“Hmph, boasting grandly! What abilities and political views do you possess to establish a prosperous reign upon the devastated lands of Eastern Qi? The southeast establishes the nation through commerce—how many major merchants do you even know?” Yu Xian sneered coldly with disdain.
Qing Xia smiled faintly and said, “All under heaven hustle for profit. As long as the price is fair and there’s profit to be made, I don’t believe those merchants only recognize Lord Yu Xian and wouldn’t recognize me, the newly appointed governor general.”
“One who wins the hearts of the people naturally commands respect and oversees the overall situation. You’re a rootless, unknown, weak child—who would trust you?”
“That’s not for Lord Lu to worry about,” Qing Xia turned around and said, “Winning the world through the people’s hearts—but what constitutes the people’s hearts? Giving them food and drink, light taxes and labor, mouthfuls of benevolence and morality—is that saintliness? Wrong! Seeking benefit and avoiding harm is the people’s heart. Gaining one thing and wanting more is the people’s heart. Living prosperously is the people’s heart. The common people don’t care whether it’s Lord Lu governing or me, Xia Qing, holding power. Whoever can make them eat their fill, drink to satisfaction, dress warmly, and have money—they’ll listen to that person. Even under the rule of a benevolent ruler, there are disaster years when people rebel and cause upheaval. Even amid turmoil and unrest, there are foolishly loyal subjects. In the end, it all comes down to one word: profit.”
A young Southern Chu scholar frowned and said, “So you’re saying you have strategies to enrich the southeastern people.”
“Without such abilities, how would I dare speak so confidently before all you distinguished lords? Today I’m fortunate to come to this great hall to present strategies to His Majesty and repay His Majesty’s kindness in recognizing my worth.” Having said this, he turned and slowly bowed toward Chu Li.
Chu Li smiled slightly, his expression softening, and said, “Rise. Speak then—I too want to hear what grand ambitions you have to swallow mountains and seas.”
Qing Xia stood up, turned around, looked at all the civil and military officials, and declared loudly, “The southeastern province currently has six essential tasks that are urgently pressing. If not implemented soon, the great enterprise will be difficult to achieve.”
An censorial official asked, “What six tasks?”
Qing Xia smiled, instantly appearing like the bright moon emerging from clouds, like flowers reflected in water, brilliant beyond compare. She immediately turned toward Chu Li above and declared loudly, “First, lift the sea ban. Second, train the navy. Third, stockpile grain extensively. Fourth, form maritime alliances. Fifth, recruit sea peoples. Sixth, destroy the Xiongnu. These are the six essentials—not one can be missing.”
As soon as she finished speaking, an uproar arose. Some elderly officials were nearly shocked into fainting by her extraordinary ideas. Qing Xia stood fearlessly with head held high in the court hall, gazing at the man above, feeling unprecedented confidence rise in her heart.
“Simply treasonous!” Dongfang Li shouted loudly, “Your Majesty, this person brings disaster to the nation and people, thinking wildly! If we truly let him ascend to the position of governor general, our entire southeastern coast will become scorched earth, with people unable to make a living!”
The Minister of Rites once again wept bitterly, prostrating on the ground and tearfully remonstrating, “If this person manages the southeast, I would rather die in this court hall than watch helplessly as the southeastern people fall into peril!”
“Your Majesty, this person has malicious intentions and cannot be trusted!”
Officials from both Qi and Chu courts, the Hanlin Academy, the Household Department, the Supervision Agency, the Censorate—all the civil officials, princes, and ministers were like rhinoceroses with firecrackers tied to their tails, with thick necks and red faces. They cited classics and spoke eloquently, as if writing essays for the imperial examinations. They performed the full repertoire of tearful and death remonstrations. Many elderly ministers wept profusely with eyes wide as copper bells, looking ready to step forward and fight that smooth-talking troublemaker who feared no chaos in the world. Even most of the military generals, who could only write their own names, rolled up their sleeves eagerly, though they didn’t understand what tricks lay within the six points this young man mentioned.
After Dongfang Li finished speaking and stepped back, Grand Secretary Cui, a three-dynasty veteran of Southern Chu, entered the fray bare-chested. He glanced coldly at Qing Xia, twisted his two old eyebrows together, and declared loudly, “Your Majesty, throughout history, sage rulers have governed the world through moral education, using civil and military officials as arms to govern the people, and selecting worthy talents according to the words of sages. Therefore, selecting regional ministers, favoring worthy ministers and distancing petty ones makes a sage ruler; while favoring petty ones and distancing worthy ministers leads to frivolity and neglect of government affairs, causing petty people to hold power and corruption in court. Your Majesty, taking on great responsibilities in your youth, should especially observe regulations and follow ancient sages. This person is unlearned, doesn’t understand moral education, and is truly unfit for such great responsibility!”
Sun Qingcheng said angrily with red eyes, “The southeast has many bandits. Only implementing the sea ban can eliminate bandit troubles, yet you say to lift the sea ban—absolutely ridiculous! Sea peoples are barbarians dwelling on distant islands, not understanding civilization. How can we ally with them? It’s simply shameful—you’ve lost all face for our Celestial Dynasty. Now with internal strife in Xichuan, our dynasty enjoys peace across the four seas with national prosperity and people’s security. Why interfere in Xiongnu affairs? I think you’re clearly a spy from an enemy nation, attempting to destroy our dynasty!”
Qing Xia snorted coldly and said, “Peace across the four seas, national prosperity and people’s security—anyone can say smooth words. Eastern Qi was just pacified by His Majesty, southern rebellions rage with war, and just days ago pirates raided the borders, killing hundreds of common people. In Minister Sun’s eyes, is this the image of a prosperous age with peace across the four seas?”
Sun Qingcheng sneered and said, “Pirates are merely a group of desperate criminals causing trouble, making small disturbances that can’t raise winds or spread rain. As soon as our dynasty’s great army arrived, they fled in panic. They’re merely a minor skin disease, not a threat to the state. The Xiongnu barbarians cling to the wilderness with chaotic governance and no great ambitions—what’s to fear? Moreover, except for Huarong Path, they don’t border our nation. Making a mountain out of a molehill is just alarmist talk.”
“Oh? Since in Lord Sun’s eyes pirates are merely desperate criminals and a minor skin disease, why close the maritime borders to prevent pirate invasions? Since you’re so confident, lifting the sea ban wouldn’t be impossible either.”
“I, I don’t mean that. The sages said…” Sun Qingcheng was stunned and hastily tried to explain.
“Enough!” Qing Xia suddenly stepped forward and said angrily, “A real man establishing himself should be born in anxiety and die in comfort. As a court official, you have no sense of crisis, instead confusing right and wrong here, talking about national prosperity and people’s security. His Majesty established the nation through military achievements—how could he be deceived by you? Now the world is divided into three parts, with various tributary states ready to move. The flag follows whichever way the wind blows. If we remain rigid and self-enclosed, dreaming of being the foremost Celestial Dynasty, we’ll eventually be separated from our bodies and devoured by others. Moreover, Western nations now develop rapidly, and governance should change with the times. Holding one copy of the Analects and speaking nothing but classical particles—does that display your scholarship? Being hidebound and inflexible—did the sages teach you that too? Eastern Qi met its current fate of dynastic extinction precisely because of rigid ministers like you. After surrendering, do you want to drag our Great Chu down with you?”
Dongfang Li, Lu Xiao, Sun Qingcheng, and other Qi ministers were nearly apoplectic with rage. As he spoke, he actually began winning over Southern Chu ministers to exclude them—this person was too shameless.
“Years ago, Emperor Wu of Qin issued the sea ban due to coastal pirate harassment, forcing tens of thousands of people who lived off the sea to relocate inland. This caused insufficient land and food, naval forces became lax, and now barely one or two in ten understand sailing. Our vast maritime territory has become a back garden for Westerners and Easterners, where anyone can interfere. In contrast, pirates haven’t decreased but have intensified. Why is this? All under heaven come and go for profit. With blocked trade, how many good people risk everything and willingly become bandits? If you distinguished ministers don’t believe this, visit the maritime borders and see—among those pirates who burn, kill, and plunder, how many are actually our own Chinese descendants in disguise? You all claim Western barbarians aren’t worth fearing, yet don’t know that Western craftsmanship is now advanced, shipbuilding is sophisticated, and gunpowder and cannons are all superior to ours. Since ancient times, invaders came through mountain passes, and the sea was a natural barrier. A thousand years ago, no one could set sail across the ocean, but now Spanish and Portuguese ships have sailed ten thousand li to reach our Chinese territory. How do you know that in another century, this great sea won’t become a thoroughfare, and foreign ships and cannons won’t breach our national gates? If that day truly comes, you’ll be the culprits who destroyed our thousand-year Chinese foundation, and history will judge you accordingly!”
Dongfang Li flew into a rage, no longer maintaining his previous composure. He pointed at Qing Xia’s nose and shouted, “You, you’re making false accusations, talking nonsense, ruining my reputation, you…”
Qing Xia didn’t even glance at him, turning instead to the Southern Chu officials and the lofty Chu Li above, saying, “Your Majesty, distinguished ministers, the sea ban must be lifted, the navy must be trained. Otherwise, in a hundred years, our descendants will be left far behind by the world. Pirates must be eliminated, but we should repel enemies outside our national gates, not sit here waiting for others to attack us. If they can come to our home to fire cannons, why can’t we go to their lands and make them our tributary states? Our population far exceeds theirs, our army far surpasses theirs. We are prosperous with vast territory and inexhaustible reserves. They come to slaughter our people—we’ll go kill their emperor. They come to harm our subjects—we’ll storm their imperial city. The great sea is also our territory. Can we really be so frightened by that small country, not even as large as one of our provinces, that we choke on food and fear to open our national gates, scared enough to hand over this treasure trove of the great sea to others?”
“Now Xichuan battles Northern Qin while the Xiongnu observe from the sidelines, seemingly inclined to ally with Xichuan. We are Northern Qin’s allies. If allies face trouble and we ignore them, who will trust us faithless, unrighteous people in the future? Moreover, the Xiongnu are foreign tribes, brutal as wolves. If we let them enter the Central Plains, all Chinese mainland civilization will be destroyed. Continental warfare has reached its peak, and total war is imminent. During this time, commerce, military training, grain storage, alliance formation, annexation, dispatching scouts and spies, gathering continental intelligence, and war preparation—none can be neglected. Only with sufficient preparation, elite soldiers, and a secure rear can we ensure Great Chu remains undefeated in the possibly three to five years, or perhaps more than ten years of warfare ahead, helping Your Majesty achieve unprecedented eternal glory!”