Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 317 Deviation
Wang Yan made no attempt to hide anything and nodded directly.

Wang Bingchen frowned even more deeply: "These are not things you should be saying. If the Emperor has considered them, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War will naturally submit their reports."

The court officials should each perform their duties. As the Grand Secretary, he cannot openly extend his influence downwards, otherwise wouldn't he be able to cover up everything? All government affairs must be handled according to the rules. For example, although Wang Yan is an imperial envoy, he can only be in charge of matters related to investigations. Today, the court suddenly mentioned the lack of military supplies, which is using the case as an excuse to interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War.

Even if those present didn't understand at the time, they could guess a thing or two after careful consideration, and they would definitely make another accusation against Wang Yan, so that they could impeach him in public in the future.

These will all become obstacles in Wang Yan's career.

Wang Yan understood that if he wanted to become a prime minister, the fewer flaws he had, the better.

Wang Yan said, "The officials in Daming Prefecture who were colluding with merchants have been arrested. In addition, the imperial court has opened up markets, which has improved the livelihoods of the people. The administration has already shown signs of improvement. If we don't bring it up now, we may miss a good opportunity."

That makes sense, and anyone else would have been fooled, but... Wang Bingchen is the current prime minister, and no one knows these things better than him.

Wang Bingchen looked at Wang Yan: "The magistrates of several counties in Daming Prefecture will submit official documents. What you mentioned should be on the Ministry of Revenue's desk within a few months at the latest. When the Ministry of Revenue mentions it in its official document, wouldn't it be better for us to go with the flow?"

"You clearly don't trust others, which is why you're doing everything yourself to avoid any mistakes."

This wasn't the only case; Wang Yan's secret reports on the coal smelting of iron were also handled in the same way, each one disregarding the rules and taking enormous risks.

As a result, he was surrounded in Daming Prefecture and his life hung by a thread.

What is this for?
Wang Yan is pursuing the path of a civil official. He doesn't need to be radical, much less take risks. If he enters the Secretariat and stands in the court, he will at least be a pillar of stability.

These things should have nothing to do with him.

Wang Bingchen had been trying to force his son to follow the proper path, but Wang Yan's trip to Daming Prefecture and the things he did completely surprised him.

He had a feeling that he couldn't hold on to it or catch it.

The consequences of this rash action will not only ruin his future career, but may also cost him his life.

Implementing new laws in Daliang is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires someone to support it consistently. Wang Bingchen doesn't trust anyone and places all his hopes on Wang Yan. If Wang Yan can still stand in the court after his death, the officials who support the new policies will have someone to rely on.

Even before the new policies have been truly implemented, Wang Bingchen can already foresee the bloodshed that will follow.

Normally, Wang Yan would not speak again, nor would he continue to act against Wang Bingchen's wishes.

But today is destined to be different.

Wang Yan said, "Father is right. I don't trust anyone. This matter must be done by me."

Saying those things in front of the emperor is a way to wait for his summons and pave the way for what's to come.

He accepted his father's authority and knew he had to be more restrained in front of officials.

Wang Bingchen frowned.

Wang Yan said, "Father's implementation of the new policies is also for the benefit of the people. Since it is beneficial to the people's livelihood and the country, it doesn't matter when we start." "It's better to fight for the people's immediate interests than to have to scheme slowly."

Even if you act with utmost care, you may not necessarily achieve the desired result.

If the Great Liang were truly well, why would Xie Yuyan bother dealing with those people from Daming Prefecture? She had seen and experienced far more than he had, yet she still had to risk getting entangled with them. It's clear that her so-called careful planning was utterly useless.

Wang Bingchen frowned: "What are you going to do?"

There are some things Wang Yan cannot say, and there are some things he cannot hide from his father.

"In the north, firewood is scarce, and countless people freeze to death in winter. Some people even cut down mulberry and jujube trees for warmth, but this will affect silkworms in the spring. Many families also switch to burning dry grass, and women and children often have to spend the whole day collecting it, but it is still not enough. Many elderly people cannot even get a hot meal."

"The key to governance lies in relieving the people's suffering. Now that we have discovered that coal can replace firewood, we should promote its use as soon as possible. There are many coal mines discovered in Daliang. We should focus on prospecting and formulate tax laws to allow coal to circulate freely in Daliang. With coal, the people will no longer need to search for firewood and grass, and the manpower saved can be used for other livelihoods."

"Furthermore, coal can be used to smelt iron and coke. It can be used to forge iron, cast knives, and forge armor and weapons, so that the military equipment of the Great Liang will not be just a bunch of shoddy stuff."

Wang Bingchen's eyelids twitched, so Wang Yan still wanted to get involved in military equipment and weaponry. Since he had such thoughts, he would secretly join forces with court officials to promote this matter.

“The workshops in various prefectures have few artisans who can forge weapons, and the quality of the weapons is poor. The people in the armory only care about the quantity of weapons and do not pay attention to whether they are usable. Why don’t we ask for the appointment of a craftsman to supervise and evaluate them, and reward the good and punish the bad?” Wang Yan said. “I have already written a memorial and will submit it to the Secretariat soon.”

“Father is right. This is a big matter. I don’t trust anyone to handle it, especially how to mine coal. Coal is of different quality. The best coal should be used to forge iron, while the inferior coal should be sold to the mine owners. The court should collect taxes from the mine owners, but the tax amount should not be too high, otherwise it will be detrimental to the people’s access to it.”

After listening to this for a while, Wang Bingchen raised his head and said, "According to you, wouldn't it be better to sell the porcelain from the Shitan Kiln to the border market? Are you going to try to make this happen?"

It seems destined that the atmosphere in the study will not ease tonight.

“Yes,” Wang Yan said, “Things driven by profit will move faster. Right now, the only ones we can use are porcelain from the coal kiln.”

Wang Bingchen picked up the tea in front of him and drank it. After a long silence, he asked, "Do you have any connection with the people at that coal kiln?"

“Father should already have a conclusion in mind.” Wang Yan paused as he spoke, “How could I have obtained evidence so quickly in the case of Daming Prefecture without someone helping me to push things along?”

Actually, he really wanted to say that the other person was also someone he liked.

Unfortunately, she refused to get involved with the Wang family and their cronies. If he let more people know the truth, she would not be able to extricate herself.

Power and family background cannot be used to bind her; everything he has now is something she doesn't want.

Wang Yan thought of the flower-shaped labels she had drawn on the accounts.

She may have owned all of these things before...

Wang Bingchen's gaze darkened slightly: "If someone says that you have close ties with that merchant in private, and that you did all this for personal gain, what will you do?"

Wang Yan said in a deep voice, "They don't need to impeach me as a merchant. They can just say that I am ambitious and greedy for fame and fortune and should be demoted. That would be more reasonable and avoid my father using evidence against me instead of me being able to get any. My official position is not high to begin with. Without a good reputation, it will be difficult for the court to promote me out of turn."

If that day ever comes, he cannot turn his anger on Xie Yuyan.