Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 785 The Favor of the Ming Taizu Can Never Be Repaid

Don Sailor was not entirely unprepared for Jeanne's advice. On the contrary, she was clearly prepared for decisions regarding the war.

However, Jeanne reminded her that there were still some issues she needed to consider.

"Have you ever wondered why so many people from different places, speaking different languages, can come together?" she asked Tang Sai'er.

“It’s because of credibility.” Tang Sai’er said without hesitation: “Confucius said that people have always died, but a country cannot be established if the people cannot trust it. When a country has credibility with its people, the people will be willing to risk their lives to fight for the country. So, it is credibility that plays a role in organizing this army.”

“I think so too.” Lady Jeanne nodded. “The reason so many people from different places can gather together is because of the reputation that the Wu Prince’s Mansion has built up over the years.”

"Over the years, we have fought many battles and mobilized soldiers many times. Looking back, I think that everyone's trust actually comes from the little things in everyday life, from fairer treatment, more reasonable taxes, and more reliable support. Many things may not seem important, but at crucial moments, the power they bring can be very strong. Even when the old King Wu suffered a series of defeats, everyone did not waver much and still hoped that the Ming Dynasty could recover. That is the power of credibility."

“Actually, I don’t think anyone really blamed him,” Tang Sai’er couldn’t help but say frankly. “Because those who know the situation understand that he was simply too incompetent; he didn’t mean to cause trouble…”

“Ah, no…” Lady Jeanne was about to continue reasoning, but after hearing what she said, she couldn’t hold back anymore: “You don’t have to say that to people. Besides, on the battlefield, lack of skill is the biggest problem. If it’s just because of a good attitude, it doesn’t explain why everyone can still stay united.”

"The Zhu family has a good reputation. They just need to show their stance, and people will accept it—even if what they actually do is hindering things," Tang Sai'er complained. "Don't even mention here, even back in my hometown, when things couldn't take it anymore and we were preparing to rebel, some people thought it was unnecessary. Everyone should still trust the court and believe that the higher-ups are definitely well-intentioned, but they've just been blinded by corrupt officials..."

“I’ve heard Wen Kui mention this before. Judging from the outcome, there’s nothing wrong with what he said,” Jeanne could only advise.

“The main thing is that many people have said this from the beginning,” Tang Sai’er said with a wry smile. “We couldn’t stand the frequency of the forced labor, so the village elders went to the county government to reason with them, but the magistrate wouldn’t listen at all and even ordered his yamen runners to drive them away. They said that the magistrate has always had a bad reputation, but the higher-ups certainly wouldn’t tolerate him. We can take a risk and go to the prefecture to file a complaint, bypassing the county.”

"Going to appeal to higher authorities is very risky. Officials particularly hate this kind of behavior, so no matter who wins or loses, they will be targeted and retaliated against by the government. However, the situation was too serious at that time, and we couldn't think too much about it. So we asked the scholars in the village who had taken the exams and worked in the government office to go to the prefecture to appeal."

"As a result, the prefect shared the same attitude as the county magistrate, and even blamed us, saying that the person we sent was a litigious lawyer who always helped people with lawsuits and was good at stirring up trouble. He said that this time he was also deliberately trying to sow discord and disrupt the government's administration. The government, including some of the people, really didn't like this kind of person. It just so happened that this scholar had previously helped people write legal petitions in the county, so he was detained and beaten up as a troublemaker."

“I thought it was only here that lawyers had such a bad reputation…” Jeanne exclaimed.

“It’s the same. We don’t really consider these people to be respectable people over there. We don’t like them much.” Tang Sai’er nodded. “Of course, compared to yamen runners, lawyers are a little better. After all, lawyers manipulate the law and exploit loopholes to make a profit. But the yamen runners in our Great Ming Dynasty have never followed the law at all, so there’s no problem of exploiting loopholes.”

"That time was the same. And because everyone had high expectations, the sudden outcome caused an uproar among the villagers, who felt that the prefect was so corrupt. However, some people said that the local administration had always been incompetent, and the prefect and the county magistrate were probably in cahoots. But surely the imperial court wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for us? What benefit would they get from working us to death and starving us to death?"

"They feel that everyone is saying the province is arranging for everyone to raise military funds, but this kind of exploitation doesn't look like they're genuinely trying to work. Officials come down every day to pressure and harass the people, and the actual output is worse than if they just left it alone. It's something that we fellow villagers all know after discussing it. How could those bigwigs in the province not know? They've all studied their whole lives and served as officials their whole lives. They're arguably the smartest people in the world. They must understand this, right?"

"Even if he wants to bully us, he'll still be the one who suffers if he fails to complete the court's task. What good will that do him? Any old farmer who has ever used oxen knows that you can't overwork them; surely the elite talents who use people know this principle? It's probably just the government office deceiving its superiors. We should explain the situation to the provincial government, and that should be enough."

"...It seems that it wasn't explained clearly." Lady Jeanne didn't know what to say.

“Yes. Everyone was smarter that time. Afraid they would have an excuse, they asked me to step in. The village elders and gentry all went into hiding first, and the able-bodied men who helped were only sent to the provincial capital and then returned home. The matters in the city were left to me and two nuns to handle, so as not to let the government use this as an excuse to cause trouble. After all, the representative this time is just a young girl. They can't say I'm a litigious person or a troublemaker who's trying to cause trouble in the province, can they?” Tang Sai’er said.

"As it turned out, the provincial authorities were even harsher than the prefectural authorities. We couldn't even find a place to complain before the yamen runners came to arrest us; they were much better informed than the prefectural authorities. Luckily, I ran fast; there weren't many yamen runners sent by the government to arrest us yet. I knocked down two of them and quickly led everyone away. Only afterwards did I hear that in less than an hour, the commander had dispatched troops and completely surrounded our area." She shook her head: "How come they're not this efficient when they're fighting pirates..."

"Even at this time, there are still people who insist that when Emperor Taizu was in power, people were allowed to take the Great Proclamation to sue corrupt officials. It is said that some people here have even gone to Yingtian Prefecture and successfully sued. If it doesn't work in the province, people can go to the capital to sue again. I don't believe that they don't even recognize the ancestral teachings of Emperor Taizu."

"Fortunately, everyone has learned their lesson this time and has spoken up to persuade us, saying that it was only effective when the Great Ancestor was still alive. Back then, he led everyone to drive out the Tartars and clean up the gentry, so it was only useful for you to file a complaint. But now it is no longer the era of the Great Ancestor, so why are you still using the Great Proclamation?"

"So you didn't go?" Lady Jeanne asked. "It might not be the best way to put it, it might sound like hindsight, but actually, if you had gone, the outcome might have been different. After all, the imperial court really took it seriously."

“I think even if we go, the result will be the same.” Tang Sai’er shook her head: “The court is taking this seriously not because we filed a complaint, but because we actually killed a bunch of officials and raised the banner of rebellion.”

"Moreover, the right or wrong of this matter does not lie with us. We are just a group of ordinary people, and we have already considered and endured a lot for the country." She insisted, "When officials embezzle and break the law, doesn't it ultimately harm the emperor's interests? Isn't it the emperor's responsibility to deal with officials who violate regulations? If the emperor doesn't handle these matters, are we supposed to handle them? If the court mismanages and the people rebel as a result, are we to blame the people for not understanding the court?" "We can't say that the people are just commoners and that their opinions are insignificant, while at the same time dragging the people out every day and saying that their decisions are very important and will interfere with the court's governance and affect the outcome of important matters."

“…Alright, you’re not wrong.” Lady Jeanne had no choice but to admit it.

“Sigh, you are still a minor nobleman, and there are many people in society who are lower than you.” Tang Sai’er shook her head: “Some things are different in your eyes, aren’t they?”

“That’s not necessarily true. Don’t compare European nobles with your nobles.” Lady Jeanne shook her head repeatedly, but then suddenly realized halfway through her sentence: “You almost steered the conversation astray. Didn’t you say that the Zhu family had a good reputation, so people’s expectations were lower? Then how come after all these steps, they still rebelled in the end?”

"It's precisely because of their good reputation that they have so many steps," Tang Sai'er explained. "If you don't believe me, look back at the Yuan Dynasty. We skipped all four steps and went straight to rebellion. The current situation, to put it bluntly, is that everyone still remembers the kindness of their great-grandfather in driving out the Tartars and restoring China. I think the people here are probably similar."

“That’s right. In wars in Europe, if a monarch is at a disadvantage, it’s a miracle if his subordinates don’t scatter like birds and beasts. Having some loyal direct subordinates is considered a very strong position.” Jeanne nodded: “Their situation is indeed very rare.”

"However, you must also know that war is a matter of life and death for everyone, and even whether or not we can preserve our regime and the fruits of our labor over the years. If there are any factors that could affect our victory or cause the army to suffer greater losses, then the officers and soldiers will certainly not be able to accept it."

"If it's simply a matter of insufficient ability, like the old King Wu, people can understand and even actively seek solutions. But if subjective issues affect the war, then some people will definitely question it. You know, people trust the King Wu and his son, just like the people of the Central Plains trust Emperor Taizu, because they have truly given everyone so many benefits, making everyone remember their kindness. But if we don't cherish them, then they will be depleted very quickly."

"You mean my plan won't work? If he adopts it, people will feel that he's deliberately promoting me, and therefore they'll be dissatisfied?" Tang Sai'er immediately realized.

“No, I think you’re missing a step.” Lady Jeanne shook her head. “The biggest problem is that people may not actually reach that point, but Wen Kui is already so worried. He’s actually someone who values ​​his reputation and cares a lot about what others say, so he really does consider these consequences in advance.”

"And to be honest, if we can confirm that Jessica's strategy is better, we should support him unconditionally—even when both strategies are viable and it doesn't matter which one we choose. The reason might be a bit cold, but intuitively, people will trust Jessica more."

"Huh? Because they're closer?" Tang Sai'er asked curiously.

"Whether you know them or not is secondary. The difference is even more obvious when it comes to strangers." Jeanne shrugged and gave an example: "Suppose you don't know two people, but you have to choose one to take their orders and try to win. Now, let me tell you: one is a weathered old soldier who has even lost an eye; the other is a young girl who hasn't even grown her hair yet. Do you think most people would choose to listen to whom? —The battlefield is a place where you risk your life."

This was indeed a rather pointed question. Tang Sai'er was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer.

“Wen Kui must have thought of these things too. That’s why he’s so conflicted. On one hand, he doesn’t want you to suffer, but on the other hand, he’s very worried that if he adopts your suggestion, others might question it. If it succeeds, that’s fine, but if there’s a risk of failure, it will bring even wider questioning.” Lady Jeanne explained to her, “So, in this situation, it’s not a question of whose plan is better, but how to make everyone more convinced. This has gone beyond the basic military scope and involves many more areas.”

"So you mean..." Tang Sai'er scratched her head.

“What I mean is, if you really care about him, you should think about his feelings too,” Jeanne replied. “If we could ease his worries and prevent so many disagreements from arising before the war is even over, that would be great.”

“I can understand that.” Tang Sai’er indicated that she understood: “Okay, then I’ll think of a way—oh, it seems I already have a way.”

"What are you going to do?" Jeanne asked, somewhat surprised.

"I'll go find him, explain my ideas, and tell everyone that my strategy is more efficient than Lao Yang's," Tang Sai'er said without hesitation when the topic of war came up.

Jeanne had intended to advise her to tone it down, to stop initiating arguments, and to give up on this particular dispute. But Jeanne's sudden reversal caught everyone off guard.

“As you said, I need to put myself in his shoes and think about things from his perspective,” Tang Sai’er said. “If his decisions are easily questioned, then I’ll take the blame.”

"Thank you for helping me organize my thoughts." She hurriedly said to Jeanne, "I think I understand what to do. I'll head back now."

"Hey?"

(End of this chapter)