Prime Minister

Chapter 280, Page 279: [Struggle]

Mid-June, Huai'an, Qingjiang Wharf.

An official ship flying the flag of the Censorate slowly approached the shore. Its hull was quite deep, indicating that it had traveled a long distance.

The area around the dock had been cleared in advance. The canal soldiers, dressed in their uniforms, stood at attention with their weapons, their eyes scanning the crowd that had been driven away in the distance with vigilance. An unusual tension and grim atmosphere filled the air.

As soon as the official boat came to a stop and the gangplank was set up, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner Jiang Jizhou led a group of officials from the canal transport office to greet it with utmost respect.

They were dressed in neat official robes, their expressions solemn and respectful.

At the bow of the ship, a middle-aged civil official dressed in a scarlet robe of the third rank with a peacock embroidered on his chest steadily walked off the ship's side, surrounded by his entourage.

He had a lean face and sharp, steady eyes; he was none other than Fan Dongyang, the Imperial Envoy and Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

Jiang Jizhou stepped forward and bowed deeply, his voice loud and respectful: "Your subject, Jiang Jizhou, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, along with all officials of the Canal Transport Office, respectfully inquire after His Majesty's well-being!"

Fan Dongyang stopped before the steps, faced north, solemnly cupped his hands, and said in a loud voice, "May Your Majesty be well!"

After the ceremony, Jiang Jizhou smiled and said, "Your Excellency, you must be tired from your journey. I have prepared your carriage; Your Excellency may rest for a while."

In terms of official rank, he, as the second-rank Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, was naturally above Fan Dongyang. However, since the other party was an imperial envoy representing the emperor, he could only humbly address him as "your humble servant."

Fan Dongyang said calmly, "Minister Jiang, you are too kind. I dare not delay as I am under imperial orders. Please come to the main hall of the Governor-General's Office. I need to convey the imperial edict immediately and discuss the matters of Jiangnan with you in detail."

Jiang Jizhou's heart skipped a beat. The other party's straightforward attitude made him vaguely sense a danger. He immediately replied, "Alright, Your Excellency, please!"

The group boarded carriages and left the dock, proceeding in a grand procession towards the Grand Canal Governor's Office, escorted by elite guards.

About fifteen minutes later, in the main hall of the Cao Yamen.

Fan Dongyang and Jiang Jizhou sat on either side of each other, separated by a rosewood tea table.

After the servants served the fragrant tea, they silently withdrew, leaving only two trusted attendants brought by Fan Dongyang standing in the shadows in the corner of the large main hall.

"Minister Chiang".

Fan Dongyang did not touch the tea. He gently placed his hands on his knees, his gaze as calm as a deep pool, and looked at Jiang Jizhou, saying, "I have come south by imperial decree, and I believe you, Minister, are already aware of the reason. The dispute over salt and grain transport has shaken Jiangnan and has even reached the ears of the Emperor. His Majesty heard the report by Taiye Pond and was greatly displeased."

Jiang Jizhou's face showed just the right amount of self-reproach, and he said with shame, "This humble official failed to quell the local unrest in time, causing His Majesty's distress. This is truly a dereliction of duty by your subject, and I would rather die a hundred times to atone for it!"

Whether or not there was dereliction of duty remains to be verified.

Fan Dongyang's tone was inscrutable as he calmly said, "His Majesty attaches great importance to this matter and has summoned the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the heads of the Six Ministries, and the senior officials of the Censorate for a court discussion. In the court, the officials held their own opinions and argued fiercely about the root cause of the salt and grain transport dispute."

Jiang Jizhou was already aware of the controversy in the central government regarding this matter, but his expression remained earnest: "This humble official is foolish and may have acted rashly, but my sincerity is as clear as day. It is only because the situation is urgent that I fear it may lead to a great disaster, so I have no choice but to dare to speak frankly before Your Majesty."

Fan Dongyang raised his hand, looking intently at Jiang Jizhou, and said, "His Majesty has issued an imperial edict."

Jiang Jizhou immediately rose from his seat, lifted his robe, and prepared to kneel down.

"His Majesty said that Jiang Jizhou should just stand and listen," Fan Dongyang relayed. "His Majesty's decree: The dispute over salt and grain transport is not a local ailment, but a hidden danger to the nation's lifeline. Jiang Jizhou's urgent report to me is both loyalty and a responsibility. However, things have come to this point, and assigning blame is pointless. What I want is not for one side to overpower the other, but for everyone to perform their duties peacefully and jointly ensure the smooth flow of the Grand Canal and the stability of Jiangnan."

Jiang Jizhou remained bowed and listened attentively, saying respectfully, "Your subject kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace! Your Majesty's holy instructions will be etched in my heart, and I will repay you with my life!"

Fan Dongyang waited for him to straighten up and sit down again before continuing, "I am new to this place and do not know much about the situation in Jiangnan. I would like to ask the Minister to tell me the details of the salt and grain transport dispute."

Jiang Jizhou naturally did not believe this explanation.

The high-ranking official of the Censorate in front of him was a close advisor to the emperor known to all in the court and among the people. Even if he did not have the power to directly dispatch the Jing'an Division, he could at least learn all the details related to the salt and grain transport dispute from those elite spies. His question was simply to see Jiang Jizhou's attitude.

Upon realizing this, Jiang Jizhou first briefly recounted the situation, then said solemnly, "Your Excellency, this Salt Merchants Association is the source of this dispute. If it weren't for the instigation and machinations of Xue Huai, the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou, how could the merchants have dared to openly defy the Grain Transport Commissioner? Such an association is suspected of interfering in politics and defying the law. In my humble opinion, it should be disbanded first to demonstrate the majesty of the imperial court's laws and to facilitate the clarification of right and wrong." Fan Dongyang picked up his teacup, gently blowing away the foam, but did not respond immediately.

He was mentally prepared for Jiang Jizhou's attitude on his way south. This powerful Grand Canal Transport Commissioner was willing to risk impeaching Xue Huai by submitting a memorial, simply because he wanted to abolish the Lianghuai Salt Association as soon as possible, so as to continue to control and monopolize the huge profits on the Grand Canal.

"Minister Chiang".

After a moment, Fan Dongyang put down his teacup and said calmly, “As far as I know, the Salt Merchants Association had reported to the Ministry of Revenue, the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office, and the Yangzhou Prefectural Government before its establishment. In his report to His Majesty, Xue Tongzhi stated that the initial purpose of the Salt Association was to regulate the operations of salt merchants in order to facilitate the implementation of the new salt administration law. As for its actions in canal freight transport, whether they have overstepped the bounds or been instigated by others, these are precisely the matters that I am ordered to investigate. Before clarifying the truth, hastily ordering the dissolution of a registered trading company is probably not a prudent move. What does Your Excellency think?”

Jiang Jizhou was not surprised by such a reply and solemnly said, "Your Excellency, it is not that I am intolerant of the merchants, but rather that their actions have shaken the very foundation of the Grand Canal. The Salt Merchants Association has been encouraging its members to drastically reduce the number of canal boats they rent, even at the cost of switching to land routes. In just a few months, the vacancy rate of canal boats along the Huaiyang section of the Grand Canal has surged, severely impacting the livelihoods of boatmen, canal workers, trackers, clerks, and even lower-level officials in our canal administration. If this continues, public resentment will boil over, and if this is exploited by those with ulterior motives, the consequences of chaos on the Grand Canal will be unimaginable."

Fan Dongyang remained silent, lost in thought.

While Jiang Jizhou's description may have been somewhat exaggerated, the accumulation of resentment among the lower classes along the canal was indeed a fact, and this was one of the emperor's greatest concerns.

“I have heard about the hardships of the people along the way, and I am truly saddened by them.”

Fan Dongyang first expressed his agreement, then changed the subject, saying, "However, there must be a reason for everything. The salt merchants are not foolish or stubborn. Why would they choose the long way around and incur huge expenses to avoid the Grand Canal? If the canal administration were fair and its inspections were conducted properly, the merchants would be happy to benefit. Why would things have come to this? Minister Jiang's memorial impeached Xue Huai for instigating salt merchants to form associations for profit and undermining the foundation of the canal transport system, but he did not mention whether the canal administration itself had made any mistakes in the dispute. Isn't this biased?"

Jiang Jizhou's face darkened, and he argued, "Your Excellency, the inspection power of the Grand Canal Administration is granted by the law. Even if there are some errors, they are merely difficulties in implementing the detailed rules. Xue Huai, as a local official, not only fails to cooperate with the management of the Grand Canal, but also condones the salt merchants' association to resist the Grand Canal Administration. His actions have already endangered the safety of the Grand Canal. As the Grand Canal Supervisor, how can I turn a blind eye to this? How can I sit idly by and watch the lifeline of the nation be shaken?"

"I understand the minister's desire to safeguard the grain transport."

Fan Dongyang's tone softened slightly, but his stance remained unwavering: "However, His Majesty has said that the salt and grain transport dispute appears to be a coalition of salt merchants from Lianghuai resisting taxes, but in reality, there are undercurrents beneath the surface. I have been ordered to go south, and my primary responsibility is to quell the situation and quell the storm. This requires the strong support of Minister Jiang and Assistant Magistrate Xue."

Jiang Jizhou remained silent for a moment before finally yielding, saying, "Since Your Excellency has said so, I will not say anything more. Since the dispute needs to be resolved, I implore Your Excellency to uphold justice and order the Lianghuai Salt Merchants Association to immediately cease its confrontational behavior and restore the old practice of renting canal boats and the order of canal transport. Only in this way can the canal return to its smooth flow, and the thousands of people who rely on canal transport for their livelihood can regain their livelihood. This is the foundation for stabilizing Jiangnan! As for other matters, we can discuss them later."

Fan Dongyang was perfectly clear-headed. If the Salt Association were to be completely restored to its former state, it would be tantamount to declaring the previous struggle of Xue Huai and the salt merchants a complete failure. Not only would the Salt Association become a mere shell of its former self, but Xue Huai's prestige would also be severely damaged, and the Grand Canal would achieve a complete victory.

This clearly does not align with the emperor's intention to compromise and maintain peace, and the long-standing problems with the grain transport system raised by Shen Wang in court will be completely covered up.

"Restoring the old system directly may seem like a quick fix, but it actually sows the seeds of greater problems."

Fan Dongyang slowly shook his head, rejecting Jiang Jizhou's proposal: "Minister, His Majesty wants to calm the situation and reach a reasonable agreement. Stopping actions that escalate the conflict is the bottom line that both sides must adhere to. For the Grand Canal Administration, this means conducting inspections according to the law, and refraining from any further deliberate obstruction or unjustified seizure of ships. For the Salt Association, this means ceasing the unlimited reduction of reliance on the Grand Canal and restoring a reasonable rental ratio. Above this bottom line, both sides should sit down and discuss a mutually acceptable agreement. Does the Minister think this approach is feasible?"

Jiang Jizhou remained silent.

Fan Dongyang's proposal meant that the canal administration had to make concessions in action first, and the negotiation itself implied that the salt association's legal status was tacitly acknowledged, giving them room to bargain.

A long silence fell over the hall.

Jiang Jizhou was torn between his inner thoughts and the pros and cons.

Fan Dongyang didn't urge him, but just looked at him quietly, waiting for his reply.

"Your Excellency's intentions are commendable, and I naturally have no objections."

Jiang Jizhou finally backed down and said calmly, "However, as the Grand Canal Commissioner, I am naturally responsible for the stability of the canal transport and must also strive for the due benefits for everyone on the canal. I hope Your Excellency will understand this."

"As it should be."

Fan Dongyang nodded and smiled, "This matter cannot be delayed. I will go to Yangzhou now to talk with that Assistant Magistrate Xue and the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai. Then I will gather everyone to sit down and discuss a plan. If you have the time, Your Excellency can also come to Yangzhou to attend the meeting."

Jiang Jizhou readily agreed and then warmly invited Fan Dongyang to stay overnight in Huai'an. After Fan Dongyang politely declined, Jiang Jizhou personally saw him off to his carriage.

He turned and returned to the government office. A moment later, he said to his trusted aides, "Summon Sang Shichang to see me."

The trusted aide quickly replied, "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)