Chapter 984: Go With the Flow

"The foundation of a nation lies in its people, and the people regard food as heaven; food is money, it is the economy!" Xue Shao said solemnly.

"After the late emperor perished in the northern campaign, I have often felt profound relief—thankfully, the founding emperor left behind ironclad policies: the Great Ming's military system is the hereditary soldier household system, allowing the army to be self-sufficient; otherwise, with today's treasury revenue and reserves, the northern campaign would have plunged the state into chaos."

"The imperial court needs money to pay officials' salaries; relief efforts need money—otherwise, how many civilians would have died from this year's wind disaster in Quanzhou? Dredging the Yellow River needs money; building Haigang needs money; feeding soldiers doesn't cost money, but warfare does..." Xue Shao stepped forward step by step: "In your eyes, your Gu family does good by protecting villagers, but in my eyes, you are embezzling state wealth— one Gu family, two Gu families, many Gu families united together—how many lives and families have you destroyed?"

Gu Qingyan's face turned pale; he murmured: "Money..."

"Precisely—money. The Great Ming needs money—money that does not come from raising taxes on the people, but from reclaiming vast sums while lightening their burdens. So tell me, where should this money come from?"

Gu Qingyan's gaze flickered; his previously foggy mind finally cleared. He said solemnly: "From the officials and gentry—from the nobles and imperial clan who own the most land and resources—and also from merchants."

Xue Shao looked at him with approval and nodded.

Gu Qingyan swallowed hard, glanced at Xue Shao, then at Pan Yun standing beside him, and asked softly: "Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Xue Shao: "Everyone must die someday."

Pan Yun: "I don't think I'll die."

Gu Qingyan stared intently at her and asked: "Miss Pan, are you a Daoist Priest?"

Pan Yun shot him a glare: "No."

Gu Qingyan murmured: "Daoist Priests are the worst liars—never speak a word of truth. So you must be one."

Pan Yun was astonished, stared at him for a moment, then turned to Xue Shao: "You're good—he may be slow in some ways, but he's sharp in others."

Xue Shao nodded slightly and asked Gu Qingyan: "Young Master Gu, are you interested in criminal justice?"

Gu Qingyan: "How do you know I'm interested in criminal justice?"

His eyes brightened slightly, eagerly asking: "Is my lord Xue going to introduce me to Xue Shaoqing?"

Xue Shao said: "I can write you a letter. When you go to Jingcheng, take it to my uncle—I believe he will take a great liking to you."

Gu Qingyan was thrilled; he grabbed Xue Shao's arm and pulled him backward: "Come on, come on, let's go back—I'll have the kitchen prepare lunch for you. Gu... Daoist Priest Pan, no—Miss Pan, don't rush off—stay for lunch too. I'll treat you to local specialties; my cook makes the best fish."

The Gu family's cook truly made excellent fish; it was late autumn, the peak season for fat fish—whether steamed or braised, they were delicious.

Knowing his master was hosting guests, the cook prepared a full fish banquet. Pan Yun enjoyed it immensely and no longer minded Gu Qingyan's earlier foolishness.

Having received Xue Shao's letter, Gu Qingyan said earnestly: "I've thought deeply about it—I believe your idea is sound, Brother Xue. Wait for me to pass the imperial examinations; when I present this policy, I will surely lend you my support in court."

He added: "Once this method is adopted, my Gu family won't need to worry about collecting and holding deeds anymore. Actually, levying land taxes isn't bad—it only means less money for us, but it also spares us countless social obligations, and our moods have improved greatly."

Pan Yun teased: "You're the ones receiving deeds—aren't people always coming to beg you to accept them? Isn't it them who owe the social favors?"

Gu Qingyan smiled bitterly: "It's not that simple. Only my father and I hold official titles—we have limited quotas. Whose land to accept, how much to take, whose to refuse, how to turn them down—every single case must be handled carefully. I can't offend the wicked, yet I don't want to reject the virtuous. Sigh—it's exhausting. I find dealing with one such matter harder than writing ten policy essays."

Pan Yun sighed: "If only all officials and gentry thought like you."

Xue Shao smiled: "Young Master Gu doesn't love money."

Pan Yun made a grand vow: "If only all officials and gentry in the world were like Young Master Gu—unattached to money!" The cat squatting nearby, eating fish intently, lifted its head with a meow and gave Pan Yun a look of disdain: 【You're making wishes here?】

Pan Yun glared at it: 【Eat your fish.】

The entire fish banquet was enjoyed immensely by the three people and the cat.

As they were leaving, Pan Xiaohei looked back longingly at Gu Qingyan, making his spine tingle.

They say the state advisor owns a spirit-connected black cat, extremely powerful—this cat is staring at him like this. Could it mean he has some problem?

Pan Yun picked Pan Xiaohei up from her shoulder and hugged it close, warning: 【He gave you fish—don't scare him.】

【It's all your fault—you've been spreading rumors everywhere.】

The chill on Gu Qingyan's body vanished; he quickly assured Xue Shao: "When the government office Runners come, I will return all the land deeds to their rightful owners."

Xue Shao nodded, thanked him on behalf of the imperial court for his reasonableness, and guaranteed the government office would not pursue any liability against the Gu family.

＿￠〇

In reality, during every land survey, aside from gentry who actively resist, the government office rarely conducts post-facto investigations—too many people are involved; too strict a policy would cause unrest.

Governing a region is an art; truly wise and capable magistrates never impose excessive harshness.

Gu Qingyan escorted them to the gate, hesitated, then said: "I heard from several elders in the village that the last batch of government office Runners couldn't obtain the registry or land deed lists, so they arbitrarily picked a few places and said they'd survey them later."

Xue Shao asked: "What's wrong with those places?"

Gu Qingyan said: "The places marked were all newly reclaimed wastelands from the past two years. By regulation, they're exempt from land taxes for the first three years. But from what the elders implied, the government office Runners seem to be recording them as cultivated land anyway—possibly forcing them to pay back taxes for last year and this year."

Xue Shao frowned slightly—he understood the government office Runners were avoiding offending the Gu family and those under its protection, so they used the reclaimed land to appease their superiors.

Had Gu Qingyan not mentioned it, this matter might have slipped through unnoticed.

Xue Shao said: "I understand. Thank you for the warning, Young Master Gu."

Gu Qingyan exhaled, smiled bitterly: "Returning the deeds, then waiting for the government to survey the land—there's too much for the Gu family to do now."

What's this? This is only a land survey—population inspection hasn't even begun.

But one must eat a meal one bite at a time, drink water one sip at a time—this cannot be rushed.

Xue Shao comforted Gu Qingyan, then called to Pan Yun and they departed together.

Gu Qingyan stood by the roadside, watching the two figures grow distant.

The old steward appeared silently behind him and asked solemnly: "Master, will you really return the land deeds?"

"The tide is this way," Gu Qingyan said calmly. "Go with the flow to endure."

Moreover, Xue Shao truly awakened him—his long-standing pain and torment now had a solution. Wasn't that worth striving for?