ze stopped him in Cizhou.

It was a chance occurrence in history. Had Zong Ze not intercepted Zhao Gou, Wanyan Zonghan would certainly have captured him and shown him no mercy. By then, none of the Zhao imperial family would have escaped, and there would have been no Southern Song.

Zhao Gou set down his teacup and rose, bowing to Zong Ze.

“General Zong, you are most welcome.”

“May I ask why the Grand Marshal has summoned this subordinate?”

“By imperial command, I have established the Grand Marshal’s Office and begun recruiting an army from Hebei to serve the king. With the capital in peril, I am desperate for worthy men. I appoint you, General Zong, as vice marshal, commanding the right-wing forces against the Jin armies.”

Zong Ze immediately replied, “I am honored by the Grand Marshal’s trust. I will never fail in the duty you have entrusted to me.”

Zong Ze had come with an objective of his own.

Now that Zhao Gou had issued an order throughout Hebei and Hedong calling upon the forces of the Grand Marshal’s Office to come to the king’s aid, the armies from every region of Hebei and Hedong would gradually arrive here.

The urgent question was: When would they march south to Kaifeng and come to the king’s aid?

That was the matter demanding immediate attention.

The historical Zong Ze was a man utterly loyal to his country.

He was also a tragic figure.

After the capital fell, Zong Ze repeatedly wished to march south and come to the king’s aid, sending letter after letter to Zhao Gou.

Zhao Gou ignored him.

Zong Ze urged other generals to march south and serve the king, but they called him arrogant.

Arrogant?

In the early days of the second year of the Jingkang era, Zong Ze fought the Jin thirteen times—and won all thirteen battles!

He was a great general who had been buried and forgotten.