Chapter 603: Chapter 603
He was filled with emotions, being a leader is just that; every action he took was a significant endeavor that he knowingly pursued despite its difficulty. In this era of turbulence and complex interests, he resembled a lone warrior challenging the constraints of tradition and the obstruction of vested interests, moving forward resolutely for the welfare of all people.
This is a true hero, a leader worth following for a lifetime.
Yan Shan himself didn’t have a firm stance, but since the leader was willing to exert effort for the welfare of the people, he too was willing to follow without hesitation, hoping to leave his mark in this grand era and make his name go down in history.
In his view, this kind of life is far more meaningful than being a high official only interested in wealth.
"Xu Qing, how should we handle these salt merchants?" Yan Shan raised his head, looking at Xu Qing with a determined gaze, awaiting his instructions.
"The Court doesn’t need them to those polished rice and grain bought from Yu Hang; it only needs them to genuinely assist the Court in transporting them to disaster-stricken areas. As for money, the Court is not short of it and will pay as required." Xu Qing’s gaze was profound, his expression calm yet carried undeniable strength. This update ıs available on novel⁂fire.net
He knew very well that if they directly reclaimed the grain and distributed it, with the current climate among officials in the Country, if two out of ten stone of grain reached the hands of disaster victims, it would already be extremely fortunate.
It’s not that he’s overly pessimistic; it’s a long-standing adverse culture among the Country’s officials.
Don’t be fooled by how Chen Fu listens to everything he says and acts so loyal on a daily basis; when it comes to the crucial moment of grain distribution involving huge interests, even Chen Fu has to withhold ten percent.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to be honest and clean; it’s that he’s trapped in such an official environment and is unable to act freely. If Chen Fu, the Minister of Revenue, doesn’t take a share, the people below him will think it unusual and worry their own interests might be affected, and who would be willing to work for him?
It’s no longer a matter of lacking such interests but a deeply rooted unwritten rule, a difficult to break hidden regulation in the officialdom. Even if Xu Qing possesses great power and can punish some corrupt officials, he cannot fundamentally prevent such occurrences.
Yan Shan instantly understood Xu Qing’s intent. Xu Qing continued, "The production of salt and iron is the lifeline of the nation and must be firmly controlled by the Court; however, the management rights can be relaxed appropriately but not too much—it’s crucial to maintain balance. This time, we need to utilize the salt merchants, so we can’t push them too hard, or they might turn desperate, causing more trouble for the Court. But we also can’t let them always feel smug and think they can evade justice. During this period, take the Recovery Society members to visit those households, understand their living conditions and needs."
"Are you planning to use these households to seize the salt merchants’ management rights?" Yan Shan’s eyes lit up, suddenly grasping Xu Qing’s strategy.
"Between salt merchants and the households, there exists inherent sharp conflicts. Previously, the households were weak and lacked backing, much like loose sand, only to be exploited by salt merchants and the nobles behind them.
They were filled with resentment but had nowhere to vent it, only attributing this resentment to the Officials, which is highly unfavorable to the Court. Every grievance has a source and responsibility; we need to stand for the households, letting them know the Court is on their side."
Yan Shan suddenly realized, his admiration for the leader grew even more. First, temporarily appease the salt merchants, get them to assist the Court in disaster relief, stabilize the current situation; then gradually support the households, utilizing their conflict with salt merchants to softly undermine the salt merchants’ influence.
In this way, the Court regains the initiative and becomes the arbitrator in this game of interests. The conflict is cleverly shifted between households and salt merchants, and ultimately, both sides would feel grateful to the Court for its mediation and support.
This tactic is truly ingenious, linked step by step, setting the stage meticulously, but this affair can only be managed by someone with Xu Qing’s strategic genius. If it were someone else, merely getting the salt merchants to help transport grain for disaster relief, those shrewd merchants absolutely wouldn’t agree.
Ultimately, it’s because Xu Qing demonstrated strong power first, wielding a sword over the salt merchants’ heads, employing force before negotiation, forcing the salt merchants to comply reluctantly.
After Xu Qing and Yan Shan discussed these matters, they went to meet Xiong Chan. Xu Qing shared the detailed situation regarding the White Bone Cult with Xiong Chan, holding nothing back.
"I deeply empathize with Gongming’s concerns. As long as the refugee issue remains unresolved, the cult will continue to grow like wild grass under the spring breeze. However, the existence of Snowfield Living Buddha is the true root of the chaos.
While the refugee issue must be resolved, the threat of Snowfield Living Buddha cannot be ignored. Moreover, Murong, the Grandmaster, the Black Mountain Demon, these hang over the Great Yu like blades, posing grave hazards." Xiong Chan said solemnly, with joined palms and a grave expression.
He’s a man who recognizes the situation most clearly, seeing Xu Qing and the old Emperor combining forces, realizing there was no longer any chance for personal dominion in Great Yu; what else could he do? He had to let go of his inner obsessions and sincerely work together with everyone to manage the big family of Great Yu well.