My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 408 Am I going to become a member of the Soviet Party too?
On July 9th, outside the capital city, Cheng Ziwen, who had just been released from prison, was seeing off his friend Liu Yingjie, the Provincial Governor of Henan.

“Brother Zihe (Liu Yingjie’s courtesy name), I never expected that you would leave the capital so soon after I was released from prison.”

Cheng Ziwen looked at his friend.

One of them was assigned to a post in Henan, and the other was about to be assigned to a post in Shandong. They didn't know when they would see each other again.

Liu Yingjie, on the other hand, was in high spirits. He smiled and said:

"Brother Wenchang (Chengziwenzi), perhaps in three years, Henan will be unable to levy commercial taxes, and I will be dismissed from my post by the court. How about I become your advisor then?"

The two of them laughed heartily.

Cheng Ziwen also knew that Liu Yingjie had made a military pledge to levy commercial taxes in Henan as soon as possible.

Cheng Ziwen, who had served as a provincial governor, was well aware of how complex the situation was in the localities.

Cheng Ziwen said:
"Now that Henan has fully implemented commercial taxation, we'll have to see how Huaiqing Prefecture performs."

Liu Yingjie nodded.

The imperial court approved Huaiqing Prefecture as a pilot area for tax sharing, so all the prefectures in Henan will be keeping a close eye on Huaiqing Prefecture.

If Huaiqing Prefecture takes off as a result and the Huaiqing Prefect is promoted, then the resistance to other prefectures levying commercial taxes will immediately be much smaller.

Given Liu Yingjie's prestige in Henan, he could easily persuade the entire province to levy commercial taxes.

However, if the tax-sharing reform in Huaiqing Prefecture fails and local unrest occurs, other prefects will inevitably back down, making it even more difficult to get Henan to levy commercial taxes.

Liu Yingjie was also gambling, betting his entire political future on the success of the tax reform in Huaiqing Prefecture.

Liu Yingjie said:
“Zhang Jing’an, the prefect of Huaiqing, is my old subordinate. He is a capable and efficient official. This time when I return to Henan, I will go to Huaiqing Prefecture first to discuss tax reform with him.”

Cheng Ziwen nodded, emphasizing that reform requires a highly capable team.

In times of stability, development can proceed simply by officials adopting a laissez-faire approach.

However, when reforms are needed, all sorts of problems will arise, and only capable officials can handle them.

This is why Gao Gong has always insisted on prioritizing talent in reform.

Seeing that Liu Yingjie was confident, Cheng Ziwen felt a little relieved.

He added:

"Huaiqing Prefecture needs the support of the imperial court to develop."

Liu Yingjie sighed and said:
"Yes, it is inseparable from the support of the imperial court."

Liu Yingjie said in a low voice:
"Brother Wenchang, guess who I met before I left the capital?"

"Who?"

"Su Ze Su Zilin".

"what?"

Liu Yingjie said:
"It was Su Zilin who came to the guesthouse to see me."

Cheng Ziwen frowned.

There was talk of a "Su Party" in the capital, which Cheng Ziwen scoffed at.

However, some people quickly identified themselves as members of the Soviet Party, which made Cheng Ziwen even more disgusted.

Of course, he didn't think Su Ze was forming a faction.

Su Ze's reputation was so great that even my own release from prison and continued service as an official was thanks to Su Ze.

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, who did not know of Hanlin Su's impartiality?
But why did Su Ze take the initiative to meet Liu Yingjie?
Liu Yingjie said:
"Su Zilin brought one more person with him."

"Who?"

"Li Wenquan, the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing and chairman of the Woyin Company."

Cheng Ziwen immediately said:
"Is this Prince Li planning to invest in building a factory in Huaiqing Prefecture?"

Liu Yingjie nodded and said:
"The Japanese Silver Company is planning to build a coal mine, a coking plant, and a coking chemical plant in Huaiqing Prefecture. I don't know what a chemical plant is, but I've heard that a type of fuel on the market is produced by a chemical plant."

Cheng Ziwen gasped:

"What a great handwriting!"

Liu Yingjie also said:

"Yes, that's quite a grand undertaking. I heard it uses the complete technology from the Eastern Palace Factory, and the Eastern Palace Factory in the capital will even send master craftsmen to assist in the construction."

Cheng Ziwen sighed:
“That’s right. The tax-sharing reform was originally Su Zilin’s idea. He wanted the reform in Huaiqing Prefecture to succeed even more than Brother Zihe.”

Cheng Ziwen then asked, "Didn't Su Zilin mention any conditions?"

Liu Yingjie looked at his old friend and asked with a smile:

"Brother Wenchang, are you referring to the 'Su Party'? No, Su Zilin didn't mention anything about the Su Party, nor did he mention any additional terms. His only requirement was that local gentry should also contribute shares to the local factories, and that the Japanese Silver Company would gradually reduce its shareholding after five years."

"Ah? Why is this?"

Liu Yingjie remarked with emotion:

"This also shows Su Zilin's foresight. He said that if the factories in Huaiqing Prefecture are owned by powerful figures from the capital, and the skilled craftsmen are all from other places, while the locals can only do the hardest and most tiring work, can such factories last long?"

"Only when local people pool their wisdom and efforts, local gentry can get rich through factories, skilled craftsmen can get stable and well-paid jobs in factories, and ordinary people can live in factories, can these factories grow bigger and bigger."

"Therefore, the Japanese Silver Company only provides the initial technology and investment, and the local authorities must take over the rest later."

After listening to Liu Yingjie's words, Cheng Ziwen nodded and sighed.

"No wonder the Ming Dynasty has undergone these changes; Su Zilin is truly farsighted."

Liu Yingjie said:
"With someone like Su Zilin in power, we old bones have to give it our all. This tax reform in Huaiqing Prefecture can only succeed, it cannot fail!"

Cheng Ziwen looked at his friend and thought of the scene when he passed the imperial examination and, after the observation period, he and Liu Yingjie parted ways outside the capital to take up their respective posts in the provinces.

At that time, both of them had recently passed the imperial examinations and were riding high on their success!
Now his temples are gray, but Cheng Ziwen still sees in his friend the same vibrant energy he had when he first entered officialdom!

Yes, in this era of great strife, if we cannot achieve something, then we are truly wasting this great era!
After recounting his own story, Liu Yingjie said:

“Brother Wenchang, you are going to Dengzhou and Laizhou to take up your post. This is also a place where you can do things.”

Cheng Ziwen nodded.

When he defended himself at the Ministry of Justice, he was already prepared to be questioned by the imperial court.

Later, public opinion reversed, and he made plans to return to his hometown, intending to open a bookstore there and teach the children of his fellow villagers.

Unexpectedly, the imperial court appointed him as the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou.

Now Cheng Ziwen was somewhat apprehensive.

If the court does not fail me, then I cannot fail the court.

This is probably the idea of ​​scholars over thousands of years.

Since the opening of the port, Dengzhou and Laizhou have been the economic and livelihood leaders in Shandong Province, and can be said to be the pearls of northern China during the Ming Dynasty.

Former Dengzhou-Laizhou governor Tu Zemin went to Guangxi to take over his mess. Even this time, the emperor personally issued an edict, but Tu Zemin was not summoned to the capital for an audience. Instead, he boarded a ship directly from Laizhou to Guangxi. Cheng Ziwen even felt a little guilty. He had to take over the excellent situation that Tu Zemin had built up over four or five years, but Tu Zemin had to go to Guangxi to clean up his mess.

Cheng Ziwen was also somewhat worried. What if he couldn't govern Dengzhou and Laizhou well? How would he face the imperial court then?
Cheng Ziwen sighed:

"These days, the thought of taking up my post in Dengzhou and Laizhou has kept me up at night. It's even harder to bear than the days I spent in the imperial prison!"

Liu Yingjie laughed heartily, revealing the same expression.

In any organization, everyone wants to get things done, especially officials like these two who have dreams.

When your superiors give you the conditions, the trust, and the stage to perform, anyone would feel uneasy.

Liu Yingjie felt the same way, which is why he hurriedly returned to Henan to implement the tax reform in Huaiqing Prefecture.

After seeing his friend off, Cheng Ziwen headed towards the guesthouse.

"Would you like to ride in the carriage, sir? We'll depart in just one more person!"

As soon as I entered the city gate, a boy of about ten years old came up to me and started a conversation.

Cheng Ziwen noticed that the child was dressed as a newspaper boy. It was past the time for selling newspapers, so he had probably taken on a part-time job attracting customers.

Cheng Ziwen nodded, and the newsboy led him to a carriage.

This is a new business in the capital.

With the Jiubian horse market becoming increasingly busy, horse prices in the capital are no longer prohibitively high.

The capital city was huge, and walking was too inconvenient, so horse-drawn carriages came into being.

These carriages were originally used for medium to long distances, traveling between counties and cities surrounding the capital.

It's not that they didn't want to do business in the city, but rather that the capital city used to be too congested, with too many street vendors occupying the roads, making it impossible to do business.

After the establishment of the Public Security Bureau, Deputy Director Li Defu used strong measures to maintain order on the main roads.

Li Defu then set up special markets for vendors in some open spaces, moving all the stalls that were occupying the road to these places.

This solved the problem of passage through the capital, allowing carriages to travel on the main roads of the capital.

Horse-drawn carriages quickly became popular in the city, since the capital still had the most wealthy people.

These carriages are all similar in style, with four enclosed compartments. The driver sits in front of the compartments, and the carriage departs once all the passengers have gathered.

When Cheng Ziwen left the city, he rode in Liu Yingjie's carriage, and now that he was going back, he simply chose the same carriage.

"Go to the State Guest House of the Court of State Ceremonies."

The driver was a middle-aged man who looked honest and kind. He asked cautiously:

"The Court of State Ceremonial is a bit far. How about three brass coins, sir?"

Cheng Ziwen asked:
"Can we depart now?"

The driver immediately said:

"Distribute it now, as soon as the elder gets on the bus!"

"Then three will do."

Cheng Ziwen readily paid the fare, and the driver immediately opened the carriage door, allowing Cheng Ziwen to get into the carriage.

The carriage has windows on both sides, and it's clear that the driver has taken good care of it; there's no strange smell inside.

At this moment, there was a middle-aged man and two young men sitting in the car. When they saw Cheng Ziwen get in, everyone's eyes swept over his face.

Both young men lowered their heads again, but the middle-aged man's gaze lingered on Cheng Ziwen's face for a moment before returning to the newspaper in his hands.

Are there any newspapers left on the train?

Cheng Ziwen asked:
Nowadays, those in the capital who can afford to ride in a horse-drawn carriage are basically literate scholars.

Therefore, in order to improve service, these carriages would also place the latest newspapers on them, which was a necessary operating cost.

"Yes, yes, all four major newspapers have them!"

Cheng Ziwen boarded the carriage. He originally wanted to read the "Yuefu Xinbao" but found that the other three newspapers were in the hands of the other three people, leaving only the "Xin Junzi Bao".

Cheng Ziwen reluctantly picked up the "New Gentleman's Daily". He didn't really like this kind of small newspaper that was biased towards Jiangnan, but he found that the "New Gentleman's Daily" had changed its style.
The entire New Gentleman's Gazette was filled with articles promoting the Han dynasty's colonial expansionist ideology, or recounting stories of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han's territorial expansion.

In addition, there were numerous articles opposing other ethnic groups.

For example, during the Yisibaxi Rebellion in Quanzhou at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the entire article was filled with the meaning of "those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts".

Guangxi should subscribe to newspapers like this!
But Cheng Ziwen remembered that he was no longer the Provincial Governor of Guangxi.

He read a few more articles and found that the transformation of the "New Gentleman's Daily" was quite successful. There was also an article in the newspaper about the conflict between the Han and Tu people in Guangxi, which was analyzed in a fairly simple and easy-to-understand way.

Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the guesthouse, and Cheng Ziwen paid the fare and got out.

The young man on the bus asked:
"Master He, do you know that person from just now?"

He Xinyin nodded and said:
"Cheng Ziwen, the former Provincial Treasurer of Guangxi, didn't our newspaper publish a lot of articles about him a few days ago?"

"Ah? So it's that sir!"

He Suxin quickly peeked out, but only saw Cheng Ziwen's back.

He Suxin respected Cheng Ziwen, an official who dared to take responsibility. She never expected to have the chance to ride in the same car with him, but it was a pity that they didn't get to chat for more than a few words.

He Suxin felt a little regretful, but He Xinyin said:

"I reckon you'll have another chance to meet Master Cheng in the future."

"Master He, why is this?"

“Last month, Master Yan wrote to me. He went to Laizhou and established the Laizhou Dockworkers' Union. Master Cheng is about to take up his post in Dengzhou and Laizhou. You might have a chance to see him again in the future.”

Yan Shi was Yan Jun. He Xinyin once studied under him. The two later parted ways due to differences in their academic philosophies, but He Xinyin still treated Yan Jun with the respect due to a teacher.

Yan Jun was originally a political prisoner, and was only released after being rescued by his fellow disciples.

After Yan Jun was released from prison, he went to Shandong and organized the canal transport workers to form a federation to protect their interests.

Such actions naturally incurred the wrath of local officials, and Yan Jun was soon blacklisted by the Shandong government.

However, Yan Jun was also a veteran political prisoner with rich experience in struggle. He was also highly respected and protected by scholars in many places. So Yan Jun traveled around the canal and established a federation in the important towns along the canal.

Now Yan Jun has set his sights on the laborers of Dengzhou and Laizhou ports. He Suxin doesn't know whether this is a blessing or a curse for the newly appointed governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou.
Cheng Ziwen was about to take office as the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, so he moved to the guesthouse as soon as he was released from prison.

He had just returned when he heard a junior official from the guesthouse come up and say:
"Lord Cheng, you're finally back! You have a distinguished guest!"

Cheng Ziwen was somewhat puzzled. He didn't have many relatives or friends in the capital, and he had just been released from prison and demoted. Many of his old acquaintances no longer kept in touch.

But the clerk refused to reveal who the distinguished guest was, so Cheng Ziwen had no choice but to follow him to the side hall where the guest was to be received.

In the side hall, he saw a familiar young figure, none other than Su Ze, whom he had seen in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice!

Beside Su Ze was a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious silk, exuding an air of wealth.

Upon seeing Cheng Ziwen, Su Ze immediately stood up and said to Cheng Ziwen:
"Lord Cheng, it's an honor to meet you!"

(End of this chapter)