Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

The Minister of Works nearly choked on a mouthful of blood.

First, it was his daughter, and now his wife. Is there no escape? Why must it always be me? There are so many officials in court—why not pick on someone else?

The court officials, one and all, kept their eyes lowered, cautious and reserved, avoiding eye contact with Xu Yanmiao, lest he suddenly remember their existence.

The old emperor watched everything from his seat above, seeing it all clearly. He raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting on the Minister of Works’ wife engaging in business.

Instead, he said, “A court full of scholars and officials, and not one of you dares to speak up to ease your monarch’s burdens?”

A group of officials in their fifties and sixties couldn’t even measure up to a mere child!

Though the child’s suggestion required refinement, it was at least practical!

Chastised, the officials immediately dropped to their knees in unison, exclaiming, “Your Majesty, we are fearful! We are guilty!”

The emperor clenched his fist, knocking it lightly on the armrest as he let out a cold snort. “Fearful? I see no trace of fear in you. You all seem rather bold.”

The officials hung their heads in shame, apologizing repeatedly. Yet not one of them uttered the words the emperor wanted to hear.

When they remained silent, the emperor declared, “If you lack understanding, then leave it to those who do. Matters involving finances… there are merchants aplenty across the land, surely some are knowledgeable. Today, I decree that merchants shall be allowed to take the imperial examinations.”

At these words, the officials became even more “guilty,” apologizing profusely with remarkable efficiency. However, when it came to the subject of merchants taking the imperial exams, they were unanimous in their objections:

“Your Majesty, this must not happen!”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider!”

“Your Majesty, merchants are unprincipled and conniving! Allowing them to become officials could destabilize the court!”

“Merchants are parasites on the state! With their wealth, they would become impossible to uproot!”

“We do not deny the existence of virtuous merchants, but the majority are deceitful, hoarding goods and manipulating markets. If such tactics were applied to governance, it would be disastrous for society. The nation would be doomed!”

Among the dissenters, some were protecting their own interests, while others genuinely had the country’s welfare at heart. Yet regardless of their motivations, none supported the idea of allowing merchants to participate in the imperial exams.

The emperor’s gaze slowly swept across the court, his expression unreadable.

“Crown Prince,” he said. “What is your opinion?”

The officials were taken aback.

They had expected the emperor to first call upon the Minister of Works, who, given his wife’s business dealings, would likely have defended merchants to some extent.

The Crown Prince, who rarely attended court sessions, sat up straighter than usual at being addressed. “Your Majesty,” he replied earnestly, “I believe that talent should be the sole criterion for selection, not social status. Lowly origins do not preclude virtue, nor does noble birth guarantee wisdom. If merchants possess talent, they should naturally be admitted into court service.”

He went on to cite historical examples from records of officials who had leveraged merchants’ expertise for the benefit of the nation.

Some officials used economic warfare to destroy nations; others leveraged advanced financial strategies to make the economy of a single region strong enough to rival two countries. Then there were those who, upon noticing that barbarians were using trade to acquire iron from China to forge weapons, cleverly issued a decree permitting only the export of extremely difficult-to-smelt Guangdong iron in the form of iron pots. This ensured the barbarians couldn’t obtain quality iron for weapons, couldn’t start a war immediately, and were forced to provide cattle and horses to China in trade.

“Your Majesty, when used wisely, commerce can also strengthen a nation,” the Crown Prince said.@@novelbin@@

One official, unable to contain himself, stepped forward. “Your Highness, your words are misguided. Throughout history, the early generations of every dynasty have always suppressed commerce. Why is that? It’s because humans are naturally profit-driven. Commerce is inherently lucrative. If merchants were allowed to become officials, combining wealth and power, the temptation of profit would lead countless farmers to abandon their fields to pursue trade. Where would our grain come from? Where would our cloth come from?”

His gaze was as sharp as his tone.

“Your Highness, history offers a clear precedent. A thousand years ago, there was a state called Qi. The Prime Minister of Qi valued deer from the Chu Kingdom and purchased them in great quantities. The people of Chu, seeing an opportunity for profit, abandoned farming to raise deer. Though the King of Chu later realized the issue and tried to restore agriculture, it was too late. Grain prices soared, the people of Chu nearly starved, and many defected to Qi. This was the ‘Buying Deer to Destroy Chu’ strategy.

“It’s only natural for the common people to chase profit. Expecting them to recognize the long-term stability of farming over the fleeting gains of trade is unrealistic. If we open the door to commerce now, it’s inevitable that disaster will follow.”

Many officials shared this concern and chimed in: “Your Majesty, farmers truly would abandon agriculture in favor of more lucrative trade.”

When that day came, Chu’s fate would be theirs as well.

If the court wanted to elevate commerce, they argued, it should wait until the dynasty had stabilized after several generations.

[What about the Money-Catching Official?]

Xu Yanmiao’s question slipped out unintentionally, cutting through the debate and leaving the outspoken official momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.