Chapter 494: Propaganda Department

"People have birth, aging, sickness, and death; trees have seasons of withering and flourishing; the rise and fall of dynasties is the same. Why must you be so fixated on this?" Mi Zhuang was as calm as an ancient well.

It seemed he had long anticipated that the Great Song would reach this point today.

"It is just that as a child serving as an official in the court, eating the monarch's salary and performing the monarch's duties, I cannot help but feel regret," Mi Yan sighed. "Father, is there truly no way to resolve this current situation?"

Mi Zhuang shook his head gently. "Actually, when I went to Yanzhou, the Yan Wang and I once discussed this matter. I feel that one sentence from the Yan Wang perfectly captured the essence of the Great Song's chaos."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Mi Yan revealed a look of curiosity.

"The Yan Wang said that the powerful clans are the malignant tumors on the body of the Great Song. They survive by sucking the blood and flesh of the Great Song, causing the Great Song to grow weaker day by day while the tumors grow stronger, until they drain the body of the Great Song dry and eventually usurp the host, taking it for their own," Mi Zhuang said slowly.

"I did not expect the Yan Wang to see things so clearly at such a young age," Mi Yan shook his head lightly.

It had to be said that the Yan Wang's metaphor was extremely vivid.

The Great Song had already been eroded by the powerful clans until it was riddled with holes.

Dividing up the Imperial Clan was their final step.

Thinking of something, he said, "I must send a letter to the Yan Wang. Under my persuasion, the Emperor has decided to trust him completely."

Mi Zhuang was indifferent; in his view, Zhao Heng was barely able to protect himself now and could not possibly provide any support to the Yan Wang.

At present, this monarch could only be like a monk in a temple, ringing the bell for as long as he remained a monk.

The powerful clans would not take Zhao Heng seriously either; they would only keep him to maintain the facade of the Great Song.

The true contest would still be between the Northern Di, the powerful clans, and the Yan Wang, like a tripartite balance of power.

"In the letter, ask about Wen'er's recent situation. I wonder how he is doing in Yanzhou?" Mi Zhuang's eyes remained on his book as he spoke, seemingly casually.

Mi Yan understood, smiled lightly, and turned to leave.

He drafted a letter in the study and ordered it to be sent to Yancheng with haste.

Seven days later.

Zhao Xu received the letter from Mi Yan.

"Who exactly is it?" Zhao Xu muttered.

Liang Cheng and Dong An, like him, had both learned of this matter through the short arrows.

As for the part in the letter about Zhao Heng trusting him from now on, he did not really care.

Aside from the one hundred thousand craftsmen he had requested, he truly had no other demands of Zhao Heng.

Of course, since Zhao Heng was showing goodwill, there was no need for him to give a cold shoulder.

With Zhao Heng's support, whatever he did would at least be justified.

"Given the current situation, the next step is for everyone to show their true abilities," Zhao Xu pondered as he held the letter over an oil lamp to ignite it.

Clearly, the current situation in the Great Song was basically out of control.

The powerful clans were officially carving up the regions; once the conflict erupted, it would be a bloodbath.

He had already anticipated this, so he was not very nervous; he even felt a sense of relief.

Since everyone was playing their own game, he could do whatever he wanted in his own fiefdom.

There was no reason for him to be a fool and play along while the powerful clans carved up the land.

Furthermore, since Zhao Heng wanted to give him full trust, he could no longer hold him back.

"In that case, let us see who emerges victorious," Zhao Xu said as he watched the final ashes fall to the ground.

Then, he remembered Mi Yan mentioning Mi Wen in the letter and could not help but shake his head.

Mi Wen had accomplished nothing in Yanzhou during this time; Mi Yan and Mi Zhuang were likely getting anxious.

They were probably implying that he should stop indulging Mi Wen and instead arrange a task for him.

Thinking of this, he had Feng'er call Mi Wen over.

At the moment, the Northern Di were silently building up their strength, and so were the powerful clans.

Naturally, he could not let Yanzhou stand still.

Next, he would have Yanzhou accelerate in all aspects.

After all, the Steam Engine had already begun to make its mark.

This was a revolutionary machine that would transform Yanzhou from an agricultural structure to an industrial one.

At the same time, the development of overseas markets would proceed in tandem.

After all, industry relied on commerce; if goods could not be sold, industry could not prosper.

It could be said that, like the Great Song, Yanzhou had also reached a critical juncture.

If he handled this step well, he would have the ability to defeat the Northern Di and shift from defense to offense.

Otherwise, his fiefdom would forever be shrouded in the shadow of the Northern Di.

Moreover, the powerful clans were still watching from the sidelines, waiting for him and the Northern Di to both suffer losses.

Therefore, this step was even more necessary.

These were external matters.

Of course, there were also internal ones, aimed at making the people of Yanzhou more united.

He had called Mi Wen over this time to implement this plan: establishing the Propaganda Department.

Before long, Mi Wen arrived.

"Your Highness." Seeing Zhao Xu, Mi Wen bowed and then smiled.

Looking around in Yanzhou, he had no relatives, and only Zhao Xu was closest to him.

However, Zhao Xu was often busy with military and political affairs, so he rarely saw him.

Since coming to Yanzhou, he had only been copying books and familiarizing himself with Yanzhou's different political systems and various new things.

In recent days, he had gradually developed an affection for Yan Commandery, practically treating this place as his second home.

It was just that he had not yet had the chance to tell Zhao Xu what he wanted to do.

"I intend to establish an agency called the Propaganda Department; would you like to serve as the Director of the Propaganda Department?" Zhao Xu asked.

Liu Fu said that Mi Wen had a silver tongue, was eloquent, and was quite clever.

Most importantly, he was multi-talented, had some accomplishments in poetry and prose, and could even play the vertical bamboo flute.

After this Propaganda Department is established, the work it must do is internal and external propaganda.

His personality as a literary youth is quite suitable for this.

Most importantly, Mi Wen lives in the front courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, so he can guide him at any time and mold him into a qualified Director of the Propaganda Department.

"What is the Propaganda Department?" Mi Wen scratched his head; Zhao Xu had suddenly given him an official position, so he was naturally very excited.

But he had never even heard of this agency.

Zhao Xu smiled and told him the purpose of the Propaganda Department.

Propaganda, as the name implies, is to announce and disseminate.

The notices posted on city gates in ancient times were a form of propaganda.

However, this kind of propaganda is too rudimentary for him.

He needs to be able to disseminate his own ideas, including the policies of the Government Office, to the countryside and into the ears of every commoner at any time.

In the modern era, big-character posters on village walls are a form of propaganda for the common people.

In fact, this method seems unsophisticated, but it is not truly unsophisticated; on the contrary, it is very effective.

For example, in ancient times, the illiteracy rate was infinitely close to one hundred percent.

Concise and comprehensive big-character posters, illustrated with pictures and text, painted on earthen walls in the countryside, can effectively let the common people understand the policies currently being implemented by the Government Office and serve a mobilizing role.

For example, slogans like "Roll up your sleeves and work hard" or "Build a prosperous and strong Yanzhou."

This is aimed at the rural commoners.

For those who are literate, he plans to have the Propaganda Department establish a newspaper office to conduct propaganda through the newspaper, which would cover everyone in Yanzhou, from top to bottom.

After hearing Zhao Xu's explanation, Mi Wen was stunned.

Then, his face filled with excitement, "Your Highness, this is too perfect for me. Leave this Propaganda Department to me; I will certainly not let Your Highness down."

Zhao Xu looked him over and nodded slightly.

As the two were talking, Feng'er came over to report that Xu Ke had an urgent matter and requested an audience.