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The great imperial sacrifices removed to the capital

A great economy was effected in 32 B.C. at the suggestion of the Confucian,
K'uang Heng, by moving the imperial sacrifices to the Supreme

One, to the Five Lords on High, and to Sovereign Earth, from Kan-ch'üan
Palace at Yün-yang (in the present central Shensi), from Fen-yin in
Ho-tung Commandery (in the present western Shansi), and from Yung
(Feng-hsiang, in the present western Shensi), respectively, to the capital,
where places for these sacrifices were established to the south and north
of the capital. The practise, which was continued down to Ch'ing times,
that the altar for the imperial sacrifices to Heaven and Earth should be
at the imperial capital, was thus inaugurated. This change was not,
however, made without qualms, especially as at the time of the change, a
storm uprooted more than a hundred great trees at the Kan-ch'üan altar.
When, in 14 B.C., Emperor Ch'eng was still without an heir, the Empress
Dowager restored the imperial sacrifices to their former places, and thereafter
Emperor Ch'eng traveled bi-annually to those places to perform the
usual sacrifices. Immediately after his death, however, the altars at
Ch'ang-an were restored, just as certain imperial ancestral temples, which
Emperor Yüan had abolished and restored, were finally abolished when
he died.

In addition to these economies, grants of taxes, noble ranks, money,
oxen, wine, silk, etc. were made at intervals of every few years; amnesties
were granted every two or three years; and approximately every three
years the Emperor asked for the recommendation of capable persons for
government service. In 18 B.C., a much lower price was put upon noble
ranks. In 15 B.C., noble ranks, official positions, and tax remissions
were given to those who made large contributions at the time of a famine.
When, in 16 B.C., it became apparent that more than four years' work
was insufficient to complete a second and grander tomb for the Emperor,
this tomb was given up and the Court Architect, who had planned the
second tomb, was punished, together with Ch'en T'ang, who had planned to
benefit by the real-estate development connected with the second tomb.
The imperial edicts show a sincere desire to secure a good and beneficent
government and to benefit the people. These edicts, however, had little
effect, for the Wang clan, not the Emperor, was selecting the officials,
and Emperor Ch'eng did little without the consent of this clan.