In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 120 The Power of Systems

Hunyuan.

Lu Zhao stepped into the small Taoist temple. The old Taoist priest still did not close his eyes to cultivate. A thin gold rope was tied to the index finger of his right hand, which he pulled back and forth like a fishing rod.

"Teacher, what are you doing?"

Lu Zhao asked curiously, and the old Taoist replied, "When I was young, I liked to fish, and now I'm trying to get a feel for it."

"Oh."

Lu Zhao didn't pay much attention; he had urgent matters to ask.

Now is the crucial time for harvesting early rice; if we delay for another half month, the rice will start to mold.

After listening to Lu Zhao's explanation of the problem, the old Taoist priest did not answer immediately, but instead changed the subject to other topics.

"Fishing is a wonderful thing. I want to eat fish, and the fish want to eat bait. The fish keep testing the edge of the iron hook, opening and closing their mouths, always thinking that they can safely eat the bait every time, but they accidentally get hooked."

What happens when a fish takes the bait?

The old Taoist priest asked a question, and Lu Zhao answered without hesitation, "They will be eaten."

"On the contrary, it safely eats the bait, but as long as it wants to eat the bait, it will eventually be eaten, and the angler will never lose out."

The old Taoist priest fiddled with the golden rope, but seeing Lu Zhao's puzzled expression, he still didn't quite understand.

When anglers can rest easy, the problem is finding bait and how to make it.

What does Wei Jiahong want?
The land can't be taken back, and Mo Kun can't be saved. He might just be seeking revenge; is a nephew worth it?
It's absolutely not worth it; there's no room for kinship in officialdom.

The key to promoting relatives lies in one thing: loyalty. Loyalty is always the primary consideration when selecting subordinates, and this was true even for Lu Zhao.

Liao Lang, the company commander on duty, was quite capable, but he was ousted from the core of the border defense company simply because he had private contact with Zhao De's men.

A disloyal subordinate can be fatal.

Especially in officialdom, many dirty jobs can only be done by relatives.

Other officials entered the system through their own examinations; they did not have such strong personal dependence.

Lü Jinshan could betray Zhao De, but the Lü family could not betray Lü Jinshan.

The old Taoist priest watched Lu Zhao deep in thought, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

His student wasn't particularly clever when it came to political maneuvering, otherwise how could he, as the teacher, teach anything?
Cultivation is easy to understand, and Taoist arts are easy to learn.

If manipulating power is still like this, then it's too monstrous.

He asked, "Have you thought it through?"

Lu Zhao shook his head and said, "This student is foolish."

"The reason I taught you to observe the game and assess the situation before was because you were facing an opponent who was not on the same level. Therefore, you should not sit at the table and play against others. You should find an enemy of your enemy to help you."

The old Taoist priest pointed out: "Now your opponent is in the same league as you, so the fighting style should be different. You and he are like commanders of two armies, so as the leader, what do you think is most important?"

When it came to his expertise, Lu Zhao immediately gave his answer: "First, lead your own team well and manage your own logistics. In war, discipline is paramount."

Throughout history, the nature of war has always changed, but its essence remains the same.

The old Taoist priest nodded in agreement, saying, "The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities."

"What you should do is reorganize your forces and find allies in the local grain depots; this is called diplomacy. First, ensure that your core base is not damaged, and then you can plan for other things. Just like fishing, you should put yourself in the position of the fisherman, not the fish."

Lu Zhao asked further, "Teacher, I already know the principle that those who aim high will achieve something, but it's still too passive. Are there any more direct and effective methods?"

In spiritual practice, the teacher is a riddle teller, often preferring not to reveal the whole story. If Lu Zhao couldn't understand, he would be told to go back and think about it slowly until he figured it out on his own.

In terms of political maneuvering, the situation is completely opposite; the teacher's answer was direct and clear.

There are often times when I feel like I wish I could take the stage myself.

The old Taoist priest smiled faintly and said, "You can select a low-level clerk from each grain depot, preferably one who does all the dirty and hard work. Make them your tentacles and involve them in management affairs at all levels."

"In your current terms, let them participate directly in management affairs as outstanding employee representatives. This not only reflects democracy but also mobilizes the backbone of the system."

The old Taoist priest had been learning modern knowledge from Lu Zhao all along, and in terms of cognition, he was no longer an ancient person.

However, he still has some retro ideas and insists on the old-fashioned system of ruler and subject.

He understands democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and so on, and he can easily comprehend them.

Previously it was Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism; now it's just a change of name.

"Using power with moderation is a fundamental principle for those in positions of power. The struggle for power is brutal, but it is also a way to stop wars and prevent wars between people of the world."

The old Taoist priest asked, "As someone in power, how do you think one should use the power in one's hands?"

Lu Zhao pondered for a moment.

He could understand the practice of winning over lower-level officials and dividing and conquering.

But the teacher clearly wasn't asking that. Looking beyond the surface, the selected outstanding cadres didn't have any real positions or official status; they were just using my name to participate in management.

If any link in the chain is obstructed, they should immediately report it to me so that I can solve the problem. They themselves do not have the authority to solve problems.

Just like precision-guided missiles, those grain depots can't possibly compete with me head-on.

By leveraging this power, I bypassed personnel authority and effectively expanded my power.

Isn't this the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Lu Zhao suddenly realized and replied, "Power can be replicated. Teacher, you are granting a false voice to a group, letting them wield their power like a royal decree."

Using a trivial matter as a pretext is a harsh word, but it is the most apt and the best approach.

Lu Zhao has the authority to appoint and dismiss personnel at the grain depot, but it's difficult for him to distinguish friend from foe in a short period. Especially now that the grain requisition is imminent, any problems that arise could become a weakness that can be exploited.

Wei Jiahong probably wanted to disrupt the early rice harvest so that he could reclaim the farmland from his superiors and drive the border station back.

The old Taoist priest nodded and said, "The so-called 'being in power' means opening up channels, giving a group of people avenues for advancement, and replicating the power you hold. Once you control the grassroots, dealing with the management becomes simple."

"Set rules, add sand, and find fault with small things."

"By exercising his authority, he promulgated numerous rules and regulations, continuously placing his own people in important positions, and ultimately using constant surprise inspections to find his weaknesses."

The old Taoist priest explained in detail to Lu Zhao how to wield power, how to suppress dissent, and how to win people's hearts.

For example, they formulate numerous cumbersome regulations, repeatedly report them to higher authorities, and promote them extensively internally.

You need to memorize these rules and regulations thoroughly, not to restrict yourself, but to find loopholes in other people's implementation.

If anyone opposes him, he will bring up the rules and regulations, asking them if they have followed a certain rule, recalling it, and comparing it with the rules.

What? You don't know? Then I'll punish you by making you go back and copy it ten times.

The methods employed were incredibly varied, and so insidious that Lu Zhao felt the old Taoist priest wasn't a hermit, but rather a high-ranking official in the court. Historically, Shao Yuanjie was indeed summoned to the palace by the Jiajing Emperor.

"...You need to constantly use various rules to discipline your subordinates until they get used to figuring out your intentions. In normal times, you should pick on the weakest ones, the most honest and least experienced ones in the team, and use them as an example to make them fear and respect you."

"It is better to have a gentleman than to offend a petty person. A gentleman can be deceived by reason."

At this point, the old Taoist priest paused, looking at the student's slightly furrowed brow.

"You don't seem to agree."

Lu Zhao did not argue back, but said, "This student is stupid and cannot understand what the teacher is saying."

You'll understand someday.

The old Taoist priest smiled calmly; he was already used to his rebellious disciple.

"Since the beginning of propriety, people have only concerned themselves with their own private affairs and pursued their own interests. There are public interests in the world, but no one promotes them; there are public calamities, but no one eliminates them."

"If there were a person who did not act out of personal desires and put in a thousand times the effort, yet gained no benefit, then by human nature, no one would want to be in that position."

"No one cares about fairness or unfairness; only profit and power matter."

Lu Zhao remained silent, neither refuting nor agreeing.

He just listened quietly, and the more he listened, the more the old Taoist knew he disagreed.

The old Taoist priest waved his hand and said, "That concludes today's lesson."

"Yes."

Lu Zhao bowed respectfully, turned and left the Taoist temple. As he stepped out, he turned back and said, "Teacher, paving the way for those with ambition is also a form of opening up new possibilities?"

The old Taoist priest was slightly taken aback, then nodded.

"Calculate."

"Thank you for your guidance, teacher. I understand now."

Lu Zhao stepped down the steps, his figure disappearing into the chaos.

The old Taoist priest was still pulling on the golden rope, seemingly fishing.

Starting in the first year of the Jiajing reign, he reformed abuses and sought new ways, suppressed eunuchs, rectified officialdom, cleared up estates and fields, and strengthened border defenses.

He also issued edicts on several occasions, urging people not to focus solely on literary skills but to seek out genuine talent.

Lu Zhao's understanding goes straight to the point: as long as one can provide a path to advancement and create an environment favorable to oneself, then one is a qualified ruler.

He chose the most arduous path, but the old Taoist priest believed he would turn back.

Throughout history, there have been many who wanted to save a collapsing edifice, but in five thousand years, only Emperor Guangwu of Han has emerged.
-
Back to reality, only forty minutes had passed.

Lu Zhao picked up the landline and called Liu Qiang.

"Brother Lu, is there something you need?"

Liu Qiang strode into the office.

He has been in high spirits lately, and by leveraging the names of Lu Zhao and Zhang Like, he has implicitly become the third-in-command of the border station.

Because Lu Zhao usually communicates most things through him.

Liu Qiang himself is quite shrewd and efficient, and has not caused any problems so far.

Lu Zhao asked, "What happened at the threshing ground?"

Liu Qiang replied, "It's still in a state of paralysis, but with the help of the liquor store and the local police station, there have been far fewer fights."

Lu Zhao asked, "Can one department really control the situation?"

A police station has at most a few dozen people, with no more than five officially employed police officers.

Liu Qiang explained, "The public security bureau can arrest and detain people, and our border defense company has 500 people assisting them."

Lu Zhao understood.

As expected, you need to be professionally qualified for the job; their border station doesn't have the authority to detain people.

He asked, "When is Old Zhang coming back?"

"We're on our way back, it should take another half hour."

"When he comes back, have him come to see me."

"Yes."

Lu Zhao then instructed, "Also, send someone to notify all village cadres in the area and tell them to come to the camp at 10 a.m. tomorrow."

"Yes."

Liu Qiang simply agreed, and after receiving the promise, he turned and left.

Lu Zhao liked this about him; he never asked why or whether something could be done. He would just give the order and carry it out, only reporting back if he couldn't.

Lu Zhao sat alone in the chair, pondering his next move.

The conflict among farmers is urgent due to abnormal weather.

In previous years, by the end of last month and the beginning of this month, the early rice had basically completed the entire process of harvesting, drying, and storing.

But there was unusual rainfall recently, and now that it's not raining, everyone is rushing to dry their clothes, otherwise they'll all get moldy.

Originally, with the grain depot managing the process, the grain drying issue wouldn't have escalated too much. Now, with no one in charge, everyone wants to dry their grain first, inevitably leading to fights.

Since that's the case, then let's summon everyone here, clarify things face-to-face, and at the same time select suitable 'Imperial Guards'.

Lu Zhao himself is a local.

He was quite well-known, although most of his family and close relatives had died, but his parents' relatives and friends were still around.

My mother's family is still alive; I have three maternal uncles. They also have friends and relatives, mostly from the surrounding area.

In those days, rural marriages were not far apart, which led to the considerable influence of clans in Nankaido, with almost every household being a small clan.

They sound impressive, but they're actually just a group of ordinary people sticking together for warmth. Their greatest ability is to fight for land and water at the village entrance so they won't be bullied.

They were all powerless and helpless farmers, and it was precisely because of this that they were able to better unite with the farmers.

Having made up his mind, Lu Zhao got up and went to the window to look out over the Ant Ridge area.

By controlling the grain depot officials, one gains control of the system; by controlling the peasants, one gains everything.

(End of this chapter)