pappabearbooks Chapter 5411 You Bear the Infamy
Chapter 5411 You Bear the Infamy
Chapter 5411 You Bear the Infamy
Fang Jun took a sip of tea and said, "This is a bit more complicated. We can start with the 'Dongda Tang Trading Company' and allow the Hebei aristocratic families to increase their shareholding in the company, using high profits to gain their tacit approval for the navy to transport the people of Hebei away."
Ma Zhou fell into deep thought.
After a long silence, he frowned and said, "While the powerful families of Hebei may tacitly allow the people to be transported away for the sake of great profits, they will absolutely not allow the court to fill the land of Hebei with people from Guanzhong."
Fang Jun disagreed: "Then you overestimate the Hebei aristocratic families. While the court can't do anything about their entrenched villages and resistance to government orders, and can't launch an army to suppress them, they also dare not openly rebel. As long as they don't rebel, what can they do when the people of Guanzhong enter Hebei? Xu Jingzong has already surveyed the land of Hebei clearly. The court only needs to distribute the land to the people of Guanzhong according to the accounts, and they can only accept it with a grudging nose."
Ma Zhou sighed: "The risk is huge. What if the powerful families of Hebei take a desperate gamble?"
The reason why the Tang Dynasty suppressed Hebei in every way since its founding was not only due to the feud between the Guanlong aristocratic families and the Hebei gentry, but also because Hebei had been plagued by "rebellions" since the Sui Dynasty.
If the powerful families of Hebei are truly forced to take the path of rebellion, it is not impossible for them to rise up in revolt.
Fang Jun said, "Times have changed, Brother Binwang. With all the powerful clans in the land shifting their focus to maritime trade, the Hebei families are no fools. Without the support and response of other powerful clans, how could they dare to openly rebel? When the people of Guanzhong enter Hebei, they will certainly refuse to submit to the exploitation of the Hebei families, and the imperial court can then intervene legitimately. No matter when or where, balance is the key!"
Did the people of Guanzhong really migrate to Hebei for those lands?
No.
The real intention was that the powerful families of Hebei could no longer exploit the submissive and fearful people of Hebei as they had in the past.
With policy support, the people of Guanzhong will be able to rival the powerful families of Hebei and restore balance.
Once the balance is established, the imperial court can then intervene.
Ma Zhou finally understood that the so-called "filling Hebei with people from Guanzhong" was actually a means of "replacing the old with the new".
The people of Hebei had long suffered oppression from powerful clans. Even in times of prosperity, they had to endure exorbitant land rents and heavy taxes, living in dire straits and struggling to survive. They were completely subservient to the Hebei clans and dared not resist in the slightest. Transporting them from Hebei to overseas vassal states to make a living was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
The Guanzhong Plain had too large a population and poor land, and the entire country relied on the Grand Canal to support such a large population, which severely strained the national treasury. Building the Eastern Capital and diverting the population could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Filling the land in Hebei would greatly alleviate the population pressure in Guanzhong.
For the aristocratic families of Hebei, the choice was clear: on one hand, they could enjoy the "compensation" from the "Dongda Tang Trading Company" in maritime trade by opening up the population; on the other hand, they could continue to resist the imperial court, exploit the people, and fall into dire straits.
It actually killed three birds with one stone...
"Let's go, we must report this matter to His Majesty, and then make a thorough plan and implement it as soon as possible!"
Ma Zhou excitedly pulled Fang Jun along, ready to go and pay his respects.
Fang Jun refused: "I was just discussing with you privately how to govern the current situation in Hebei. It's not really advice. What you think is none of my business. Go and report to His Majesty yourself. Don't drag me into it."
Ma Zhou said angrily, "You always claim that national interests are paramount, but now you're hesitant and indecisive. It's truly baffling!"
"No matter how you try to provoke me, this matter has nothing to do with me, and I will not get involved!"
Ma Zhou said helplessly, "Fine! I'll go myself."
He got up and hurriedly went to the Wude Hall to pay his respects.
……
In the imperial study room.
A gentle breeze blew in through the open window, and outside, the courtyard was lush and green with birdsong.
Li Chengqian, dressed in casual clothes, sat on a mat on the ground. His rapidly increasing weight over the past six months had made him bloated, making kneeling extremely difficult. His injured leg was also in excruciating pain, so he always sat on the ground in front of his close ministers, which made it more comfortable for him...
After listening to Ma Zhou's well-organized explanation of his strategy for governing Hebei, Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said, "Such a method of destroying the old and then building the new, which is contrary to the principles of Heaven and Earth, is probably not from your hand, my dear minister."
He knew Ma Zhou very well. Ma Zhou was an extremely "orthodox" official who was diligent in his duties, working from dawn till dusk. He did everything in a disciplined and orderly manner, and he would not easily adopt a strategy that seemed reasonable but was actually extremely risky.
That's not his style at all.
Ma Zhou hesitated for a moment. Although he knew that Fang Jun was unwilling to get involved in this matter, he could not lie to His Majesty and could only tell the truth: "Just now, I was chatting with the Grand Commandant in the official residence. We mentioned that Hebei has deep-rooted problems and difficult-to-cure issues. It was only with the Grand Commandant's guidance that we came up with this solution."
Although he did not lie, he still concealed something.
Li Chengqian pondered: "In my opinion, it's probably not as simple as just giving a hint. This plan is extremely detailed and highly feasible. It couldn't have been done so perfectly on a whim. It must have been planned for a long time... I suppose the Grand Commandant came up with this idea because he wanted to promote overseas immigration."
Ma Zhou thought for a moment and said, "It is indeed the Grand Commandant's plan, but its purpose is to enable the people of Hebei to escape and find a way to survive. They have been exploited by the powerful families of Hebei for too long. Generation after generation, they have been sucking their marrow dry, and it is no longer possible for them to continue."
Li Chengqian laughed: "Why should my dear minister defend the Grand Commandant? The Grand Commandant has always acted only to have a clear conscience, and has never cared about the slander and attacks from the outside world."
Ma Zhou realized something was wrong and quickly said, "Your Majesty, please understand. This matter was merely a private discussion between me and the Grand Commandant, a casual thought that came to mind. I only suggested this method to Your Majesty because I felt it might be feasible. I will bear all the consequences."
Fang Jun revealed this strategy to extricate himself from his predicament. In any case, he, as the Grand Secretary, should bear all the blame. If His Majesty's words were to spread, Fang Jun would be the one to be slandered and attacked. Wouldn't Ma Zhou then become a villain who stirs up trouble and puts others in danger?
Li Chengqian shook his head and sighed, "Although you have a close personal relationship with the Grand Commandant, your understanding of him is still not deep enough."
Ma Zhou was puzzled.
Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and said calmly, "With the Grand Commandant's wisdom, can you foresee that once you learn of this method that can resolve the predicament in Hebei, you will definitely advise me on it?"
Ma Zhou nodded.
Li Chengqian said, "He used you to advise me on this strategy, but he hid behind the scenes and refused to show his face. Do you think he was afraid of damaging his reputation and being attacked? You're wrong. He doesn't care about those empty names at all. He's just afraid of trouble."
If this strategy were implemented, no matter how much benefit it would bring to the people of Guanzhong, they would certainly refuse at first. Who would be willing to leave their homeland and wander hundreds of miles away? Faced with countless immigrants from Guanzhong, the aristocratic families of Hebei could no longer exploit them as they had in the past, and they also had to face the reality that the land of Hebei was being divided up by the people of Guanzhong. How could they not hate Fang Jun to the bone?
But Fang Jun didn't care about any of that.
He feared that once the court adopted this strategy, they would appoint him, the "originator," to oversee its implementation, finding it too troublesome...
He looked at Ma Zhou, who had a helpless expression, and said with a smile, "So when you make a suggestion in the Council of State Affairs, you must make it clear that it comes from the Grand Commandant's good strategy. If the Council of State Affairs approves, you will bear all the trouble and all the blame will be given to the Grand Commandant... In any case, he only cares about the national interest and does not care about personal honor or disgrace."
“…Here you go.”
Ma Zhou had no choice but to obey.
He failed to detect the sarcasm and mockery in His Majesty's words, but simply thought that Fang Jun's character was great enough that he was willing to bear the infamy of Guanzhong and Hebei for the sake of the country's interests. With such noble character, what was wrong with being afraid of a little trouble?
Let him carry it.
But... is Fang Jun really as His Majesty says?
……
The following day, at the State Affairs Hall.
The Council of State Affairs was initially established to bring together several prime ministers to exchange ideas, communicate their respective jurisdictions, and better assist the emperor.
After assuming office, Li Chengqian felt his control over the Council of State Affairs was gradually diminishing. Therefore, he created titles such as "Vice Chancellor" and "Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery," all of which granted access to confidential matters and participation in central decision-making. This led to more people entering the Council of State Affairs, thus sharing the power of the three provincial officials and ultimately achieving his goal of controlling the Council.
In particular, the power of the Ministry of Personnel was weakened the most. If the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel did not have the title of "Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery", they were not real prime ministers, but merely officials in charge of affairs.
Therefore, there are now more than ten "prime ministers" qualified to participate in discussions and attend meetings in the Council of State...
Fang Jun, who held titles such as "Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery," "Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent," "Grand Commandant," and "Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel," was naturally also present.
After everyone was seated, Li Chengqian, sitting in the center, began by saying, "Hebei is plagued by chronic and intractable problems, and it has now become almost a ailment of the Tang Dynasty. Whenever there is a disaster, the court provides relief, but rice and grain cannot reach Hebei, and money and silk do not reach the people. If this continues, the country will cease to exist!"
His opening remarks set the tone for the situation in Hebei, even uttering phrases like "the country is no longer a country," which demonstrates the depth of his resentment towards the powerful families of Hebei.
The ministers were very understanding of His Majesty's anger, and even felt his pain.
Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Hebei has always been a major concern for the empire. The Hebei aristocratic families, who have been repeatedly suppressed, seem to have been truly broken by the wars at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. They have retreated into their shells, remaining silent and still. They appear honest and law-abiding, but in reality, they have managed the entire Hebei region with impenetrable security.
Who knows if they're accumulating power, waiting for a sudden backlash?
When Your Majesty was the Crown Prince, you faced several crises regarding the succession and were never favored by Emperor Taizong. After ascending the throne, you naturally wanted to be a qualified and excellent emperor and prove yourself to Emperor Taizong and the people of the world.
If the obstacles in Hebei, which Emperor Taizong failed to govern well, are cleared and the people are at peace under Your Majesty's rule, wouldn't that be the best proof of an excellent emperor?
Li Chengqian set the tone, then changed his tone: "Fortunately, the Grand Commandant is wise and resourceful, and has come up with a strategy that will solve the problem once and for all."
Everyone's eyes turned to Fang Jun, who was leisurely drinking tea.
Fang Jun sipped his tea without lifting his eyelids, but sighed inwardly.
(End of this chapter)