Qing Yao

Chapter 194 Lord Zhao
The governor specially invited me to dinner and even sat with me personally. What a great honor that must be!
Even a fourth-rank prefect of Yangzhou wouldn't have this kind of face!
The governor specifically ordered that the meal be reserved for them, so the kitchen had to put in a lot of effort. The dishes were quite plentiful, representing the essence of Huaiyang cuisine, with some of the ingredients not even available in the market.

In addition, the meticulously decorated private room gave Zhao An the feeling of entering a top-tier club.

Therefore, if you want to be an official, you have to be a high-ranking one; otherwise, how can you fully enjoy the fruits of the laborers' hard work?

As a subordinate official, Zhao An knew the proper etiquette at the banquet table, and he was able to get the governor to toast him.

After taking their seats, they first accompanied the Governor and Mr. Lü to discuss the details of the relocation. When the first course was served, they hurriedly picked up the serving chopsticks to serve food to the Governor first, then to Mr. Lü, and finally to themselves.

He immediately stood up to offer a toast.

In short, the governor was very happy, and even Mr. Lü, who couldn't hold his liquor, got quite drunk.

Overjoyed, the governor held Committee Member Zhao in even higher regard. Not only was Committee Member Zhao quick-witted, but he was also exceptionally polite—whenever a toast was offered, he would stand up, hold the glass with both hands, and bend slightly at the waist. When clinking glasses, he would hold the glass with both hands and bend even lower at the waist, ensuring that the rim of the glass was never higher than the governor's.

Well, his speech and manners are truly those of a refined person. No wonder the provincial governor praised Xiao Zhao so highly. I wonder what Master Hu, who was transferred to the capital and relegated to a less important position, was thinking.

This Master Hu was actually very unruly, because in officialdom, it is customary not to scold the person who gives the gift, let alone take the gift on the spot.

If everyone does it this way, who would dare to give gifts?

Therefore, although Master Hu served as Vice Minister of War in Beijing, his reputation in Jiangsu's official circles was very bad.

"I will return to Suzhou tomorrow to discuss this with the Suzhou Prefect."

Fueled by alcohol, the governor spoke some truths: he felt that the current odds were no longer in the millions of taels mentioned earlier, but rather several million taels, or even tens of millions of taels, after all, Jiangsu Academy was the best in the country.

If those academies in Jiangnan, each with at least three or four hundred years of history, were to be sold off as a package, the silver would flow in like water.

Such a large sum of money is not something the governor can easily take for himself; it would overwhelm him.

Therefore, we need to share the profits with the local prefects. With the full support of the local authorities, the project can proceed quickly.

In addition, we also need to win the support of General Yongqing of Jiangning, another "local strongman" in the Liangjiang region.

Yongqing was not a member of the imperial clan with the character "Yong" in his name. He belonged to the Manchu Plain White Banner and had the title of Second-Class Earl. Fifty-two years before the reign of Emperor Qianlong, General Ximing of Jiangning died in office. The old emperor then appointed Yongqing, who had made great contributions in the campaign against the Dzungars, to succeed him as General of Jiangning.

The first thing General Yong did upon taking office was to take a concubine. Her father-in-law was Eqina, the former prefect of Yangzhou who is now the Jiangsu Provincial Judge.

Strictly speaking, the Jiangning General and the Jiangsu Provincial Judge belonged to the same faction.

Therefore, it is quite necessary to win the support of this force.

Although the Jiangning General did not wield as much real power as the Governor-General of Liangjiang, his rank in the imperial court was above that of the Governor-General. He was also the most important Manchu official in the Liangjiang region. With his support, any voices opposing the relocation of the academy could be effectively suppressed.

As for the provincial judge, he is someone we must win over and win over.

Who gave the provincial judge the power to "correct corrupt officials"?

With a betting pool of tens of millions of taels, which official who handled it didn't take a cut?
If you don't take it and I don't take it, how can the Governor take it?
They've taken everything, but the provincial governor's office can't get it. So, the provincial governor has to find some work to do.

"Your Excellency is wise!"

Zhao An naturally supported the governor's "equal distribution of benefits" policy, which meant that the academic system he represented could also benefit from it. If all the major officials in Jiangsu could benefit from the "transition" between the old and new academies, Zhao An's network of connections would also expand as the behind-the-scenes advisor and actual promoter of this policy.

With the Grand Secretary in Beijing protecting him and the Provincial Governor backing him up, he might not be able to dominate the Jiangnan region, but he could certainly remain an unshakeable figure in Jiangsu's officialdom.

Therefore, as a famous person aptly put it: "When doing work, you should strive to satisfy your superiors, your colleagues, and the public."

Whoever can master these "three satisfactions" will be invincible.

As the governor was speaking, he suddenly remembered something and, with a hint of nervousness, grabbed Commissioner Zhao's hand: "Does the Grand Secretary know about this?"

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, the Grand Secretary is unaware of this matter,"

Zhao An quickly reassured the governor, saying meaningfully, "This is the governor's idea, not mine."

Huh!
The governor was practically giving a thumbs-up, laughing heartily and saying, "If all officials were as proactive as Commissioner Zhao in sharing the burdens of their superiors, how could the world not be well-governed?"

Zhao An has a toothache. If another official he didn't get along with said this, a literary inquisition would be launched immediately.

What do you mean by that?
What? Wasn't the Qianlong Emperor's reign a period of great prosperity?
You've been emperor for 55 years, and it was all for nothing!
"Commissioner Zhao is so insightful at such a young age, and so honest in his character. It is truly commendable. Once this matter is resolved, I will certainly recommend Commissioner Zhao to the court for an important position."

The governor, who was a little tipsy, swayed and stood up to offer a toast to Committee Member Zhao. Committee Member Zhao was so startled that he quickly stood up as well. Just as he was about to lower his waist to the governor's chest, a staff member from the governor's side leaned close to the governor's ear to say something.

This action greatly displeased the governor: "Young Master Zhao is not an outsider, so please speak your mind."

"Yes, my lord."

The attendant dared not be negligent and hurriedly said, "The Emperor has sent an imperial edict from the capital, instructing you, sir, to inquire whether the grain transport gang intends to control the grain transport affairs."

"The shipping guild?"

The emperor's edict sobered the governor up a bit. He rubbed his temples and frowned as he instructed Mr. Lü beside him: "Tomorrow, send someone to the temples of the Grand Canal Gang to deliver a message to the leaders there. They can figure out the weight of the message themselves."

Mr. Lü readily agreed.

Seeing this, Zhao An feigned curiosity and asked, "Sir, is the Emperor's decree related to our Yangzhou canal transport gang?"

"What else could it be but this? That canal transport office is really something, they won't even let people have a peaceful New Year."

The governor had a lot of complaints about the canal transport office. Seeing that the messenger was still standing there, he waved his hand and said, "This is none of your business. Go down."

The attendant said, "Sir, there is another piece of news, but it concerns Commissioner Zhao."

"what news?"

The governor was curious, and Committee Member Zhao was even more curious.

"The court has appointed Commissioner Zhao as the concurrently serving as the Inspector of the Grand Canal, to go to Huai'an to see what the Grand Canal transport office is actually doing for the Emperor. I reckon the people coming from the capital should be on their way."

As soon as the attendant finished speaking, the governor looked thoughtful, then said excitedly, "Young Master Zhao, this is good news, good news! The Emperor is planning to give you a great opportunity!"

(End of this chapter)