Qing Yao

Chapter 195 The more part-time jobs the better
The old master asked Zhao An, who was also serving as the Imperial Inspector of the Grand Canal, to go to Huai'an to check on the situation, and Zhao An readily agreed.

Since he already had a part-time position as an education inspector, he wasn't afraid to also take on the role of a canal inspector.

What the governor just said is absolutely true. The old master may really be going to make good use of him, because the more concurrent positions an official holds, the more it proves that he is capable.

Renhe Zhongtang held dozens of positions concurrently.

Committee member Zhao doesn't ask for much; ten or eight positions would be enough.

It doesn't mean to exploit a capable person to the point of exhaustion, but rather to assign them heavy responsibilities, and to assign them many responsibilities.

The correct way to use people is to let the incompetent step down and stand aside, and let the capable do more work.

However, the old master instructed the governor to send a message to the high-ranking officials of the grain transport gang, asking if the gang wanted to control the grain transport affairs. This was clearly a very serious question.

But then they send him to Huai'an to see what the Grand Canal transport office is doing, which is rather intriguing.

Why not send other proper officials instead of this newly appointed servant?

Zhao An guessed that it might be related to the fact that his memorials were based on reports from the grassroots and truthfully described the situation of the canal transport. Of course, it was more likely that he, as a new lackey, had a higher level of trust than ordinary officials.

While the high-ranking officials of the canal gang were being reprimanded, the canal transport authorities were being investigated. Combining these two actions, the old master's attitude became very clear—stability was the priority.

It aligns with the desire for stability among older adults.

So how do we conduct the investigation in Huai'an, and how do we write the report?

Zhao An had his own thoughts, but felt it necessary to consult the governor, even if it was just a symbolic inquiry.

So a tea party was held after the banquet.

Sure enough, after drinking a bowl of tea, the effects of the alcohol were greatly reduced, and my mind felt much more comfortable.

Before the governor could speak, it was Mr. Lü who first fired the shot at the Grand Canal Transport Office.

According to Mr. Lü, the Grand Canal Administration, along with the Salt Administration and the Waterway Administration, were known as the "Three Great Profitable Offices," and most of those who bought official positions in the Ministry of Personnel hoped to serve in these three major profitable offices.

"The profit from the canal transport was the extortion of the canal workers. At every checkpoint, as they transported rice to the granary, and along the way through the locks, the lock pullers demanded money; each lock and lock cost no less than a thousand coins."

Zhao An was aware of the hardships Mr. Lü described regarding the canal transport, and even knew more about them than Mr. Lü did, but this did not prevent him from listening attentively as a student.

Upon seeing this, the governor was even more impressed, thinking that young Zhao was humble enough, knew how to act with discretion, and never fought a battle he couldn't win.

Picking up where Mr. Lü left off, the governor said, “Young Master Zhao, you may not know this, but the most lucrative part of the canal transport is not the extortion of the canal workers and laborers, but the granaries. It is common practice to sell inferior goods as superior ones, resell the canal grain, and line one’s own pockets. The court has repeatedly tried to stop it but it is impossible to stop. The reason is that there are too many officials who are profiting from it, and they can’t be arrested or killed.”

The idiom "one after another" might be a more appropriate way to describe what the governor said.

Mr. Lü then laughed and said, "Does Lord Zhao know where the largest brewing workshop in the north is? It's Tongzhou, the terminus of the Grand Canal. As far as I know, there are Dashaojiu Hutong, Zhongshaojiu Hutong, Xiaoshaojiu Hutong, as well as Dongmaiya Hutong and Ximaiya Hutong in Tongzhou. There are hundreds of brewing workshops. Where does the grain for brewing come from? And who sells this grain to the brewing workshops?"

The answer is self-evident.

The governor concluded that the shutdown of the Yangzhou Canal was caused by the excessive exploitation of the grain transport authorities and officials along the route by the grain transport guild.

"In fact, the canal transport is far inferior to the sea transport. If grain is transported by sea, it is not only more convenient than the canal transport, but also much cheaper. During the Yuan Dynasty, grain from the south was transported to Dadu by sea."

Mr. Lü is a learned man. He pointed out that the reason why the Ming Dynasty stopped maritime transport and switched to canal transport was mainly because the Ming Dynasty was worried that if it went by sea, it would either have to hire merchant ships or build ocean-going vessels.

Hiring merchant ships raised concerns about their uncontrollability and difficulty in mobilization; building ships directly would be extremely expensive, and an additional naval force would be needed to protect the fleet, undoubtedly keeping costs high. "The reason why the Ming Dynasty relied on the Grand Canal was mainly because the ships were controlled by local officials, and troops were stationed in the towns along the canal. This allowed for the transport of not only grain but also goods, facilitating the exchange of goods between the north and south."

Mr. Lü then pointed out that the main reason why the Ming Dynasty abandoned sea transport and adopted canal transport was that the management of the Yellow River and canal transport were two sides of the same coin.

This means that the Yellow River can be managed while the canal is being repaired, thus reducing the cost of river engineering.

"If we insist on switching to sea transport, the officials in charge of river management will not consider canal navigation. Before long, the canal will silt up, and in years of heavy flooding, it will inevitably cause floods. At best, hundreds of miles will be affected, and at worst, thousands of miles will be deserted."

After listening to Mr. Lü's words, Zhao An added an opinion: the Ming Dynasty's use of the Grand Canal was probably more about solving the livelihood problems of the people along the canal.

Tens of millions of people along this more than 2,000-mile-long canal rely on water transport for their livelihood.

If the canal workers go hungry, they will inevitably cause trouble, or even rebel.

Therefore, it is said that the Grand Canal was the lifeline for millions of canal workers.

The governor also expressed the same view. Therefore, although officials from both the Ming Dynasty and the present dynasty advocated for the restoration of maritime transport of grain, the court was afraid of something going wrong and could not make a decision.

“Even though the canal is the lifeblood of millions of canal workers, the canal transport system must be rectified. Otherwise, if we allow the accumulated problems to fester, I think a major incident will happen sooner or later along the banks of the canal.”

Zhao An looked distressed and indignant.

His grief and indignation for the country and its people.

But this does not conflict with his idea of ​​using the canal workers to rebel.

"It's difficult."

While wiping his face with a towel, the governor said, "So many officials make their living from the grain transport. To crack down on the grain transport is to take away their livelihood. Don't think that you are just an inspector of grain transport; even I, the governor, can afford to offend you."

He spoke with bitterness, but there was nothing he could do. The Grand Canal transport and the local areas were two separate entities, and as the acting Governor-General of Liangjiang and Governor of Jiangsu, he really couldn't manage matters on the Grand Canal.

We can only consider local stability and try our best to negotiate on behalf of both parties.

The Yangzhou government has already handed this matter over to Ganquan County.

At present, there is no good news coming back from Ganquan County.

Zhao An earnestly asked for advice, explaining that he had previously served as an academic official and was not very familiar with matters related to the Grand Canal, but the Emperor insisted on giving him more responsibilities, so he had no choice but to go to Huai'an.

In that case, should the governor give him a few brocade pouches so he can open and use them whenever needed?

"When you go to the canal transport office, Lord Zhao, you must not be too aggressive. You must know how to use the word 'peaceful'. As for the canal workers, you cannot be too sympathetic. You must know that the canal gangs have weapons and have repeatedly committed crimes in groups. They can easily be heard by a hundred people. In some areas, some people are even so arrogant that they do not respect the government. If such villains are not severely punished, things will continue like today. I'm afraid the canal will never be peaceful."

The governor's intentions were twofold: first, to prioritize harmony among officials and strive to persuade the Grand Canal transport authorities to make some concessions; second, to secure some benefits for the canal gangs while also cracking down on their unruly members.

Only in this way can local stability be achieved and the emperor be pleased.

Zhao An was in a dilemma. What ability did he, a mere inspector of the Grand Canal, have to crack down on the evil gangs of the Grand Canal?
Who is the Governor?

Having received such a great favor from you, Committee Member Zhao, how could I not offer you some support?

Mr. Lü gave Zhao his business card (official card) and had someone write an official document, roughly stating that Zhao could mobilize the Green Standard Army in Yangzhou and Huai'an to crack down on the illegal gangs of the Grand Canal.

(End of this chapter)