"What a picture of a peaceful and prosperous life!"
The Minister of Revenue walked into the resettlement area for refugees. He was greeted by the strong atmosphere of life, chubby children with rosy cheeks, clean streets and alleys, and regular patrols.
Isn’t this the atmosphere of a prosperous age?
“Okay, okay!”
The Minister of Revenue said three "good" words in a row, his excitement beyond words.
He no longer needed to visit the refugees' homes. Just from looking at each person's face, he could tell that the people here might not live a rich life, but they were definitely very satisfied and full of expectations for the future.
After walking around the streets, I saw a house with its gate open and an old man mending shoe soles at the door.
The Minister of Revenue couldn't resist his curiosity and came to ask for a visit.
The old man looked alert.
The lawyer quickly said, "We want to buy a house, but the house next door has been sold. Someone said the houses on both sides are equally good, so we want to go in and take a look."
"No, no. Our first phase house is not as good as their second phase house next door. Their house is over a hundred taels each, much more expensive than ours."
The old man stood up and welcomed the Minister of Revenue and his entourage into the courtyard.
"There's nothing much to see. Every house is locked. There's nothing much to see."
No, no, no, it's too interesting.
The Minister of Revenue noticed the open kitchen at first glance, with four earthen stoves side by side.
Behind the kitchen, there are men's and women's bathrooms and toilets.
The Minister of Revenue was very surprised and couldn't help asking, "Do all the houses have these?"
"Of course." The old man squinted at the Minister of Revenue with a look of disdain, as if he was saying that they were a bunch of outsiders with no experience.
The Minister of Revenue's beard trembled. He was a dignified Minister of Revenue, who had seen everything, yet he was actually looked down upon by refugees who had just finished their meal. Who could he turn to for justice?
The old man said slowly, "It's not the past now. You can't urinate or defecate anywhere. Even children know this. You guys are well dressed, but how come you don't even pay attention to basic hygiene?"
Several followers wanted to step forward to argue, but were stopped by the Minister of Revenue.
Forget it, why bother with an old man.
"What the old man said is true. Things are not like before. Life is better now. It's almost Chinese New Year. You must have saved a lot before the New Year."
The old man immediately became alert, "If you steal property here, you will be beaten to death."
The Minister of Revenue's face twitched, and he repeatedly reminded himself not to take it to heart.
"We'll take our leave now."
The old man snorted and stared at them when he reached the gate of the yard.
"It's ridiculous that you suspect us of being thieves."
The Minister of Revenue laughed heartily. "It's me, Meng Lang. How can I casually ask someone how much money they have saved before revealing my identity? Anyone else would be suspicious."
"Sir, do you want to look for another one?"
"No! Even an old man who can't move can wear thick cotton clothes and has a rosy complexion. It shows that these refugees have indeed been well accommodated. Compared with last year, it's a huge change. Let's go to the market."
The market is the focus of today.
It took quite some time to walk to the market.
The new market has been fully put into use, and the old market that was spontaneously formed by the refugees has been demolished and turned into a construction site.
Outside the market, a large flat area was leveled, known as the Old Sophora japonica Flat, to facilitate the gathering of refugees and the setting up of stalls by vendors.
It is not yet the peak time for setting up stalls, and the plain is sparsely populated.
After crossing the Laohuai Tree Plain, you will arrive at the Nanchengmen New Market, also known as the Laohuai Tree Market.
Standing at the entrance of the market alley, the Minister of Revenue was shocked by the flow of people rubbing the magic sword.
There were no people before him, but rather piles of silver. Countless pieces of silver floated past him, only to drift away, never reaching the hands of the tax collectors at the Ministry of Revenue.
The Minister of Revenue was gasping for breath and holding his chest. His heart ached so much.
For such a large market, there's no tax collector to collect taxes. This is a complete dereliction of duty, a serious dereliction of duty.
He said in a sad tone: "My heart aches."
It hurts very, very much.
The master felt the same way and felt the same pain.
It’s hard to believe that they can barely even pay the monthly salary, yet they are turning a blind eye to such a huge gold mine.
What a dereliction of duty!
Serious dereliction of duty!
"Calm down, sir."
The Minister of Revenue took a deep breath and said, "We must establish a county as soon as possible. It doesn't matter if the county government office is built next year. But the tax collector must move in as soon as possible, and strive to collect a wave of tax silver before the New Year."
No matter how much money he can collect, the Minister of Revenue will never let go of such a gold mine and delay it until next year.
"As soon as the decree for the establishment of a county comes down, the Ministry of Revenue will send out tax officials to help the county government collect taxes. The collected taxes can be split 20/50, with a portion going to the county government."
"Your Excellency is merciful. I was thinking a 70-30 split would be ideal. The Ministry of Revenue 70% and the County Office 30%."
The Minister of Revenue nodded and said, "Look for the documents and see if this can be done."
"A new county has been established at the foot of the capital, and the Ministry of Revenue has the responsibility to take charge of all matters here." The legal advisor had already thought of a reason.
The Minister of Revenue was very satisfied. "That's right. A newly established county wouldn't be able to stand up without the Ministry of Revenue leading it. Now that the Ministry of Revenue has intervened, the tax money must go directly into the Ministry's treasury."
"Your Excellency is wise."
The Minister of Revenue was strolling in the market.
There are so many people, it feels like a temple fair.
He asked, "Are there always so many people here on weekdays?"
The lawyer nodded. "Yes. Things are cheap here, especially the meat and vegetable shop at the end of the alley. People from Beijing come here to buy meat and vegetables. I heard that many restaurants in Beijing have also started buying from this meat and vegetable shop."
"I remember when I passed by the butcher shop, it was already closed."
The master had obviously done his homework, "Your Excellency is right, the meat and vegetables in the butcher shop sell out very quickly every day. If you don't come early, you won't be able to grab any.
Of the four city gates, the South Gate opens the earliest and fastest. Every morning, countless common people, carrying baskets and driving carts, wait in front of the gate, just so they can get out and buy meat and vegetables as soon as the gate opens. Even the gatekeepers are no exception, and they have to ask people to bring some meat and vegetables back every day.
The Minister of Revenue asked curiously, "Is the butcher shop also run by Madam Zhao?"
"It is the property of the Sihai Trading Company under Madam Zhao's name."
The Minister of Revenue was amazed and wondered how Gu Jiu could come up with so many business ideas.
The lawyer added, "You could say this market was fueled by the meat and vegetable shop at the corner of the alley. My Lord, those housewives are ordinary people in the capital. After buying their daily meat and vegetables, they inevitably go shopping in other shops. That's how this market came to be."
Merchants from all over the country flocked here, and even the inns and restaurants here saw a surge in business.”
The lawyer pointed at several housewives from the capital who came out of the cloth shop and whispered.
The Minister of Revenue stared at the baskets in the hands of the housewives, and sure enough, they were filled with fresh meat and vegetables, as well as dry food. Some young wives and older girls had snatched off several feet of cloth, which they carefully stored away.
The Minister of Revenue nodded secretly, not bad, not bad.
When they arrived at the furniture store, the Minister of Revenue saw the white silver flashing before his eyes again.
These are not people, these are silver.
All of them are tax silver from the Ministry of Revenue.
I met those Beijing residents who were getting their new home keys at the gate of Phase II. They were choosing ready-made furniture in the furniture store.
When he saw the Minister of Revenue and his entourage, the old man took the initiative to greet them.
After asking, the Minister of Revenue learned that the furniture inside was all made according to the size of the new house. There were at least five styles to choose from for each size.
In the eyes of the Minister of Revenue, these furniture were of extremely poor quality and had no aesthetic appeal. Their only redeeming quality was their sturdiness.
Such furniture cannot be sold to the homes of the rich and powerful, and is only suitable for the common people in Beijing.
"These pieces of furniture are so tiny," the attendant murmured.
The lawyer said, "That's because the house is small, so small furniture is just right."
The furniture was very cheap, cheaper than the Minister of Revenue had imagined.
He whispered to his advisor, "Does this store also belong to Madam Zhao? The prices are so low, can we make any money?"
The lawyer nodded. "There's money to be made. Because furniture is made in batches, the cost is kept extremely low. I also heard that Madam Zhao has made the acquaintance of a timber merchant from the north."
Timber merchants would use the 'Exclusively for Imperial Supply' sign and deliver a batch of timber to the Ministry of Works every few months. They would also send large quantities of cheap timber to Madam Zhao's Sihai Trading Company, saving a lot of shipping costs.
The Minister of Revenue understood.
No wonder others can’t make money with the same business, but only Gu Jiu can. He has too many tricks.
The group continued to stroll around the market, and the Minister of Revenue even bought a bag of pine nuts to eat.
A second-hand clothing store, located at the end of the market street, has a small storefront and is not decorated much, yet it is bustling with people.
The people who went in were wearing thin clothes, but when they came out, they were wearing thick cotton clothes, which were obviously old cotton clothes that had been washed and patched.
"Huh? Could it be that the cotton clothes in this cotton clothing store were exchanged from the Ministry of War?"
"It seems so." The master was not sure either.
Gu Jiu got an order for 20,000 sets of cotton clothes from the Ministry of War, and this matter could not be hidden from the Minister of Revenue.
The Minister of Revenue was curious and also walked into the store.
Old cotton clothes were piled on a large wooden table, and you could pick whatever you wanted. Once you picked one, you could pay and take it away.
The Minister of Revenue picked up a cotton coat at random, which was quite thick.
The fabric on the surface is very old and has a patch on it, but it has been washed very clean and still smells of sunshine.
A small opening is left inside the lining to facilitate checking the cotton wool inside.
The cotton wool is all old cotton wool, not fake. However, the cotton wool has obviously been processed twice, so it looks soft and thick.
"Will you sell this? If not, give it to me. It suits me well."
A tall man stared at the cotton coat in the hands of the Minister of Revenue with envy.
Other cotton coats are either too light or too short, in short they are not suitable.
The Minister of Revenue glanced at the big man and said, "Here you go."
The big man smiled happily, "Thank you!"
The big man took the cotton coat to the counter to pay, put it on immediately, ran out with a satisfied look on his face, and in a blink of an eye he entered the teahouse opposite to listen to storytelling.
The Minister of Revenue walked out of the cotton clothing store and went into the teahouse opposite, asking for a private seat on the second floor.
He stared at the cotton clothing store. In half an hour, no less than a hundred people came in and out, and about twenty people bought cotton clothing and left.
He smiled and said, "A second-hand cotton clothing store can come up with so many things."
The lawyer said, "Madam Zhao always thinks of others. This secondhand cotton clothing store is also a good deed. It allows those who can't afford new cotton clothes to wear in the winter to keep warm."
The Minister of Revenue nodded and said, "This is truly for the benefit of the people. Only by coming up with such a business can one come up with this. I don't think this cotton clothing store will make much money."
"Small profits but quick turnover, small profits but quick turnover."
"This is how it should be done when running a small business."
After spending most of the day, the entire market situation was basically understood. The next step was to set up a county and collect taxes.
The Minister of Revenue took a carriage back to the city, hoping to see His Majesty before the palace gates were locked.
He was told, "His Majesty is very angry right now. Please come back tomorrow."
"Who angered His Majesty? Could it be Prince Ning?"
"It's not Prince Ning, but Prince Zhao and Prince Yan."
"What? Could it be that the King of Zhao and the King of Yan are in the palace right now?"
"Exactly! His Majesty is meeting with the two princes and is probably furious. If you want to discuss government matters, please come back tomorrow morning."
"I understand."
The Minister of Revenue was full of questions.
The King of Zhao and the King of Yan were guilty of crimes and had been imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple. Why did the emperor suddenly want to see them?
Why not just issue an order to strip him of his title and put an end to the palace coup case once and for all?
…
Xingqing Palace.
The emperor's health was deteriorating, and he felt that he didn't have much time left.
Although I am unwilling, I have no choice but to accept reality.
Thinking that the two rebellious sons had not yet been dealt with, the emperor ordered the King of Zhao and the King of Yan to be brought in.
The emperor met the King of Zhao first.
"Do you know your mistake?"
King Zhao had a bare right arm because Liu Zhao had chopped off one of his arms, and he once wanted to commit suicide.
Although he survived, his heart was filled with hatred.
He looked at the emperor lying on the bed and said, "What have I done wrong? I just did what all my brothers wanted to do. What's wrong with that?"
"Rebellious son!" the emperor scolded angrily.
The King of Zhao laughed heartily. "Brother Prince of Yan is right. In your eyes, we princes have always been worse than pigs and dogs. You have never had a fatherly heart for us, only hatred.
You are the Son of Heaven, yet you hate your own sons, wishing all of them were dead. If that were the case, you could have just executed us from the beginning. Why wait until now, until everyone's heart is filled with hatred? You are not worthy of being a father."
Bang!
The teacup hit King Zhao's forehead, breaking the skin, and blood mixed with tea fell down.
King Zhao lowered his head and smiled grimly, "Go ahead and hit me! Beat me to death! Anyway, I've fallen to this point, and there's no point in living. If you kill me, I'll be done with it."
The empty right arm was shaking.
The emperor felt dizzy, "You have brought this upon yourself."
"Haha... I brought this upon myself? It's clearly all your fault. You treated all of us princes like poisonous insects, forcing us brothers to kill each other. I'm in this situation today because of you, this tyrant!"
King Zhao was completely reckless and poured out all the hatred that had been suppressed in his heart for many years.
"Shut up! You are a rebellious son who killed your father and your king. You are a traitor and yet you dare to accuse me. I should never have given birth to you. I should have drowned you long ago."
The emperor was so angry that he felt like one Buddha ascended to heaven and two Buddhas left their bodies. He was almost mad to death at the sight of his own son.
King Zhao chuckled coldly, "It's not too late for you to sentence me to death now. I don't want to live anyway. The only thing I'm not reconciled to is that I couldn't kill you myself that day. What I'm most dissatisfied with is that Liu Zhao should have been cut into pieces, but you kept him alive. He cut my arm, he deserves to die."
"You are the one who deserves to die." The emperor pointed at King Zhao. How could he give birth to such a rebellious son who did not repent even when facing death?
The emperor pointed to the porcelain bottle on the table and said, "This is the poison your mother drank. If she dies, you will die soon. I will also sentence your wife and children to death."
King Zhao glanced at the porcelain vase on the table and said nonchalantly, "Just grant them death. If I die, they will suffer while they live. It would be better for them all to stay with me down there."
"You are truly cruel and vicious. You won't even let your own wife and children go."
Prince Zhao sneered, "Your Majesty is wrong. As early as when I decided to start the rebellion, I was already prepared to bury my entire family with you. Even if Your Majesty orders them to be executed, I won't even blink. If Your Majesty is reluctant to execute them, haha, I will look down on you."
"You deserve to be cut into pieces. You are not worthy of being a human being. Even animals are better than you." The emperor cursed.
Prince Zhao's face darkened. "I am worse than an animal. Didn't the emperor know that long ago? No need to waste words. Bring me the poison and I'll drink it for you to see. If I'm afraid of death, I'm the son of an animal."
The emperor was so angry that his heart ached, "You, you, you..."
The King of Zhao cursed the emperor with the words "raised of a beast".
The emperor pointed at the King of Zhao and said, "I decree that he be stripped of his title, demoted to a commoner, and given the red blood of a crane's crown. I will watch him die!"
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