Prime Minister

Chapter 115, Section 114: [The Cocoon]

The Yangzhou government office was like a sieve that let in the wind from all sides.

By noon, the news of what had happened in the Tongzhi Hall had spread throughout the city's prominent families.

The back hall of the government office is called Cunpuzhai.

Tan Mingguang sat in a grand chair, holding a collection of essays, with a cup of tea on his desk.

After arriving in Yangzhou, aside from handling government affairs, he mostly lived this kind of life, neither interfering too much in the duties of his subordinates nor easily accepting banquets from officials and gentry in the city, quite leisurely "retreating into a small building to become a self-contained world".

However, he has been lingering on that page for quite some time now.

Huang Xibin, a staff member, had followed Tan Mingguang for seven years, from Xiangyang to Hanyang and then to Yangzhou. He was Tan Mingguang’s most trusted person and understood the master’s thoughts best.

He refilled Tan Mingguang's teacup and said softly, "Your Excellency, Magistrate Xue's campaign has been quite unsuccessful this time."

"As expected."

Knowing he was restless, Tan Mingguang put down his collection of writings and said leisurely, "These kinds of difficult tactics are mostly the work of that old man Liu, who is well-versed in the art of prescribing the right medicine for the right disease. Xue Huai has lofty ambitions, and he will not come to Yangzhou to follow the crowd like I do. He will surely stir up a storm, so they will fight fire with fire—since you care about the common people, we will lay out all the problems of people's livelihood before you."

Huang Xibin sat down opposite him and said with emotion, "That's why Magistrate Xue couldn't refuse."

"Of course I can't refuse."

Tan Mingguang shook his head and said, "This is an open strategy. Since Xue Huai is committed to speaking out for the people, he made his position and attitude clear as soon as he arrived in Yangzhou. If he refuses to take on such thorny official business, he will inevitably give people the impression that he is two-faced and putting on an act. This will be a great hindrance to his future efforts to rectify the officialdom in Yangzhou."

"However……"

Huang Xibin hesitated and said, "According to the news that came back earlier, Xue Tongzhi has more than twenty problems backlogged at the moment. If we deal with them one by one, how long will it take? Moreover, Xue Tongzhi is new to his post and may not be familiar with general affairs. A single case may take several months to complete."

Tan Mingguang said calmly, "So what? This is a necessary step for any official. Even if he is not sent to a post outside the capital, he will still have to enter the Six Ministries and deal with these administrative affairs. Without being tempered and tested, how can he rise to a higher level?"

At this moment, he couldn't help but recall the years when he was transferred to the Ministry of Revenue as a principal officer. From the initial difficulties to the later mastery, it took more than five years, and the hardships and bitterness he endured were indescribable.

Huang Xibin naturally understood the reasoning behind this, and he couldn't help but sigh softly.

Why lament?

Tan Mingguang spoke calmly, knowing that his advisors were not worried about Xue Huai, but rather hoping for a turnaround in the situation.

To be fair, Tan Mingguang is not living his current life willingly. He is not old enough to be unable to keep up with his abilities. If he had a choice, he would certainly want to establish his own government and wield power independently.

However, Yangzhou was a treacherous place, with various factions deeply entrenched in their power. A slight misstep could lead to being plotted against. Tan Mingguang had worked diligently to reach the position of a fourth-rank prefect, and he dared not risk the rest of his life.

Although being a prefect whose power was usurped by his subordinates was not a pleasant experience, Tan Mingguang was willing to endure a few more years as long as he could achieve his goal of retiring with the rank of a third-grade official.

Huang Xibin's idea was simple: if Xue Huai could really shake up the Yangzhou officialdom, his father-in-law might have a chance to break free from his constraints and become the real prefect of Yangzhou.

With this in mind, he couldn't help but advise, "Since you have already helped Magistrate Xue, why not lend a hand again?"

In his view, although Xue Huai had a powerful background and was quite cunning, he was no match for Tan Mingguang, who had been in officialdom for more than 20 years, when it came to handling routine affairs. At present, the Shen family might be able to provide some assistance to Xue Huai in the entire Yangzhou city, but only Tan Mingguang could help him overcome the obstacles.

Tan Mingguang fell into deep thought.

Only after the tea in his cup had cooled did he slowly say, "How do you know this isn't yet another test of me by Liu Fu and the forces behind him?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Xibin felt a chill run down his spine and immediately realized what was happening. He lowered his head and said, "Your Excellency, please forgive me. I was too naive."

Tan Mingguang waved his hand and said, "There's no need for that between us."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. The cool tea calmed his mind. He continued, "Even if this isn't a test, I cannot act rashly. If I do, I'll be on the sidelines of the Qingliu faction. This game is played out in Yangzhou, but in reality, it's a power struggle within the imperial court. The Grand Canal and the salt administration are matters of vital importance to the foundation of the dynasty, not just a matter for a few officials and gentry in Yangzhou. What are people like the Liu family compared to the vast territory of the Great Yan?"

Huang Xibin gradually realized what was going on, and he said with a hint of fear, "Does Your Excellency mean that Xue Tongzhi's appointment to Yangzhou is actually another confrontation between the Qingliu faction and the Ning faction?"

"It may not be just that."

Tan Mingguang calmly said, "Let's wait and see, the best is yet to come. I helped Xue Huai once, now we'll see if he can withstand the first wave of attacks. If he can't even handle something like this, he won't be able to stay in Yangzhou for long. He has someone to rely on in the capital, so he can easily withdraw. If I rashly help him, how will I face the consequences?"

Even so, a struggle still flickered deep in his eyes.

In the end, it all turned into a desolate and bleak place.

……

North City, Yongqingfang.

The Liu family mansion, the most prominent of the four prominent families in Yangzhou, is located here.

"I wonder if that young Master Xue is having a headache these days?"

Inside Yuqing Hall, an elderly man in his fifties sneered and said, "If I weren't afraid he would resort to desperate measures, I would really like to go to the government office to pay him a visit and see if Lord Xue is still as righteous and awe-inspiring as he was at the Yingyuan Night Banquet."

He was Wang Shilin, the head of the Wang family, one of the four prominent families. Sitting opposite him, Zheng Boyan, the head of the Zheng family, also smiled and said, "Brother Weisen, rest assured, Magistrate Xue will certainly not act recklessly in front of you. This young nobleman is very shrewd."

“Shrewd? I think his abilities are quite limited.” Wang Shilin sneered, “If he were truly shrewd, he wouldn’t have been so arrogant in accepting the challenge. He could have easily put those problems on hold with a delaying tactic, but he insisted on putting them on the agenda. Now, he won’t be able to extricate himself for at least a year or two.”

"Isn't this a good thing?"

Zheng Boyan stroked the cup in his hand and said slowly, "In a year or two, Xue Tongzhi's sharp edge will probably have been worn down, and he will no longer think of making things difficult for us."

Both Bai Xiu, the head of the Bai family, and Ge Huaicheng, the head of the Ge family, nodded in agreement.

These four, along with Liu Fu, who sat in the main seat, were the most prominent local powerful families in Yangzhou. Apart from the Qiao family, which broke with the Liu family a few years ago, and the Shen family, which steadily expanded on its own, the rest could hardly compare to these five families.

Wang Shilin looked at the silent Liu Fu and asked respectfully, "Brother Zicheng, do you think it's possible that Xue Tongzhi is deliberately feigning ignorance to mislead us?"

"It does not matter."

Liu Fu casually brushed it off, then looked at the four of them one by one and said, "I have invited you all here today not because of that newly appointed Assistant Magistrate, but because I have something important to tell you."

Bai Xiu quickly asked, "What is so important?"

Liu Fu paused for a moment, then said softly, "A letter has arrived from the capital."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned.

The salt merchants of Yangzhou were the wealthiest in the world. All five men present were extremely wealthy, but they knew that their immense wealth was not due to their own abilities, but rather to their connections with the imperial court and their private schemes involving the salt transport.

There are no free lunches in this world. They made a fortune through canal construction and salt administration, so they naturally needed to make regular tributes to ensure they wouldn't be replaced by others.

Ge Huaicheng hesitated and said, "Last year, the national treasury was in dire straits, and the capital demanded a million taels of silver. In just half a year, they've reached out again... How much is it this time?"

Liu Fu remained silent, only making a gesture.

Even Bai Xiu, who always followed his lead, couldn't help but frown and ask, "So many?"

The appetite of the capital city grows bigger and bigger each time. Although this does not affect their individual family fortunes, the pie is only so big. If the capital city takes a larger share, they will have to take a smaller share.

Zheng Boyan also said in a deep voice, "Brother Zicheng, if we follow the old practice, the Salt Transport Office will never have such a large sum of silver. Isn't this forcing us to use our own silver to fill the gap?"

"Don't be impatient."

Liu Fu calmly said, "I have already come up with a solution, and I would like to ask you all to discuss it together today."

Everyone had always admired his vision and strategy, and they all said in unison, "We would like to hear more about it."

"It's very simple, just add a new breeding ground."

Liu Fu extended his right index finger and said unhurriedly, "The Salt Transport Bureau is pushing this matter forward. When we join in, many people will likely succumb to the temptation. Even the Qiao and Shen families might make a move."

The salt administration of the Great Yan Dynasty underwent several reforms and is now based on a silver payment system. Salt merchants first obtain a salt certificate representing their qualification to transport and sell salt, and then pay silver to the Salt Transport Office to obtain a salt certificate that allows them to transport and sell salt.

Salt deposits could be inherited across generations, allowing salt merchants to maintain long-term control over the salt industry in designated areas. The five families present, as well as the Qiao and Shen families outside, all possessed a certain number of salt deposits.

Wealthy merchants who didn't own salt deposits but wanted a share of the salt industry had no choice but to rent them from salt merchants at high prices.

In short, a "yinwo" was a license that controlled the allocation of salt permits, similar to the licenses required by money shops.

Zheng Boyan said with a hint of eagerness, "Brother Zicheng, once the Salt Transport Office confirms the addition of new salt deposits, our five families will join forces to secure the exclusive sales rights and then sell them to others at a high price?"

"Yes."

Liu Fu said meaningfully, "The Salt Transport Bureau's appetite this time is not small. If we put up enough silver, we can monopolize the sales rights of the salt ore and give the capital a satisfactory explanation. You are all sensible people and can definitely calculate the advantages and disadvantages involved."

Everyone nodded.

Having spent their entire lives dealing with the salt industry, they naturally understood the ins and outs. To satisfy the appetites of the Salt Transport Bureau and even the bigwigs in the capital, they would have to pay a considerable amount of real money this time, but the subsequent profits would be equally substantial.

This is a sure-fire way to make money.

Wang Shilin was the first to express his opinion: "I am willing to follow Lord Liu's instructions!"

The other three echoed his sentiment.

Liu Fu smiled, raised his teacup and said, "This old man will offer you all a cup of tea instead of wine."

"please!"

Everyone was all smiles.

The atmosphere was incredibly harmonious, and no one paid any attention to Xue Huai anymore, as if he were just an insignificant outsider.

(End of this chapter)