Emperor Fengzhao's good mood didn't last long. He looked at his son, on whom he had once placed so much hope, with deep eyes. "You said you wanted to participate in approving memorials so that I could relax a bit?"
Ever since learning that Emperor Feng Zhao had given the memorials to Feng Jinghan, Feng Jingchi had lost his composure and, in a moment of impulsiveness, blurted out that he wanted to participate in the revision of the memorials. When questioned by Emperor Feng Zhao, he was somewhat flustered.
"Your subject has been valued and nurtured by Father Emperor since childhood, and I believe I am no less than my fifth brother." Feng Jingchi steeled his heart and spoke his mind.
Emperor Fengzhao sat down weakly. "I understand. I will distribute some memorials to you."
Although he had already decided on the position of crown prince in his heart and was extremely satisfied with Feng Jinghan, this was, after all, his most beloved son. He knew his abilities best, so giving him the memorials was a way to let him see the gap between himself and Prince Duan.
Unaware of Emperor Feng Zhao's thoughts, Feng Jingchi made no attempt to hide his joy, saying, "Thank you, Father."
After Feng Jingchi left, Emperor Feng Zhao sighed, "Li De, do you think Prince Kang and Prince Duan will get along well in the future?"
Li De carefully poured Emperor Feng Zhao a cup of tea, cold sweat unknowingly pouring down his face. This question was practically a death sentence.
In his view, it was inevitable that Prince Kang and Prince Duan, along with the Qian and Bai families behind them, would fight each other in the future, but he simply couldn't say, "Your Majesty, they are brothers after all. What deep-seated hatred could there be between brothers?"
Emperor Fengzhao didn't expect to get any real answers from Li De. As a prince who had fought his way up from among his brothers, he knew all too well the brotherhood within the royal family.
"Alas, it's all my fault." If he hadn't supported the Qian family out of fear of the Bai family army, but instead raised his own son properly from childhood, how could the Qian family have developed such ulterior motives?
Li De lowered his head even further.
Feng Jinghan had no objection to Emperor Feng Zhao assigning a portion of the memorials to Feng Jingchi. Since the shopkeeper had congratulated him, he knew that Emperor Feng Zhao's mind was made up. Now, it was just a matter of sharing some of the memorials, which he was more than happy to do.
Being an emperor is too tiring. Coupled with his lack of experience and slow processing speed of memorials, he was surrounded by memorials almost every day, leaving no time for leisure.
"Thank you so much, Third Brother. Take a good look at these. If you're still not satisfied, come find me again," Feng Jinghan said sincerely.
Feng Jingchi sensed the sincerity in Feng Jinghan's tone and became somewhat wary, wondering if the Prince of Duan had other schemes. "Sharing the Emperor's burdens is what a son should do."
Watching Feng Jingchi leave with a pile of memorials, Feng Jinghan was in high spirits. "Take care, Third Brother! Come again if you need more."
Feng Jinghan paused, then quickened his pace and left. If he didn't know this was immortal territory, he would have thought Feng Jinghan was possessed by a ghost.
Emperor Feng Zhao had a pile of memorials on his desk and was slowly reading them. Feng Jinghan and Feng Jingchi sat to the side, ready to answer any questions the emperor might ask.
Unlike Feng Jinghan, Feng Jingchi felt somewhat apprehensive. He had talked with Shi Xinyi too late last night and had been reviewing memorials all night, so tired that he was almost asleep. He didn't finish reviewing the memorials until almost dawn.
Emperor Feng Zhao first read Feng Jinghan's reply and nodded in satisfaction. But when he picked up Feng Jingchi's reply, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper as he read it.
"King Kang, the war has just ended and you are already preparing for forced labor. Why is that?"
Feng Jingchi swallowed hard, stood up and replied, "Compared to the war, the floods are more serious. Now that we have inns, the overall economy of the north has gradually recovered, so levying corvée labor at this time will not be a waste of resources and manpower."
"Han'er, this concerns your fiefdom, what do you think?"
"Your subject thinks that Third Brother is right." Feng Jingchi glanced at Feng Jinghan with disdain. No matter how well Feng Jinghan spoke, he was just repeating what others had said. He won this round.
Emperor Feng Zhao clearly hadn't expected Feng Jinghan to agree with Prince Kang's opinion. "Oh? Tell me why?"
Feng Jinghan calmly replied, "In recent years, floods have destroyed many dikes. If we want stability, it is imperative to build river embankments. However, levying taxes on the people does not necessarily mean corvée labor."
"Ha, what else is it if not corvée labor? Do you expect me to pay for it?" Feng Jingchi said sarcastically.
"Third Brother is right, we can really contribute money; this is called work relief."
Emperor Feng Zhao became interested. "What is meant by 'work relief in lieu of disaster relief'?"
"The government pays the people to repair the river embankment, which avoids wasting money and effort on the people and also prevents floods."
“Serving in corvée labor is a matter of course. How can the government pay for it? Wouldn’t that foster laziness in the people? Besides, do you know how much money this is?” Before Emperor Feng Zhao could ask, Feng Jingchi couldn’t help but retort.
"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The duty of those in power is to make the people live better. Only in this way can our Great Ye Kingdom win the hearts of the people. What is there to take for granted?"
Moreover, funding isn't a problem. Since the emergence of inns, commerce has gradually gained interest, and many merchants want to improve their status. Why not give merchants honors and encourage them to donate?
Then, Feng Jinghan recounted how she had asked businessmen to donate money to erect a monument.
"No, no, merchants are lowly. Even if they pay, we should just give them some rewards. How can we erect a monument for them?"
Feng Jinghan did not reply, but simply cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Emperor Feng Zhao, waiting for the emperor's response.
Since witnessing the changes brought to Huaixi City by the arrival of merchant caravans, Feng Jinghan has deeply felt the importance of commerce. In addition, he also has connections with the Jingshi Chamber of Commerce, and Yunmo has helped him a lot, so he has a new understanding of the status of merchants.
In An Ge's view, Feng Jinghan's understanding of business is still limited, and he cannot treat businessmen as completely equals, but compared to many others, his thinking has already progressed a lot.
Emperor Feng Zhao frowned, clearly considering the feasibility of the suggestion. "You may all leave now, let me think about it carefully."
"Your subject takes his leave." The two exchanged a glance and withdrew simultaneously.
As Feng Jingchi stepped outside, he wanted to say a few more sarcastic remarks, but then he saw Feng Jinghan leave without looking back, leaving him speechless and his face contorted with rage.
"Hmph, Father will definitely not agree to your proposal," Feng Jingchi said resentfully, as if trying to comfort himself.
Emperor Fengzhao put down the memorial and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. After reading Feng Jingchi's reply, he was even more relieved that he hadn't made him crown prince.
If his son were to actually ascend the throne, the Feng family's empire would likely be completely ruined.
Feng Jinghan's suggestion, however, caught his eye. But since merchants had always had a low social status, Emperor Fengzhao was not ready to accept the idea of raising their status.
"I've heard that the Immortal Destiny Mall is very attractive to investors, but I haven't been there yet. Li De, accompany me today."
Li De quickly replied, "Yes."
After tidying themselves up, the two headed towards the mall.
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