Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 556 Luo Yuheng Takes a Concubine for Song Yan (Thank you for the generous donation of tens of thousands of points)
When she talked about her husband, her expression became somewhat self-pitying, revealing a pitiful side.

Even Song Yan couldn't continue to reprimand him for the time being.

Although they only spoke briefly, Song Yan could tell that this was an extremely intelligent woman. It seemed that she was investigating him, and her words were not without provocation. However, her words were like dancing on the edge of a knife, seemingly dangerous but never actually crossing Song Yan's killing line.

"A smart one."

Song Yan's solemn expression eased slightly, and the pressure that had enveloped the entire guest hall gradually dissipated. Cui Shi'an's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

Although the pressure on his body had lessened, the fear in his mind had not completely dissipated, and his head was still buzzing. Cui Shi'an could not believe that in just one year, his son-in-law, with whom he had once indulged in drinking, had become so terrifying. He truly deserved to be called the Jingguan Madman who had slaughtered tens of thousands of Huns, tens of thousands of Jurchens, and tens of thousands of Japanese pirates, and the number one executioner of Ningguo. In the instant his face changed, Cui Shi'an felt that everything before his eyes turned blood red.

It felt as if mountains of corpses and seas of blood were surging towards him, and he could even hear the dying cries of those killed by Song Yan.

Perhaps this is the so-called malevolent energy generated from killing too many people?

It's truly terrifying.

Just then, Song Yan's voice rang out again: "Third Lady is right. I don't believe in any gods or ghosts. If there were truly ghosts and gods in this world, I wonder how many vengeful spirits would come to me every day seeking revenge. Unfortunately, I have never encountered one so far. As for the saying that a woman is a jinx to her husband, I don't take it to heart at all. It's nothing more than some coincidences that, under the malicious intent of certain people, have become a shackle around a woman's neck."

These words made Cui San Niangzi raise an eyebrow.

Since the deaths of her three fiancés, she has been plagued by the reputation of being a jinx to her husbands.

Cui San Niangzi rarely went out, and the maids and servants in the house dared not say anything about her being a jinx to her. However, Cui San Niangzi knew that those old women and maids had often gossiped about her behind her back and whispered that she had a bad fate... It was bad enough that she had a bad fate, but she had also ruined three very good husbands.

Even her brothers and parents, though they felt sorry for her, also felt that she was truly destined to bring misfortune to her husbands.

Cui San Niangzi was puzzled. It was one thing that her first fiancé died on the battlefield, but her second and third fiancés were also different. One died suddenly in the brothel, and the other died in the belly of a prostitute. Both of them had their semen drained like a torrent, their vital energy was lost with the semen, their internal organs were out of balance, and their heart stopped suddenly. This was a typical case of sudden death during intercourse, also known as sudden death during intercourse, or more commonly known as sudden stroke on horseback.

What does this have to do with her, her fiancée?
Was it she, the fiancée, who led her two fiancés to go to brothels to find other women for pleasure?

Why should even the deaths of these two people be attributed to her as a jinx?

All things considered, the accusation of being a jinx has been on her head for over a decade now, and she'll probably never be able to shake it off in her lifetime.

However, Cui San Niangzi never expected that the first and possibly only man in the world who would not believe that she was a jinx to her husbands would be the Prince of Yan in front of her.

For a moment, Dan Juefang felt a slight tremor in her heart, as if she could finally vent her grievances.

If before, in Cui San Niangzi's eyes, Song Yan was simply an object of marriage and transaction, now, she seems to have developed a bit more affection for him.

"But why does Third Lady insist that I marry you?" Song Yan's voice continued: "With the Cui family's wealth, if the dowry of ten million is publicized, the number of people in the vast Ning Kingdom who want to marry Third Lady could probably stretch from Dongling to Pingyang. Why would you marry someone like me who already has a principal wife, a secondary wife, and a concubine? Even if Third Lady marries me, she will probably only be a concubine. Wouldn't that be a disservice?"

For a prince, "madam" does not refer to the head wife or the principal wife. As the Prince of Yan, Song Yan can have one principal wife, one secondary wife, two concubines, four wives, and countless concubines. The so-called "madam" is probably just a concubine of the good or noble level.

She was ultimately a concubine.

For a large family like the Cui family, having their eldest daughter, who was also their only daughter, as a concubine was somewhat of a disgrace.

As for the fact that the number of people who want to marry Cui San Niangzi could stretch from Dongling to Pingyang, it's not an exaggeration. There are plenty of people in this world who want to rise to the top and become rich overnight. As long as the Cui family really comes up with ten million, who would care about whether she is a jinx or not?

Song Yan's expression was gentle, as if he hadn't been angry just now. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest: "Why doesn't Third Miss choose someone she loves, or someone who loves her? Such a relationship would be perfect, harmonious, and they could stay together for life. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Why suffer in the Prince's mansion?"

"Heartfelt affection?" A hint of mockery appeared on the beautiful face of the third lady. "Like? Feelings?"

"Your Highness is joking. I have never cared about such fragile things as feelings. To me, talking about feelings is meaningless and far less practical than real money."

"Compared to any liking, I would rather choose a strong man who can provide shelter for me and the Cui family in times of chaos, than to rely on any vague and illusory feelings."

Just like in the past, many so-called talented young men presented her with poems and lyrics, most of which were nauseatingly sweet. There were even quite a few men who confessed their love for her to her face.

Each of them seemed to have feelings that were higher than the sky, heavier than the mountains, and deeper than the sea; but when she was given the reputation of being a jinx to her husband, the feelings that were as strong as mountains without peaks and the heavens and earth joining together, she would never part from him, vanished in an instant, and the men who had once fawned over her ran away faster than the last.

It was probably from that time that Third Sister stopped believing in so-called feelings.

If feelings are reliable, pigs can fly.

It would be better to demonstrate one's own value and then use benefits to firmly bind oneself to a powerful entity, so that at least one can protect oneself and one's family in times of chaos.

In short, at this point, Third Sister was somewhat extreme.

However, Third Sister's words left Song Yan speechless for a moment, and of course, there was no need to refute them. After a brief moment of contemplation, Song Yan spoke again: "Third Sister said that one should demonstrate one's own value..."

"To me, the value is not just some gold and silver, but also an irreplaceable treasure: a person's vision and insights. I see that Third Lady is also a wise woman. Why don't you tell me about my fiefdom?"

“His Highness Prince Yan’s fiefdom is unprecedented in history.” Cui Yingying knew that this was Song Yan’s test for her, so she smiled gently and spoke eloquently: “Throughout history, there have been few princes who loved their people, but none have ever had a fiefdom like Your Highness’s. Even though it has just been plundered and the population has been halved, the people still live in peace and prosperity, and their faces are full of vitality instead of sorrow.”

"The Prince's fiefdom is the most militarily powerful in Ningguo, even surpassing the Imperial City's Three Guards and many border troops. The officials in the fiefdom are honest and upright. We did not see any corrupt officials who maliciously solicited bribes or any bandits who harassed the people and robbed grain along the way, which shows that the Prince's military and political administration is strict and disciplined."

"I once traveled with my relatives and friends all over the country. I saw that the officials in Ningguo were like wolves and the army was like bandits. They often robbed grain, money and women. Perhaps it was because Your Highness was strict in governing the army and all the officials under your command were law-abiding that the whole of Anzhou Pingyang was able to still show a prosperous scene after just suffering a great disaster."

"However, there are still shortcomings in His Highness Prince Yan's fiefdom."

Song Yan nodded slightly: "Please speak, Third Sister."

"First, there's the issue of military expenses," the Third Lady continued. "With the current population of Anzhou and Pingyang, the annual tax revenue is simply insufficient to support an army of fifty to sixty thousand. Am I right?"

Song Yan nodded again, "Not even a fraction of that."

"The money Your Highness spends on maintaining the army now comes partly from donations from the Black Tiger Gang and the Green Dragon Gang in Dongling City, as well as congratulatory gifts from officials on the day of Your Highness and the Second Consort's wedding; partly from donations from the Kong family in Jin and the Zhang family in Pingyang; and partly from what Your Highness confiscated from Qian Yaozu, Ma Zhifeng, the Huang family, and many other officials in Anzhou and Pingyang. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"That's the problem." Third Sister let out a soft breath, her pink tongue moistening her lips. She had probably talked a lot, and now her mouth was a little dry.

Song Yan then gave Ziyu a wink, and Ziyu went downstairs to prepare a pot of fragrant tea for Cui Yingying.

Blowing on the steam rising from her cup and taking a small sip, Cui Yingying continued, "This money is indeed a lot, but it's only a one-time income, and it will run out sooner or later. As for what's to come, Your Highness is probably planning to use the annual dividends from the Zhang family, the Kong family, Shen Qi, and Aunt Lin's business dealings to support the army's food, supplies, and equipment. Am I right?"

Song Yan nodded with satisfaction: "No mistake."

This woman's insight truly surprised Song Yan; he never expected her to see so deeply.

“On the surface, there seems to be no problem, and the prince’s arrangement is quite appropriate, but in reality, this is tantamount to the prince using his own money to support his own soldiers,” Cui Yingying said slowly.

Song Yan frowned deeply: "Is there a problem with using my money to support my soldiers?"

“Generally speaking, there’s no problem,” Cui Yingying said with a smile. “But Your Highness, don’t forget that you are now a prince of Da Ning, guarding the border for Ning Kingdom. His Majesty has given you ample power.”

"You have protected the entire Anzhou and Pingyang, so it is only natural to levy taxes on those who make a living in Anzhou and Pingyang, isn't it?" Cui Yingying's voice was unhurried, clearly she had already calculated these things in her mind, and she spoke in an orderly manner: "Your Highness relies on commercial activities to support the army, which may seem fine at first glance, but you should know that commercial activities are extremely risky nowadays. Even the Cui family cannot guarantee that every trade trip will be successful, and once it fails, the losses will be staggering."

"And the prince's purse will also be emptied."

"In other words, this strategy of using business to support war is too vulnerable to risks."

"The Prince's enemies, such as the Yang family, some merchant families in Jin, the Xiongnu, the Jurchens, and the Japanese pirates, are often only thinking about how to get rid of the Prince. Therefore, they often use assassination techniques. If I were to take charge, I could spend 100,000 taels of silver to buy a large number of martial arts masters from the Jianghu. I would not target the Prince, but instead keep an eye on the Zhang family, the Kong family, the Shen family, and Aunt Lin's caravans. The Prince's base is in Liaodong. Even if the Prince could arrange some soldiers to follow him, the number would definitely not be too large. If we could successfully intercept and kill him a few times a year, the Prince's purse would probably be empty."

Cui Yingying's voice wasn't loud, but it made Song Yan's pupils shrink.

How many times a year?
Like the Zhang family, they only actually make a few business trips a year.

If we are plundered every time, we will truly have no money to support our army.

If soldiers are without food or pay, how much fighting power can they maintain even if they continue to risk their lives for themselves?
This was indeed Song Yan's oversight. He thought that as long as there were enough guards, there was no need to fear bandits along the way, but he forgot about this crucial countermeasure. "I know that Your Highness is compassionate towards the people under your rule and does not want to increase their burden. However, since ancient times, using taxes to support the army has been the safest method," Cui Yingying continued. "Of course, I am not asking Your Highness to raise agricultural taxes. The burden on the people is already heavy enough. Continuing to raise taxes would only lead to rebellion. What I am referring to is... commercial taxes."

"I come from a merchant family, so I shouldn't say this, but it is precisely because of this that I know how terrifying a great merchant's annual income is. Just take the Zhang family of Pingyang as an example, the net profit that the Zhang family earns in a year is probably higher than that of all the people in Pingyang City."

"Throughout history, monarchs have looked down on merchants, and commercial taxes have mostly been low. However, while emphasizing agriculture, the Han Dynasty also encouraged commercial development. Commercial taxes were increased from one-thirtieth of the Chu Dynasty to three-tenths. As a result, the Han Dynasty's treasury was full every year. Even at the end of the Han Dynasty, when the world was in turmoil, the national treasury still had enough silver to support hundreds of thousands of troops. It also allowed the Han Dynasty to survive for thirty years despite being surrounded by warlords and facing enemies both inside and outside."

"Since the reign of Emperor Taizu, the Great Wu Dynasty directly ordered that merchants be demoted to the lowest social class and that the commercial tax be restored to one-thirtieth. As a result, the Great Wu Dynasty's treasury was almost always short of money, and it could only keep increasing taxes on the poor. By the end of the Great Wu Dynasty, it could not even pay the military pay and the salaries of officials, which led to uprisings all over the country."

"As for my Great Ning, the founding emperor did not look down on merchants. Although the commercial tax was not as high as the three-tenths tax of the Han Dynasty, it was still one-tenth. Therefore, the previous emperors of Great Ning did not lack money. However, since Emperor Renzong abolished the commercial tax, Great Ning has been in deficit every year. It reached its extreme during the reign of the current emperor. If it weren't for the fact that the emperor used the prince to build several Jingguan and confiscated the property and exterminated a large number of officials, the national treasury would probably not even have a dead rat left."

"As for the neighboring Zhao state, although its army is weak, it attaches great importance to commerce, and its commercial taxes are as high as 40% to 50%. However, the merchants have not caused any trouble because of this. On the contrary, Zhao has become the most prosperous of the four states in the Central Plains. A few years ago, Chu sent troops to take four cities from Zhao. Zhao directly expressed its willingness to buy them back for 40 million strings of cash."

"The King of Chu was so enraged that he flew into a rage in the court, cursing the Emperor of Zhao as 'your mother is a servant,' and even repeatedly saying: 'Damn it, so what if you're rich!'"

Song Yan imagined that scene and found it inexplicably funny.

"However, the King of Chu dared not refuse this request, because the State of Zhao had already secretly arranged for people to contact the generals on the border of the State of Chu. Each time they met, they would give gifts of tens or hundreds of thousands of strings of cash. If tens of millions of strings of cash were thrown at them, the King of Chu was really worried that the generals on the border would not be able to resist the temptation and would directly defect to the enemy and betray their country."

Song Yan grinned, unsure what to say. Millions of taels of silver were being thrown at him! Under such circumstances, who would dare gamble on the absolute loyalty of the border general?

"In fact, in the following years, the King of Chu never mentioned continuing to attack the State of Zhao, mainly because he was worried that the border generals and soldiers would be overwhelmed by the countless silver coins of the State of Zhao."

"This shows the importance of commercial taxes to a country."

"Ningguo's complete decline began with the abolition of commercial taxes!"

"Emperor Longtai, Emperor Yuanjing, and Emperor Ninghe all wanted to reopen commercial taxes several times, but each time they mentioned it, they were advised by the officials that the court should not compete with the people for profit."

"However, the real reason is that these wealthy merchants are often supported by high-ranking officials in the imperial court. They pay tribute to the merchants every year and even receive dividends. These so-called officials are mostly the court's representatives for these wealthy merchants. They are the beneficiaries of the system, so how can commercial taxes be considered as competing with the people for profits? It's as competing with them for profits. I'm sure Your Highness understood this when you confiscated and exterminated families in Dongling City. Those high-ranking officials have private properties worth millions. If they relied solely on their salaries and rents, how could they have such enormous assets?"

"Therefore, if Your Highness wants a stable income, you must start with commercial taxes. His Majesty has just granted Your Highness the power to pay taxes freely. If not now, when?"

Song Yan let out a heavy sigh, and the way she looked at Cui Yingying was somewhat different.

If it were normal for a time traveler to have such insight, after all, time travelers have insights that transcend their time, how could Cui Yingying, a mere woman, have such foresight and vision?

"May I ask, where did you learn all this, Third Sister?" Song Yan asked curiously.

"I'm not afraid of Your Highness laughing at me, but ever since I've been known as a jinx, I've been pointed at and gossiped about wherever I go. That's why I don't go out much anymore. I spend most of my time reading in my boudoir, especially history books." Cui Yingying smiled and said, "By learning from history, one can always gain more experience than others."

Song Yan nodded: "I do intend to reopen commercial taxes, but according to what Third Lady said, wouldn't that still be using commerce to support the army?"

"That's true, but it spreads the risks out infinitely, so even if a merchant is unlucky, it won't have a big impact on the whole."

"There's another problem... What should we do if prices rise after the commercial tax is reinstated? I can't very well send soldiers to force merchants to lower prices, can I?"

Cui Yingying was also somewhat shocked by Song Yan. She had only mentioned reopening the commercial tax, and this prince was able to immediately think of the potential problems.

“Forcibly sending troops to suppress them is the worst possible approach. Under the threat of military force, merchants will naturally lower the prices of their goods, but they can then use the excuse that the goods have been sold out to shut down the market.” Cui Yingying thought for a moment and continued, “Once the market shuts down, the livelihood of the people in the prince’s fiefdom will be completely disrupted. The people will face a situation where they have no food to buy, no clothes to wear, and no medicine to treat their illnesses.”

"I had only briefly considered this problem before, so I only have two solutions."

"The first point is that while increasing commercial taxes, the status of merchants should be raised, such as removing them from the lowly status and allowing their descendants to participate in the imperial examinations and become officials. Of course, to avoid collusion between officials and merchants, once they become officials, their families must sell their shops and caravans and never get involved in commerce again."

Ningguo did have a law prohibiting officials from engaging in business, though it was not very effective.

"This move can at least reduce the merchants' resistance."

"Secondly, in some important commercial sectors concerning people's livelihoods, such as medicine, grain, and salt, Your Highness can contact the Zhang family, the Duke of Song's mansion, the Kong family, and the Shen family, who are loyal to you, to establish a joint chamber of commerce. Your Highness should be included, and each family should occupy a certain percentage. With the influence of the Kong and Shen families, they should be able to allocate a large amount of resources and sell them at a lower price. The profit will be less, but they will definitely not lose money. As for other merchants, seeing that there are low-priced goods for sale, and since grain and salt have a certain storage period, if they cannot sell them, they will be stuck with them and will have to lower their prices as well. This will help to stabilize prices."

"If we use the official name again, we can take the opportunity to win over the hearts and minds of the people."

"If possible, I think His Highness Prince Yan could go even further and take salt, iron, and wine under state control. Looking back at history, dynasties that monopolized salt, iron, and wine generally never had to worry about money."

Song Yan's throat moved slightly. This Cui Yingying had truly shocked her time and time again.

Isn't this a state-owned enterprise?

“The specific decisions of the joint chamber of commerce should be decided by each member through discussion. Each member has different decision-making power based on their investment. Some controversial matters will be handled according to the results of the vote…” Cui Yingying continued, “Of course, as the representative of the royal power, His Highness the Prince of Yan must have the highest decision-making power. That is to say, in the event of a dispute, His Highness can make the decision unilaterally.”

“If all other parties agree, Your Highness can directly overturn the resolution, which can, to some extent, prevent the Chamber of Commerce from becoming too powerful and uncontrollable after it has developed to a certain extent.”

Yes, the veto power has also been introduced.

"Third Miss, if I may ask..." Song Yan blinked, "How much does a big hammer, a small hammer, and Imperial Jade Liquor cost?"

"What?" Cui San Niangzi was stunned, not understanding what Song Yan meant by those words.

Perhaps because he doesn't watch the Spring Festival Gala, Song Yan changed his question: "How many years is a Kun year?"

"Hmm?" Cui Yingying simply tilted her head, her face full of suspicion.

Okay, so he really isn't a time traveler.

That just goes to show that this woman's thinking was truly ahead of its time.

"Yan'er..."

Just then, a voice came from outside. Looking up, he saw Luo Yuheng.

However, at this moment, Luo Yuheng's face showed little gentleness, but rather an unprecedented seriousness.

"Yuheng..." Song Yan was also taken aback, and stood up: "Why did you come here?"

Although Luo Yuheng still lives in the Prince's Mansion, according to the rules, the bride and groom should not meet before the wedding, so the two of them have been avoiding each other for the past few days.

“The Yang family has come.” Luo Yuheng slowly exhaled: “You were entertaining the two nephews of the Cui family, so I received them first. I noticed that you hadn’t left the guest hall for a long time, so I made an excuse to come and see you. I didn’t expect to hear such words from the Cui family’s niece.”

Cui Yingying's aunt was Consort Shu of Emperor Ninghe.

Luo Yuheng is Emperor Ninghe's sister, so it wouldn't be inappropriate to call her niece.

Their gazes fell on Cui Yingying, and the two quickly greeted each other.

Luo Yuheng nodded and looked away, then turned to Song Yan again: "Yan'er, I will make the decision for you in this matter."

"After our marriage is over, you will bring Cui Yingying into the Prince's mansion."

Song Yan's expression froze, and he was about to speak when Luo Yuheng waved his hand: "As the Prince of Yan, you can have four wives, so I will grant Cui Yingying the position of one wife, and she will be the first wife. Even if Yan'er has other wives in the future, they will never surpass you. Miss Cui, are you satisfied with this arrangement?"

Luo Yuheng asked Cui Yingying.

This woman is extremely intelligent.

He not only had insights into business, but also seemed to have a great deal of wisdom regarding national affairs and government matters.

Such a woman either stays by Yan'er's side, or she must be eliminated.

If it falls into the hands of other forces, the threat would be too great.

(End of this chapter)