The Eighth Wise King became addicted to eavesdropping on the silly princess' thoughts

Chapter 297: New Policies Are Resisted

In the spacious and bright Daqing Hall, which should have been solemn and dignified, hundreds of civil and military officials who were qualified to attend court were arguing in a mess.

A policy in the New Deal to increase commercial taxes aroused strong and almost unanimous opposition from civil and military officials.

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

Kou Zhun, speaking with a Shanxi accent, argued with these officials who strongly opposed him, and it was like he was engaging in a debate with a group of scholars.

This is a struggle for interests. Our dynasty focuses on commercial prosperity and encourages officials to do business. All the civil and military officials sitting in this court have several profitable businesses at home. The aristocratic families behind some of the 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 very light. Now the agricultural tax is not high, but the commercial tax is only increased by 10%. This is inconsistent with the national policy of encouraging business to prosper the economy. Merchants all over the world will surely rise up and attack it, and it will be difficult to implement.

I hope the Emperor and the Regent will revoke their orders and stop competing with the people for profit."

Seeing that he was questioning him, the young emperor Zhao Wuji said with an unhappy face, "What is national policy? Which law states that it is important to emphasize commerce over agriculture?"

Cui Zhenglin argued speciously, "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 that everyone knows."

Zhao Wuji burst out laughing, then quickly tensed up his face again!

"An unspoken agreement? I don't have any tacit agreement with you. Suppressing military power and promoting culture is also an unspoken agreement among you, and I don't agree with it!

Without the military commanders fighting bravely on the front lines, how could you civilian officials enjoy peace in the rear? The civilian officials who supervise the army are ignorant of military tactics and strategies, and when fighting, they have to ride on the heads of the military commanders and give random orders. How can the soldiers be at ease to win the battle?

I will not tolerate such bad habits as suppressing military power and promoting civil service! From now on, if any civil official dares to withhold military pay and rations, take kickbacks from military supplies, or suppress the merits of military officers, I will skin him first! "

The little emperor was furious, and his rage was expressed with the aura of a king. All the civil and military officials were dumbfounded. This was 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 frustration and sadness were indescribable!

The chief military officer, the Privy Councilor Chu Zhaofu, led the way and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

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

Although there were more civil officials than military generals standing in the court, these military generals 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, and the other civil officials looked at each other, not knowing how to refute and fight for the civil officials' rights to suppress the military generals. After all, the national policy of suppressing the military and promoting the culture was only a tacit agreement between the late emperor and the civil officials, and there was no law to follow.

The young emperor's words against suppressing military power and promoting culture immediately split the one-sided camp 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 the military and promoting the civil officials could be changed in the future, they would also support the increase of 20% in commercial taxes!

Regent Zhao Defang looked at Wu Ji with approval and smiled. The little emperor felt happy and straightened his back after receiving the commendation!

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

"This king will launch the third Northern Expedition to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and ensure the eternal stability of the Song Dynasty.

The treasury is empty, the military pay is insufficient, and it is imperative to increase commercial taxes. The businesses and shops owned by the king and the princess will take the lead in responding to the increase in taxes by 10%, and donate another 40% of the profits as military pay.

If this 10% increase in commercial taxes is not passed, there is another way to raise military funds.

Sixteen officials involved in the corruption case of Luo Zhongxu and Li Jieke were confiscated, and the equivalent of tens of millions of taels of silver was paid into the national treasury. If I can find another hundred or eighty corrupt officials to dismiss, imprison and confiscate their property, the military pay 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 fell silent, and the officials who had something to hide were nervous and had cold sweat on their backs.

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

High! ... Really high!

Commercial taxes were originally very light, so a 10% increase in taxes would not mean that one would be unable to survive. However, if one was caught with corruption, there would be no way for one to survive.

So, 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 and sinisterness in that smile. Boil the frog in warm water, take it slowly. The interests of you aristocratic families will be eroded bit by bit, and the new policy of equalizing the rich and helping the poor and reducing the number of vassal states and equalizing the land will be gradually implemented. ...

Luo Li did not have much reaction during her pregnancy. She did not feel nauseous or vomit. Instead, she enjoyed everything she ate. However, she was very sleepy and very sleepy every day. She slept longer than she was awake.

Zhao Defang tiptoed to the bed, leaned over and kissed Luo Li gently 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 embraced her in his arms.

Luo Li, who was still sleepy, couldn't open her eyes and muttered, "Is the court over? Did you return victorious?"

Zhao Defang gently kissed her earlobe and said, "Return victorious."

Luo Li suddenly became alert and no longer felt 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 parasites of the country."

Zhao Defang chuckled and pinched the tip of the lady's nose lovingly, "Is there anyone who praises her husband like this?"

Luo Li continued to praise, "There is not a single person in your Zhao family who is easy to deal with. From childhood to adulthood, if little Wuji grows up, he will be just as treacherous and cunning as you."

Zhao Defang said shamelessly: "It's still a little bit behind. Wu Ji's performance skills are not as good as mine when I was seven years old."

Luo Li felt a pang in her heart, and caressed his cheek distressedly, "Children who have been without a 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 her cheek, "It was fine when I was a child. Although my mother was not my biological mother, she loved me like her own son. When I was learning skills in the mountains, my master and uncles also loved me very much.

After my father was killed by that man, there were crises and traps everywhere. I lived every day in hatred hidden deep in my heart, in nightmares of insecurity and in 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. "