Chapter 1771 Angry and Happy
"People need money to support them. They haven't entered officialdom yet, and they will need to spend even more money after they do." Lord Yang said, "Your cousin is also a member of the Yang family. Yang Rong is her brother after all. How do you know she is unwilling to take the blame for Yang Rong? If Yang Rong confesses his guilt, the Yang family will have to pay too much..."
"Father," Yang Heshu finished burning the letter in his hand and suddenly raised his head to interrupt him, "Do you know what I want to do?"
Lord Yang was stunned. "What?"
"The various aristocratic families have overreached in Jiangnan. Don't worry, in the future, not only will the Yang family be expelled from Jiangnan's profit zone, but other aristocratic families will be expelled as well. So you don't have to worry about the Yang family being squeezed out. Moreover, the Yang family's early withdrawal today will only benefit us, not harm us."
Lord Yang stared at Yang Heshu in a daze. It took him a while to react. He pointed at him with a trembling hand and asked, "You, are you crazy? Even the emperor wouldn't dare to attack all the families at once. Do you think our family is the only one in Jiangnan? There are so many ministers in the court. Even the Zhao family is not clean in Jiangnan."
Yang Heshu said, "Father, the people's livelihood is to take from the people and use it for the people. Each family uses the income of Jiangnan, and even half of Jin State, for extravagant spending. Where does this put the people of the world and the emperor?"
After all this time, he was talking to him about the development and future of the family, but what he was actually talking to him about was the future of the country and the people.
Lord Yang was so angry that he let out a breath and stood up and left.
If he said one more word to him, he would spit out blood from his heart.
Lord Yang turned around and walked out of the study, heading towards the main courtyard angrily. Halfway there, he suddenly became happy. He was furious, but also felt relieved. With mixed feelings in his heart, he simply sat down on the flower bed by the roadside and stared blankly.
He had a lot of thoughts in his mind, and he really wanted to turn around and ask Yang Heshu again, who would get the money after their families were driven out of Jiangnan?
The emperor?
All given to the royal family, do you know how dangerous this is?
But deep down he had a feeling that the answer was not this, that his son did not love the emperor as much as he appeared to love him.
The attendant saw his master sitting by the flower bed in a daze and couldn't help but worry, "Master, the bricks and stones are cold..."
Only then did Lord Yang feel his butt was cold and he stood up with the help of his hand.
The attendant asked cautiously, "Dali Temple..."
Lord Yang closed his eyes and clenched his hand. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Never mind. Send someone to Jiangnan and get as much money back as possible. Hide any assets that can be hidden. If they can't be hidden, bring the person back..."
Let’s save the people first.
The attendant responded and sent Lord Yang back to the main courtyard first. Then he took Lord Yang's hand and hurried out, taking his men to Jiangnan overnight.
As soon as he left, Qianmu went to report to Yang Heshu, "The second steward brought a lot of dry food. He must be going on a long journey. Judging from the direction, he is going out of the East City Gate."
Yang Heshu nodded slightly and said, "They have at least ten more days than the palace. How much they can hide depends on their ability."
Qianmu couldn't help but ask: "Master, won't you help them?"
Yang Heshu shook his head slowly. "Let them go on their own merits. You should prepare yourself and leave for Xiazhou after the winter solstice to get a feel for the situation inside and outside of Xiazhou. Our life may not be easy this time out of the capital."
Qianmu agreed, bowed and walked out.
Wan Mu, who was standing by, asked, "Master, how much stuff are we taking with us to Xiazhou this time?"
"Just take as much as you can. We might have to stay in the north for several years this time." Yang Heshu thought of his child and laughed. "I'll also take the things and books I used when I was a child. They'll be useful for Qi Ge's enlightenment in the future."
"yes."
At this time, the emperor was meeting with the prince, Yin Li and Wei Zhi in the small study.
He handed the stack of things in his hand to Yin Li and Wei Zhi, saying, "This is what the prince found out. Please take a look."
Yin Li and Wei Zhi each took half and began to scan through the book at a glance. The more they read, the more shocked they became.
Wei Zhidu couldn't help but stand up from his seat and asked, "Your Majesty, who did this statistics?"
The emperor glanced at the prince and said, "The Ministry of Revenue."
Yin Li closed the things in his hands and looked at the emperor. Wei Zhi couldn't help but said angrily: "This is a national insect!"
The emperor sighed and said, "Jiangnan is too far away. I am unable to reach it. Families like the Wang and Cui families migrated south and have been operating in Jiangnan for over a hundred years. Even if I wanted to, I would be powerless."
Wei Zhi took a look at the thing in his hand and felt powerless.
There is no way around it. The power of the emperor and even the court is mostly concentrated in Longxi and the north, as well as in the important cities along the south of the Yangtze River. Both political and military power are mostly in the hands of various families.
Wei Zhi suddenly thought of the King of Yizhou. When he wanted to rebel, didn't the money and food come from the south of the Yangtze River? Even the retired Duke of Yu County heard some news...
This shows the customs in Jiangnan.
Wei Zhi looked up and asked the emperor directly, "What does your majesty intend to do?"
"Half of the world's salt tax comes from Jiangnan, not to mention the good wood and fertile fields there. If the wealth of Jiangnan could be used to support the people of the world, rather than just a few families, then the people of the world would be rich."
Wei Zhi and Yin Li exchanged a glance and knelt down, "At your command, Your Majesty."
The emperor pointed at the crown prince and said, "I have decided to hand this matter over to the crown prince and Wei Qing. This time we will start with the Yang family. You select talented people and place them in positions of power. When the time is right, Jiangnan will be cleaned up."
The prince also stood up and knelt, responding together with Wei Zhi.
The emperor said to Yin Li, "My dear Lord Yin, please take the trouble to supervise the children of the various families in the capital."
This is to let Yin Li attract fire.
Yin Li also nodded in agreement.
Wei Zhize still had another question, "Your Majesty, will the reclaimed land, properties, and saltworks go to the national treasury or the private treasury?"
If it was the national treasury, he would naturally be willing to die for it, but if it was a private treasury...
The emperor originally planned to divide it in half, with things like land and salt fields being placed in the Ministry of Revenue, but the real estate and some other miscellaneous items, such as books, paintings, antiques, various precious woods, medicinal materials, etc., being stuffed into the private vault.
But seeing Wei Zhi looking up at him with a sharp gaze, the emperor could only change his words and say, "Of course it goes to the national treasury."
Wei Zhi felt relieved after receiving the emperor's promise. He pretended not to see the emperor's frustration, bowed and accepted the order, then stood up and left.
The prince also wanted to go out and discuss with Wei Zhi what to do about this matter, so he also took his leave.
After the others left, the emperor said to Yin Li in a frustrated tone, "Wei Zhi is such a nuisance. I didn't say he was competing with the people for profit. There's no point putting those things in the national treasury..."
Yin Li pretended not to hear and asked, "Your Majesty, when will the trial at the Dali Temple come down?"
They also have a legitimate reason.
The emperor's attention was diverted, and he said, "It will be almost done when I return from my rest period."
See you at 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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