Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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"Revolution," Liu Chongyu replied.

He didn't know Ronan that well, but he knew the other "Ronan" well enough. The two may have many differences, but their vision and magnanimity were no different.

Moreover, only a grand vision that brings about change to the world could motivate someone like Ronan to be so dedicated.

"Revolution?" The second brother, Liu Chongsi, looked puzzled. He couldn't understand what this was all about.

"Third brother, just say what you want to say, don't keep it a riddle," said the eldest brother, Liu Chongjin.

He knew that his third brother, Liu Chongyu, who had always been an ordinary person, loved reading, especially history books. He had many insights and ideas about politics. Unfortunately, as a high-ranking family member without extraordinary powers and whose connections were all in the military, the only path he could take was to first gain qualifications in the Royal Guard, then go to a special training class for further studies, and finally become a staff officer.

"Why do you think our country has been unable to defeat those Westerners in recent decades?" The third brother, Liu Chongyu, asked himself and answered, "Because there are problems with the system."

What? The system? The eldest brother thinks that if it's about technological backwardness, then it really is. The second brother thinks that if it's about national corruption, then that's understandable. What does this have to do with the system?

Do you think they are completely ignorant of the West? Feudal rulers and manor economy, how could they be advanced?

Lu Jianling disagreed as well. She felt that the Celestial Empire was far superior to the West. But she smiled because her youngest son had always loved to spout outrageous ideas since he was a child. Now, he was still the same youngest son she loved the most.

"However, our bureaucratic landlord model under a unified system is really inferior to the Western system, which still retains remnants of feudal and manor economy, in terms of organizational and mobilization capabilities."

"It is precisely because of our poor organizational and mobilization capabilities that we are ineffective in dealing with foreign powers. To put it bluntly, even in the early years of our dynasty, we would still have lost to the Westerners."

The third brother's outrageous remarks came one after another.

Chapter 869 Centralized power is not as good as feudalism; we need to assess the level of authority first; there can only be one fisherman.

In this day and age, land is economy, and economy is land.

Only by analyzing the economy can we cut through the fog of politics and see the reasons for repeated defeats in war.

In the previous dynasty, the imperial examination system was fully established, which led to the rise of small and medium-sized landowners.

These bureaucratic landlords were different from the nobles, powerful clans, and aristocratic families of the past thousand years.

Those people in the past had the triple identity of owners of the economic base, organizers of the regime, and organizers of the military.

The landlords from the previous dynasty onwards were much weaker than the landlords of the past.

They are the owners of the economic base, controlling wealth and manpower, but not as securely as they used to be.

Those who obtained these positions through the imperial examination system were not truly the masters of the civil service government, but rather people who could be ousted and become guests at any time, even though they still retained considerable influence. As for the military, it had become detached from the lives of these landowners.

The weakening of individual landlords undoubtedly brought stability to the empire.

Leaving aside local and central governments, just considering the succession to the throne, each transfer of power in the previous dynasty was very smooth, whereas in the past, coups were as common as eating and drinking.

But this has also created a terrible, unchangeable phenomenon.

Landlords were no longer a source of organizational and mobilization power; instead, they became an obstacle to organization and mobilization.

Since they are an unstable host and a long-term guest, the best course of action is to undermine the imperialists as much as possible.

In this respect, bureaucratic landlords and feudal manor owners are completely opposite.

Because bureaucratic landlords are always laborers, while feudal manor owners are shareholders.

The result of the landlord class becoming like this is that the country's ability to exert influence abroad has declined because it is thankless and unable to exert its efforts effectively. Its ability to correct its own mistakes domestically has also decreased because interest groups have become too fragmented.

In this dynasty, of course, many changes were made.

But it was just a change.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Liu Chongyu said.

"Then tell me, what would be better?" said the second brother, Liu Chongsi. He had been listening for a long time but still didn't know how to refute it. However, he absolutely did not want to agree with his younger brother's outrageous argument.

“A nominal monarchy, or rather, a sage emperor who governs by doing nothing, where the civil service examination system allows employees to become shareholders and naturally contribute,” Liu Chongyu said.

These words were not actually spoken by him, but by another "Ronan".

Ronan also said that perhaps one day, the phrase "the sage emperor governs by doing nothing" will be completely stigmatized. No one has thought about this stigmatization. The context of this phrase is an agricultural era in which centralization of power is becoming more and more profound and rulers are less and less responsible for their cattle and horses.

"Ha, does our Emperor have any power?" the eldest brother, Liu Chongjin, asked with a smile.

Liu Chongyu, however, did not seem stumped at all. “There is no emperor, but the emperor’s power in this dynasty surpasses that of any other dynasty. The next dynasty may surpass this one as well. At that time, we will probably fall into an abyss of no return.”

“Chongyu, that’s too far in the future,” Lu Jianling said, ending the conversation. “That’s not what we need to consider right now.”

“Mother is right,” said the second son, Liu Chongsi. “That Mr. Luo is in trouble soon, no, he is already in trouble. No matter what our governor’s intentions are, he will not tolerate someone like him in Foshan.”

Foshan is extremely important; it has iron, weapons, people, and food.

Although Ronan is a foreigner who could not possibly take the position on his own, that is precisely what makes him more terrifying, because he has no constraints and no one knows what he will do.

Such an uncontrollable person was unacceptable to the governor.

"Should we just wait and see?" the eldest brother, Liu Chongjin, asked, stroking his chin.

Although my mother doesn't like socializing and doesn't have many connections, and my grandfather retired after the sacrificial ceremony incident, it doesn't mean they can't make connections for Ronan. With Ronan now, connecting with some people is a piece of cake.

Before Lu Jianling, the head of the family, could speak, the second son, Liu Chongsi, said, "I don't think it's necessary. We should also see what this Mr. Luo is capable of, right, Mother?"

“Yes, Chongsi’s words make sense,” Lu Jianling said.

Now that she's on this pirate ship, she won't get off. A person can't be without integrity, but how she should treat this governor depends on how Ronan handles things from now on.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye; it was a day off.

In the morning, Governor Ren Jingjiang was practicing calligraphy in his study.

Ren Jingjiang looked to be in his forties, with delicate willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and a thick, neatly trimmed short beard. His third-level cultivation made him look much younger than his actual age. In reality, he was already over sixty, but although he was still full of energy, if he could not advance further, he would not be far from retirement.

Normally, he would naturally seek further advancement, but now that the court has lost much of its prestige, what good would it do to rise to a higher position? The higher the position, the more likely he is to be roasted alive.

But if one does not obey the imperial court, then sooner or later one will go down that path, which is even riskier.

There is another way: to ignore everything, resign due to illness, and stop serving others. But what was the point of all those decades of ups and downs in officialdom? Could one be content with that?

Even now, Ren Jingjiang hasn't made a complete decision yet. There's only one thing he's very clear about: no matter which path he chooses, he has to deal with a local tyrant from out of town, that advisor Luo.

A knock came at the door. Ren Jingjiang continued writing, his wrist still suspended in the air, and softly said, "Come in."

A relatively young man walked in. "Mr. Liweng, there's been no movement." Mr. Liweng was Ren Jingjiang's courtesy name.

With his first-tier strength, the young man could be considered a retainer of Ren Jingjiang's household.

The one who came to the door and then took the opportunity to cause trouble was not him, but an ordinary servant in the mansion.

Although there are many people of the rank of official in Seris, Seris is also so big that having a person of the rank of official means that even if they don't become a proper official, they can easily become a high-ranking local official. Only high-ranking officials would have such a patron who would be willing to come to their residences.

As for Liu Menglong's old servant, he was extremely rare.

After writing the last character, Ren Jingjiang let out a long sigh of relief, gestured for the young guest to sit down, and went to get some tea.

The young guest sat down and said, "This Mr. Luo is truly composed."

The governor has already sent people to do this, but Ronan has not only not come to the door, but has not even sent anyone, as if nothing has happened.

Ren Jingjiang started brewing tea and said leisurely, "Find someone to spread some rumors, get the person arrested, and have his family report it to the police. Let's wait for the upright official to uphold justice."

His method was simple: spread some rumors, then kill the servant who had gone to do the errand, and have the servant's family report the crime. Once the report was filed, they would arrest the suspect, who would naturally be the doorman in Ronan's house who had been beaten. Ronan didn't care about disclaiming any involvement; he would just lock the doorman in jail and have him confess to some of Ronan's crimes.

By then, will Ronan still be able to sit idly by? If he doesn't do anything, they'll escalate the situation, incite public outrage, and use "public opinion" to arrest him. If he violently resists the law or acts like a rogue by flaunting his foreign status, then they've lost, and there's no need to bother with him anymore.

In Guangdong, only Ren Liweng could fish alone in the cold river snow; no other fishermen were allowed to do so.

Chapter 870 An Unsolvable Scheme: Taking the Initiative, the Staged Accident is Just the Beginning

According to Governor Ren's plan, rumors were to circulate for three days. The specific content was that a certain official had sent someone to invite the foreigner Ronan, and the foreigner's doorman demanded a bribe. The official's servant was originally planning to accept it, but the doorman made an unusual statement that completely enraged the messenger, who beat the doorman up. Then the doorman called for reinforcements, and the messenger had no choice but to flee.

Such rumors are clearly a way of raising a banner, and anyone who tries to say that the facts are not like this will be labeled a scoundrel who has taken dirty money from foreigners.

Such rumors would reach Foshan in a couple of days, but they would spread for three to five days first, giving Ronan one last chance.

When the time comes, the righteous messenger will be killed by the wicked.

Just as the governor was gloating over his unbeatable scheme...

Inside Guangzhou, Lu Delin, the second-in-command of Guangdong Province, was sitting in a carriage, preparing to go out of the city for sightseeing and to enjoy himself with the people.

Unlike Ren Jingjiang, who rose through the ranks to become the top leader, Lü Delin came from a similar background to Liu Menglong, belonging to a prominent family in Jiangnan. However, unlike Liu Menglong, who had some sense of justice and wanted to do something, Lü Delin was a complete layabout. He was neither corrupt nor proactive. He was thirty-three years old when his elder brother, on whom his family had placed great hopes, suddenly died of a strange illness, forcing him to enter the officialdom.

While summoned spirits can be inherited, there is a downside: they have a chance of contracting strange diseases, diseases at the soul level, for which ordinary methods are completely ineffective. Once the disease worsens, death is the only outcome.

Lu Delin never wanted to be a high-ranking official, but unexpectedly, after slacking off for twenty years, he rose from a county magistrate to a provincial governor. Given his age and seniority, if it weren't for the "Grand Sacrifice to Heaven Incident," he might have already been promoted to the central government, and perhaps even entered the cabinet.

He usually likes to be late or leave early. Don't ask him anything; it's just a headache.

When the day off arrived and he recovered from his illness, he naturally went out to play. His cultivation level was not high, only at the first level, but due to his pampered lifestyle, he looked only in his thirties despite being in his fifties.

The carriage stopped abruptly at the head of a small bridge.

"Hmm, why did you park?" Lu Delin asked from inside the car.

Following on foot, an ununiformed officer approached the carriage window and said, "Sir, there's a carriage ahead with a broken wheel, blocking the road. Should we take a detour?"

The reason the officials asked this question was because Master Lü was the best official he had ever met. He was kind and gentle not only to them, but also to ordinary people. Although he was using public office for private purposes, he gave each of them a new pair of shoes when he took them on his trip.

Therefore, he thought that such a kind old man like Master Lü might choose to take a detour.

Master Lü closed his eyes to rest, but his personal coachman shouted at the officials, "You son of a bitch, why don't you take some men and ask that carriage to move? I mean really ask them, not pretending. If they don't let us, smash it and drag it aside. What kind of trash dares to block my master's way?"

The driver was an old man who followed Lü Delin, and he knew Lü's temperament best.

Ordinary people might not understand and think that Master Lü is two-faced, but that's not the case at all. He is a typical young master from a prominent family. As a well-mannered young master, he genuinely believes that one should not be arrogant and domineering, and that one should speak politely to those of lower status than oneself.

However, one must respect others, regardless of whether they are of lower or higher status.

If you're in a high position, fine, you're something else. I won't argue with you. I'll just drive my car over there, then stop and leave. But if you're in a low position, then you should be more humble and move your car so I can pass.

Taking a detour? That's impossible. How could a young master from a prestigious family, the second-in-command, possibly save face?

The officials didn't understand, but they went anyway.

But as soon as he arrived, he was knocked down by a foreigner who got off the car. The foreigner shouted, "What are you? How dare you lay a hand on me? I am a distinguished guest of the governor."

Just as Lü Delin in the carriage was feeling astonished, suddenly the world turned upside down.

It wasn't that the world had truly turned upside down; rather, his carriage had been overturned. Before Lü Delin could recover, he was dragged out and punched in the face.

“I am a distinguished guest of the governor, who are you to talk to me?”

The man was shouting as he hit him.

After being punched three times, the other party finally stopped. By then, Lü Delin could only open one eye, and through that open eye, he saw a burly young foreign man.

"How dare you plot to assassinate an official! Are you trying to rebel?" a loud shout rang out.

Some of the onlookers were bewildered. Wasn't it just a fight? How did it turn into a plot to assassinate an official and intend to rebel?

Lü Delin himself was stunned. What? An assassination attempt?

"Capture this thief for me!" the man shouted again.

The foreigner raised his hands and was led away by several people.

At this moment, Lü Delin, whose head had recovered from dizziness, realized that the person who had just shouted was Wang Sizheng, the Guangdong Provincial Education Commissioner.

The Superintendent of Education was no ordinary educational official. He oversaw academies and martial arts schools for educating the exceptional, and he also had an education corps and a repentance office specifically for students who committed wrongdoings. It's no exaggeration to say that the "special police" of a province's government were not in the hands of the governor, the provincial treasurer, or the provincial judge, but in the hands of this educational official.

Lu Delin stood up, rubbed his face, and shouted, "I am the Provincial Treasurer! All of you, stop right there!" He then looked at Wang Sizheng and questioned him sharply, "Lord Wang, on what grounds are you arresting people?"

He may be slacking off, but after twenty years in officialdom, he's no newbie, and he's already sensed the conspiracy.

“Lord Lü, although this man is a foreigner, he is enrolled in a school in Guangdong and is a student.” After saying this, Wang Sizheng called to his men, “Take him away. I will personally interrogate him to see if he really intends to kill officials and rebel.”

Lu Delin's brows were furrowed in disbelief. He couldn't understand what was wrong with this man surnamed Wang. Was the accusation of killing an official and rebelling just thrown around like that? Moreover, this man was connected to Governor Ren Jingjiang.

So, who exactly is this foreigner?

The coachman leaned closer. "Sir?"

Lu Delin's face twitched twice in pain. "Go back to the manor first and tell the steward to pass on my order: no one in the household is allowed to leave the house without my permission, and all receptions and farewells are to be stopped."

"Then, sir?" the coachman asked.

"I'm sick, I'm going to see a doctor." With that, Lü Delin left.

He was certainly not going to the clinic; he was going to the place of reflection.

Once Lü Delin left, the other officers also dispersed. After such an incident, they naturally had to report to their superiors.

Meanwhile, the foreigner who had just beaten Lü Delin was strolling leisurely down the street. This foreigner was none other than Ronan.

Everyone else kept their distance, leaving only Wang Sizheng and Luo Nan together. Wang Sizheng couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Is this what you call 'hitting someone for insurance fraud'? You didn't even bump into them, yet you still beat them up."

"We're going to fight anyway, so let's just fight," Ronan said.