Imperial study.
The emperor sipped the new tea and listened with a smile.
He put down the teacup only after Ning Que finished speaking.
"It seems that I still underestimated them."
"I intend to use military force against the Liao Kingdom."
"All the officials from the six ministries have come to me to advise me."
"They say the treasury is empty and there's not enough food."
"Or perhaps peace is rare, so we should give the people a rest."
"Now I finally understand. I, the emperor who rules the world, am actually not as rich as these aristocratic families! They all cry poor to me all the time, but in the end, all the money goes into their pockets!"
"Brother, calm down."
Ning Que tried to persuade him kindly.
This was something that was inevitable in ancient dynasties.
"I usually turn a blind eye."
"Unexpectedly, they are getting more and more aggressive!"
"Now, even an envoy from Liao dares to shout!"
"If I don't fight, there will never be peace on the border."
"Giving in again and again will only embolden them!"
Emperor Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
I told Ning Que all the things in my heart.
Ning Que listened patiently.
It can only be said that serving the emperor is not easy.
He would provoke war to consolidate his position. Dafeng had always been a martial nation, founded on military success. Successive Feng emperors had always advocated external warfare, and it was the combined efforts of nine generations that had shaped Dafeng's strength to this day. If the Liao could be defeated, the Feng emperor would secure his throne, and from there, he would be more confident in dealing with the foreign kings.
"Brother, I have some ideas."
"Haha, I knew it." Emperor Feng laughed and jokingly said, "Tell me quickly, what good plan do you have?"
"Let's start with the lack of money. We can implement the Suan Min system. For those with a net worth exceeding 1,000 taels of silver, we'll impose an additional asset tax. For every tael of silver, we'll collect 10 coins as one Suan. If you have a carriage, you'll also have to pay a road management fee every year. A horse-drawn carriage will pay 10 Suan, and an ox-drawn carriage will pay 5 Suan!"
"Road management fee?"
"That's right." Ning Que nodded seriously and explained, "Think about it, my royal brother. The people who use horse-drawn carriages and ox-drawn carts most often are either merchants or wealthy families. They travel all over the place, which easily creates ruts on the roads. Is there anything wrong with collecting taxes to repair the roads?"
"Hahaha!"
Emperor Feng couldn't help but applaud.
So this is what "Suan Min" means.
However, this is something Ning Que could think of.
Ning Que always advocated that whoever has the money should earn it.
Extra taxes are imposed on the rich without affecting farmers.
The richer your family is, the higher the taxes you pay!
Ning Que breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's definitely best not to use this trick if you can."
"After all, it will cause dissatisfaction among many people."
"Yes." Emperor Feng nodded. "The Grand Tutor should have told you this before, right? The foreign princes have been going too far in recent years. When my father was on the throne, he considered reducing the number of vassal states. However, with the current internal and external troubles, I cannot act. Xiaoning, do you have any ideas?"
"Reducing the power of the feudal lords..."
Ning Que looked helpless.
If you are familiar with history, you will know that the reduction of feudal fiefdoms has happened many times.
The most famous one is the Enfeoffment Order proposed by Lord Father Yan.
The world also calls it an unsolvable conspiracy.
It is essentially a question of national strength.
He stood up and shook his head.
"Please allow me to think about it again, brother."
"Okay."
Ning Que smiled.
He actually already had the answer in his heart.
After all, who doesn’t know about the Enfeoffment Order?
But he couldn't overdo it.
He is not actually omnipotent.
But you can't ask him whenever you encounter a problem.
What will happen if it cannot be resolved one day?
Besides, now is not the time to extend favor.
If Emperor Feng issues the Enfeoffment Order, he will force the four kings of different surnames to unite and resist Dafeng. In the end, it will provoke a civil war, which will weaken the country regardless of victory or defeat.
"Hey, today is the Queen Mother's birthday banquet."
"Brother Emperor, please stop talking about state affairs."
"After fighting for so many years, it's time to enjoy it."
“Hahaha, okay!”
Emperor Feng smiled and nodded.
"What are you talking about? You look so happy?"
"Meet the Queen Mother."
"No need to be polite."
The Queen Mother came to the pavilion.
She specially changed into a phoenix crown and red dress today.
Wearing light makeup, she exudes the demeanor of a mother of the country.
"We were talking about our youth." Emperor Feng winked at Ning Que and said with a smile, "Mother, why are you here?"
"You..." The Queen Mother sighed helplessly, "I haven't held a birthday banquet in years, yet you insist on having one. We're about to go to war against the Liao Kingdom, and it's really inappropriate to be so extravagant."
"Hey, Your Majesty is wrong."
"We can actually make a profit from this birthday banquet."
"Besides, we in Dafeng have always valued filial piety."
"If you don't hold a birthday banquet, it's my royal brother's fault."
"Do you want your brother to be condemned by the people?"
“Yes, yes, yes…”
Emperor Feng also nodded in agreement.
Ning Que is the one who knows how to talk!
"Then Xiao Ning will accompany me for a walk?"
"It's better to obey than to be respectful!"
Emperor Feng looked at Ning Que with a half-smile.
Make an expression that says "you're on your own".
He was often scolded by the Queen Mother.
"Let's go."
The Queen Mother raised her hand.
He signaled Nanny Yang and others to stay.
Walk slowly on the cobblestone path.
Ning Que followed cautiously behind.
"Xiao Ning, I have found some good girls for you."
"No matter their status and character, they are both excellent."
"For example, the youngest daughter of Prince Lu's family."
"The apple of Prime Minister Sima's eye."
"The daughter of the Minister of War."
“…”
"Ah?" Ning Que looked embarrassed and smiled bitterly, "Are you serious? It hasn't even been a month since I divorced my wife. Besides, I heard from my brother that he's planning to use military force against the Liao Kingdom, and I'll have to go to Yanmen Pass then."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
