Chapter 365 [Flirting]
"Your humble servant Xue Wei pays respects to the Emperor."
Hearing Xue Wei's name, Emperor Qingning raised his head, and a little expression finally appeared on his face: "Xue Wei, I remember you."
He smiled slightly and said, "I want to give you an official title, but you said you want to take the imperial examinations and earn a good future with your own strength."
"You did it, and I'm so relieved."
The other candidates had mixed feelings when they saw that Xue Wei had the emperor's favor.
"Your Majesty's love is so great that I, the common people, am terrified."
Xue Wei didn't dare to climb up the pole, and still maintained the attitude of a very respectful candidate.
When Emperor Qingning saw Xue Wei's attitude, the smile on his face became more genuine.
Xue Wei greeted him and began to answer: "The key to governing lies in pacifying the people, and the way to pacify the people lies in understanding their sufferings."
"I believe that in the early stages of governance, appropriate subsidies for food and seeds should be provided to the people of the northwestern border to retain those who have left. This also demonstrates the importance and confidence Your Majesty places on the Northwest."
The idea of subsidizing the people has been mentioned by several candidates before.
Seeing that Xue Wei was talking about the same old things and only showing off his literary talent in the first sentence, and there was nothing else amazing except the beginning, Emperor Qingning lost interest.
The other candidates breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the son of the famous tutor had come to the hall, but apart from his proper manners, his performance was not outstanding.
However, Xue Wei's next words were like a thunderclap out of the blue, waking everyone up.
"As for the subsidy, Your Majesty need not worry about the loss of the treasury. Your Majesty will not even have to spend much money."
What? No need for the court to pay?!
Emperor Qingning immediately became interested and signaled Xue Wei to go down quickly. The other examiners also pricked up their ears.
Although he was wondering whether Xue Wei was just trying to attract attention, who would dare to brag during the palace examination?
The examinees' faces showed surprise and doubt. Is there such a brilliant idea? The court no longer needs to subsidize the northwest with large sums of money?
Under everyone's gaze, Xue Wei spoke slowly and clearly, "The northwestern border is remote for Dasheng, but looking at the entire continent, the five northwestern cities are located in the middle, connecting Loulan, Bol, and the northern border."
"Your Majesty has introduced a group of merchants to the northwest, charging only a low land lease fee. They will use the northwest land to produce goods, which can be sold throughout the country and traded with other countries abroad.
"Your Majesty, please enact a law to support merchants in the five northwestern cities. Taxes on minor transactions will not be levied, and officials are strictly prohibited from extorting or harassing merchants."
"For the next five years, trade in the five northwestern cities will be tax-free or non-taxable. Let these merchants revitalize the northwest first, and then discuss subsequent taxation matters once the northwest stabilizes."
What Xue Wei was talking about was actually the modern policy of attracting investment to attract private capital to develop wasteland.
The more Emperor Qingning listened, the brighter his eyes became. He did not ask how much tax the five northwestern cities could pay. He would be thankful if he could pay less silver to the northwest and put a bottom into this bottomless pit.
The salaries of the Northwest garrison have always been paid by the national treasury, not by local taxes in the Northwest. It would be impossible to support so many soldiers in the impoverished Northwest.
At present, in addition to paying military salaries, the national treasury also has to maintain the five cities in the northwest, spending money like water.
The countermeasures Xue Wei mentioned now can not only revitalize and utilize wasteland, but also earn some money.
The method Xue Wei mentioned can be said to be a different approach, and it has many benefits!
It can stop losses in the short term and solve problems in the long term. Compared with other bad ideas, it is simply amazing.
Emperor Qingning, still harboring many doubts, pressed on, "The method you mention is certainly a good one. However, while the preferential policies offered are attractive, they present significant challenges for merchants. How many would be willing to give it a try?"
@He Lin (Beijing celebrity): Me!
@Hou Xiaoxiao (Princess of Jin): Me!
@李思忠 (Linzhou Sales Champion): I...it's a bit far, but I want to eat meat too!
@Guan Yue (The Bandit Escort Agency's No. 1 Sister): Me! Move the escort agency over! I'm going to dominate the northwest! @Yan Chaoyue, you, the enemy Khan, have to protect me! Otherwise, I'll send you emojis every day to harass you!
If this succeeds, Xue Wei is simply doing good for these cheaters, charging tax-free fees!
Low land lease fees!
There are also policies to support businesses, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money to build relationships and make money!
What's more, the Bor Grassland, which merchants and border residents regard as a scourge, is in the same group with them! It's very convenient to hook up with them!
Yan Chaoyue was even more excited and burst into tears. He was so envious of the Beijing team and Jiang Lili, Wen Qiao and the others who could get together and play!
@Yan Chaoyue: Stop being so meh and meh. Why don't you guys come over here? We'll have plenty of food and wine! @Xue Wei, hurry up and give your dad some help. Let him see if this can be done.
Xue Wei looked at the messages popping up in the group and laughed helplessly. What a bunch of impatient guys! He was still taking the palace examination and there was nothing he could do about it.
However, launching new actions in the northwest is an urgent matter for the court, and even if Emperor Qingning does not adopt his advice, he still has a backup plan.
Xue Wei pretended to think for a moment before replying, "The world is bustling with activity, all for the sake of profit; the world is bustling with activity, all for the sake of profit."
"Your Majesty, merchants are willing to take risks if there is profit to be made. Business is a world of both risk and reward."
Hit the nail on the head!
The examiners and candidates heard Xue Wei's excitement. How could this guy come up with such a brilliant idea and speak so well?
Emperor Qingning's brows relaxed. The big merchants in the capital would definitely be interested in doing business in the northwest.
Xue Wei added, "Your Majesty, you should have heard that the He family's goods are exported to Loulan and are deeply loved by the people of Loulan. I believe the He family should be very interested in opening a base in the northwest. If someone takes the lead, others will surely follow."
"Moreover, the He family is proficient in cultivating flowers, plants, and trees. If they want to sell their flowers to Loulan, they will definitely have to build a flower garden in the northwest. At that time, they will definitely improve the harsh environment in the northwest and plant trees to replenish the farmland."
"The Jinxiao Chamber of Commerce, which has always been competing with the He family, also sells silk, satin, and red hairpin jewelry in Loulan."
The Jinxiao Chamber of Commerce is a merchant alliance founded by Hou Xiaoxiao, and on the surface, it is in a fierce competition with He Lin's shop.
"The two families are currently engaged in a fierce battle in the capital. If a new target emerges..."
Xue Wei stopped there.
The more Emperor Qingning thought about it, the better it seemed!
This method is really brilliant. The court only needs to issue laws to support merchants and then it can be a hands-off boss. It will be lively when these merchants fight each other, and the northwest will be revitalized if there are people with money.
If these merchants had not been introduced, the various governance measures in the northwest would have been implemented solely by relying on the imperial court to subsidize them. Not to mention how much of the money would actually reach the northwest after being extorted through layers of tax collection, the efficiency of local officials would be so low that it would probably take half a year for them to produce any results.
These merchants are fighting for profits and working at a very fast speed. Competition is the driving force to race against time.
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