Chapter 898: Changing the Name, Changing the Fate

The ministers were also baffled, wondering where this Xu Youzhen had sprung from.

The Hanlin Academy? Did the Hanlin Academy even have such a person? Though no one knew who he was, judging by the contents of his memorial, the man clearly spoke with substance and had real insight on flood control.

So when the Emperor casually asked about dredging the Yellow River, an official of the Ministry of Works proposed transferring this man to the Ministry.

The Ministry of Works was short on people now, especially those with real, practical talent.

From this man's memorial, he not only had insight on flood control but also some understanding of local affairs.

The relationship between flood control and local affairs was important; a Ministry of Works official who could handle relations with the localities was even rarer.

The Emperor gave a grand wave of his brush and agreed.

The next day, when the ministers saw Xu Cheng walk into the Ministry of Works, introducing himself as Xu Youzhen, everyone: ……

What a slick move.

Does the Emperor know? The question flashed through the ministers' minds.

Was this idea Pan Yun's?

The ministers exchanged glances, saying nothing in front of Xu Youzhen.

Xu Youzhen quietly breathed a sigh of relief; once smoothly transferred to the Ministry of Works, he immediately took on a mission and went out of town.

The Hanlin Academy was noble and lofty, seemingly better than staying at the Ministry of Works.

But within the Hanlin Academy, situations varied—some could go lecture the Emperor, resolve his doubts, draft edicts, and even walk in the imperial presence……

But others could only sit in a corner compiling books, books no one had ever heard of, perhaps compiling from age thirty to sixty without ever even seeing the Emperor's face.

Xu Youzhen had previously been assigned exactly this kind of work.

He was truly terrified; if he had to spend a lifetime like this, he might as well resign and go home to seek another path.

Now, he had finally carved out a path for his career.

He didn't care about the deeper meaning behind Pan Yun's words, nor did he heed the warning in the two characters "Youzhen" she had given him; he only needed to seize this opportunity tightly.

Xu Youzhen left the capital, and once he left, it was five years.

He traveled to many places, ordered to inspect dikes and survey water systems across the land; he casually sketched the river channels he passed, slowly assembling water maps for several regions.

In the third year, he was finally promoted to Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief, put in charge of governing the Yellow River.

He stayed by the Yellow River for two full years; when he returned to Jingcheng, he was dark and thin, and had aged considerably, but his spirit was bright and his gaze keen.

Pan Yun then said to the Emperor: "Your Majesty sees, when a person is used in the position they should be, whether gentleman or petty man, the result is twice the effect with half the effort."

The Emperor suddenly reacted: "This is Xu Cheng?"

He stared wide-eyed: "Xu Youzhen is Xu Cheng?"

Of course, that was five years later. At this moment, the Emperor did not know Xu Youzhen was Xu Cheng; he even quickly forgot Pan Yun's words, because news that the late Emperor had perished on the battlefield had already reached the various vassal states, and each side had reacted differently.

In the southwest, Si Jifa plundered Whether Mu Ang Mao, Burma responded, and Wang Ji made a decisive call to send troops, reaching Jin Sha by early October and already engaging the rebels;

On the southeast seas, the Japanese navy was making frequent moves, and sea bandits increased; from the first to the fifteenth of the tenth month, in just half a month, six ships had sunk at sea, merchants' cargo gone, and even the crews kidnapped; in the northeast, the Liao people submitted a petition begging the imperial court for disaster relief, demanding rewards ten times those of previous years, and even requesting the new Emperor grant them three plots of land to settle on.

These were external troubles, already difficult enough, but the internal troubles were even more severe.

When allocating compensation to the Ministry of War, the Emperor discovered the Ministry of Revenue had run out of money.

He had just ascended the throne then, so he held back; now, half a month into his reign, officials' salaries had to be paid, winter was coming, and some charcoal silver and grain silver had to be set aside for disaster relief; not to mention, in winter they also had to prepare seeds and farm tools for the coming spring.

Chen Xun laid out the various accounts, and the newly enthroned Emperor's eyes went wide.

To support the late Emperor's imperial campaign, not only had the national treasury poured out vast sums of money and grain, but Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, and other regions had also drawn heavily on their granaries.

These reserves had to be replenished too, otherwise once disaster or war struck these regions and the granaries had to be opened……

The burden of supporting the household suddenly fell onto Zhu Qiyu's shoulders, and he was somewhat exhausted in body and mind.

And Yu Qian's suggestion was to cut expenses, rectify official administration, and survey the land.

In court there were ministers who opposed, and ministers who supported.

Whether for or against, the reasons were all solid; Zhu Qiyu felt everyone made sense, and could only go find Pan Yun late at night to get her counsel.

Pan Yun said: "If both sides have reason, then choose according to priority and urgency."

Pan Yun asked: "Your Majesty, in your view, what is the pressing matter of the state?"

"Money!" Zhu Qiyu gave the answer after a brief thought: "Without money, many people will die this winter and the next two seasons."

Pan Yun nodded: "Then follow my lord Yu's suggestion—get money first."

Pan Yun tugged at the corner of her mouth and said: "Time is too tight; it's hard to create value through production, so we can only rely on plunder."

Zhu Qiyu stared: "Plunder?"

Pan Yun nodded: "That is why my lord Yu proposed cutting expenses, proposed rectifying official administration, proposed surveying the land."

"Cutting expenses means plundering the income and benefits that should rightfully go to some; rectifying official administration means plundering the wealth that corrupt officials plundered from commoners; surveying the land……"

Pan Yun paused, then shook her head: "This is not something that can be achieved in a short time; my lord Yu clearly knows this too. He raised it now so that, by contrast, the first two proposals would be easier to accept, and to give everyone a mental preparation."

After a moment of thought, Zhu Qiyu asked: "In the long run, what should be done about the treasury's lack of funds?"

Pan Yun said: "Your Majesty, there are many landless farmers under heaven. These people must all be put to use—help them find work, let them create more value—when developing industry and commerce."

Zhu Qiyu: "Emphasizing industry and commerce—would that not harm agriculture? Once the common people chase profit and all rush into industry and commerce, neglecting farming, the realm will fall into chaos."

Pan Yun said: "That is why agriculture must not be slighted. Your Majesty, through every dynasty, why has emphasizing agriculture always meant starting by suppressing commerce, and never once considered reducing land tax, land levy, and land rent?"

Zhu Qiyu gaped: "This……"

Pan Yun said: "The more those who farm obtain from the land, the more reluctant they are to leave it. You are the sovereign, the father of all your people; what you should consider is the interest of the vast majority under heaven—they are all your subjects, and they will repay you, repay this nation. Those who live in this nation will also benefit."

Pan Yun took a grain of millet from her cloth pouch and pushed it before him, saying softly: "Your Majesty, these ordinary commoners each contribute very little, but among the realm's hundred million people, those who pay this single grain of grain tax make up ninety-nine percent; the treasury's money and grain mainly come from them."

Zhu Qiyu quickly corrected her: "My Great Ming does not have that many people—only a little over sixty-eight million."

Pan Yun looked at Zhu Qiyu and smiled: "I say Great Ming's population has already passed a hundred million. Does Your Majesty dare conduct a census?"

Zhu Qiyu: ……Just finished proposing surveying the land, and now proposing a census—do Pan Yun and Yu Qian mean to flip Great Ming upside down and shake it three times over?