After Pan Wenyuan was seen off, Main Bookkeeper Zhou asked with puzzlement, "Master, this Pan Wenyuan is hardly an upright official. Back in the day, he pulled off plenty of dirty deeds for Governor Mu. The corruption in the Bazhou officialdom bears his fingerprints as well. Why would you impart the Three Strategies for Assisting Agriculture to such a man and help him rise to prominence?"
"Two reasons," Xia Huai'an replied. "First is what we always talk about: building a united front. We must unite and win over everyone we possibly can, turning them into our friends rather than our enemies. Second, the promotion of these three strategies is no easy task. Even a high-yield crop like the potato could actually be condemned and destroyed as a demonic entity. Without someone stubbornly championing them, the strategies will remain mere theories, unable to benefit the common people."
"Yet this Lord Pan is a smooth and versatile operator. Having served under Governor Mu for years, he still managed to make a clean exit, prompting Governor Mu to show leniency and let him enter the capital for a promotion. He must possess exceptional talents in his dealings with people and affairs. Furthermore, he is a top imperial scholar with considerable renown among the common folk. Once he enters the Ministry of Works to promote the Three Strategies for Assisting Agriculture, the probability of success will be very high. Right now, he is the most suitable candidate!"
Chapter 135