Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
According to Ren Baqian’s plan, it would be best for the captives to do obligatory labor for three years, followed by five years of compulsory paid labor. They could be given slight freedom and a certain amount of rewards during this five year period, which would gradually increase as time passed.
In this manner, after eight years, the captives would be restored to their status as commoners
Of course, the Yun Nation would have already ceased to exist by then, and their homes would be gone as well. Some of them would leave, but there would also be some who would remain at ease and join another “construction team” as craftsmen. Alternatively, they could take up another labor job with wages.
After Ren Baqian was done writing all of this, he opened up the window. It was already very late at night, and the moon was already high up in the sky.
He turned around and saw food on the table, but he had no idea when it had been sent over. Even though it was already cold, he didn’t mind it at all because his stomach was already rumbling with hunger. He quickly gobbled the food down, lay down on his bed, and started cultivating the [Ruyi Visualization].
Early the next morning, after Ren Baqian was done teaching at school, he went back to the palace to look for the empress and showed her what he had written the night before.
The empress didn’t show much expression when she looked at the front page since it was natural to draw up regulations and systems. Even the aboriginals had their own systems that they followed. As an empress, she definitely knew about the effects of having order.
However, when she looked at the notes on another piece of paper, she asked in astonishment, “Pay them wages?”
All of Dayao is impoverished, and even a mouse would starve in the imperial treasury. After transporting back the spoils of war with great difficulty, the loot was almost robbed before it was even handed over to the Ministry of Revenue. Under such circumstances, you actually still want to pay wages to these captives?
“Even though I know that you think differently from the others, the world you come from is totally different from here. Are you ill to bring up such suggestions?” The empress put down the papers and looked at Ren Baqian.
Ren Baqian was between laughter and tears. However, he had already anticipated the empress’s answer. Even if she didn’t bring this up, someone else would. As such, he had already prepared a countermeasure. His plan was to first give her a detailed explanation of how giving the captives hope could increase their work efficiency and reduce their mistakes. He would then end it with, “If their hearts are dead, how are we going to make them work?”
He then proceeded to address her concerns and explained, “Your Majesty, those wages are simply going through their hands, but will eventually come back to us. Those captives will toil hard every day. They will either mend roads or dig mines, and they have absolutely nothing to look forward to. After a hard day of work, there are no opportunities for them to unwind. Under such circumstances, what can they achieve?
Nothing besides eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling!
Eating is the most basic. If they want to eat something that they like, they will spend money. If they want to drink, they will spend money as well. This is how their money will return to us.
For men, other than food, there is also alcohol. How many people can resist alcohol when they see it? Even if they could, when a few of them gather in the camp during their free time, have a casual drink, and exclaim in admiration, how could the others resist?
Besides, we can’t possibly sell wine in the captive camps at the same price as outside them, right? A jar of wine costs a tael of silver outside, but it will cost three taels of silver in the camps. Their monthly wages won’t even reach three taels of silver. After saving up for a few months, they can only purchase one jar of wine to satisfy their cravings.
Next will be prostitution. If we send a bunch of girls from the brothels every few days, we can probably earn back half the money we pay them.
Lastly, there is gambling. I don’t need to say any more about this. In gambling, the house is the only one that earns steadily and doesn’t lose, and we are the house.
All of these are things that no man can escape from, especially in places like the captive camps.
As a result, these wages will only be going through their hands before eventually coming back to us. At the same time, we can make them feel like Your Majesty is kindhearted and also allow them to work at ease. What objections can you have against this?”
“So, do you enjoy eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling?” the empress asked as she looked at him with a half smile.
“Er, from seeing how fat I am, you should know that I definitely love to eat and drink. I’m the epitome of the so-called wine sack and food bag. Besides, with the company of Your Majesty, the almighty, why would I be interested in other things? If one were to have any other worldly desires even with the company of a lady like Your Majesty, then that person must either be blind or dumb. I’m obviously neither of those. Look how clever and quick-witted I am!” Ren Baqian winked and boasted.
“Someone once said that the flowers at home aren’t as sweet-smelling as the flowers outside! Otherwise, why do so many people visit the brothel!” the empress replied faintly.
“Who is this ‘someone?’ I’ll beat him to death!” Ren Baqian’s face immediately turned black.
“Hmph!” The empress rolled her eyes at him flirtatiously before skipping the topic.
She then took a close look at the regulations that Ren Baqian wrote, especially the notes.
The empress said, “These are feasible. As for those things written in the notes, if they will work as you say, then it’s worth a try. However… You can bring up your suggestions at the imperial court session tomorrow morning. You’ll know then.”
Ren Baqian didn’t attend class the next day. He waited outside the palace early in the morning, which actually attracted quite a few people’s attention.
This was mainly because Ren Baqian very rarely attended court from the start. Furthermore, he was waiting outside before the session even commenced. It was obvious that something was going on.
Ren Baqian greeted Tong Zhenye and the people from the Ministry of Works before looking amiably at the great elder, Shi Qing, and the minister of the Board of Rites, Xuan Hua, when they saw him. After all, he had previously stayed at the Ministry of Rites for a month.
The rest of the officials merely glanced over from afar without even greeting him.
When the court session began, Ren Baqian took a few steps forward and publicly explained the regulations that he had written. The words that the empress left him with last night had made him a little vigilant. A such, he went back and thought it over carefully once more.
The outcome was exactly how he and the empress had imagined it to be. Everyone was indifferent about the regulations, but as soon as they heard about giving wages to the captives, they flew into a rage.
Paying wages to captives was something that had never happened before, and it was practically like Arabian Nights[1.The Arabian Nights – A collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age].
This was especially so for the officials from the Ministry of Revenue. Tu Wan, the Minister of Revenue, was so incensed that even her long and shapely eyebrows had turned upside down. If she didn’t respect Ren Baqian’s status, she would have smashed him into a wall.
Anyone who asked for money from her now would be akin to someone drawing her very life out of her.
According to what Ren Baqian said, this was called the economy. When money began circulating, it would create much more value. Besides, the money would always be circulating and would eventually return to the hands of the imperial court.
“However, we will still lose some silver in the middle of this.” Tu Wan sharply grasped the problem with his theory. No matter whether it was eating, drinking, or prostitution, gambling was the only activity that didn’t require capital.
“The lost money is negligible compared to the amount of value it will generate. Regardless of whether it’s eating, drinking, or prostitution, the people who worked for this money will still spend away their silver. This will make the whole market prosperous! The market will begin to circulate!” Ren Baqian answered patiently.
“Still, these funds will be taken from the imperial treasury,” Tu Wan replied while not looking too happy. She kept harping on this point and continued, “These funds originally belonged to the imperial treasury and were to be allocated for other purposes. If we don’t pay wages to the captives, we can use these funds for the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Appointments, the Ministry of Justice, and many other departments.”
No matter how Ren Baqian explained, Tu Wan remained unmoved.
Paying wages to captives was something that had never been done before! It hadn’t happened in the past and wouldn’t happen in the future either!
In addition, Tu Wan’s words made Qin Chuan and the others feel more apprehensive as well. What she said was right. After taking a portion of the funds from the imperial treasury to pay the captives, even if a portion of it came back, some would eventually be lost. In the end, the people who would suffer were the various departments!
Ren Baqian was preparing to make another explanation about what was meant by economy, circulation and the possession of wealth among the people, but ended up getting interrupted by a loud voice.
“Principal Ren, I feel that you have to reconsider this matter.” Tong Zhenye, who was originally simply watching the show, had now changed his standpoint and began trying to persuade Ren Baqian.
A loud voice sounded as soon as he opened his mouth, which forced Ren Baqian to swallow all his words.
“That’s right, this is too absurd!” Everyone successively voiced out their complaints and acted as if they were already giving him face by simply persuading him instead of immediately throwing him out if he had been someone else.
The only person who supported Ren Baqian’s idea was Qin Chuan, but this was on the basis that he must object to whatever Tong Zhenye agreed with and agree with whatever Tong Zhenye objected to. He immediately took Ren Baqian’s side as soon as Tong Zhenye began talking.
However, everyone began speaking up and giving out looks that spelled “Are you asking for a duel or a group fight? You will be up against all of us in a duel, and all of us will be giving you a beating in a group fight!”
Qin Chuan subsequently went with the flow of the crowd and felt that what they were saying was absolutely correct.
The imperial court became like a food market as a bunch of loud voices condemned Ren Baqian. All the things he said after that had been drowned out.
They made Ren Baqian so angry that his teeth ached, and he was so annoyed by their loud voices that his head hurt. He simply wanted to shout out, “You idiots aren’t fit to discuss such matters!”
He lifted his head and looked at the empress, only to see her sitting above them unperturbed and enjoying the show.
“As for what Principal Ren said about making them work properly, this will be easy. We will do as you said and restore their commoner status after eight years. If they don’t work diligently, we will kill them. With a blade against their necks, I’m certain that they will make the right decision!” Tong Zhenye declared.
His methods had been simple and crude all along!
Everyone continued nodding their heads.
They all seemed to think that this was already sufficient and that there was absolutely no need for the wages that Ren Baqian talked about.
This debate ended in a landslide victory for all the aboriginals in the hall of the court.
Ren Baqian’s words had totally been drowned under the saliva of the crowd. Nobody could hear him talk other than himself. How was he supposed to debate like this?
“How was it?” After the imperial court session, the empress smiled when Ren Baqian accompanied her back to their quarters.
“Their voices were too loud—they were at fault for fighting incorrectly!” Ren Baqian refused to accept what had happened! He had originally planned to talk some reason into those people, but little did he expect to be completely overpowered by their loud voices!
How could he endure this?
At the same time, he was determined to bring along a loudspeaker the next time he attended court! He wanted to let them know what it felt like to be overpowered by voice!
The empress laughed gently when she heard Ren Baqian’s response. This wasn’t the first time she experienced the raucous behavior of these officials. It would end in chaotic fighting, which happened pretty frequently.
Even though she could use brute force to suppress them, she couldn’t possibly do that every time, could she? She still had to give them the opportunity to talk.
As for Ren Baqian wanting to regain the speaking ground, the empress wasn’t optimistic about this.
You speak reason with them, they compare voices with you. You compare voices with them, they compare fists with you.
There is no doubt that this is definitely the case!
