"The saint once said, the way of a ruler lies in illuminating virtue, enriching the nation, and strengthening the military. Another saint said, wealth should be hidden among the people. But clearly, the saints missed something; in modern times, wealth is more often hidden within families. Since it can be hidden within families, why not hide wealth within officials?" Wei Yuan gently persuaded the many Development Bureau moguls before him.
The moguls listened, looking at each other in confusion, cold sweat on their foreheads.
After a moment's hesitation, one of them said, "The method of corruption has existed since ancient times. But if we openly implement corruption, the drawbacks are truly numerous. Moreover, it contradicts the principles of our Qingming. We cannot intervene when individuals commit corruption themselves, or even privately condone it, that poses no problem. But if we openly advocate for it, I'm afraid... it will damage our reputation."
