Prime Minister

Chapter 177, Section 176: [The Emperor's Heart is as Deep as an Abyss]

Imperial City, Wende Hall.

All the high-ranking officials gathered, each with their own thoughts and intentions.

The turmoil in Jiangnan was not a top secret. Several days ago, officials in the imperial court had learned about it through their respective channels. Even though they were not yet clear about the final outcome, they could roughly guess the situation in the Huai River region.

Grand Secretary Ning Hengzhi remained calm, his face showing no emotion.

This Grand Secretary, who was nearly sixty years old, had experienced too many ups and downs in his life. Although the Jiangnan Rebellion shook the court and the public, it did not affect him much. After all, it was Xu Guanlan who was in trouble, not Jiang Jizhou, and the former was not close to him.

Second Grand Secretary Ouyang Hui also showed no enthusiasm. As the hope of Minister of Works Shen Wang entering the cabinet grew stronger, Ouyang Hui's signs of aging became more and more obvious. Nowadays, he rarely confronted Ning Hengzhi as he used to.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

The slightly shrill voice of Zhang Xian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, rang out as Emperor Jiang Chen of the Great Yan sat expressionlessly on the dragon throne.

After the ceremony, the emperor looked around at his ministers and said slowly, "I have received a memorial from Xue Huai, the Assistant Prefect of Yangzhou. I'm sure you all have heard some rumors about it. That's why I've summoned you to the palace to discuss this important matter."

The emperor's attitude left some high-ranking officials somewhat bewildered. Given that such a major case had occurred in the Jiangnan region, a land of heavy taxation, the emperor should have at least expressed his opinion, if not been furious. Why did he seem so indifferent?

Some people had a thought: Could it be that the emperor only wanted to confiscate the stolen silver to solve the court's problems and had no intention of implicating a wide range of people?
As soon as this thought came to mind, some ministers secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The salt tax system was extremely vulnerable to investigation. Not only did salt officials line their own pockets, but many officials in the central government also accepted bribes from their subordinates.

The Emperor took in the reactions of his ministers and continued, “Perhaps you ministers are wondering how Xue Huai, merely the Assistant Prefect of Yangzhou, could have the authority to investigate the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office? A month ago, I received a secret report from Xue Huai, and only then did I realize how arrogant and absurd the corrupt officials led by Xu Guanlan were. They dared to intercept and hide official salt and salt taxes in advance, and the imperial treasury only received scraps from their handouts.”

His tone remained calm, but his words were enough to make the hearts of the important officials in the palace clench.

Corrupt officials are common in this world, but people like Xu Guanlan, who not only embezzled but also dared to preemptively divide up the interests of the imperial court, are truly rare.

"Zhang Xian."

"The servant is here."

"You come and tell all the ministers about the situation of the Lianghuai Salt Case."

"The slaves obey the order."

Zhang Xian, tall and unlike any other eunuch, turned to face the assembled officials and recounted in detail the inside story that Xue Huai had uncovered in Yangzhou.

The hall was very quiet, with only Zhang Xian's voice ringing out.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhang Xian withdrew, and the emperor said quietly, "What are your opinions on this case, gentlemen? Speak freely without fear of reprisal."

The emperor's voice faded into the last syllable in the Wende Hall, and a heavy silence descended, as if a mountain were pressing down on everyone's shoulders.

The annual deficit of 1.87 million shi of salt permits was a figure that burned into everyone's hearts like a red-hot iron.

They couldn't fathom the Emperor's state of mind at that moment, but this case was far too sensational. If the situation couldn't be kept under control, it might cause a huge uproar in the court.

After a brief silence, Liu Chongnian, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, stepped forward first, his face showing shock and grief. He bowed deeply to the throne: "Your Majesty, Xu Guanlan is such a depraved and insane man, truly a giant scourge unseen in a century! Fortunately, Your Majesty's divine wisdom and insightful observation allowed you to secretly instruct Xue Tongzhi, enabling him to bravely face the axe and use swift and decisive measures to destroy this cancer in one fell swoop. Xue Tongzhi's loyalty and courage are unparalleled, truly thanks to Your Majesty's discerning eye!"

The emperor neither confirmed nor denied this.

Ouyang Hui felt a surge of disgust.

He had witnessed the shamelessness of Ning Party officials far too many times. Just as Liu Chongnian said at this moment, no matter what major case occurred, the first thing they did was to sing praises.

Seeing that the emperor did not respond, Liu Chongnian was not discouraged. His tone turned serious as he said, "Your Majesty, I dare to suggest that the Lianghuai region is a vital economic center for the Great Yan, the salt tax is crucial to the morale of the nine border armies, and the grain transport is vital to the capital. The Salt Transport Bureau is now almost paralyzed. If we were to impose levies on all involved, it would cause widespread fear among lower-level salt officials and legitimate salt merchants, potentially posing a great threat to the nation. In my humble opinion, while we must use swift and decisive measures to punish the ringleaders as a warning to others, we must also stabilize public sentiment with benevolence and leniency." The emperor slightly raised his eyelids and asked in return, "Benevolence and leniency?"

Upon seeing this, Minister of Justice Wei Zheng stepped forward and earnestly said, "Your Majesty, what Vice Minister Liu is worried about is also what I am concerned about. The operation of the salt administration depends on countless officials, salt workers, boatmen, and salt merchants. Xu Ni and his few cronies, such as Chen Lun and Lou Shizong, should be punished severely. However, most of the others were coerced or were unaware of their duties. If they are all severely punished, it may incite a popular uprising. I believe that, apart from the ringleaders, the other officials should be investigated and verified by the three judicial departments. If they have not committed serious crimes, they should be appeased and ordered to serve while in disgrace to observe their future conduct."

He and Liu Chongnian echoed each other, their words high-sounding and righteous, but in essence, it all boiled down to one sentence—for the sake of overall stability, this case should end at the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office.

Ning Hengzhi remained silent. In fact, he had already sensed the emperor's anger last time. However, although he was the leader of the Ning faction, he ultimately could not completely control the words and actions of those below him.

Xu Guanlan and others were not the only ones who manipulated the salt tax.
Looking at the entire court, countless people are implicated. If the emperor intends to investigate thoroughly, many will not be able to escape unscathed.

Minister of Works Shen Wang looked at the gold-brick floor in front of him, not rushing to refute, making it impossible to see what he was thinking.

Immediately, Fan Dongyang, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward with a furrowed brow and said, "Minister Wei's words are likely biased. The shortfall of nearly two million shi of salt permits is not something that can be accomplished overnight by one person. Even if Xu Guanlan has three heads and six arms, without collusion and layers of protection, or even the central government—"

Before he could finish speaking, Sun Lie, the Right Vice Minister of War, immediately interrupted him loudly, with the straightforwardness characteristic of a military man: "Vice Minister Fan, please hear me out. The Grand Canal is the lifeline of salt transport. If it encounters further setbacks, the north and south will be cut off, and the capital will run out of supplies—that would be a catastrophe. I believe the most urgent task is to quickly execute the traitor Xu, and at the same time, appoint a highly respected and capable minister to take charge of the salt administration to ensure the Grand Canal remains unobstructed. As for digging deeper into the problem, that cannot be done overnight. Why not wait until the overall situation is more stable before proceeding with our plans?"

Zhou Yuanzheng, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, couldn't help but speak up: "While Vice Minister Sun's concerns are valid, the laws of the court cannot be disregarded! How could Xu Guanlan have run rampant for so long? It's not just because of a few people in the Salt Transport Office. If there were no local powerful clans and wealthy merchants colluding to share the spoils, and if there were no officials passing on information to cover up his activities, how could he have deceived everyone for so many years? If this case only involves Xu Guanlan, then the source of corruption remains. If we kill Xu Guanlan today, Zhang Guanlan and Li Guanlan may very well emerge tomorrow!"

Sun Lie was momentarily speechless.

Seeing this, Wei Zheng frowned and said in a deep voice, "Lord Zhou, who doesn't know the principle of eradicating evil completely? However, the salt administration is deeply entrenched. If we act rashly and affect too many areas, it will inevitably lead to the complete collapse of the salt administration! At that time, the salt tax will be gone, the national treasury will be empty, and where will the court's funds come from?"

Before Zhou Yuanzheng could object, he immediately addressed the emperor, saying, “Your Majesty, I believe we should follow the ancient medical wisdom of Bian Que, first stopping the massive bleeding, then strengthening the body's foundation and nourishing its vital energy, so that the root of the disease can be gradually eradicated. If we insist on cutting away flesh and bones, I fear the patient will die before the illness is cured. This is the way to weigh the pros and cons, not to act rashly!”

The atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly solemn.

At this moment, the slightly aged Minister of Rites, Zheng Yuan, stepped forward and earnestly said, “Your Majesty, the opinions of all the officials are of national importance. The execution of Xu is of utmost urgency. Xue Tongzhi is both wise and brave, and his extraordinary achievement makes him a model for all officials. However, the reconstruction of the salt administration is quite different from criminal investigation. Xue Tongzhi has not been in office for long, and he may need more experience to refine his skills in mediating disputes and overseeing the overall situation. In my humble opinion, Xue Tongzhi should be generously rewarded for his loyalty and courage. As for the heavy responsibility of rebuilding the salt administration, which concerns the national economy and people's livelihood, it must be undertaken by a senior and experienced minister with profound prestige. This way, we can both reward meritorious officials and preserve their talents, and stabilize the overall situation and bring peace to the country, achieving the best of both worlds.”

"I agree with Minister Zheng's words!"

As soon as Zheng Yuan finished speaking, several senior officials stepped forward to echo his words.

The emperor, seated high on the dragon throne, had a calm and composed expression. His fingers tapped the cold armrest of the throne lightly, producing a very faint "tap-tap" sound. His deep gaze, as still as an ancient well, slowly swept over each of the important ministers who spoke.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Ning Hengzhi's face, which was as calm as a meditating monk, then swept over the slightly cloudy but flickering eyes of the Second Grand Secretary Ouyang Hui, and finally landed on Shen Wang, the Minister of Works, whose expression was solemn.

As if sensing something, Shen Wang raised his head to meet the emperor's gaze.

Both the emperor and his minister understood the deeper meaning behind Zheng Yuan's final words, which were nothing more than a platitude about prioritizing the overall situation. At the same time, they praised Xue Huai highly but gently put him down, clearly not wanting to see the young Yangzhou magistrate gain more real power.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the words of Minister Zheng, Minister Wei, and Vice Minister Liu are all wise and experienced opinions on governing the country."

Wang Xu, the Minister of Revenue, finally stepped forward. His voice was filled with deep weariness and genuine anxiety: "Your Majesty, since last year, Shandong and Henan have suffered severe droughts, leaving the land parched and the people homeless. Relief funds have been flowing like water. In the autumn defense of the northern frontier, the winter clothing and provisions for hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the nine borders have not yet been prepared. The Ministry of Revenue is living beyond its means, struggling to make ends meet. We had hoped that this year's salt tax would fill the national treasury and alleviate the immediate crisis. While the execution of Xu is certainly gratifying, if this case leads to widespread unrest and unrest among the people, I fear the Ministry of Revenue will have no money left."

Wang Xu's words drew more agreement, and some ministers were overjoyed.

This is because Wang Xu was never a key member of the Ning Party, and his statements carried considerable weight with the emperor. Now that even he hoped to resolve the salt case as soon as possible to quell the unrest, it was likely that the turmoil in Jiangnan would not linger and affect the central government in the capital.

In short, most people wanted to see Xu Guanlan's head roll, but that was all they wanted to see. As for the deeper secrets of the Lianghuai Salt Case, why bother to fuss over them?
After all, the stability of the Great Yan dynasty is paramount. Isn't this the outcome His Majesty most desires?

On the dragon throne, the emperor remained silent, only slightly tugging at the corners of his mouth and uttering a short, sarcastic syllable.

"Ah."

(End of this chapter)