Chapter 114
“Civilians farm, military households defend the country—each has its own responsibilities, how can they be mixed together?” Xue Lun asked forcefully.
“Indeed, their duties are different,” Ming Yu agreed partially but did not fully endorse it. “But why can’t they be combined? Why must there be a distinction between military households and non-military households? Do military households always want to become soldiers and fight? And civilians with the will to serve their country should have no opportunity? This system may not be suitable for the current situation.”
Ming Yu’s bold words shocked not only the ministers but even the Emperor, who changed his expression upon hearing them. Such a statement was rebellious; the system had been set by their ancestors, and how could it be casually criticized?
Xue Lun glared angrily. “How dare you speak so recklessly! This was the founding law of Great Yan! You cannot just slander it!”
Ming Yu was unafraid, standing tall and arguing back. “The founding laws are important, but they must evolve with the times, don’t you understand? The law of marriage alliances with foreign countries—hasn’t my father broken that tradition? I think it takes great courage and foresight to do so. A group of men, sacrificing women for peace—what kind of men are they? If that’s the case, they might as well be castrated and become eunuchs.”
The Emperor had initially intended to use the law of the ancestors to reprimand Ming Yu, but upon hearing Ming Yu’s words, he found himself speechless. As Emperor, he had faced immense difficulties to break the tradition of marriage alliances, and now his youngest son was doing something similar. He couldn’t criticize him for it.
In fact, hearing his son speak with such conviction made the Emperor feel pleased. It was better than the constant complaints he received from people who said his methods were too harsh, and it was a relief to hear his son speak with such integrity.
The country was not at peace, and there were murmurs of peace talks within the court. But peace talks always ended the same way—using women and money to gain stability. If peace talks were allowed to proceed, then everything done over the past decades would have been in vain.
“I’m not afraid to tell you, the military system must change. Without that, peace in the borderlands will never be possible, and without peace in the borderlands, the country will never be at peace. Don’t think that if you negotiate peace with the enemy, everything will be fine. Anyone who suggests peace is a traitor to the country. Such people should be sent to the borderlands to live among the barbarians. If they come back alive, it will be a miracle. And marriage alliances? Hmph! Fine, take your own wives and daughters. Don’t expect others’ daughters to sacrifice themselves for you!”
Ming Yu’s words silenced everyone. Some were deeply affected by what he said, their faces turning red as they pointed at Ming Yu, but after a long pause, they couldn’t bring themselves to speak. Everyone knew that speaking out now would be equivalent to slapping their own faces.
Ming Yu stood tall, continuing, “Great Yan is not weak, nor do we fear the barbarians. We fear only the cowards among us. Go look at the people in the borderlands, whose homes have been destroyed by the barbarians. Each of them carries deep hatred in their hearts. Brave men, who wish to avenge their families and enemies, but because they are not from military households, they have no way to serve their country. How can they not feel regret?”
Xue Lun sighed. Ming Yu’s words were true. He despised cowards, and Ming Yu had boldly voiced what he thought. Was this a sign of youthful bravery? He had fought on the battlefield and understood these situations, but people like him never bothered to think deeply about it, let alone consider radical ideas like reforming the military system.
“Although you speak truth, if civilians go to fight, who will farm the land? The fields will be abandoned, and that will harm the people,” Prime Minister Wen stepped forward, smiling slightly as he asked.
He had struck a nerve—many people were concerned about this issue. When the Great Yan was founded, the military household system was established partly to ensure that agricultural labor was not disrupted.
Ming Yu turned his head, as if surprised by the Prime Minister’s question. He scratched his head. “How could the fields be left to waste? There are many solutions, such as having one member of a family enlist, or even stationing soldiers to tend the land. During times of peace, they can still farm. After several years, those who have served for a long time can retire with honor, returning home and receiving land. It’s better than military households who produce nothing and, once they leave the army, become useless, don’t you think?”
“But, the people are training while farming. Won’t this delay the battle opportunities? Or, will it affect the training results?” Xue Lun asked, concerned.
Ming Yu replied confidently, “At this point, saying more probably won’t convince anyone, especially since they haven’t seen it with their own eyes.” He glanced around. “If that’s the case, why not let me try? Let’s see the difference between the soldiers I recruit and the hereditary military households. Anyway, it hasn’t yet touched the military system of the Great Yan. Later, when both sides can be compared, we’ll see which one is better. By then, whether you change your military system will be your choice.”
The same thing can be seen as either good or bad, and who doesn’t want the good? This is human nature. Ming Yu’s suggestion to make this a pilot test and let everyone see the results was certainly more persuasive than it would be right now.
“Hmm!” The Emperor cleared his throat, and the hall immediately quieted. He then spoke, “Alright, the responsibility for the Western Qi Corridor will be handed over to Duan Wang Ming Yu. Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s on you and no one else.”
Once the Emperor’s word was given, the matter was settled. Everyone fell silent, not daring to object. After all, the most difficult aspects had already been addressed by Duan Wang. Though no one knew exactly how he would act, as long as it didn’t harm their own interests, they didn’t mind. The Emperor had already agreed, so why should they make things difficult for themselves?
Thus, the matter of the Western Qi Corridor, which had been causing arguments in the court for days, was considered resolved. Everyone no longer needed to worry about it, and it seemed like a happy resolution for all.
However, at that moment, they only thought that the court wouldn’t bear the full burden. But when the Western Qi Corridor truly began to flourish, with wealth pouring in, these people would regret not having supported it.
They wanted the Emperor to retract his decree and seize the profits for the country. But the ten-year agreement that had already been made, witnessed by the Emperor and all the officials, would be difficult to break. If the agreement was broken, it would be like tearing everyone’s faces off and stomping on them.
Thus, even though these people were envious, they could only sigh in regret. They recalled that when Ming Yu had first come to them, they had avoided him as much as possible. If they had supported him with all their wealth back then, they would have had a share in the profits. Looking at those who had contributed money, they received annual dividends so generous that even if they did nothing, they would live comfortably for several lifetimes. People couldn’t help but envy them.
After the court session, the Crown Prince had intended to go with Ming Yu, asking where he had gotten the money to make such bold promises and what his plans were for the Western Qi Corridor. Although the Crown Prince couldn’t help in any practical way, at least he wanted to know his plans, so he wouldn’t be left uneasy and unsure.
During the court session, Ming Yu had almost scared the Crown Prince to death. In this world, only Ming Yu dared to speak so boldly in the court without receiving a reprimand from the Emperor.
Even Prime Minister Wen wanted to speak to Ming Yu, but the Emperor immediately spoke up, asking Ming Yu to stay.
Ming Yu followed the Emperor all the way to Deyu Palace. The sky was just beginning to lighten, probably around the time of the early morning. Before they spoke, Ming Yu’s stomach growled loudly. He had gotten up early that morning, and after all the commotion, he hadn’t eaten a single grain of rice. Now, he was so hungry that his stomach was pressing against his back.
The Emperor glanced at him, and Ming Yu shamelessly smiled, saying, “Father, I’m starving.” He even rubbed his stomach to show he wasn’t lying.
“Look at you, with so little discipline.” The Emperor said disapprovingly.
“I can’t compare to you, Father. You go to work so early every day… Uh, no, I mean, you attend court early. It’s really too hard, I can hardly measure up,” Ming Yu said, expressing his admiration. He had mastered the art of flattery, knowing exactly how to speak to please the Emperor.
As expected, the Emperor’s face softened with a smile, and he ordered the servants to bring in breakfast.
Ming Yu ate quickly, devouring two bowls of bird’s nest and shredded chicken porridge, several pieces of pearl sticky rice cakes, and a plate of jade shrimp dumplings. Finally, after filling his stomach, he felt like he had come back to life.
The royal family valued silence during meals and rest. After the Emperor finished his meal and the servants cleared away the dishes, they finally got down to business.
“The Western Qi Corridor is of great importance, and the cost is considerable. Where are you getting the money?” The Emperor expressed concern that Ming Yu had easily made such a promise. What would happen if he couldn’t fulfill it?
Ming Yu tilted his head, thought for a moment, and answered matter-of-factly, “Of course, I will borrow it!”
The Emperor had expected Ming Yu to have some special method for taking full responsibility, but instead, this simple answer left him unsure whether to be angry or to laugh.
“Borrow? Who can you borrow so much money from? The treasury can’t even release it. Is there someone in Dayan with wealth to rival a nation?” The Emperor was puzzled. He had never heard of such a person.
Ming Yu moved a small stool over and sat down closely, speaking in a friendly manner: “Come, come, let me tell you something, Father. I’ve come up with a plan. The imperial treasury still has some money, right? Don’t say there’s none—last time, the goods from the Western Regions that Crown Prince Brother gave to Father were quite a lot, weren’t they?”
He sneakily glanced at the emperor, noticing his disdainful expression. Ming Yu chuckled and continued, “Father, I’m serious. If we miss this opportunity, there won’t be another one. If you invest a little silver now, the future dividends could be dozens or even hundreds of times more. Others would want this chance, but I won’t even share it with them!”
The emperor reached out and tapped Ming Yu on the forehead. “So, you’ve been eyeing my private treasury all along?”
Ming Yu rubbed his forehead, looking a bit wronged. “Not at all! I’m only thinking of you, Father. Look! You have the money, lend it to me, and I’ll focus all of it on development. When profits start coming in, I’ll calculate the interest based on the capital you invested. Whether it’s in one or two years or even ten, the principal will remain the same, but the interest will grow. This is how money makes money.”
“This way, both you and I can make money. It’s a win-win situation, isn’t it better than letting the money sit in your private treasury and collect dust? Actually, silver is meant to circulate, to be useful. If it just sits there without generating any benefit, it’s almost like scrap metal.”
The reasoning was simple, and Ming Yu deliberately used an example involving the emperor. He knew that such relatable examples would make the concept clearer.
The emperor frowned, deep in thought. He understood what Ming Yu was saying and, after thinking for a long time, finally raised his head to ask, “So, you’re trying to get others to lend you silver using this method? But even if the interest is high, others might not be tempted to lend, right?”
Ming Yu smiled slyly, like a fox. “This is just the basic method. I’ll make them fight to give me money.”
Though Ming Yu spoke in a joking manner, the emperor could tell he was serious. He realized that, in the near future, Old Fourteen might just pull it off.
Ming Yu flashed a cheeky grin. “Father, are you really not thinking of investing in this opportunity? The more you invest, the more you earn. It’s a guaranteed profit!”
The emperor gave him a fierce look. He had just started to think that Ming Yu had grown up and could be reliable, but now he was questioning himself. Was it all just an illusion?
In the end, though, the emperor couldn’t resist Ming Yu’s relentless persuasion. He took some silver from his private treasury to support Ming Yu’s venture. He didn’t think about the interest or anything else, he just hoped that his foolish son wouldn’t disappoint him.
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