Chapter 332: Rewarding Merit

Zhu Youjian was very satisfied with Chen Qiyu's work style.

Most of the civil officials and scholars of the Great Ming took pride in idle theorizing and empty talk, while considering it shameful to personally go down to the front lines. For a senior minister like Chen Qiyu, who held the title of Grand Secretary, to spare no effort and personally go to the scene to investigate and inquire was an extremely rare and pragmatic work style. This was exactly the kind of capable official the Great Ming needed most.

Since the large-scale relocation of disaster victims began, quite a few officials like Chen Qiyu had already emerged. Regardless of what motives drove them to make such changes, as long as they truly did the work, they must receive due rewards and promotion.

"I report to Your Majesty: after the two projects within the capital are completed this time, many experienced and skilled laborers will surely emerge from among them. I believe that if there is no corresponding work to continue afterward, the skills these laborers possess will be lost, which would be a great pity. Looking at the various regions of our Great Ming, there are many places in need of such skills, but they are limited by human, financial, and material resources and cannot undertake similar projects. I suggest that after the capital projects are completed, select qualified persons from among them, and have the government take the lead, following the model of well-digging in the imperial estates, to organize construction teams to carry out work in areas with abundant financial and material resources, thereby solving the chronic problems of urban flooding and clogged drainage ditches in various prefectures and counties, and greatly improving the appearance of towns and cities throughout Your Majesty's Ming! These are my humble views; I hope Your Majesty will deliberate and decide!"

Chen Qiyu analyzed the Emperor's governance policies of recent years from every angle and finally reached a conclusion: this Emperor was possibly the ruler in all dynasties who paid the most attention to people's livelihoods and most enjoyed large-scale infrastructure construction.

Since stability was achieved within the realm in the ninth year of Chongzhen, whether it was relocating migrants, exempting the northern provinces from three years of taxation, reducing rents for tenants on imperial estates, or abolishing the golden-flower silver and personally funding well-digging and canal repairs across various regions—all these similar measures proved this point.

Since he knew the Emperor's preferences, why shouldn't a minister cater to them? Putting the people first was also advocated by the sages of old. Whether from the perspective of great righteousness or loyalty to the sovereign, it was an essential duty of those who governed the people. If one wished to maintain lasting imperial favor, proceeding from this direction was the best strategy.

He had long planned the above remarks, intending to present them to the Emperor before the project's completion. Unexpectedly, the Emperor asked about the project's progress today, which gave him the perfect opportunity to show off in front of the senior ministers. Chen Qiyu believed that this proposal of his would definitely earn him high appreciation from the Emperor and add an extremely weighty piece to the scales of his future official career.

Chen Qiyu was indeed not wrong in his guess. This practical and down-to-earth suggestion caused Zhu Youjian's favorable impression of him to rise in a straight line, instantly elevating his standing to the top few, closing in on Sun Chuanting and Lu Xiangsheng ahead of him.

"Minister Chen's proposal is extremely reasonable! You may send people to conduct an investigation among these several thousand men. First, record in the register the identities of those with skilled craftsmanship; second, ask whether they are willing to participate in construction work elsewhere. Be sure not to let them neglect their farm work or family affairs due to being away from home for long periods—this point must be clearly instructed. Possessing skill, volunteering willingly, and having no shortage of labor at home—these three conditions are all indispensable; do not forcibly conscript those who do not meet them. Furthermore, wages must be reasonable, and meals must be provided to full satisfaction. Given such heavy physical exertion, meat must be distributed once every three days, calculated at three liang per person per serving. The consumption is enormous; if nutrition cannot keep up, it will easily cause premature aging and serious illness. Minister Chen, remember this, remember this well! Later, when you return to your office, report the details of this matter in a routine memorial. After I have reviewed it and found no errors, once the projects are completed, the construction teams will be established and first tried out in the prefectures and counties around the capital region! The funds and grain will be borne equally by the privy purse and the Taicang treasury. I will send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate secretly, so as to prevent corrupt and greedy people from profiting in the middle!"

When they heard that the Emperor actually wanted Chen Qiyu to provide these laborers with a meat meal every three days, most of the court officials wore disapproving expressions.

In their eyes, these farming households, hired with government funds, should already be quite content to have an extra income to supplement their families during the slack farming season. Moreover, they were also provided with two meals a day—this was already the Emperor's benevolence. Who would have thought they would also get meat once every three days? Even some well-off families in the countryside couldn't match this treatment. Wasn't this going a bit too far?

Chen Qiyu calmly clasped his hands and accepted the decree, but inwardly he was extremely pleased. Today he had made a great impression before the Emperor, which would be highly advantageous for ranking high when he was later promoted to the Grand Secretariat.

As for such a trivial matter as providing meat to the laborers, Chen Qiyu did not have much resistance in his heart. Over the past two years, as his direct contact with the lowest levels of the Great Ming increased, his intuitive understanding of the people's suffering far surpassed what it had been before. The contempt he had once harbored deep in his heart for the common folk had also changed considerably. Being able to use his official authority to seek some small benefits for the lowest classes was no longer something Chen Qiyu resisted in his heart.

"Over the past two years, in the matter of settling disaster victims, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue have all exerted tremendous effort. Minister Fan and Minister Hou have also worked very hard, and I have naturally taken note of all this. I have always advocated the principle that faults must be punished and merits must be rewarded. In view of the hard work of my two beloved ministers over these two years, I have decided that this time Minister Fan and Minister Hou shall both be granted the title of Grand Secretary of the Eastern Hall in recognition of their achievements! I hope my two beloved ministers will guard against arrogance and impatience, work even more diligently and faithfully in public affairs, and handle their future duties with ever greater perfection!"

Zhu Youjian then casually tossed out a bombshell piece of news.

Last year, Zhu Youjian had already issued a decree elevating the rank of the two Grand Secretaries of the halls to Grade 1a (cong yi pin), and the rank of the three palace hall academicians to Grade 1 (zheng yi pin). This measure changed the awkward situation that had existed for many years where Grand Secretaries held great power but low rank, and also made the Grade 2 Ministers even more eager for the position of Grand Secretary.

Fan Jingwen and Hou Xun were stunned for a moment, then both were overjoyed beyond measure. Without the slightest advance notice, such a great piece of good fortune fell from the sky—could it be that Heaven had opened its eyes? To receive the Emperor's approval today meant that their two years of hard work had not been in vain. The honorary title of Grand Secretary of the Eastern Hall could be said to be the best commendation for them.

Under the gaze of the other senior ministers in the hall, filled with all kinds of complex expressions, the two senior ministers rose and prostrated themselves to give thanks for the imperial favor.

Hou Xun and Fan Jingwen were both around fifty years of age. With the title of Grand Secretary, whether in terms of seniority, age, or ability, they now possessed all the qualifications for entering the Grand Secretariat. This put tremendous pressure on the other Ministers, aside from Minister of Personnel Zhou Yun.

Especially Yang Sichang, who had thought his entry into the Grand Secretariat was all but certain. These two men had never been part of his calculations, yet today they had suddenly become the most realistic threat to him, catching him completely off guard.

Because the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works had always been the departments with the most tasks and the most exhaustion, yet also the ones where the most mistakes occurred. Especially the Ministry of Revenue—although it was a very important department of the court, very few of its successive Ministers had ever finally entered the Grand Secretariat. Many had been convicted of crimes while in office and sent back home—a classic case of doing thankless work.

He never expected that the Emperor, without the slightest warning, would suddenly elevate these two men to such a conspicuous position. This made Yang Sichang feel extremely disappointed in his heart.

Zhu Youjian could naturally understand Yang Sichang's disappointment. Although he valued Yang Sichang's abilities highly, for the Great Ming as it stood now, money, grain, and construction were the top priorities. After all, Yang Sichang had only recently returned to official service and had not yet established any outstanding achievements, so this round of promotions and rewards had not been included in Zhu Youjian's considerations.

Most of the officials and clerks of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works had been sent to the front lines of settling disaster victims and had made tremendous efforts in doing so. Although interest-driven factors were primarily at play, it could not be denied that they had indeed achieved real political accomplishments—this could be seen from the fact that no major problems had arisen in the disaster victim resettlement so far.

Furthermore, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Censors' reports on the relevant situation every ten days also contained fairly detailed descriptions of those who had performed outstandingly, and all of this laid a solid foundation for the promotions of Fan and Hou.

"Minister Sun of Shaanxi has already led his troops to the capital, preparing to respond to the great war with Jianzhou next year. But the post of Governor of Shaanxi cannot remain vacant for long. Wu Ganzhong, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, is quite capable and has always enjoyed a clean reputation as an official. He is hereby specially promoted to the post of Governor of Shaanxi. He is ordered to take up his post immediately after completing the handover with Minister Sun—no delay!"

Zhu Youjian released the next important piece of personnel appointment news.

Wu Ganzhong and Sun Chuanting were close personal friends—this was known to many court officials. In Zhu Youjian's eyes, anyone who could become a close friend of Sun Chuanting must have exceptional qualities; otherwise, given Sun Chuanting's proud temperament, he would not deign to associate with ordinary people at all.

Now the entire province of Shaanxi was very stable, and the resettlement of disaster victims was proceeding quite smoothly. As long as the successor did not act willfully and recklessly, but instead continued to implement the existing effective strategies, then within a few years, Shaanxi would begin to show the initial signs of great governance.

From this perspective, Wu Ganzhong should be the most suitable candidate for Governor of Shaanxi. At the very least, on the issue of handover and continuity, the two men would certainly have a corresponding tacit understanding. Sun Chuanting would surely give this close friend of his the most feasible governance strategies, avoiding the official malady of policies dying with the person who made them.

As for the current Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shaanxi, Zhu Yongyou, Zhu Youjian had never considered him at all. This man was a typical bureaucrat—the kind who just muddled through his days. During the more than two years that Sun Chuanting had governed Shaanxi, this man had achieved nothing outstanding, and Sun Chuanting's evaluation of him was also very low. Such people who occupy positions without doing any real work would eventually be replaced sooner or later.