Prime Minister

Chapter 1372 Resolving a Hidden Danger (Second Update)

Chapter 1372 Resolving a Hidden Danger (Second Update)

Looking at the three-person-high map of the Xihe border expansion in the Wuying Hall, the emperor asked Zhang Yue with great interest about the campaign against Xia.

Zhang Yue had not yet spoken.

Lu Gongzhu said from the side.

"Your Majesty, the alliance between the Song, Liao, and Xia kingdoms remains in effect!"

"The time is not yet ripe to pacify the Dangxiang. I believe that we must first secure the internal situation before resisting external aggression. We should first use the full strength of the country to eliminate bandits and reopen trade routes!"

"Benefiting people's livelihoods is the fundamental goal!"

"Is Minister Lü being too cautious?" the Emperor couldn't help but ask.

Zhang Yue glanced at the Emperor and Lü Gongzhu, then smiled slightly.

Lu Gongzhu said solemnly, “Your Majesty, the Northern Expedition cannot be accomplished overnight. First, we need sufficient funds; second, we must eliminate the bandit threat; and third, we must eliminate the border troubles caused by the four barbarian tribes. Only after we have no worries about the rear can we complete the task in one battle.”

The emperor knew that Lü Gongzhu was making excuses, so he looked at Zhang Yue and asked, "What is your opinion, Zhang Qing?"

Seeing Lü Gongzhu's opposition, Zhang Yue thought for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, I agree with Minister Lü's words. Since the Yuanfeng campaign, the reason why the court has won more battles than it has lost is that it has chosen to fight weaker enemies!"

What is weakness?

"Firstly, the enemy is weak; secondly, we are strong."

"There is no secret to winning every battle. The most important thing is not how to defeat the enemy by all means, but to choose the right opponent!"

"Although the Liao Kingdom is currently experiencing internal strife, we should wait and see how things develop; the time is not yet ripe for a northern expedition."

The most important thing is not how to defeat the enemy by all means, but how to choose the right enemy. This statement made the emperor reflect.

The same applies to achieving success: the most important thing is not how to overcome difficulties, but to choose appropriate difficulties.

This also means to continuously attack 'weak enemies'.

The emperor nodded and said, "What you say makes a lot of sense."

Lu Gongzhu said, "Your Majesty, there is one matter that is of utmost urgency: the imperial court must immediately undertake the task of transporting grain across the Grand Canal!"

Canal transport?

Upon hearing Lü Gongzhu's words, Zhang Yue thought to himself, "Is he afraid that I will be too focused on attacking Xia, so he is looking for something to do?"

The emperor asked, "Has the Transport Bureau discovered that the imperial grain transport system has been infiltrated by people who eat vegetables and worship demons?"

Lü Gongzhu said, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

"Among the 100,000 boatmen, there are probably 20,000 to 30,000 who are devout followers of the demonic practice."

Historically, the Song Dynasty declined due to the rebellions of Song Jiang, Fang La, and Yang Yao, so Zhang Yue was inevitably wary of folk gangs.

This wasn't Lu Gongzhu deliberately exaggerating.

The Emperor said, "I am not very knowledgeable about the Grand Canal transport!"

"It is only known that in this dynasty, grain transported by the Grand Canal has always been transported from the south of the Huai River to the Huai River, then through the Bian River to the capital; grain from Shaanxi is transported from the vicinity of Sanmenxia to the Yellow River, then through the Bian River to the capital; grain from Chen and Cai is transported directly to the capital via the Cai River; and grain from the eastern part of the country is transported from the Qi and Lu regions to the capital via the Wuzhang River."

"The above four rivers are collectively known as the four canals of the Grand Canal. Among them, the imperial court relied most on the grain from the Huai and Bian rivers in the six southeastern routes. Later, the administration of the Grand Canal seemed to have changed several times."

Since Emperor Yang of Sui opened the Grand Canal, Bianjing's status gradually improved, while Kaifeng Prefecture in the Northern Song Dynasty became a hub for waterway transportation.

The reason why the Song Dynasty chose Bianjing, a city that was easy to attack but difficult to defend, instead of Chang'an or Luoyang, was because Bianjing had well-developed water transport. Only here could the hundreds of thousands of imperial guards and a large bureaucratic class be supported through the Grand Canal.

The same was true during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

The Ming Dynasty used grain from the south to feed its northern troops, established its capital in Beijing, and had the emperor guard the nation's gates.

Lu Gongzhu said, "No one is more wise and studious than Your Majesty. The times are indeed different now. After the Yuanfeng era lifted the salt ban and allowed merchants to sell and transport salt, all the money was converted into salt certificates and first gathered in the capital."

The emperor asked, "How was it done in the past?"

Lu Gongzhu said: "In the past, the grain transport administration was linked to the salt administration. The salt in the southeast was boiled in Tongzhou and Taizhou, and it was included in the six-route grain transport plan. However, during the Yuanfeng era of the Left Minister, the salt tax revenue was used to make salt paper money to support the capital. The salt tax revenue in the southeast went directly to the central government, and it was no longer linked to the grain transport."

"Although the method of issuing salt certificates doubled the tax revenue and made salt certificates more widely circulated, it also caused the Grand Canal transport to fall into disuse, and even led to the depletion of granaries."

Lü Gongzhu's words implied criticism of Zhang Yue. It was Zhang Yue's reforms that led to the current situation.

Su Song immediately stepped forward to explain to Zhang Yue: "Your Majesty, before the Yuanfeng era, the southeast canal transport was carried out in segments. When the canal boats returned empty, they would transport Huai salt back to Jiangnan, Jinghu and other places. This was a way for officials to sell it."

"But there have always been problems such as boatmen stealing and selling private salt and adulterating it, as well as theft that harms the public and extortion that disturbs the people."

Su Song explained to the emperor in detail that before Zhang Yue implemented the salt certificate system and began commercial transport, the canal system had many problems.

At that time, the canal transport was linked to the Huai salt trade, and the profits from the sale of salt in the six routes were used to fund the routes' expenses, supporting the canal transport and other tribute needs. Therefore, the official transport and sale of salt was carried out using empty canal boats.

However, there are many problems with the career path of officials.

Boatmen were often exploited by officials in charge of the canal transport, and they were often poorly clothed and hungry. At the same time, the boatmen themselves frequently embezzled public funds and used the canal transport to exploit the people.

This system was barely maintained, but it couldn't be sustained by the time of the Yuanfeng era. After the Yuanfeng era, the court diverted water from the Luo River or the Yellow River to irrigate the Bian River, causing frequent siltation in the waterway.

Such boats are prone to running aground, but repairing the waterway would be a huge expense.

In short, the costs were too high and the canal transport was very difficult.

Therefore, some people in the imperial court proposed that the grain transport be changed from official transport to commercial transport. This would not only save the government transportation costs, but also reduce the inefficiency and corruption of official operations.

However, opponents at the time argued that the main reason for implementing the official salt sales system was the fear that the unregulated use of private ships for transport would lead to a more serious problem of smuggled salt.

When Zhang Yue took office during the Yuanfeng era, he completely lifted the salt ban and allowed commercial transport to resume. This was largely a continuation of Cai Jing's reforms during the reign of Emperor Huizong. As for the grain transport administration, the court replaced the original functions of the imperial transport department by purchasing servants from the people.

Lü Gongzhu used this to accuse Zhang Yue of causing the problem by shifting the grain transport to private hands through a buy-and-sell system. This resulted in the loss of control over the 100,000 boatmen and allowed those who practiced magic to infiltrate their ranks.

Moreover, the grain transport ships not only profited from salt and the return journey, but also received subsidies from the imperial court. Where there are huge profits, there is bound to be a mixed bag of people, with all sorts of forces getting involved.

With a large number of boatmen from local organizations involved in trafficking, and with such a large population gathering, it was inevitable that a religion would emerge.

The Ming Cult, which was active in the southeast, thus infiltrated a large number of them.

These people were already on the government's guard and had repeatedly caused trouble in the area.

But this incident gave Zhang Yue a sense of déjà vu. He couldn't help but think of the Green Gang during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

The Green Gang originated from the Luo sect.

In his conversation with the emperor, Lü Gongzhu seemed determined to take drastic measures to address this issue.

The emperor asked Zhang Yue, "In your opinion, how should this be handled?"

Zhang Yue said, “Your Majesty, to repel external threats, we must first secure internal stability. Many boatmen on the Grand Canal are involved in eating vegetables and worshipping demons. I believe that if we do not handle this carefully, it will inevitably lead to a major disaster in the future.”

"But the approach should not be swift and decisive, but rather gentle and persuasive."

"What is your plan?"

"Let them be granted amnesty!" Zhang Yue said.

"Accepting amnesty" is a term that has been thoroughly vilified by later generations. One of the most infuriating things about reading *Water Margin* is how Song Jiang could possibly surrender to the imperial court.

Later generations will always tell you one thing: the imperial court cannot be trusted.

After listening to Zhang Yue's words, Lü Gongzhu pondered for a moment, wondering if Zhang Yue was planning something similar.

"Does the Grand Commandant mean to first offer amnesty and then wipe them all out in one fell swoop?" Lu Gongzhu shook his head and said, "This might be acceptable for ordinary bandits, but how can we do this to these people who eat vegetables and serve demons?"

Zhang Yue pondered. Throughout history, gangs and powerful clans have rarely been tolerated by the imperial court, which is why many bandits have been unable to find a good way out.

If someone like Ximen Qing bribed a few court officials, or even directly climbed the social ladder to get close to the current prime minister Cai Jing, could they then run rampant in a region and control everything?

Or, like in the movies, one can do a lot of good deeds, put on the appearance of a philanthropist, and then win over local officials and buy their hearts, thus whitewashing one's image.

These all work, but only temporarily.

It's very difficult to clear your name. Once others know your past, you can't erase it. Things will go wrong the day you're no longer useful or your backer falls from grace.

The most successful example of whitewashing in history is the Green Gang.

The Green Gang is also known as the Canal Gang.

Why was the Green Gang able to succeed?

The imperial court simply couldn't manage the canal transport system, or the cost of doing it itself was too high, so it was eventually handed over to the private sector, with the court either buying the projects or relinquishing some of its profits. Another very important point is that the Green Gang provided a livelihood for a large number of people from low-class backgrounds who did heavy manual labor.

Therefore, when Lü Gongzhuo wanted to investigate those among the canal transport workers who ate vegetables and worshipped demons, Zhang Yue immediately expressed his opposition.

This is a minefield, you absolutely must not touch it.

If this causes hundreds of thousands of boatmen to lose their jobs or even revolt, wouldn't you be prematurely escalating the Fang La Rebellion?

The Liao Dynasty, preoccupied with its campaign against the Song Dynasty, was distracted by other matters, causing the Zubu Rebellion to occur several years earlier than planned. Must our Great Song Dynasty follow the Liao Dynasty's example and have its own Fang La Rebellion happen prematurely? I refrain from engaging in this matter.

Lu Gongzhu shook his head, still firmly advocating a thorough investigation into the infiltration of boatmen by those who practiced vegetarianism and were considered demons, and opposing any attempt to appease them.

Several ministers, including Su Song, hesitated.

The emperor frowned and pondered; Lü Gongzhu's concerns were not without reason.

The Ming Cult members, known as "Vegetable-Eating Demons," were hiding among the canal boatmen, like a persistent ailment, posing a real potential threat to the imperial court.

He was about to say "Minister Lü has considered this deeply" when his gaze fell on Zhang Yue's face again.

Before the emperor could speak, Zhang Yue bowed deeply to Lü Gongzhu, his posture respectful but his tone unquestionable: "Minister Lü's concern for the country is evident. However, I cannot agree with your intention to use swift and decisive measures to eradicate those who practice 'eating vegetables and currying favor' in the grain transport system."

The Emperor said, "Minister Zhang, please share your insightful opinion."

Zhang Yue turned to the Emperor, his voice clear and steady: "Your Majesty, Minister Lü only saw the name of the bandits, but underestimated the reality, the danger, and the difficulty of this matter!"

"The canal boatmen, connecting the six routes in the southeast, from Jiangnan to Bianjing, traveling up the Bian River, number far more than 100,000! These 100,000 people make a living by transporting grain and salt and running boats, maintaining the food supply for the million soldiers and civilians in the capital, and ensuring the smooth flow of the imperial tax revenue!"

He paused and said, "Behind these 100,000 people are 10,000 households, and hundreds of thousands of fathers, wives and children who are crying for food!"

"A sudden crackdown and suppression—who is the bandit? Who is the good? Under the sword, both the good and the bad will perish! What will become of those boatmen who were not deeply involved in the Ming Cult but were simply forced into it for a living? How will their families survive? If this sparks a popular uprising, what will become of the 100,000 able-bodied men who are destitute, resentful, and skilled in swimming? If they rise up in rebellion, sail down the Bian River, sweeping through the prefectures and counties, or gather on rafts to attack and plunder Yangzhou, Zhenzhou, Sizhou, and other places? Who will be able to control them then? This is not the suppression of bandits, but the ignition of a raging fire!"

"Although great chaos has not yet arrived, its impending doom is already evident!"

Zhang Yue refuted Lü Gongzhu's argument.

Lu Gongzhu said, “Your Majesty, this matter must be dealt with swiftly. If it is not eliminated as soon as possible, it may cause great trouble in the future. At present, the Liao Kingdom is too busy to take care of itself, and the Dangxiang have submitted their surrender and submission. This is a peaceful situation for the world.”

"Now is the perfect time to take strong measures to quell the internal strife and eliminate those who do not submit to the king's rule. If the world were to change drastically, we would not dare to act so hastily."

Upon hearing Lü Gongzhu's words, Zhang Yue recalled how Wang Anshi had previously led troops to fight against the Dangxiang in Xihe Road, and how the Liao Kingdom had also intervened.

Wen Yanbo advocated a hardline stance against Liaodong and sought peace with the Tanguts.

This is exactly the same as Lü Gongzhu's advocacy of internally suppressing the practice of eating vegetables and serving demons. Using one thing to obstruct another.

Zhang Yue said, "Your Majesty, we are indeed living in a prosperous and peaceful era."

"But have you not heard that chaos does not arise from chaos, but always arises from times of order; danger does not arise from danger, but always arises from times of peace?"

"The more peaceful the times, the more we need to be prepared for potential dangers."

Without pausing, Zhang Yue continued his analysis: "Minister Lü regards all boatmen who have been tainted by the practice of eating vegetables and worshipping demons as heinous enemies. However, having served in local government for a long time, I am well aware of the reasons behind this. Previously, the transport officials exploited the boatmen at every level, and the county and prefectural officials extorted money under various pretexts, leaving many honest boatmen with little to show for their hard work after a year, and even more debts. They had no means of livelihood and were in dire straits."

"Those vegetarians who serve demons gather under the guise of doing good deeds and helping others, and thus gain a foothold and take root among the boatmen. The root cause lies in the corruption of the bureaucracy and the hardships of the people's lives!"

"The boatmen who have joined the rebels are not inherently rebellious; it is the corruption of the court that has pushed them to that side! If they do not form a society, they will have no way to survive. If we treat them as enemies and use weapons to suppress them, we will not only fail to resolve the troubles, but will also exacerbate the public resentment and turn these 100,000 people into enemies!"

"Your Majesty, you must not forget the fundamental importance of our dynasty's grain transport policy! In the past, the government-run grain transport system was corrupt and decadent, breeding pests and causing endless trouble. Not only was it wasteful, but it was also the source of oppressive policies, and the people suffered for a long time! During the Yuanfeng era, I advised the late emperor to implement the reform of the salt law, changing the government-run transport to a merchant-run transport system. The essence of this reform was that the court did not engage in official business or compete for profits, but relied on the vitality of merchants and the livelihoods of boatmen. Ultimately, the salt law was fully implemented, revenue increased significantly, and the grain transport became much smoother. This is a major national policy, and the people depend on it!"

"Today, Minister Lü's proposal to reiterate the suppression is actually an attempt to turn back the clock and return the court to the old path of official corruption. This will not only terrify the boatmen, but will also shake the merchants who have already profited from salt. The complex situation here is probably beyond what those who eat vegetables and worship demons can compare to."

"In the present situation, it is better to remain still than to act rashly. If the situation is not handled properly, trade routes will be cut off, the salt administration will collapse, and the turmoil in the southeast will be worse than banditry!"

Zhang Yue's statement was clear and logical, hitting the nail on the head. Lü Gongzhu's expression changed several times, and he found it difficult to refute it immediately.

Zhang Yue concluded, “Your Majesty, I urge you to adopt a policy of ‘pacification’ regarding the ‘eating vegetables and worshipping demons’ in the grain transport system! Just as Yu the Great’s flood control was better achieved by dredging than by blocking!”

"The imperial court issued a clear edict stating that only the leaders of the cult who incited people to commit cult-like acts would be investigated."

"Make contact with the ship captains of the Ming Cult who are highly respected but not die-hards. Offer them official titles and bring them under the management of the Transport Bureau, instructing them to control their crews, ensure the smooth flow of grain transport, and report any misconduct. They can unite the strength of the ship workers, and the court can use this power to manage the order of grain transport, which is far more effective than sending officials from the government. This is what is meant by turning enemies into our own."

"A new office for managing the grain transport will be established, with officials from the imperial court stationed there. Boatmen will be allowed to petition and appeal, and disputes will be resolved. This policy aims to appease, divide, and utilize the boats. It is by no means an attempt to condone or tolerate wrongdoing."

There was silence in the hall.

After listening to Zhang Yue's speech, the emperor's gaze swept back and forth between the huge Xihe border map in the Wuying Hall and Zhang Yue himself.

The ministers all said, "What the Minister of Works says is absolutely right. How can the court afford to support 100,000 boatmen?"

"But if we abandon them, they will become 100,000 bandits."

"The affairs of grain transport should still be handled by the people."

"What Minister Zhang said... is far-sighted." The Emperor spoke slowly, "The Grand Canal is related to the foundation of the country, with 100,000 boatmen. It is indeed not something to be taken lightly."

"I will inform the Empress Dowager before deciding on the punishment."

Zhang Yue nodded, knowing that the emperor had agreed to his proposal. The Empress Dowager now allowed the emperor and the prime ministers to discuss and decide on most matters.

All the high-ranking officials took their leave.

The young emperor watched as Zhang Yue, Lü Gongzhu, and other prime ministers took their leave.

Li Xian looked at the emperor's face and asked, "Your Majesty, is something on your mind?"

The Emperor said, “Although I am young, I can see clearly that the ministers in the court are all satisfied with the current peace among the three kingdoms of Song, Liao and Xia, hoping for a temporary peace.”

"Even though Zhang Qing kept the late emperor's last wishes in mind and risked his life, he could not go against the will of the people."

Li Xian said, "Everything has its time to be done. Your Majesty should wait patiently for the Minister of Works' arrangements."

The Emperor nodded and said, "I trust the Minister of Works."

……

Afterwards, Zhang Yue instructed Huang Shang, as the Transport Commissioner of Jianghuai, to handle and recruit... the Ming Cult.

Huang Shang made two preparations: first, he arrested several ringleaders.

On the other hand, they recruited dozens of mid-level members of the Ming Cult, offering them honorary official titles and arranging for them to work in the Canal Transport Office.

At this time, the Ming Cult's infiltration of the Grand Canal was not yet deep, and Huang Shang's actions were sudden, so he succeeded in one fell swoop, eliminating a major threat to Zhang Yue.

The Canal Transport Office later became the prototype of the Song Dynasty's canal transport guild.

Actually, these things are not important to Zhang Yue. The most important thing is to completely get rid of the financial burden.

The 100,000 boatmen could not fight against the corrupt officials along the way if they did not form a gang, but they were worried that the officials would cause trouble if they were not under the control of the court, so they made a compromise.

This is also an inevitability within the realm of chance.

Huang Shang handled the matter brilliantly, earning the emperor's favor and later becoming a rising star in the Song Dynasty's political arena.

Meanwhile, in Qingzhou.

The Song Dynasty was also building up its navy in preparation for a large-scale sea voyage, ostensibly to establish trade relations with Goryeo, and at the same time to prepare for a future northern expedition to recover Youyan.

They also had maritime exchanges with Japan.

At this time, Japan was in the late Heian period, and its era name was Kanji, which was taken from "Tang governed the people with leniency and eliminated their tyranny". It was the second year of Kanji.

Emperor Horikawa was on the throne.

Kyushu was under the jurisdiction of Dazaifu. After the Jurchen invasion, the local customs became xenophobic.

However, after Song Dynasty merchant ships arrived in Hakata in recent years, they made contact with the locals and maritime trade with the Song Dynasty gradually became more frequent.

Under Zhang Yue's instructions, Song Dynasty maritime merchants were willing to provide the "blowing ash" technique to the local Kyushu region so that they could import silver into China in the future.

Japan has already agreed.

This is all real money. Although it's only a preliminary agreement with Japan and we haven't seen a single penny of silver yet, the stock of [Da Song Ji Yun] on the Bianjing Stock Exchange is rising again and again.

The Jiaoyin Institute, Suzhou and Hangzhou Textile Institute, Royal Money Exchange, Imperial Song Shipping, Northwest Post Office, Qinzhou Cotton Mill, Jingdong Railway Ironworks (under the Military Equipment Bureau), and Jianzhou Tea Bureau are currently the eight major state-owned enterprises of the Song Dynasty. It is estimated that the dividends will exceed 15 million strings of cash in the fourth year of the Yuan You era, and the court's equity revenue will approach 7 million strings of cash. They have gradually become an important source of revenue for the Song Dynasty.

In addition, there are Bianjing Coal Industry, Jieshen Securities, and the private enterprise Southeast Salt Industry, while Fanlou Winery is also in the planning stages.

By the second year of the Yuan You era, the national finances had greatly improved despite the large-scale military campaigns, and the country had once again turned to a surplus.

If no large-scale military campaign had been launched in the third year of the Yuan You era, the Ministry of Revenue estimated that the budget would have a surplus of three million strings of cash, with annual revenue exceeding ninety million strings of cash.

Zhang Yue's original intention in establishing state-owned enterprises to generate surplus for the imperial treasury was to replace the government's management of the Green Sprouts Law and Market Exchange Law in the reforms with money shops; and to replace the government's original monopolies on salt, iron, and tea with the iron industry in Jingdong Road, the salt industry in the southeast, and the tea bureau in Jianzhou.

Use market-based methods instead of administrative means of reform.

Now, state-owned enterprises have become a desirable place for scholars. In the past, scholars who failed the imperial examinations had no choice but to humble themselves and become officials in state-owned enterprises, but these state-owned enterprises have become highly sought-after.

As the saying goes, wealth lies in strategy, not in physical labor; advantage lies in the overall situation, not in farming.

Those who failed the imperial examinations and were forced to become clerks eventually became trendsetters. Not only did their annual salary exceed that of ordinary officials, but they could also rise from clerks to officials, like Cai Jing, who rose from a minor official post to become the prefect of Kaifeng, one of the four most important officials, and even later became prime minister.

Of course, this doesn't mean that business prosperity is all that matters.

Agricultural tax is fundamental to this era.

Originating in the Jianghuai region, the Fangtian Equal Tax Law was interrupted during the Yuanfeng era due to fierce opposition from the bureaucratic and landlord classes, but was reinstated in the third year of the Yuanyou era.

This time, Zhang Yue made up his mind to use the performance evaluation system as a form of supervision, and ordered officials to conduct a comprehensive investigation of hidden farmland, starting from the Jianghuai region.

A myriad of thoughts and ideas were immediately on my mind.