"Minister Zhang, are you saying this is the Parliament's intention?" Yu Chen could hardly believe that the Parliament, usually so loud in its rhetoric, would actually acknowledge the existence of the People's Party Central Committee in such a manner.

Zhang Jian smiled faintly. "Quite a few MPs in the Parliament have already agreed to this line of thinking. However, the Parliament cannot make the final decision on this matter entirely on its own."

Yu Chen frowned and asked tentatively, "Minister Zhang, what exactly are the MPs thinking?"

Zhang Jian knew how to play dumb very well; he analyzed the matter entirely from an economic perspective. The People's Party's water conservancy projects were methods Chen Ke had devised after absorbing experiences from future generations. Historically, large-scale water conservancy projects were the foundation for the takeoff of Chinese agriculture. The problem lay in the fact that the masses only wanted to use them but didn't want to build them. Later, after the Reform and Opening Up, a large number of water conservancy projects fell directly into disrepair. Therefore, from the very beginning, Chen Ke had clarified many systems. Investigation, analysis, design, construction, auxiliary construction, and later maintenance all had clear scopes of authority and responsibility. These were all public materials.

The Jiangsu Parliament had long had its own sufficient needs. According to the People's Party's construction section, local areas would provide labor for auxiliary construction according to their needs, and there was a sufficient supervision and management system for later maintenance. For example, regarding water source issues, the extent of annual maintenance, minor revisions to maintenance standards every three years, and a major revision every six years based on the latest construction levels were all specified.

These were also knowledge that Wang Youhong had organized people to learn from the People's Party. It was just that limited by Jiangsu's technology and social mobilization capabilities, they couldn't possibly start from land reform like the People's Party did. So in the end, the matter met with opposition from many MPs and was dragged out.

Listening to Zhang Jian's introduction, Yu Chen felt he understood a bit. He asked, "Is Minister Zhang planning to implement land reform?"

Facts speak louder than words. Jiangsu, surrounded by the People's Party for a long time, naturally couldn't be unaware of what was happening in the surrounding areas. The changes in New China were comprehensive improvements: low grain prices and commodity prices, a large number of employment opportunities, and various brand-new industrial sectors. Even without discussing these things that laymen couldn't even understand, the steamships and railways built by the People's Party themselves were enough to explain what changes had taken place in China.

Southern Jiangsu was a wealthy place and had always looked down on poor places like Northern Jiangsu and Anhui. However, with the waxing and waning over the past dozen years, not to mention the originally wealthy Zhejiang, the People's Party had abruptly relied on industrial development to let the living standards in Northern Jiangsu and Anhui catch up with Southern Jiangsu. Even the originally barren mountainous areas could get rich quickly relying on forestry and breeding industries, let alone the plain areas with good water conservancy projects and agricultural technology support.

People of insight in Jiangsu all realized that if land reform could not be implemented in Jiangsu to utilize land and resources more effectively like the People's Party, the gap between Jiangsu and the surrounding areas would only get bigger and bigger. If this gap widened further, once there was some natural or man-made disaster, the People's Party wouldn't even need to do it themselves; the Jiangsu people who couldn't survive would rise up and overthrow the current ruling class of Jiangsu. After World War I, there hadn't even been a major natural disaster, just some slight trouble in foreign trade, and such a situation had almost appeared.

Hearing Yu Chen's inquiry, Zhang Jian replied, "We already have laws restricting land mergers. If we can push them further, it should be more effective."

Yu Chen frowned again. It wasn't that he doubted Zhang Jian's sincerity, but he couldn't understand how much cooperative attitude Zhang Jian actually had. The decree restricting mergers was a decree forcibly pushed by Wang Youhong with military force as the background. Any land transaction had to be approved by the government to be effective. Wang Youhong very cleverly stipulated that anyone found engaging in private land trade would not only lose the acquired land once exposed but would also have another piece of land of the same area confiscated by the government.

When this decree was implemented, it offended quite a few people. But Wang Youhong still relied on this to establish the prestige of the government. At the same time, through various government-guided cooperative organizations, Wang Youhong managed to integrate the people in the localities to some extent. Relying on foreign markets, Jiangsu finally maintained its tax revenue. During this period, what supported Wang Youhong was not some benevolence, but the military power in his hands.

If Zhang Jian wanted to push such a radical land policy, he would inevitably have to rely on the military power in Yu Chen's hands. The people offended by this action could only be more. Was Zhang Jian trying to pull Yu Chen in to get this done and lay a foundation for Jiangsu's future? Or was he preparing to take advantage of the opportunity of Wang Youhong's impending death to seek some benefits for himself and the people behind him?

Seeing Yu Chen's hesitant look, Zhang Jian simply said frankly, "Commander Yu, the place where the People's Party can most bewitch the people of Jiangsu lies in their land reform. If we talk about whether the land reform was done beautifully, we have to say they did it extremely beautifully. However, the People's Party always thinks they are amazing, actually promoting some communism that opposes private ownership. Everyone works hard and accumulates family property; is that wrong? There is no such logic in the world! After discussing with some MPs, we all feel that land reform must be done. Land to the tiller, this is definitely not a wrong thing! Besides this, we Jiangsu must have our own Jiangsu path, and absolutely cannot share property and wives like the People's Party!"

Originally, Yu Chen was listening seriously, but when he heard Zhang Jian say at the end that the People's Party "shared property and wives", he almost choked to death on a breath stuck in his throat. No matter how radical the People's Party's policies were, as far as Yu Chen knew, there was absolutely no such thing as sharing property and wives. On the contrary, after the implementation of the "Marriage Law", taking concubines was not allowed under the People's Party's rule, and arranged marriages and mercenary marriages were even more forbidden. Yu Chen was not lustful himself and considered his own moral conduct to be very particular. He actually appreciated the People's Party's "Marriage Law" very much. Hearing Zhang Jian talk such nonsense, he really had nothing to say in response.

However, in politics, there were too many cases of lying with one's eyes open. What Yu Chen had to do was not to correct this obvious lie, but to figure out Zhang Jian's true thoughts. At the same time, he also had to figure out who was standing behind Zhang Jian. Yu Chen himself was not without the idea of wanting to engage in land reform, it was just that the People's Party had already proven with practical actions what kind of slaughter land reform entailed. If, according to Zhang Jian, the People's Party opposed private ownership, then the old land system was land private ownership, and Jiangsu engaging in land reform was itself destroying private ownership. If Jiangsu did this, where would they have the face to say that the People's Party "shared property and wives"?

Zhang Jian, however, had no intention of continuing the deep conversation. Seeing Yu Chen's ambiguous attitude, Zhang Jian actually just took his leave like that.

Yu Chen wanted to clarify the threads in this sudden matter himself, but amidst the thousands of threads, he actually couldn't sort it out. The attitude of those in the army and Zhang Jian's attitude were actually widely divergent. Finally, Yu Chen could only go find Wang Youhong and seek help from this leader of Jiangsu.

Wang Youhong pondered silently after listening to Yu Chen's report. Yu Chen waited patiently. After a good while, Wang Youhong asked, "Yu Chen, what are your thoughts?"

Yu Chen naturally had thoughts. He deliberated for a good while before replying, "Does Zhang Jian want to cooperate with me and then become the real leader of Jiangsu?"

If the full score for evaluation was one hundred points, in Wang Youhong's view, Yu Chen's answer could probably count for 80 points. Engaging in theoretical research was not Yu Chen's strong suit, and Wang Youhong was very clear about this. In the entire Jiangsu, when it came to theoretical research, especially social system research, there were no talents who could rank high. In terms of being knowledgeable, Zhang Jian was actually above Yu Chen.

Looking at Yu Chen's troubled look, Wang Youhong laughed. "Yu Chen, there is an old saying that it is precious for a man to have self-knowledge. I have only understood after all these years that wanting to have self-knowledge is an extremely difficult thing. You also know very well that my little bit of ability was all learned from the People's Party. I originally felt very ashamed that a dignified Governor of Jiangsu could only pick up other people's scraps and learn from a person more than twenty years younger than me. Now I don't think so. Chen Ke has always told the people of the People's Party to be modest and prudent, to always hold a learning attitude, to be students, and not to self-righteously act as teachers. That I can get to this step today, no matter how unwilling I am in my heart, everything I have done is the result of my conscientiously being a student."

Yu Chen knew that this was Wang Youhong educating him, but he couldn't listen to it. The matter at hand was not to go learn, but to solve the immediate occurrence. The reason why everyone could accept Wang Youhong as this Governor of Jiangsu was definitely not because Wang Youhong appeared as a student, but because he was everyone's teacher as the guide of Jiangsu.

In his anxiety, Yu Chen heard Wang Youhong continue, "Regarding Zhang Jian's matter, your judgment is very correct. He wants to join hands with you to push for land reform. To push for land reform, he must rely on the military force in your hands; there is no way Zhang Jian can do this on his own. In this process, Zhang Jian will definitely eliminate dissidents. When the matter is finally settled, if he can control the army, he will definitely not let you off either."

With Wang Youhong's affirmation, Yu Chen set his mind at ease. It seemed his judgment of Zhang Jian was not wrong.

"So I think you might as well learn from Zhang Jian on this matter and see exactly how he prepares to push for land reform," Wang Youhong gave the final response plan.

"I help Zhang Jian complete the land reform?" Yu Chen was very surprised at this. Knowing clearly that Zhang Jian had his own schemes, yet helping him—this approach was a bit too strange.

"Not helping him, but cooperating with him," Wang Youhong replied. "Remember, don't tear down Zhang Jian's platform, and don't try to manipulate him behind his back. Just push this land reform together."

Such a statement completely confused Yu Chen. He pondered for a while, suspecting that Wang Youhong meant to kill the donkey after it had finished the grinding—to use the army in hand to get rid of Zhang Jian after the land reform was completed.

But thinking in reverse, Yu Chen felt this might not necessarily be Wang Youhong's meaning. Wang Youhong had also experienced several internal changes and struggles in Jiangsu, but there had been no such act of killing the donkey after the grinding. If Wang Youhong had done such a thing, Yu Chen would have likely been estranged from him long ago.

Since he couldn't think of a way, Yu Chen simply adopted the attitude of a student. "Please enlighten me, Governor Wang!"

"Mn!" Wang Youhong was obviously very satisfied with Yu Chen's reaction. "Yu Chen, I handed over all military power to you. Do you think no one is talking about you behind your back? There are plenty. But I am not afraid. As long as everyone is working for Jiangsu, even if you, Yu Chen, don't submit to me, Wang Youhong, faced with this chaotic situation, it naturally has to be resolved. Let me ask you, do you think the land reform proposed by Zhang Jian is right or wrong?"

Yu Chen replied, "This... I think it makes some sense and should be done."

Wang Youhong continued, "What you are worried about now is that Zhang Jian will take the opportunity to seize power. You are worried, but aren't others worried? They are also worried, perhaps even more than you. After I die, there are plenty of people who want to sit in this seat. These people all have a worry: even if they jump out, whether they can beat you is still uncertain. Even if they overthrow you, can they sit firmly in the position of Governor of Jiangsu? Even those who opposed you behind your back from the beginning, if they want to overthrow the person who overthrew you, Yu Chen, the banner they would have to raise would definitely be that that person violated Wang Youhong's entrustment. This is the so-called legitimacy! You have the legitimacy on you now, so you are more justifiable than anyone else!"

Yu Chen understood a bit now. "Is Zhang Jian wanting to apply to the People's Party because he plans to use the People's Party's legitimacy to suppress the legitimacy you established?"

Wang Youhong just chuckled once but didn't answer.

If it were before, even if Yu Chen could hold it back on his face, in his heart he would have been thinking of ways to directly get rid of Zhang Jian. But with Wang Youhong's hint, Yu Chen just frowned in deep thought and actually didn't speak.

Looking at his successor who already had enough calmness, Wang Youhong was quite satisfied in his heart. It was not easy to be a successor. If he couldn't beat these colleagues full of schemes below, and couldn't demonstrate strength that these people acknowledged, then either he couldn't ascend to the position at all, or even if he could, being pulled down would only be a matter of time.

Yu Chen thought for a good while before looking up and saying, "Governor Wang, I will discuss in the Parliament appointing Zhang Jian to negotiate with the People's Party. Of course, if the preliminary negotiations are successful, I will personally negotiate with the People's Party."

Regarding this line of thought from Yu Chen, Wang Youhong felt it could score at least 95 points. He said, "Then go do it!"