Prime Minister

Chapter 255, Section 254: [Everyone is Like a Dragon]

Even if Sang Chengze was stupid, he knew he had fallen into a bottomless vortex.

If anyone else had said these words to Sang Chengze, he would have dismissed them with disdain, thinking they were just talking nonsense. However, Xue Huai was no ordinary person.

Previously, Sang Chengze did not have a direct impression of Xue Huai. Only after seeing him in person today did he realize what extraordinary ability it was for a young man of his age to be able to govern a prefecture.

Perhaps Xue Huai's words were alarmist, but Sang Chengze had no doubt that the other party had the power to influence the direction of the court. Although the Canal Gang had a strong foundation, it never dared to cross the line. If it were to be feared and suspected by the officials in the court, the Canal Gang would surely face a bloody storm.

He struggled to his feet and said in a trembling voice, "Lord Xue, I had no intention of disrespecting the government. I was just upset to hear that the Lianghuai Salt Industry Association was competing with our shipping guild for profits, so I went to cause trouble for Young Master Qiao. I know I was wrong and am willing to accept your punishment. I beg you to be lenient and not to take your anger out on my father and the shipping guild because of this."

These words were quite sincere, without any trace of the vulgarity of a spoiled brat, but Xue Huai did not give an immediate reply.

After a long silence, he said calmly, "Sit down and let's talk."

"Yes."

Sang Chengze straightened the chair and carefully sat down.

Xue Huai looked at him and said, "I don't quite understand what you mean by 'competing for profit'."

Sang Chengze swallowed hard and explained, “Lord Xue, in the past, salt merchants relied on our canal gang when doing business in various places. Whether it was transporting goods, managing local relationships, or even protecting their shops and properties, these matters were all handled by the brothers of the canal gang, so they would pay the canal gang a sum of money regularly. Since the establishment of the Salt Industry Association, they can handle many of their own problems and no longer need our canal gang, which has resulted in a significant loss of income for the canal gang.”

He wasn't entirely incompetent; at least he had some understanding of the problems within the Grand Canal Gang itself.

"I see."

Xue Huai pretended not to know, and then sneered, "To put it bluntly, this is because your canal gang is greedy. The salt merchants didn't have to pay this extra money in the first place, and now it's just a relief for them."

Sang Chengze was speechless.

"Now let's talk about you."

Xue Huai raised his hand and placed it on the table, then changed the subject, saying, "I've heard that your father has been a master of the Grand Canal for decades and is quite shrewd. I never imagined he would have such a son as you, who can't see the situation clearly and is easily manipulated."

Sang Chengze was naturally unwilling to admit this. He felt that he simply did not want to compete for power with his two elder brothers, which was why he chose to live such a life of debauchery and decadence.

If his father gave him a chance, he believed he would do no worse than his two older brothers.

Xue Huai saw the resentment in his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Besides being born into a better family than most people, what else do you have to boast about? According to the jailer's report, your behavior in prison these past few days has been utterly appalling. In my opinion, you only rely on your father's and the name of the Grand Canal Gang to swagger around and cause trouble. Once you encounter real difficulties, all those things you used to rely on will be worthless, just like right now."

Sang Chengze was so ashamed by these words that he knew the other party was right.

He had always had a smooth life, getting whatever he wanted, and had never encountered a truly formidable opponent. These days, confined in a dark and damp cell, his former pride and confidence were no longer valued, and he himself clearly lacked the ability to solve his problems.

Even if you manage to get away safely this time, it will be difficult for you to do as you please in the future.

Xue Huai softened his tone and said slowly, "Perhaps it won't be long before you stop so easily mentioning the words 'Young Master of the Canal Gang'."

Sang Chengze was startled. He felt that Xue Huai would not speak without reason. What exactly was he implying with those words?
He suppressed his unease and panic, and forced a smile, saying, "Your Excellency is right. I will be humble from now on."

That's not what I meant.

Xue Huai shook his head slightly, gazing into Sang Chengze's eyes, and said, "The Grand Canal Gang has been entrenched in the Grand Canal for nearly a century, deeply rooted and powerful, but its operating methods are too backward, and its gang mentality is too strong. It is prone to fighting and killing, and extortion of merchants and common people is commonplace. With the current Holy Emperor on the throne, in the past few years, he has first purged official corruption and then reformed the salt administration. So how long do you think the court will tolerate a folk gang like the Grand Canal Gang that acts recklessly and encroaches on the interests of the nation? How long can your father, Sang Shichang, remain in power?"

For Sang Chengze, these questions were somewhat distant; at least until today, he had never thought about them.

"I know you don't want to believe it."

Xue Huai chuckled, then said unhurriedly, "Including the laborers and boatmen at the bottom, the canal gang now numbers at least tens of thousands. Although they are under the supervision of the canal transport authorities, as far as I know, your internal structure is very tight, making it difficult for even the canal transport authorities to intervene directly, right? Today, we won't talk about those esoteric matters, but only about a very practical issue: what would be the consequences if the imperial court were to abolish the canal gang?"

"Lord Xue, why does the imperial court want to ban the grain transport guilds?"

Sang Chengze looked bewildered and helpless. "It's just a hypothetical scenario," Xue Huai said calmly. "Your father and the core leaders of the Grand Canal gang will definitely not agree. What would happen if the Grand Canal descended into chaos?"

Sang Chengze felt a chill run down his spine and quickly declared, "Lord Xue, the entire Canal Gang has absolutely no intention of rebelling! The Canal Gang's loyalty to the imperial court is as clear as day!"

Xue Huai remained silent, looking at him with a profound expression.

Sang Chengze knew his promise carried no weight, because he was just a pampered playboy with no real power.

At this moment, Xue Huai took out a booklet from his sleeve and threw it directly in front of Sang Chengze: "Take a look at this."

Sang Chengze picked up the booklet, opened it, and his expression gradually became serious.

This booklet details all the misdeeds of the Yangzhou branch of the Grand Canal Gang before this year, ranging from extorting large businesses to exploiting the poor and needy, and even engaging in market manipulation and human trafficking. The list of misdeeds is too long to recount.

It wasn't until Xue Huai took office in Yangzhou and investigated the Lianghuai salt case that the canal gangs reluctantly restrained themselves and dared not act as recklessly as before.

"As the saying goes, 'to see the whole leopard through a tube,' the Grand Canal Gang has committed so many evil deeds in Yangzhou alone. Looking across the vast Grand Canal, countless families have been ruined and people have died because of you. I did not go looking for trouble with you, but you came to Yangzhou and openly injured people. Sang Chengze, your stupidity and audacity truly amaze me."

Xue Huai's cold tone rang out again, and the pressure on Sang Chengze's shoulders grew heavier and heavier.

Now he understands that he may not be able to leave the Yangzhou government office safely.

He took a deep breath, raised his head and looked at the other party, saying, "Lord Xue, I wonder if this humble subject can remedy the situation?"

"remedy?"

Xue Huai looked him up and down and said slowly, "Don't rush to make promises in front of me. I know that your Canal Gang also has many problems. Your eldest brother, Sang Chengde, is in charge of affairs in the south. He is more steady than ambitious. Your second brother, Sang Chengye, is in charge of the Canal Gang's affairs in the north. He is ambitious but ruthless and has made many enemies. As for your father, Sang Shichang, he is getting old and is increasingly unable to cope with some potential threats within the gang. As for you, the Third Young Master Sang... hehe."

Sang Chengze felt his face burning, but he was powerless to refute it. What shocked him even more was Xue Huai's familiarity with the internal situation of the Grand Canal Gang. He was able to sketch out the real Grand Canal Gang in just a few words.

After a long period of contemplation, Sang Chengze looked at Xue Huai with admiration and earnestly said, "I beg Lord Xue to show me the way."

He now understood that Xue Huai's actions today must have a deeper meaning. Whether it was a threat or a warning, he must have wanted to achieve some goal from him, otherwise there would be no need to waste his breath.

He deeply understood the gap between the two of them. He was no match for Xue Huai, and he couldn't figure out the other party's true intentions. So he decided to be a lone wolf. Since Xue Huai didn't seem to really want to kill him, why bother making trouble for himself?
"There is no clear way out. What I just said was simply to tell you that the world has suffered under the control of the transport gangs for too long."

Xue Huai put away the booklet and said leisurely, "Indeed, the Canal Gang has made remarkable contributions to the Great Yan state, and no one can deny that. However, everything has a limit, and the Canal Gang's actions in recent years have been infinitely close to that limit. In my opinion, the Canal Gang only has two endings in the future: either they will clean up their house on their own initiative, or... someone will come to clean it up for them. I just don't know how many people will be swept out of the house in the process."

The last sentence sent a chill down Sang Chengze's spine.

He didn't know the true attitude of the imperial court towards the Grand Canal Gang, but Xue Huai's analysis was not without reason. The Grand Canal Gang was indeed too large and bloated, and its members were a mixed bag, with many people being even worse than him, the young master. He was just arrogant and domineering, but at least he wouldn't do the kind of evil things like extortion or kidnapping women when he was out and about.

"Master Xue."

Sang Chengze tried to calm himself and asked humbly, "What exactly do you want this humble subject to do?"

"It's not that I need you to do anything."

Xue Huai corrected his statement, then said seriously, "But at a time when the Grand Canal Gang is about to undergo a change and must make some changes, what can you, as a member of the Sang family and a young master of the Grand Canal Gang, do for the Grand Canal Gang? Or to put it more simply, do you want to use the little time you have left to continue living a life of debauchery and be a worthless piece of trash that everyone despises, or do you have some ambition and want to leave your name, Sang Chengze, on this thousand-mile Grand Canal?"

Sang Chengze was stunned.

Xue Huai's words were like a faint spark, quietly rising in his heart.

He never imagined he would be so highly regarded.

After a moment, he pointed to himself and murmured, "Me?"

Xue Huai smiled calmly and nodded, saying, "That's right, it's you."

(End of this chapter)