Chapter 281 I am King Zhao
"Secondly, regarding the resettlement of the civilians in the west, please share any ideas you have. Everyone should have seen the battle report sent back by Liu Dazhuang, and you should all be aware of the situation in the west. This plague has killed at least 500,000 civilians in the west, and the number is constantly increasing. Although we have occupied two provincial capitals there, they are actually little more than ghost towns!"
When talking about the battle situation in the west, Zhou Houfang keenly noticed a hint of unnaturalness on Hu Wei's face.
Zhou Houfang became more certain of his guess.
Thinking of the entanglement with the Chang family, Zhou Houfang suddenly had a bold idea in his mind!
"The development of a city is inseparable from its population. The population in the west has plummeted, with entire villages wiped out by smallpox, leaving them in ruins. The problem facing the west is that without a population, the fields will quickly become barren, and the people will become increasingly impoverished, forming a vicious cycle."
Someone immediately responded, "We need to move the population westward."
"The mayor has already advertised this to the entire nation. Regardless of whether you are a citizen of Jinzhou Prefecture or not, anyone willing to settle in the two western prefectures will be given five mu of land and tax-free for the first year. If you bring children with you, you will receive a subsidy of 500 wen per child. However, this migration will take time, at least three to five years to complete."
"But the fields can't be left idle. We still need an official call to move west."
Xu Zhenying nodded. "That's right. What do you think about encouraging the people of Qianzhou to migrate westward?"
Most of the people in the house were startled.
Xu Zhenying knew that the country had relocated millions of people to build the Three Gorges Dam, so she could do the same.
"Han people find it hard to leave their homeland, but the people of Guizhou are different. Shunyuan City in Qianzhou is fine, but down there, the people of Guizhou almost all live in the mountains. It's difficult to get up and down the mountains, road construction is difficult, and the people are scattered, which is not conducive to management or development."
Miao was the only one who was familiar with Qianzhou. She immediately said, "That's right. Many of the natives have never left the mountains in their lives. The living environment there is harsh and the miasma is heavy. If we guide them properly, they may not be unwilling to move west."
No one thought that the problem of population loss in the west could be solved in this way.
Yes, the climate in Qianzhou is harsh, and the natives can even live in the mountains, so why can't they migrate westward?
Although it is extremely cold in the west, Xu Zhenying's territory is not very far to the north. Apart from being a little dry, it is a good place for the locals to live on the flat plains, with fields and water sources, and closer to the city.
Ming Xiaoshuang praised, "The City Lord is really smart. Why didn't we think that in addition to absorbing people from the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Ming King, we could also move some of our own people. The west is a good place, no matter what! If we offer more subsidies and benefits, how can the brothers in Qianzhou not be willing to move west?"
Xu Zhenying nodded. "That's right. Since no one objects, then this one will be passed. Qu Min, draft a letter and send it to Xu Yinxi in Qianzhou, asking her to vigorously promote the westward migration of the Qian people this year. All funds, personnel, and materials needed should be directed to Minister Xu of Finance."
Speaking of this, Xu Zhenying remembered something he had started thinking about a long time ago.
The Xu family's position needs to be moved. They can't stay in key positions such as finance and logistics. Now Xu Degui is in charge of finance and Miao is in charge of logistics. These two people can sideline her at any time.
Although it is easier to get things done with family members, if corruption occurs among family members, who would dare to arrest Xu Zhenying's relatives?
What's more, the pie is so big now that not only can Xu Degui and Miao not keep up with the energy, but their abilities are also not up to par.
Although Xu Zhenying's arrangement was cruel, it was true.
They are no longer a family workshop, so Xu Zhenying must carefully consider the issue of hiring.
However, it is impossible for Xu Zhenying to remove their positions without reason. He still has to find an appropriate time to communicate with them and then reduce the power in their hands without making a fuss.
If she is not careful, the Xu family will become alienated from her.
For now, she still needs to maintain the image of a filial woman.
Xu Zhenying suddenly thought of something and asked Qian Zhenniang, "By the way, Minister Qian, where are the students at Bailu Academy? Are they still making trouble?"
"Of course they are making a fuss." Qian Zhenniang smiled, but there was a hint of sarcasm on her face. "When the City Lord first took over Xingyuan Prefecture, they weren't making so much noise. But when the City Lord took over six cities in a row, they stopped making a fuss at all. Some were even preparing for this year's civil servant assessment."
Xu Zhenying nodded and looked at Lin Han again. "Mr. Lin, every time we capture a city, we always encounter fierce resistance from the local scholars. I'd like you to do some ideological work on them and make them quiet down for a while. Instead of writing anti-rebel manifestos to criticize me every day, why not think about making more contributions to the people?"
Elder Lin was puzzled. "Is the city lord going to punish these scholars? They dared to issue a manifesto to suppress the bandits. I, an old man, also have a pen..."
Xu Zhenying smiled and shook his head. "That's not the case. Scholars bickering and cursing is a waste of time, and ordinary people can't understand it. Besides, I don't care what scholars say about me. It's just that the buzzing of flies is annoying. Mr. Lin, you are a literary master, so it should be no problem for you to deal with a few young people. Take them hiking in the mountains, planting crops, and let them undergo ideological transformation. Then, select a group of them to use for my own purposes, suppress the disobedient ones, and split them from within. They will eventually obey."
Mr. Lin probably figured it out and nodded without saying anything.
"Speaking of these scholars, we have to mention the local officials we captured. They're basically all locked up now. Chang Yuanshan, have the military and the supervisory authorities contact each other, and have the two departments jointly dispatch a team to deal with these officials. Those who are guilty should be executed. Those who are innocent should be released. If they have a good reputation, observe them and see if they can be retained. But even if they are retained, they must pass the civil service examination. It's not a good idea to keep them locked up forever. Let them vacate the prison as soon as possible. I, Xu Zhenying, don't want to support corrupt officials in vain!"
Everyone quickly agreed.
"There are some specific matters that I need to deal with. If I remember anything, I'll have my secretary come to see you individually. Everyone is tired today, so let's all go back first—"
"Wait!" Old Lin shouted in a shocking voice.
When Xu Zhenying saw the look in Mr. Lin’s eyes, his scalp tingled.
As expected, Elder Lin stared at her and said with a smile, "City Lord, while everyone is here, why not decide on the name of the country and the title of the king? Didn't the City Lord just say that the final decision would be made today?"
Xu Zhenying held his forehead.
But seeing the excitement of the crowd below, Xu Zhenying couldn't refuse them. After all, these people followed her just for a future.
Since they have rebelled anyway, it is only a matter of time before they become king or emperor.
Xu Zhenying had no choice but to say, "Okay, tell me, which numbers did you choose last time?"
Everyone now pricked up their ears to listen, as if they were unwilling to miss any piece of information.
They became kings. It has only been two years, but they have already built such a huge fortune.
After the city lord became king, their status also rose accordingly. How could they not be extremely happy!
Old Lin could not hide his excitement. Fortunately, Xu Zhenying was in a difficult situation today, and he could also take the opportunity to finalize the country's name, honorific title, and Fengshan ceremony.
Otherwise, given Xu Zhenying's personality, he probably wouldn't even remember this incident for ten days or half a month.
"This time, I have chosen three titles. The first is Prince Duan, the second is Prince Rui, and the third is Prince Zhao. "Duan" means upright, truthful, and open-minded."
Just as Elder Lin finished speaking, before anyone understood, Xu Zhenying raised his hand to stop him: "Prince Duan, don't do that."
Nonsense, Prince Duan is the title of the king who lost the Song Dynasty.
This has a very bad implication.
But the Great Zhou Dynasty was a parallel universe, and they hadn't experienced the Song Dynasty. Xu Zhenying couldn't explain it to them, so he just said, "I don't like it. It sounds awkward."
All right.
If the city lord doesn't like it, there's nothing we can do.
"How about King Rui? Rui represents good fortune, happiness, longevity, health, and a house full of wealth and jade. The word 'rui' comes from the Baoshan Chu bamboo slips from the Warring States Period, and refers to beautiful jade. Ancient texts say: 'When held by a person to see, it is called 'rui'; when held as a gift to the gods, it is called 'qi'. Rui also means integrity and trustworthiness. It carries the connotation of a good omen."
"This is good!" Ming Xiaoshuang shouted first.
Although everyone in this room is talented in both literature and martial arts, they all learned from Xu Zhenying's school of thought, which is all about physics, mathematics, and common sense. Their study of texts is still at the level of recognizing characters. The literary attainments of everyone in the room combined are not as good as those of Mr. Lin.
"Yes, the word 'rui' means auspiciousness, auspicious beasts, etc., all of which have excellent meanings!"
Xu Zhenying also thought it was a good idea and was about to nod, but Mr. Lin seemed to see through her and said that she didn't care about any title. She wanted to finish it quickly and go to handle official business.
Then Elder Lin hurriedly added, "The word 'Zhao' means 'one knife, one mouth, one day'. A gentleman should use it to show his virtue. 'Zhao' means to see things clearly and to distinguish right from wrong. 'Zhao' comes from Xunzi. Therefore, those without profound ambitions cannot achieve brilliant enlightenment; those without diligent work cannot achieve great achievements. It also means 'bright' and 'light', implying the brightness of the sun."
Xu Degui, who had always been taciturn, rarely said something: "Zhao is also good."
Xu Zhenying followed the crowd and immediately made the decision: "Then it's Prince Zhao!"
Mr. Lin really wanted to roll his eyes at Xu Zhenying.
Do you dare to be more serious, even for a quarter of an hour longer?
Lin Mo found that he felt uncomfortable following a monarch who only knew how to indulge in wine and women.
Now he feels uncomfortable even if he follows a wise ruler.
When Xu Zhenying saw Mr. Lin glaring at her with some resentment, her heart skipped a beat and she suddenly reflected on whether she had wasted the enthusiasm of her subordinates.
It’s like the subordinates are excitedly discussing the plan of going public, but the boss is indifferent. As long as they can make money, it doesn’t matter whether the company goes public or not.
Xu Zhenying quickly adjusted his mindset and said with a smile, "I truly admire Master Lin's talent. Aside from the first one, which I don't particularly like, I like both the remaining Prince Rui and Prince Zhao. I really don't know which one to choose."
Only then did Mr. Lin calm down a little.
But what Xu Zhenying said next almost made him vomit three liters of blood. "I can't make up my mind either. I think it's hard for everyone to choose either. Why don't we vote?"
"City Lord——"
Mr. Lin's voice was filled with resentment!
This...this...this is too rude!
How can the ministers decide the king's title?
But it seemed that Lin Han was the only one who felt that something was wrong, while the others seemed eager to try.
Voting, what a lively event.
Old Lin's blood was heavy in his heart. At this moment, he really missed Sun Qingchen very much.
If Sun Qingchen were here, he would definitely help him dissuade the city lord from this almost playful behavior.
Forget it, seeing how happy the city lord and his men were, Lin Han could only hold back his words with tears in his eyes.
The purpose of establishing a title is to rally people's hearts.
Looking at the current situation in the room, everyone was grinning with excitement, looking proud, so Lin Han had no choice but to keep silent.
Finally, according to the voting results, Xu Zhenying decided on the title of "King Zhao", which spread far and wide, and for a time, he became the most famous person.
After the title is decided, the Fengshan ceremony begins.
This time, Xu Zhenying didn't give in to Elder Lin. No matter how much Elder Lin tried to persuade him, Xu Zhenying just smiled and said, "We're fighting wars everywhere right now, and it's time to spend money. The Fengshan Ceremony should be conducted with frugality. I think issuing a notice will suffice."
"City Lord..." Old Lin threw a tantrum, crying, making a fuss, and even threatening to commit suicide. He even walked directly to Xu Zhenying, and in front of everyone's surprised eyes, he grabbed Xu Zhenying's sleeve without caring about the difference between men and women, and almost burst into tears.
"It is said that by governing with laws and punishing with punishments, the people are free but shameless; by governing with virtue and rites, they have shame and are upright. This Fengshan ceremony is not only a ritual, but can also be used to restrain the subjects. It is also said that with the vastness of the four seas and the multitude of the people, being controlled by one person, even with unparalleled strength and wisdom, no one dares not to run and serve. Isn't it the rules and regulations of rituals? Therefore, the emperor governs the three dukes, the three dukes lead the princes, the princes control the ministers, and the ministers govern the scholars and common people. The nobles rule the humble, and the humbles follow the nobles. The lower ranks serve the higher ranks, just as the confidants guide the limbs, and the root controls the branches. The lower ranks serve the higher ranks, just as the limbs protect the confidants, and the branches protect the root. Only then can the upper and lower ranks protect each other and the state maintain peace. Therefore, it is said: The greatest duty of the Son of Heaven is to observe etiquette. Even the emperor, no matter how powerful, has only one person. To rule the world, he must ensure that all people are at peace with themselves. Only then can the world be peaceful. The etiquette system is the foundation that ensures that the emperor, ministers, nobles, and common people each fulfill their duties. Without etiquette, how can the city lord rule the people in the future?
Although Xu Zhenying did not understand what Mr. Lin said, he understood his general meaning.
It is simply because the ancient feudal dynasties used rituals to rule a country, brainwashing the people into different classes, thus making them stick to their own class.
Moreover, from Xu Zhenying's understanding, the complexity of ancient etiquette was simply to make the people feel awe in the face of these complicated etiquette.
This is a bit like the sense of ritual of future generations.
It’s like a store, everyone has the right to consume.
But if a store is beautifully decorated, with dozens of waiters at the door, and requires multiple verifications before entering, and even requires you to disinfect before entering, and then offer you two glasses of champagne, then ordinary people will be discouraged and even feel awe.
Xu Zhenying smiled and explained, "I understand what Elder Lin means. The Great Zhou Dynasty was governed by rituals, but that runs counter to my philosophy. When I was in Lan County, I already advocated for equality for all, for both men and women. I even allowed prostitutes, lowly people, and those of the lowest class to take the civil service exam. Could it be that Elder Lin didn't see my true intentions?"
"I naturally understand the City Lord's intentions, but we are now in the development stage and we need to attract a large population. The Great Zhou Dynasty has the most people at the bottom of society. If the City Lord wants to absorb this part of the population, he must naturally raise the banner of equality for all. However, if the City Lord truly aspires to conquer the world and ascend to the supreme position in the future, what doctrine will he use to rule the people?"
At this point, Elder Lin's eyes lit up slightly, and he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Could it be that... the world the City Lord came from has a different school of thought?"
Xu Zhenying rolled his eyes.
She finally discovered why bosses sometimes hate employees who are too smart.
Look at Old Lin. Not only does he urge her to develop the world line all day long, he also keeps asking her about the world she came from.
Seeing everyone looking at them, Xu Zhenying didn't want to reveal his true identity, so he pulled Elder Lin over and said in a low voice, "It's not really a Taoist tradition. Our Taoist tradition is based on a rich material foundation. Given the current productivity of the Great Zhou Dynasty, we can't just copy it. We have to localize the Taoist tradition."
There was light in Old Lin's eyes, and he looked at her like a child seeking knowledge.
"If rituals are used to govern a country, then a highly authoritarian state will emerge. A country's power will be highly concentrated in one person, your current emperor. While this can maximize the execution of orders and facilitate management, it's tantamount to gambling the fate of the country on one person. One wrong move and everything could be lost. The Zhou Dynasty had many incompetent emperors, right? The orthodoxy that existed before the Great Zhou Dynasty was nothing short of a gamble. With an emperor whose moral character and temperament are unclear, isn't it terrifying, Mr. Lin, to have the development of a country hinge on a single emperor?"
Xu Huiming, Mo Jinchun, Fang Xun and others were all serious scholars, so when the word "ritual" was mentioned, they all wanted to speak freely and have a good debate.
Xu Huiming said nonchalantly, "The theory of divine bestowal has its flaws. But it's also a tradition that has been developed for thousands of years. Could it be that the City Lord wants to overturn Confucian etiquette? Regardless of the school of thought, the word rites cannot be escaped."
"Besides governing the country with propriety, is there no other way?" Xu Zhenying said with a smile, "We still have laws."
"Law?" Elder Lin was shocked. "Your Highness wants to govern the country using the Legalist approach?"
This is a road that no one has ever walked on.
Not only Mr. Lin, but the others were also shocked.
Zhou Houfang was also well-read, and at this moment he was also shocked by Xu Zhenying's wild ideas.
Use laws instead of rituals to govern the country?
Is this approach feasible?
If this is true, then they will truly become the most unique traitors in history!
However, the rest of the people in the room looked confused, as if they were detached from the situation.
Although they didn't understand Mr. Lin's nonsense, their logical thinking had already been cultivated by Xu Zhenying, so it was not difficult for them to follow the discussion.
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