Chapter 869: I Have a Method

After saying this, Eunuch Cui looked toward Zhao Jin and the others. His earlier indignation was not veiled cursing. Right now, with the Jianzhou Jurchens beyond the passes, the Mongol tribes on the steppe, and the She family's rebellion in the southwest, the Great Ming truly could not spare any hands. The troop movements they could manage were already stretched thin, awkward and difficult. Looking at it now, what Zhao Jin had just said was indeed no lie. If one wanted to exploit the Ming's peril, simply continuing the fight would do. Under such circumstances, one could certainly extract even greater and more benefits from the imperial court.

If earlier he had still wanted to fight for momentary pride and not show weakness in bearing, now he was truly worried the other side might lose patience and tear off all pretense. If this Zhao Jin really used the opportunity to fly into a rage, causing this pacification effort to fail and the situation to deteriorate further, it might truly become unmanageable. And Wei Zhongxian, Eunuch Wei, who was overseeing all this, would be blamed by everyone, dragging his own side down with him...

"When the Great Ming was strong and flourishing, instead of thinking of a permanent solution, they pondered mercy and fortune, refraining from slaughter. They didn't exterminate the threat then, and now, after nurturing it for so many years, it's naturally a great calamity!" Zhao Jin spoke two sentences flatly. Cui Wensheng was somewhat stunned by the other's reaction. He wanted to say something but had no words, and only let out a long sigh.

Native officials and circulating officials. The so-called circulating officials were local officials appointed by the imperial court and rotated on a set schedule. The native officials, however, were often the hereditary positions of local chieftains and tribal leaders, bearing the official titles of the Great Ming — Pacification Commissioner, Comfort Commissioner, Commander — but to their own tribesmen and subjects, they were emperors and kings.

For such native officials, the imperial court held at most nominal jurisdiction. In reality, they were independent kingdoms. When the court was strong, they naturally dared not act rashly and submitted in obedience. But as the Ming court grew weaker by the day, disloyalty and restlessness naturally stirred below.

Yet, sighs aside, Zhao Jin's future in Xuzhou and the surrounding lands would probably be no different from those native officials everywhere.

After hearing the news of the She family's rebellion in Sichuan, Cui Wensheng no longer had the heart to argue about anything. He simply spoke in a dejected tone: "The matters you've mentioned are not difficult to accomplish. However, seeing how well you understand the ways of the world, I have nothing left to hide. These are all tacit understandings never put to paper. If the person who agreed to this matter remains in place, it will be honored. If not, whether it will be honored is hard to say."

"Even if the person who agreed to this matter remains, it won't stay unchanged forever. We understand that," Zhao Jin replied.

Cui Wensheng ignored the implication in Zhao Jin's words and merely sighed again, saying: "Given how well-informed you are, you surely know that Eunuch Wei is the one backing this matter behind the scenes. Without his grace, Censor Wang would not have been released. But you've stirred things up to such an extent that it's now impossible to simply put a stop to it. Even if everything is settled today, factoring in the time for messages to travel back and forth, by the time the canal opens, it will likely be mid-October. How much longer can the canal stay open by then, and how much grain can be shipped to the capital? When winter grain runs short and the court and public are shaken, do you think Eunuch Wei can still hold his seat? By then, this amnesty deal will likely be void. His successor might well dig to the roots and raise arms again. Then everything will have been for nothing."

These words lacked the earlier saber-rattling. They were an objective consideration for both sides. The reason for seeking pacification was to get the canal open and complete the capital's winter grain reserves. If that was delayed, the amnesty would naturally fall through, and fighting would inevitably resume.

From the moment of arrival until now, the two sides had not exchanged many polite words. Yet Cui Wensheng had formed an accurate judgment: these men, Zhao Jin of Xuzhou, also wanted amnesty and did not wish to continue fighting on a large scale. One layer of his meaning was to vent his inner frustration; the other was to alert the other side that even if the amnesty talks succeeded now, the outcome could still collapse and become unmanageable. If they wanted to reach a deal, they also needed to think of a solution.

After saying this, Cui Wensheng sighed again, feeling he was asking the blind for directions. Even if these young warriors and scholars knew a great deal, how could they understand matters related to canal grain and winter grain? Let alone them, even the officials in the Ministry of Revenue had never truly figured it out.

"Eunuch Cui, in another month, the sections of the canal in Northern Zhili and northern Shandong will freeze over. With so many ships blocked south and north of Qingjiangpu, any rushed, last-minute effort will likely be too late. As for the capital's winter grain reserves, it's best not to count on canal grain shipped north," Zhao Jin said in a deep voice. Cui Wensheng nodded glumly.

"However, Eunuch Cui, the capital's winter grain is not without solutions. This northward shipment of canal grain, from ancient times to now, is probably no longer about feeding the capital, but about the livelihoods of everyone connected to the canal transport. To say that the capital would have no grain to eat if the river were cut off is a joke. The various prefectures and counties of Northern Zhili produce quite a lot nowadays. Are the outputs of Shuntian, Baoding, and Zhending prefectures meager? Can they not supply the capital?"

Zhao Jin narrated calmly. Cui Wensheng was stunned, hesitating for a long while before slowly nodding. The Northern Zhili region had been fully developed since the Jin and Mongol Yuan dynasties. After Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di, established the capital there, Northern Zhili became the core of the realm, with land fully reclaimed and cultivated.

However, the estates in the various prefectures of Northern Zhili were mostly the private property of the capital's nobility. Generation after generation, imperial relatives and ennobled families acquired fields and houses, often choosing them in the prefectures of Northern Zhili. And the wealth accumulation of the powerful eunuchs of the inner court was also often in this region.

Because of such powerful backing, naturally there were no harsh taxes or levies, nor were they saddled with absurdities like the Liaodong war tax. Tenant farmers and able-bodied laborers could just barely eat their fill and work, and would not flee en masse due to bankruptcy. Draft oxen, horses, and large livestock would not be forcibly conscripted or sold off. With ample human and animal labor, and such stable inheritance over generations, the field output of Northern Zhili was far higher than that of other northern provinces. Moreover, without the burden of taxes, their reserves were also ample.

"That grain is not so easily touched. Not even Eunuch Wei, not even His Majesty, can touch it," Cui Wensheng said with a bitter smile after nodding.

The interests of these estates involved a great many nobles, as well as many powerful inner court eunuchs. These were all relations extremely close to the imperial household and the palace. The military merit nobility had been in decline for nearly two hundred years. The current nobles were all imperial in-laws, either the emperor's wife's clan or his mother's clan. How could they be touched?

Hearing Cui Wensheng's bitter smile, Zhao Jin's expression remained unchanged. Chen Sheng and the others seated beside him exchanged glances, their faces showing some disdain. Noticing this, Eunuch Cui could not help but feel a twinge of shame.

Zhao Jin smiled and said leisurely, "At a moment of the utmost urgency, what must be touched will be touched."

Cui Wensheng let out a long sigh but did not continue the thread. Everyone understood well enough: indeed, it could be touched, but after touching it, Eunuch Wei would be crushed to pieces, and those beneath him would share his misfortune. Working hard for the state was also for one's own glory and wealth. If all that were lost, what meaning would remain?

"Actually, the reserves in the various estates of Northern Zhili can serve as a baseline, not to be touched until the final moment. There is another method. It will offend people, but it's not as troublesome as touching the Zhili estates," Zhao Jin continued.

Eunuch Cui Wensheng paused, his eyes narrowing slightly, and then he spoke: "I am all ears."

In that moment, Eunuch Cui truly regarded the young man before him — over twenty years his junior, perhaps even more — as an equal.

"Since Eunuch Cui is the Governor-General of Canal Transport, you naturally know the customary graft and standard practices on this river. You know that to ship one dan of grain to the capital, a full four dan of grain must be spent. Where does that grain go? Aside from what is skimmed and embezzled by the canal soldiers and transport troops, isn't the bulk of it stored in official granaries everywhere, ready to be sold off in bulk at any time? What those few large granaries in Qingjiangpu are like — Eunuch Cui, I need not elaborate!"

As Zhao Jin spoke slowly, Cui Wensheng nodded continuously. Canal grain transport meant grain was shipped from all directions to various nodes along the canal, then dispatched northward from these nodes, and stored and transferred at the various market towns along the route. Over all these years, every node had a large quantity of grain accumulated in its granaries.

These granaries were supposed to hold canal grain, but by now, the majority was private grain skimmed under the name of canal grain — benefits for all parties involved, constantly being sold and circulated, constantly being distributed into various hands. This was a process that went on every month, every day, every year.

Under such a process, as long as there were no sudden natural or man-made disasters, the granaries in the market towns at every node along the canal always held a large quantity of stored grain.

Although Eunuch Cui had been Governor-General of Canal Transport for less than a year, he understood this juncture perfectly. Everyone involved with the Great Ming's canal, from top to bottom, had been reaping these benefits for centuries. There were no secrets left.

"With Qingjiangpu cut off, even if the river opens and shipping resumes, the grain there won't reach the capital in time. But what about Jining? What about Linqing? What about Tianjin? If Eunuch Wei sends someone to investigate, who knows how much grain could be freed up? By then, it might not only cover the capital's needs for this winter, but might even be enough for the entire coming year," Zhao Jin spoke with assurance.

These words made Cui Wensheng sink into deep thought. After pondering for a moment, he slowly asked, "Doing this would also offend many people..."

"A joke. How can any undertaking not offend people? If Eunuch Wei cannot afford to offend imperial relatives and state nobles, can he not afford to offend the unranked petty clerks managing the canals and granaries? Besides, if he truly doesn't want to offend anyone, just use it this year and replenish it next year. Problem solved," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

The situations in Jining, Linqing, and Tianjin were similar to Qingjiangpu. They were all crucial canal hubs with large granaries for transferring and storing canal grain. Those managing the warehouses were all petty clerks of the eighth or ninth rank. The connections behind them could indeed stretch to the heavens, but their own official ranks were extremely low. Touching them would not provoke too great a backlash.

Moreover, this canal grain was transported year after year. Even if the tacit rules were broken and their private stocks seized this year, the canal grain reserves delayed at Qingjiangpu could be shipped north by next year at the latest. A bit of shifting around would settle it.

Eunuch Cui Wensheng's nods grew larger, and a look of sudden clarity appeared on his face. With Eunuch Wei's power and status, doing such a thing was indeed not difficult, nor would it offend too many people. It was merely a temporary expedient, and everyone would give him face. It seemed this difficult problem was now resolved.

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