Chương 558: Curfew System

Outside the city, the workshops operated in three shifts, working twelve hours a day. The furnaces burned day and night, and craftsmen and workers took turns working, with the clanging of iron hammers never ceasing.

The canal wharves outside the city were extremely busy, with merchant ships docking day and night, loading and unloading goods without regard to dawn or dusk. Goods from the north and south poured into the capital in an endless stream, including rice, flour, cooking oil, silk, cloth, ironware, and timber, piled up like small mountains.

As people become wealthier, they are no longer willing to adhere to the old custom of staying home after dark.

Nighttime outings, shopping, and leisure activities have become commonplace. After dinner, people take their families for a stroll, buy some trinkets, and listen to a tune. Life is wonderful.

However, the ancient curfew rules that have been followed for thousands of years remain unchanged. The new aspects of people's lives collide fiercely with the old court regulations, and the contradictions become increasingly acute.

One is the stark reality, the other is the rigid rule; neither will yield to the other.

In recent months, the desks of the Luoyang Prefecture government office have been piled high with two types of documents: petitions from night market vendors requesting extended business hours, and files from security officials reporting nighttime brawls and thefts.

The two stacks of documents were taller than a person, making the Prefect of the Capital's hair fall out in clumps.

...

Liu Ce was concerned about the stability of the capital and the livelihood of the people, so he specially gave up his New Year's holiday. In previous years, he would have been in the backyard flying kites with the children at this time.

He has now urgently summoned all the civil and military officials to the Liangyi Hall to discuss a major plan for nighttime control of the capital.

The officials were grumbling inwardly about not being allowed to rest during the Lunar New Year, but no one dared to speak out.

After a moment of silence in the court, Yang Biao, with his full head of white hair and upright posture, stepped forward first.

Holding his court tablet, Yang Biao bowed deeply to Liu Ce, who sat on the dragon throne, his tone earnest and solemn:

"Your Majesty, the new capital, Luoyang, now gathers a million people of diverse and varied origins. Immigrants from the north and south, demobilized soldiers, merchants from all directions, artisans from various regions... all have converged in one city. Among them are also many remnants of powerful families, private soldiers of fallen noble families, and outlaws fleeing the chaos of war. The people are mixed together, their hearts are unpredictable, and there is a motley crew of good and bad.

Among these million people, who can tell which are good citizens and which are villains?"

"It has been less than three months since the capital temporarily relaxed the nighttime ban, and chaos has already broken out in the city, with problems frequently arising. Last month, the Luoyang Prefecture submitted a security report, showing that within just a few days, there were seven burglaries, three arson incidents, and five innocent civilian lives lost. Street fights and hooligans causing trouble are happening every night. They fight and run away, only to come back again.

The patrolling constables simply can't catch them all."

He became increasingly anxious as he spoke, his brow furrowed with fear and unease.

"If Your Majesty continues to allow the night to be unrestrained, within three months, the entire capital will be rife with thieves, chaos will break out everywhere, and people will be filled with fear and unease."

"At that time, the prosperous foundation built up by our Great Han Dynasty through years of implementing new policies, and the stable situation achieved through the Five-Year Plan, will vanish in an instant, causing endless trouble! This old minister can't sleep at night; every time he closes his eyes, he dreams of streets full of bandits."

After speaking, Yang Biao bowed deeply once more, his attitude unwavering:

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you immediately issue an imperial edict to restore the old curfew system that has been followed throughout the ages. When the evening bell tolls, all the city's gates and streets should be tightly closed, and after dusk, pedestrians should be strictly prohibited from moving about freely. This ancient system will solidify the foundation of the capital and safeguard the stability of the court! The laws of our ancestors must not be abandoned!"

After Yang Biao's earnest advice, the entire Liangyi Hall fell silent instantly.

The elderly Confucian officials in the hall nodded slightly and whispered their agreement.

Kong Rong stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, his expression clearly saying, "That's right, that makes sense."

Wang Yun chimed in, tapping his ceremonial tablet lightly with his fingers, as if to say, "Finally, someone has spoken out."

In their deeply ingrained belief, closing doors at sunset and prohibiting travel at night are timeless rules of nature; people should sleep at night, and those who go out are bad people.

Only by strictly adhering to the curfew can we maintain social stability.

The night should be silent and still, and it is proper for people to stay at home and do their duty at night.

Kong Rong stepped forward and added, "Lord Yang's words are absolutely correct. I recall that the Zhou Li states: 'The Siwushi is in charge of the night, dividing the night by the stars, and issuing edicts to the night officials to enforce the curfew.' The curfew system has existed since ancient times, not unique to the Han Dynasty. If it is easily abolished, it may go against the natural order and disrupt the balance of Yin and Yang."

Wang Yun nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed, the night is when thieves are most active, and the ancient system was precisely to prevent such incidents. Relaxing the restrictions now is tantamount to opening the door to thieves. Confucius once said, 'At night, no one knows what is happening,' which is exactly the point."

Although the young officials harbored their own thoughts, they dared not openly contradict the veteran officials of the previous dynasty. They could only lower their heads and remain silent, secretly glancing at Liu Ce's expression.

The political situation in the court instantly shifted towards a full restoration of the ancient curfew, and it seemed the veteran officials were about to succeed.

Just as the conservative faction was gaining the upper hand, a calm and composed voice slowly rang out, breaking the silence in the hall.

"Lord Yang is loyal to the country and concerned about the security of the capital. This kind of heart is truly admirable."

Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan stepped forward calmly, his official robes simple and neat. He carried a thick stack of the Ministry of Revenue's general account books, each over half a foot long, which was taller than his head when stacked up.

"But Lord Yang only saw the stability brought by strictly adhering to the ancient system, but failed to see that the current situation of the world has already undergone earth-shattering changes. The Han Dynasty of today is no longer the chaotic world of the past, where people's livelihoods were impoverished and all industries were in decline."

With people's pockets bulging, their minds are more active. Look at the account books of the previous dynasty, and then at the current ones—the difference is unbelievable.

He has always been pragmatic and insightful, well-versed in the pros and cons of people's livelihoods, and has always prioritized the country's finances and the people's livelihoods when dealing with matters. In his eyes, rules are rigid, but people are flexible. What's the use of following rules if you can't even get enough to eat?

To put it bluntly, he's incredibly shrewd at calculating costs and benefits; he knows better than anyone which policies are worthwhile and which aren't.

Shen Wansan slowly opened the heavy account book and, in front of all the civil and military officials, read aloud the detailed data, his words clear and accurate, his voice echoing in the spacious hall:

"After several years of implementing the new policies, the industry and commerce of the Han Dynasty have risen rapidly. In Luoyang alone, there are more than 170 workshops of all sizes that operate day and night, and there are more than 12, 700 night craftsmen working in shifts all year round."

These craftsmen worked in three shifts, keeping the furnaces burning day and night, and their ironware, porcelain, and cloth were sold all over the country. If the old curfew rules had been followed, the entire city would have been ordered to stop work and travel as dusk fell, all the workshops would have their furnaces extinguished, all the craftsmen would have gone home and closed their businesses, and the production lines that ran day and night would have come to a complete standstill.

The stagnation of this one industry alone will reduce Luoyang's tax revenue by tens of millions of coins annually, causing severe damage to the national treasury! Ten million coins! How many roads could that build? How many schools could that be? Lord Yang, have you even considered that?"

As soon as the words were spoken, many officials in the hall felt a jolt in their hearts, as if they had been punched in the chest.