Chapter 844: Wu Shen's Ascension
The moment he received the appointment decree, Wu Shen nearly thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again. It was true!
He had been appointed Governor of Shanxi.
From an Imperial Censor, jumping straight to Governor of Shanxi, the leap was undeniably significant.
A pang of guilt immediately rose in his heart.
The Emperor must have seen his impeachment memorial, which led to Dai Jun'en's dismissal and his own promotion. In other words, he had been the cause of Dai Jun'en's downfall.
Lord Dai was already sixty-five years old this year. Such a devastating blow as dismissal, he didn't know if he could withstand it.
After feeling guilty, Wu Shen began to feel a profound sense of apprehension.
Shanxi was the heartland of the central plains. To the north, the Manchu threat loomed; to the south, roaming bandits; and within, local brigands. It was truly not an easy place to govern. He arrived empty-handed, with barely any personal guards. Going to Shanxi for his new post, could he really manage it better than Dai Jun'en?
Turning the matter over in his mind, he concluded that his abilities were likely insufficient.
Just then, a lightbulb suddenly seemed to go off in his head, *snap*, and he remembered someone: Steward Li! Or rather, Dao Xuan Tian Zun himself.
If he was willing to help him, then he would surely be able to govern Shanxi well.
He decided to seek his aid.
Begging men was shameful, but begging a god was not!
Wu Shen knocked on the door of the Xi'an Fertilizer Merchant House.
The door creaked open, and Wang Tang stepped out. He smiled, "Steward Li said he knew you would come and has been waiting for quite some time."
Wu Shen was overjoyed. If he said that, it meant there was a plan to help him. He quickly tidied his official robes and adjusted his hat to show respect, then entered the inner hall.
He saw Li Daoxuan sitting at a table, with a birdcage beside him. A black mynah bird was tilting its head, watching him from inside the cage.
Wu Shen bowed to Li Daoxuan, then tilted his head and said to the mynah, "Make money!"
The mynah squawked, "What's the use of making money? It won't get hard anyway!"
Wu Shen smiled knowingly, "I'm not like Zhu Cunji. I know which words will trigger your quick replies. You won't be able to roast me."
The mynah was speechless for a moment. "Alright, I've met my match," it seemed to convey.
Only then did Wu Shen sit down opposite Li Daoxuan, and sighed softly, "Heavenly... *cough*... Steward Li, I presume you already know that I have been appointed Governor of Shanxi."
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Congratulations, Lord Wu. Now you can fully realize your political ambitions. Take a hundred thousand taels of silver to Shanxi to relieve the common people, and you will surely be renowned for generations."
Wu Shen gave a wry, helpless smile. "Steward Li, you jest as well. No one knows better than you that I hardly have any silver now. When you transformed into the Living Buddha Ji Gong, the words you imparted to me are still vivid in my memory. One hundred thousand taels sounds like a lot, but divided among the common people, it becomes very little. The economy is a very complex issue, and my knowledge is limited; I am not skilled in economic matters. I implore Steward Li to help me."
Li Daoxuan replied, "I can help you! However, I must first hear your plans."
Wu Shen's spirits lifted. The Heavenly Lord was testing him?
This test was no less important than the imperial examinations he had once taken.
Wu Shen gathered his resolve, and answered earnestly, "Shanxi currently faces numerous difficulties. I have four proposals to address them: proposals on troops, generals, provisions, and personnel."
"First, regarding troops!" Wu Shen continued, "The garrison troops in Shanxi are weak and unfit for battle. I plan to emulate the Gao Family Village Militia and vigorously organize local militias throughout Shanxi to compensate for the deficiencies of the regular garrisons. I would spend some money to repair the northern border cities, and at the same time, deploy militias to guard the Yellow River, preventing bandits from Henan from entering..."
Li Daoxuan nodded, "Hmm, feasible."
Wu Shen said, "Next, regarding generals! The former military officials in Shanxi have killed innocents to claim merit, embezzled military funds, taken bribes, and trafficked weapons; they are utterly useless. In my heart, there are only a few great generals who can be used: one is Xing Honglang from Hedong, one is Lao Nanfeng from Puzhou, and one is Wang Xiaohua from Pingyang. If these three generals are heavily relied upon, they can surely quell the bandits within Shanxi."
Li Daoxuan smiled, "Hmm, very feasible."
Wu Shen said, "Next is the proposal on provisions... well... *cough*..."
Li Daoxuan knew that he had no ability to solve this problem.
Let alone him, the entire Great Ming Dynasty was unable to solve it.
Therefore, his strange cough here, and his embarrassed gaze at him, was essentially asking for his help.
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Lord Wu, all the various enterprises and factories you've seen here in Xi'an, as well as the different methods used in Gao Family Village itself, can all be transferred to Shanxi. Let them flourish throughout Shanxi, and won't that solve the issue of provisions?"
Wu Shen said, "I deeply understand that to do this well, relying solely on my own abilities is not enough."
Li Daoxuan replied, "Alright, I will fund the construction of factories."
Wu Shen was ecstatic.
"Finally, regarding personnel." Wu Shen let out a long sigh. "Shanxi is fraught with danger and warfare, and court officials are unwilling to take up posts there. Therefore, in matters of personnel, I fear we will have to heavily rely on talented individuals from the civilian population. Several years ago, the court began implementing a system of recommending wise and capable individuals from the populace. Chen Yuanbo, the magistrate of Wenshui County, was recommended in this manner. I later learned that this Chen Yuanbo was a talent cultivated by the Gao Family Village School. Only Gao Family Village could produce such individuals... Even my good friend Shi Kefa has gone to Gao Family Village to study now."
Li Daoxuan smiled, "What, still asking me for people?"
Wu Shen pleaded, "Heavenly Lord... *cough*... Steward Li, please see your good deeds through to the end, and extend your benevolence far and wide. Please lend some of your talented people to my service."
Li Daoxuan squinted at him, "Aren't you afraid that with all of Shanxi's politics, economy, and military filled with my people, if I were to instigate a rebellion, you would be completely sidelined? What then?"
Wu Shen said with a helpless, wry laugh, "You're jesting again! How could your people sideline me? I, too, am a devout follower of the Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect! Besides... rebellion is something only mortals do. You are... *cough*... would you really bother with such a thing? No matter how powerful earthly emperors may be, how could they compare to the celestial realms?"
Indeed, the idea of a deity inciting rebellion was something mortals wouldn't even conceive of.
If someone were to whisper into the Chongzhen Emperor's ear that the Grand Pure One had organized an army to overthrow him, would he believe it or not? He would surely give the messenger a severe slap, then send men to arrest and behead the instigator.
As for the White Lotus Society's Wusheng Laomu (Unborn Venerable Mother) rebellion!
Ha, the Wusheng Laomu didn't exist at all. She was merely a fabricated evil deity, a lie concocted by those with ulterior motives. How could that be the same as a true immortal?
This was precisely Wu Shen's way of thinking.
Li Daoxuan waved his hand. "Very well! Let it be so. You are to govern an entire province, and the affairs will be exceedingly numerous. I'll simply have Gao Family Village's chief strategist, San Shier, personally go to Shanxi to assist you for a while. With him there, all of Gao Family Village's resources will be open to you."
Wu Shen was overjoyed. "Chief Steward San is coming with me? This... this is truly wonderful!"
Free read.
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