"The third group of displaced people are not very trustworthy. They don't follow the code of the martial world either. They took up arms only because they were driven to desperation by disasters. Even though wealthy merchants might offer them money and food now, there's no guarantee they'll be repaid in the future. Most wealthy merchants would never do such a losing deal. And as the saying goes, the common people don't fight against the officials. This is a basic truth. If one wants their business to thrive, they have to maintain a good relationship with the officials."
After hearing such a detailed analysis, the others were speechless. Even Xiao Huaishi nodded repeatedly, thinking the analysis was right. At this moment, when he looked at this thin - faced minister again, apart from his calculating appearance, he had a new impression. He decided to use this matter as a test. If this minister was really talented and loyal, he could be promoted.
So he said, "You've made a good point. I believe you're the resourceful type. So I'll leave this matter to you. Also, tell those merchants who cooperate first that they'll gain a good reputation, enjoy a lower business tax rate, and have the opportunity to do business with the government."
The thin - faced minister looked at Xiao Huaishi with admiration and exclaimed, "Your Majesty is brilliant! This delaying tactic can not only ease the merchants' reluctance and even disgust but also motivate them to participate actively. You're truly the emperor, more skillful than I am."
Hearing this, the other ministers despised the thin - faced minister, thinking he was just flattering the emperor. But Xiao Huaishi just smiled at him. He was sensitive enough to know that the thin - faced minister's words were just praise and admiration, a manifestation of someone who loved the art of power. It was definitely not flattery.
At this time, a minister, seeing that Xiao Huaishi seemed to be in a good mood, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, regarding the issue of the displaced people mentioned just now during the discussion of disaster relief, please make a decision. Should we suppress them forcefully with troops? But they're just ordinary people. If we suppress those who were forced to rebel because they had no food and were harassed by bandits, I'm afraid it will arouse public resentment."
The thin - faced minister immediately retorted impatiently, "Public resentment? If you don't suppress them forcefully now, it will be too late when they become emboldened. Any disaster should be nipped in the bud when it first shows signs. Don't you understand such a simple truth?"
Xiao Huaishi looked at the thin - faced minister again and asked, "So, my dear minister, since you said so, what's your opinion? I'm eager to see what ideas you, the resourceful one, have. I wonder if you can win my appreciation again."
Hearing the word "appreciation", the thin - faced minister perked up and immediately said, "Your humble servant's opinion is that we must suppress them with troops. There's no other way. Because providing them with money and food can only solve the problem temporarily. If the displaced people see that they can rebel without losing their lives and even get money and food, what will happen then? I'm afraid that as long as one person on the verge of despair decides to rebel and receive the court's relief, it will arouse the dissatisfaction of ordinary people who haven't rebelled, and then they'll follow suit. Eventually, most people will rebel, and our country will fall apart."
"On the contrary, if you suppress them with troops from the start and only execute one or two people as a warning, it won't arouse public outrage but will have a deterrent effect. It will make the displaced people afraid and dare not rebel again. This kind of forceful suppression will also make those who might want to rebel in the future afraid to take action."
Xiao Huaishi nodded, quite agreeing with the thin - faced minister's idea. Then he said, "It's indeed good. You deserve my appreciation. However, before dealing with the displaced people, we should deal with the bandits first. If we protect their homes, they won't be displaced anymore and will be willing to return to their hometowns instead of gathering at the foot of the imperial city. So, General Shen Yi, are you willing to handle this matter?"
Shen Yi, dressed in magnificent clothes and looking like a gentle young master, didn't seem like a warrior at all. Hearing the emperor call his name, he thought for a moment, lifted his robe, knelt down, and replied, "Your servant accepts the order and will surely fulfill the mission."
After getting the reply, Xiao Huaishi didn't say much. He was quite satisfied with Shen Yi's martial arts and leadership ability. Moreover, like another person named Shen Yi, Shen Yi was originally from the martial world. Xiao Huaishi believed that Shen Yi, like the other Shen Yi, was a man of principle who followed the code of the martial world. So he was quite relieved to send Shen Yi to handle this matter.
Xiao Huaishi stared at the thin - faced minister and said, "Since you're so resourceful, why don't you recommend someone to handle the matter of the displaced people?"
The thin - faced minister immediately replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, it should be me."
Xiao Huaishi found it interesting. He smiled and asked, "Oh? Didn't you just accept the order to handle the merchants' disaster - relief efforts everywhere? It will take you a long time to complete this task. Why do you want to handle the matter of the displaced people again? Are you being too ambitious?"
The thin - faced minister kept a straight face, probably afraid that the emperor would think he looked treacherous when smiling. Then he said in a deep voice, "One has to be ambitious to achieve great things. Moreover, I believe I have the ability to match this ambition. The matter of the displaced people is related to the disaster - relief efforts. To maximize the benefits of disaster relief, it's better for me to handle both matters at the same time. I'll be more at ease when handling my own tasks, and there won't be any schemes or intrigues."
Xiao Huaishi thought for a while. Indeed, there were many intrigues among the ministers, and the two matters were closely related. It was better to handle them together. Moreover, he wanted to test the minister's ability. So he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll leave these two matters to you."
The thin - faced minister immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "I'll surely complete the tasks you've assigned as soon as possible and live up to your expectations. However, I hope Your Majesty can allocate some silver and troops to support me."
Many ministers were shocked. After all, no one dared to openly ask for money and troops. So they started whispering to each other.
"Who is that guy? He looks so mean - faced. He doesn't seem like a good person at all. He looks even more like a treacherous official when he smiles. He only knows how to flatter the emperor, and now he's asking the emperor for troops and money!"
"Yes, yes. How dare he be so bold? I'm afraid this dynasty is going to fall. There are only treacherous officials in power. It's doomed! I didn't expect the emperor to listen to the words of villains at this age. Sigh..."
Although their voices were low, Xiao Huaishi had excellent hearing and heard every word. He frowned and thought to himself, "These ministers. Do they think I can't hear them just because they're speaking softly? They say such unpleasant things but have no real ability. It seems that the people from the conservative aristocratic families should all be replaced. They're just old - fashioned people with outdated ideas."