New Policies in Sichuan

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Meng Xuanzhe's kowtow effectively sealed the matter in the imperial court.

Though the nails were firmly in place, the air in the hall seemed to suddenly come alive. The deathly silence created by the promise of "borrowing a county, a granary, and three months' worth of supplies" lasted only a few breaths before flowing again in a manner perfectly suited to the ecosystem of feudal officialdom—

First came a low inhalation sound.

Then came the soft rustling of the cuffs brushing together.

Then, there were layers upon layers of eyes, all pretending to be dignified, flying around.

Some people looked at Meng Xuanzhe as if he were a young man who had just jumped off the roof of a theater and still dared to say that he was good at light-footed kung fu.

Someone looked at the Ministry of War as if asking: "Is your troop of unlucky soldiers going to be used as a testing ground by the Crown Prince?"

Some people were looking at Han Chongdu, their meaning clear: Prime Minister Han, come out and say something. You can't really let the Crown Prince tear this hole open, can you?

Meng Xuanzhe knelt steadily, but he knew exactly what was going on in his mind.

In a place like the imperial court, what is most feared is never open opposition.

It's that kind of silence where "everyone feels something's wrong, but no one speaks up first, waiting for the first unlucky one to step forward."

Sure enough, the unlucky guy arrived soon after.

The Vice Minister of War stepped forward first, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, we dare not disrespect Your Highness's concern for the country. However, matters of state are interconnected, and a single hair can affect the whole situation. The storage of a county's granary can be managed on a trial basis, but a troop of soldiers... is no child's play. If we lightly entrust them to the Crown Prince for a trial, we fear it will damage the morale of the army."

Okay, first one.

That was a very well said statement.

It wasn't that they opposed the crown prince, but that they "felt sorry for the morale of the army"; it wasn't that they thought the crown prince was incompetent, but that they were afraid of "lightly handing him over to test his abilities"; it wasn't that they wanted to protect past grievances, but that they were worried that "military and national affairs are not child's play".

Meng Xuanzhe mentally noted him down: Vice Minister of War, a typical professional oppositionist, adept at packaging "I don't want you to touch it" as "I'm doing this for your own good".

Before he could even speak, someone from the Ministry of Revenue followed up with a finishing blow.

"Your Majesty, I also have something to say. The distribution of grain in the granaries of various counties has been complicated recently. If the Crown Prince were to suddenly take charge of the investigation, the local people would surely be alarmed. The most dangerous thing about rice prices is that people's hearts would be thrown into chaos. Your Highness has just taken charge of the Crown Prince. If you were to alarm the officials, merchants, and gentry below all at once, I fear that you would suffer harm before you see any benefit."

Second place.

This one is more particular.

The Ministry of War focused on "military morale," while the Ministry of Revenue focused on "people's hearts," emphasizing that it wasn't that you couldn't do it, but that if you did, chaos would ensue below.

In other words:

It's okay if the pot is leaking, but don't shout it out loud, otherwise everyone will know the pot is leaking and the food will taste even worse.

A logic very characteristic of the Later Shu dynasty.

Meng Xuanzhe almost wanted to applaud.

If he hadn't seen those porridge pots at the city gate with his own eyes last night, he might have actually been moved by the words of these people and thought they were all wise and experienced strategists who cared deeply about the country and its people.

Unfortunately, he had already seen it.

I've seen a woman carrying a baby almost sell her daughter, an old woman from a military household begging for a bowl of porridge with her soldier's badge, and a constable reaching out to collect "fire loss money." I've also seen that phrase—

It's not that there's no food in the granary, it's just that it's not their turn.

So now, hearing these lofty pronouncements of "do not act rashly," "do not disturb," and "do not lose your composure," only one thought remained in his mind:

You're not afraid of chaos.

You're afraid someone will actually dig up the bottom of that pot.

On the throne, Meng Chang did not rush to speak, but only looked up at the court officials, clearly waiting for more people to express their opinions.

That's very much the mindset of an emperor.

He had already agreed to the Crown Prince's request, and if he immediately suppressed the ministers, it would seem too biased; but if he let them speak first, he could see how much backlash this matter would cause, and also see whether he, the newly established Crown Prince, was just good at saying nice things when he was in the heat of the moment, or whether he could withstand the tough challenges ahead.

Meng Xuanzhe could more or less guess what his adoptive father, the emperor, was thinking.

To put it bluntly, Meng Chang was willing to give them a chance, but he was absolutely unwilling to put himself in a difficult position.

After all, a son can be tested, but an emperor cannot easily admit his mistakes.

Admitting to it means that last night's urgent report, this morning's news report, and the false accounts and messes in the localities were not just occasional oversights at the lower levels, but rather that the entire court was pretending to be asleep.

This is a huge burden, so huge that even the emperor wouldn't be willing to immediately put it on his own back.

At this moment, Han Chongdu finally stepped forward slowly.

Many people in the hall had their eyes slightly brightened.

coming.

The real expert has arrived.

Han Chongdu first bowed to the throne, then cupped his hands to Meng Xuanzhe, his posture still impeccable.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness."

"Your Highness's words just now were clearly heard by this old minister. Your Highness has witnessed the famine and suffering, and is concerned about the people. You are willing to personally govern the prefectures and counties as the Crown Prince. This ambition alone is far more powerful than empty talk on paper."

First, praise them.

The praise was quite sincere.

If any of the officials in the court were not knowledgeable about the matter, upon hearing this, they would probably already think that Chancellor Han was indeed mature and prudent, worthy of being a pillar of the state.

But Meng Xuanzhe knew very well that the better the praise, the sharper the knife would usually be afterward.

Sure enough, the next sentence came.

"only--"

Just know.

The "only" in feudal officialdom is almost at the same level of danger as the "but we must also see" in modern meeting minutes.

"However, governing a country is not like managing a porridge shed, nor is managing an army like managing a pot of rice," Han Chongdu said slowly. "Your Highness, when you first see suffering, your heart is filled with compassion, which naturally inspires your determination. But determination is valuable, but it cannot replace rules; ambition is admirable, but it cannot replace maturity."

"If Your Highness truly wishes to test it, this old minister dares not say it is impossible. However, a county, a granary, and a troop of soldiers are not small, nor are they large. Especially a troop of soldiers, if they are not trained well, not managed well, and their pay is not distributed evenly, it will not only damage the Crown Prince's reputation for a short time, but also the laws of the court and the morale of the army."

"Your Majesty just decided on the Crown Prince last night, and today you are starting a new chapter. If this chapter is not stable, I fear the world will not see the Crown Prince's vigor, but rather the instability of the court."

After he finished speaking, several people in the hall nodded secretly.

Very clever.

That's really brilliant.

He didn't say the crown prince couldn't be the crown prince, he only said the crown prince was "too hasty";

Instead of saying the new policy is ineffective, we should say that "the rules and regulations are not yet complete."

Instead of saying the court was wrong, they only said it "repeatedly damaged trust".

In layman's terms, it would be roughly:

I understand your passion; I respect your desire to do it; but you are too young, too impulsive, and too unstable. If I really let you go down and cause trouble today, and you mess it up, it won't just be you who loses face, but the entire court.

Anyone who hears this would agree that it makes sense.

Even Meng Xuanzhe himself wanted to say: "Prime Minister Han, if you were to write a work summary, you would definitely be a top talent who could write 'explicitly opposed' as 'prudently supportive of conditional advancement'."

Unfortunately, the more eloquent the reasoning, the less it can conceal one fact—

They weren't discussing whether there was a problem or not.

They were discussing whether the problem could continue to be treated decently as if it weren't a problem.

Meng Xuanzhe didn't reply immediately, but glanced at Han Chongdu first.

Old fox.

Moreover, he's an old fox who wears brocade robes, can recite the classics, and can make every cut perfectly.

This is the kind of person you should never confront directly.

If you immediately accuse him of "you just don't want me to check the accounts," he can easily portray you as impetuous and rude. Even if you're telling the truth, it will sound like you got agitated first.

Therefore, the way to deal with this kind of person is not to compete on who can talk more profoundly.

It's a competition of who can better bring profound truths down to earth.

Meng Xuanzhe then stepped out of his seat and bowed to Han Chongdu.

"What Han Xiang said is excellent."

Upon hearing this, Han Chongdu's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Not only him, but also several officials who were about to continue to persuade him paused.

What does that mean?

Is the Crown Prince going to take her in?

No way, just now he was stabbing people in the heart with every word he said in court, and now he's suddenly being reasonable?

Meng Xuanzhe, of course, did not accept it.

He simply decided to change his playing style.

"Governing a country isn't about managing a porridge shed, nor is managing an army about managing a pot of rice—I agree with that." His expression was calm, and his tone even carried a hint of earnest inquiry. "But I also want to ask Prime Minister Han, if a porridge shed is already in such disarray, and a pot of rice can be devoured layer by layer, then how well can the administration of a county, the grain reserves of a granary, and the troops of a unit be managed?"

Upon hearing this, many people in the hall changed their expressions again.

Because this is not a bargaining game.

This is following your words, Prime Minister Han, and directly exposes the truth of the matter.

You say you can't take one pot of porridge as the whole picture, then let me ask you: if the bottom pot is all rotten, how can the whole picture be good?

Han Chongdu's expression remained unchanged, and he was about to speak when Meng Xuanzhe didn't give him a chance to respond immediately, continuing:

"Han Xiang also said that military affairs should not be taken lightly."

I wholeheartedly agree.

"Therefore, I only ask for one troop of soldiers, not ten battalions of imperial guards; I only ask for one county and one granary, not to mobilize all the prefectures and counties in the world."

"What I seek is precisely the smallest place to test my skills."

"If this county is truly as you all say, merely a temporary oversight by the local authorities without any major problems, then I will spend three months straightening it out, which can be considered as patching up a loophole for the court."

"If this county truly harbors problems such as inaccurate granary records, neglected military households, falsified troop registers, and rampant embezzlement by powerful local lords—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over several faces in the hall that were clearly starting to tighten.

"That also proves that what I requested today is not to disrupt the established order, but to supplement the established order of the court."

These few words were delivered with great conviction.

It's not sharp, it doesn't explode, but it's very hard.

Han Chongdu's previous logic of "the crown prince is too hasty, and the court should not act rashly" was subtly reversed by him, directly becoming—

I'm not trying to create chaos, it's just that things are already in chaos down there.

What I'm asking for is not a major undertaking, but a very small pilot project.

If there are no problems, I can vouch for you that there are no problems;

If there really is a problem, it's not something I caused; it was always there.

That would be difficult to answer.

If you still object, it's tantamount to admitting one thing: not even the smallest pilot project can be touched.

Then others will inevitably wonder, are you afraid that the Crown Prince will cause trouble, or are you afraid that the Crown Prince will actually touch something?

Seeing that Han Chongdu couldn't respond immediately, the Vice Minister of War grew anxious and tried to step in again: "Your Highness, while this makes sense, the military is not ordinary. Soldiers are not like local officials; to treat them lightly—"

"Does the Ministry of War think that the current military situation is good?" Meng Xuanzhe looked at him.

The Vice Minister of War choked back a sob: "That's not what I meant."

"So what do you mean?" Meng Xuanzhe pressed, his tone flat. "Do you think that troop of soldiers is good and shouldn't be given to me; or do you think that troop of soldiers is too bad and shouldn't be given to me at all?"

Vice Minister of War: "..."

This question is a complete trap.

Once it's agreed, the Crown Prince can then naturally add, "If that's so, why not lend it to me?"

To say it's rotten would be even worse, as it would be tantamount to admitting that the Ministry of War's forces had become a corrupt and incompetent unit.

This is called the art of questioning.

It's not about how loud you are, but about whether you can make the other person uncomfortable with every answer you give.

The Vice Minister of War hesitated for a long time before finally managing to say, "The strength or weakness of the army requires time to adjust..."

"Very good." Meng Xuanzhe nodded. "Then I will use these three months to see how long it actually takes."

Vice Minister of War: "..."

He finally shut up.

It's not that I don't want to talk about it, it's that if I continue, it feels like I'm helping the prince build a ladder for him.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became subtle.

Several officials who had initially intended to join in the persuasion fell into a subtle silence.

Because they discovered that the new crown prince was different from the one who had spoken harshly in Hanyuan Hall the previous night.

Last night, he seemed to have just woken up, still hot-tempered, with a kind of "I saw it with my own eyes, so don't try to fool me" kind of temper.

Today, he was noticeably more composed.

The words were still sharp, but not chaotic.

The question is still straightforward, but every sentence is logical.

Like a knife just pulled from the fire, it was scalding hot last night, but its edge has already begun to show this morning.

This is going to be difficult to deal with.

Gao Chengli stood to the side of the hall, his eyelids twitching as he watched.

What he feared most was that the Crown Prince, young and impetuous, would clash fiercely with Han Chongdu, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue in court. Even if he was in the right, he would easily be labeled as "wearing his emotions on his sleeve."

But as he looked at it, a stranger fear began to rise within him—

This prince seems to really know how.

It's not just about being infuriating; it's about explaining things step by step so that others can't pretend to be confused.

This is more frightening than simply getting angry.

Because you can persuade someone who's angry, but you generally can't persuade someone who's truly capable.

On the throne, Meng Chang remained silent.

He lowered his eyes, tapping the imperial desk lightly with his fingers, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

Those familiar with the emperor's temperament know that when it comes to truly weighing matters, His Majesty is the quietest.

At this moment, Meng Chang's feelings were also somewhat complicated.

He didn't see the pot of porridge at the city gate last night;

He saw clearly the debate that took place at the morning assembly this morning.

His son is indeed different from before.

The Meng Xuanzhe of the past was literate, knew etiquette, and was quite intelligent, but he certainly didn't have this insistence on speaking his mind so clearly. Nor would he, surrounded by courtiers, ask questions that no one wanted to answer directly.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Meng Chang couldn't say for sure for the time being.

The benefits are obvious—the Crown Prince's palace gained popularity, gained prominence, and showed a genuine willingness to take on responsibilities.

The downsides are equally obvious—it's too sharp, too fast, too much like a knife that's about to draw blood as soon as it's drawn.

In a place like the imperial court, the blade is too sharp; it can easily injure others, and it can easily injure oneself.

Having thought this through, he finally spoke: "Have you said enough?"

The moment the throne struck, the entire hall fell silent.

Meng Chang's gaze slowly swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Meng Xuanzhe.

"Xuan Zhe".

"Your subject is here."

"If you want to try, I grant it," Meng Chang said calmly. "But what Han Xiang and the others are worried about isn't entirely unfounded. You're asking for a county, a granary, and a troop of soldiers, not to spite someone in the street. If you lose, you can't just dust yourself off and say you'll try again next time."

"So, I'll ask you one more time—"

"Are you really going to accept?"

This was the last time the emperor would leave him any leeway.

The meaning is very clear:

If you take the opportunity to say now, "Your subject is merely requesting permission and preparations are still needed," then this matter can be delayed.

If you take another step forward, it won't just be a battle of egos anymore; it will be a real fight.

Meng Xuanzhe certainly wouldn't back down.

It's not just because it would be embarrassing to quit.

Furthermore, he was well aware that if such a breach wasn't made today, it might not be possible to make one tomorrow. One of the court's greatest strengths was to smooth over all the sensitive issues and turn them into "to be discussed another day."

And "tomorrow" often means "don't mention it next time."

So he bowed again without hesitation: "Since your son has asked, I will naturally accept."

"Very well." Meng Chang nodded, turning his gaze to the center of the hall. "In that case, there's no need for you gentlemen to argue any further. The pilot program will proceed as the Crown Prince has requested."

At this point, it's practically a done deal.

But the most crucial sentence is yet to come.

Meng Chang paused slightly, then suddenly added:

"However, he cannot choose the location himself."

Meng Xuanzhe silently thought, "Oh."

coming.

As expected, they wouldn't let him choose for himself.

An emperor is an emperor after all. He must give opportunities, but he must also guard against the Crown Prince choosing easy tasks to achieve and make himself appear wise and powerful.

This is normal.

In fact, one could argue that if he didn't do it this way, he wouldn't seem like Meng Chang at all.

Sure enough, Han Chongdu immediately followed up, as if he had been waiting for those words.

"Your Majesty's judgment is wise." He bowed slightly. "Since it is a test, it should be done in the place where the true strength is revealed. If the place is peaceful, the granaries are full, and the troops are well-disciplined, then whether or not we test it will not reveal anything."

Upon hearing this, Meng Xuanzhe almost burst out laughing.

Okay.

Just moments ago they were saying "Don't act rashly" and "Don't treat this lightly," but now that they see the Crown Prince has really opened a breach, they immediately change their approach—since they can't stop him, they'll just pick the worst possible pit for him.

Very pragmatic.

Extremely bureaucratic.

The Later Shu Dynasty was extremely powerful.

Meng Chang clearly shared this view, and said, "Since Minister Han has put it this way, is there a suitable precedent?"

Han Chongdu bowed his head and replied, "After I returned last night, I also thought about it. If we were to test it, among the counties near Chengdu, Huayang and Xinjin may have fluctuating rice prices, but they are close to the capital and have too many external supporters, so they are not enough to demonstrate true merit."

He paused for a moment before slowly uttering a place name.

"In my opinion, it would be better to go to Qingcheng County."

Upon hearing this, several people in the class raised their eyes slightly.

Meng Xuanzhe remained expressionless, but his mind immediately began to search for the original owner's memories.

Qingcheng County.

Located northwest of Chengdu, it's not too far from Beijing, but it's certainly not close either. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, with fields and roads, it seems passable on the surface, but deeper down, it's rife with problems.

To put it bluntly and in the worst-case scenario—

This is a perfect pit for burying people.

Why?

Because it has all sorts of flaws.

The granaries were dilapidated, local tyrants were numerous, the village's irrigation system was old and broken, the rice transport route was sometimes open and sometimes closed, the military households were scattered, and there was still a group of exhausted soldiers nominally stationed in the county, but whose reputation was extremely poor.

The best part is that it's neither ridiculously poor nor so rotten that it's obvious at a glance.

It's a typical place where "everyone knows there's a problem, but no one is too lazy to put in the effort to fix it; they can usually get away with it, but once something serious happens, they all show up at once."

This kind of place is most suitable for former officials to use for testing people.

Because if you don't do well, the entire court can confidently say: "See? It's not that we didn't let you try, it's that you're not good enough."

Han Chongdu raised his head, his expression calm: "Qingcheng County is a place where many things are complicated and where things are best understood. If Your Highness can handle the clearing of the granary accounts, stabilize rice prices, and reorganize the troops here, then no one else will have anything to say."

What a convenient way to say, "Others have nothing to say."

The subtext is: if you can't do it, then there will be a lot of talk from others.

Meng Xuanzhe sighed inwardly.

Han Xiang, you really do never fire a shot without a hit.

The intention behind this move was to make him come back three months later, floundering in the mud, apologizing for his actions.

Several other people in the court immediately echoed this sentiment.

"Qingcheng County is indeed a suitable place to try out different methods."

"This place is close to the capital and not easy to come by, which is just right for Your Highness to gain experience."

"If Your Highness is truly committed to this task, this county will be the best place to see results."

Each sentence sounds like a helping hand, but upon closer inspection, they're all traps.

Gao Chengli stood to the side of the hall, his vision blurring into darkness.

It’s over.

They really picked a bad one.

Others might not know, but he, someone who had heard rumors from all corners of the palace, knew that Qingcheng County, though not famous, was rife with problems. Especially that particular troop of soldiers—even the Imperial Guards considered it an omen of bad luck.

The troops were not all present, the pay was uneven, the equipment was broken, the training ground was deserted, and the former captains were either sick or feigning death.

It's like a pot of stale, half-cooked rice mixed with sand.

Gao Chengli secretly glanced at Meng Xuanzhe, silently lighting a candle for the Crown Prince in his heart.

Last night, this prince was still passionately declaring at the city gate, "If they can't survive, what's the point of me being the crown prince?" This morning, he happily received a complete and luxurious mess-up package from Qingcheng County.

This starting luck is like a feudal version of hellish difficulty.

To everyone's surprise, Meng Xuanzhe showed no hesitation whatsoever after hearing the words "Qingcheng County".

He even smiled.

The smile wasn't loud, but it made Han Chongdu's eyes narrow.

"Prime Minister Han made a good choice." Meng Xuanzhe cupped his hands in greeting. "If I didn't even dare to accept a place like this, then what I just said would have truly become mere empty talk in the court."

"Qingcheng County, I accept."

happy.

That felt so good.

The entire court fell silent for a moment, feeling a sense of relief.

They had initially thought that the Crown Prince would at least hesitate, argue a bit more, and request to choose another county. After all, anyone who had been to Qingcheng County knew how troublesome it was; let alone a newly appointed Crown Prince, even an ordinary, seasoned official would have a headache for three days before he even arrived.

He didn't even stutter once.

This, in turn, makes things a bit confusing.

Did he genuinely not know how bad Qingcheng County was, or did he know but still insist on taking over?

If it's the former, it still shows youthful vigor;

If it's the latter... then it's even more troublesome.

Meng Chang looked at his son, his gaze deepening.

"Since you won't object, then let's settle on Qingcheng County." He said slowly, "The granary will be allocated from the official granary in Qingcheng. As for soldiers—the Ministry of War will allocate them from the garrison stationed in Qingcheng to the Crown Prince."

The Vice Minister of War's face was as bitter as a persimmon, but he could only grit his teeth and accept the order: "Your subject... obeys the decree."

Meng Chang then looked at Meng Xuanzhe: "The deadline is three months. After three months, I want to see the results, not just empty words."

"Your subject understands."

"After the court session, you will go to the Secretariat, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of War to collect documents and allocate personnel." Meng Chang paused here, his tone finally carrying a genuine warning, "But remember, since this is a test, you must not take the opportunity to sweep everything aside or recklessly alter the overall situation. If you succeed, that's your ability; if you fail, don't blame the court for disrespecting you."

The meaning is already quite clear.

I'll give you power, but not much;

I'll give you a way in, but you're not allowed to tear down the wall while you're at it;

If you succeed, then you're capable; if you fail, don't make excuses.

Very standard monarchical support.

Meng Xuanzhe bowed again: "Your subject accepts the decree."

At this point, the matter was finally settled.

As the court bell rang, officials slowly withdrew from their posts.

But today's gathering was clearly different from usual.

Many people slowed their pace slightly, as if they wanted to leave but also wanted to take a few more glances. Several officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue huddled together, exchanging whispered glances, clearly plotting how to "cooperate" with the Crown Prince. As for those who were praising the "eternal stability of the nation's foundation" last night, their gazes towards Meng Xuanzhe now held a complex mix of emotions, as if they were enjoying the spectacle.

The meaning is also very straightforward:

Your Highness, this is the job you requested yourself.

Now, the work has come.

And it's the kind that's the hardest to dry.

Han Chongdu was the last to leave.

As he passed by Meng Xuanzhe, the old gentleman paused and turned slightly to the side.

"Your Highness," he said in a low voice, barely audible to those around him, "Qingcheng County is not a chaotic mess. If Your Highness relies solely on the passion you had last night, I'm afraid it won't be enough."

Meng Xuanzhe also turned to the side, smiling politely.

"Don't worry, Prime Minister Han."

"If I relied solely on passion, I should have overturned the pot last night."

Han Chongdu's eyes darkened.

This sounds like a joke, but the meaning behind it is quite clear—

I didn't lift the pot last night, not because I was impulsive, but because I knew to establish rules before trying to save people.

If you still think of me as a kid who only knows how to get angry, then you've misjudged me.

Their eyes met briefly before looking away.

Han Chongdu tucked his sleeves and left, his back view still as steady as an old monument.

But Meng Xuanzhe knew that the first round was over.

Not a complete victory.

But at least, he didn't show weakness in front of this old fox.

Gao Chengli then jogged up, lowering his voice as if afraid of being overheard: "Your Highness, are you really going to accept it?"

Meng Xuanzhe glanced at him: "The imperial decree has already been issued, aren't you going to take my place?"

Gao Chengli waved her hands repeatedly: "How could this servant have such a fate!"

Meng Xuanzhe chuckled and took a step forward.

The morning light was already strong on the palace path, making the floor tiles shine and casting long shadows on everyone.

"Let's put fate aside for now," he said as he walked. "You first need to do three things for me."

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"First, keep a close watch on all the rosters, soldier tags, copper coins collected, and those constables from the city gate last night. If anything is missing, I'll take you to replace it."

Gao Chengli's scalp tightened: "This servant understands."

"Secondly, go to the Eastern Palace and pick out all the people who can write and calculate, and who aren't afraid to stay up all night. Don't pick those who can say auspicious words, pick those who can do account reconciliation. If you really can't tell the difference—"

Meng Xuanzhe paused, then said expressionlessly:

"Just pick the kind that looks like they don't have many friends."

Gao Chengli: "..."

The selection criteria are quite unique.

"Third," Meng Xuanzhe continued, "go and inquire about Qingcheng County. The worse the better, the more detailed the better. I don't want those platitudes about 'simple and honest people and peaceful local conditions.' I want to know which powerful family is the biggest, which grain route is the most blocked, which granary is the emptier, and just how corrupt that troop of soldiers has become."

Gao Chengli's lips twitched.

He suddenly realized that His Highness was not preparing to go to Qingcheng County.

He was preparing to demolish Qingcheng County.

"Yes, this servant will go right away."

Meng Xuanzhe nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh, right."

"Does Your Highness have any further instructions?"

"Go tell Gu Chengyan to continue digging into those accounts from last night," Meng Xuanzhe said with a faint smile, "especially those from Qingcheng County."

I always feel—

"Since Han Xiang is so generous, he has offered me the place where the best methods can be seen. That place is probably more than just rotten."

As he said this, he lightly brushed off a non-existent speck of dust from his sleeve and looked up towards the direction outside the palace walls.

Qingcheng County.

One county, one warehouse, one troop of soldiers.

Not much was heard.

But he knew very well that for a court that was pretending to be asleep, this was enough to be the first line of attack.

The knife wasn't big.

But once you make the first cut, there will be plenty of places to bleed later.

Meng Xuanzhe suddenly smiled.

"Alright."

"So what if it's a rip-off?"

"Since we're already here, it would be disrespectful not to dance at least once."

A morning breeze swept across the palace road, making Gao Chengli's eyelids twitch again.

He suddenly had a very bad feeling—

This prince's trip to Qingcheng County may not really be for training purposes.

He was more like... copying homework, no, copying family assets.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the imperial court, someone had already quietly passed on the news that "the Crown Prince has taken over Qingcheng County."

Some people breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this hot potato had finally been thrown away.

Some people sneered, waiting to see the Crown Prince return in disgrace three months later.

Some people also had a vague sense of unease.

Because they suddenly realized that this new crown prince did not seem to be the kind of heir apparent who only knew how to recite texts in the palace.

He really dares to go down there.

They really dare to do that.

This has made many people who were originally sleeping soundly start to feel uneasy.

Meng Xuanzhe had already walked out of the palace gate. The morning light fell on his newly worn jade belt, which was so bright that it made people's eyes ache.

He looked up and gazed northwest.

That's the direction of Qingcheng County.

This was also the first piece of rotten land he would truly have to take over after transmigrating.

Only one thought flashed through his mind—

well.

Save one county first.

Look at the Later Shu, where exactly did it begin to rot completely?