Chapter 60: “This empire is the emperor’s responsibility, naturally…”

Chapter 60 "This land is the emperor's responsibility, ultimately..."

If He Tai had collaborated with the Duke of Liu's household, their cooperation must have been highly secretive.

Especially now that He Tai's scheme to swap inferior horses for fine ones has been exposed, the Duke of Liu's household—unless they were fools—would surely try to cover their tracks, preventing anyone from tracing the clues back to them.

If the Duke of Liu's household had indeed done so, the investigation results would likely be unlikely to be favorable.

Huo Ling didn't give up investigating because of this, but she also didn't intend to rely entirely on it.

She picked up He Tai's stack of criminal evidence again, looking for anything usable within it.

As she read, her gaze kept returning to the charge of "replacing fine military horses with inferior ones."

The term "horse administration" was something Huo Ling had occasionally heard before, but it was only today, after Emperor Jingyuan's explanation, that she gained a clear understanding of it.

The great affairs of a state lie in sacrifices and warfare, and among matters of warfare, horse administration is most critical.

Often, the quality of horse administration directly affected the strength of the military.

Thus, the governance of horse administration had always been a crucial aspect of military governance.

Currently, the Great Yan government had only three methods to acquire horses: tribute, purchase, and government-run pastures.

Demanding tribute horses from vassal states dependent on Great Yan; purchasing horses from these small states; and establishing multiple areas to breed horses domestically.

Even though they knew Great Yan's environment was unsuitable for horse breeding, from Emperor Taizu to Emperor Jingyuan, they had to stubbornly persist and invest heavily into it.

Because even if the horses bred within Great Yan were inferior, they were still better than having no horses at all. Relying solely on tribute and purchases from small states would make them vulnerable when enemies cut off their lifelines—as seen during the Qiang Rong rebellion.

Consequently, the money involved in horse administration was enormous.

He Tai and the Duke of Liu's household were from elite families, yet even they were greedy for horse-trading profits, compromising warhorses. Could other officials really resist the temptation?

Was someone like He Tai truly an isolated case?

Huo Ling never cared much about money. As long as she had food and clothing, any additional silver was just tools for her goals.

Now that she had become empress, as long as the court remained stable and the country stable, life would only improve. Thus, she hoped for the court to flourish.

But for officials who could never get enough, what did it matter if the court prospered when they could enrich themselves at its expense? The land did not belong to them, after all.

At this thought, Huo Ling grew restless.

She rose and paced the hall, contemplating how to flush out these leeches.

—Cracking down on corruption in horse administration.

These six words almost immediately sprang to Huo Ling's mind.

Was it feasible?

Huo Ling asked herself.

It was.

Because of the current unique circumstances.

The He Tai case had exposed the corruption in horse administration, and the court officials had just been intimidated by the methods employed by her and Emperor Jingyuan.

She could leverage the case of He Tai as a pretext to conduct a sweeping investigation of the officials in charge of horse administration from top to bottom while the court officials remain docile—retaining those who prove competent and removing those who do not.

For those with minor offenses, confiscate their ill-gotten gains to replenish the national treasury; for those with severe offenses, first seize their family assets, then send them to join He Tai.

And most importantly—

As long as Emperor Jingyuan adopted her suggestion, she could further engage in court affairs, voicing her views and counsel.

When Emperor Jingyuan visited again that evening, Huo Ling shared the evening meal with him and, while strolling in the courtyard, raised the subject of horse administration once more.

She did not share her conjectures with Emperor Jingyuan, as without solid evidence, mere speculation would hardly convince him.

So Huo Ling only mentioned He Tai: "He Tai was exposed, and the silver he embezzled was reclaimed for the national treasury—that’s one bright spot in this disgraceful affair. But how many more officials remain undiscovered?"

"Of course, the majority of court officials remain loyal to the throne and care for the people, but not all prove virtuous or incorruptible. Horse administration is integral to military readiness, and for our dynasty to achieve lasting stability, it must be properly managed. One He Tai is not frightening, but what if there are two or three? Worse yet, what if entire networks of officials conspire?"

"After Your Majesty left, the deeper I reflected, the more distressed I became."

Emperor Jingyuan sighed and took Huo Ling’s hand. "The deterioration in our horse administration stems not only from the lack of suitable grazing lands but also from the undeniable issue of official corruption."

Huo Ling keenly asked, "Has Your Majesty long harbored the idea of reforming horse administration?"

Emperor Jingyuan nodded in acknowledgment. "Indeed. But until now, I never found the right opportunity, and other matters continually postponed action."

Huo Ling’s eyes brightened. "Then now is the perfect time. Your Majesty, we must conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the corruption in horse administration."

Emperor Jingyuan raised an eyebrow, surprised by her suggestion.

Huo Ling continued, "This empire is the emperor’s responsibility—and naturally, the empress’s as well. Knowing that some are plundering what rightfully belongs to the throne, how can we stand idly by and let them?"

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled at her words. "That's rather crude phrasing."

Huo Ling retorted, "The phrasing may be plain, but the truth isn't."

Emperor Jingyuan had to admit it was an excellent idea. "Rooting out corruption is a fine proposal. Does A Ling have any other suggestions?"

Huo Ling spread her hands. "No."

"I only offer advice. Whether to adopt it is Your Majesty’s decision. As for implementation and execution—that’s beyond my concern, as it falls to the ministers to deliberate."

Emperor Jingyuan did not press further and praised, "Simply coming up with this idea is remarkable enough."

Huo Ling caught his implication. "Then Your Majesty approves?"

Emperor Jingyuan nodded. "Approved. Tomorrow, I will summon the Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Justice to the palace to discuss this matter. If you’re interested..."

Here, Emperor Jingyuan paused, heightening Huo Ling’s curiosity before whispering a few words in her ear.

In the imperial study, Minister of Personnel Wen Shengan and Minister of Justice Cui Ming, upon receiving the emperor’s summons, suspended their duties and entered the palace.

Minister of Justice Cui Ming was scion of the Qinghe Cui clan and, by lineage, Cui Yuan’s uncle. He was also the highest-ranking member of the Qinghe Cui clan in the capital.

After the two paid their respects, Emperor Jingyuan granted them seats, set aside the memorial he'd been reviewing, and came directly to the matter: "Yesterday, the empress and I discussed horse administration. She asked me—if someone as esteemed as He Tai could risk replacing fine horses with inferior ones for profit, might others be similarly tempted? What do you two think?"

During their palace summons, Wen Shengan and Cui Ming had speculated about the emperor’s summons. Only now was their purpose made clear.

Horse administration!

His Majesty plans to reform the horse administration system!

At that moment, Li Man, who was guarding the door, hurried in and announced in a voice loud enough for Wen Shengan and Cui Ming to hear, "The Empress wishes to see you."

Emperor Jingyuan asked, "What brings the Empress here?"

Li Man replied, "She knows you've been suffering from the summer heat recently and specifically had the kitchen prepare lotus seed soup for you. She's brought it personally."

"Please show her in," Emperor Jingyuan said.

Soon, Li Man ushered Huo Ling inside.

Huo Ling placed the food box she was carrying on the table and glanced at Wen Shengan and Cui Ming. "Have I disturbed your discussion, Your Majesty?"

"We were just discussing the reform of horse administration," Emperor Jingyuan replied. "Since this was your idea, now that you're here, you might as well stay and listen with us."

Huo Ling gave a subtle wink at Emperor Jingyuan before sitting down to his left. She opened the lid of the food box and took out the bowl of lotus seed soup inside. Might as well commit to the act.

Wen Shengan and Cui Ming exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words, and could only rise to bow.

"I greet you, Your Majesty," Wen Shengan said.

"I greet you, Your Majesty," Cui Ming echoed.

"So it's Minister Wen and Minister Cui," Huo Ling gestured for them to rise. "I have often heard Your Majesty speak of you both, but regrettably, we have never met until today. Now that I see you, you're every bit as impressive as I've heard."

"You honor us too much," Wen Shengan said.

Huo Ling smiled slightly and said no more, quietly listening from the side.

From the moment she entered until Wen Shengan and Cui Ming left—over an hour in total—Huo Ling didn't say a word or offer any opinion.

She merely listened attentively to their discussion, her expression unchanging, only offering a faint smile when Emperor Jingyuan glanced her way.

This demeanor reassured Wen Shengan and Cui Ming, who had initially been somewhat uneasy about her presence.

When only Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan remained in the study, the Emperor turned to her and asked, "Was it boring to listen for so long?"

"Not at all," Huo Ling replied. Despite sitting still for over an hour, she was still full of energy. "Though those policies were jointly discussed and formulated by Your Majesty, Minister Wen, and Minister Cui, the idea was mine. If successful, I would share the credit."

"Moreover, after hearing Minister Wen's words, I realized I made it seem simpler than it is. He gave me much to think about."

Emperor Jingyuan, tired from the morning's discussions, felt his mood improve thanks to Huo Ling's enthusiasm and said gently, "Wen Shengan has spent many years in the Ministry of Personnel and understands how government really works. There's no need to compare yourself to him—you have your own strengths."

"They know so much more than I do," Huo Ling smiled. "I never intended to compare myself to them, nor will I put myself down because of it."

"But while listening to Minister Cui earlier, I found myself wondering—in a court full of talented officials, was I truly the only one who thought of this idea?"

Emperor Jingyuan's face grew serious.

After a moment, he brushed a hand through Huo Ling's hair and replied calmly, "You're right. If you're still interested, I will have the Hanlin Academy gather records of horse administration from past dynasties for you to read when you have time. Perhaps after reading them, you can come up with another idea."