Prime Minister

Chapter 281, Page 280 [Curtain Rises]

Two days later, in the inner hall of the Yangzhou government office.

"I was thinking of getting you into the Censorate back then, but thankfully you didn't agree, otherwise how could you have achieved what you have today?"

Fan Dongyang looked around at the simple and practical furnishings in the room and said with admiration, "Speaking of which, you have made quite a stir in Yangzhou in the past year or so. First, you investigated the Lianghuai Salt Case, and now you are directly targeting the reform of the Grand Canal. Moreover, you have not neglected the governance within the territory. I heard that the summer tax of Yangzhou Prefecture has increased by 40% compared with previous years. You are a truly remarkable local official."

Xue Huai personally poured him a cup of the finest Longjing tea and smiled, saying, "Your Excellency is too kind. I cannot accept such praise. The increase in summer tax revenue is due to the hard work of the people within our borders and the concerted efforts of the government officials. It also relies on the efforts made last year to clean up the long-standing problems in the fields. It is not the work of my own."

"We don't need to be so formal in private."

Fan Dongyang took the teacup and said frankly, "Besides, you also know that I, as the imperial envoy, am only here to act as a peacemaker. My top priority is to quell the disputes and maintain stability in Jiangnan. Although His Majesty is aware of the deep-seated problems in the grain transport office, any change will have far-reaching consequences, and now is not the time for drastic measures."

"You absolutely mustn't say that, General Secretary."

Xue Huai changed his form of address and sat down opposite him, then said sincerely, "I have been waiting for you to take charge of the overall situation. The salt and grain transport dispute is related to the long-term stability of the Grand Canal, and it is also a touchstone to test whether the court can open up a fair and law-abiding path for merchants and people. Without the Grand Censor in charge, I am but a lowly official, and even if I have a thousand ideas, it will be difficult to shake the deep-rooted old rules and bad habits."

"Stop it."

Fan Dongyang couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Governor Jiang may not understand you, but do you think I don't know your methods? The salt and grain transport dispute has escalated to this point, yet you remain as calm as Mount Tai. Others might think you're helpless and forced to seek peace with the grain transport authorities, but I know that you, Xue Jingche, definitely have a bunch of tricks up your sleeve, just waiting for me to be the fuse to ignite it, or rather, waiting for me to be your umbrella to shelter you from the wind and rain, so that you can calmly make your plans."

There was something even Xue Huai didn't know: Fan Dongyang had always regarded this junior as a lucky star in his career.

During the imperial examination fraud case, Fan Dongyang witnessed Xue Huai maneuvering between Sun Yan and Yue Zhongming to resolve the matter perfectly. As the supervisor of the outer curtain, Fan Dongyang benefited from this and was promoted from Left Vice Censor-in-Chief to Left Deputy Censor-in-Chief, becoming the de facto second-in-command of the Censorate.

Later, he was ordered to go south to escort the stolen silver from the salt case to the capital. This merit further solidified his position in the emperor's heart. Now, he can almost rival Cai Zhang, the Left Censor-in-Chief, in the Censorate.

This is why Fan Dongyang's attitude towards Xue Huai was extraordinary.

Upon hearing this, Xue Huai's smile deepened, and he slowly said, "Your Excellency, I do have some ideas, but they can only be implemented with the authority of Your Excellency. The root of this turmoil lies in the two words 'profit' and 'law.' The Grand Canal Administration and the affiliated Grand Canal gangs regard the Grand Canal as their private property, and their various bad habits have become ingrained. The salt merchants of Lianghuai formed a society, seeking nothing more than a fair and guaranteed right to conduct business."

Fan Dongyang nodded, signaling him to continue.

"His Majesty's decree instructs the Chief Justice to quell the situation and agree on reasonable measures."

Xue Huai leaned forward slightly, his eyes shining brightly: "In my opinion, this mediation should not be satisfied with a temporary truce, but should establish new regulations for the Grand Canal and lay the foundation for a new era of grain transport."

"Oh? Tell me more, what new rules do you want to establish? What new situation do you want to create?"

Fan Dongyang became interested, as this was exactly what he hoped for deep down besides completing his mission—if he could quell the turmoil while laying the groundwork for the reform of the canal transport system, it would be a great achievement for him.

Xue Huai had already prepared a plan and calmly said, "First, establish the legal status of the Salt Association and regulate its powers and responsibilities. The Chief Censor can take this opportunity to clarify that the Salt Association is only an organization that coordinates the business operations of salt merchants and promotes mutual benefit. It must not interfere with the normal law enforcement of the Grand Canal, let alone take any actions that oppose the government. At the same time, the Grand Canal must not make things difficult for or discriminate against the member businesses of the Salt Association without reason."

Fan Dongyang nodded and said, "This is the proper course of action. Although His Majesty did not say it explicitly, since he did not grant Jiang Jizhou's request to dissolve the Salt Association, he has already tacitly approved its continued existence. The key is to draw a clear line so that it can be legitimate."

"Secondly, we will establish regulations for the inspection of grain transport and reduce unreasonable burdens."

Xue Huai said calmly, "The Grand Censor can convene representatives from the Grand Canal Administration, the Salt Transport Office, Yangzhou Prefecture, the Salt Association, and the Grand Canal merchants to jointly formulate a detailed set of rules for canal passage and inspection. This should clearly define what situations are subject to inspection, what situations are subject to confiscation, the standards for fines and confiscations, and the appeal process. In particular, all extra-legal forms of exploitation, such as 'gift money' and 'tribute money,' should be abolished. The Grand Canal Administration's legitimate income should be incorporated into regular taxes or fees, with prices clearly marked and publicly posted. At the same time, the Grand Canal merchants' escort services should also be brought under government supervision, with clearly defined service items and fee standards, making them a standardized and legitimate business."

A glint flashed in Fan Dongyang's eyes as he praised, "This is an excellent idea! It turns unspoken rules into explicit ones, and illegal gains into legal income. However, the resistance will inevitably be enormous, especially the abolition of outdated practices. I'm afraid Governor-General Jiang will face some hurdles..."

"If Minister Jiang truly cared about the long-term development of the Grand Canal, he should not have opposed this proposal."

Xue Huai interjected, “This move, on the surface, restricts the power of the Grand Canal Administration, but in reality, it legitimizes it, making its actions justifiable and free from criticism. The Chief Censor can explain the consequences to them. If we continue to allow clerks to use inspections as a pretext for extortion, even if we suppress the salt merchants of Lianghuai today, tomorrow silk merchants from Suzhou and Hangzhou or porcelain merchants from Jiangxi will still rise up in resistance. At that time, the Grand Canal will never be peaceful. It would be better to take this opportunity to use Lianghuai as a pilot to establish a relatively fair set of rules. If this succeeds, Minister Jiang will also have made a great contribution!”

“Pilot program…”

Fan Dongyang pondered the word, looking thoughtfully at Xue Huai, and said seriously, "Jing Che, do you know how many people these seemingly simple two words can offend?"

Xue Huai earnestly said, "The Grand Censor must have witnessed many chaotic situations along the Grand Canal during his southern tour. His Majesty's order for the Grand Censor to thoroughly investigate the actual situation of the canal transport must have profound implications. If the Grand Censor can use this mediation to facilitate the trial implementation of new regulations on the Yangzhou section of the Grand Canal, even if it is only a small step, it will be a pioneering move, a meritorious deed for the present and a benefit for future generations!"

These words struck a chord with Fan Dongyang.

If he is only sent south to act as a troublemaker, he will at most receive the comment "he handled things properly" when he returns to Beijing.

However, if he could take this opportunity to promote partial reforms to the long-standing problems of the Grand Canal, even if it was just a small-scale experiment, it would be a real political achievement, enough to make him more important in the emperor's eyes and accumulate capital for his future leadership of the Censorate or even entry into the cabinet. "Jing Che, oh Jing Che, you really put me in a difficult position."

Fan Dongyang sighed, his expression slightly complicated.

Before leaving the capital, the emperor gave him detailed instructions, the core of which was to quell the turmoil in Jiangnan as soon as possible, without authorizing him to directly intervene in the internal affairs of the grain transport office.

After a moment, Fan Dongyang slowly said, "The first point you raised is not difficult to achieve. The Lianghuai Salt Association can continue to exist openly and legitimately. In addition, as long as they do not deliberately reduce their dependence on the Grand Canal, I believe that Governor Jiang will not go against the Emperor's will and will not deliberately target or make things difficult for salt merchants in the future. The problem lies in the second point. The new regulations mean that the power of the Grand Canal system will be reshuffled. This touches on the interests of too many people, and its implementation will inevitably encounter many obstacles and will inevitably cause trouble again."

Xue Huai considered carefully and said, "Even a pilot program won't work?"

"Although there are many fools in officialdom, even the dumbest person will be wary when their own interests are involved."

Fan Dongyang gazed into Xue Huai's eyes and said frankly, "The most difficult part of this matter is how to break through the barriers, because as long as the pilot project achieves certain results, it can silence the dissenting voices. Just like the salt administration reform you promoted in the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office, as long as the salt office delivers an excellent report this year, it will inevitably be promoted in other salt offices next year. However, the Grand Canal Transport Office is a whole, unlike the various salt offices which cannot form a united force. Therefore, the difficulty of implementing this proposal will definitely exceed your imagination."

After a moment's thought, Xue Huai agreed with Fan Dongyang's analysis.

"That's all."

Fan Dongyang finally made up his mind and said in a deep voice, "Since you have such ambition, I will accompany you to work hard. Whether or not we succeed in the end, it will not have been in vain for me to travel thousands of miles south."

Xue Huai immediately stood up and said, "Thank you, Chief Censor!"

"No need to say thank you."

Fan Dongyang also stood up and said earnestly, "I will convene all parties for the first consultation in five days. You need to prepare as soon as possible and try to gain as much support as possible."

Xue Huai agreed.

After Fan Dongyang left, Xue Huai stood under the corridor, his gaze becoming increasingly profound.

He knew all too well how difficult it would be to get the Grand Canal Administration to back down, or rather, that the plan was doomed to fail from the start. Jiang Jizhou was reluctant to even relinquish the salt merchants' share of the profits, so how could he allow Xue Huai to extend his reach into the Grand Canal Administration?

However, if his only goal was to help the salt merchants of Lianghuai reduce the exploitation and oppression they suffered, he wouldn't need to go through such a long process. He could simply ask his teacher, Shen Wang, to write a personal letter to Jiang Jizhou, and the latter would most likely agree. After all, the Minister of Works and the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner had a lot of overlap in their political affairs, and even if Jiang Jizhou didn't care about Xue Huai's abilities, he would still give Shen Wang face.

Therefore, Xue Huai had ulterior motives from the very beginning.

Perhaps Fan Dongyang had already vaguely sensed that Xue Huai's real purpose was not to overstep his authority and interfere in the reform plan of the Grand Canal Administration, but he simply did not delve into it.

Xue Huai turned to Jiang Sheng and said, "Let them all come in."

Jiang Sheng solemnly replied, "Yes, sir."

A moment later, Jiang Sheng led Qi Qingshi, Bai Cong, Yue Zhenshan, Hu Yan, and Cen Fu into the inner hall, where they lined up in front of Xue Huai.

Looking at his six most trusted and loyal subordinates, Xue Huai calmly said, "The Imperial Envoy will convene a consultation meeting in five days to try to resolve the salt and grain transport dispute. We have been preparing for this matter for nearly half a year, and now it is time to see the outcome."

The six men said in unison, "Please give your orders, sir!"

"it is good."

Xue Huai took a light breath and then assigned tasks to everyone in turn.

After he finished speaking, about half an hour had passed. He looked around at everyone and asked, "Did you all understand?"

The crowd replied, "Yes!"

Xue Huai waved his hand and said, "Go and prepare."

After the six men left, Xue Huai turned around and went back to the inner room. He went to the table, took out a booklet, and wrote four powerful characters on the cover.

New system for the transportation and shipping industry!

(End of this chapter)