Chapter 1341: The Emperor and His Ministers Debate

The court was in a state of great upheaval.

Emperor Jian Shi's health was sometimes good, sometimes bad, leaving the court officials deeply worried. Calls in court to establish a Crown Prince grew louder and louder.

Yet Emperor Jian Shi was in no hurry to name a Crown Prince. Every memorial requesting the appointment of a Crown Prince was held back and never issued; he acted as if the matter did not exist. The officials, furious and frustrated, urged Xie Changling to find a way to persuade the Emperor.

At his advanced age, does he really think he's immortal?

Being Emperor has made him lose his senses!

Intolerable!

Emperor Jian Shi was confident he still had decades to live. As for his occasional bouts of illness, they were all temporary.

What he urgently wanted now was to deal with Marquis Pingjiang; he could no longer tolerate the man acting like a tyrant in the northwest, a local emperor in all but name, who clearly did not regard him, the Emperor, with any respect at all.

His wolfish ambition is plain to see — sooner or later he'll rebel!

Xie Changling was unwilling to move against Marquis Pingjiang, at least not now. His position was to keep the south stable, because the south was the vital region for grain and tax revenue; protecting the south meant protecting the great Qian Jiangshan, which would provide a steady stream of provisions and tax silver. With money and grain, why fear a lack of soldiers to fight?

As for generals, after the wars under the Prince of Chu, together with the eighteen rebel bands in the south, a batch had already been tempered. Although they still could not compare with the seasoned veterans of the northwest who fought in the wilds year-round, they at least had the strength to fight.

The north had always been barren land, with sparse population. After so many years of annual warfare, it was already thoroughly ruined. Since that was the case, why not let it continue to rot? There was no need to spend money and effort to govern it.

His line of thinking clearly lacked grand vision; he himself knew that if the north were truly abandoned, it would mean abandoning the gateway of the great Qian, and in the long run it would bring great disaster.

Yet, standing in his position, he had to consider things from a practical standpoint; when necessary, what had to be abandoned must be abandoned.

Of course, he would not say it so bluntly.

He would only indirectly advise Emperor Jian Shi not to fixate on Marquis Pingjiang.

Emperor Jian Shi was very displeased, and nearly jabbed a finger at his nose to berate him, demanding to know whose side he was really on. Refusing to share the Emperor's burdens, and clearing Marquis Pingjiang's name every single time — what was his aim?

Xie Changling was not the least bit flustered. He stepped forward and spoke at length: "Your Majesty, the north has been in constant turmoil for many reasons. The key reason is that the north's resources are limited — it is poor! The common folk are so poor they cannot eat, the rich have fields stretching in every direction, while the poor have not a foot of land to stand on.

To thoroughly change the situation in the north, one must take drastic measures — completely root out the local powerful families and wealthy households. Confiscate the land as the court's property, then have the local government lease it to local peasants for farming. The rental rate must not exceed sixty percent.

Once it exceeds sixty percent, the common folk, after paying taxes, would starve to death. It is best to set the rental at fifty percent, so that the local people have a chance to catch their breath.

Your Majesty, if you are determined, this minister will gladly face death a thousand times over and thoroughly resolve the northwest problem for you. When the time comes, whether Marquis Pingjiang is killed or sliced apart will be entirely at Your Majesty's word!"

Xie Changling had a grand strategy in mind; he knew exactly where the root of the problem lay, and he had a solution. Only... it could not be done.

It required the Emperor himself to take the lead, to be resolute and unshaken, unmoved by any personal ties or any sudden upheaval. Only then might it be accomplished. And one had to be prepared to kill until rivers ran with blood, and to bear the infamy of all ages.

May I ask the Emperor — do you dare? Do you dare shake the foundations of the state?

Xie Changling put on a look of utter loyalty and presented a practical, feasible solution, but in truth he was roasting Emperor Jian Shi over the fire.

Emperor Jian Shi, in a sudden fit of fury, flushed red, his breathing rapid — he looked far from well.

The chief eunuch Wang De hurriedly produced an elixir pill and softly soothed, "Your Majesty, calm yourself. It is time for Your Majesty to take your elixir."

Emperor Jian Shi, his face dark as iron, opened his mouth and swallowed the pill, slowly quelling the fury in his heart.

He pointed at Xie Changling. "Minister Xie, are you betting that I do not dare?"

"This minister would not dare! As the saying goes, of two evils choose the lesser. Compared to shaking the foundations of the state, this minister believes that temporarily tolerating Marquis Pingjiang is clearly more beneficial to the court and to Your Majesty."

"You keep saying it benefits me, over and over. Out with it."

Xie Changling began his great con.

He came from the south, from a land of plenty. From childhood he knew that the south's resources were used year after year to support the impoverished north. Those around him had many complaints.

Now that he had risen to Prime Minister, when it came to the north, he naturally would subconsciously neglect it, look down on it, and muddle through any mess.

As long as the court could still cope, it could not abandon the northwest.

Therefore, it could not abandon Marquis Pingjiang either.

Marquis Pingjiang was useful — he could hold the gateway for the court.

As for rebellion, as long as Marquis Pingjiang had not taken any actual action in a single day, everything could be tolerated. As the saying goes, judge by deeds, not by intentions; judged by intentions, every man is a rebel.

Who has not secretly cursed the Emperor in their heart? Who has not secretly cursed the Sungs?

If we truly judged by intentions, everyone would have to be beheaded.

Everyone says Marquis Pingjiang is about to rebel, yet the fact is that Marquis Pingjiang is still holding his post and has shown no substantive act of rebellion. One cannot, on the basis of suspicion and conjecture, or because of precedents, pre-judge a crime, cut off one's own arm in advance, and throw one's own ranks into chaos.

Trust those you employ; do not employ those you distrust!

The Emperor simply lacks such confidence, lacks such breadth of mind. No wonder that in every dynasty, the founding emperor's breadth of mind was extraordinary, while later descendants grew worse with each generation. The reason is that the Emperor himself lacked ability and could not bear to see ministers too outstanding. Whenever one showed a hint of talent, he would do his utmost to suppress them.

Insecure, jealous, petty...

"Your Majesty, the northwest has been at war for over a decade and is already ruined! This minister often has the officials below compile reports on every aspect of the northwest — population, arable land, commerce... in every respect it is already ruined.

Apart from a few official merchants who, backed by the government, earn money by supplying the army, the only ones left who can profit are the local powerful families and great households. The local common folk have long been plunged into misery, their homes broken and families destroyed. The reason they have not risen in total revolt is that the northwest has a great army stationed there. Marquis Pingjiang can at any time dispatch troops to crush any traitorous rebels.

Even if one day peace came to the northwest, to govern it properly would require decades of effort — it simply could not be done. Moreover, the court would have to be prepared to spend years on end sending money and grain to relieve the common folk of the northwest.

Since money and grain must be spent regardless, why not tolerate Marquis Pingjiang and at least let him train a strong army for the court? If Your Majesty does not trust him, then publicly bestow honors upon him, and arrange for the court's young generals to enter the northwestern army for tempering. Tempering in the northwest, there is no lack of battles to fight. Your Majesty may simply regard the northwest as a training ground for troops; those provisions are the necessary expense of training soldiers for the court."

"Absurd!" Emperor Jian Shi did not think it through carefully; the moment he heard that Marquis Pingjiang was to continue being tolerated, he could not contain his anger.

"It is utterly absurd! Minister Xie, you are my trusted and important minister — how can you side with Marquis Pingjiang every single time? You have disappointed me greatly."

"May I ask Your Majesty, if Marquis Pingjiang is to be replaced, who can take his place? Who can subdue the warlord chieftains, great and small, of the northwestern army?"

For a moment Xie Changling lost control of himself and spoke out in challenge.

Emperor Jian Shi gave a cold snort. "If they cannot be subdued, then kill them. If they cannot be killed, then divide and destroy them."

"Your Majesty speaks reason. Yet if this is done, the rebel Guo Guo Dachun will surely seize the chance to grow powerful. Xiliang will also drive straight in, and may even threaten the safety of Jingcheng. The common folk of the northwest will surely be swept up by ambitious schemers. When that day comes, the northwest will be in flames everywhere, and how is the court to put out the fires? From where will it transport grain and raise silver?"