Chapter 7156 Making a Trouble

Chapter 7156 Making a Trouble
"Has the Minister of State never heard of prevention is better than cure?" Deng Tong immediately stood up and said after Yuan Sui sat down. Although his words were not very good, their two families had agreed to be an unbreakable alliance. So after Yuan Sui rushed forward and was defeated, Deng Tong decisively stood up and said that he would support the Yuan family.

As for the fact that Chen Xi made the plan and Zhuge Liang was just there to explain it and become the ruler later, that's not important. What's important is that it's not Chen Xi right now. Let's try Zhuge Liang a couple of times first and see how good he is. Maybe Zhuge Liang isn't as strong as we imagine.

Therefore, Deng Tong got up to prevent disaster before it happens. In other words, he said, "Don't bring up the topic of whether someone is ambitious or not. Just talk about whether the kind of thing my elder brother Yuan Sui just mentioned is possible. If it is possible, we should take precautions to avoid the escalation of unrest."

The saying "The greatest danger to the world lies in the collapse of the foundation, not in the disintegration of the state" is indeed true, but you can't ignore the threat of disintegration. It also leads to death, many deaths, and great turmoil. For example, the famous disintegration event during the pre-Han period was the Rebellion of the Seven States.

This level of collapse is considered disintegration. You can't ignore disintegration just because a country falls apart. We can't be like that; we have to take precautions!

At this moment, Yuan Sui, who had just sat down, looked at Deng Tong with a hint of helplessness. In his opinion, what Zhuge Liang said was already very clear. No matter how much they talked, they could not cover up the fact that the powerful families and the upper echelons were all dead. As long as the lower classes did not waver, the world would still be the world.

In other words, even if all those lofty things are destroyed, as long as their foundation hasn't collapsed, there's still hope for a fresh start.

While the collapse of a superstructure can be cascading and may appear terrifying on the surface, once you understand the difference between landslides and disintegration, you should realize that disintegration can be repaired, but if a landslide actually occurs, then the building is essentially completely destroyed.

This is also an important reason why Yuan Sui stopped arguing, because it was meaningless. Although Zhuge Liang's words were sarcastic, he also made it clear that the government was confident in calming the hearts of the people at this stage. Once this point was understood, no matter how much these people said, they could not get around the word "ambition." In other words, if your aristocratic families don't cause trouble, why don't you dare to stand on the same side?

This is a crucial question, and also a matter of clearly defining one's stance. If Yuan Sui answers directly, it means that they have completely stood on the opposite side, which implicitly acknowledges that what they did back then was not an accident, but a long-planned scheme.

Well, everyone present was smart enough to know what the Yuan family had done twenty years ago. It couldn't have been a spur-of-the-moment decision; it was all carefully considered. However, some things are acceptable to do but not to admit, so Yuan Sui chose to remain silent when questioned by Zhuge Liang.

At the very least, keeping quiet proves that the Yuan family, or rather, the current aristocratic families, are still willing to stand with the country and the government. If they continue to cause trouble, they will probably face a heavy blow.

As a result, Deng Tong immediately said, "Regardless of whether it's a collapse or a disintegration, I'll say a few realistic words, and you should listen carefully. Both a collapse and a disintegration will cause damage to the world. So you can't ignore it just because a disintegration won't destroy the world. We must take precautions."

"Lord Gaomi, this is precisely a preventative measure," Zhuge Liang said, shaking his head with a serious expression.

Zhuge Liang's evaluation of Deng Tong was fairly good, because Deng Tong really didn't cause trouble. His performance over the years had been very clear: he was following the absolutely correct path. Therefore, Zhuge Liang was willing to believe that Deng Tong's statement was a well-considered question, rather than a mere argument or a test of his conscience.

"After the smelting and machining industries are promoted in that area, it will indeed be easier for the locals to obtain weapons and equipment. What if they are provoked?" Deng Tong asked directly. Anyway, he is now considered to be straightforward, and he either thinks things through or he rushes in without saying anything. So let's not think about it and just charge in. He also has his doubts about this.

"The common people will not cause trouble because of instigation. Only when they are truly angry and resentful will they cause trouble. And resolving the grievances of the people and guiding them in the right direction is what we should do." Zhuge Liang looked at Deng Tong and said, "I suppose the Deng family also has loyal followers. May I ask, Marquis of Gaomi, why are the loyal followers of the Deng family willing to die for the Deng family?"

"Of course, we should make sure they eat well and live well, solve their problems, and encourage them to solve some problems for us," Deng Tong said casually, unaware that saying this in Weiyang Palace, in front of Liu Tong and Liu Bei, was actually quite problematic.

However, Liu Tong and Liu Bei have realized over the years that aristocratic families cannot be eradicated. Moreover, once they become aristocratic families, it is unrealistic for them not to keep some servants or recruit some assassins.

"This is the core issue," Zhuge Liang said calmly. "The government wants the people to feel at ease for this very reason. The soldiers of the Han Dynasty are willing to travel thousands of miles to fight for the country for a very important part of the reason. Our goal is also to realize the ideals and desires of the people. Therefore, it is correct to continue along this path."

Deng Tong remained silent for a moment, realizing what Zhuge Liang was talking about.

Would Deng Tong worry that his own henchmen were using his own weapons? Would Deng Tong worry that his own henchmen knew any dirty secrets?

There's no need to worry. For Deng Tong, it's actually the most reassuring thing that his own loyal followers control these things. If you treat the people as enemies, of course you wouldn't dare let them control these things, because you would naturally know that if they obtained these things, they would definitely come to deal with you. If you treat the people as worthless, you also wouldn't dare let them control these things, because you suspect that if they obtained these things, they would pose a threat to you.

But if you treat all people as your own, and truly treat them as such, then even if they acquire something, it will only be a sharing for you.

Would a normal person suspect that their brother has gotten a car to run them over? No, they would just think that they'll get a ride with the car in the future. Unless they really have a deep grudge against the other party, they wouldn't think that way. At present, the Han government and the people are in a state of mutual trust, not that level yet.

"Alright, I have no more questions." Deng Tong thought for a moment and realized that Zhuge Liang's words had gone this far, and he really couldn't refute them. So he decided to be realistic. Since he thought it made sense, he should stop arguing and sit down to drink his tea.

"I'd like to ask, is the so-called 100 billion yuan investment, which is the allocation from Chang'an Bank, distributed to the local government, and then allocated after verification? How is it allocated, how is it applied for, who is qualified to take the lead, and what if I build such a small factory but I don't have enough manpower? And how do I implement the relevant technology? I don't know how!" Si Liang raised his hand from afar. Zhuge Liang saw this and pointed at him. Si Liang didn't stand on ceremony and directly asked a bunch of questions.

Clearly, his focus was completely different from that of the aristocratic families. As the archery instructor of Bingzhou, a county magistrate in a certain region, and also holding a temporary post on the northern frontier ranch, Si Liang was well aware of the output of factories and mines and knew their benefits. But how could he put them into practice?
As for this thing, even if it is built, it will be a joint venture between the state and individuals. Even if Si Liang really gets it going, it won't belong to him. But when Si Liang thinks about his two stupid sons, in order to avoid them becoming completely useless in the future and not even being able to protect the family business, he has a small local factory that is a joint venture with the state. Even if he dies, he won't be sitting around eating away his wealth.

However, this issue was extremely nerve-wracking for the aristocratic families. They had only considered the danger of this thing before, but after Si Liang said this, they discovered a very critical point: this thing also required the technical personnel to use it.

The number of technical personnel educated by universities is already insufficient, and now with the addition of these small factories, won't the shortage be even greater? These noble families are already facing fierce competition, and it will only become more intense in the future. Is this going to lead to their demise?

“If the local government takes the lead, veterans with a rank of five or above can take the lead at this stage. Later, it may be necessary to have a rank of seven or above. As for the construction of local factories and mines, Chang'an will send professional personnel to the local government to conduct research and make determinations.” Zhuge Liang had considered these issues before and discussed them with Chen Xi. “As for the allocation, after approval, the money will be directly transferred to the local bank and then transferred in stages according to the construction order.”

"What if we mess it up?" Si Liang went straight to the core issue. It wasn't that he wanted to mess it up, but he had also been the head of the security department in the factory for a period of time. However, sometimes things are not as simple as you think. Mine collapses are sometimes unavoidable.

"There will be professionals to determine responsibility," Zhuge Liang said calmly.

"No, what I mean is, what if it's all gone?" Si Liang said very directly, "It's like when you invest all the money, build the factory, get everything done, and then it's all gone."

Zhuge Liang was taken aback, while Chen Xi looked at Si Liang. This was a question that no one who hadn't seen it before would ask, which meant that this situation must have occurred in Bingzhou, the prefecture where Si Liang was the prefectural commander, and that Chang'an had not received any related information at this time.

At the same time, Zang Hong also looked at Si Liang naturally. He wasn't stupid; people who hadn't encountered this kind of problem before wouldn't even be able to bring it up.

"What kind of thing is gone?" Zhuge Liang asked tentatively after realizing the problem.

"Everything was all set up, and then they changed people," Si Liang asked Zhuge Liang.

"Okay, I understand." Zhuge Liang nodded, signaling the person next to him to record the matter, and then said that he would investigate it later.

Zang Hong squinted, pondering who would do such a thing. Si Liang might not realize the magnitude of what he was talking about, but Zang Hong knew very well that it was not something an ordinary person could do to inexplicably change the personnel or even alter the nature of a county-level factory, especially without Chen Xi's approval. It would require a group of middle-level managers working together to do this.

"Sit down, stop talking," Liu Bei said to Si Liang telepathically. "Just tell me what happens next. Now, let's hear the explanation from the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

Si Liang paused for a moment, then nodded and sat down naturally, indicating that he had no problem. Although he was puzzled as to why Liu Bei had sent him a telepathic message telling him not to speak yet.

"Your question is good, but don't bring it up again," Li Zhe transmitted his voice to Si Liang. "Where did you encounter this situation?"

“In Yanmen.” Si Liang still didn’t realize what had happened and answered Li Zhe’s question naturally. “At the time, they also asked me to invest some money, and then we all bought the Yanmen Coal Mine together. I wanted to buy some too, but I didn’t have enough money. But that time gave me a wake-up call. With my two good-for-nothing sons, I can buy some of these long-term investments for them and let them share the profits.”

"You're something else. Just wait until the Chang'an investigation team comes to your Yanmen and exposes the Yanmen officialdom from top to bottom," Li Zhe said to Si Liang after a moment of silence.

However, it's somewhat understandable why those people didn't kill Si Liang. This guy had the sacrificial arrow on him. If you killed him, Si Liang would definitely send everything he knew to his brothers before he died. At the very least, Li Zhe would receive it, and Wei Shuang would definitely receive it too.

No matter how powerful the officialdom in Yanmen is, can they really kill Wei Shuang?
What a joke! Although everyone keeps saying that Wei Shuang is treated like a beast of burden by Sun Er, that Wei Shuang's fighting ability is not good, and that he has lost to Sun Er a hundred times in a row, Wei Shuang is still a seventh-level forging cultivator. These days, it is impossible to kill a seventh-level forging cultivator without making a big fuss!

So even though Si Liang didn't buy this thing, the people from Yanmen really didn't dare to kill him.

"Huh? Why is the Chang'an investigation team stationed in our Yanmen?" Si Liang looked at Li Zhe with a ghostly expression and asked.

Most of the veterans didn't really like the Chang'an investigation team because they never brought anything good with them. Often, when they arrived, the area was relatively peaceful, but when they left, the area had already been through bloodshed. As a result, the veterans who were local officials disliked them a lot.

Unfortunately, most veterans, even those who received some education through their wives, were still illiterate at heart. Furthermore, having experienced the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the turmoil of the Warring States period, their views and understanding of many issues differed greatly from those of ordinary people.

Like Si Liang, he couldn't really understand what it meant for the Yanmen bureaucrats to secretly convert state-owned factories and mines into local ones and then divide the profits among themselves. In his view, Yanmen was still stable, the people weren't causing any trouble, and everyone had enough to eat and drink, so there was no problem.

Just like what Ermu said back then, I absolutely do not think this is a snow disaster. If this winter, when my son wore a fur coat and ran out to have a snowball fight all day and had a lot of fun, is a snow disaster, then what about the winter when a blizzard collapsed my thatched house overnight and I was left all alone?
Similarly, in Si Liang's view, the officials in Yanmen were doing a much better job than he remembered. Twenty years ago, when he was eating dirt, those officials were simply beasts. Now, at least the officials in Yanmen were actually doing their jobs, and the local people could even see oil in their rice.

This is actually why some veterans don't quite understand why the Chang'an investigation team arrived at the local area, because there is a huge gap between what they consider acceptable and what Chen Xi considers acceptable.

Just like Si Liang, he really didn't realize how much the Yanmen officialdom had done, and even dared to bring it up at the Grand Court Assembly.

However, it's only natural for Si Liang to ask this question. The Yanmen government divided up the country's coal mines, and everyone got a share. In Si Liang's view, this was a bit problematic, but not a major one. But if he were to build a processing plant in Yanmen and the locals divided it up like that, what would be the point? He needed to save up for his son's living expenses!

If it's divided up like this, wouldn't that be like eating someone else's property? So we have to ask.

"Just you wait and see. It would be a miracle if your Yanmen didn't undergo a major overhaul this time," Li Zhe said irritably. "Speaking of which, with such a huge incident, don't you have any awareness at all?"

"Aware of what? What big thing?" Si Liang looked completely bewildered.

"Forget it, I can't explain it to you, but you'd better be prepared. You'd better arrange for two people to bring your son and sister-in-law to Chang'an first. There are too many people and too much gossip in the court. Who knows if your question will be spread to Yanmen?" Li Zhe glanced at the Yanmen Prefect in Bingzhou. From the other party's uncertain expression, Li Zhe was basically certain that Si Liang was not talking nonsense.

In other words, Si Liang's previous words basically cut off the other party's official career. As for the current situation in that godforsaken place of Yanmen, it is probably another coordinated effort.

Therefore, for safety's sake, it's best to send someone to Yanmen to bring Si Liang's wife and children to Chang'an first, and then decide what to do after the storm has passed.

"I don't understand," Si Liang said, bewildered.

Li Zhe grunted but didn't say anything. It was normal that he didn't understand, since most veterans did lack common sense in this area.

On the other side, Liu Bei was also sending a telepathic message to Chen Xi. After all, having served as Grand Commandant for so many years, Liu Bei had some understanding of certain things in officialdom. Moreover, he knew Si Liang very well, and the other party would not talk nonsense in this regard. More importantly, the other party did not even know what he had said.

"Zichuan, do you know anything about what's happening at Yanmen?" Liu Bei asked Chen Xi telepathically.

"I don't know, but I guess the Yanmen Coal Mine was divided up by the Yanmen government," Chen Xi said calmly.

Not speaking, playing dead.