Chapter 297: New Policies Are Revolted

In the spacious and bright Daqing Palace, which should have been solemn and dignified, hundreds of civil and military officials who were qualified to attend the court quarreled.

A policy in the new policy to increase commercial taxes caused almost unanimous strong opposition from civil and military officials.

There were very few officials who did not stand up to oppose, but these more than 30 people also kept silent and chose to just watch.

Kou Zhun argued with these strongly opposed officials with a Shanxi accent, and it was like he was debating with a group of scholars.

This is a struggle for interests. Our dynasty emphasizes commercial prosperity and encourages officials to do business. All the civil and military officials in the court have several profitable businesses at home. The aristocratic families behind some officials are wealthy businessmen who control the economic lifeline of the Song Dynasty.

Cui Zhenglin, a fourth-rank secretary from the Cui family, was angry and spoke passionately: "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Regent, since ancient times, the country's important tax revenue has relied on agriculture. Our Song Dynasty encourages business and the commercial tax is extremely light. Now the agricultural tax is not increased, but the commercial tax is only increased by 10%. This is inconsistent with the national policy of encouraging business and prospering the economy. Merchants all over the world will surely rise up and attack it, and it will be difficult to implement.

I hope that the emperor and the regent will withdraw their orders. Don't compete with the people for profit."

Seeing that he was questioning him, the little emperor Zhao Wuji frowned and said, "What is national policy? Which law states that it emphasizes commerce over agriculture?"

Cui Zhenglin argued, "This is an unwritten agreement between the late emperor and the officials of the court. Although it is not written into the law, it is a convention known to everyone."

Zhao Wuji laughed out loud and frowned again!

"It's a tacit agreement? I don't have a tacit agreement with you. It's also a tacit agreement that

you guys should suppress the military and promote the civil. I don't agree with it! Without the military officers fighting bloody battles on the front lines, how can you civil officials enjoy peace in the rear? The civil officials who supervise the army are ignorant of military tactics and strategies, and they have to ride on the heads of the military officers to show off their power and command the troops in battle. " How can the soldiers be at ease to win the battle?

I will not agree to the bad habit of suppressing the military and promoting the civil! From now on, any civil official who dares to withhold military pay and rations, take kickbacks from military supplies, and suppress the military achievements of military generals, I will skin him first!"

The little emperor was furious, and he acted with the aura of a king. All the civil and military officials were a little dumbfounded. This is a child who just turned seven years old? The

military generals were all excited. In the past, a fifth-rank civil official could shit on the head of a first-rank military general. The aggrieved and sad feeling was really hard to describe!

The chief secret envoy of the military generals, Chu Zhaofu, took the lead in shouting, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty is wise! ..." The military generals came out of the ranks with tears in their eyes and shouted in unison.

Although there were more civil officials than military officers in the court, the military officers were so excited that they shouted at the top of their lungs, making the hall buzz.

Xue Juzheng, the head of the civil officials, remained silent, while the other civil officials looked at each other, not knowing how to speak out in rebuttal to fight for the rights of the civil officials to suppress the military officers. After all, the national policy of suppressing the military and promoting the civil was only a tacit understanding between the late emperor and the civil officials, and there was no law to follow.

The young emperor's words against suppressing the military and promoting the civil immediately split the camp that had just been split into two camps.

The military officers no longer opposed the increase in commercial taxes. After all, when it came to business, their minds were not as flexible as those of the civil officials, and their businesses were not as big as those of the civil officials. As long as the trend of suppressing military power and promoting culture can be changed in the future, they will also raise their hands in approval of increasing the commercial tax by 20%!

The regent Zhao Defang looked at Wu Ji with approval and smiled. The little emperor was so happy to be commended that he straightened his back!

Zhao Defang raised his hand and pressed it down in his signature move, and the hall immediately became quiet. Little Wu Ji secretly imitated the emperor's uncle's move in his heart with admiration and envy. It was so cool and domineering!

"This king is going to launch the third northern expedition to recover the sixteen states of Yanyun and ensure the stability of the Song Dynasty.

The treasury is empty and the military pay is insufficient, so increasing commercial taxes is a must. The industrial shops under the control of this king and the princess will take the lead in responding to the increase of 10% taxes and donate 40% of the profits as military pay.

If this increase of 10% commercial taxes is not passed, then there is another way. Raise funds for the army.

Sixteen officials involved in the corruption case of Luo Zhongxu and Li Jieke were confiscated, and the cash equivalent of tens of millions of taels was paid into the national treasury. If I find another hundred or eighty corrupt officials to dismiss them from their posts, put them in jail , and confiscate their property, the army funds needed for the Northern Expedition will be sufficient. This method is much easier to operate than collecting commercial taxes. "

The ministers were so frightened that they were silent. The officials with guilty consciences were pounding in their hearts and had cold sweats on their backs.

The little emperor Zhao Wuji almost laughed out loud, and he tightened his little mouth and secretly gave his uncle a thumbs up.

High!... It's really high!

Commercial taxes were originally very light, and a 10% increase in taxes would not be a problem, but if they were investigated for corruption, they would really have no way to survive.

Therefore, this bill to increase business taxes was finally passed smoothly.

The corners of Zhao Defang's lips curled up into a smile of victory, and there was a hint of cunning in that smile. Boil the frog in warm water, take it slowly. The interests of you aristocratic families will be gradually eaten away at, and the new policy of equalizing the rich and the poor and reducing the number of vassal states and distributing land will be gradually implemented. ...

Luo Li did not have much reaction during pregnancy. She was not nauseous or vomiting. On the contrary, she enjoyed everything she ate. However, she was sleepy and very sleepy every day. In a day, she slept longer than she was awake

. Zhao Defang tiptoed to the big bed, leaned down and kissed Luo Li lightly on the forehead. Seeing that the princess was sleeping soundly and had no reaction, he lay down beside her with a smile on his face. He stretched out his long arms and gently held the person in his arms.

Luo Li, who was still sleepy, could not open her eyes and muttered, "Did you leave the court? Did you return victorious?"

Zhao Defang gently kissed her earlobe, "I returned victorious."

Luo Li immediately became energetic and no longer sleepy. She opened her sleepy eyes and blinked, "I knew that you, a sinister and cunning man with a lot of bad intentions, could easily deal with those greedy and insatiable parasites of the country."

Zhao Defang laughed and pinched the tip of the beautiful woman's nose lovingly, "Is there anyone who praises your husband like this?"

Luo Li Then he praised, "There is no one in your Zhao family who is easy to deal with. From childhood to adulthood, if little Wu Ji grows up, he will be as insidious and cunning as you."

Zhao Defang said without shame, "It's still a little bit worse. Wu Ji's superficial performance is not as good as I was when I was seven years old."

Luo Li felt sad and stroked his cheek distressedly, "Children who have no mother since childhood are sensitive and good at hiding their thoughts. You are in the deep palace with too many intrigues and too many secret calculations. It's really hard for you."

Zhao Defang held her hand and put it on his cheek. "When I was little, it was fine. Although my mother was not my biological mother, she loved me as her own son. When I was learning martial arts in the mountains, my master and uncles also loved me very much .

But after my father was killed by that man, there were crises and traps everywhere. I lived every day with deep hatred in my heart, nightmares of insecurity and vigilance.

It was not until I had you that I had the best time, I could sleep soundly and laugh happily. Li'er, you saved me."