Chapter 232: Zhang Jichang, Magistrate of Taiyuan Prefecture...
After their private meeting, Zhang Ting left first. Qi Chengming only had time to give him a couple of instructions, leaving the rest for him to understand. He figured that someone as clever as Zhang Ting, who could pass the imperial examinations, wouldn't be so clueless as to not know how to find a backer when trouble came up.
"Your Highness, I've entrusted the information from Liuzhou to you. It won't cause you any trouble," Qin Liusong assured him humbly, yet his tone was resolute. He feared that Emperor Hongren, in his impotent rage, might turn on the Crown Prince if he couldn't deal with the powerful families.
Song Gu looked left and right, then suddenly had a bright idea and stopped being in a hurry: "I'll go write a letter to Lord Xiao Mu."
Prefect Mu is still diligently managing that large operation in Liuzhou. The Taiyuan Wang family member was originally his classmate and friend, whom he introduced to His Highness. After all that the Taiyuan Wang family did, they completely forgot about the branch family member they initially met from the Prince Rui's residence. Song Gu will definitely write to inform Young Master Mu.
When you're in trouble, you're sure to get the benefits, but when things go wrong, you'll be caught red-handed.
That would be terrible.
"Thank you for your hard work." Qi Chengming felt at ease looking at the group.
He now has many supporters and followers, and quite a few trusted and loyal subordinates.
Thinking of this, Qi Chengming's mind flashed back to Huang Dong, who was working hard overseas; Wen Zhongnan, who was constantly fighting on the north and south frontiers, with his former unruly smile and his cousin's caring and gentle gaze; and Bai Xuan, who was timid in every way but insisted on keeping up...
Emperor Hongren was the biggest obstacle on his path to the throne, but he was no slouch either!
He rallied his spirits, saw off his confidants, blew out the candles in his study, and prepared to go back to sleep by moonlight.
Today's meeting also made Qi Chengming realize that Mr. Qin and Song Gu are still the most insightful and experienced, He Dajia is the boldest, Zhang Ting is quite quick-witted, and Huang Lan is still a bit cautious but speaks her mind. They all need more practice.
For the next period of time, the grand court assemblies appeared uneventful on the surface, but news kept coming in from behind the scenes:
After Taiyuan restricted the speed of issuing Wang's currency, many money shops exchanged rice, flour, and silver coins more readily, which in turn made Wang's currency even more sought after in the market. It was almost two jiao (0.2 yuan) to exchange for one Wang's currency, while the silver notes issued by the government could not be exchanged for Wang's currency at all.
Even so, countless people flocked to use the new currency, and even after the explicit regional restrictions were imposed, its circulation spread further and further. These people then turned around and sold their copper and silver coins to money shops. The Wang family of Taiyuan had won time and time again, and their mouths must have been agape with joy during this period.
When Qi Chengming received Zhang Ji's letter, he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement:
'My God, this process is exactly the same as what they did in Liuzhou back then!'
He had previously sent his companions Chu Hong and Qi Jiyun to Liuzhou to find Prefect Mu and the accountant of Wangji Money Shop... He then put into use several 'economics teachers' whom Liuzhou had painstakingly cultivated, and began to promote and spread their reputation, explaining that the current status of "Wangji Money Shop" in the south, and the fact that Prince Rui could eat his fill of oil, were all due to the discovery of a 'great talent'.
—This was Qi Chengming's backup plan, which he had prepared by spreading rumors long ago.
If it weren't for the scarcity of people with the talent to study economics, and the inability to get Prefect Mu, the head of the prefecture, to personally intervene, Qi Chengming wouldn't have been so anxious and put the matter on hold for so long.
Later, the Wang family of Taiyuan took the bait, eagerly accepting the "master's" few words and old-fashioned "secret strategies," and indeed began to make a fortune. Little did they know that they were dealing with a small team, and behind the team was the very talented Prefect Mu, who was always ready to offer advice.
...
Days passed, and the matter with the Vice Minister of War seemed to have stalled. Qi Chengming noticed the probing glances exchanged among the officials during court sessions, and the meaningful looks they gave each other as they passed by after court. It seemed that the matter had already spread in secret.
Everyone is waiting for the results.
Emperor Hongren's face has been gloomy lately, and he looks like he could seize any innocent person to berate at any moment. No one dares to provoke him.
Qi Chengming was still working at the Ministry of Personnel, and he was much more adept at it these past few days. Grand Secretary Mu's teachings had deepened his understanding of how the complex interpersonal relationships between different officials affected the handling of political affairs. There were some cunning methods that Qi Chengming couldn't grasp on his own, so Grand Secretary Mu began to subtly guide him by using examples from historical records.
"Grand Tutor, what do you think His Majesty will do?" Qi Chengming asked Grand Scholar Mu casually during his rest day.
Grand Secretary Mu was also the Crown Prince's tutor to Emperor Hongren. In terms of understanding, he should know the most, right?
“Even the royal family finds it difficult to compete with powerful families.” Grand Secretary Mu sat calmly to the side, sipping tea with little change in expression. He shook his head and commented tactfully, “His Majesty and even the late Emperor were deeply aware of this.”
This means... that the emperors had clashed head-on with the powerful families several times before? But they all suffered defeats.
Qi Chengming seemed to be deep in thought.
Therefore, Emperor Hongren's previous soft approach and the lack of new developments now are influenced by these concerns.
"What does Your Highness think? How much impact will the Wang family's currency from Taiyuan have on the capital?" Grand Scholar Mu asked back, his veiled question leaving much to ponder.
Qi Chengming saw the worry in his aged yet sharp eyes and comforted him, saying, "Grand Tutor, there's no need to worry. The capital has already been impacted, and the most obvious sign is that there are fewer vendors setting up stalls on the way to court in the morning."
Prices in the capital had already skyrocketed due to waves of currency devaluation, forcing many ordinary people to resort to bartering to survive. However, officials—especially lower-ranking officials in the capital—received a large portion of their salaries in silver notes, which they had no choice but to use. Regulations explicitly stated that ordinary people could not refuse silver notes.
Elsewhere was alright, but the people who set up stalls on the main road leading to the imperial court... how dare they not accept the money? How dare they do business again?
I'm barely surviving.
"..." Grand Scholar Mu's lips twitched slightly, as if he had something to say.
Qi Chengming knew his words of comfort were terrible, but as long as the meaning was conveyed, that was enough.
He pretended to be calm and turned his head away, bowing his head to drink his tea.
A sense of helplessness permeated the small duty room.
The current state of Dingguo is a complete mess, both economically and in terms of government credibility. Either Qi Chengming will orchestrate a scheme to force Emperor Hongren to end this mess quickly, or Emperor Hongren will become murderous, seize Qi Chengming's ticket system, and then dump the mess on him.
It has to be done sooner or later; either way, it's a death sentence.
The people of the capital city could not avoid this deadly impact no matter what, so Qi Chengming could only keep the impact under control and ensure that the period of chaos was as short as possible. A short pain is worse than a long one.
Grand Scholar Mu closed his eyes: "Your Highness, once this kind of thing starts, it's hard to stop, isn't it?"
Qi Chengming took a sip of tea, the bitter taste followed by a slowly emerging fragrance on his tongue, bringing a calming effect: "Yes... except for me, they can't stop."
Only those who truly experienced Liuzhou's development based on ration coupons back then can understand.
This growth is like a snowball rolling downhill. Even if you want to stop, countless people who want to live will push you forward just to catch your breath, making it impossible for you to stop.
"..." Grand Scholar Mu remained silent, silently gazing at the young and vibrant prince before him.
No one can deny that.
Aside from a new, extraordinary, and resourceful ruler, anyone else would be blinded by such benefits, and even if they wanted to stop later, they wouldn't have the power to do so.
"Oh, provided they're not short-sighted and strictly follow the requirements." Qi Chengming suddenly remembered something and added in a low voice.
If the Wang family stops prioritizing the people's welfare and starts engaging in questionable practices... it's still manageable in this current climate of competition for the worst, as the people have little choice. However, in the future, Qi Chengming won't need to bother with any means to wipe them out; they will bring about their own destruction.
"So, that day isn't far off," Qi Chengming concluded.
If the Wang family of Taiyuan had exercised great willpower to restrain their development and resolutely avoided provoking Emperor Hongren, Qi Chengming would have had to rack his brains to devise a plan to cause trouble. However, since they were merely passively halting their progress and their own attitude was not very firm, Qi Chengming only needed to give them a gentle push with one particular action.
His letter to Zhang Ji must have arrived soon.
...
After taking office some time ago, Zhang Ji has established himself and is now the magistrate of the Sinong County of Taiyuan Prefecture.
Having been ignored by local tycoons upon arrival, ostracized by officials such as the registrar and county magistrate, and faced several roadblocks on the way here... Zhang Ji was still shaken and extremely grateful to His Highness the Crown Prince for the people he had arranged for him.
Ten demobilized soldiers, disguised as his servants and bodyguards, accompanied him throughout the journey, shielding him from countless dangers, both overt and covert. There was also a secretary, said to be the childhood page of Lord Qin, the Crown Prince's tutor.
—That was incredibly prescient!
At first, Zhang Ji thought that the clerk using the alias "Mo Zhuoshou" was just a figurehead, secretly facilitating his communication with the Crown Prince's residence. Later, he realized that this clerk was truly worthy of the name, possessing a thorough understanding of the various affairs of the county government, quick to learn, and experienced in dealing with difficult situations.
It can be said that Zhang Ji, feeling ashamed, considered himself a greenhorn and that his ability to quickly establish himself in the local area was entirely due to this reliable advisor.
Mo Zhuoshou: "Please excuse my poor performance..."
—Having witnessed the handling of official matters by the lords in Ruzhou and Liuzhou for so many years, isn't that enough?
Zhang Ji knew what His Highness the Crown Prince wanted, so he dutifully kept a close watch on the whereabouts of the Wang family of Taiyuan, and wrote a letter every now and then to report on their situation.
Another letter from His Highness the Crown Prince arrived that day:
[Greetings from the letter:]
...
Now that we've finished discussing official business, how have you been, Brother Zhang? Are you getting used to the food, Minister of Agriculture? Why do you seem somewhat unfamiliar with my speech, Brother Zhang?
Qi Zhongliu]
Zhang Ji, clutching the letter: "..."
My fingers trembled slightly.
His Highness the Crown Prince seemed quite dissatisfied in this letter. After giving his orders, he even used punctuation marks commonly used by scholars from Liuzhou to express his strong and precise emotions. Looking at the question mark at the end of the letter, Zhang Ji felt doomed. How was he supposed to write a reply this time?
Your Highness the Crown Prince... no, Brother Qi sent such a disgruntled question, probably because his previous letters had all been written in a rather conventional manner.
However, Zhang Ji was merely an ordinary illegitimate son from a small family who had only become acquainted with the Crown Prince, who was concealing his identity, by chance. Now that the truth was out, Zhang Ji tossed and turned at night for the two days leading up to the imperial examination, unable to sleep. He would sit up in shock in the middle of the night, wondering, "Why?!" "Brother Qi is His Highness Prince Rui?" "Was it me who was friends with a prince?"
After that, His Highness the Crown Prince even arranged for him to be a county magistrate. Zhang Ji was so shocked that it took him several days to process it all, finally managing to accept the fact that he had risen to such a high position through connections. How could he possibly continue to cultivate a relationship in letters before His Highness the Crown Prince made any explicit commitment?
—He still doesn't know how to write a letter to his friends in Liuzhou!
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Author's Note: Mini-Theater:
Zhang Ji (with an envious and admiring look): "...Thanks to you, Master Mo."
Mo Zhuoshou (skilled yet weathered): It's nothing, it's nothing. I've been through a lot with my young master.
Qin Liusong—a formidable figure who served as a clerk in Ruzhou, waiting patiently for opportunities, and then worked tirelessly as both a county magistrate and clerk in Liuzhou for several years. Mo Zhuoshou was the little accomplice who had been with him for many years.
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