Li Si set a price for the wages of corvée labor, and others also agreed. Even if each person was given thirty coins, it was already a lot and a huge expense for the court.
Looking at their expressions, Zhao Qingrui knew that this matter was no longer negotiable. They would not agree to the offer, no matter how high it was. Besides, there were indeed many places in the court where money was needed.
Although there are many money-making projects, these cannot be converted into money immediately. It is an ongoing process.
"Okay, don't look so sad. This is much better than usual. The corvée labor only lasts for one month. You can do so much for them. Those people will definitely be grateful." Seeing that his daughter was not very happy, Ying Zheng said helplessly.
"Father, I'm fine. Let's continue discussing how to implement it." Zhao Qingrui said seriously. She could see that her father had already given in, otherwise he would not let her do these things.
"This matter should first be announced to the world. Your Majesty should issue an edict and send it to each county." Feng Quji said calmly. Such a policy has never been seen before. If the treasury of the Qin Dynasty is still empty, they will not allow Zhao Qingrui to do whatever he wants.
Now that there is something in the national treasury and His Majesty is interested in training her, it might not be a bad idea to give it a try.
"If the number of corvée laborers is too small, should we forcibly conscript them from the masses?" Feng Jie raised a key question. The First Emperor was an infrastructure maniac and needed corvée laborers everywhere. If the number was too small, it would definitely not work.
"Then give more benefits so that the people will respond positively." Zhao Qingrui said after thinking for a while.
"We can't give you any more money and food. Does Your Highness have any good suggestions?" Li Si asked seriously.
"Those who are willing to perform labor service will be exempted from one year's land tax next year." Zhao Qingrui pondered. What the people of Guizhou value most is naturally the land.
Thinking about what His Majesty was going to do at the end of the year, no one wanted to talk anymore. They could already imagine how big a response it would cause.
"This won't work. The Qin Dynasty's treasury revenue basically relies on various taxes." Li Si shook his head. The annual land tax was too much.
"How about reducing the land tax by half?" Zhao Qingrui became withdrawn after silently calculating the annual land tax for the common people in the Qin Dynasty.
The Qin Land Law stipulated that "three dan of fodder and two dan of straw should be paid to the state for every hectare of land", that is, every hectare of land should pay three dan of fodder and two dan of straw to the state. These amounts to almost half of a household's income.
Although the taxes in the current Qin Dynasty are not as heavy as those during the reign of Qin II, they are still increasing year by year.
This is why those who rebelled said that the world has suffered from Qin for a long time.
Reducing taxes by half is something that can be discussed, and several people began to discuss which part should be reduced.
At this time, Zhao Qingrui had to admire Li Si and others. Although they held high positions, they were not completely ignorant of the situation of the people. On the contrary, they knew it very well.
They have calculated everything very carefully, which makes the people of Qian feel that they can no longer live happily, but they can continue to live, but they see no hope for the future.
They had done this many times before and were more familiar with how to organize corvee labor than Zhao Qingrui. They were the ones who decided on the subsequent plans.
By the time we had discussed the matter, it was already evening.
Zhao Qingrui had never concentrated so intensely on anything before. As soon as she relaxed, she felt a wave of fatigue that made her not want to move at all.
In comparison, although Li Si and the others looked tired, they were much better than Zhao Qingrui. They did these things frequently and were already used to them.
"I asked the cook to make some of your favorite food. Eat more later." Seeing his daughter looking tired, Ying Zheng felt distressed.
Zhao Qingrui: ...Dad, do you still have time to order food?
Li Si and his companions were also invited by Ying Zheng to have dinner with him. They had eaten there several times, and to be honest, the food tasted really good.
Seeing that Li Si and the others liked eating these meals, Zhao Qingrui had an idea. Ironware had not been widely promoted, and the iron smelting technology was relatively backward. It was not easy to have a good iron pot.
As for stews, she knew quite a few recipes, which she could print out and sell in bookstores.
Zhao Qingrui had no appetite for the food she usually liked.
Although she was discussing corvée and taxes with Li Si and others today, she became more aware of the situation of the people of Qin from their words, which made her feel heavy-hearted.
The more she knew, the more eager she became to change the people's situation.
"No appetite?" Ying Zheng asked softly. He saw the changes in Zhao Qingrui's expression. He was optimistic about Zhao Qingrui and wanted her to be his heir. These things were things he had to understand.
He had heard a lot about the situation of the people of Qian, but he didn't react much. Zhao Qingrui had been well protected by him since she was a child. Even if she saw the situation of the people of Qian in Beidi County, she would think that the situation in Beidi County was still pretty good and relatively stable. In other counties of Daqin, the situation was even worse.
"Well, father, please don't eat greasy food." Zhao Qingrui nodded, looked at the food in her father's bowl, and reminded him. She had finally lost some weight, and she didn't want her father to get fat again.
Ying Zheng: ...This girl is still thinking about not letting him eat meat! !
Meng Yi lowered his head and ate silently, pretending not to see it.
Li Si and the others had shock in their eyes, but they quickly concealed it and followed Meng Yi's example, lowering their heads and eating quickly.
After leaving Zhangtai Palace, Feng Quji looked at Meng Yi kindly, "Lord Meng, did the little princess and His Majesty get along like this before?"
"Yes, His Majesty dotes on her very much." Meng Yi said gently. He also had a copy of His Majesty's weight loss plan No. 2 in his hand. Although His Majesty was lazy occasionally, he also honestly followed what the little princess said.
Feng Quji and others: ...How can we not see it?
"Your Highness is intelligent and has her own unique insights into the affairs of the court. She is a blessing to our Great Qin." Feng Quji raised his eyebrows. Now they have gradually accepted Zhao Qingrui.
Therefore, we turned a blind eye to your Majesty's ideas.
"Yes, Her Highness cares about the people of Qin. She wants to make the Qin Dynasty even stronger." Meng Yi said softly. He knew Zhao Qingrui's situation.
The Meng family supported Fusu. In fact, they also only listened to the emperor's orders. They would support whoever the First Emperor wanted to be his successor.
Moreover, Zhao Qingrui grew up under his care, and she had real abilities, so he accepted this matter more easily than Feng Quji and the others.
"Lord Meng knows His Highness very well. Can you tell us more about His Highness?" Feng Quji asked with a smile. He now wanted to get to know Zhao Qingrui better.
"There's nothing I can't say." Meng Yi didn't refuse. It was mainly because His Majesty instructed him to speak well of Zhao Qingrui in front of Feng Quji and others. As an old Qin noble family, the Feng family had great power in Daqin. He hoped that Feng Quji and his brother could sincerely support Zhao Qingrui.
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