Chapter 516: Schemes and Intrigues

any way.Li Chen acted audaciously, brazenly prying open Zhao Qinglan's red lips. Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he was determined to defile the empress, the revered mother of the natio...Chapter 516: Intrigue and Betrayal

Zhou Ping'an, seeing Li Chen call his name, bowed and said, "I agree with Zhao Heshan's proposal and advocate for land division!"

Even Xu Changqing and Guan Zhiwei objected, their words were relatively tactful.

Then, Zhou Pingan looked at them and immediately expressed his firm agreement. The expressions of both of them changed slightly.

Xu Changqing said stiffly, "Zhou, what are your thoughts on this"

Having followed the Crown Prince for so long, I was only a left minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and had not even waited for an opportunity to be promoted. But since Zhou Ping'an came, he became Shangshu with no prior official position, taking command of a major department, bringing about a miracle in the political arena of the Qin Empire.

It's impossible for Xu Changqing and Guan Zhiwei to have no thoughts in their hearts.

Though they wouldn't dare to show their opinions toward the East Palace, when facing Zhou Pingan, they wore no pleasant expressions.

Guan Zhiwei said indifferently, "Zhou-daren is so resolute, there must be a remarkable statement. We are all ears."

The power struggles between the three, Li Chen saw with his own eyes, but he had no intention of interfering.

For those in power, it's best if those below them are at odds with each other and can't stand the sight of one another. If they all band together, then that person in authority is in danger.

Three legs stand firm, fighting and guarding against each other, just as it should be.

Zhou Ping'an kept a calm expression, seemingly unaware of the sarcasm directed at him. He said, "I do have some ideas, but they aren't groundbreaking or anything special. At least, they were carefully thought through."

Everybody here are a thousand-year-old fox. Zhou Ping'an is playing with yin and yang, sarcastically implying that Xu Changqing and Guan Zhiwei don't think before they speak, immediately ready to argue.

But Zhou Ping'an didn't give them a chance at all. After bowing to Li Chen, he said: "I believe that dividing the land does more good than harm. It can fundamentally solve the problems of resettling disaster victims and rebuilding the affected areas."

"If there is no farmland, then refugees will still be refugees wherever they go. Over time, as their numbers grow, it will lead to social unrest and instability. Rebellious armies, bandits, beggars, and others will emerge in abundance. The people will find it impossible to survive and will inevitably seek change, leading to rebellion."

"And these disaster victims, most of their hometowns have been destroyed by the disaster. When they return to their origins, there is no land or people left. They have nowhere to go and no one to rely on."

"Therefore, the best solution is for the imperial court to organize and resettle people locally. The abandoned farmland in these areas would serve as the most enticing incentive."

“Fields need people to plant them, and after the disaster is alleviated, urban construction also needs people. The destroyed dams and official roads all need manpower to repair and restore them. Compared with the time and effort spent by the imperial court’s funding, having local disaster victims build it themselves not only saves money but can also provide shelter for them. What's wrong with this approach”

As for pioneering new things, why is it that only ancients have done so, and we can now do them too If everything were to follow this pattern, wouldn't later generations simply be copying everything the ancients did Who could guarantee that there wouldn't be unique circumstances happening in the world

"With your talent, Your Highness, why not blaze a trail, setting an example for future generations, for all people under heaven"

Frankly speaking, Zhou Ping'an's eloquence completely surpasses Xu Changqing and Guan Zhiwei.

Li Chen was beaming with delight, while Xu Changqing and Guan Zhiwei looked grim and said nothing.

With a respectful bow, Zhou Ping'an continued, "This matter can be resolved as quickly as possible to quell the local unrest and restore order. Xishan Prefecture will be the first to try it out. If successful, it can be implemented nationwide."e thigh of the woman beside him, seemingly asking casually: "How does Wang Shu want this palace to take care of you""Tax reduction and increased funding."Wen Wang's face was filled with anguish. He si...