Chapter 26: Calamity Spreads Like Ink

“Your Majesty, let us depart. Although there has been a drought this year, the disaster should not be too severe. By the time autumn comes, if we can harvest even one season’s grain, people won’t starve to death in winter.” Seeing Gao Buyi lost in thought, Li Bai tried to comfort him.

Gao Buyi nodded, and the group wandered further through the town. Another matter soon left him fuming with rage. Ever since the Prefect of Chang’an, Li Gan, received the relief grain from the court, he had not once left Chang’an. It was said he had been staying at home, performing rituals to pray for rain.

This was simply absurd. With the prefect absent, those beneath him followed his example. After the county magistrate made a token inspection, he too stopped coming, merely distributing relief grain according to the reported population. Whether the numbers were accurate or not, he did not care. Even if people starved, no one paid attention.

This was a textbook case of dereliction of duty.

Suppressing his anger, Gao Buyi went to the nearest county seat. The streets were full of disaster victims, gathered in small groups, waiting for porridge at the charity kitchens.

The group was in no hurry. When the kitchen began serving porridge, they stepped closer for a look and were incensed anew. Though there was rice in the cauldron, it was even less than that floating in sweet fermented rice soup in later generations.

“Let’s go! To the county office.” Gao Buyi strode ahead in a fury, with Shangguan Peihui and the others hurrying after him. But upon reaching the office, they didn’t even see the magistrate; he had returned to his home in Chang’an to celebrate a lover’s birthday. The county affairs of disaster relief had been left entirely to the county steward.

“Summon your steward here!”

“Who are you people?!”

“Imperial Censor on Inspection.” Shangguan Peihui produced a token. The bailiff, terrified, dropped to his knees. “Forgive me, sirs, I did not recognize your authority. To be honest, our county steward is not here—he's gone to the countryside to assess the disaster.”

“A county steward with more conscience than the magistrate! Peihui, have our men arrest that magistrate and tie him up in front of the porridge kitchen we saw earlier. Whatever the disaster victims eat, he eats, every day until the crisis ends,” Gao Buyi commanded through gritted teeth.

Shangguan Peihui nodded and signaled to the crowd. At her whispered instructions, a subordinate immediately set off for Chang’an to apprehend the magistrate.

The group continued to tour the county. Soon, a bailiff led a disheveled official hurriedly before them. The man knelt and bowed. “Your humble servant greets the lord.”

Gao Buyi glanced at the bailiff, recognizing the man from before. “Stand up. You are the county steward?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tell me about your inspection of the disaster.”

“At present, nearly every household in forty or fifty villages needs relief. Since the disaster struck suddenly, we’ve been distributing grain based on last year’s population figures, but the shortfall is great. If this continues, we may see people starving to death again.”

“How much is the shortfall?”

“Over thirty percent. If we include refugees, nearly fifty percent.”

“And what do you plan to do?”

“There’s still some grain in the official granaries. With the magistrate’s approval, we can distribute it for now. The county treasury has some silver; with the prefecture’s permission, we could buy grain from neighboring provinces. But we must request further relief grain from the prefecture.”

“Is handing out silver effective?”

“Giving out silver is no substitute for grain. The price of grain skyrockets daily, and the money loses value before it reaches the people. Not just here—grain prices are rising everywhere.”

“What of the other affected counties?”

“Truthfully, they’re much the same.”

“Was it your idea to distribute coarse flour cakes to the people?”

“Yes, after informing the magistrate, I arranged for it. The number of victims far exceeds our records, so we had to stretch the grain by mixing in coarse flour, just so people wouldn’t starve.”

“Does Li Gan know about the shortage?”

“We have all reported it to the Prefect. But I hear he is busy performing rituals for rain each day, for the sake of disaster relief.”

“To entrust lives to empty rituals instead of direct action—he must be tired of living. Has the Prefecture of Chang’an approved your requests?”

“Not yet.”

“Very well. From this moment, you are acting magistrate. As for your magistrate, Yang Tianwang, he’ll be lucky to have a bite of food.”

“This—”

“What, are you not confident in your abilities?”

“Not at all. But the magistrate has ties to Lord Yang Guozhong. I fear that replacing him without authorization may bring trouble.”

“You are known for your integrity. Do your best with the relief efforts! If anyone starves to death again, you will answer to me. Never mind where the disaster victims come from—they are all people of the Tang Empire. I will go to Chang’an myself to see Li Gan. Within two days, more relief grain will be delivered to the counties.”

“Thank you, Lord! You are truly a living Bodhisattva, saving those in distress.”

“Go about your duties.”

“Yes, your humble servant takes his leave!”

By evening, the county magistrate had already been tied up before the porridge kitchen in the street. He was an obese man, and as Gao Buyi and his party arrived, he was hurling abuse at the steward.

“Xue Liang, you despicable wretch! Have I not treated you well? You dare trip me up and have the Censor investigate me? If you think this will help you rise, you’re dreaming! Blind fool, you think you can afford to cross me?!”

Xue Liang could only force a smile and endure the tirade; he hadn’t expected that the Censor would really have the magistrate tied up. Arresting someone in Chang’an was no trivial matter—without the Prefecture’s approval, no one dared act.

“So you are the magistrate? Enough shouting. I ordered your arrest; it has nothing to do with the steward. He even spoke up for you.”

“Hmph! Then have the guts to give me your name!”

“Oh? Gao Buyi. What, do you want to tell Yang Guozhong? Tell me, what is your relationship with him?”

“How dare you! You are not fit to utter Lord Yang’s name!”

Gao Buyi merely curled his lip, unwilling to argue further. “Are you aware of the disaster in your county?”

“What of it? What do you intend to do?”

The steward hurried to answer, “My lord, the magistrate knows of the disaster. He was the one to order the distribution of relief grain.”

“Xue Liang, stop pretending! When did I let you use the county granary? You distributed grain on your own authority. That’s a capital offense!”

Seeing the magistrate so obstinate, Gao Buyi could not be bothered further. He instructed Pei Longwei at his side, “He is not to be released until the disaster ends. When it's over, hand him to the Ministry of Justice for sentencing.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Gao Buyi then addressed the steward, “Do your utmost to relieve the disaster. As for opening the granary without orders, since you acted out of compassion, you are pardoned. After the crisis, make sure to replenish the stores.”

“Yes, thank you, my lord!”

Without lingering, Gao Buyi departed the county and returned straight to Chang’an.