The first day of December in the fifth year of Daxia.
Chang'an welcomed the first snow of the year.
During this year, Daxia had good weather and good governance. Under the governance of the three prime ministers and their ministers, the country was generally peaceful and the people were safe.
Emperor Wu Tianci of Daxia changed a lot in the next six months. He began to actively participate in state affairs and even put forward some very insightful proposals.
For example, using business to feed back agriculture!
The business of Daxia is now extremely prosperous, creating a huge amount of tax revenue for Daxia. This has led to a problem. Many farmers prefer to work in those workshops and give up the farmland that they once cherished as their life.
Although agriculture is still not a problem, its output can fully meet the needs of Daxia's population growth, and even exports have reached new heights.
But Wu Tianci believes that if this continues, especially when young and middle-aged people go ashore and no longer return to the countryside, the abandonment of farmland will probably become more serious, and a food crisis is likely to occur in the future.
Yan Xiwen and others all agreed with this proposal after some discussion, so the Secretariat introduced a new policy - the Basic Farmland Subsidy Law.
This new policy was approved by the cabinet, and Emperor Wu Tianci signed an order to implement it nationwide. This move was appreciated by hundreds of millions of people in Daxia.
Yan Xiwen and the others were naturally relieved, thinking that Fu Xiaoguan's letter must have worked, and that the emperor had finally begun to put state affairs first and consider the people.
What they didn't know was that the person who proposed this idea was not Wu Tianci, but an aide in the inner court named Gong Huanyu.
Because of this proposal, Wu Tianci gained unprecedented satisfaction, so Gong Huanyu became the most trusted aide to Wu Tianci, no doubt about it!
In Wu Tianci's opinion, Gong Huanyu, who is only 30 years old, is resourceful and has the spirit of a patriot. However, Wu Tianci still cannot fully control the outer court, so he can only let Gong Huanyu stay in the inner court.
"Your Majesty, I am honored to have your trust. Moreover, offering advice to your Majesty is my duty. I am a commoner, working as a farmer in Huiyang. Fortunately, I was recommended by Tuoba Wang, the governor of the Western Xia Autonomous Region, to serve your majesty."
"I always remember what the Retired Emperor once said: 'This humble abode is but the fragrance of my virtue.' Therefore, what I seek is not high office or generous salary, but simply my unwillingness to see this great and prosperous era created by the Retired Emperor ruined by a villain!"
Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Gong Huanyu bowed and spoke these words in a neither arrogant nor humble manner.
Wu Tianci felt emotional in his heart, thinking how great it would be if the three prime ministers could have the same understanding as Mr. Gong!
"Mr. Gong, I...you are my national hero, but you have to endure it temporarily."
Wu Tianci sat by the stove, warming himself by the fire. The flames reflected a red glow on his face. His eyes slowly narrowed as he continued, "According to your plan, I selected a number of people for this year's autumn examination... They are all young men from ordinary families, and now they have been sent down to various places to serve as officials... Naturally, I hope they can grow up quickly, but I'm afraid it will take three to five years before they have the opportunity to enter the core."
"But I'm still young, and you're in your prime. Just wait, that day will come!"
A gleam of light flashed in Gong Huanyu's eyes. He bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, the Supreme Emperor's reputation for founding Daxia is extremely high. All the civil and military officials in the court are his former associates. It's inevitable that Your Majesty would feel wronged, and there's no good way to deal with it. Because all the civil and military officials in the court are indeed working diligently for Daxia."
"So I think... Your Majesty should not overthink anything. You just need to secretly accumulate strength... This power lies in people. Your Majesty must ensure that the personnel changes in Daxia are under your control."
"As the Emperor said, he is still very young and has a long way to go. When the Emperor has trained a group of people who belong to him and these people grow up with him, sooner or later there will be a day when they will be able to step into the temple. At that time, at that time, the Emperor will naturally be able to hold his head high and be proud!"
Wu Tianci agreed deeply, "Mr. Gong really understands me. Besides... didn't Mr. Gong say there's another plan that would be extremely beneficial to my reputation?"
Wu Tianci looked up at Gong Huanyu, his eyes full of anticipation.
Gong Huanyu smiled and said, "I do have another plan, and that is... military reform!"
Wu Tianci was stunned. "How to reform?"
"Great Xia is at peace. Those generals and soldiers who once served in the Great Xia Army have fought alongside the Emperor for so many years, expanding territory and guarding the frontiers. They must have endured immense hardship... Therefore, I wonder if it would be possible to retire those generals and soldiers?"
"Give them a sufficient sum of money to cover their retirement expenses, and let them return to their hometowns to engage in business or farming."
Wu Tianci frowned. Now that the First Army of Daxia had left the Daxia expedition, Daxia originally had eight land armies. Among them, the Seventh and Eighth Armies were changed into Daxia Engineering Corps by his father. They put down their guns and specialized in building roads and bridges. So now there are only five land armies with a total of 500,000 people left in Daxia.
He naturally understood what Gong Huanyu meant, and his heart suddenly became excited.
The military reform is justified. In fact, the soldiers of these five major armies have served for a long time, and many of them have even missed the opportunity to start a family.
I asked them to go back, start families and live a peaceful and tranquil life. The three prime ministers and the cabinet had no reason to refuse, because the retirement of these people did not mean the end of the Great Xia Army.
I can then appoint the Minister of War Zhuo Bieli to recruit new soldiers, and these soldiers will be my soldiers!
Even the garrison troops of Chang'an City... Wu Tianci touched his chin, and he could take this opportunity to control the garrison troops in his own hands.
"What Mr. Gong said... I will consider it carefully. To be honest, those soldiers followed my father through battles and fought bravely. Now that Great Xia is at peace, they deserve a good rest."
"Exactly!"
Gong Huanyu continued, "However, I believe that if this matter is to be brought up, it would be more appropriate for Minister Zhuo of the Ministry of War to bring it up. After all, Minister Zhuo is in charge of the Ministry of War, and he has no conflicts with the ministers in the court. This will prevent them from thinking that Your Majesty has any hidden agenda."
"I know the Emperor has no ulterior motives, but those people...those people already have some estrangement from the Emperor, so they're bound to overthink it. Therefore, I think it would be safer for the Emperor to pretend he doesn't know about this matter. It would be wiser to wait for Minister Zhuo to bring it up, and for the three chancellors to ask for your opinion, before you share your thoughts."
"Hmm!" Wu Tianci thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. The matter was settled. He suddenly asked Gong Huanyu another question: "Mr. Gong, my treasury is short of money. I'd like to ask you how I can take control of the Ministry of Revenue!"
"...The Ministry of Revenue is controlled by Minister Yun Xiyan. This Minister Yun was appointed by the Emperor Emeritus and has close ties with the three Prime Ministers... Anyone who dares to touch him will be guilty of a serious crime!"
"Then charge him with a serious crime!"
"Your Majesty, please do not act hastily. This matter must be considered slowly and carefully."
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