Fu Shanhe

Chapter 495 The building will collapse

"Madam, you can't have too high expectations of the Six Ministries in Nanjing."

"To have done this much is actually quite good; at least they're trying to salvage the situation..."

Halfway through his sentence, Li Mu realized he simply couldn't continue making things up.

The performance of the Nanjing officials, apart from their commendable spirit, was unremarkable.

If someone is new to officialdom and does something like this, it's completely understandable.

The problem is that they are all quite old; each of the six ministers has been in officialdom for more than twenty years.

Even if they don't reach the pinnacle of power, they are still winners in the struggle for power in officialdom.

Their desperate attempts to find a cure are completely inconsistent with the abilities they should possess.

Logically, they should have intervened before the incident occurred.

If any one of the six ministers had simply given a heads-up, they wouldn't have all been forced to raise the banner of the White Lotus Rebellion.

But in order to avoid taking responsibility, they all chose to turn a blind eye.

They themselves successfully absolved themselves of responsibility, but the situation spiraled out of control.

Compared to these seasoned political veterans, the younger generation of generals from the nobility were significantly less politically astute.

Some of them could even be said to lack any political sense.

He was able to hold a high position mainly because of his own military achievements, plus a little bit of the family's influence.

If they had been politically astute, they would have promoted the nobles to more important positions when the nobility were in power, instead of all being stuck at the rank of general.

“My husband, if you really think that way, then the entire court of civil and military officials are all capable ministers and officials.”

The civil and military officials, in their duties, took a series of measures with good intentions, but in the end, they inadvertently caused a mess.

Jing Yaqing teased with a smile.

In the melting pot of officialdom, one cannot judge an official simply by good or bad.

Ninety-nine percent of officials, when they first enter officialdom, are full of enthusiasm and eager to make a name for themselves.

Even if they are later beaten down by the officialdom and fall into depravity, they still want a good reputation.

Many times, people genuinely want to do something for the people, but their good intentions often turn sour when it comes to implementation.

There are many factors that have contributed to all of this, but the most important one is that officials are "cautious about their own safety when undertaking important tasks."

Often, even when there's a strong incentive to push for achieving a goal, people back down because they're afraid of taking responsibility.

"Ha ha……"

"Madam, if these words were to get out, they would surely bring shame upon the entire court."

Li Mu responded with a smile.

There was no other way; just as the Minister of the Six Ministries in Nanjing valued his life, so too did the Marquis of Hanshui choose to travel to Annam.

Everyone's first thought was self-preservation; no one was much more noble than anyone else.

If we really do our best to save the Great Yu, we don't know if we can give this ancient empire a new life, but at least we can put up a fight.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Mu ultimately chose to take action only to a limited extent.

His greatest contribution to this ancient empire was to increase immigration while simultaneously transporting as much grain as possible to the north.

As for going any further, that's just wishful thinking.

To undertake reforms at the end of a dynasty is tantamount to an old man hanging himself.

It's easy to overthrow others, but difficult to overthrow yourself.

When cracking down on the civil service, the nobility is a good weapon.

The situation can be reversed instantly once reforms touch upon one's own interests.

If reforms do not touch the interests of the nobility, then an imperfect political reform is simply to support one political group to replace another.

Once the nobility group has complete control, they might go even further than the civil officials.

An empire that is corrupt from top to bottom cannot be saved by simple internal reforms.

Even if one were to push forward regardless of the consequences, there would be no chance of success without the emperor's full support.

Unfortunately, Heaven did not bless the Great Yu Dynasty; it did not encounter a monarch with great talent and ambition, but instead met an emperor who made a mess of things.

The nation's fortunes, which could have lasted for decades, were exhausted in just a few years.

If it weren't for the coup in the tenth year of Yongning, the Great Yu Dynasty would probably have been wiped out long ago.

The cabinet that takes over power certainly has a sense of responsibility, but it can't overcome the heavy burden of history.

They were only thinking about maintaining the status quo, hoping that things would improve once they weathered this natural disaster.

The idea is indeed correct. If one is caught in the middle and cannot see the future, Li Mu would most likely do the same thing for the sake of maintaining stability.

Unfortunately, the Little Ice Age was a long-term process, and natural disasters could not be resolved in just three to five years.

With various natural disasters occurring simultaneously, the imperial court actively organized production for self-rescue, and there was still a glimmer of hope.

Maintaining the status quo is tantamount to waiting for death.

"My lord, if the situation in Jiangnan gets out of control, what should we do about the capital?"

Jing Yaqing asked with a worried expression.

Jokes aside, someone always has to clean up the mess.

The situation in Jiangnan spiraled out of control, and ultimately, it was the Great Yu Dynasty that had to pay the price.

Even if only some local gentry colluded with the rebels, the destructive power they caused was far greater than that of peasant uprisings.

With these people causing trouble, it won't be easy for the taxes that the imperial court forcibly collected from Jiangnan to be transported back to the capital in a timely manner.

Unfortunately, the Jiangnan region is located at the source of the Grand Canal and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River where it flows into the sea.

If the problems in Jiangnan are not sorted out, the money and grain from the southern provinces can only be sent back to the capital by land.

Without a doubt, this is a dead end.

Not to mention the rebels that rose up along the way, the losses during the transportation alone could devour 70-80% of the tax grain.

Without the supplement of 30 million shi of tax grain, how can the imperial court defend the northern border?

"Chong'er was born abroad, while Shen was born at home and died!"

"The situation in the capital still depends on the decisions of the court officials; I, as their husband, cannot influence those decisions."

Getting involved rashly will only make you an enemy.

When sending a letter home, notify the Duke's and Marquis's mansions in your own name and make the seriousness of the matter clear.

If the situation collapses, one can head south for temporary refuge.

There are many caravan guards at the An-Nan Guild Hall, who can provide them with assistance.

Remember to keep this matter strictly confidential. No one else should know about it except the core members of the Duke of Cheng's Mansion and the Marquis of Zhenyuan's Mansion.

This evacuation route can only accommodate a few dozen people at most.

Li Mu said with a solemn expression.

Nobles enjoyed various privileges, but were also subject to many restrictions.

If a family wanted to leave the capital, they had to obtain the imperial court's approval.

Although the Duke of Cheng's mansion and the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion have been quiet for the time being, they are still top noble families, and their every move will be magnified and analyzed.

Given the current situation, the imperial court will not allow them to go south.

Once the news leaks out, either all the officials will come, or none of them will be able to leave.

Those high-ranking officials in the court are not isolated figures; each one has a large family behind them.

Furthermore, these people are used to a life of luxury, and even if they are fleeing for their lives, they would not live in a dormitory like immigrants.

Including the valuables they carried, even a wealthy family would need several boats.

The fleet's limited capacity made it impossible to transport them all to the south in one trip.

Most importantly, these people are remnants of the previous era, which are a liability for Li Mu.

"It can only accommodate a few dozen people!" After muttering this to herself, Jing Yaqing felt terrible.

Not to mention their relatives and friends in the capital, the number of descendants of the Guangjing and Li families alone exceeded several dozen.

"There's no way around it; so many eyes in the capital are watching."

If they were to evacuate with their families, there's no way they could leave under everyone's noses!

"Alright, just give them a subtle reminder to pay attention to the current situation."

Do not notify others of the evacuation for the time being.

When it becomes necessary to evacuate, I will arrange for someone to contact them directly to avoid any unforeseen complications.

After thinking for a moment, Li Mu added.

Wealthy and powerful families all have their own ways of surviving.

Given the perilous situation in the capital, it's impossible that the Jing and Li families were unaware of it.

In such situations, everyone would tacitly arrange for the younger members to leave, leaving a way out for the clan.

The final evacuation was prepared for the direct descendants.

Their identities are sensitive, and unless they are appointed to official posts outside the capital, it is difficult for them to leave the capital.

No matter how well you prepare, you will inevitably have to make some sacrifices.

Having followed the Great Yu for so many years, leaving without a word would ruin the family's reputation.

Relatively speaking, the Li family's situation is slightly better.

The Marquis of Zhenyuan in the present day is still a child, and people will not be harsh on a child.

The situation was different for the Duke of Cheng's mansion. While others could run away, the current Duke of Cheng had to share weal and woe with the imperial court.

Even if they have to evacuate, they must take the little emperor with them.

"My lord, wouldn't things be better if we stepped in to push for the southward migration?"

Jing Yaqing asked with a serious expression.

In fact, the idea of ​​migrating south was not new in the Dayu Dynasty.

Such voices had already emerged in the court during the last flood, but they were met with strong opposition from various political forces in the north.

After all, with the capital in the north, the court's strategic focus would be passively left in the north.

Moving the capital south might seem to save a lot of money and food, but it would also shift the strategic focus.

The threat from the northern barbarians was a deep-seated pain for the gentry in the north.

In the eyes of the southern gentry, the northern barbarians were merely topics of conversation during their leisure time.

Once the political center shifts south, they will be even less likely to contribute money and food to ensure the security of the north.

"Madam, it's best to keep these words to yourself at home."

The proposal to move south involves too many issues.

Not to mention now, even when my father-in-law and uncle were in power, they didn't have the ability to push it forward.

Not to mention that the gentry and officials in the north would not agree, even within the elite nobility group, it would be impossible for it to pass.

It should be noted that most of the businesses are concentrated in the north.

Once the capital moves south, the accumulated wealth of countless wealthy families over hundreds of years will be lost in an instant.

In addition to these factors, the political stances of the various prominent families in the south were also severely divided on the issue of migrating south.

Some people hoped that the imperial court would move south so that it could gain more control over the narrative.

Some worried that after the court moved south, the princes and nobles in the court would compete with them for property.

Anyone who publicly proposes moving the capital south in court will be disgraced.

Li Mu hurriedly explained.

This is a hot potato; you can't take it.

When others bring it up, they only get criticized, but when a high-ranking local official like him brings it up, he is met with suspicion from all sides.

Ever since Cao Cao started this trend, anyone who came after him and whose name even remotely came into contact with it was associated with "holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords".

Even if the destination of the southward migration was not Annam, it would still be subject to forced interpretation.

Adhering to the principle of "it's better to avoid trouble than to cause more trouble."

Li Mu rarely interfered in matters of state, so there was absolutely no need for him to get himself involved now.

"Don't worry, my husband, I know the importance of this matter."

Jing Yaqing said with a hint of sadness.

As children of noble families, they witnessed the rise and fall of the empire firsthand, yet were powerless to change it.

The inner turmoil and helplessness is something that outsiders cannot understand.

"Don't worry, the situation may not be that bad."

News from the Jiangnan region indicates that the government troops have captured a large amount of spoils, enough to make up for the shortfall in last year's autumn tax revenue.

Once this money and grain are transported to the capital, the situation in the north will improve.

I have already given orders that the immigrant fleet should help with transportation when it passes through Jiangnan.

The naval forces of Guangdong and Guangxi also dispatched a portion to assist, which alleviated the transportation pressure to some extent.

Li Mu offered words of comfort.

It's true that they're helping with transportation, but compared to the tax revenue, their capacity is still a drop in the ocean.

Due to the disruption of the canal, in addition to the autumn tax in the Jiangnan region, the tax grain in Huguang and Sichuan was also left unattended.

The grain tax transported in both provinces was carried by riverboats, which could not withstand the rough seas.

Yunnan and Guizhou provinces were already struggling to be self-sufficient in tax revenue, so naturally, tax grain did not need to be transported to the capital.

The Guangdong and Guangxi regions were not grain-producing areas either; their main contribution to the imperial court was fiscal revenue, not grain.

This portion of the funds is currently being used by the Annam Protectorate for immigrant resettlement and does not require travel to the capital.

The situation in Fujian was similar to that in Guangdong and Guangxi. Its own grain production was limited, and taxes were mainly collected in cash.

The imperial court was pressing for its delivery, so it was sent to the capital by sea long ago.

In reality, the only regions that truly provided the imperial court with money and provisions were the three provinces south of the Yangtze River, Huguang, and Sichuan.

Thanks to the benefits of tax reform, these places not only contribute three-quarters of the fiscal revenue of Dayu, but also provide more than 30 million shi of tax grain to the Dayu court every year.

Spring has arrived, and the spring tax will be collected soon.

All the pressure of transporting tax grain throughout the year came together at once.

A large ocean-going vessel can carry at most 10,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

To transport all of them to the capital, at least several thousand shipwrecks would be needed.

This is still a theoretical figure. In reality, apart from a few ships that have this carrying capacity, most seagoing vessels only have a true carrying capacity of a few thousand shi (a unit of dry measure).

To transport all that tax grain to the capital, the immigrant fleet of over a hundred ships alone would probably take two or three years.

Even with the addition of naval forces in various regions, it was still a drop in the ocean.

The "abolition of the canal and conversion to the sea" has been delayed for a long time, partly due to opposition from vested interest groups and partly due to the lack of maritime transport capacity.

Not only did Dayu lack such shipping capacity, but no other country in the world at that time possessed such a massive maritime shipping capacity.

The phrase "millions of canal workers" is a saying, not an exaggeration.

To transport these tax grains to Beijing, millions of laborers worked tirelessly along the canal every year.

"Ok!"

"Don't worry, my husband, I'm not that fragile."

But the thought of the decline of the nation and the widespread famine in the north fills me with a deep sense of pity.

Jing Yaqing wiped her reddened eyes and said.

(End of this chapter)