Capítulo 1016: Chapter 1014: Nourishing a Tiger Brings Trouble
With the rise of industry, the Craftsmanship Sector will also prosper, forming a powerful group both in the court and among the people, second only to the scholars.
The role of these people, at critical monts, cannot be matched by the bookish scholars who engage in endless chatter; they have a more practical impact.
The first batch of artisans to receive official ranks and receive the court’s salary will undoubtedly be emulated and admired by future craftsn, and these admired craftsn hail from under Jinrong’s governance…
“How many craftsn are there in the world? This is equivalent to giving Prince Yu a huge boost. What’s more, the current Prince Yu is also gradually gaining followers in the court,” Liu Chengzhi said with much frustration.
Li Qinhong sighed inwardly. Minister Liu, astute throughout his life, could it be that only now he sees the threat posed by Prince Yu?
“Do you know, sir, there are rumors among the capital’s officials that the court has beco much clearer without the Crown Prince and Prince Fu.”
Liu Chengzhi nodded slightly, sowhat annoyed, yet also a bit regretful. He had heard of these rumors too; indeed, Prince Fu leveraged his power to cultivate followers and amass Silver Coin.
However, in which dynasty did a royal prince ever content themselves with the court’s stipulated offerings? If that were the case, why compete for the throne at all? They might as well just content themselves with the little official salary from the court.
Moreover, the court’s salary given to a prince is not passed on unchanged to his sons or grandsons. As ti goes on, the descendants of the princes from the previous generations often live in hardship, and many have beco completely destitute.
Prince Yu appears incorrupt, never reaching into the state treasury or ddling with official affairs, but that’s because he has enough Silver Coin at his disposal, not necessarily because his character is noble.
No matter what the Crown Prince or Prince Fu did before, they at least continued the legitimate lineage left by the ancestors. Yet, Prince Yu has indulged in depravity, associating shalessly with rchants and craftsn, eagerly pursuing Silver Coin’s benefits.
If soone like Prince Yu inherits the throne, one can imagine the state of the nation; the imperial court, the whole land of the state, officials, and the people will chase after benefits, replacing the path of sages with Silver Coin.
By that ti, what kind of chaos will the great land of the Celestial Empire fall into? Where will there be the foundation for other countries to submit to?
Liu Chengzhi frowned deeply, almost envisioning the great land of the Celestial Empire, now commanding in the Central Plains and revered by surrounding nations, falling into the hands of opportunists. People will no longer venerate sages or study their teachings but, like the won of the Ye Family, will connive daily to profit more from Silver Coin.
Throughout history, rchants have valued profit over righteousness, their character being the lowest and least trustworthy. With such a group standing at the top of the Celestial Empire, controlling all Silver Coin, their interests would surely devour those of the aristocratic clans who have relied on farming and studying for generations.
The more Liu Chengzhi thought about it, the more serious the situation seed. He angrily said, “Those court officials are short-sighted, completely unaware of the disaster Prince Yu’s promotion of comrce and industry could bring to the court and the nation. They are a bunch of short-sighted fools, utterly foolish!”
Li Qinhong nodded, “However, most people in the world do not have such far-reaching vision. Prince Yu’s montum is growing; the new farming tools he has promoted across the land, though under the na of the Qi Family chanical Workshop, are widely believed to have been propelled by Prince Yu himself. The farrs benefited will inevitably feel grateful for the convenience Prince Yu has brought them. More importantly, such a significant change in agricultural tools should be recorded in history.”
Li Qinhong sighed as he spoke; under such circumstances, even if Prince Yu does not ascend the throne, his na will still be praised by future generations.
If this situation continues, the Prince Fu supported by Minister Liu will have difficulty seizing the throne. Even if he sohow ascends in the end, the accomplishnts reflecting Prince Yu’s favors to the people may cast a shadow, turning him into a pitied usurper in unofficial historical accounts.
Liu Chengzhi found it hard to sit still, “No, we cannot let Prince Yu act at will in the court any longer.” Prince Yu’s montum grew too fast. If this continues, His Highness Prince Fu, hidden away, is no longer biding his ti but raising a threat instead.
Without another power to take the throne, Prince Yu will only shine alone, with more and more ministers clinging to him. Coupled with Prince Yu’s ability to pander to the emperor’s various proposals, he has already achieved a status among the emperor’s eyes unattainable by other princes.
With the situation so severe, Prince Fu cannot continue to stay away from the court.
As an advisor familiar with Liu Chengzhi’s political views, Li Qinhong shared the sa sentint and suggested, “It’s been two years since the case of the railway materials. In just a few days, the New Year will begin. At the beginning of the New Year, during the royal sacrifice ceremony, both the Deposed Crown Prince and Prince Fu will attend. Prince Fu can take this opportunity to express remorse to His Majesty and return to the court as soon as possible.”
Liu Chengzhi nodded, “Just as I thought. His Highness’s fault is different from the Crown Prince’s. It’s been two years; His Majesty’s anger should have subsided. If Prince Fu shows sufficient remorse, returning should not be difficult.”
Prince Fu’s absence from the court has been short, and despite the stir Prince Yu has caused to gain such montum, he has also trampled on many interests. With the opportunity, those affected will side with another capable prince with differing views from Prince Yu, who aims for the throne.
The groups whose interests were compromised by artisans… Liu Chengzhi’s thoughts shifted to the Clean Stream faction, praised by scholars.
“It’s a pity that Ji Xiaoyuan was dragged down by the concubine-born daughter of the Ye Family, causing his reputation to plumt. Otherwise, letting the prominent scholars of the world petition would be much stronger than us officials pleading in front of the emperor.”
That Ji Xiaoyuan was extrely adept at marketing himself; if his reputation were intact, just a few ambiguous words in the right setting would have followers petitioning for him. But… what a pity.
Li Qinhong advised, “Sir, go first to consult with Prince Fu. As long as Prince Fu can return, even without Ji Xiaoyuan, there are many scholars in the world. Moreover, with so many aristocratic clans, many people working together can yield so results.”
The key is for Prince Fu to reappear in the court and offer hope to many subordinates. Frankly, everyone says rchants pursue profit, but in truth, who in the world isn’t calculating for their benefit?
As long as Prince Fu can bring benefits to those people, they can collaborate with Prince Fu to bring down Prince Yu and his policies, even if they hadn’t supported him before.
…
This ti, Jinrong undertook an imperial task to arrange the affairs of the chanical Workshop during the New Year. He estimated the ti Jiang Yifan would finish his duties and blatantly brought Hu Jing to the chanical Workshop to handle the matter assigned by the emperor.
Jinrong, Jiang Yifan, and Hu Jing gathered together but did not imdiately convey the emperor’s will to the multitude of craftsn at the workshop. Instead, they occupied the room where Ye Xinyan worked, dismissed idlers, and spoke privately.
Jinrong wore a sardonic smile, disdainfully saying, “It seems Liu Chengzhi is panicking. Clearly, Imperial Father’s intentions are evident, yet Liu Chengzhi still argues vehently, trying to obstruct the implentation of the artisan ranking system.”
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