Chu Fan took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally, deciding to bravely shoulder the responsibilities that originally belonged to him.
He stood up and swept his eyes over every minister in the court with a firm and determined look, and said in a loud and powerful voice: "I think what Minister Qian Aiqing said is very true, and I deeply agree with it.
I have decided to adopt Mr. Qian's suggestion and initiate the reform of commercial taxation. I am fully aware that this will affect the vested interests of some of you and arouse dissatisfaction and opposition from some people.
But I firmly believe that for the future of our country and for the long-term development of our nation, each of us should make sacrifices and contributions."
Chu Fan's words echoed in the court, and the ministers in the court all heard that Chu Fan's words were full of firm belief in the country's future and determination to reform.
In the court, the ministers looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion and anxiety.
They knew that the decision made by Chu Fan would have far-reaching consequences. Although they were dissatisfied with this decision in their hearts, they had to reluctantly express their support in the face of the emperor's firm and decisive attitude.
For these ministers, the stability and prosperity of the country is the ultimate goal, the ideal they all pursue. If they were not loyal to Wei, they would have left Wei long ago, and would not have stayed in Wei when it was most in danger.
Even though some officials secretly grumbled in their hearts, they wanted to use the excuse that such a policy was competing with the people for profit to prevent the implementation of this policy.
However, when they recalled the bloody incident that took place under the palace walls a few months ago and the tragic scenes of the executed officials and nobles, they wisely kept their mouths shut.
Although the emperor was willing to delegate power to his officials, he was extremely cold-hearted when he was determined to kill.
Facts have proven that there are always people who are not afraid of death and are willing to take risks for personal gain. In this situation, no one in the court, whether civil or military, said anything. However, a fourth-rank official, Shaoqing, stepped forward and gave Chu Fan some advice:
"Your Majesty, this policy is simply unworkable. Merchants already bear the burden of city entry taxes, transaction taxes, and grain transport costs. If their taxes are raised to one-tenth, their profits will inevitably shrink significantly. I worry that this will result in a lack of merchants willing to trade goods in Wei, ultimately undermining the country's economic strength."
Qian Dai already knew that someone would use this as an excuse, so he responded, "From now on, merchants will be exempt from entry tax and transaction tax when entering the city, and they can trade freely within the territory of Wei.
This includes abolishing all local taxes, including mountain and marsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes. All these taxes will be unified and managed by the Ministry of Revenue. In addition, the court will implement a tax-free policy for miscellaneous items, agricultural tools, books, etc., in order to encourage the circulation of goods.
To strengthen Qian Dai's words, Chu Fan solemnly announced, "I must also set an example. From now on, when the Wen Yushi turns over the profits from refined salt, he must first pay the tax before it can be put into the inner treasury."
When the ministers in the court saw that His Majesty had paid the taxes with his own money, they didn't have much to say.
Qian Dai was very excited when he saw this policy being implemented. If he could collect taxes from merchants, the treasury of Wei would be much richer and the Ministry of Revenue would not be so poor.
The officials of the Ministry of Revenue were also very excited, as they knew that collecting taxes from merchants would bring huge fiscal revenue to the country.
They immediately thought of the frontier forts that could not be adequately maintained due to financial constraints, and the soldiers' pensions that could not be paid due to lack of funds. They could work to improve these conditions, make the country's defense more solid, and let the soldiers defend the country with peace of mind.
At the same time, once the taxes on refined salt and merchants were collected smoothly, not only would the national treasury be enriched, but the work of the Ministry of Revenue would also be smoother. Previously, public welfare projects such as water conservancy and roads, which had been shelved due to insufficient funds, finally had hope of being restarted.
They have already figured out how to distribute the newly collected taxes reasonably to ensure that every penny is spent wisely.
Just as Chu Fan was about to continue the court meeting, a voice of opposition suddenly rang out.
Censor Liu Wenshan stood up, and his figure stood out among the ministers.
The ministers saw that the person who stood up to oppose was the most fair and honest censor of Wei State in the eyes of all the ministers. He never sought personal gain. Such a person's actions attracted the attention of all officials in the court.
Many ministers turned their attention to Liu Wenshan, a minister known among the Imperial Censors for his outspokenness and fearlessness of power. He was a rare veteran minister who had remained true to his principles throughout his life. None of the ministers understood the significance of this minister's statement at this moment.
Liu Wenshan said firmly in the court: "I firmly oppose this policy. The policy proposed by Minister Qian obviously has many unreasonable aspects."
Hearing Liu Wenshan's objection, all the ministers present couldn't help but look puzzled.
Although the production and supervision of refined salt were the responsibility of the Censorate, the profits obtained were basically handed over to His Majesty, and Liu Wenshan's family did not engage in commercial activities.
Therefore, the ministers couldn't help but wonder: Why did he stand up against this policy?
Regardless of Liu Wenshan's reasons for opposing this policy, the officials sitting next to each other exchanged meaningful glances.
They all knew that as long as Liu Wenshan stood up and clearly pointed out that His Majesty's increase in taxes on merchants was actually competing with the people for profit, they would stand up to support him without hesitation and jointly call on His Majesty to retract this decision.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com