Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's brows relaxed, seemingly in agreement: "Indeed, the most important thing for our Great Qin right now is to improve our military system, develop roads, and continue to strengthen our national power. Zhao is nothing to fear. In that case, letting them catch their breath will allow me to continue to build up my strength."
“That’s exactly what I meant.” The wicked man chuckled. “If we want to cut the Gordian knot quickly, that’s fine, but we’ll inevitably have to clash head-on with Li Mu in the end. If we digest things calmly, we can minimize our losses.”
Ying Zheng toyed with the wooden box, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Since that's the case, let Zhao live a few more years, but the annual tribute cannot be reduced. At the same time, send people to garrison around those mines, and when we have time, we'll settle accounts with them slowly."
The wicked man clasped his hands in a fist and said loudly, "That's natural. The miners are composed of prisoners of war and slaves mixed with Qin soldiers. They serve as overseers in peacetime, and in times of war... they can coordinate attacks from within and without!"
"Alright." Ying Zheng raised his hand and gestured gently. "You are in charge of handling this matter."
Seeing this, the wicked man's lips curled into a smile. Ying Zheng's power was becoming increasingly intimidating. If he had to balance the court and act cautiously before, now that the Qin Dynasty was expanding rapidly, every move he made exuded an aura of dominance that made him the only one worthy of respect.
"Good!" The wicked man clasped his hands in a fist and bowed again, then looked up and smiled easily. "I'll talk to Gongsun Qi tomorrow about how to determine the annual tribute."
Ying Zheng smiled faintly and placed the box on the stone table: "Don't let them be unable to take it out, and don't let them... take it out easily either."
The shadows of the branches outside the pavilion are dappled, and occasionally a gust of autumn wind sweeps by, bringing a touch of coolness.
The wicked man suddenly shuddered, a sinister smile creeping onto his lips, which made Ying Zheng, who happened to see it, instinctively shudder as well.
"What...what kind of mischievous idea have you come up with this time?!"
The wicked man came to his senses and chuckled, "The thirty-three taels of silver policy... could be given to the Zhao state to try."
Ying Zheng naturally didn't know what those words meant, but just as he was about to ask, he saw his wicked husband turn around and walk away quickly, leaving him with no choice but to smile bitterly.
After leaving the palace, the wicked husband went straight back to his residence and sent men to summon Meng Can and a group of officials.
Meng Can and the other officials usually worked in the Ministry of Agriculture or its subordinate offices, and rarely had they been "summoned" to the Grand Commandant's mansion by the wicked man.
At this moment, everyone looked on with a hint of curiosity. After taking their seats, the wicked man cut straight to the point without waiting for tea or pleasantries.
"You gentlemen are well-versed in the workings of a state and can probably calculate how much tax revenue Zhao generates annually, how much its fixed expenditures are, and how much its surplus is..."
The wicked man tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces. "Since we've decided to stay in Zhao for the time being, we can't let them secretly expand their army and prepare for war in order to resist our Great Qin in the future."
Someone in the crowd sensed something amiss and tentatively asked, "Does the Grand Commandant mean to impose exorbitant taxes to make Zhao state strapped for cash, but not so much that it forces them to turn against us prematurely?"
“Not bad.” The wicked man nodded, his smile full of calculation. “Therefore, I have come up with a ‘thirty-three taels of silver policy’ to use on the State of Zhao.”
"The thirty-three taels of silver policy?" Meng Can pondered the name, frowning involuntarily. "This method sounds strange; what's the secret behind it?"
The wicked man smiled sinisterly, “The core idea is to keep the Zhao state in a cycle of ‘paying money’ all year round, but not so poor that it goes bankrupt immediately.”
The officials exchanged glances, their interest piqued. One of them, glancing at the summary in the booklet, eagerly asked, "Grand Commandant, could you explain in detail how the tax collection method for these thirty-three taels of silver will be implemented?"
The wicked man's smile grew even more sinister: "You calculate the annual tax surplus of the Zhao state, set a figure that just exceeds its surplus, yet you can barely manage to make up the difference!"
"Therefore, either the Zhao state will increase taxes on its people, or they will have to borrow from the pockets of the powerful and wealthy, creating a vicious cycle of 'barely managing to scrape together enough money, but always ending up in a frantic rush!'"
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!" Meng Can narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but lightly tap the table. "In this way, the Zhao state is firmly trapped. They can afford to pay tribute, but it won't be too easy for them. Once they catch their breath, we will continue to put pressure on them."
“That makes sense,” the wicked man nodded. “If Zhao wants to fulfill its annual tribute obligations, it can only continuously reduce its military spending or force officials to exploit the people. The people will suffer terribly, and the powerful officials will certainly be full of complaints. If corruption and power struggles break out within Handan, it will be an even bigger mess…”
"Grand Commandant, this method is good, but it needs to be supported by specific data." An official with an accounting background cautiously suggested, "If we set the price too low, it won't be enough to crush them; but if we set it too high, we're afraid that Zhao will be pushed to the brink and simply rebel at all costs."
“Of course, that’s why I was in such a hurry to call you here.” The wicked man pointed at Meng Can and the few officials who were good at accounting with his fan. “Go and calculate the income and expenditure of Zhao State in the past five years, its population size, and the average income in various places. Take into account the remaining troops and granary reserves they have, and help me set a ‘threshold’ that will cause them pain but not to the point of them jumping over the wall on the spot.”
Meng Can stroked his beard, his brows furrowed: "This level of detailed data, I'm afraid even the Black Ice Platform can't get their hands on it, right?"
“You don’t need to worry about that.” The wicked man smiled slightly. “Didn’t Zhao send Gongsun Qi? He wants to talk to me about the annual tribute. You will go with me and report the annual tribute to them according to our Qin’s data… He will naturally reveal the truth when he can’t bear it.”
Upon hearing this, everyone present nodded in approval, and some even laughed out loud. This truly proved the wicked man's words: "If a country has no diplomacy, it is nothing but fish and meat."
The wicked man sneered, "I will make them experience something more terrifying than swords and spears, tormenting them until they are exhausted. In time, the Zhao state will be depleted, and then unification will be a piece of cake."
"Then that's settled. We'll calculate the accounts tonight and discuss the results with Gongsun Qi tomorrow. Please list any details you need to add during the process."
Meng Can and the other officials stood up, cupped their hands in greeting, and replied, "Yes, Grand Commandant! We will go and carry out the task immediately."
"Good!" The wicked man waved his hand. "Go on with your work and try to make the Zhao delegation realize that they are not facing a simple 'tribute'."
The crowd filed out, leaving the wicked husband alone in the hall, recalling Ying Zheng's casual words in the pavilion—"Don't let them take it out so easily."
He chuckled softly, "Since your Zhao state wants to endure hardship and bide your time, I'll let you taste the pain of offering up your marrow bit by bit."
Thinking of the "negotiations" that Gongsun Qi would face tomorrow, the wicked man's usual sinister smile reappeared on his lips, as if he could already see the other party helplessly begging for mercy in the face of the annual tribute terms.
"Letting them linger on in misery can sometimes be more profitable than a swift and decisive annihilation of a nation."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
