Chapter 146

On the third day after Wang Po's funeral, the thin morning mist had not yet fully cleared, so Wang Zhen had someone ring the bronze bell of the family council hall. The bell's sound echoed over the Wang Family estate, heavy and solemn, as if announcing the end of an old era and heralding the start of a new order.

Inside the council hall, the atmosphere was so solemn it seemed almost frozen. The elder clan members and core descendants, who usually whispered occasionally, now sat upright in their seats, their gaze fixed heavily on the main seat in the hall, and no one spoke first.

Wang Zhen, dressed in plain mourning attire, walked slowly into the council hall. He did not stand beside his father as before, but went straight to the main seat at the front of the hall, a seat that only Wang Po had ever occupied.

He raised his hand to brush the fine wood grain on the chair's armrest, the marks left by his father's years of rubbing, inhaled deeply, and sat down slowly.

The wide chair made his figure appear somewhat slight, and the lingering red veins in his eyes and the faint sorrow in his brows both signaled the lingering grief on his face.

Yet beneath that sorrow lay an unmistakable resolve; he was ready to take on the family's heavy burden.

At his left sat the family's intelligence chief Wang Xin, along with several other elder clan members and core officials responsible for military, finance, and industry.

Su Qin, the strategist who had just achieved unprecedented feats in the north, was also exceptionally permitted to attend.

"Uncles and brothers," Wang Zhen surveyed the crowd and began slowly, "Father may be gone, but he laid down a legacy for the Wang Family that will endure for ten thousand generations. The rules he set and the direction he indicated must be followed unwaveringly."

"The Head of Family says it!" the others replied in unison.

"As for the north..." Wang Zhen's tone grew serious, "Father's final instruction also emphasized never turning north; that is the foundation of the Wang Family's existence and must never be shaken."

"Then from today, the intelligence department will downgrade its attention level toward the north by one grade. We will no longer proactively intervene in any conflicts in Zhongyuan. Let them fight on their own; we only need to ensure the canal routes remain clear, that our goods can continue to be sold there, and that we receive the resources we need in return."

"Additionally," Wang Zhen looked at Wang Xin, "have the intelligence department spread some rumors in the north."

"What rumors?" Wang Xin asked.

"Say that the Wang Family of Jiangnan is the richest under heaven, and the people live in peace and prosperity. Any skilled artisan or educated scholar who wishes to move south will be welcomed by our Wang Family, with land parcels, housing, and preferential treatment provided."

This was also Wang Po's final instruction: cherish talent. If tens of thousands of people were to seek refuge with the Wang Family, the family would become even more solid.

The north has been at war for years; what it lacks most is not soldiers or territory, but population! Especially the technical and managerial people who can create value.

The Wang Family's scheme, though it deploys no troops, is even more ruthless than a direct invasion. It aims to hollow out the north's foundations piece by piece.

"The Head of Family is wise!" Wang Xin immediately obeyed.

"Fine, let it be settled then." Wang Zhen nodded, then picked up another report on the table.

The report came from Zhen Dong City.

"The second matter concerns the Wa Country."

At the mere mention of the Wa Country, everyone present felt a surge of spirit.

If the northern actions were merely small skirmishes, then the operations in the Wa Country have been the Wang Family's core and most profitable overseas venture in recent years.

Wang Zhen briefly recounted to the assembly the report that Wang Meng had brought back about the decisive battle in the capital.

When they heard that Songpu Longxin had betrayed an ally, the Wang Family fleet had sealed off the sea, capturing all the Wa Country's daimyo and rebel main forces in one sweep, even the senior Wang Family leaders, accustomed to grand spectacles, couldn't help but gasp.

Too ruthless!

It's as if they were slaughtering a country like a pig.

"Father's 'Red Earth Project' has now reached a perfect conclusion," Wang Zhen said, a hint of emotion in his voice, "After this battle, there is no force within the Wa Country that can contend with the Wang Family. The entire nation can be painted at our leisure."

"Now, a problem lies before us."

Wang Zhen's gaze swept over the crowd: "How shall we rebuild this wasteland?"

An elder in charge of finance thought for a moment, then said, "Head of Family, in my humble opinion, the most urgent matter is to swiftly restore production in the Wa Country, especially the gold and silver mines. We have invested such huge costs; we must see returns as soon as possible."

We could have Wang Meng increase the conscription of those Wa refugees, sending them to the mines as laborers. After all, their lives are worthless; no matter how many die, we won't feel remorse.

His words received the approval of many.

In their view, the Wa Country was a massive mine and raw material source, and its people were merely a herd of four‑legged beasts that walked on two legs.

However, Wang Zhen shook his head.

"Fifth Uncle, your idea is too short‑sighted."

The elder, unable to hide his expression, said, "Head of Family, I... where am I short‑sighted? Isn't it right to recover our investment quickly?"

"Of course it's wrong," Wang Zhen said, standing up and walking to the massive world map on the wall.

"The Wang Family does not want a Wa Country that can be drained in just a dozen years. What we want is an overseas base that can continuously supply us with wealth, resources, and even troops!"

"Draining the pond to fish is the most foolish approach."

"Fifth Uncle, have you thought about it? If we exhaust this generation of Wa people in the mines, what about the next generation? The one after that? With no people, the land becomes wasteland, the mines become dead mines. Where will we find such cheap labor again?"

The elder was left speechless.

"Therefore, I have decided to implement a new national policy in the Wa Country."

He paused, then uttered the words that would profoundly alter that island nation's fate for centuries to come.

"I call it the Fanxi Plan."

"The Fanxi Plan?" the others were stunned; the calm in the council hall was shattered by the words, and the elders looked up, their eyes full of shock. The term "Fanxi" being used to describe the future scheme for another nation's people was unbearably jarring.

"Exactly, Fanxi—just like the breeding of livestock," Wang Zhen said calmly, as if discussing how to increase the offspring of his own farm's cattle and sheep.

"The Wa Country, after this great turmoil, has seen its population drop by more than fifty percent. The most urgent task is not mining, but restoring the population."

"From today onward, I order Wang Meng to enact a new decree throughout the Wa Country."

"Any Wa woman, regardless of status or marital condition, who gives birth to a child shall receive from the Wang Family—or rather, from the Matsura Shogunate—enough food and cloth to keep herself and the child comfortably supplied for three years. Moreover, when the child reaches adulthood, they will be granted a parcel of land of their own."

"The more children they bear, the greater the reward—no ceiling!"

When the policy was announced, the entire council hall erupted into chaos.

"What?!"

"Head of Family! This... this is absolutely unacceptable!" the Fifth Elder was the first to object, "This is absurd! Isn't it encouraging them to mate like livestock, at will? This goes against all moral principles!"

"Indeed, Head of Family! In this way, bloodlines become chaotic—fathers won't recognize their sons, sons won't know their fathers. The Wa Country would become a beastly nation devoid of any moral order," another official, well‑versed in Confucian classics, lamented.

They could not comprehend why the usually steady Head of Family would suddenly propose such a shocking and morally corrupt policy.

Wang Zhen looked at the elders below, some frowning in anger, others showing panic, his face showing no surprise. He lifted his hand, tapped the table, and his cold voice instantly silenced the hall's clamor: "I ask you, can moral principles be eaten? Can they be spent as money?"

The words struck like a heavy hammer, leaving everyone speechless. Without waiting for a rebuttal, he continued, "The Wang Family is here to do business, not to be saints! In chaotic times, survival and expanding the family business are fundamental; clinging to those empty, pretentious rules—do we really wait for others to swallow us?"

Speaking, his gaze swept over each person, his tone filled with irrevocable resolve: "The 'bloodlines' and 'dignity' you argue about are worth nothing to me."

Whether their bloodline is chaotic or not, what does it have to do with me? Whatever they become, what does it have to do with me?

What I want are people who can bring profit to the Wang Family, forces that can let the Wang Family stand firm in this chaotic world; everything else is unimportant!

"All I need are people! The more population, the better! As long as there are people, there is labor, there are soldiers, there is a market! That is the most fundamental profit for our Wang Family!"

"As for their morals... hehe, what right does a people that can't even fill their stomachs have to speak of morality?"

Wang Zhen's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone's heads.

Indeed.

They are merchants, they are colonizers.

They go to the Wa Country to plunder, to dominate.

Since when did they start caring about the other's ethics and morality?

In the council hall, everyone was shocked by Wang Zhen's stark, utilitarian remarks.

They looked at the young Head of Family on the main seat and suddenly felt he was more terrifying than the deceased former Head of Family.

The former Head of Family Wang Po, though also cruel and ruthless, still carried a veil of "acting for Heaven" and "avenging the people" in his deeds; following his plan, rebels would ultimately be slain, cutting the Wang Family out.

But the new Head of Family Wang Zhen completely tore off that hypocritical veil.

In his eyes, there is no good or evil, no right or wrong.

Only profit.

Bare, naked family profit.

"This matter is settled," Wang Zhen declared decisively, "Wang Xin, draft the document yourself and send it to Zhen Dong City. Have Wang Meng execute it immediately!"

"Yes... Head of Family," Wang Xin swallowed hard, bowed and took the order.

He knew that from today onward, that island nation in the east would usher in an era more twisted and darker than war.