Prime Minister

Chapter 259, Section 258: [Who are you?]

Song Yi's methods were certainly not limited to this one.

As a third-rank official in charge of grain transport, he was well aware of the powers and responsibilities of the grain transport office and local government, and he had many ways to make things difficult for the Yangzhou government.

However, after Xue Huai decisively defused his first wave of attacks, Song Yi knew that it would be difficult to gain anything substantial today. Firstly, Xue Huai was more cunning than he had imagined. Unless he was certain of success, he would only humiliate himself if he made a hasty move against such a person.

Secondly, his request for the Yangzhou government to dredge the canal was a legitimate one. If he were to make any other harsh demands, it would seem too aggressive and could easily give others cause for criticism.

Song Yi was not a reckless playboy like Sang Chengze. He understood the principle of knowing when to stop and when to stop, so he quickly adjusted his mindset.

After Zhang Shi took his leave, Song Yi's admiring gaze fell on Xue Huai's face, and he said with emotion, "Lord Xue, you have planned ahead with such a long-standing problem as the dredging of the canal, not only avoiding the predicament of digging a well when thirsty, but also demonstrating your ambition to save the world and bring peace to the people. This foresight and diligence are truly those of a pillar of the court. No wonder you have such a great reputation. I have seen it for myself today and know that the rumors are true, and even more so."

Knowing that the difficulties were over and Song Yi would not act rashly again, Xue Huai humbly said, "I am unworthy of such praise from the Councilor. The smooth flow of the Grand Canal is crucial to the people's livelihood and the nation's future. I fear I may fail His Majesty's grace, so how could I not do my utmost? These small preparations are merely my duty, and I truly do not deserve such high praise from the Councilor. It is Councilor Song who has managed the Grand Canal for many years, overseeing eight provinces and managing thousands of miles; he is truly a great talent. I still need to learn more from the Councilor."

Song Yi sighed inwardly.

This young Yangzhou magistrate is not only capable of turning his back on people, but also of lying without batting an eye; he is truly a formidable young man.

"Lord Xue is too modest. I have been immersed in the affairs of the Grand Canal for many years and know that if all local officials were as selfless and dedicated as Lord Xue, the court would not worry about the prosperity of the Grand Canal and the peace of the country. Today, I have seen Lord Xue's talent and I am very pleased. I will go back and tell Minister Jiang in detail about Lord Xue's abilities. I believe the Minister will also be very pleased."

Song Yi's attitude became increasingly friendly, and then he changed the subject, saying, "To be honest, besides inspecting the canal affairs, I also have a small matter entrusted to me by someone, which I would like to discuss with Lord Xue."

Xue Huai remained expressionless and nodded, saying, "Please speak, Councilor."

Song Yi leaned back in his chair, appearing more relaxed, and said calmly, "It concerns the matter of Sang Chengze, the youngest son of the Grand Canal Gang leader Sang. When I was in Huai'an, Sang Shichang came to me seeking help, saying that his youngest son was unruly and had caused trouble in Yangzhou, offending the Qiao family. He is now being held in the government office. The Grand Canal Gang leader is both angry and ashamed, deeply regretting his failure to properly educate his son. He originally intended to come to Yangzhou in person to apologize to Lord Xue and the Qiao family, but he feared that his sensitive position would attract unnecessary gossip. That is why he earnestly requested that, if there is an opportunity, he could intervene on his behalf."

"Oh? This matter..."

Xue Huai looked somewhat troubled, his brows furrowed as if he was carefully considering his words.

Seeing this, Song Yi immediately chimed in, "Lord Xue, Sang Chengze has always acted recklessly and arrogantly. His actions in Yangzhou this time were entirely his own fault, and he has no one to blame but himself. When Minister Jiang heard about this, he also severely reprimanded Sang Shichang, saying that he had failed to properly discipline his sons, but..."

Xue Huai raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Those who participate in government affairs may speak frankly."

Song Yi sighed softly, “Although Sang Shichang is not a perfect man, he has worked diligently and made great contributions to the transport of grain and the maintenance of order on the Grand Canal for many years. Now that he is getting old, his biggest worry is that the people in his gang are not stable. He is even more afraid that the matter of his rebellious son will chill the hearts of those old brothers who serve the court, or that he will be used by people with ulterior motives to stir up unnecessary waves.”

These words were sincere enough, but Xue Huai knew in his heart that if he had been unable to meet Song Yi's request earlier, the other party would definitely not have been so tactful now.

Therefore, he did not immediately give in, but calmly picked up his teacup, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

Song Yi studied his expression and slowly said, "Sang Chengze is young and ignorant, and his guilt is undeniable. However, the severity of his guilt is debatable. What Sang Shichang seeks is nothing more than a face-saving measure, a way to explain himself to the gang members, to personally punish his rebellious son, and to sincerely apologize to the Qiao family to make up for the losses. I wonder what Lord Xue thinks?"

A brief silence fell over the hall.

After a moment, Xue Huai looked up to meet Song Yi's inquiring and expectant gaze, and said gently, "Chief Sang has served the court for many years, and I am aware of his hard work. The tens of thousands of members of the Canal Gang have indeed made contributions in maintaining the smooth flow of the canal. As for Sang Chengze... it is understandable that a young man might act impulsively out of youthful vigor."

Song Yi knew he would say more, so he listened patiently.

Xue Huai continued, “However, the law is the foundation of the court, and the authority of the government cannot be disrespected. The Qiao family is a prominent clan in this prefecture, and Old Master Qiao is a highly respected and virtuous man, deeply loved by the people. His youngest son, Qiao Wenxuan, was publicly humiliated, damaging the Qiao family's reputation and causing much discussion in Yangzhou. I cannot turn a deaf ear to this. If we let Sang Chengze off the hook, it will not only fail to win over the people but also damage the court's reputation. What do you think, Councilor?”

Song Yi was slightly displeased.

He knew that Xue Huai was expressing his dissatisfaction, a response to his harsh demands earlier—if the Yangzhou government hadn't been prepared in advance and forced by the canal administration to dredge the canal, many of Xue Huai's plans and arrangements would have been affected.

From this, it can be seen that this young man is indeed unwilling to suffer losses easily.

However, Song Yi could not back down either. He had come to Yangzhou in person, and it was fine if he hadn't stumped Xue Huai. But if he couldn't even bring Sang Chengze back, Jiang Jizhou would surely be very disappointed in him. Therefore, he said solemnly, "Lord Xue, Sang Chengze is a member of the Grand Canal gang. According to the regulations of the court, cases involving the Grand Canal are handled exclusively by the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's Office. Even if he is to be punished, I should bring him back to the Grand Canal Office to be dealt with according to the law."

In fact, this kind of thing is where the Grand Canal transport authorities and local officials have the most disputes, especially when it involves the violations of discipline by tens of thousands of members of the Grand Canal gang. The Grand Canal transport authorities will ask local officials to hand over the criminals so that they can handle the matter themselves. Most of the time, the local officials will back down, because, as Song Yi said, the Grand Canal transport authorities have the power to handle cases involving the Grand Canal as granted by the imperial court.

Xue Huai suddenly smiled faintly and said calmly, "Councilor Song, the case of Sang Chengze's assault is not serious. I already made a judgment yesterday."

Song Yi narrowed his eyes and asked, "I wonder how Lord Xue ruled?" Xue Huai replied, "Sang Chengze must pay for all the medicine and medical expenses of the injured, and personally go to the Qiao family to apologize and obtain their forgiveness. In addition, he needs to stay in the government office as a servant for a period of time as a punishment for him."

Song Yi looked at the other person thoughtfully.

Xue Huai's punishment was not harsh, and was more lenient than he had expected. But would a spoiled brat like Sang Chengze really be willing to stay in the Yangzhou government office and work as a menial servant?

Just then, a young servant came in carrying a tray with two cups of freshly brewed tea.

"Councilor Song, Lord Xue, please have some tea."

The servant's movements were somewhat clumsy, clearly indicating that he had never done this kind of service before.

When Song Yi looked up, even with his long experience and deep cunning, he was almost shocked.

Who else could this servant who was placing the teacup on the table next to him be but Sang Chengze?
However, this was completely different from the third young master of the Sang family in his memory; it was as if he had become a different person.

Previously, Song Yi had not had much contact with Sang Chengze. The boy was quite respectful in front of him, but Song Yi had heard a lot about Sang Chengze's unruly deeds. He was a spoiled brat who had been pampered by Sang Shichang and his wife since childhood. He did not do anything serious and spent his days indulging in pleasure at brothels. Fighting with others was a common occurrence for him.

Song Yi couldn't reconcile the image of Sang Chengze in his mind with the clear-eyed young man before him, so he tentatively asked, "Chengze?"

"This nephew greets Your Excellency, Councilor."

Sang Chengze bowed respectfully, his demeanor upright.

Song Yi looked him up and down but found no signs of torture or injury, which only deepened his suspicions.

From the time Sang Chengze was imprisoned until now, it has only been twenty days. What exactly did this young master go through to cause such a dramatic change?

Song Yi coughed lightly, glanced at Xue Huai, who had a calm expression, and then said to Sang Chengze, "Just now, Lord Xue told me about the punishment for you. Do you know you were wrong?"

"I know I was wrong."

Sang Chengze said sincerely, "I should never have hurt anyone. Thanks to Lord Xue for his persuasive words and reasoning, I have come to realize my mistake. Therefore, I would like to ask you to pass on a message to my father after you return to Huai'an, saying that I am willing to stay here to make amends for my mistake. I hope that my family will not worry about me."

Song Yi was slightly taken aback.

With his perspective and experience, he could naturally see that Sang Chengze's words came from the heart and were not coerced. Moreover, given the kid's reckless nature, if Xue Huai had forced him to do this, he would have said it without hesitation the moment he met him.

The problem is... how is that possible?
The saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." How could Sang Chengze have undergone such a complete transformation in less than a month?

Looking at Sang Chengze, who seemed completely transformed, and then at the smiling Yangzhou Tongzhi, a chill suddenly rose from the bottom of Song Yi's heart.

At that moment, he had only one feeling: it was too eerie.

He suppressed his discomfort and forced a smile, saying, "It is certainly excellent that you have repented and reformed. I will convey this to your father. As for you... since you are willing to stay here to make amends, I will not object."

Sang Chengze bowed again and said, "Thank you, Councilor."

Song Yi stood up and said to Xue Huai, "Lord Xue, please take good care of the dredging of the waterway. I have other important matters to attend to, so I will not bother you any longer."

Xue Huai said, "This humble official respectfully sees off the Councilor."

A moment later, Xue Huai saw Song Yi off as he hurriedly left. He had just returned to the second hall when he saw Sang Chengze looking pleased with himself and saying, "Lord Xue, how did I perform just now?"

Xue Huai nodded slightly and said, "Not bad."

Sang Chengze couldn't help but laugh. He became more and more convinced that he had made a wise decision, especially after seeing the ghost-like expression on the face of high-ranking officials like Song Yi. He felt that compared to the hedonistic life he had grown tired of in the past, this kind of scene that startled others was truly interesting.

When I can stand openly and proudly before tens of thousands of elders of the canal gang and enjoy their cheers one day in the future, wouldn't that be one of the greatest joys in life?
Seeing the guy's increasingly intoxicated expression, Xue Huai couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

(End of this chapter)