Chapter 0200: Lonely Second Prince? Fully-Fledged Second Prince!
When Emperor Jian heard about this matter, he laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, only stopping after coughing twice with difficulty.
“Those ministers are afraid he’ll bare fangs in his speech.”
The birth of every policy decree involves conflicts of interest among bureaucrats. Unable to discern what Xie Chengze intended to do, how much he planned to gain from it, or how far he intended to squeeze them dry, they naturally dared not act rashly.
Thus, it was better to dutifully attend court and burden Xie Chengze with heavy workloads, leaving him no time to focus on other matters.
However, how could Xie Chengze let such a golden opportunity slip?
Just as drowsiness brings a pillow, since Emperor Jian was acting erratically, he would seize the chance to promote the Technological Imperial Examination. This would not only advance the project but also send a clear message to Emperor Jian: “If you keep me as Prince Regent, I’ll stir up even more trouble.”
Like a teacher deliberately prolonging class, he patiently listened to all the ministers’ petitions until they were utterly drained and could produce not another word. Only then did he lazily declare, “This prince intends to implement the Technological Imperial Examination, focusing on subjects like mathematics, to be conducted alongside the traditional imperial examinations. New honors such as Technological Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua will be established. Additionally, an Imperial Academy will be opened in the capital, where children of officials may enroll and study.”
“What do my esteemed ministers think?”
The tension among the ministers instantly eased.
What?
Merely promoting a mathematics examination and opening an Imperial Academy?
For the ministers, an additional examination ranking meant more room for manipulation—just as another official position in the court could mean another family member becoming an official.
Compared to other policies that might harm their interests, this one seemed almost trivial.
Yet, some were unwilling to support it.
They clearly saw further. There were few in Jian’an proficient in mathematics, and by establishing the Imperial Academy, the Second Prince obviously aimed to train mathematics teachers who would then be dispatched to various regions to teach. For officials with few heirs, this was akin to having their carefully nurtured children sent to remote areas to suffer hardships, possibly never to return to the capital…
Unable to become officials or form marriage alliances, who would want to be such a scapegoat?
Thus, many ministers opposed the idea, particularly those from the Hanlin Academy. Having long enjoyed a monopoly, they were naturally unwilling to let an Imperial Academy steal their spotlight.
After much debate, only a handful of supporters remained.
They had little faith in this decision, and compared to the Technological Imperial Examination, they were more concerned about who would become the future emperor.
After court adjourned that day, Xie Chengze exited through the main gate of the Golden Luan Hall, flanked by Shen Yuan, Xie Zimiao, and Xie Shoujun. Even the usually neutral Director Sheng of the Salt and Iron Commission approached to exchange a few words.
Such an obvious signal not only stung the Cao family but also set the ministers’ minds racing.
They had assumed the Second Prince was already in decline, but now it appeared otherwise.
Not to mention the Third Prince, backed by imperial merchants, and the Crown Prince, who commanded heavy military forces, both being closer to the Second Prince. Shen Yuan alone, released from the imperial prison and now reinstated, wielded considerable influence that could be utilized by the Second Prince.
Seemingly isolated, he was in fact fully-fledged.
With the additional support of the Salt and Iron Commission, even the Crown Prince, backed by the Cao family, might struggle to suppress the Second Prince.
At that moment, some ministers secretly sent letters, using discussions about the imperial examination to probe for information. Under Shen Yuan’s guidance, Xie Chengze began courting loyal officials within the court who could be utilized, persuading them to support his implementation of the Technological Imperial Examination.
Not to be outdone, Sheng Shihai covertly instructed Xie Chengze to win over corrupt officials. Unwilling to personally mediate and expose his connections to these individuals, he verbally taught Xie Chengze how to exploit human weaknesses to persuade those ministers to become his allies.
“Water that is too clear breeds no fish, Your Highness. There is no need for excessive concern.”
Noticing Xie Chengze’s budding resistance, Sheng Shihai smiled reassuringly and said, “Such is the nature of the court. Turbidity ensures longevity; darkness maintains stability. Having leverage over others makes them easier to control. If it becomes too clear, the nation will fall even sooner.”
“Why would excessive clarity lead to a quicker demise?” Xie Chengze did not understand.
Sheng Shihai smiled faintly. “If the court were filled entirely with incorruptible officials, the emperor would work himself to death.”
Xie Chengze: ?
Xie Chengze fell into a subtle silence, surprisingly finding this reasoning quite persuasive.
“What is Your Highness’s definition of a loyal minister?” Sheng Shihai sat beside him, holding a teacup, and asked with a smile.
“Incorruptible, self-restrained, honest, and unwilling to commit wrongdoing?” Xie Chengze listed a few traits but found it difficult to articulate a precise description.
“Does Your Highness mean these qualities must be combined in one person, or is possessing just two of them sufficient?”
“Hmm…” Xie Chengze pondered for a moment. “They should be combined in one person.”
“There are too many such people,” Sheng Shihai took a sip of tea. “Any commoner picked randomly from the street would be incorruptible, self-disciplined, and hardworking. They would not dare lie to Your Highness, nor would they commit any evil deeds.”
Xie Chengze felt somewhat embarrassed. “But they lack education and cannot serve as officials.”
“So, Your Highness means that only ministers who are both incorruptible and capable of handling practical affairs qualify as loyal ministers?” Sheng Shihai chuckled. “That is far too stringent. Incorruptibility implies poverty, and poverty means an inability to take risks. Even Your Highness, when seeking to develop Tianfu and the Ice Kingdom, must use power to seize funds. How much more so for ministers?”
“Self-restraint goes against human nature. Even the current emperor…” Sheng Shihai glanced at Xie Chengze, “…abuses imperial power for personal favoritism. How much more so for ministers?”
He was referring to Emperor Jian’s forceful marriage to a minister’s wife and his excessive indulgence toward Xie Chengze.
Xie Chengze twitched his lips.
This was indeed Emperor Jian’s fatal flaw.
Sheng Shihai patiently instructed, “Even the cleanest person will become tainted once they hold real power. Such is human nature. Those who can resist temptation are few and far between. Moreover, impurity makes control easier. As a ruler, you should control your ministers, not be led by them.”
“Furthermore, the court needs capable individuals, but capable people are often more greedy. They are unwilling to remain subordinate, making them more prone to forming cliques for personal gain. However, if Your Highness holds leverage over them, you can eliminate them at any time.”
“They are the parasites of the court, but they are also the court’s fattened worms. Once you have exhausted their usefulness, you can dispose of them without hesitation. Did Your Highness not feel great satisfaction when confiscating their properties? If they become too ostentatious, you can eliminate them early. Thus, when utilizing them, there is no need to disdain their impurity. It is merely about squeezing the last bit of value from their filth.”
Xie Chengze felt that his words made sense.
But because the speaker was a villain, he did not want to admit that Sheng Shihai was right.
So, he recounted the matter to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan glanced at him. “He’s not wrong—the court can never be completely clean. Jian’an’s laws are lax and loosely enforced, and His Majesty governs with leniency and transparency. Unless the Emperor adopts a harsh ruling style with strict oversight from both local officials and commoners, corruption will persist—though that approach risks breeding tyrannical officials.”
Thus, maintaining the status quo remained the wisest choice unless a new system could be devised.
However…
Shen Yuan crossed his arms, feeling unsettled.
It seemed Sheng Shihai was genuinely teaching Xie Chengze how to manipulate court officials, even going so far as to help him win over several influential ministers.
If the goal was to make Xie Chengze a puppet emperor, why impart so much knowledge?
What exactly was he scheming…