Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 314 Converting Rice Paddy to Mulberry Trees: A Solution to a Dilemma!
April 25th, the seventh year of the Xifeng reign.

The Huai River, its banks.

A gentle breeze blows across the river, causing the waves to rise and fall.

Scholars, merchants, peddlers, and laborers would occasionally stroll around or crane their necks to look on.

At a glance, it was clear that people of all ages had gathered, creating a sea of ​​people, numbering over a thousand.

Among them, there were even soldiers leading the way, one every five steps, creating an extremely solemn atmosphere.

Right in the center of the moored boat stood about thirty to fifty people, all dressed in crimson and purple.

Those with lower official ranks were prefects or assistant prefects of a prefecture.

Those with high official positions are the chief officials or principal officers of a department.

These thirty to fifty people could influence a state or a region; each of them was a busy man who shook the world.

In terms of this lineup, one could even shamelessly say that "all the officials of Huainan have gathered here."

The sheer scale and the impressive lineup are astonishing!

All of this is for one thing only—Grand Master Jiang Zhao is about to return to his hometown!
For ordinary people, the main reason was to catch a glimpse of the Grand Master's true appearance.

As a native of Huaidong, Jiang Daxianggong's existence has its own unique significance.

Throughout the century-long reign of the dynasty, many people from Huaidong have achieved high positions, even becoming prime ministers.

However, there was never anyone who could compare to Jiang Zhao even slightly.

There's no other reason than that Jiang Zhao holds an extremely high position in the hearts of the people of Huaidong!
Perhaps due to its location along the river, maritime transport along the Huainan East Road has always been quite developed.

The developed maritime trade naturally meant that Huainan East Road was a core beneficiary of the two major policies of heavy industry and commerce and the lifting of the maritime ban.

In the past five or six years, Huainan East Road has been a thriving commercial and industrial hub.

The flourishing of commerce meant that many people could use it to "change their fate against all odds".

The prosperity of industry and commerce also means the flourishing of the commodity economy and the emergence of capitalism.

Admittedly, capitalists are despicable!
However, it is undeniable that capitalism is a very advanced system compared to feudalism.

As a result, "labor costs" have gradually increased, and even ordinary people who simply do manual labor can become direct beneficiaries.

It can be said that since the second year of the Xifeng reign, everyone in Huainan East Road, from top to bottom, has benefited from the reform and innovation.

Ordinary people are ignorant, but they are also simple and honest.

The chief minister has benefited him, so he will naturally feel grateful.

Therefore, even though Jiang Zhao never returned to his hometown, his influence grew day by day, and his reputation became better and better.

In addition, Jiang Zhao is a typical positive character.

Throughout his life as an official, he was upright, selfless, and his reputation, fame, and political achievements were all top-notch.

Since Jiang Zhao came along, whenever people from Huaidong talk about the culture of Huaidong, they can stand tall and speak eloquently, using him as a model, with a confident air.

To put it bluntly, this is the living advertisement of Huainan East Road!

You know about the reform policies, right?

This was organized by people from Huaidong!

Expanding territory, you know?
This is an achievement of the people of Huaidong!

Unification, you know?
This is an achievement of the people of Huaidong!

Newspapers, cotton, maritime trade, bamboo paper, long rice, and semi-free education were all ideas from the people of Huaidong!

People from Huaidong have made great contributions to the country.

I'm from Huaidong, and I'm proud of it, is that wrong?
Jiang Zhao, who caused all of this, could be called the "leader of Huaidong," and that is no exaggeration.

It was a rare occasion for the Grand Master to return to his hometown, and the common people were naturally curious and eager to catch a glimpse of him.

For officials in Huaidong, the main reason was to avoid being impolite.

The Grand Master has returned to his hometown in glory, and you come to welcome him, but he may not remember you.

But you don't come
Hey!

Of course, this is only one aspect of the reason.

On the other hand, it was also really to curry favor with someone.

With the Grand Chancellor's influence, anyone who truly gains his favor can rise rapidly and achieve great success.

"what?"

"Where is Lord Wang?"

The newly appointed magistrate of Jiangdu County, Chen Fu, glanced at it briefly and frowned slightly.

Wang Gongchen, the pacification envoy, did not come?
"Lord Wang has just taken office and is busy with state affairs, so he hasn't come over yet," Deputy Envoy Yang Xuan approached and explained in a low voice.

Actually, he didn't quite understand Wang Gongchen's thought process either.

But this doesn't affect anything.

Anyway, even if someone suffers a loss, it will be Wang Gongchen who suffers.

As the deputy envoy for appeasement, he only needs to do his job well.

"this--"

Chen Fu frowned, looking somewhat displeased.

Furthermore, it is known that the administrative center of Huainan East Circuit was actually located in the center of Yangzhou City.

It's only about three to five miles from the Anfusi to the riverbank.

That's not that far, is it?

My good friend Zichuan, that's the Grand Chancellor who holds the reins of power over the entire country!
A mere pacification commissioner, you won't even give me this much face?
"All right."

Knowing son Moruo father.

Transport Commissioner Chen glanced at it, took a few steps and approached, whispering, "Don't cause trouble."

"Yes."

Chen Fu sighed and nodded quickly.

He's not stupid; he certainly wouldn't cause trouble recklessly.

However, this pacification envoy is rather incompetent!
Tsk~!

Not yet.

A touch of crimson gradually rose on the river surface.

"coming!"

Someone shouted, and the banks of the Huai River fell silent instantly.

But the river was like a ribbon, and a dozen or so large ships were sailing in an orderly fashion, creating a rather solemn scene.

Right at the bow of the ship, two large flags stood prominently.

One of them is the "national flag" promulgated by the central government. This flag cannot be raised without the permission of the central government or by someone who can represent the central government.

In short, whoever raises this flag.

Or, it could be the army representing the "public instruments" of the state.

Alternatively, it could be an individual who can represent the central government, namely a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet!
The remaining flag has one character written on it: Jiang!
The two large flags exude an aura of majesty and grandeur.

Hmm. With these two flags, no bandits will dare to cause trouble.

"Zhao'er, you've finally arrived!"

One man stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction.

However, it was the newly appointed Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Jiang Zhong, who had not yet arrived in the capital.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

A loud shout drew the attention of many people.

He was a scholar, around thirty years old.

After he started speaking, someone reacted and shouted loudly:

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

The two loud shouts touched many people.

Ever since.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

On both banks of the Huai River, only cries remain.

Enduring popularity!

Huaizuo, Pacification Commission.

"despair--"

"despair--"

With each rise and fall, with each step and movement.

The only sound was the faint patter of footsteps.

But then he saw that the Pacification Commissioner Wang Gongchen had his hands behind his back, looking troubled.

"despair--"

"Political achievements!"

"What achievements have you made?"

Wang Gongchen pondered, rubbing his temples, looking quite troubled.

He is in a hurry.

Very urgent.

There's no other reason than that his political achievements are crucial to his career.

Throughout history, without exception, all those who have entered officialdom have always aimed to become prime ministers and reach the highest ranks of the court.

Wang Gongchen was no exception.

In fact, compared to ordinary people, his expectation and desire to join the cabinet were much stronger.

After all, Wang Gongchen was a high-ranking official of the second rank.

A high-ranking official in charge of a region has very few people above him.

For such a person, the position of Grand Secretary in the Cabinet is never a fictional existence.

While it may not be tangible, it's not far off.

How could one not yearn for such a thing?
Once you enter the cabinet, you will rise to the highest position and be remembered in history.

Of course, this is precisely why Wang Gongchen is extremely distressed.

The main problem is that he seems to be having trouble getting promoted.

The only reason is a lack of political achievements.

Wang Gongchen has never been good at governing.

One of the main reasons he didn't get promoted in the last major performance evaluation was his poor performance.

Now, if his political achievements are still not good, then entering the cabinet is out of the question, and it will all be a complete waste of time.

Even reaching the second rank would likely be extremely difficult. "Political achievements."

Wang Gongchen frowned and muttered to himself.

at this time.

"grown ups."

With a soft call, Wu Yong, an official under the Pacification Commissioner, picked up the documents and walked over in a few steps.

"Has the eldest son returned to his hometown?" Wang Gongchen asked in a deep voice, as if he already knew.

"Yes."

"Your insight is truly remarkable, sir. Your words are spot on." Wu Yong nodded, offering his usual compliment.

"Who went?" Wang Gongchen asked again.

The fact that the Grand Chancellor voluntarily demoted himself must have been orchestrated by the government behind the scenes.

To avoid incurring the wrath of the officials and getting into trouble for no reason, Wang Gongchen chose to keep his distance and had no intention of currying favor with them.

Therefore, he did not even participate in the welcoming ceremony, but left the responsibility entirely to the deputy envoy.

However, giving the deputy envoy full authority does not mean that only the deputy envoy is involved.

Wang Gongchen was keen to find out who the other officials were involved in.

This incident also provides a general understanding of the relationships among officials in Huainan East Road.

"Pacifying Deputy Envoy, Transport Commissioner, Transport Deputy Envoy, Educational Commissioner, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Dean of Plum Blossom Academy, Director of the Ever-Normal Granary, Director of the Criminal Justice Department, Censor, Prefect of Ten Prefectures, Assistant Prefect, Sub-Prefect, and Militia Commissioner"

One name after another was announced.

The officials Wu Yong knew alone numbered thirty to fifty.

The other officials I didn't recognize were at least seventh or eighth-rank county magistrates, assistant magistrates, or county lieutenants.

Wang Gongchen's face darkened, and he was quite surprised.

So they all went!

Generally speaking, the Pacification Commissioner, the Transport Commissioner, the Grain Commissioner, and the Judicial Commissioner are the main governing bodies for each administrative route.

Since the Grand Chancellor implemented the new policies, the scale of the Censorate has increased significantly.

In the past, each circuit had only one supervising censor of the eighth rank, who was responsible for overseeing the circuit.

Nowadays, however, each county, prefecture, and circuit has its own independent censor.

Along the way, there might be dozens of censors, which suddenly made the scale much larger.

As its scale grows, its status naturally becomes incomparable to what it once was.

Thus, the Censorate became the fifth major body in a de facto sense.

Based on this, a rough glance reveals that, apart from him, none of the other officers and deputies of the major leadership teams were absent.

No, is that right?
In addition, academic officials and deans of academies are typical representatives of "academic" work.

The prefects, assistant prefects, and vice prefects of the ten prefectures were the "backbone" of governance.

Why do we have to go to all of them?
Aren't these people afraid of being implicated?
"Is there anyone who didn't go?" Wang Gongchen asked in a deep voice, his hands behind his back.

Everyone else went, but he didn't, which made him seem a bit inconsiderate.

Wu Yong paused, lowered his head slightly, and began to recall.

After about twenty breaths, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he quickly said:
"The magistrate of Haizhou claimed illness and did not go."

Upon hearing this, Wang Gongchen rubbed his temples and waved his hand.

The Vice Prefect of Haizhou was a descendant of Pang Ji and Lü Gongzhu.

Now, at the age of fifty-nine, I am about to retire.

It's only natural that the remnants of the Pang family, who were ousted from the cabinet by Han Zhang and Jiang Zhao, would harbor resentment.

It's not surprising that the prefectural magistrate of Haizhou, who was about to retire, would take this opportunity to secretly express his dissatisfaction.

"this--"

Wang Gongchen squinted and frowned repeatedly.

Of all the people with names and surnames, he was the only one who didn't go!

"Humph!"

"Whether you go or not, it doesn't make much difference."

Wang Gongchen shook his head, adjusted his mindset, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone is trying to curry favor with him simply because they believe that the Grand Master still has a chance to enter the capital."

"However, the world is so vast, it is not necessarily necessary to have the Grand Master."

"The Grand Chancellor's demotion was due to the Emperor's own calculations."

"In my opinion, it will be difficult for the Grand Chancellor to make a second trip to the capital!"

This statement is not entirely unfounded.

Generally speaking, with each version update, a new version will naturally emerge.

As for the sons of the old version, they are merely existing in the world.

Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao is clearly the "son of the old version".

The ship of the new era is destined to have no place for the people of the old era.

Even if the Grand Chancellor manages to gain power by chance, it will probably have to wait until the young prince Zhao Shen ascends the throne.

The key question is, when will the young prince ascend the throne?
Twenty years, thirty years?
too long!
Twenty or thirty years from now, how many of those who climbed up to them will still be alive?
Therefore, it is clear that there is almost no benefit to currying favor with the powerful official, so why bother?
Wu Yong lowered his hands and remained silent.

Of course, that's what he actually thought too.

Having spent so long by Wang Gongchen's side, his thinking had become quite similar to Wang Gongchen's.

"Just now, I noticed that you looked troubled."

Wu Yong pondered for a moment, then took the initiative to ask, "May I ask if you may speak to me about it?"

"Alright."

Wang Gongchen pondered for a moment, then nodded, making no attempt to hide his thoughts.

As an official under the Pacification Commissioner, Wu Yong was already fifty-five years old. He was not only a secretary but also a "secretary".

"Political achievements!"

"Wang is struggling with his political achievements."

Wang Gongchen, with his hands behind his back, said in a deep voice, "This year, I am fifty-seven years old. If my political achievements are insufficient, I fear my life will come to an end here!"

"Yeah~!"

Wu Yong was taken aback and couldn't help but ponder.

After about twenty breaths, as if he had made up his mind, he solemnly analyzed, "In my humble opinion, political achievements are nothing more than related to money."

"Once the financial problem is solved, everything else will fall into place."

Wang Gongchen nodded in approval.

Officials are traditionally evaluated based on their performance, with distinctions made between those who excel and those who fail.

Whether it's paying taxes or building water conservancy projects, the essence of it all boils down to "money".

With money, everything becomes easier.

Among them, the core of the performance evaluation is the annual tax revenue growth rate.

If the taxes paid increase year by year, it will attract attention and be considered to be of a superior standard.

"But how do I make money?" Wang Gongchen asked, slightly troubled.

Anyone can see that the core issue is money.

The problem is that money doesn't just appear out of thin air.

The Jiangnan region, in particular, has long been prosperous, and its industrial, commercial, and agricultural development is quite comprehensive.

Building upon this foundation, achieving further political success is no easy task.

"There have always been only two methods of taxation."

"For plunder, for governance."

Wu Yong, with a clear understanding of the situation, analyzed: "The Huainan region is extremely wealthy, with riches hidden among its people; it can be plundered."

"Establishing good policies leads to economic growth, which is the foundation of good governance."

In short, it's either about making money or building a large operation.

Of these, robbing money is relatively simple.

Whether it's fining street vendors for their business profits or raiding corrupt officials, these are all typical methods of accumulating wealth.

Implementing good policies is more difficult.

This method really tests one's skills.

"plunder?"

Wang Gongchen shook his head.

This approach won't work.

Huainan East Road is a dangerous place!
Since it involves plunder, it will inevitably touch upon the interests of local powerful clans.

Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to do this.

"Provincial administration?"

Wang Gongchenchen pondered for a moment, then asked, "Does Bangxian have a brilliant plan?"

"In my humble opinion, perhaps the people could be encouraged to grow valuable crops."

“In this way, we can collect sufficient taxes,” Wu Yong said respectfully.

The more expensive the crop, the more taxes are levied.

The word "破" here has a connotation of "bad idea".

"this--"

Wang Gongchen pondered for a moment, but remained silent.

However, their gazes grew increasingly bright.

……

Bianjing, the Imperial Study.

A ruler and a minister sat facing each other.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready."

The newly appointed Grand Chancellor, Han Jiang, picked up a document and passed it on.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying picked up the document, glanced at it, and nodded slightly.

Then, he raised his head and his gaze drifted into the distance.

We're going to Mount Tai soon!
I wonder if Jiang Qing has arrived safely in Huaizuo?

……

(End of this chapter)