Late Han Zhao Tang

In October, snowflakes began to fall from the sky, covering the vast Guanzhong Plain and blanketing the palace in white.

“The bran is public property. If you take it, General, I will have no way to explain it to my superiors,” said Deng Xiang, the postmaster, bowing and scraping to Ma Chao.

Ma Chao said impatiently, "It's just a few bushels of bran. If your bran wasn't so delicious, I wouldn't even bother with it!"

Ma Chao's attendant shoved aside the postmaster Deng Xiang and sneered, "My general has fought bravely for His Majesty, conquering east and west, and enemies near and far fear him. Now he has captured Yizhou for His Majesty. How could you lowly officials know the hardships of those in high positions?"

"This~"

Seeing that the servant was burly and had a fierce face, Deng Xiang dared not say anything more and could only nod and agree repeatedly.

"go!"

Ma Chao mounted his horse and said, "His Majesty is hosting a banquet in the palace and is waiting for me!"

"drive!"

Under the protection of his attendants, Ma Chao rode away, heading straight for the Chang'an Palace.

Watching Ma Chao's departing figure, the postmaster Deng Xiang sighed helplessly.

As the head of the postal relay stations on the outskirts of the capital region, he received numerous high-ranking officials and nobles passing through the stations every month. He always served them diligently to avoid offending them. However, now Ma Chao, greedy for petty gains, had stolen four shi (a unit of dry measure) of bran from the relay station, leaving him at a loss for what to do!
Although he was a post station manager and often had the opportunity to embezzle funds, four shi (a unit of dry measure) of bran and rice was no small sum, and he simply couldn't cover it up in the books. If he didn't report this to his superiors, he would inevitably be convicted of embezzlement, facing punishment ranging from dismissal to exile.

"Now we have no choice but to report this to the post station inspector!"

During the Han Dynasty, post stations were often responsible for sending mail and were called "post stations". In addition to the post stations, post stations were set up along the roads, roughly one station every sixty li. These stations and post stations were directly under the jurisdiction of the military and were therefore managed by the Grand Commandant.

Zhang Yu established six ministries, placing the post stations directly under the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War appointed a Vice Minister of the Imperial Carriage Department to be in charge. In the capital region, there were officials in charge of post stations, while in local areas, county magistrates concurrently managed post station affairs.

The expenses of the post stations in the capital region were enormous. Therefore, although they were managed by the Ministry of War, the Accounting Department was responsible for quarterly audits of the expenditures. If any audit report was found to be abnormal, the person would be detained and interrogated.

Last month, the postmaster of Hongnong County was dismissed and fined two shi of bran for embezzling one shi of bran. Embezzling more than three shi of bran would not only result in dismissal and a fine, but also criminal punishment. Therefore, Deng Xiang dared not fail to report it, as it concerned his future.

Not to mention that Deng Xiang reported to the post station inspector that Ma Chao had illegally taken four shi of bran from the post station, Ma Chao had only been in the palace for a short time when, under the auspices of Zhang Yu, a banquet began amidst cheers.

"You gentlemen have led troops on distant expeditions, toiling in the army, and pacifying powerful enemies. You have endured much hardship!"

Zhang Yu raised his wine cup, toasting those at the table, and said, "Gongming, as the commander-in-chief of the army, destroyed Shu for me; Bosong cleverly repelled the allied forces and secured the peace of Jingchu. Both of you and all the other ministers have made great contributions. I hereby offer you this toast."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Xu Huang and Li Song led the civil and military officials to rise and return the greeting, drinking their cups of wine to the brim.

"Our victory today is not due to my own efforts, but to Your Majesty's good plan!" Xu Huang said humbly.

"You needn't be modest!"

Zhang Yu gestured for Xu Huang to sit down and said with a smile, "Although the greatest credit for the conquest of Shu does not belong to you, General, you have made a great contribution in terms of command. Moreover, I deeply agree with the strategy you presented for the conquest of Wu. If we were to conquer the southeast, we would need you as the general to lead the troops."

"I am willing to serve Your Majesty with my life!" Xu Huang declared.

Zhang Yu nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Li Song and said, "When you led your troops south, your army hesitated and did not advance. Some people said that you were cowardly and dared not lift the siege of Jiangling. However, you defeated the enemy and proved that you were not cowardly, but a general who was well-versed in military affairs."

Li Song said, “I led my elite troops south, but failed to defeat the enemy. I am ashamed before Your Majesty. Moreover, the strategy to defeat the enemy was not yours; it was I who adopted Mr. Jia’s strategy.”

Comparing the results of the battles in Huainan and Bashu, Li Song felt that he had gained too little in the battle of Jiangling. Now, facing Zhang Yu's high praise, he felt uneasy.

Seeing this, Jia Xu smiled and said, "General Li planned carefully before acting, while Cao and Liu withdrew their troops to reinforce their rear. General Li fought bravely and defeated the enemy, beheading a thousand and capturing two thousand, and seizing all their supplies. How can all of this be attributed to me?"

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "If you are not satisfied, when we conquer the southeast, you can lead an army!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Song assured him, "If I am ordered to lead the expedition, I will not return until I have left Nanjing!"

"good!"

While Zhang Yu was discussing matters with his officers, Guo Tu entered from outside the palace, leaned close to Zhang Yu's ear, and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Censor Xin Pi is outside the palace requesting an audience, saying he wishes to impeach Ma Chao!"

"What did Ma Chao do that makes Xin Qing want to impeach him?" Zhang Yu asked in surprise.

"This is Ma Chao's unauthorized taking of public property!"

Guo Tu said, "His Majesty is holding a grand banquet for the generals today. Perhaps we should meet with Minister Xin later, so as not to disturb His Majesty and the generals' enjoyment!"

Zhang Yu pondered for a long time, glanced at the generals' performance at the banquet, and then had an idea. He said, "We should summon Xin Pi into the palace now; the matter should not be delayed!"

"Your Majesty~"

Guo Tu, worried about the negative impact, reminded His Majesty: "The world is not yet at peace, and we are in dire need of capable people. Your Majesty should think carefully!"

"I have my own plan!" Zhang Yu emphasized.

"Yes!" Seeing that Zhang Yu had made up his mind, Guo Tu stopped trying to persuade him and instead had someone lead Xin Pi into the hall.

A short while later, Xin Pi, dressed in official robes and with a solemn expression, entered the hall. The generals, seeing Xin Pi suddenly enter the hall and not knowing his purpose, all cast curious glances at him.

"Grand Counselor Xin Pi greets Your Majesty!" Xin Pi said, bowing.

"You request an audience outside the palace, what brings you here?" Zhang Yu seemed unaware of the impeachment matter and smiled, "Would you like to have a drink with the generals?"

“Your Majesty, I have come to the palace this time to impeach General Ma Chao, who is in charge of the Eastern Expedition!” Xin Pi said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the generals at the banquet fell silent and all looked at Ma Chao. Ma Chao looked astonished, wondering why Xin Pi had impeached him.
"What is the reason for the impeachment?" Zhang Yu asked, composed himself.

“Today, Ma Chao passed through Xiliu Post Station and took four shi of bran from the station without authorization. According to the current law, a post station official who embezzles more than three shi should be dismissed from his post and punished. Ma Chao is a general of the country. Although his crime is different from that of the post station official, he should still be taken into consideration!” Xin Pi said.

Zhang Yu looked at Ma Chao, whose face was full of astonishment, and asked, "Is this true?"

Seeing that it was Zhang Yu who asked the question, Ma Chao hesitated for a few moments before admitting, "What Doctor Xin said is true, but the bran was borrowed from the post station and was not taken illegally. I am willing to have someone return it tenfold as repayment!"

Although Ma Chao was confident in his achievements, he dared not be presumptuous in front of Zhang Yu. Moreover, in Ma Chao's eyes, what was wrong with taking four shi of bran from the post station? It was just a piece of bran; he could simply return it.

Xin Pi shook his head and said, "Taking property without permission is already illegal. Even if it is returned a hundredfold, what use is it? It's like when the general injured someone, and that person recovered. Does that mean the general can say that he should not have injured that person?"

"This~"

Ma Chao was so embarrassed by Xin Pi's retort that he didn't know how to reply.

“Meng Qi’s family has a fiefdom to provide for them, and they have no shortage of bran and rice to eat. Why are they taking rice from Xiliu Post Station without permission?” Zhang Yu asked.

"Your Majesty~"

Ma Chao blushed and said, "When I passed through Xiliu Post Station, I found the rice there delicious, so I took several bushels without permission. I intend to return it later!"

“Your Majesty, General Ma has taken bran without permission, which violates the law. I hope Your Majesty will govern the country and rectify the people’s customs!” Xin Pi said.

Zhang Yu frowned and said, "Ma Chao is guilty of taking bran without permission, but it doesn't amount to bribery. Besides, Ma Chao has just received his military honors; how can we punish him without considering his hard work?"

Seeing that Zhang Yu had no intention of punishing Ma Chao, Xin Pi became anxious, while Ma Chao secretly rejoiced. However, Zhang Yu's subsequent words caused a significant change in their expressions.

Zhang Yu then added, "Considering Ma Mengqi's merits in conquering Shu, and the small amount of bran he took, I will not punish him for now, but order him to repay it a hundredfold. However, because of Ma Mengqi's past merits, I will bestow another fifty shi of bran upon you, and I hope you will personally carry the bran out of the palace!"

Xin Pi, Ma Chao, and the other generals were astonished, unable to discern whether Zhang Yu was rewarding or punishing them. If it was punishment, he made Ma Chao carry a hundred bushels of bran out of the palace. But if it was a reward, Zhang Yu had indeed bestowed a hundred bushels of bran upon him.

While the others were perhaps confused, Jia Xu was the first to understand Zhang Yu's intention. Zhang Yu simply wanted to make Ma Chao ashamed of carrying bran and rice, so that Ma Chao would break his habit of greed for small gains.

"how?"

Zhang Yu asked slowly, "You don't want the reward?"

"willing!"

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Although Zhang Yu spoke softly, Ma Chao dared not refuse and could only agree with tears in his eyes.

One shi of rice is roughly equivalent to sixty jin of rice in modern times, so fifty shi would be three thousand jin of rice. If Ma Chao wanted to carry three thousand jin of rice, he would have to make at least fifty round trips. The sheer hardship of carrying it from the palace to his residence is unimaginable!

Not only that, when Ma Chao carried rice through the streets, he would likely be pointed at and gossiped about, which would be an unspeakable humiliation for him.

As everyone gradually recovered, they understood Zhang Yu's intention. This wasn't a reward, but a warning to Ma Chao. Those who had broken the law, seeing Zhang Yu's method of punishment, lowered their heads, fearing discovery and investigation!
Zhang Yu rose from the couch and said, "If a general can abide by military regulations in the army, why is it so difficult for him to abide by the law?"

"I do not wish to see Ma Chao again, and I hope all of you are aware of this!"

"Your Majesty's admonition has been carefully remembered by us!" The crowd was startled and responded in unison.

"good!"

The fact that generals could bow down to Zhang Yu did not mean they were docile. On the contrary, due to their outstanding achievements, they often held themselves in high esteem, and Zhang Yu had occasionally heard of them committing illegal acts. Previously, in order to pacify the world, Zhang Yu had tried his best to handle such situations discreetly.

Now that Shu has been conquered, if some generals are not reminded and disciplined, they will surely become arrogant and commit more illegal acts. Therefore, Zhang Yu must give them a warning; only by making an example of them can they be feared. Thus, Zhang Yu changed his previous style and insisted on questioning them in front of everyone.

Of course, one cannot truly kill the chicken, lest someone feel a sense of shared sorrow. Therefore, to achieve the purpose of punishment without offending the meritorious official, Zhang Yu, after some consideration, decided that making Ma Chao carry rice as a laborer was a good solution.

With Ma Chao's incident, the banquet quickly came to an end.

After the banquet, Ma Chao, looking utterly dejected, carried bran on his back. To avoid being seen, he deliberately walked slowly. Some generals, perhaps intentionally teasing him, deliberately stopped to meet him. Upon seeing the group, Ma Chao walked away, his face filled with shame.

As he traveled along the road, Ma Chao was drenched in sweat. Seeing the people pointing and whispering about him, he inwardly groaned. He was both furious at Xin Pi for impeaching him and regretful for his greed for petty gains. (End of Chapter)