Fu Shanhe

Chapter 547 Whoever's Territory, Rules

Yong'an, the residence of the Marquis of Hanshui.

This Spring Festival was unusually quiet because of the mourning period.

The Marquis's residence closed its doors to visitors, much to the dismay of countless people who came hoping to curry favor with him.

Fortunately, although I didn't meet the person in question, I managed to deliver the gift, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Li Mu was fully aware of what these people were thinking.

They simply felt that with chaos looming, they wanted to establish connections with the most powerful faction at the lowest possible cost.

No matter how much he claimed to be a loyal minister, the strength of the Annam Protectorate was undeniable, and among all the warlords in the land, it was still the most likely to seize power.

If the situation in Da Yu deteriorates further, he will be drawn into the chaotic struggle for power, whether he likes it or not.

Whether it's to help the country or to rise to power, making friends with them is valuable.

Even if the worst-case scenario doesn't happen, getting in touch with him will make business at sea much easier.

The navy of the Annam Protectorate had effectively gained control of the seas of Dayu, except that it did not directly collect tolls.

More than 80% of the best ports and wharves along the southeast coast were controlled by the Protectorate General's Office.

The higher one's own value, the more people will want to curry favor with them.

In fact, those who are only now joining in are already considered slow to react.

The truly powerful and influential families had already established connections through various social groups and noble residences several years ago.

Even the Jiangnan gentry group, which had previously collapsed, was a partner of the Marquis's mansion before its downfall.

A wide network of contacts can be helpful in the early stages of career development.

As we move into the later stages, things will change.

What were once helpful allies can gradually turn into parasites that leech off the team because of their own self-interest.

Historically, founding monarchs slaughtered meritorious officials partly to eliminate potential dangers, and partly because there were too many parasites sucking the blood of the empire.

Those who threaten imperial power and those who are too greedy parasites cannot survive either.

Many people can understand history, but once they are involved in it, they are often blinded by self-interest.

The downfall of the Jiangnan gentry group stemmed from greed.

Li Mu didn't want to cause himself any trouble, so he decided to use someone else to do his dirty work.

The effect was very obvious; not only were potential dangers eliminated, but they also inherited part of their legacy.

The fleet and shipyard that this group painstakingly built, as well as the sailors and craftsmen they trained, were all legally absorbed.

Due to the influence of the general environment, in order to avoid affecting the family's reputation, these businesses are mostly held by businessmen on behalf of others.

Even among members of the same clan, everyone has their own private property.

The businesses that are publicly known are known to everyone, but those that are shady and cannot be seen in the light of day are hidden even by brothers of the same clan.

At most, they know that they are in contact with each other.

Whether the businessmen are paying protection money or are simply working for them, no one except the parties involved knows for sure.

With these inherent advantages, Li Mu, who got the biggest slice of the pie, remained hidden behind the scenes throughout the entire process.

On the contrary, the nobles who moved south and the gentry and powerful families in the north made a great fuss over dividing up the land and property of the gentry in Jiangnan, which attracted a lot of hatred.

After all, compared to those uncertain "black market" assets, ancestral homes and farmland are the true inheritance of one's ancestors.

“My husband, except for a few families with whom we have lost contact, we have sent gifts to all our relatives and friends for the holidays.”

But I made no prior preparations for these new families, and now it's too late to arrange return gifts!

Jing Yaqing said with a troubled expression.

Reciprocity is a matter of etiquette and custom.

The Dayu region is a society based on personal connections; those who do not follow the rules are bound to be criticized.

"Madam, why bother with such trivial matters?"

My husband accepting their gifts is a gesture of respect, not an invitation to include them in the Marquis's social circle.

It's far too presumptuous to think that one can establish a connection with the Marquis's mansion based solely on a single gift exchange, without any prior acquaintance.

Let's ignore them for a while and see how they behave later.

Li Mu said calmly.

He is still quite willing to expand his network as long as it doesn't involve personal gain.

These connections may seem insignificant now, but they could become a powerful asset when vying for power in the future.

At least in stable areas, these local strongmen can play an important role.

If the advantage is obvious, some regions can be pacified by issuing a proclamation, which can save a lot of time.

However, expanding your network doesn't mean accepting just anyone.

Only those who are wise enough to know when to advance and retreat are of value to learn from.

"Husband, if this gets out, people will probably be furious."

You may not care about the gift list, but I have seen it. Every family here is very generous.

Such a generous gesture must mean he has something in mind.

It's inconvenient to return the gift now, so in my humble opinion, it would be better to refuse it.

Jing Yaqing said with a smile.

Being lavish was useless; she'd seen it all.

Even mountains of gold and silver are nothing to a powerful family like the Marquis's mansion.

As the rule-maker, the Marquis of Hanshui's mansion has access to far too many resources, making a fortune in any business they do.

Failure is impossible; even if an investment goes wrong, someone will help revive the business.

"Ha ha……"

"My lady, if I don't accept it, I will be unable to eat or sleep properly!"

"Just wait and see, the line of people coming to give gifts will only get longer and longer."

The more chaotic the Great Yu Dynasty becomes, the more lively things will be on our side.

If you're always thinking about returning the favor, it'll probably exhaust you.

After you've registered and compiled the list, just send me a copy.

You can handle the gifts as you see fit.

If you feel embarrassed, arrange for a local specialty to be given to the visitor as a return gift from the Marquis's residence.

These specialties should not have any markings; they can be scarce, but the price should not be too high.

After you receive the items, you can handle them as you please; you don't need to tell me.

Li Mu was also very happy to see his wife emerge from her grief.

It turns out that keeping busy is the best way to distract yourself from your emotions.

He didn't have much affection for these people who brought him gifts, but he didn't dislike them either.

At the very least, these people helped him appease the mistress of the Marquis's mansion.

The value of the gift is secondary.

From this perspective, this move is quite hypocritical.

The laws of the Annam Protectorate explicitly prohibit officials from exchanging gifts in any form.

Accepting gifts from businessmen is a particularly serious offense.

There's no other way; this is an essential part of curbing corruption.

The Annam Protectorate could operate in this way because it had its own internal system.

The Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Military Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Political Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Supervision used within the Protectorate were actually evolved from the Six Ministries and Censorate of the Great Yu Dynasty.

A closer look at the organizational structure reveals that this is essentially a replica of the new dynasty, only without an official public display. The officials in each department are privately appointed by the Protectorate General, unregistered with the Great Yu court, and without any official rank.

Legally speaking, these people were all his personal advisors as the Marquis of Hanshui.

Since they are management staff, they naturally set the rules themselves.

Of course, such concealment could not fool those who were interested; it was just that the Great Yu court chose not to see it.

The only requirement the officials in the court had for him was "don't rebel," and everything else was negotiable.

"I understand what to do!"

"But my husband, things have been quite lively outside lately."

Rumors circulate that you intend to reform the imperial examination system.

"To seize the initiative, quite a few people have recently come to me asking for information."

Jing Yaqing offered a tactful reminder.

The imperial examination system was the Achilles' heel of scholars, and reforming it had far-reaching implications; a slight misstep could lead to major chaos.

The gentry group doesn't have much influence in Annam Protectorate, but that doesn't mean they don't care.

Given Li Mu's position in the court, if he wanted to push things forward, he could easily involve the Great Yu court as well.

As a group with vested interests, they certainly do not want the imperial examination system to change.

If a reform plan had been clearly proposed, they would naturally have jumped out to oppose it, but unfortunately, it was just a rumor.

There are no concrete plans, and if you want to object, you don't know where to start.

Given Li Mu's prestige, no one dared to be certain that the imperial examination reform would fail, and some astute individuals were making contingency plans.

We must oppose the reform of the imperial examination system, but we cannot be fixated on it.

If Li Mu's reform of the imperial examination system succeeds, they will be able to gain an advantage by having firsthand information.

"Those messages were deliberately leaked by my subordinates."

Further reform information will be released gradually to gauge public reaction.

When the time is right, we will conduct a pilot program in the Annam Protectorate.

If the results are significant, then it can be promoted worldwide.

Li Mu frankly stated.

If he were within the territory of Dayu, he certainly wouldn't have pushed for the reform of the imperial examination system at this time.

The internal resistance is too intense; forcibly pushing forward will hardly achieve the desired results.

After all, any institutional reform needs someone to implement it.

We cannot expect a group of vested interests who depend on the imperial examination system to turn against themselves in order to promote reform of the imperial examination system.

There was no gentry group in Annam Protectorate, and the civil officials were a group of outsiders without any foundation. The dominant group was the military merit group.

Military officers did not need to take the imperial examinations, but their sons mostly studied at the garrison academy. Li Mu's reforms to the imperial examinations were most beneficial to these students.

Those who became beneficiaries were the natural supporters of the imperial examination reform.

With the military's support, the reform is half successful; the other half depends on its implementation.

Releasing rumors now is just one tactic in the reform process.

Influenced by Confucian culture, the Chinese people highly value the doctrine of the mean.

The best option for successful reform is to first introduce a radical reform plan that will provoke strong opposition from all sides.

Then, if a slightly more moderate solution is presented, everyone's resistance will be greatly reduced.

I don't expect to gain everyone's support; as long as some intellectuals are willing to support it, this reform will be considered a success.

After all, there are so many talented people in the world, he can't possibly entrust them all with important tasks.

It would be enough to govern the country by selecting his own people from among the many scholars who were willing to support him and promoting and giving them important positions.

"If that's the case, my husband, you'd better be prepared to be scolded."

It is said that some great scholars have already planned to travel from China to persuade you to change your mind.

"If you get scolded, just take them to the yamen (government office), don't bring them to your residence."

Jing Yaqing said with a gloating expression.

Her noble family background naturally made her dislike those pedantic scholars.

When they were in the capital, there was a disagreement in the court. In order to exert public pressure, the civil officials organized students to shout insults in front of the Duke's mansion.

When they encountered that group of people who valued scholars over warriors, even the Duke's mansion was left looking utterly humiliated.

Of course, this group didn't fare well either; two years later, the leaders died one after another in accidents.

The civil official who orchestrated the events behind the scenes also met with an accident in prison after losing the factional struggle.

Because there was no evidence, the eunuch faction ultimately took the blame.

"Don't worry, Madam."

Once they've gathered, I should head to the front lines.

With rough seas at sea, it's understandable that ships might lose their way and end up in the wrong place.

The barbarians overseas lack education and are in dire need of great Confucian scholars like these to go and enlighten them!

Li Mu answered in a very serious manner.

The title of "great Confucian scholar" might be very useful within the territory of Da Yu, but here it is the Annam Protectorate.

Whoever's territory it is, they're in charge.

If you give them face, they are great scholars; if you don't, they are just a bunch of old scoundrels.

Lost at sea for months, given their physical condition, they would be half-dead if they didn't die.

Sending people overseas may seem like a hassle, but it's actually a subtle way of showing off our strength.

The outside world only knows that the Annam Protectorate is powerful, but no one has a precise idea of ​​exactly how powerful it is.

Those who can become great Confucian scholars are all intelligent people.

If someone were truly incorrigible, they would have died young and would never have achieved success.

Having witnessed the strength of the Annam Protectorate, reason will help them change their stance.

Even if you don't consider yourself, you have to consider the descendants of your clan.

Even if someone is desperate to make a name for themselves in history and is prepared to use him to boost their reputation, they still need to be able to meet him in person.

If someone dies on the road due to poor health, their name will not be recorded in official history.

There's no way around it; in this era where academic mutual flattery is prevalent, the title of "great Confucian scholar" has been severely devalued.

Throughout the entire Great Yu Dynasty, there were dozens of widely recognized Confucian scholars.

Of course, no matter how much it depreciates, it still has value.

While I can't say I can effortlessly compose poems and songs, I do have one or two special skills.

If you have nothing, you can't make a sound even if you want to.

However, when viewed in the context of the entire Chinese civilization, it becomes insignificant.

Without a few classic works or a self-contained system of prominent academic thought, how can we stand alongside the sages of the past?

If they did not participate in major historical events, their lives would not be recorded in official histories.

"Husband, if you're not afraid of being criticized by all the scholars in the world, then go ahead and do it!"
I've heard Africa is nice; they're famous for producing Kunlun slaves, they should like that.

Li Mu was speechless after hearing his wife's witty remark.

Westerners are really shameless. It's one thing for them to colonize Asia, but they even dared to engage in the slave trade.

Deep down, he had already made up his mind to turn around and take legal action to prohibit the slave trade.

Black slaves appearing in the Annam Protectorate were not only to be confiscated, but also to be fined ten times the amount.

(End of this chapter)