knife

Chapter 612 Becoming a Rule Maker

Human nature is inherently greedy.

Always wanting more.

Most people believe that the wealth in this world is finite; if others take more, they will take less, so they inevitably act cruelly and viciously.

Throughout history, countless famous rulers and ministers have held the same view.

Now Li Dachui tells them that wealth in this world is not fixed and can be increased through everyone's efforts.

This is a difference in perception.

It is also a limitation of the times.

If one can acquire more through more peaceful means, who would risk being condemned and criticized for gaining wealth?
If someone else had said these words, the people in the room would probably have just laughed it off, dismissing it as the ramblings of a madman.

But when Li Dachui says it, it carries a completely different weight.

Because he truly did it while he was outside the Great Wall.

The harsh, cold lands beyond the Great Wall,
With such a small population,

Li Dachui, however, led them to create a miracle of wealth.

These people also have their own information channels and know what the general situation is like outside the pass, such as the prosperity of core cities like Tai'an City, Baoping City, and Zhenwu City.

While most areas outside the Great Wall still have more wild animals than people, these densely populated cities are already as prosperous as major towns in the Jiangnan region.

"As for the second question that everyone is concerned about, the claim that our Beiting values ​​skills over principles, and that although there are imperial examinations, they have completely deviated from the original purpose of the examinations!" Li Dachui smiled and looked at Yue Qi and the others, saying, "You all have family traditions, and you are willing to share your family traditions with me here so that I can see whether you value skills or principles?"

Everyone was silent.

"For so many years, you've been deceiving the masses like this because you fear that once the vast number of scholars see through the tricks, you'll lose your competitiveness. So even though you've already controlled the imperial examination system, you still continue this deception, occasionally sending a few people up as figureheads." Li Dachui shook his head and said, "Actually, there's no need for that. In this world, very few people can afford to study. In our area outside the Great Wall, out of ten thousand people, no more than ten are literate. Perhaps it's a little better in Jiangnan! Even if we fully adopt the Northern Court's system for selecting officials in the future, how can ordinary people compete with a family with such a long history in such a short time?"

He sighed and said, "So what are you worried about? For most people, the end of their lives is the starting point for people from families like yours. If an ordinary person can still stand out under such unfair competitive conditions, then it can only mean that this person is a true talent, a treasure bestowed upon us by heaven. Shouldn't we make good use of him to create more wealth for us?"

"Utilize?" Huang Shang keenly caught the unusual word that appeared here.

Li Dachui chuckled: "You all know the Chang family from beyond the Great Wall, right?"

Who doesn't know the Chang family?
“They used to own vast tracts of land outside the Great Wall, monopolize countless industries, and command tens of thousands of troops,” Li Dachui said. “Now, they have none of that. Do you know why they still follow me without a single complaint?” Of course, no one could understand.

"Because they've retreated from the open to the shadows!" Li Dachui said calmly. "They've gone from personally fighting on the front lines to becoming the rule-makers. Gentlemen, do you know who's profiting the most?"

"The rule-makers!" Huang Shang blurted out.

“Exactly!” Li Dachui said, “If things continue as they are, after another one or two generations, ordinary people won’t even feel the existence of the Chang family. But do they really not exist? No, they are everywhere! Because they control the rules and have the ability to change them.”

"You mean, you want to train agents!" Huang Shang took a deep breath.

Li Dachui gave the young man an appreciative look. No wonder the Huang family could appoint such a young man as the Prefect of Huai'an and let him deal with the big tiger He Zudao. He was indeed a very thoughtful person.

Sheng Ju seemed to be thinking: "Protector, do you mean we also have a chance to become such rule-makers?"

“Why not?” Li Dachui said, “Those who engage in naked combat are always at a low level, earning only a little hard-earned money, and who knows, it might even be money earned by selling their bodies and lives. But if you become a rule-maker, then it’s a completely different story.”

"The Protector's words have enlightened me!" Sheng Ju nodded repeatedly. "Moreover, this way, we can remain hidden behind the scenes, and no matter how much we earn, we won't attract any jealousy. If anything goes wrong, we can let this agent..."

“Agent!” Huang Shang added from the side.

“Yes, let this agent take the blame to appease public anger, while we can choose another agent and change the rules! We can start over. Even if there are some losses, they won't be too great, at least not crippling,” Sheng Ju said.

“Prefect Sheng’s words are very insightful!” Li Dachui laughed. “But to achieve this, there is one thing we must do first: we must win in this era of great contention, defeat all our opponents, and seize power before we can truly achieve this.”

Yue Qi stood up and said loudly, "What's there to say? Now we're following the Protector-General anyway. If before we were just forced to do this, it was the only way out when we had no other choice, but now, at least I'm full of energy. Before, I was prepared to put in seven-tenths of my effort, but now I'm prepared to put in twelve-tenths!"

“There’s something even more important!” Li Dachui said, “We’ve left an upward path for the most ordinary people. The positions are there, and as long as they’re willing to work hard, they can achieve everything they dream of. If everyone sees there’s hope, and sees that hard work pays off, wouldn’t they be even more supportive of us?”

“What if some of these people also want to become rule-makers?” Wang Zhenxi asked.

“A group needs fresh blood!” Li Dachui laughed. “It also needs to cut off some rotten flesh when necessary to maintain its vitality. Moreover, this also gives people hope. It’s just that the threshold for becoming a rule-maker will be higher and the path will be narrower, because the positions of rule-makers are limited.”

Having said that, it's pretty clear now.

Even the most dull-witted person would know what to do next.

Previously, I was worried that Li Dachui might harbor a deep-seated hatred for powerful families like He Zudao, but after hearing what he said, I felt much clearer-headed. The shift from light to darkness was a brilliant move!
Come to think of it, Li Dachui is a member of the royal family, with a much nobler background than these people. If we're really talking about it, Li Dachui is probably the one from the most prestigious and powerful family in the world!
How could they possibly turn against themselves!

(End of this chapter)