After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 616 - 610 Establishing the Ministry of Industry

Chapter 616: Chapter 610 Establishing the Ministry of Industry

After the memorial was sent up, Yan Heng kept waiting, but there was no news for two days, and after five days there was still no news.

Yan Heng couldn’t help but frown.

Even if Gou Xi isn’t as diligent as before, it’s been five days, he should have seen it, right?

Yan Heng is not naive, not a novice just out in the world, he quickly realized that his memorial had been suppressed, so he, in anger, crawled out of bed and wrote another one!

In this fit, it seemed his illness improved a bit.

Yan Heng handed the written memorial to a servant, telling him with a stern face: "Pass this letter to General Pei and ask him to forward it."

Hmph, does Gou Chun think he’s the only one with connections?

He’s been building connections around the General for years, Yan Heng’s network is no less than Gou Chun’s.

The servant took the letter to General Pei.

Meanwhile, Zhao Hanzhang just received a letter from Zhao Zhongyu.

A letter can travel faster than a person; it takes just three days.

She casually opened it, sitting upright slowly...

Ji Yuan, who was waiting to discuss matters with her, couldn’t help but look over.

Zhao Hanzhang started pacing, "Uncle Grandfather is muddle-headed; someone like Yan Heng, why think of killing him? Wouldn’t bringing him over to our side be more beneficial?"

Ji Yuan listened, a knowing look flashed in his eyes, and he asked, "Did Yan Heng fall out with Gou Xi?"

Zhao Hanzhang showed the letter to Ji Yuan, "Not yet, but they’re close."

Ji Yuan scanned it and pondered, "If Gou Xi can’t use Yan Heng anymore, he won’t let him leave alive."

Zhao Hanzhang frowned, "Just as a bird chooses a good tree to perch on, if the ruler and the ministers can’t work in harmony, part ways is the option."

Which company would kill an employee for having different opinions?

Yan Heng is just a worker.

Ji Yuan closed the letter and said, "It might be possible for others, but Gou Xi is domineering and won’t allow Yan Heng to live."

Zhao Hanzhang had only heard of Gou Xi’s reputation for being honest and upright, and the later regrets of his downfall, this was the first time hearing someone say Gou Xi is domineering.

Ji Yuan, seeing her curiosity, smiled and said, "I once saw him several times following the Old Lord, this wasn’t my observation, but the Old Lord’s assertion."

He said, "When Gou Xi was honest and upright, he had requirements in his heart, not only demanding of himself but also holding others to the same standards, and because they were others, he was always doubtful, making the demands even stricter."

"Unlike the Old Lord’s integrity," Zhao Changyu was stingy, he lived frugally but was very good at managing, he preferred to hide the money gained from management rather than enjoy it himself, naturally, he wouldn’t let others enjoy it either.

So he was stingy towards himself and towards others, but he didn’t demand others to be stingy to themselves.

Zhao Changyu’s integrity was thus limited to himself, then he would set an example asking fellow officials to be somewhat more honest, and not to excessively exploit the people.

Gou Xi, however, did not. He was impartial and selfless, honest in office, asking of himself this way, and demanding others even more strictly, even requiring them to be like him.

"We can’t say he was wrong, but matters in this world are unclear, his demands are like a rope, when he keeps pulling the rope towards himself forcefully, the person at the other end is provoked to rebel, pulling towards the opposite end, and when both sides exert force, the rope snaps."

Ji Yuan said, "Moreover, Gou Xi is not only harsh towards colleagues but even more so towards the people and soldiers, the rules he sets, no one is allowed to disobey."

"But in this world, the foolish outnumber the wise, ordinary people are accustomed to being scattered, setting expectations should ideally give them a rope as long as possible within which they can operate freely. Gou Xi, only provides them a rope as small as a finger, expecting them to work within such a tiny boundary, how can the people not violate it?"

And once violated, punishment follows, hence the rumors of Gou Xi’s excessive severity among the Yan State people, though no one dares to say it to his face.

"But Gou Xi indeed was highly capable, with him, Yan State is like a fortress, the Xiongnu cannot easily invade, neither can the refugee army cause trouble in Yan State, allowing the people to barely live and work in peace."

Therefore while the people feel Gou Xi is harsh, they also greatly respect him. If he has indeed changed entirely as stated in the letter, will that respect remain?

Ji Yuan’s gaze flickered, looking up at Zhao Hanzhang. She reiterated more than once with them that regardless of whether they were seizing territory, fighting Xiongnu, or taking power from the court, the ultimate aim was for the subjects under their rule.

Only when the people are stable, can the lands be stable, enabling them to be stable!

Zhao Hanzhang turned and looked at him, meeting his gaze, she looked at Ji Yuan puzzled, "What’s the matter, sir?"

Ji Yuan smiled, shaking his head. He didn’t know what the future holds, but at least now Zhao Hanzhang thinks and does things this way.

He returned to the main topic, "In short, if you want to bring Yan Heng to your side, it won’t be easy, not because of Yan Heng, but because of Gou Xi. Yan State is his territory; snatching food from a tiger’s mouth won’t be easy."

Zhao Hanzhang became troubled, yet she was not willing to give up, "We must at least try."

So she gave this difficult task to Zhao Zhongyu. More heads are better than one, and Zhao Zhongyu is in Yun City; maybe he has a solution?

She told Zhao Zhongyu, Uncle Grandfather, we have to broaden our horizons. If you think Yan Heng is so capable, why not persuade him to come to Luoyang? Why let Gou Xi kill him, or keep him for his own use?

Zhao Hanzhang always showed eagerness for talented individuals, so she immediately wrote the letter and sent it to Yun City.

"Uncle Grandfather mentioned in the letter that Shen Ruhui and the other four are coming to Luoyang, all of them are officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Department, not only researching water mills but also experts in other water conservancy projects." She said, "For years, Luoyang has hardly repaired water works; canals are filled with dirt, twigs, and leaves, causing water shortages in spring and autumn, and in summer they even stink due to stagnant water. I have wanted to clean it up for a long time."

"But Luoyang has few people, some fields aren’t even cultivated, opening them would waste manpower, inevitably delaying irrigation for fields that are already planted. I planned some modifications to create better water conservancy projects for storage, so it’s perfect they are coming, the Ministry of Agriculture is built, the Water Department should be established too."

Ji Yuan slightly frowned, reminded, "Milady, you’re just an Inspector, you have no authority to establish a Water Department, how about changing the name? If word gets out, people outside might think you harbor disloyalty, and it would look bad for Your Majesty."

Zhao Hanzhang, willing to accept advice, nodded, "I was thinking the same, so I decided to establish a Ministry of Industry."

"Ministry of Industry?"

"Yes," Zhao Hanzhang said, "From now on, all civil engineering, water conservancy projects, machinery manufacturing, mining, and weaving under our rule will be governed by the Ministry of Industry."

Ji Yuan’s mouth gaped, "Wouldn’t that be the Winter Official?"