Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 171 The Knife of Removing Corruption
Fan Xiang didn't say anything more. He took one last deep look at the Liao people and kitchen workers, then turned to Supervisor Liang and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."

On the way back, Wang Kui was pale and Amutu was preoccupied.

Back in the main hall of the official residence, Fan Xiang said.

"Supervisor Wang."

Wang Kui was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Your humble servant is here!"

"All records of grain, fodder, firewood, and other supplies for the salt wells, salt fields, and warehouses of Yujing Salt Bureau, as well as the salt tax ledgers and household registration records of salt households over the years, and even all the files related to the troubles and robberies of Liao people and salt households in the past three years, are now sealed and immediately transferred here for my personal review."

"Lord Fan!" Wang Kui looked up abruptly, his face turning from ashen to deathly pale, his voice trembling. "These...the account books are numerous, the files are as vast as the sea!"

"I am here by imperial decree to oversee the salt affairs of Sichuan and Shaanxi, exercising my discretionary power! The investigation of the Yujing Salt Bureau is within the scope of this discretionary power! Supervisor Wang, do you want me to have Supervisor Liang assist you in the investigation now, or do you want me to accuse you of 'obstructing salt affairs and having unclear accounts'?"

The eight words, “obstructing salt administration and unclear accounts,” struck Wang Kui like two thunderbolts!
His legs went weak, and he could barely stand. Large beads of sweat rolled down his face.

Although he was located on the frontier, Wang Kui knew who Fan Xiang was, and he knew even better that this Lord Fan was not just making empty threats!

Even though Fan Xiang was not his direct superior in terms of administrative level, given his years of experience in overseeing salt affairs in the Northwest and the trust that the Emperor and Zhang Xiangong, the Minister of the Three Departments, had at this moment, it would be easy for him to move against a mere salt supervisor. Especially after the vicious incident of the salt workers attacking their superiors with weapons, if he dared to shirk his responsibilities again, his fate would be predictable.

"Yes, sir! I will do as you command!"

Wang Kui's voice was choked with sobs as he practically tumbled out of the main hall of the government office, all traces of his earlier composure gone.

Needless to say, Supervisor Liang immediately arranged for his soldiers to go with him to prevent the accounts from being "accidentally burned".

Amutu watched Wang Kui's disheveled departure, then glanced at the Han official in the main seat, whose cold eyes held the power to decide life and death with a single word. His throat bobbed with difficulty, and he subconsciously lowered his head, concealing the complex emotions in his eyes.

Fan Xiang then turned his gaze to Amutu, his tone softening slightly: "Chief Amutu."

"Please give your orders, sir," Amutu replied hastily.

"You shall immediately summon all the local chieftains and village elders and have them arrive here before noon tomorrow. I have questions to ask and orders to issue."

"Yes." Amutu dared not ask any more questions, respectfully agreed, and quickly left with the two equally shaken young Liao people.

Only Fan Xiang, Supervisor Liang, and Lu Beigu remained in the hall.

Fan Xiang rubbed his temples wearily, the burst of power subsiding, revealing a weariness that was hard to conceal.

After moving his hand away, he looked at Supervisor Liang and asked, "Supervisor Liang, are the soldiers in Yujing Fortress reliable?"

"They can't be considered reliable, and they have some shady dealings with this side, but they still obey my orders," Supervisor Liang replied truthfully.

Fan Xiang nodded slightly, then asked another question.

"Has the scout I sent to Jingtan Fortress before I set off returned?"

"We're back. Everything is normal at Jingtan Fortress. The Wuman tribes were badly hurt last time, and they won't dare to invade again for several years. This place is definitely safe."

Lu Beigu was unaware of this matter, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but secretly admire Fan Xiang's meticulous approach to things.

"Alright, then go and gather the officers in Yujing City. I don't need to teach you what to say or do."

"Understood, Your Excellency!" Commander Liang clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then strode away with his sword at his side, the armor plates clanging loudly.

The official residence fell completely silent. Fan Xiang's gaze finally landed on Lu Beigu. He had actually observed him earlier; during the confrontation, this young scholar had stood quietly beside him the whole time. Although his face was slightly flushed and his breathing was a little rapid, his demeanor showed a calmness beyond his years.

"scared?"

Lu Beigu cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to Lord Fan, I was indeed shocked by what happened just now, but I was even more impressed by Lord Fan's swift and decisive actions and sense of responsibility."

He paused, then mustered his courage and asked, "What Lord Fan just said to that salt worker, 'The salt law must be changed, starting with the Yujing Saltworks,' does that mean he already has a plan?"

"Making a decision? How easy is that?" Fan Xiang did not answer directly. "When we implemented the salt tax system in the Northwest, every step was fraught with difficulties and dangers. The Yujing Salt Bureau has even deeper and more complex problems. If we don't change it, we will be watching the salt tax collapse. If we do change it, there is still a glimmer of hope."

He looked at Lu Beigu with a questioning look in his eyes: "Student Lu, you are meticulous and you observed things carefully at the salt field just now. Do you have a clear understanding of the problems with the Yujing Bureau?"

Lu Beigu's spirits lifted, knowing that Fan Xiang was giving him an opportunity and testing his true abilities.

He quickly gathered his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "In my humble opinion, the root of the problems in Yujing Bureau lies in the word 'profit,' and the chaos stems from the word 'distribution'!"

"Firstly, the distribution of salt profits was unfair, with layers of exploitation. The government levied taxes, the supervisors embezzled, the Han merchants suppressed prices, and the headmen took a cut. This was the source of the chaos."

"Secondly, the management was brutal, treating the cooks like slaves. Overseers whipped and abused them, and officials embezzled rations and firewood without any compassion, which caused deep resentment."

"Thirdly, there are deep-seated conflicts between the familiar and unfamiliar officials, coupled with the threat from the Wuman people, resulting in enormous external pressure and a persistent difficulty in achieving unity within the organization."

"Fourth, Wang Jianguan and other officials concealed the truth from their superiors and dealt with the people perfunctorily, making it difficult for the court to know the situation on the ground and for government orders to be effectively implemented, which led to the deepening of accumulated problems."

Fan Xiang listened, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

This kid is not only incredibly brave, but also has a sharp mind, allowing him to quickly grasp the key points.

"That's right. So, where do you think the solution lies?"

Lu Beigu knew this was the most crucial issue. He said, "I believe that the original 'copper coins and salt notes' should be used as wages for the cooks. The cooks can exchange the notes for cash or exchange them for necessities such as grain, cloth, and ironware as needed. This will ensure that the cooks get paid for their work and alleviate their hardship immediately!"

"At the same time, we should severely punish corruption, rectify the administration of Yujing Supervisory Office, and select honest and capable officials to fill key positions within the supervisory office to ensure its implementation. Finally, we should restrain the supervisors from abusing their power and arbitrarily whipping the cooks, and establish clear rules for rewards and punishments. Only when the hardships of labor are understood can their resentment be somewhat appeased."

Lu Beigu finished speaking in one breath, feeling his back soaked with sweat.

He knew these ideas were still very rudimentary, and that issues such as how to use "salt money" as wages and what to do about the decline in overall labor efficiency after the restrictions on supervisors were imposed were all problems that needed to be seriously considered.

But this is the most feasible solution he could come up with based on the current situation.

Fan Xiang nodded and said, "You've got a good idea; some of your thoughts coincide with mine."

"Student Lu".

"The students are here!"

"Once the account books and files arrive, I will trouble you to assist me in a thorough investigation! Focus on the grain, firewood, and wages from previous years, and look for evidence of embezzlement, falsification, and overcharging! This is the knife to cut out corruption!"

"Yes!"

Lu Bei nodded solemnly.

Not long after, Wang Kui, under the supervision of soldiers, entered with seven or eight clerks, carrying, holding, and shouldering wooden boxes, dossiers, and account books of various sizes.

(End of this chapter)