Reborn as a Noble's Son

This was President Yuan preparing for the transition at the turn of the century. By then, President Yuan would also step down as General Secretary and retain his position as Chairman of the Central Military Commission. After a year of transition, President Yuan would retire, and the stage would then be Shen Xiuchao’s.

This is the core of Huaxia’s fourth-generation leadership team. Even Nie Zhenbang, born into the influential and noble Nie family, could not help but feel an inexplicable sense of excitement and anticipation.

He stepped forward, showing great respect, and sincerely said, “Hello, sir.”

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s words, Shen Xiuchao laughed and said to Mu Dingjian, “Comrade Ding Jian, is this still the fearless Nie Zhenbang we remember?”

In New Li City, he defied the city’s Party Secretary, got rid of the Regional Tax Bureau Chief, and even pulled down the Autonomous Regional Chairman from office. He was very determined in the anti-corruption department, and in Liangxi City, he even blocked American investment and made the U.S. government apologize. All these impressive achievements seemed somewhat inconsistent with his performance at the moment.

Shen Xiuchao’s words made Nie Zhenbang feel a bit embarrassed. As he entered Shen Xiuchao’s office, the Huayun Pavilion, the antique Ming-Qing Dynasty furniture was all fit for royalty.

The rosewood carved openwork sofa was a rarity. As the saying goes, “Nine out of ten rosewood are hollow”, indicating the rarity of rosewood.

Once seated, Huang Yunshan, the personal secretary, had already come in, carrying a tea tray. After serving tea to Mu Dingjian and Nie Zhenbang, he retreated immediately. Having served beside the leader for many years, Huang Yunshan would not have any oversights in these minor details.

At this moment, Shen Xiuchao took the initiative to say, “Zhenbang, I have been paying attention to your actions in Donggang. You were decisive and unconventional, costing the speculators a lot. More importantly, maintaining Donggang’s stability and economic prosperity holds significant political significance, far exceeding its economic significance.”

Mu Dingjian smiled genuinely, showing his admiration for Nie Zhenbang, “Sir, don’t flatter him anymore. This kid doesn’t take compliments lightly. When he gets back to Liangxi, who knows what kind of trouble he’ll stir up.”

This remark caused Shen Xiuchao to burst into laughter. Indeed, every time Nie Zhenbang was about to undertake some big action, he would inevitably stir up something either before or after.

Nie Zhenbang knew well that being overly intimate would not help him gain the favor of the leader and Secretary Mu. It took time to build relationships and trust. These things could not be built overnight.

At this time, asking the leader or Mu Dingjian to openly discuss the political landscape and the movements of different families with him was impossible. Nie Zhenbang’s rank was still not high enough, and he hadn’t reached a level that allowed the leaders to fully trust him.

Yet, at this moment, if he wished to leave a deep impression on the leader, he had to present something tangible.

Not fame, not wealth, not gold or silver. For Shen Xiuchao, these things were not important anymore. He was a genuine national leader, with dedicated cars and jets at his disposable, as well as a personal health doctor. These worldly possessions that were not brought in birth nor taken in death, even a provincial governor wouldn’t put much emphasis on these, let alone him.

Thus, to win Shen Xiuchao’s favor, Nie Zhenbang must prove his worth in governance. Conveniently, Nie Zhenbang had some ideas of his own.

Observing that Mu Dingjian seemed very satisfied, Nie Zhenbang knew that Secretary Mu was pleased with his performance today.

He then carefully composed his words and said softly, “Leader, Secretary Mu, I’ve been in politics for almost eight years, especially after spending a few years in Xibei Autonomous Region and another two with the Disciplinary Committee, I’ve had some immature thoughts about governance. I wish to report these thoughts to you.”

The so-called immature ideas were nothing more than polite words. Would Nie Zhenbang dare to present them if his ideas were truly immature?

Embodied in the proposals, no doubt, were his countless scrupulous deliberations and weighings on advantages and disadvantages. Nie had a magical type of intelligence. In the eighties, several articles succeeded in prediction on the Soviet Union, and his meticulous maneuvering had allowed the nation to reap huge benefits. Moreover, the strategy for sustainable development that sparked the accomplishments of New Li City was also his idea. Over the years, this strategy has showed its significant strengths domestically.

Now, he has something new to report, observed Shen Xiuchao, his gaze full of intrigue. Nie Zhenbang was no ordinary man–youthful as he seemed in his thirties, he was as shrewd as the old politicians. Clearly, he was trying to establish relations with Shen with the simple aim of maintaining his family’s and his own status within the first group once Shen assumed power. From the era of Elder Nan, or even from the time Taizu favored the Nie family elder, the Nies had held power for three generations. Shen would be the fourth. His family was the first to hold such a record domestically.

Were it not for the lack of successors in the Nie family, Shen Xiuchao would be slightly worried about them seizing his power. Thankfully, there was no such predicament.

In response to Nie Zhenbang’s goodwill, Shen Xiuchao warmly accepted it, nodding with a smile before joking with Mu Dingjian, “Comrade Dingjian, this Nie is overly modest.”

Nie Zhenbang blushed slightly, as if unmasked, and chortled: “You overestimate me, sir. What I intend to report to you actually concerns issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers.”

These rural issues were, in reality, issues that had arisen under Shen Xiuchao’s government. Now, however, Shen found himself a bit confused.

Nie Zhenbang smiled and clarified: “Sir, this is simply a concise term I use. Specifically, ‘three rural issues’ refer to issues concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. With nearly 800 million rural inhabitants in our country, the farmers have direct implications on our national stability and development. Solving the three rural issues is equivalent to resolving half of our nation’s challenges.”

“Ah, the three rural issues? What a classical and spot-on term. Can you elaborate?” Shen Xiuchao praised, his curiosity piqued.

These ideas were actually summarized later on, but Nie Zhenbang seemed to spin them effortlessly. Showing no consciousness of concept infringement, he thought it better to voice them now to garner national attention. If presented earlier, it could benefit the masses, thus contributing to the nation.

He organized his thoughts then slowly began, “Sir, in my years working in the Inspection Department, I have been to many rural areas and even served in remote regions of the Western Region. Based on my experiences, it’s clear that the countryside is truly poor, the farmers are extremely hard-working, and agriculture is indeed precarious.”

This statement only surfaced two years later when a rural official in a city of Chubei Province wrote to the state council.

Now, brought up by Nie Zhenbang, it certainly left Shen Xiuchao astounded. But having worked extensively in impoverished, remote areas, Shen shared the sentiment deeply.

After a long silence, he nodded solemnly, “Zhenbang, your statement indeed captures the essence of the farmer’s problems.”

Nie Zhenbang nodded and continued, “Sir, three rural issues essentially involve three facets. Firstly, rural issues are essentially about reforming the rural household registration system. The imbalance between urban and rural development has widened the gap between cities and rural areas, which is the root of the conflict. The surplus rural labor force seeking employment elsewhere displays the crux of the issue. Secondly, agricultural issues actually concern the industrialization of agriculture. The exceedingly low prices of agricultural products significantly dampen farmers’ enthusiasm for cultivation. Food and agriculture are the lifelines of a nation and must never be shaken. Thirdly, the farmer issues can be subdivided into two parts: the reduction of farmers’ burdens and the issue of public quality.”

He paused for a brief moment before continuing: “Currently, the coverage rate for nine-year compulsory education is about 79 percent nationwide. Among those not covered, more than 95 percent are rural population. Their resistance towards the family planning policy is also an issue that cannot be ignored. The correlation between the increasing birth rate and poverty is a reflection of the quality of the farmers. How to improve the quality of farmers is the issue that the state needs to study. A strong public makes a rich nation, so improving the quality of farmers who make up two-thirds of the national population is crucial.”

“Relief measures. At present, in addition to the normal national agricultural taxes, the different policies and regulations in each province and city have led to varying amounts of agricultural reserves in each township. The names of these are numerous and intricate, often linked to the administrative expenses of their local organizations. There have also been instances of farmers resisting taxes in many places. In my opinion, this is the most significant issue. I suggest, if possible, the elimination of agricultural taxes to truly reduce the burden on farmers and boost their enthusiasm for farming.”

Nie Zhenbang’s words left Shen Xiuchao deeply affected. One thought alone ran through his mind: this man was a true talent.

However, Shen Xiuchao had no other ideas. Officers like Nie Zhenbang needed to serve locally to maximize their effect. At the moment, Shen Xiuchao’s admiration for talent spurred, and after some consideration, he said seriously, “Zhenbang, collate these ideas into a written report and submit it to me as soon as possible. (