Prime Minister

Chapter 274, Section 273: [The Wind and Thunder Begin to Rise]

Ning Hengzhi withdrew his gaze; he was not surprised by Ouyang Hui's move.

After Sun Yan was forced to resign, Ouyang Hui's influence in the cabinet further diminished. In addition, everyone knew that the emperor valued Shen Wang highly, and the matter of Shen Wang's entry into the cabinet was steadily being promoted. How many people were still willing to support this elderly second prime minister?

Almost everyone was waiting for Ouyang Hui to resign and return to his hometown.

In this atmosphere, it's quite understandable that Ouyang Hui harbored resentment.

However, in Ning Hengzhi's view, Ouyang Hui's interference at this moment might not necessarily be a good thing for Shen Wang.

The reason is simple: the emperor's greatest taboo is having his subjects harbor resentment.

The word "resentment" alone is enough to ruin a person's career.

Although Ouyang Hui was already close to leaving the court, his statement today might provoke the emperor's dissatisfaction with Shen Wang.

With this in mind, Ning Hengzhi decided to wait and see and temporarily suppress the idea of ​​personally getting involved.

Others, however, found it difficult to remain so calm. Upon hearing Ouyang Hui's words, Wei Zheng's face darkened as he said, "Your Excellency, the inspections by the Grand Canal Administration are to ensure the smooth flow of grain transport. How can you say it's excessive? Even if there are occasional errors, they are merely difficulties in implementing the detailed rules. How can we throw the baby out with the bathwater and then accuse the Grand Canal Administration of abusing its power? Governor-General Jiang has been in charge of grain transport for many years and has made outstanding achievements. His memorials are all impartial and fair. How could he be avoiding the important issues?"

"Occasionally something goes wrong?"

Ouyang Hui seized upon the loophole in the other party's words and immediately pressed on, saying, "Minister Wei's words are far too rash! Governor Jiang's memorial only impeached Xue Huai, but turned a blind eye to whether the Grain Transport Commissioner himself was at fault. If the salt merchants had not reached their breaking point, why would they go to such lengths to increase their costs? This was not instigated by Xue Huai, but rather by the oppressive policies of the Grain Transport Commissioner! If we only suppress the salt merchants and do not investigate the faults of the Grain Transport Commissioner, it is tantamount to trying to stop boiling water by adding more water. Today we may subdue the two Huai regions, but tomorrow trouble will arise elsewhere, and the grain transport will never have peace! The dignity of the court should be based on clear and impartial investigation and handling, not on blindly listening to one side and suppressing others!"

Wei Zheng frowned. After all, the other party was the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. As long as the emperor did not issue an imperial edict ordering him to retire, the other party's words carried more weight in the court than his own as the Minister of Justice.

Most importantly, Ouyang Hui kept pressing on the long-standing problems in the Grand Canal, which Wei Zheng found difficult to refute. This was because the Grand Canal Administration did indeed have many long-standing problems. This was not just a matter of Jiang Jizhou's personal conduct, or rather, every Grand Canal Governor faced such a problem, yet no one was ever able to clean up the mess.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Ouyang Hui seized the opportunity to say, "The salt and grain transport dispute could have been contained within a corner of Jiangnan. However, Governor Jiang has turned this dispute into a memorial, which is tantamount to amplifying a local scab into a festering sore in the imperial court. This is not to relieve His Majesty's worries, but rather to push all the problems and pressures onto the emperor. Furthermore, his memorial portrays Xue Huai as the culprit who shakes the foundation of the nation, while deliberately downplaying the problems of the grain transport office itself. If such biased words are rashly accepted, it may chill the hearts of the merchants and people of Jiangnan!"

The emperor remained solemn, seemingly showing no obvious emotional fluctuations. However, the high-ranking officials were quite familiar with the emperor's temperament and knew all too well that Ouyang Hui's words were the real killer move.

He pointed out the biggest problem with Jiang Jizhou's memorial: it brought a local conflict that could have been controlled to the central government, forcing the emperor to make a decision.

Judging from the current situation, the Grand Canal Administration is not in dire straits yet. In the end, the salt merchants of Lianghuai are only cutting ties with the Grand Canal to protect themselves. After all, no one can withstand the deliberate targeting of the Grand Canal Administration, otherwise they would not have increased the freight costs of their own businesses for no reason.

In other words, Jiang Jizhou had more suitable means to deal with this matter. The reason he amplified the impact of the salt and grain transport dispute and even handed it over to the central government was simply because he knew the importance of the grain transport and was certain that the court could not afford the consequences of the canal unrest. Therefore, he chose the simplest and most convenient method—all it took was for the emperor to issue an imperial edict to reprimand Xue Huai and disband the Lianghuai Salt Association, and the storm would naturally subside.

However... everyone in the imperial court is shrewd and capable; who wouldn't see through his little scheme?
It is true that the Grand Canal is crucial to the foundation of the nation, but to put the emperor on the hot seat is undoubtedly courting death. If the current emperor had such magnanimity, Ning Hengzhi would not be so cautious and treading on thin ice.

Fang Jian, the Minister of Personnel, was deep in thought. He keenly noticed that the emperor's silence at this moment contained a profound meaning.

As the Minister of Justice, who held the power to evaluate all officials, Fang Jian had never wanted to get involved in the power struggle between the Ning Party and the Qingliu faction in the court. He only cared about the emperor's opinion, so he originally did not want to express his opinion on this trivial matter.

However, after Ouyang Hui's eloquent speech left Wei Zheng and the others speechless, he realized that the emperor's attitude might be shifting. So he carefully said, "Your Majesty, what Grand Secretary Ouyang said is not without reason. Governor Jiang is in charge of the canal transport office, and his primary responsibility is to ensure the smooth flow of canal transport. However, instead of eliminating the disputes, he has further intensified the conflicts. This move is indeed inappropriate."

Ouyang Hui sneered inwardly. This Minister Fang had been the same for years, always changing his mind and going with the flow. He was used to it.

He knew that his fate today would likely displease the emperor, but after decades of following the rules, he couldn't just retire with resentment in his heart; he wanted to live a few more years.

However, he wouldn't always speak up for Shen Wang; it would be enough for him to annoy the Ning Party members.

"His Majesty."

Ning Hengzhi finally stepped forward and said calmly, “The matter in Jiangnan may seem like a dispute among merchants, but it has actually touched upon the foundation of the nation. The Grand Canal Administration, representing the court, exercises the power of inspection and dispatch, a system established by Emperor Taizu. If merchants everywhere follow the example of the Lianghuai salt merchants, forming associations to resist the government, where will the authority of the court's laws be? At that time, the order and discipline will collapse, and the country will inevitably descend into chaos. As the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, Jiang Jizhou's memorial, even if its words were vehement, stemmed from a heart of loyalty and patriotism. Xue Huaizhi's responsibility lies in his failure to effectively restrain the local authorities. The court should now clearly support the authority of the Grand Canal Administration, order the dissolution of the salt merchants' association, and restore the old system of canal transport. Details can be discussed later, but the greater good and the established order must not be compromised.”

Wei Zheng and Zheng Yuan quickly chimed in. Shen Wang looked up at the Emperor, realizing the debate in the court had reached a critical juncture. He immediately spoke, “Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary’s commitment to upholding the laws of the court is beyond reproach. However, the power of the law lies in its impartiality and protection of the people. The importance of the Grand Canal transport cannot be compromised, but the deep-seated problems it suffers from should not be concealed. The actions of the Lianghuai salt merchants are essentially seeking a fair business environment. If the Salt Merchants Association can guide and regulate this process, it can become a bridge between officials and merchants.”

Before anyone could object, he earnestly continued, “In my humble opinion, the court could take this opportunity to send officials to supervise and clarify new regulations for the inspection of the canal transport, define the rights and responsibilities of merchants and civilians, reduce unreasonable burdens, and bring the canal transport guilds under government supervision, making them legitimate businesses. In this way, the canal transport can be safe, the merchants and civilians can be safe, and the court's tax revenue can be guaranteed. If we continue to suppress the salt merchants' association, the deep-seated problems will remain, and today's chaos will surely be repeated in the future. Xue Huai may be impatient, but his heart is to eliminate the abuses, and his actions are to explore new paths. The court should guide him properly rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater!”

Fang Jian secretly praised him and then said, "Your Majesty, the long-standing problems with the Grand Canal are well known. The dispute over salt and grain transport in Jiangnan is the result of accumulated resentment. If the court seizes this opportunity to guide the situation, clarify responsibilities and reduce malpractices, it will not only solve the current predicament but also bring benefits to the Grand Canal for a hundred years!"

Listening to their analysis, Wang Xu's attitude softened. Previously, his intentions weren't directed at Xue Huai and Shen Wang, but rather at the fear that the turmoil surrounding the Grand Canal would implicate the Ministry of Revenue. After careful consideration, he pondered, "If we can truly use this opportunity to eliminate the long-standing abuses of the Grand Canal system, making it governed by laws and regulations, it will indeed help reduce disputes and safeguard tax revenue in the long run. However, reform involves a wide range of issues; how can we implement it prudently to avoid triggering even greater unrest?"

Unbeknownst to them, the wind direction in the imperial study had shifted.

After Ouyang Hui suppressed Wei Zheng, Shen Wang and Fang Jian worked together, and with Wang Xu's change of heart, even though Ning Hengzhi had already expressed his opinion, the situation still seemed unfavorable for the Ning faction.

Just then, the emperor coughed lightly, and the room immediately fell silent as everyone awaited his decision.

Looking at the various expressions on the faces of the high-ranking officials in the imperial court, the emperor's thoughts were in turmoil.

At this moment, he had confirmed that Shen Wang and Xue Huai had not conspired to deceive the emperor, and Fang Jian could not possibly have colluded with Shen Wang in private. Moreover, Jiang Jizhou's memorial came very suddenly, and Shen Wang had no time to plot in secret.

Ouyang Hui's exposure of the mistakes of the Grand Canal Administration, Shen Wang's analysis of the root causes of the long-standing problems in the Grand Canal and his previous petition, Wang Xu's subtle change of stance, Fang Jian's consistent tact, Ning Heng's unusually tough attitude and Wei Zheng and others' fierce attack on Xue Huai—all these things intertwined and collided in the Emperor's mind.

He had many things to weigh, such as the absolute safety of the Grand Canal, the stability of Jiangnan, the revenue of the national treasury, the balance of power among various factions in the court, and the natural wariness of an emperor against his subjects abusing their power.

After a long silence, the Emperor slowly said, "As the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, Jiang Jizhou's measures may have been hasty, while Xue Huairui's intentions were new and his methods were also impetuous. Both of them have made mistakes."

This approach of assigning equal blame to both sides left the court officials in awe.

"I am well aware of the long-standing problems with the Grand Canal as stated by Minister Ouyang and Minister Shen. I also share Minister Wang's concerns about the people's livelihood and taxes. Minister Fang's proposals are not without merit."

The Emperor surveyed the crowd, then changed the subject, saying, "However, given the current turmoil in Jiangnan, large-scale warfare carries unpredictable risks. The Grand Secretary's words about the solemnity of the court's laws should not be taken lightly. After careful consideration, I have decided that this matter should not be hastily concluded. I hereby order Fan Dongyang, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, to travel south to Yangzhou immediately with my imperial edict."

Fan Dongyang dared not hesitate and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree."

The Emperor stood up and said calmly, “Minister Fan has three responsibilities on this trip south. First, to proclaim my decree, strictly ordering Jiang Jizhou and Xue Huai to each keep to their duties, restrain their subordinates, and immediately cease all actions that could escalate the conflict! Second, to summon representatives from the Grand Canal Administration, the Salt Transport Office, Yangzhou Prefecture, the Salt Merchants Association, and the Grand Canal Gangs to investigate the cause of the dispute, clarify their respective demands, and agree on reasonable measures to be submitted to me for review.”

Fan Dongyang respectfully replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Thirdly, you must thoroughly investigate the actual situation of the canal transport along the way, understand the people's suffering, and report back truthfully!"

The Emperor paused for a moment, then solemnly said, "What I want is stability in Jiangnan and smooth flow of the Grand Canal. Tell Jiang and Xue that I have given them a chance. If they continue to attack each other and cause the situation to deteriorate, no matter what the reason, I will severely punish them and will not let them off lightly!"

Fan Dongyang bowed deeply and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

"Alright, all of you may leave."

The Emperor's deep gaze swept over the crowd, and he said, "The Grand Secretary and Minister Shen will remain."

Ning Hengzhi and Shen Wang accepted the order, while the others bowed and took their leave with mixed feelings.

Looking at the Grand Secretary and the Minister of Works who was about to join the cabinet, the Emperor suddenly let out a soft sigh that was hard to decipher, and said to Zeng Min beside him, "Give the Grand Secretary and Minister Shen seats."

Zeng Min quickly replied, "This servant obeys."

Ning Hengzhi and Shen Wang expressed their gratitude at the same time, then looked at each other, seemingly able to see the weariness in each other's eyes.

(End of this chapter)