Sheng Fu

Chapter 1033 The Voice of Subduing Gold
Countless kings, nobles, generals, and ministers, when they first established their careers, said, "The people are the priority."

But later, somehow, it seems that all those in positions of power forgot about this saying.

Now, Fu Cheng has just established himself, and he has already encountered such an obstacle.

Zhang Ren addressed the crowd again in a serious tone: "Perhaps you feel sorry for this widow and her child, but I want to tell you that there are many people like them."

"Although bringing this widow and her child here today is truly a downer, as they have been starving for several days, the Northern Prince's mansion is filled with fine wine and delicacies, their aromas wafting far and wide. Even just smelling the aromas, let alone sitting down for a proper meal, is already a great torment for this mother and child."

"The reason I brought them here is simply so that you can all see what their living conditions are like."

"Although I am not very talented, I have still managed to settle quite a few people."

"But there's no other way. If we want you to see the truth clearly, we have to provide bloody examples."

"Although local finances are not exactly empty now, the wave of the new policies is too strong, and people's livelihoods have begun to decline."

"The practice of exchanging children to eat is not far removed from our own time."

"You are all worldly people, and you should understand that once a new wave begins, there will inevitably be many people taking advantage of the chaos."

"Looking back now, it seems that only scholars can truly appreciate the benefits of the new policies."

"Whether it's a new policy or an old one, all ordinary people want is to have enough to eat."

"If we could save some money after we've had our fill of food, that would be even better."

"But as far as I know, many landlords are now running out of food."

"Of course, these things will not affect you. You are all highly skilled, and many of you can even fly and disappear into the earth. You have never tasted the hardships of life."

"In this era of great strife, it would be inappropriate to implement new policies at this critical juncture."

“If the people can no longer survive, the entire human race will fall into complete chaos.”

"At that time, the territory of the human race will probably be less than that of the demon realm, which has already been shattered."

Fu Cheng looked at the widow and her child and felt a pang of pity, but he was even more worried that the widow and her child might accidentally die in the Northern Prince's mansion.

He then gave Guo Sheng a look.

Seeing this, Guo Shenghe, who was not far away, immediately teleported to the side of the orphan and widow, and greeted them gently, "You two have suffered too. Come with me, and I will give you a new set of clothes and a good meal."

"Don't be afraid. Coming to the Northern Prince's Mansion is like coming home."

Although Guo Shenghe disapproved of Zhang Ren's methods of using the suffering of the lower classes to gain attention, at this moment, the orphan and widow were truly suffering.

Of course, it is also possible that the lives of this widow and her child were merely bargaining chips used by Zhang Ren and other old forces to resist the new policies.

There are many things I know in my heart, but I can't say them out loud.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren revealed a contemptuous smile and said, "They are just an orphan and a widow. With the strength of the Northern Prince's Mansion, they can be easily settled. But there are countless people suffering now. May I ask how Your Highness the Northern Prince plans to settle them?"

Just as Fu Cheng was about to respond, Jiang Ping, who was not far away, also teleported to Fu Cheng's side in an instant.

"Of course we'll take care of things," Jiang Ping said firmly to Zhang Ren.

As he spoke, Jiang Ping gave Fu Cheng a reassuring look.

Having just joined the Northern King's faction, Jiang Ping naturally needed a proper pledge of allegiance.

Faced with Jiang Ping's sudden appearance, Zhang Ren was also slightly surprised. The sharpness in the young man's eyes made Zhang Ren, the elderly county magistrate, feel uncomfortable.

"How should I address this young friend?" Zhang Ren asked, staring intently at Jiang Ping.

Jiang Ping then bowed respectfully to the four directions and said loudly, "I am Jiang Ping, a scholar from a humble background. I have gained Your Highness's favor and will serve by Your Highness's side from now on."

"Tonight we should focus on political affairs, so I will not dwell on my personal feelings. Please forgive me for any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Upon seeing this, everyone nodded in greeting to Jiang Ping.

"So you're a scholar, huh? No wonder you're so enthusiastic about the new policies," Zhang Ren asked with a sarcastic tone.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ping's lips curled into a deep disdain. He then cleared his throat and addressed the crowd with a strong voice: "I come from a poor background, and naturally I have witnessed much suffering among the common people."

“Many years ago, I also saw some innocent people who, unable to afford to litigate, had no choice but to hand over their family’s land to others.”

"I have also witnessed the tragic scene of people selling their children."

"I am well aware of the suffering of those at the bottom of society."

"What Lord Zhang said was nothing new, even many years ago."

“In our northern region, for example, we have just experienced the work relief program, and most of the people at the bottom of society have regained their land and livelihood.”

"It is so terrible that there are still many people who cannot have their own sovereignty."

"To say nothing of the distant past, just a few years ago, Yuwen Jun came to the north to settle refugees, and hundreds of thousands of refugees were transferred to Hao'an City."

"This achievement is worthy of being recorded in history."

"But I want to ask, what if Yuwen Jun had never come to the North and had never settled those refugees?"

"May I ask, Lord Zhang, what should be done with these refugees?"

"Let them starve to death? Or let them kill each other?"

"Why didn't Lord Zhang speak out for the refugees back then?" This question sparked a murmur of discussion among the crowd.

If Yuwen Jun hadn't come to settle the refugees in the north, the people's lives in the north would probably be even more miserable now.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ren's expression immediately hardened, and he then retorted, "That's all in the past. Besides, Yuwen Jun's resettlement of refugees was only within the northern territory."

"But now that the new policy is being implemented, it will affect the entire human world. Under such a trend, the number of refugees will probably be even more countless."

Jiang Ping grinned and said, "Countless?"

"The new policy is not something that we people yearn for, but rather something that the majority of ordinary people long for."

"That's true. After all, Lord Zhang is the county magistrate. In a county, he is practically the king of heaven. His family members would not be slaves or maids. On the contrary, they have many servants and maids to serve them."

"May I ask those servants, don't they also wish to live in this world with dignity?"

“In the early stages of the new policy, there will indeed be many changes, such as public unrest, difficulties in local government affairs, and even unrest in some places.”

"Then may I ask you, Lord Zhang, if the old policies were truly good, would people still be concerned about the new ones?"

"Secondly, haven't similar situations occurred in the past?"

"If I remember correctly, during the time when Yuwen Jun was settling the refugees in the north, a large number of corrupt officials were already uncovered."

"Why can corrupt officials live a life of luxury, but ordinary people can't?"

"Compared to the poverty that has plagued people's livelihoods at the beginning of the new policies, which is more serious?"

"Most importantly, Lord Zhang clearly understands that as long as the new policy is implemented, all the current problems can be solved. So why doesn't Lord Zhang comply with the new policy?"

"On the contrary, Lord Zhang felt that the new policy had some negative effects and wanted to stop it."

"If a commoner's lawsuit involves the interests of high-ranking officials, would you, Lord Zhang, deal with the high-ranking officials or the commoners?"

"You can't pick on the weak!"

Jiang Ping's voice was full of energy, resonating throughout the entire Northern Prince's Mansion.

Fu Cheng's eyes flickered slightly; he hadn't expected Jiang Ping's words to be so sharp.

Jing Hanqing, Li Huaiyi, and other members of the Northern Seven-Character Law group were delighted to see Jiang Ping's current demeanor, and they were secretly happy for their senior brother.

Seeing Jiang Ping's impressive demeanor from not far away, Song Jian felt envious. He had just arrived and already found an opportunity to make a name for himself. However, as a military general, he was not skilled in speaking.

"Well said!" Duanmu Zhi praised Jiang Ping.

With Duanmu Zhi taking the lead, the rest of the people clapped and cheered.

Zhang Ren, however, remained expressionless and sneered, "So, young friend Jiang Ping, you think that the casualties caused at the beginning of the new policy are reasonable, and that those unlucky people should just starve to death?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ping laughed angrily and asked, "Then may I ask, who is in power now?"

"And who calls the shots in officialdom?"

"As the saying goes, an official should bring benefits to the region. Your salaries are quite good, so why do you face financial difficulties and instability in the local government when you encounter even the slightest setback?"

"Are your political achievements merely a series of carefully crafted memorials?"

Zhang Ren was furious; the little guy's antics were making him uncomfortable.

Jiang Ping persisted, saying, "The atmosphere in officialdom should have changed long ago. The reason you are afraid of the new policies is simply because you are worried about losing your official positions."

"It is well known that local chambers of commerce and local government have always been mutually supportive."

“If you are truly dedicated to the people, you only need to give a word to the local chamber of commerce, and prices will naturally not rise.”

"Even if most ordinary people are ignorant, they are not stupid. They would not do something that would make them starve and ruin their future."

"The new policy clearly states that everyone is equal. Is Lord Zhang perhaps afraid of equality? Afraid that no one will kneel and worship him anymore? Or afraid that once the new policy is implemented, many of his relatives and friends who are lining their pockets will lose their heads?"

"The suffering of the people today lies with the government, with those in power, and even more so with the unrest in the hearts of the people."

Upon hearing this, thunderous applause erupted throughout the Northern Prince's residence.

Zhang Ren sneered, "Young friend, you're just spreading alarmist rumors and have ulterior motives."

Jiang Ping sneered, "Officials of the old administration are naturally unable to implement the new policies."

"The biggest obstacle is still you vested interests."

"You always downplay the obvious things. You always say that the people are suffering, but you never talk about what you eat for three meals a day, how many women warm your bed in secret, how many people watch your face, or how many people serve you. You have never dared to say these things in front of the people."

Overcome with anger, Zhang Ren asked directly, "May I ask, young friend Jiang Ping, how should we settle these suffering people?"

Jiang Ping replied without any politeness: "Since you are not capable enough to settle the poor people, then you should abdicate and let a virtuous person take charge."

"What does Lord Zhang think?"

Inside the Northern Prince's mansion, deafening cheers erupted once again.

"Well said! These words really resonate with me!" exclaimed one of the disgruntled scholars.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren suddenly waved his sleeve and shouted angrily, "You young brat, you're being unreasonable and utterly incomprehensible!"