"It's not just about money. Right now, the war in the north is going very well for our Great Xia. The orcs have already migrated thousands of miles north. Before long, the war in the north... will come to an end!"
Qin Mo asked, puzzled, "If the north makes peace, then the Ministry of Revenue will no longer be short of money. Why would they still want to take advantage of me, a high-ranking official?"
“You are mistaken, my dear nephew. If the war in the north continues, no matter how much the court is short of money, it will not dare to touch the nobles of my Great Xia. They still need the nobles’ private armies to fight and risk their lives. Only by keeping the enemy outside the Great Wall can they live peacefully as important officials of the court. If the orcs enter the pass, can they still enjoy their good fortune?”
Hearing Zhou Yuan's explanation, Qin Mo understood. The battle wasn't even over yet, and he was already thinking of discarding the bow after the birds were all gone?
"So, His Majesty thinks we nobles are no longer useful?"
"No, it is the court that believes the rights of the nobility need to be limited, not completely abolished. The foundation of the Great Xia is the nobility. If His Majesty does not have the support of the nobility, the internal affairs of the empire will definitely be unstable. Therefore, the nobility will never be useless."
Qin Mu glanced at Qin Mo and continued, "Over the years, His Majesty has been supporting newly promoted civil officials while suppressing and testing other nobles. He can neither offend all the nobles nor allow them to become too powerful. The imperial family is very adept at striking the right balance."
"Then why did they single me out? Could it be... that His Majesty thinks I, a high-ranking official... am very powerful?"
Ju-on looked at Qin Mo with amusement, "Don't you think your fiefdom is powerful enough? Your troops and armor are among the best in Great Xia. Moving your fiefdom to near the capital, under your nose, will give us peace of mind."
"His Majesty originally had no way to proceed, as he himself is the most powerful nobleman, and dealing with nobles would be chilling. However, greedy civil officials have their eyes on the wealth of your Dayuan Island. If it were brought under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, who knows how many people would be enriched."
"It's one thing for you to have a strong and well-equipped army, but it's another to be extremely wealthy. You should know that the Great Xia has accumulated its wealth over decades, and it's almost all gone in the last few years. Having a strong army isn't scary, as it won't amount to much. What's scary is having both money and an army."
Qin Mu stared at Qin Mo, as if trying to see into the depths of his heart.
Qin Mo quickly replied, "My family is poor. We've only managed to make ends meet these past few years, and we've also had to repair our dilapidated house. Where would we have any extra money?"
Qin Mu spat out a mouthful of tea and cursed, "The luxury tax on spices every year is one thing, that's the Empress's achievement. But how much money has your Dayuan made from other refined iron, blood sugar, sea salt, and spirits? You stupidly pay taxes according to the regulations, but the tax office can investigate you thoroughly."
Qin Mo stared in disbelief and said, "Your Highness, Prince Yan... do you mean I'm going to evade taxes?"
Zhou Yuan slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "This child is teachable!"
I made two mistakes yesterday. First, the chapter numbers were duplicated. Second, Qin Mu and Zhou Yuan are Qin Mo's great-uncle, not her great-uncle. I've corrected them now. Sorry!
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