Soft to Persuasion, Hard to Coercion

Xue Shao arrived outside the Capital City last night. As soon as the city gates opened in the morning, he entered the city, immediately went to the post station to wash up, changed into his official robes, took the memorial he had written along the way, and entered the palace to request an audience.

The Emperor was fairly diligent and held a grand court session today.

As Xue Shao stood outside the hall waiting for the guards to go in and announce him, he happened to hear them arguing over the South of the Yangtze miners' rebellion.

Trace the cause?

Xue Shao gave a bitter smile. If the Emperor had read the memorial he had submitted in mid-May, he should have known the reason.

The miners, silk-reeling workers, and cloth-dyers of South of the Yangtze all lived in terrible hardship, and their wages were extremely low.

The silk-reeling workers and cloth-dyers were still manageable. They were employed by merchants and gentry; when they resisted, they could strike or struggle against the merchants and gentry. At worst, it would develop into armed brawls.

Only the miners were different. The problems in private mines were somewhat lighter. For one thing, mine owners employed both kindness and intimidation, not daring to be overly forceful lest they clash with the miners.

For another, private mine owners were not as strict in their management. The miners could fish in troubled waters, making their days somewhat easier, and could still muddle through.

But mines under Imperial Court jurisdiction were different—harsh conditions, low wages, long hours. These problems existed not only in the mines of South of the Yangtze, but elsewhere as well.

Of course, there were also officials who governed with kindness and consideration, managing their mines very well, but... they were exceedingly few.

When Xue