Moma Liangshan

Chapter 69 Old Grudges, Tomorrow's Schemes

Cui Zhigong cut to the chase, and Wang Hao followed suit, asking directly, "How much does Your Excellency wish to charge?" Cui Zhigong slowly replied, "Laoshan County is also under the jurisdiction of Jingdong East Circuit. As your superior, I will not make things difficult for you. One shi of rice is 650 wen, and one shi of bran is 550 wen. Is that acceptable?" Wang Hao thought to himself, "Yuncheng County is vast and abundant in grain. One shi of rice costs 1 guan, and one shi of bran is 700 wen. This price is indeed fair!" He said, "On behalf of the 100,000 people of Laoshan County, I thank Your Excellency!" Cui Zhigong was very satisfied and said, "I am old, and the Song Dynasty will need to rely on talents like Xianmeng and Defu in the future. Defu is about to take office as the prefect of Laizhou, and Xianmeng is the magistrate of Laoshan County. In the future, you two will be closely connected and should help each other, advancing and retreating together!" Wang Hao only knew that Li Qingzhao and Zhao Mingcheng had lived in seclusion in Qingzhou for a long time. Unaware that Zhao Mingcheng had once served as the prefect of Laizhou, Wang Hao hurriedly said, "You are from a prominent family, Lord Zhao. I am but a humble man from a poor family. I hope you will help me in the future!" Cui Zhigong smiled knowingly and said, "Only when something is lost and then regained do we realize its value! Have you heard of the events of the Chongning era, Xianmeng?" Wang Hao chuckled awkwardly and said, "I grew up in the countryside and am not familiar with the events of the Chongning era!" Cui Zhigong looked at Zhao Mingcheng and said, "During the Chongning era, Defu's father became prime minister and repeatedly impeached Cai Jing for abusing his power. Cai Jing was treacherous and slandered Zhao Mingcheng to the emperor. The emperor was deceived and dismissed Zhao Mingcheng from his post in the first year of the Daguan era. Zhao Mingcheng died in grief and indignation. After Zhao Mingcheng's death, Cai Jing became even more unscrupulous and framed Defu, dismissing him from office. It was in that year that Mingcheng went into seclusion in Qingzhou."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Mingcheng, unable to hide his sorrow, said, "Cai Jing is wicked and I have a blood feud with him for killing my father. Every year during Qingming Festival, at my father's grave, I regret watching helplessly as my enemy runs rampant in Dongjing." Wang Hao thought to himself, "Cai Jing has held power in the Northern Song court for decades. He not only has numerous followers but also countless enemies. With Cai Jing as our common enemy, Zhao Mingcheng and I are undoubtedly natural allies." He continued, "Cai Jing has been in power for decades, and he has always been ruthless in eliminating dissidents. Now, no one in the court can rival him, and with Gao Qiu and Tong Guan on his side, even the Emperor has to give way!" Zhao Mingcheng looked anxious and said, "Are we just supposed to watch Cai Jing roam freely in Dongjing without any recourse?" Wang Hao said, "Not entirely!" A glimmer of hope ignited in Zhao Mingcheng. Wang Hao looked up and said, "Please enlighten me, Brother Xianmeng!" Wang Hao replied, "Avoid their sharp edge, be loyal to the emperor and the country! Only in this way can we possibly restore order and restore a bright and clear world." Zhao Mingcheng asked in confusion, repeating, "Avoid their sharp edge, be loyal to the emperor and the country?" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "I have other matters to attend to. I will visit another day. I must take my leave now!" Cui Zhigong understood, "In officialdom, people always say half and leave the other half unsaid. Wang Hao's willingness to express his attitude is already quite sincere!" He said, "Xianmeng bears the emperor's heavy trust, and I cannot force him to stay. I will be hosting a family banquet at my residence tomorrow. Please do not break your promise, Xianmeng." Wang Hao cupped his hands and said, "Since you have extended such a warm invitation, I will gladly accept your invitation, rain or shine!" Cui Zhigong said, "Good! Good! Good! Defu, please see Xianmeng out for me!" After saying this, Zhao Mingcheng saw Wang Hao to the door.

After Wang Hao left, Cui Zhigong asked, "Do you know the profound meaning behind 'avoiding the sharp edge, remaining loyal to the emperor and serving the country'?" Zhao Mingcheng shook his head and said, "This student is dull-witted; please enlighten me, sir!" Cui Zhigong sighed slightly and said, "You are in your forties, I am in my fifties, and Wang Hao is not yet of age. However, in terms of strategy and vision, we are both inferior!" Zhao Mingcheng said, "Although this student is dull-witted, I am still self-aware. It's just that you, sir, have fought with Cai Jing for decades without ever being at a disadvantage. Wang Hao is still young; how can he compare to you?" Cui Zhigong shook his head and said, "When I fought with Cai Jing, I left Dongjing and was appointed an official in Qingzhou. Wang Hao, however, fought with Cai Jing, but from beginning to end, he was enveloped in the emperor's holy light, preventing his opponent from making any rash moves. Now there are even rumors that the emperor intends to recruit Wang Hao as his son-in-law as a sign of favor!" Zhao Mingcheng suddenly understood and said, "Is this what Wang Hao meant by 'remaining loyal to the emperor and serving the country'?" Cui Cui Zhigong nodded and said, “From an ordinary perspective, Wang Hao’s actions were erratic and arrogant, even somewhat reckless! But upon closer examination, they were all brilliant. Take Jiaozhou Bay as an example. This was a joint effort by Cai Jing and Gao Qiu to attack Wang Hao, transferring him away from Tokyo and removing him from the protection of imperial power. Without the supervision of the emperor, wouldn’t it be incredibly easy for Cai Jing, the tiger, and Gao Qiu, the wolf, to kill Wang Hao, the rabbit?” Zhao Mingcheng nodded and said, “Indeed!” Cui Zhigong continued, “In reality, Cai Jing is still a tiger, and Gao Qiu is still a wolf, but Wang Hao is not a rabbit; he is a tiger shark in the ocean! It’s just that this tiger shark is still young, the size of a rabbit. Although tigers and wolves are powerful, they cannot venture into the sea; Jiaozhou, a county, is able to break free from the jurisdiction of the Three Departments and Six Ministries and be directly under the emperor. Once this tiger shark, Wang Hao, grows up, there will surely be a day when he clashes with the aging tiger and wolf. It’s not hard to guess what the outcome will be then!”

Zhao Mingcheng pondered for a moment and said, "To guard against the underhanded tactics of Cai Jing and Gao Qiu, Wang Hao kept Jiaozhou outside the established system of the court. However, in doing so, he also lost all the financial and human resources support from the court. Isn't this price too high?" Cui Zhigong sneered and said, "If Wang Hao hadn't done this, given Cai Jing's character, he might have acted fairly and provided funds and provisions according to the law; or, if Cai Jing had sent officials to Jiaozhou, would Wang Hao have dared to appoint them with confidence? Neither is possible!" Zhao Mingcheng understood and said, "So Wang Hao directly shielded the court from Jiaozhou, only obeying the Emperor's orders?" Cui Zhigong nodded and said, "Exactly! Publicly, Wang Hao's use of his private wealth to develop Jiaozhou, even if it cannot help the Emperor recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, can at least stabilize the coast and benefit the people; privately, if Wang Hao succeeds..." "Success will be a great achievement, and a meteoric rise to power is inevitable." Zhao Mingcheng said with a worried expression, "The alliance with the Jurchens by sea was Tong Guan's suggestion, and the registrar and county constable of Laoshan County are both men of Cai Jing and Gao Qiu. Even if Wang Hao succeeds in the future, it is highly likely that Cai Jing and his associates will steal the credit?" Cui Zhigong said, "Wang Hao is not like you or me. He is not only a capable minister, but also the Emperor's favorite. The Emperor's announcement of recruiting Wang Hao as his son-in-law is probably more about letting the court officials understand his attitude towards Wang Hao!" Zhao Mingcheng finally saw through the scheme and said, "So the biggest reason why Cai Jing and Gao Qiu are wary of Wang Hao is that Wang Hao is also deeply trusted by the Emperor?" Cui Zhigong's face turned angry and he said, "Be careful what you say! Be careful what you say! Some things are best left unsaid; saying them aloud will only bring disaster!"

Inside the inn, Wang Hao asked, "How's the grain price inquiry going?" Chen Song replied, "The grain price in Qingzhou is indeed much lower than in Mizhou and Laizhou. Even with the travel expenses, it's still profitable. However, 300,000 shi of grain is a huge amount; it seems no one in Qingzhou, except for the government granary, can handle that much." Wang Hao then asked, "How's your plan to monopolize the raw material supply for Eight Immortals Wine going?" Chen Song answered, "Millet is not under the control of the imperial court. Even if the distillery's production increases tenfold in the future, I can still find a sufficient supply." Wang Hao was very pleased. Satisfied, Wang Hao said, "I have already met with Pacification Commissioner Cui, and he has agreed to sell us 300,000 shi of grain. However, we are currently short of funds and must wait until after the Fanlou auction to proceed." Chen Song asked, "Has the price been agreed upon?" Wang Hao replied, "One shi of rice is 650 wen, and one shi of bran is 550 wen, with no limit on the ratio." Chen Song said, "Two jin of rice per person per day is enough to fill their stomachs, but three jin of bran is barely enough. Rice may seem expensive, but it is actually more cost-effective." What Chen Song said was indeed beyond Wang Hao's consideration, but the reasoning behind it was quite simple. Wang Hao said, "Your thinking is thorough; you deserve credit!" Chen Song smiled and said, "Although the trading company is established, we currently have no way to make money. I need your guidance on this matter, young master!" Wang Hao said, "After the 300,000 shi of grain are transported back to Jiaozhou, they will be stored in the county government's treasury. Your trading company will start branches in various villages and towns, firstly to purchase goods from fishermen, and secondly to sell grain on behalf of the county government. As for the trading company, it will earn the price difference." Chen Song asked again, "How will the price difference be determined?" Wang Hao said, "After returning to Jiaozhou, we will trial it for a month, and then you and I will determine it based on the actual situation." Chen Song didn't say much, but said, "Young master is wise!"

After Chen Song left, Wang Hao summoned the Mohists and said, "You've all been living amidst mountains and rivers for so long, are you adjusting well?" Di Qinyang replied, "My Uncle Chunqiu often says, 'Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.' Following you, young master, from Mingzhou to Tokyo, from Tokyo to Jiaozhou, and now we're in Qingzhou. Every region, every city, has its own story, its own unique characteristics. The trajectories of the stars remain unchanged, the great principles of heaven and earth remain unchanged, but the customs and sentiments of the people are constantly changing." Wang Hao agreed, saying, "After Dong Zhongshu's Confucianism, the Confucian school intended to use the Three Thousand Great Principles as its framework to construct an unchanging golden age. This grand goal was... [The sentence is incomplete and ends abruptly.]" "Even the most outstanding Confucian scholars of their generation attempted this, yet dynastic changes never ceased. Have you ever wondered why?" Di Qinyang said, "The three thousand great principles are ethereal and elusive; even sages can only grasp their superficial aspects, let alone ordinary people like us." Wang Hao said, "A person who hasn't grasped the truth yet believes he has, and who convinces the rulers of this belief, will likely only result in the nation's contradictions accumulating until they suddenly erupt, leading to destruction and re-establishment." Di Qinyang nodded and then shook his head, saying, "Emperors come and go, but the court's system remains unchanged, resulting in one cycle after another!"