Chapter 333: Wealth
Bei Heng shut up silently.
It's over. The child is under too much pressure and has gone crazy.
Bei Heng showed a rare paternal concern and said, "The court's expenditure is indeed huge. Someone once suggested to me that we establish military governors and delegate power to them to find a balance in the prefectures."
"It will take time to solve the accumulated problems. If you are too tired, you can put it aside for now. Dai Viet has not reached the end of its luck yet."
The three words "Jiedushi" set Bei Jingchu on edge.
She immediately recalled the reason why the most prosperous dynasty in the Central Plains declined from its peak in her memory.
She suppressed her trembling voice and asked, "Father, is the Jiedushi that person suggested a frontier official who combines military and political power, and even has the power to appoint and dismiss local officials?"
Behen nodded.
Bei Jingchu's hanging heart finally died.
She twisted her hair even more messily, realizing that even the wisest king could make mistakes.
She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. It was okay, it was okay. The political methods at that time were not yet perfect. She could not use the perspective of later generations to suppress her ancestors. She could not despise Aye because he had no historical perspective.
After brainwashing himself, Bei Jingchu managed to calm down again and said, "The power of the princes was already great, and I was thinking of finding an opportunity to forcibly reduce their power. What is the difference between a Jiedushi and a prince of a different surname who has inherited the throne from his ancestors?"
"No, I'd better get tired a little bit. The Jiedushi must not show up."
"The army's funds are not paid by the imperial court, so rebellion is inevitable. Although it may be convenient for a while, it is like drinking poison to quench thirst."
But Bei Jingchu knew that if the household registration issue was not resolved, it would be too late to establish the Jiedushi.
Up to her generation, she could still suppress it and maintain a prosperous Yue Dynasty, but when her sons or grandsons succeeded to the throne, the Yue Dynasty would take a sharp turn for the worse.
After returning to the East Palace, Bei Jingchu, who received a new task, left his subordinates behind again and was in a state of confusion.
As a prince, it is impossible for him to make decisions on his own. All the thinking is left to his ministers, and she only needs to choose the most perfect solution from them.
Bei Hua found another way to explain: "The household registration has been a long-standing problem. Now that the land is not available, the ministers in the court have been helpless for more than ten years."
"Your Highness is only thinking about filling the treasury. It would be better to find another way to eventually fill it."
Although Bei Jingchu thought that it was unreliable to avoid paying taxes and find other ways to make money, she did not stop people from expressing their opinions and said, "Tell me about it."
"Salt and Iron Official Camp."
Bei Hua rubbed her fingers, which were sore from using the abacus frequently, and said, "Nowadays, the skills of iron smelting and tool making among the people are quite advanced, so it is difficult to restrict them, but we can work on salt."
"Every household has a need for it, and there isn't much of it. Selling it at a high price won't add too much burden to the people."
"People can avoid paying taxes, but they cannot avoid eating salt."
"In order not to compete with the people for profits, Dai Viet has always allowed private enterprises. Now that it has been changed to government-run enterprises, it can reduce a lot of pressure on the national treasury."
Bei Jingchu nodded, "It's a solution. If you have any other ideas, please feel free to speak up."
After Qin Yuping showed his talent, Bei Jingchu pulled him over to replace Zuo Shuzi who resigned and returned home.
He asked: "Your Highness, don't you think that the salaries of the powerful officials in Dai Viet are too extravagant?"
“Money and food storage is nothing more than increasing revenue and reducing expenditure.”
"As a government, there is no need to compete with the people for profits. It is better to focus on saving and reducing unnecessary expenses."
Bei Jingchu thought about the accounts in the Ministry of Finance and found that none of the expenses were unnecessary.
She took a sip of ginseng tea, reminded herself, and asked, "Qin Qing, which expenses do you think can be saved?"
Qin Yuping talked about official salaries.
Bei Jingchu frowned and shook her head.
"No, if others work so hard to pass the imperial examinations but still can't even get the wealth they deserve, it will be much more difficult for Daiyue to recruit talent."
Qin Yuping paused and said, "If the salary of a capable person remains unchanged, then the salary of the noble son who only eats, drinks and plays can be reduced, right?"
"They receive salaries and honors from the court but do nothing to produce anything. There is no need to spend a lot of money to support them."
This statement seemed to make sense, but there was no need for anyone to object, as Bei Jingchu refuted it herself.
"No, even though this generation of idle nobles are useless to Dai Viet, their titles were earned with the blood and sweat of their ancestors. They were either for their contributions to expanding the country's territory or for their hard work for the government."
"If the glory they have obtained is taken back after their death because their offspring are useless, it will make the current ministers feel disheartened and be unfair."
"That royal family member...?"
"If there are only one or two generations of royal descendants who have no successor to the throne, things will get really bad, and there will probably be chaos."
Bei Jingchu didn't say what kind of chaos would happen, but she believed that her subjects in the Eastern Palace were not fools and could understand such obvious implication.
Qin Yuping stopped talking.
Bei Jingchu knew that what he believed in was a wise minister who sacrificed his own interests and did not compete with the people for profit. Such a person was honest and upright, but she could not use him at this time.
Luo Xiaoquan, who was recruited by Bei Jingchu in the same year as Qin Yuping, said, "Your Highness, I think we can add more taxes, such as house taxes and business taxes."
This reminded Bei Jingchu of a time in his memory when, at the end of a certain dynasty, as long as one was alive, one had to pay taxes for drinking water, going out, or walking.
It really makes it impossible for people to live.
But she did not deny it immediately. After all, when Wang Chao really couldn't hold on any longer, this was the only solution.
She only said: "We have not reached the point of having to do anything, so there is no need to consider increasing taxes for the time being."
The ideas that followed were varied, some good, some bad, and some so outrageous that they gave her a headache.
Xu Chengzhan stuffed a mouthful of bait into his mouth. Ever since he suddenly fainted in the East Palace last time, everyone would have some refreshments on hand whenever they discussed memories.
Xu Chengzhu felt sweet on his lips and even sweeter in his heart as he ate the food.
Your Highness must have done this because you feel sorry for him!
Thinking of this, he looked over with affection.
Bei Jingchu rested her elbow on the table and gently rubbed her right wrist with her other hand.
The young prince did not notice someone's romantic feelings, he just felt sorry for himself for having an occupational disease at such a young age.
If the business was not her own, she could have used the method of slacking off, but she happened to be the young master.
Sitting on the throne of the crown prince, he worries about the emperor.
Xu Chengxuan didn't get the beautiful scene of eye contact he imagined, so he had to chew and swallow the bait in his mouth and expressed his doubts: "Did you take the wrong path?"
"All the so-called ways to make money are unorthodox. No matter what taxes are added, the people who pay the taxes are still those who have registered their household registration, which only increases their survival pressure."
"As long as the household registration issue is sorted out and the agricultural tax is paid, there is no need to worry about how to save money or how to save money."
Bei Hua couldn't stand his arrogant look, so she snorted and retorted, "Everyone understands the truth, but now you can't explain it clearly, so you have to think of other ways."
"You look like you don't take us seriously. Tell me, what are we going to do?"