Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an was deeply moved. She couldn't help but turn to look at the old minister's deeply lined face and his gray hair.
In fact, he didn't have to get involved in this mess. He could even use it as an excuse to retire and return to his hometown. That way, even if the salaries of military officers were to be reduced, it wouldn't matter to someone who had left the court.
Perhaps this is what is meant by loyalty and righteousness.
"Very well, then I will tell you. The reason I do this is to better develop agriculture and commerce in my Sheng Nan Kingdom, and to select more talented people. Now is a time of peace and prosperity. You military generals do not need to fight on the battlefield or quell wars, yet the national treasury still has to pay so much military salary every year. Isn't that a waste? Moreover, even if we deduct 40% of your salary, there is still 60% left. Isn't that enough for your daily needs?"
Emperor Xingchang looked at the crowd with absolute certainty and said.
Upon hearing this, the court fell silent again, for his explanation was indeed impeccable.
Li Chang'an frowned and lowered her eyes, lost in thought. Although she couldn't find a reason to refute what Emperor Xingchang had just said, she felt that something was not quite right.
Li Chang'an felt that this matter was definitely not a decision made by Emperor Xingchang alone; someone must have given him some advice behind the scenes.
The motives behind these people's actions deserve a closer examination.
"Are you satisfied with my explanation just now?"
Just then, Emperor Xingchang suddenly spoke again, his tone carrying an undisguised sense of accusation.
Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an suddenly felt a bad feeling.
Judging from his words, could it be that he wants to...?
Sure enough, the next second Emperor Xingchang raised his eyebrows and said, "I have given you the explanation you wanted. Now it is my turn to ask for an explanation!"
Upon hearing this, the military officers immediately panicked, unsure of what Emperor Xingchang meant.
Before they could even process what was happening, they heard Emperor Xingchang issue an order to punish the military officer who had attempted to assault a civil official.
"Please, Father Emperor, show mercy!"
Seeing this, Li Chang'an quickly stepped forward to stop him.
She no longer had time to delve into the details of the whole affair; all she knew was that she had to protect that upright but loyal minister.
"Chang'an, do you intend to disobey the Emperor?"
Emperor Xingchang looked at the woman in front of him with a dark face, but the words "Father" that he uttered were just two cold words, without any fatherly affection.
"Your subject would naturally not disobey Your Majesty's wishes. The punishment should be given for his momentary impulse, but I believe that his crime does not warrant death."
Li Chang'an gritted his teeth and said.
All she can do now is to minimize the damage caused by this.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xingchang raised an eyebrow again and said, "So, according to your opinion, if this matter is not severely punished as a warning to others, what will become of my authority if similar incidents occur in the future?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Bai Yuanshan chimed in, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. What if this emboldens these military officers? Even if Your Highness wishes to show mercy, you must understand the situation!"
After saying that, he glanced at Li Chang'an with a mocking look, his face full of disdain.
Feng Beichuan saw through all of his little tricks without missing a single detail, and immediately felt a surge of anger. So he retorted, "Prime Minister, you're overthinking it. Everything must be based on reason and evidence, with clear rewards and punishments. If you sentence someone to death on the spot, wouldn't that be suspected of taking lives lightly? If word gets out, the people of Shengnan Kingdom will probably think our Emperor is a tyrant, which will likely have a negative impact on you."
These words were indeed watertight, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Bai Yuanshan had nothing more to say, so he could only shut up and retreat in a huff.
Emperor Xingchang naturally understood the importance of the matter and was absolutely unwilling to be branded a tyrant by the people of the world for the sake of a mere military general.
In the end, he could only give a minor punishment as a warning and let the matter rest.
Li Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief. After resolving this matter, she turned to ponder the reasons given by Emperor Xingchang for implementing the policy of emphasizing civil affairs over military affairs.
After much thought, Li Chang'an still felt that there might be some conspiracy behind this matter, but for the time being she had no clue what it was, she only had a simple suspicion and could not produce any evidence at all.
However, just in case, Li Chang'an felt that he still needed to come up with a solution.
So her mind went through all the things she had read about governing the country and managing state affairs in the books she had read before.
After a moment, Li Chang'an suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and then stepped forward again to respectfully bow to Emperor Xingchang and said, "Father, I have another matter to report."
"Tell me about it!"
Emperor Xingchang waved his hand dismissively, his tone revealing a hint of impatience.
It's not surprising that he acted this way. He was exhausted both physically and mentally after all the commotion, so he wanted to resign from court. But unexpectedly, Li Chang'an has reappeared.
That's really annoying.
"Your Majesty's decision suddenly made me wonder if we could take this opportunity to reduce taxes for the people of Sheng Nan Kingdom?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xingchang was immediately startled and instinctively exclaimed, "No!"
Why not?
Li Chang'an raised an eyebrow and asked in return.
Now, Emperor Xingchang was at a loss for how to justify himself.
After all, he couldn't possibly say that he was unwilling because he felt that reducing taxes would decrease the national treasury's annual revenue.
"This matter of taxation cannot be changed so easily. I feel this is inappropriate, and it should not be brought up again!"
Then, Emperor Xingchang frowned and said.
"I think this is not a bad idea."
Just as Emperor Xingchang was about to adjourn the court session, Feng Beichuan unexpectedly intervened, interrupting his train of thought once again.
This really annoyed him.
At this moment, Emperor Xingchang felt extremely frustrated, feeling that Li Chang'an and Feng Beichuan were like two thorns stuck in his heart that he could not remove.
"The Regent seems to be exceptionally obedient to the Princess. Why do you have to agree with everything she says? Could it be that you've conspired behind her back?"
At the critical moment, Bai Yuanshan once again came to the rescue for Emperor Xingchang.
His sarcastic remarks certainly sparked endless speculation among the officials.
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