Chapter 35: A Terrible Idea

Upon learning Qin Hao’s identity, the four men were stunned into silence. Their pupils dilated, and their mouths hung slightly agape, their expressions a swirling mixture of shock, confusion, and disbelief. What on earth had they just heard? Qin Hao? This young man was actually Qin Hao—the very same Qin Hao whose alleged mental deficiency had led the Imperial family to annul his engagement, causing great humiliation to the Third Princess. They still remembered the day of that annulment in the imperial court; the Emperor had been so furious he nearly had the Earl of Kaiyang executed. Yet, looking at the scene before them, it was clear the Emperor was not angry at all; in fact, he seemed to get along quite well with the young man.

"Your Maj... Brother Li, is this true?" Zhao Rufeng, as the Prime Minister, was accustomed to remaining composed even if the world were crumbling around him. But at this moment, he could not maintain his composure. The brilliant talent before him was the very same "fool" of the capital, Qin Hao. How could this be? How dared he?

Qin Hao spoke up quickly, "Elder Zhao, my reputation was slightly tarnished in the past, leading to many misunderstandings. But that will not happen again. If you have any questions, I will certainly tell you everything I know." Having said this, he stood up and performed a formal scholar’s bow to the group.

The men looked at Qin Hao with strange expressions. *Slightly* tarnished? How could he say that with a straight face? Still, faced with his gesture, the officials hurriedly stood up. Though they did not return the bow, none dared to remain seated while accepting it. Whether it was because their identities were currently concealed or because Qin Hao was the Emperor’s student, they dared not accept the gesture while sitting.

Qin Hao, ever the tactful one, pressed them back into their seats. "You are all elders in age; as a junior, I must observe the proper etiquette. Besides, even if you are not officials, my teacher and the Eldest Princess do not care for such formalities. If you don't believe me, ask them yourselves."

Qin Hao was not surprised that they weren't officials; he had suspected as much. In ancient times, there were many scholars who did not hold office but still worked for the imperial court. He assumed these men were among them. Zhao Rufeng and the others hurriedly looked toward Emperor Xuande.

The Emperor smiled and said, "Whether you are officials or not is irrelevant. Even if you aren't, the current Emperor has still tasked you with assisting the Eldest Princess and me in completing the migration of the southern people to the north. As Hao’er said, you are the elders and he is the junior; you should simply accept his gesture."

Only then did Zhao Rufeng and the others breathe a sigh of relief. Since the Emperor had spoken, they wasted no time. Zhao Rufeng and Yan Shifan were the first to speak, as they had many questions regarding the migration plan. Qin Hao answered them one by one. As they discussed, both the eloquence of his speech and the strange, modern terminology he used—which they surprisingly understood—constantly refreshed their impression of him.

Two hours later, Qin Hao said, "That is the complete plan, but in practice, you will inevitably encounter various real-world problems. For instance, a lack of funds or other complications; these must be solved step by step. For now, the most pressing issue is disaster relief. Furthermore, you must follow my instructions and send people out to spread word of the migration plan immediately. Whether it is a migration before winter or after the new year, you must clarify that all costs and compensation will be covered by the imperial court."

Emperor Xuande frowned slightly. "Hao’er, the treasury currently does not have that much money. Even with next year’s tax revenue, we cannot possibly support such a massive migration."

Qin Hao laughed. "Teacher, spreading the news now is simply to let the people know of the migration. Since it is not yet an official state policy, it will take time for the word to spread through unofficial channels. As for the court funding it, that is merely a 'painted cake'—a bait, not to deceive the people, but to entice the powerful families."

Emperor Xuande’s expression shifted. "How do you mean?"

Qin Hao did not elaborate. "Teacher, we must first spread the message. Everything else is secondary; if the foundation isn't laid, nothing else will work. Let’s focus on the immediate issues. For example, regarding the concerns Qingyao raised about the treatment of northern soldiers, I have a 'bad' idea that might be worth a try."

Li Qingyao and the two old generals perked up. They had been wanting to ask about the soldiers’ welfare. Li Qingyao asked, "What is this idea? Let’s hear it."

Qin Hao smiled. "I’ll tell you..."

After hearing the plan, Li Qingyao and the others felt that Qin Hao was truly devious. It was indeed a "bad" idea, but it was highly effective. Qin Hao suggested that Li Qingyao relentlessly press the issue of the southern migration. Once the officials from the powerful families could no longer hold out, she should then bring up the soldiers' welfare. The officials, desperate to change the subject, would then cooperate with her on the soldiers' issue.

At that point, Li Qingyao would only need to follow Qin Hao’s instructions and strike a wager with the families. The terms were simple: the pressured Eldest Princess, seemingly exhausted and frustrated, would agree to stop pressing the migration and welfare issues if she personally provided funds to support the northern soldiers. The catch was that for every tael the Princess contributed, those officials’ families would be forced to match it. How exactly to execute this in the court would be up to Li Qingyao. Desperate to strip the Princess of her influence over the migration policy, the families would surely agree to the bet.

While making a bet in court was somewhat beneath the dignity of an Eldest Princess, Li Qingyao didn't care. She said happily, "I have less than ten thousand taels of personal wealth. If I sell some treasures, I can scrape together thirty thousand. If the four great families match me, we could raise over a hundred thousand taels. That’s not a small sum!"

The two old generals were also excited; with over a hundred thousand taels, the soldiers could have a decent winter. The Duke of Yi, the only one whose identity was known, expressed his gratitude. "Qin Hao, on behalf of the northern soldiers, I thank you."

Zhao Rufeng and Yan Shifan exchanged glances, both feeling that Qin Hao was monstrously clever. Whether a good idea or a devious one, how did he come up with them so effortlessly? As for the Eldest Princess dropping the migration issue, let her; they would handle it themselves. Since the Emperor had sent them to consult with Qin Hao, it was clear he wanted them to work together to complete the migration.

Qin Hao said, speechless, "Duke of Yi, are you looking down on me?"

The Duke was puzzled. "What do you mean, young man? How am I looking down on you?"

Qin Hao grumbled, "A mere hundred thousand taels isn't worth me coming up with such a devious plan. If I’m going to sacrifice Qingyao’s standing in court over the migration issue, it would be a huge loss if we didn't get at least a million taels."

A million taels! Everyone looked at Qin Hao in disbelief. Li Qingyao asked excitedly, "Can we really get that much? That would require me to put up at least two hundred thousand. Even if I sold the Princess's estate, I couldn't raise that."

"I'll figure out the money," Qin Hao said, suddenly struck by an idea. "By the way, is selling alcohol illegal?"

Li Qingyao nodded. "Currently, grain is rationed. Unless it's a tavern, brewing and selling alcohol is illegal for everyone else."

Qin Hao nodded. "Then we shall sell alcohol."

Everyone: "..."

Before they left, Qin Hao added, "Oh, and Qingyao, you must keep this a secret. Don't tell your father... I mean, His Majesty. I don't want to provide benefits for the northern soldiers only to have my head chopped off, or have it written off as 'merits balancing out the crimes,' and lose my chance at a high official position."

Instantly, everyone turned to look at Emperor Xuande.