Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

The retired emperor understood that Jia Can's best strategy was tantamount to overturning the table, redefining the government-mandated salt trade, allowing all merchants to participate in the salt trade, and completely cutting off the path for the powerful and wealthy to monopolize the salt trade.

This is a strong medicine, and it can be considered a good prescription for the right ailment, but it is also the most radical and offends the most people.

The middle strategy is slightly milder than the best strategy, but it still requires a certain amount of courage. It is equivalent to clearing out all the existing salt merchants and cultivating a new batch of salt merchants.

In the short term, the imperial court's salt tax will naturally increase, but as time goes on, these new salt merchants will inevitably become corrupt and eventually revert to the old salt merchants of the past, which is a temporary solution but not a fundamental one.

The worst approach is the most moderate: simply dividing up salt areas without affecting the fundamental interests of any vested interests. It might be effective, but the effect will certainly be very weak, merely scratching the surface, better than nothing.

At the same time, the retired emperor also realized that although Jia Can had given three strategies, only one of them was truly effective.

However, to overturn the table and thoroughly reform the salt administration requires great courage and determination.

The salt administration involved a wide range of people, and those imperial relatives, powerful officials and gentry would not stand idly by and watch their interests be taken away.

If we rashly implement the best policy, it will likely cause a huge uproar, with voices of opposition rising one after another in the court, and it may be difficult to control the situation.

However, the retired emperor also understood that by now, the corruption in the official salt trade had become deeply entrenched and incurable, and it would be difficult to completely eradicate without strong measures.

If only mild methods are adopted, they may work temporarily, but not in the long run. Before long, the old illness will relapse and the condition will remain the same.

For a moment, the retired emperor fell into deep thought, his eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed.

Jia Can said no more. He had already put forward his views, outlining three strategies: superior, middle, and inferior, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. How to decide next was up to the Emperor Emeritus.

The room fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

At this moment, the retired emperor couldn't help but recall the time when he sent Lin Ruhai on a southern inspection tour of the salt fields, as if it were just yesterday.

At that time, Lin Ruhai had just passed the imperial examination and become a third-ranked scholar. He had high expectations for Lin Ruhai, hoping that this talented official could make some achievements in the salt administration and share his burdens.

Unexpectedly, Lin Ruhai soon encountered various misfortunes and had to write a letter requesting that he stop investigating the malpractices of the salt administration.

Although the retired emperor was unwilling, he had no choice but to give up.

Later, when the new emperor ascended the throne, the current Emperor Jing'an, he, like the retired emperor, wanted to reform the salt administration, so he ordered Lin Ruhai to continue the thorough investigation.

Unexpectedly, not long after, news came that Lin Ruhai's wife had passed away due to illness. The pain of losing his wife can be imagined.

However, even so, Emperor Jing'an did not seem to have any intention of stopping, and still ordered Lin Ruhai to continue the investigation.

As a result, Lin Ruhai had to send his only daughter to his wife's family in the capital to be raised, while he struggled alone in his post.

The retired emperor thought for a moment, but he could no longer recall Lin Ruhai's exact appearance.

All I remember is that Lin Ruhai was slender, had a refined appearance, and spoke with neither arrogance nor servility, displaying the demeanor of a scholar.

Looking back now, I can't help but feel a little sentimental, and also a little guilty.

After all, it was he who sent Lin Ruhai on the southern inspection of salt production. He thought it would be a promotion and an important appointment, but instead it led to the destruction of Lin Ruhai's family and the separation of his wife and children.

They also felt that Emperor Jing'an had gone too far. The salt administration was riddled with deep-seated problems, which were not formed overnight and could not be solved by one person alone.

This matter shouldn't be entirely placed on Lin Ruhai's shoulders; he can't bear this burden alone.

As Jia Can just said, the key to completely eradicating the problems lies in whether the emperor has the courage and determination.

If the emperor doesn't have the determination to overturn the table, sending anyone will be futile. If the emperor is determined, even if he doesn't use Lin Ruhai, he can still accomplish things by replacing him with someone else.

Given the current situation, if pressure continues to be applied to Lin Ruhai, the Emperor Emeritus believes that Lin Ruhai will not be able to hold out for much longer.

Lin Ruhai was already physically weak, and he has suffered a series of setbacks in recent years. It is remarkable that he has been able to hold on until today.

Thinking of this, the Emperor Emeritus closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to suppress his chaotic thoughts.

After a while, he opened his eyes. The complex expression in his aged eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by a pure one.

He then looked at Jia Can, breaking the long silence in the room:

"What Young Master Jia said resonates deeply with me. These three strategies, superior, middle, and inferior, are truly incisive and hit the nail on the head. If they were presented to His Majesty, I believe he would certainly adopt them."

"I observe that Young Master Jia possesses such profound insights into the salt administration. Therefore, I would like to ask you, if I were to recommend you to reform the salt administration and eliminate its long-standing abuses, would you be willing?"

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly upon hearing this.

The casual conversation and discussion just now were nothing more than theoretical talk, but what the Emperor Emeritus is putting forward now is a real choice, a choice that concerns Jia Can's future and even his life.

When Jia Can saw that the Emperor Emeritus had finally spoken, he sat up straight and listened attentively. He had thought that after the Emperor Emeritus pondered for a while, he would comment on the three strategies he had proposed one by one, or adopt one of them.

Unexpectedly, the retired emperor would eventually ask him to make a choice.

For a moment, Jia Can's face froze, unsure how to respond.

Reforming the salt administration and eliminating its malpractices is no easy task. He spoke so casually, readily offering three strategies, because he was an outsider, viewing the problem from a god-like perspective, and naturally, he spoke without understanding the difficulties.

However, it would be extremely difficult to let him get involved and personally participate in the salt administration reform. Theory and practice are always two completely different things. As the saying goes, it is easy to talk about war on paper, but difficult to put it into practice.

More importantly, this matter involves a wide range of people, including members of the imperial family, powerful officials, and gentry.

If things aren't done well, they will definitely tear us apart completely, just like the Lin Ruhai family.

Seeing the Emperor Emeritus's expectant look, Jia Can understood that this was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

If done well, one will surely receive the Emperor Emeritus's reward and attention, and may even win the favor of Emperor Jing'an.

With the protection of these two supreme rulers, even if the Jia family were to be raided in the future, he would have enough confidence to protect himself. This might be his only chance to defy fate.

If he were to give up now, the retired emperor might not be angry, but he would certainly lose favor with him.

How can someone who doesn't even dare to try be expected to shoulder greater responsibilities?

It would not be easy to regain the Emperor Emeritus's favor after that.

Moreover, it seems he has nothing to lose except the title and family business of the Ningguo Mansion.

If they cannot gain the approval of the retired emperor and Emperor Jing'an, the Jia family will lose all these things when their property is confiscated, and they may not even be able to save their lives.

Why not take a gamble? Either way, it's a way to defy fate.

At worst, we'll just consider it a preemptive raid on our property!

With this in mind, Jia Can's gaze became increasingly firm, gradually transforming from initial astonishment and hesitation into resolute determination.

He took a deep breath and solemnly bowed to the Emperor Emeritus:

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, sir. If you are willing to give me your guidance, I am happy to give it a try!"