The operating model of established families is simple: stability!
Unless it's a time of great upheaval, such as a period of upheaval or rebellion, they tend to prioritize stability.
They don't care about temporary gains or losses; being a prefect or a high-ranking official is meaningless. Long-term prosperity is the only true path to success.
It's just a prefect; they don't lack that kind of power at all. All they need is a stable source of profit. So what if he's the prefect of Wuning Commandery? As long as they get a share of the profits, he'll be happy to obey.
To put it bluntly, in the eyes of powerful families, the prefect is just a scapegoat. You get a share of the benefits, but you're the one who ends up taking the blame. That makes sense, right?
No problem!
However, this prefect has just arrived, and he is said to be a member of the imperial family surnamed Li. He is not someone to be trifled with; he is a tough nut to crack sent by Li Anlan.
Wang Yue nodded and smiled, "The current prefect of Wuning Commandery, Li Ke, was urgently transferred here by Li Anlan. He is said to be a member of the imperial family and has a lot of influence in the south."
However, this guy is extremely greedy and loves money more than anything. He doesn't even try to hide it. The registrar Cheng Yiming is his man. Because of this, he squeezed out Zhang Ci's cousin from Youning Commandery. Now he is dedicated to making money for Li Ke.
In Wuning Commandery, even Wang Yunze, a Wang Clan, has to give Li Ke some leeway!
To put it simply, he had never seen anyone so arrogant, making money so openly and brazenly. At least try to cover it up a little!
"Holy crap, the situation in Great Ning is in utter chaos, the court is a complete mess." Gan Ning was dumbfounded. This was too outrageous! They didn't take the emperor seriously at all.
"No, that's precisely the smart choice!"
Lin Yi shook his head. This action reminded him of a famous person, a figure with extraordinary military achievements.
Wang Jian!
This powerful figure from the Qin Shi Huang Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang, had such incredible military achievements that he and his father wiped out five out of six enemy states. Who else could do that?
This is no longer just outstanding military achievement; it's downright blatant disrespect for the emperor.
Old Wang knew what he was doing. If he didn't want to become another Bai Qi, he had to make some kind of gesture. So before each expedition, he would make outrageous demands, asking for fiefdoms, money, and beautiful women, putting on the act of a commoner.
Many people think he is arrogant and domineering, even going so far as to ask the emperor for money, but they don't know that this is his way of protecting himself.
In fact, the emperor is not afraid of your greed. No matter how greedy you are, it's just money, which doesn't pose much of a threat to the emperor. On the contrary, with a single decree, your money becomes our money.
But if you're like a saint, neither greedy for money nor lustful, then you're in trouble.
The emperor's thoughts were very simple and direct!
[You're neither greedy nor lustful, so why do you have such a good reputation? Do you want to be a saint? If you become a saint, what will I be?]
Why not kill such a person, or let him rebel and seize the throne in the future?
That's an idiot.
Li Ke was clearly a smart man. He knew that Li Anlan had summoned him to defend Wuning Commandery for the Li Clan. The nearly 100,000 troops under his command looked impressive, but they could become death warrants at any time. So all he needed to do was be greedy for money.
No one wants to follow a person with a bad reputation; in fact, that person is the safest.
"I see!"
Gan Ning nodded thoughtfully, then exclaimed excitedly, "Well done, Li Ke! He's truly a clever man. I've learned my lesson; it turns out you need to smear yourself!"
No, you haven't learned it!
Lin Yi rolled his eyes and said irritably, "I trust you completely, so just say what you need to say directly. There's no need for all this beating around the bush."
Good heavens, if you embezzle, you'll be castrated!
"My lord, I'll go get to work now!"
Wang Yue burst into laughter, leaving a bewildered Gan Ning behind, and strode straight towards the Great Ning River, intending to kill Liu Ziyi.
Outside the Prince's mansion, the latest newspaper news ignited Ningchuan Commandery, turning the previously skeptical populace into a frenzy.
The Brocade Sail Navy returned laden with over 100,000 catties of fish, worth a fortune!
[The prince rewarded his troops and also distributed fish and meat to the elderly living alone, giving them new hope.]
The terrifying profits made fishermen rich overnight. Fisherman Zhang Si sold 13,000 strings of cash from one boatload of fish, instantly becoming a millionaire.
[Ocean fishing, get rich quick!]
As the newspaper circulated, the entire population of Ningchuan Commandery was in an uproar. This was outrageous! They had brought back over 100,000 jin of meat in one go—it was practically robbery!
The terrifying profits made the merchants green with envy, and they immediately set their sights on the ocean. It would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
Even the previously calm aristocratic families couldn't sit still anymore; this windfall had unsettled them.
As one of the top families in Ningchuan Commandery, the Song Clan did not stand up even when Tuoba Yu invaded Ningchuan Commandery; they simply transferred their assets.
After Lin Yi occupied Xiliang, they did not take the initiative to step forward, as if they were independent of the world. But this time they couldn't help but step forward.
"Uncle, I'm willing to give up the trade routes in the Western Regions and go fishing in the ocean!" Song Huizu said solemnly to his patriarch.
Song Yuming frowned as he looked at his nephew and said in a deep voice, " Huizu, you need to understand one thing: Lin Yi's actions definitely have ulterior motives. Following him into the ocean could very well result in losing everything!"
As the head of the family, he understood the methods of these ambitious people better than the common people.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Lin Yi not only got tax exemption but also led everyone fishing, which is completely unreasonable. Whether in intelligence or in reality, Lin Yi is not the kind of person who would sacrifice himself for others.
If you follow him, one wrong move and you're doomed!
Song Huizu nodded and said in a deep voice, "Uncle, it's certain that the Prince of Xiliang has his own agenda, but the profits from ocean fishing are undeniable. To be honest, my men infiltrated this fishing fleet. They have a medium-sized fishing boat, and they've caught at least two thousand catties of fish this time..."
"This..."
Song Yuming's pupils contracted. This harvest was indeed terrifyingly large. Two thousand catties of fish would probably take a medium-sized fishing boat half a month, or even a month, to achieve this catch on the Great Ning River.
He exclaimed in surprise, "How can there be so many fish in this ocean? Are they everywhere?"
To be honest, although he wasn't tempted, he was genuinely surprised; the potential return was somewhat extraordinary.
"It's not that they're everywhere, but fish in the ocean swim in large schools. If the fishing net is big enough, one haul can probably fill several thousand kilograms. The time, Admiral Gan Ning of the navy filled an entire warship with just one haul; it was simply astonishing."
Song Huizu took a deep breath and said with longing.