Is Chapter 252 beneficial to the country and its people?

Jiang Yu didn't feel like she had used Xie Ning'an. The Xie family had fallen, and the emperor had spared Xie Ning'an's life, intending for him to cooperate with the reform of Jufeng Money Shop and the trading company. In other words, if Xie Ning'an wanted to live and revive the Xie family, he had to cooperate.

It was indeed somewhat unfortunate that someone as outstanding as Xie Ning'an was born into the Xie family. But who has an easy life?

"The first step in the reform is to reorganize the existing personnel and structure of Jufeng Money Shop and Trading Company," Jiang Yu said, looking at Xie Ning'an. "That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Jiang Yu planned to retain the Xie family elders, as long as Xie Ning'an cooperated, there wouldn't be any problems. She believed Xie Ning'an had the ability to manage and keep those elders in check.

Sure enough, Xie Ning'an said, "No problem."

Jiang Yu nodded, "It should be able to be completed in two months, right?"

Xie Ning'an thought for a moment and realized that if Jiang Yu's side cooperated fully and the personnel were in place, although two months would be a bit tight, it would still be possible to complete the task.

He replied, "Okay."

“Okay, I will have Li Zhengze and Kou Bin assist you. Just tell me if you need anything during the process.”

Xie Ning'an nodded, and Jiang Yu picked up her cup, took a sip of tea, and said, "The most important thing about this reform is not the internal personnel and organizational restructuring. The key is the external reaction after the reform."

“Yes, other merchants and money houses, and the forces behind them, will likely resist and obstruct us,” Xie Ning’an said.

"How do you think we should deal with this situation?" Jiang Yu asked, looking at him.

Xie Ning'an looked at Jiang Yu and met her gaze. He saw sincerity and earnestness in her eyes. Given his current situation, Jiang Yu didn't need to ask for his opinion, nor did he intend to offer one. He would simply cooperate fully with whatever Jiang Yu asked him to do.

But Jiang Yu's current attitude seems to genuinely want his opinion. So, should he speak up now? If he continues to passively cooperate, he will remain in a passive position. However, even if he believes Jiang Yu sincerely wants him involved, if the reform ultimately fails, he will also bear some responsibility, and he cannot afford any more criticism from the emperor now.

what to do?

Xie Ning'an withdrew her gaze from Jiang Yu, shook hands, and then looked at Jiang Yu again, "Besides Jufeng Money Shop, the more powerful money shops in Da Gan are Baoyuan Money Shop and Tongde Bank."

Baoyuan Money Exchange was backed by Prince Yong, and the head of the Ling family, the owners of Baoyuan Money Exchange, was the brother-in-law of Prince Yong's wife. Tongde Bank was backed by Marquis Chengen, and the Gu family, the owners of Tongde Bank, included Gu Yong, the deputy general serving Marquis Chengen.

Jiang Yu nodded after hearing this. She was aware of this information and had prepared a plan for Prince Yong and Marquis Chengen to obstruct the reform of Jufeng Money Shop. However, she believed that neither Prince Yong nor Marquis Chengen would do anything too drastic given the Emperor's determination to reform. But they might try to sow discord between her and the Emperor.

“I think we can make an example of these two money shops to deter others,” Xie Ning’an said, looking at Jiang Yu.

These two money houses have powerful backers; taking action against them would be enough to deter others. Moreover, given the intelligence of Prince Yong and Marquis Chengen, they are unlikely to support these two money houses at this time.

Jiang Yu held her teacup, gazing down at the steaming tea. She had considered targeting the two money houses as a deterrent. But after much deliberation, she decided to move against Lingnan.

First, she had no grudge against Prince Yong or the Marquis of Chengen's family, so there was no need for her to cause them trouble. Moreover, she had cooperated with the Marquis of Chengen's family on several occasions in the past.

Secondly, while the Yong Prince and the Chengen Marquis's mansions are powerful enough to intimidate ordinary people, they cannot intimidate the Lingnan Prince. Even if those two money houses are targeted, the Lingnan Prince will still do what he wants.

Therefore, she ultimately decided to target the King of Lingnan.

Looking up at Xie Ning'an, she said, "I think Lingnan is more suitable."

Xie Ning'an was startled by her words and was stunned for a while before she could react. "As for the Prince of Lingnan... I'm afraid it will be very difficult."

He spoke sincerely. Although the Prince of Lingnan was constantly making underhanded moves, and many people knew of his disloyalty, he was cautious in his actions and hadn't been caught red-handed for so many years. Even if the Emperor wanted to eliminate him, he needed a legitimate reason.

“After the reform, all money shops in the country except Jufeng Money Shop no longer have the right to issue banknotes,” Jiang Yu said. “Moreover, the banknotes issued by Jufeng Money Shop after the reform are very different from those before. Under these circumstances, all banknotes circulating in the market must be exchanged as soon as possible. During the exchange process, if someone collects banknotes in large quantities, there will be many things that can be done.”

Xie Ning'an was shocked again, "You want to lure the snake out of its hole?"

Jiang Yu nodded, and Xie Ning'an clenched her fist again before asking, "What do you plan to do?"

Jiang Yu: "Your grandfather used to cooperate with the King of Lingnan. Now that your grandfather has passed away, and you are in charge of the Xie family, do you think the King of Lingnan will come looking for you once the reform policy is announced?"

Xie Ning'an looked at her in silence. Jiang Yu leaned back, creating some distance between them, and said, "If the King of Lingnan's men come looking for you, I hope you can steer them toward collecting silver notes."

......

The room was silent. Xie Ning'an sat there like a statue, motionless. After a while, he looked at Jiang Yu and asked, "Can I decline?"

Jiang Yu looked at him and said, "You shouldn't refuse."

Xie Ning'an gave a wry smile. "Yes, I have no right to refuse."

Jiang Yu frowned upon hearing his words. "Young Master Xie, how do you determine right from wrong?"

Xie Ning'an was surprised that she would suddenly ask such a question and looked at her in astonishment. Jiang Yu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then said, "The same thing can be seen as right or wrong by different people. Just like the tea I brew, some people like it and some people don't."

The reform is beneficial to both the court and me. After the reform, the court will have greater control over the economy, the business environment will improve significantly, people's lives will likely improve considerably, and the court will generate more tax revenue. If the reform succeeds, I will have performed another service.

However, this matter is detrimental to you and other money lenders. You have lost a lot of power, earned less money, and are now subject to many more regulations.

Thus, right and wrong seem difficult to distinguish. At this juncture, what should be the standard for judging right and wrong? Is it the personal interests of you, me, the Emperor, and those moneylenders?

Jiang Yu spoke softly, but her voice carried a strong sense of pressure, causing Xie Ning'an to clench her hands tightly once more.

Then Jiang Yu continued, "I think that to judge whether this matter is good or bad, right or wrong, we should look at whether it benefits the country and the people. You've seen the entire reform plan, Young Master Xie, do you think this reform is beneficial to the country and the people?"