Prime Minister

Chapter 275, Section 274: [The Reconciliation of Generals and Ministers]

(Dear readers, the second half of chapter 273 has been significantly revised. If you find any discrepancies, please refresh the page and check again.)

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The heavy rosewood door separated the inside from the outside, and the imperial study was quiet.

Zeng Min silently retreated to the shadows in the corner, standing like a clay statue with his head bowed, observing the two high-ranking officials sitting on the round stools with only the corner of his eye.

Even today, the lowest-ranking eunuchs in the palace know that there are two great figures in the court. One is the Grand Secretary Ning Hengzhi, who has been in charge of the cabinet for many years and whose students and friends are all over the country. The other is Shen Wang, the Minister of Works, who has risen to prominence and whose reputation is known throughout the world.

Although the Qingliu faction is currently far weaker than the Ning faction, Shen Wang's foundation in the court is becoming increasingly solid due to the emperor's favor.

Take Xue Huai for example. If it weren't for Shen Wang's support behind the scenes, he could have been invincible in Jiangnan just by relying on Xue Mingzhang's legacy.

Before today's court meeting, Ning Hengzhi and Shen Wang were able to maintain a superficial harmony. Even though Shen Wang and Xue Huai had brought down Xue Minglun and Yue Zhongming, causing great losses to the Ning faction, Ning Hengzhi did not seek revenge. Shen Wang also showed great respect for the Grand Secretary, which was naturally the scene the Emperor wanted to see.

Where there are people, there is conflict, especially when it involves the power of the court. No one will easily back down. The emperor certainly understands this principle. He doesn't mind his ministers fighting occasionally, but such conflicts must be limited to a controllable range.

Ouyang Hui did a good job in this regard. Over the years, he has caused a lot of trouble for Ning Party officials, but he has never crossed the line, especially not messing around on national affairs.

Otherwise, the emperor would not have supported him in gaining a foothold in the cabinet.

However, Ouyang Hui was getting old and sometimes lacked foresight, making him easily led astray by Ning Hengzhi's words. In addition, he did not have a group of capable assistants by his side, so the emperor had no choice but to give up on him and support Shen Wang again to counterbalance Ning Hengzhi.

Considering Ouyang Hui's years of forbearance and humiliation, the emperor will surely give him a good ending.

Thinking of Shen Wang, the emperor couldn't help but look up. He saw the Minister of Works, who was about to enter the cabinet, with his back straight and his eyes lowered, calm yet with an air of integrity.

He was indeed stronger than Ouyang Hui, but he was also more uncontrollable than Ouyang Hui.

For example, in the current dispute over salt and grain transport in Jiangnan, given that the emperor had previously clearly stated that he would suspend the grain transport reform, Ouyang Hui would not have gone against the emperor's wishes. However, Shen Wang still insisted on his own ideas—even if he and Xue Huai did not collude to deceive the emperor in private, the emperor did not believe that Xue Huai had not consulted Shen Wang's opinion beforehand.

In short, the turmoil in Jiangnan would not have happened in the first place, or there would have been a more prudent approach that would have prevented it from escalating into the current uproar.

"Motosuke."

The Emperor did not speak directly with Shen Wang, but instead looked at Ning Hengzhi and said, "The dispute over salt and grain transport is not a local ailment, but a hidden danger to the nation's future. Jiang Jizhou's urgent report to me is both loyalty and a responsibility."

Ning Hengzhi bowed slightly, his aged voice carrying its usual composure: "Your Majesty's wisdom is profound. As the Grand Canal Commissioner, Jiang Jizhou has a duty to protect the territory, and his conscience is commendable. However, since things have come to this point, pursuing blame is pointless. In my opinion, the most urgent task is to maintain stability. The deep-seated problems in the Grand Canal Administration are well known, but overcorrection could lead to chaos. We should prioritize the overall situation and proceed cautiously."

With no one else in the Imperial Study at this moment, Ning Hengzhi no longer tried to hide himself.

The problems with the Grand Canal Transport Office were no secret; the emperor and his ministers were all aware of them. To clean up the corruption within the office, drastic measures were needed, and that's where the problem lay.

The supply to the capital and the nine border regions must not be interrupted, otherwise there will inevitably be great chaos. Under such circumstances, even if the emperor knows that the Grand Canal has many serious problems, he can only try his best to repair it, because no one can bear the responsibility of national turmoil.

However, this does not mean that the emperor will tolerate those people indefinitely. Therefore, he raised his voice slightly and said, "The Grand Canal Administration is the face of the court. Even if it has made mistakes, it should still be done with dignity. But the Grand Secretary must tell Jiang Jizhou that Fan Dongyang did not go there to punish anyone, but to clarify and establish rules. Those who need to be rectified should be rectified, and leeway should be left for the salt merchants. We must not give anyone a handle to cause trouble again."

In fact, when the emperor publicly informed Fan Dongyang of the three principles, Ning Hengzhi had already roughly guessed the emperor's thoughts.

The first point is that it is only right to let Jiang Jizhou and Xue Huai settle their dispute; the salt and grain transport dispute must not affect the overall stability of the country.

The second point, which asks Fan Dongyang to convene all parties to sit down and discuss the matter, is also understandable. Since the salt and canal dispute is a dispute over interests, it means that the two sides can talk. Previously, it was just that the canal transport authorities were unwilling to lower their stance. Now that the emperor's decree is backing them up, they should be able to calm down a bit.

The key lies in the third point: the emperor ordered Fan Dongyang to thoroughly investigate the actual situation of the canal transport along the way, and his words to Ning Heng at this moment make it even more thought-provoking.

The emperor said that Fan Dongyang was not going there to punish someone, but instead asked him to understand the people's suffering. This was clearly not a self-contradictory act, but rather a clear message to Ning Hengzhi that if this turmoil could be quelled and Jiangnan could return to peace, he would forgive and forget.

Conversely, if the dispute over salt and grain transport intensifies, the emperor will certainly not let those involved off lightly.

"Your Majesty's wisdom and foresight are truly admirable."

Ning Hengzhi bowed again and said sincerely, "Jiang Jizhou has always been loyal and diligent, and he will surely understand the Emperor's will. This old minister will immediately send a letter with strict instructions, ordering him to fully cooperate with Vice Minister Fan, rectify the atmosphere of the government office, clarify the inspection regulations, and show fairness to the merchants and the people. There will be no more unwise actions that would escalate the conflict and fail to live up to the Emperor's grace."

The emperor nodded slightly.

Ning Hengzhi had always been adept at discerning the emperor's intentions. Now that he had given a clear guarantee, the transport authorities would surely know their limits. The next moment, he turned to Shen Wang and softened his tone, saying, "Minister Shen."

Shen Wang lowered his head slightly and said, "Your subject is here."

"I know that Xue Huai is exceptionally talented and has great strategic acumen, but he is ultimately young and impetuous, and being too sharp-tongued is not a good thing."

Looking at Shen Wangqing's gaunt face, the Emperor said earnestly, "If Xue Qing were still alive, I would naturally not say these things, but now... Shen Qing, as Xue Huai's mentor, that boy will likely listen to you, so you should give him more advice and guidance."

Upon hearing this, Ning Hengzhi felt a surge of emotion.

In the twenty years since the emperor ascended the throne, he has rarely referred to a minister as "that boy." Perhaps only when mentioning Xue Mingzhang would this shrewd and calculating monarch reveal a momentary softness.

Thinking of Xue Mingzhang, who passed away seven years ago, Ning Hengzhi felt a mix of emotions, but he didn't show it on his face.

Shen Wang respectfully replied, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's decree!"

The emperor had not forgotten Shen Wang's previous petition, and he also knew that Xue Huai's purpose was to promote the reform of the canal transport system. However, the matter was not yet ripe, because the importance of the canal transport system was irreplaceable. Before a new opportunity arose, he would absolutely not allow anyone to make a big fuss about the canal transport system.

Therefore, he looked at Shen Wang and said slowly, "Wherever Fan Dongyang goes, that is where I intend to go. Tell Xue Huai that the Lianghuai Salt Association can be preserved, but it must keep to its proper place and not have any more thoughts of overstepping its bounds. Let him wait for Minister Fan's decision and calm his mind to govern Yangzhou peacefully for me."

Shen Wang remained calm, seemingly quite satisfied with the outcome. Without hesitation, he said, "Your Majesty's keen insight is a blessing to the nation. I will certainly warn Xue Huai to uphold his duties as a subject and await Vice Minister Fan's arrival in the south, leaving everything to the court's discretion. The people of Yangzhou will do their utmost to protect the territory, ensure the safety of the people, and facilitate trade routes to repay Your Majesty's grace."

Ning Hengzhi glanced at him thoughtfully.

Shen Wang's reaction was very different from before. Ning Hengzhi originally thought that he and Xue Huai, the master and apprentice, wanted to break through the canal transport office, but now it seems that they just wanted to protect the Lianghuai Salt Association.
Even so, Ning Hengzhi did not let his guard down.

The emperor watched the two of them quietly, and a brief silence fell over the imperial study.

Zeng Min silently signaled the eunuchs to light the palace lanterns around them. The flickering candlelight cast the shadows of the two high-ranking officials onto the polished gold brick floor. The light and shadow swayed erratically, just like the misty situation in the court.

The emperor leaned back slowly in his chair, his expression deep and unfathomable.

He spoke again, his voice tinged with weariness: "Prime Minister, Minister Shen, I hope you will remember what I said today. Jiangnan belongs to the Great Yan, and the Grand Canal belongs to the nation. What I want is not for one to overpower the other, but for each to perform their duties in peace and harmony, and to jointly safeguard the peace and prosperity of the nation."

These words refer not only to the salt and grain transport dispute, but also to the emerging conflict between the Ning faction and the Qingliu faction.

Factional struggles within the court are inevitable, but the emperor does not want to see anyone overstep the bounds. For someone like Ning Shen, this statement is almost an explicit instruction.

Ning Hengzhi rose first and said, “Your Majesty’s instructions are weighty and profound, and this old minister is deeply grateful. The will of Heaven is the foundation of the nation, and we ministers should naturally keep the stability of the country in mind. The affairs of Jiangnan are related to the lifeline of the Grand Canal, and this old minister will certainly restrain all officials and take the laws of the court as the guideline, never allowing personal interests to override national affairs. As for occasional disputes in the court, and minor differences in political views, our hearts for the country and the people should be the same. As the Grand Secretary, this old minister will certainly work together with all colleagues to maintain the overall situation and will never fail Your Majesty’s high expectations.”

The emperor was satisfied with his statement and then looked to the side.

Shen Wang rose and bowed, his voice clear and firm: "Your Majesty's earnest expectations are etched in my mind. Although the Grand Secretary and I may have differing political views, our loyalty to the Emperor and the nation is exactly the same. Both thunder and rain are acts of imperial grace, and there are rules governing advancement and retreat in the court. I will uphold this principle and will never let sectarian biases jeopardize national affairs, nor will I let personal disputes weigh on Your Majesty's mind. My only wish is for a harmonious and peaceful society where everyone can live in their proper place; this is the goal I strive to achieve with utmost sincerity."

"it is good."

The emperor breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "With the Grand Secretary and Minister Shen by my side, I can rest easy."

The two quickly offered modest remarks.

Seeing the growing weariness in the Emperor's eyes, they bowed and took their leave, and the Emperor had Zeng Min personally escort them.

"Minister, please."

Stepping out of the imperial study, Shen Wang turned slightly to the side, looking at Ning Hengzhi with a smile.

"Minister Shen, please."

Ning Hengzhi also had a gentle expression.

The two then walked side by side, discussing state affairs and politics as if the scene of their argument before the emperor had never happened.

Zeng Min followed behind the two, listening to their pleasant conversation and watching their harmonious figures from behind, and couldn't help but sigh silently.

(End of this chapter)