CH 99

Unlike Gaoyou, all of Pingjiang’s policies were slowly and imperceptibly changed by Lin Yuan. He was now used to calling a bunch of people over to discuss matters, and then choose to adopt the suggestions that spoke to his own heart. This way it would not seem like a dictatorship, but in fact it was still a dictatorship. His own policies were just being spoken from another person’s mouth.

Lin Yuan now finally understood why the people above would not listen to the opinions of the people below.

The eyes of the people below were easily confined to the small acre of land in front of them. There were few people who possessed a big picture of the overall situation. Everyone had a mouth, had their own thinking, and had interests they wanted to fight for.

If results were to be achieved, everyone had to think in one direction, work hard towards the same goal, each performing their own duties, neither asking too much nor thinking too much. Only this way would things be done quickly and beautifully.

Lin Yuan knew that he was walking on a very dangerous road. Once he made a mistake, it would be the common people who didn’t know anything paying for his mistakes. But he also knew that he had to walk this way, and he had to firmly believe that the path he was taking was correct.

Recently, Lin Yuan has become more and more taciturn. The more he thought, the more thoughts he had, the feeling he gave people changed even more.

Song Shizhao faced Lin Yuan every day, and he could sense the feeling most obviously. In Song Shizhao’s words, Lin Yuan was “reserved and introverted.”

“Before you were like a blade. Although sharp, it was also fragile.” Song Shizhao poured tea for Lin Yuan while saying, “Now you have a scabbard.”

After washing away the restless impatience, Lin Yuan became more and more steady and unflustered.

Lin Yuan looked at Song Shizhao earnestly. He hadn’t looked at people so earnestly for a long time. Was Song Shizhao so old?

“These years, it’s all thanks to Mister,” Lin Yuan said earnestly.

Song Shizhao has also changed recently. His temper had improved, Lin Yuan could feel it. Last year Song Shizhao was not as amiable as this year. At that time, he probably regarded everyone as imaginary enemies, wishing nothing more than to tear everyone apart, leaving only him being of use by Lin Yuan’s side.

But Song Shizhao’s loyalty was beyond doubt.

Lin Yuan took the tea that Song Shizhao handed over. The monarch and the minister sat by the window and drank tea together. There was a square table under the window sill and a chess board on top. Lin Yuan had become interested in Go recently and would play it occasionally.

Song Shizhao put down a black stone and said without looking up: “The north has been settled. Whether it is the imperial court or anyone else, they won’t be able to cause any storms in the next few years. But not in the south. Various forces from all quarters are eyeing each other covetously.”

Lin Yuan nodded and placed down a white stone. The two sides exchanged moves back and forth.

Song Shizhao smiled and said: “My Lord’s chess skills have become more and more exquisite. Given time, it may be difficult to find an opponent.”

Lin Yuan laughed: “This flattery is layed beautifully.”

Song Shizhao also laughed.

Song Shizhao sighed: “I wonder when Xiao Ming Emperor and Liu Futong will…..”

Most of the rebels now rebelled under the name of the Red Turban Army. Where did the Red Turban Army come from? From the White Lotus Sect. Who was the orthodox Red Turban Army? Naturally, it was Xiao Ming Emperor. Although Han Shantong died, his son succeeded his position and Xiao Ming Emperor was the continuation of orthodoxy. Even if Liu Futong now held the most power in the regime by representing the Xiao Ming Emperor, he would not dare to kill Xiao Ming Emperor and succeed him.

The reason was simple. If even the so-called orthodox ruler could be killed, then as he himself was not even orthodox, wouldn’t he be even easier to kill?

Just like the Yuan Dynasty, after the first case of rebellion, subsequent rebellions emerged endlessly.

If Liu Futong himself set an example of killing the monarch, there would be many people who would also want to do the same and replace him.

In addition to this, there was another point and that was resistance to Liu Futong. Among those who followed Xiao Ming Emperor, there was also a faction that supported Han Shantong and the so-called orthodoxy.

Once Xiao Ming Emperor fell, the Red Turban Army would no longer “have a just cause”. Although those who held power would not let go of their power and authority, the common people did not understand these kinds of things. At least within a short period of time, the Red Turban Army would suffer heavy losses.

At that time, it would be their opportunity.

The more Song Shizhao thought about it, the more he wanted to just rush over to Liu Futong or Xiao Ming Emperor and tell them to kill each other.

So long as he was allowed to go over, he would definitely encourage the ambitions of one of them and instigate them to fight each other to the death!

Ai! If it hadn’t been for Pingjiang having too many things to deal with back then, he would have set off on his own a long time ago, so how could he have asked An Laosi to go instead?

Song Shizhao lowered his head. It seemed that he should assign the tasks and responsibilities to those below. He suppressed the people under him and did not let them emerge. But when something really needed to be done, not even one could be found to handle things.

Lin Yuan looked at Song Shizhao’s expression and knew what he was thinking. He said with schadenfreude amusement, “Now you know that one person can’t do everything?”

Song Shizhao crinkled his old face into a smile: “That’s also because my Lord cares about this official.”

Lin Yuan also earnestly said: “Then don’t become too proud and spoiled from the favor.”

Song Shizhao also answered playfully: “Ai, the young man’s heart is like an intangible wind, and this official is now old, not as good as the wild flowers and grass outside. How can I keep the heart of the young man without using some means?”

Lin Yuan drank a sip of tea, motionless like a mountain: “You just want nothing more than to be the only one of use in this world, but you are already at this age and you should know to combine work and rest. Otherwise once you fall down from tiredness, the people below will still jump out. And at that time when I use them you will become jealous again.”

Song Shizhao suddenly stopped talking.

Lin Yuan’s half-joking words sounded in his ears and landed in his heart, his nose suddenly stinging a bit.

He discovered that Lin Yuan had really been showing tolerance for him and caring for him all this time. He had been occupying the position beside him in a domineering way and it was not that Lin Yuan didn’t know this, he just didn’t mind indulging him.

This caused Song Shizhao’s heart to surge like the waves, and it was difficult to calm down.

Lin Yuan asked him: “Is there anyone under you who can be of use?”

Song Shizhao didn’t hide it this time, and said, “I have looked them over. Some can only be minor officials and I’ve found jobs for them already. There are also a few good ones, only that their tempers are too hard and need to be polished.”

Lin Yuan nodded, suddenly saying, “I remember there was one named Zheng Qingfeng, how is he?”

“A man who has been frustrated for half his life.” Song Shizhao’s eyes had a tiny trace of pity in them, but this bit of pity wasn’t worth all that much. “Being a civil official is enough.”

“He would make a clean and uncorrupted official.”

Lin Yuan: “That’s fine, there just happened to be a need for a district head.”

Pingjiang had its administrative work units replanned——village heads, town heads, county heads, district heads and city mayors.

As for Lin Yuan, he did not yet have a clear political title. Everyone called him Lord, and the common people called him South Bodhisattva.

Although ambiguous, it was not a bad thing.

Song Shizhao also agreed.

According to Song Shizhao’s words: “Even if my Lord has not yet been named emperor, he is already holding the emperor’s power. As long as he has power, the title is not as important.”

The district head did not seem to have much power, but in fact he was considered to be half a senior provincial official. The city mayor looked to have a lot of power, but his power was divided.

Generally speaking, the district head had more real powers than the city mayor, but the city mayor also had the power to supervise and inspect. The district head did not need to be transferred, but the city mayor must be replaced every five years.

“Zheng Qingfeng has finally met with great lucky.” Song Shizhao thought in his heart, if the monarch was someone else, who would use such an official? Just based on what he did before was enough for him to be left out in the cold until his death.

Lin Yuan placed down his last white stone: “The people under you, find a place for them as soon as possible, and make the best use of them, otherwise it’s a waste of food.”

Song Shizhao quickly responded: “Yes.”

“And Wu Changqing.” Lin Yuan didn’t have any expression, “Go and give him a reminder, lest his head get too big.”

Song Shizhao lowered his head, a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Wu Changqing meeting with misfortune makes him very happy!

Wu Changqing was talented, but there were also drawbacks. Lin Yuan used him because of his talents, but because of the drawbacks in his personality, he dared not trust him.

He had a common problem common to ordinary scholars, he loved power. He also had a common problem common to all sycophantic officials, he loved to play with power.

Now that Wu Changqing had a certain prestige among scholars, he was eager to challenge Song Shizhao in the arena.

But Lin Yuan was not willing to help him.

To be precise, Wu Changqing did not have the same importance as Song Shizhao did in his heart.

He could be sure that Song Shizhao would not betray him no matter what situation he was in. Even if he died, so long as his bloodline was still alive, Song Shizhao would be loyal to his bloodline.

But he was not sure whether Wu Changqing could do the same.

Besides, there was only one Song Shizhao, whereas there were tens of millions of Wu Changqings.

Without Wu Changqing, he would let out a few regretful sighs at most, bestowing his family a gift during the New Year’s every year, and then forget him after a few years.

But without Song Shizhao, he might have a headache for a long time, and maybe he might never find a successor to take Song Shizhao’s place.

Song Shizhao drank the last sip of tea and said to Lin Yuan: “My Lord wants to give him a warning, then why not promote one of the people under him? Aren’t those scholars gathering around him just for this chance?”

Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows: “Mister already has a candidate.”

His words were an affirmative statement, not a question.

Song Shizhao lowered his head, and said humbly: “I just observed more and inquired more, all to share the worries for my master.”

Lin Yuan didn’t bother to pick on this matter with him either: “Tell me.”

Song Shizhao: “Now there is one in his manor, whose surname is Yang, and his name is Yang Shaocheng. I am not clear how he is as a person, but he was an advisor who had handled many cases before. He is quite good at solving cases and we lack such a person.”

Lin Yuan thought for a while: “Have him go work as a lizheng.”

Lizheng was a new name. It had been implemented in Gaoyou, and basically meant a judge. Lin Yuan divided the power, different departments managed different things, and personal power would be reduced. Although he was not sure whether this would be better than before, it at least would not be worse.

——

“How bold of him!” Wu Changqing nearly fell down with anger, “I had treated him very well!”

Wu Changqing’s eldest son looked at his father’s face, and hurriedly went over to console: “Father, don’t be angry, it will be bad for your health. People like him originally only came for this.”

Wu Changqing was so angry that he slapped the table, his veins popping out: “Yang Shaocheng! Despicable villain, shameless rascal!”

The eldest son did not dare to speak, his father had the biggest say in the family, and whenever his father was present, no one could override his words.

“How vexing! How vexing!” Wu Changqing clutched his stomach, his stomach hurting with anger, “I shouldn’t have let him stay in the manor!”

The once guest of the old days had now climbed up the sky ladder, and this sky ladder that he stepped on was him, Wu Changqing. He had to send him off with a smile on his face, but without outsiders, this anger finally exploded.

He might not be ignorant of the mindset of those above.

But he could not hate Lin Yuan, he could only hate Yang Shaocheng.