National Division

Chapter 63, *The Wealth of Nations* (Please continue reading and vote with monthly tickets!)

“All these measures require financial support. Only with money can we carry out these measures decisively.” The Empress looked intently at Shen Xian and said, “The court has just waged war, and the national treasury is empty. In the past two years, natural disasters have been frequent, and the funds are becoming increasingly depleted. Do you have any good ideas, sir?”

He has great courage, but he also faces considerable obstacles.

"The financial difficulties can be resolved by simply increasing revenue and reducing expenditure." Shen Xian's face was as calm as still water, and his tone was as composed as if he had read the lines on his palm: "To rectify officialdom, investigate corruption, propose a system of fines for crimes, and let the big ones go free, so as to replenish the national treasury with the ill-gotten gains, this is one of the solutions."

"And the second one?" Empress Cui Li asked, her beautiful eyes shining brightly beneath her delicate eyebrows.

Shen Xian said: "Nowadays, powerful families and clans in the country, whenever there is a natural disaster, they will annex land, causing people to be displaced. Local heroes will then rise up in rebellion, and the court will send troops to suppress them, which will further deplete the national treasury. Moreover, the country has been established for more than a hundred years, and the equal-field system has become riddled with problems. The military system has been completely corrupted, and the army is inadequate and powerless to suppress lawless powerful families. The most urgent task is to reform the tax system, reduce the burden on the poor, and train a new army with the help of the military."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's beautiful eyes burned with intense passion as she looked at the young man.

This was almost exactly what she had expected, but the powerful and influential families were all related by marriage and were closely connected, making them difficult to shake.

However, Mr. Shen's strategic direction is correct; it is she who needs to push forward these specific operational matters.

Gu Nanzhu listened to the young man's words with a stunned expression, her heart filled with inexplicable shock.

There's no other reason than that the scale of the project was too large.

This person is a disciple of the Legalist school!

Moreover, they were Legalist disciples who possessed the knowledge of how to enrich the country and strengthen its military.

Shen Xian composed himself and said loudly, "As for other methods of commerce and trade, and techniques for enriching the country and strengthening the army, I have written a memorial entitled 'The Wealth of Nations' and would like Your Majesty to review it."

As he spoke, he took out a memorial from his sleeve.

Some things are best left unsaid in the presence of many people and their opinions, especially the "Two-Tax Law," which has made too many enemies.

Gao Yanfu stepped forward to take the memorial, then turned and handed it to the Empress.

The Empress reluctantly put down the "Public Security Policy" and eagerly looked at the document in her hand.

What comes into view is a line of strong, vigorous handwriting, exactly the same as the handwriting in the previous "Policy on Public Security".

"The rise and fall of a nation depends on its finances, and the abundance or deficiency of finances depends on the way of governance. In the past, Guan Zhong mastered the power of weight and lightness, and Tao Zhu clarified the principles of accumulating wealth, both to enrich the country and protect the people. Now, I, your subject, use the Way to govern the methods, and present the theory of the Three Cardinal Guides and Nine Items, so that the key points can be grasped and the items can be opened up. I hope Your Majesty will consider it."

In the history of this world, there were two figures from previous dynasties: Guan Zhong and Tao Zhu.

"First, we must focus on the fundamentals. Food is the lifeblood of the people, and grain is the lifeblood of the nation. Therefore, the Zhou Rites emphasized the well-field system, and the Han emperors revered the plow and hoe. Now, we should strictly limit the occupation of land, curb the trend of land annexation, restore the Ever-Normal Granary, and promote the benefits of irrigation canals. So that there is no uncultivated land in the fields and that there is surplus grain in the granaries, so that even in years of famine, the people will not look pale and sickly."

To curb land annexation, the government established Ever-Normal Granaries.

"Secondly, the key to trade. Goods thrive on circulation, and markets thrive on mutual benefit. It is advisable to abolish harsh taxes at customs and ferries, lift restrictions on mountains and lakes, facilitate the use of boats and carriages, and establish standards for currency and silk. In this way, merchants will flock together, all kinds of goods will gather, and even remote border regions will offer rare and precious items."

Promote trade and agriculture, and eliminate exorbitant taxes and levies.

"Thirdly, the method of frugality. Frugality is a common virtue, while extravagance is a great vice. Palaces and pavilions should be built according to the national strength; pearls, jade and precious objects must be avoided and prohibited from being used for extravagance. Reduce the salaries of redundant officials and eliminate the pay for redundant soldiers. In this way, the treasury will not be empty and taxes can be relaxed."

Reduce redundant soldiers and officials, and streamline government administration.

"The nine measures are: first, equalizing land ownership; second, repairing granaries; third, reducing taxes and corvée labor; fourth, facilitating the flow of goods; fifth, minting coins; sixth, opening maritime markets; seventh, reducing palace expenses; eighth, simplifying official positions; and ninth, encouraging skills and crafts."

"If we enable farmers to exert their full strength, craftsmen to refine their tools, merchants to facilitate trade, and officials to reduce their expenses, then within ten years, granaries will be full, treasuries will be abundant, the people will be well-off, and the whole world will be at peace."

This example of grasping the essentials and making everything else clear can be considered a macro-level strategy; the real killer move lies in the "Two-Tax Law".

"Governing a country is like tending a garden; one must dredge its source and ensure its flow. Looking at the way finances are managed, the system of rent, labor service, and taxation has long been flawed. In the past, these systems were based on the population, but land ownership was concealed, leading to uneven distribution of taxes. Now, we should measure expenditures to control revenue, and levy taxes based on the amount of land owned..."

Then came the implementing rules for the Two Taxes Law.

"I humbly beseech Your Majesty to consider the hardships of the people, to understand the essentials of commerce, to implement the Three Cardinal Guides and Nine Items, and to raise the Two Taxes system. Then the rule of Yao and Shun can be expected, and the prosperity of Cheng and Kang will reappear."

"This humble subject, Xian, dares not express his humble sincerity, and respectfully submits this memorial for your consideration."

……

……

After reading it, the Empress Dowager felt her hands trembling. Having ruled the country for many years, how could she not know the weight of this memorial in her hands?

If she could still come up with the Three Cardinal Guides and Nine Principles, then the Two-Tax System was beyond her capabilities in governance.

This person is truly a man of great talent for governing the country and bringing peace to the world.

Nowadays, there are many who talk about the general trend of the world, but there are almost none who, like the young man before us, can implement specific policies according to the time and place.

The Empress put down the memorial in her hand, stared intently at the young man, and said, "Sir."

At this moment, the way he addressed me as "sir" was clearly more sincere and earnest than before.

“Your Majesty, no matter what policy is implemented, it requires the right people. Whether it is the ‘Policy on Maintaining Order’ or ‘The Wealth of Nations,’ if it is to be implemented, it will inevitably encounter numerous obstacles and all kinds of hindrances.” Shen Xian’s expression was solemn, and his gaze was fixed on the Empress. This action seemed somewhat impolite, but it contained a great intention.

This statement is a preemptive warning, and it also demonstrates the diva's boldness. Is she really going to use him?

In this era of great contention, rulers choose their ministers, and ministers choose their rulers.

In his view, if the Empress continues to act recklessly, there will be great chaos in the world in three to five years.

This is not the Wu Zhou dynasty from a parallel universe.

The Empress's fair skin and jade-like face were as cold as frost. She said in a deep voice, "Since I inherited the late Emperor's will and assumed the throne, when have I not faced numerous obstacles and hindrances? Mr. Shen, please do not worry. My will is as firm as a rock. I ask for your help."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian pondered for a moment, then rose and bowed, saying, "This humble subject is utterly exhausted and helpless, and awaits Your Majesty's command."

The Empress rose to her feet, extended her hand to help him up, and said, "Please rise, sir. I truly regret not having met you sooner."

With the enactment of the Two-Tax Law, this supreme ruler of the Nine Provinces had already determined that the young man before him was a national hero and could no longer be regarded as an ordinary youth.

Shen Xian sat down again, her face showing a calmness that belied her age.

It's fair to say that he nearly exhausted his brain cells during this meeting, rehearsing almost every movement and expression in his mind.

In fact, the Empress and those around her never stopped weighing her, from the Imperial Preceptor to the female historian beside her. If they were stumped on any point, the atmosphere she had created would be ruined.

The Queen exclaimed in admiration, "Sir, you are not even twenty years old yet, but you have such insight? It is truly unbelievable. Your governance strategies are masterful, like those of a seasoned official."

This is what made the Supreme Being believe in and follow him; much of it involves experience.

Shen Xian showed no arrogance and said, "Your Majesty the Empress is too kind."

The Empress pondered for a moment, seemingly having made a decision, and looked at Gu Nanzhu beside her: "Nanzhu drafted an edict, appointing Mr. Shen as a scholar of the Zhaowen Pavilion, to serve in the imperial court, to organize newspapers, and to be appointed as the commander of the Vermilion Bird Division, to oversee the Qilin Pavilion, to gather martial arts heroes from all over the world to establish the Jingchong and Zhanyao Divisions, and to remove the honorary titles of Chaoqing Dafu and Youqi Jiangjun, to determine his rank and salary."

In the Zhaowen Hall, officials of the sixth rank and above were called Zhixueshi, and those of the fifth rank and above were called Xueshi.

Those of the fifth rank or above are theoretically qualified to participate in court assemblies, and if they have made merit, they may be promoted to "Third Rank of the Secretariat and Chancellery" and enter the Hall of State Affairs to participate in national affairs.

The Zhuque Division Commander was a fifth-rank official, belonging to the mid-level military officer sequence.

As for civil and military officials, these were ranks used to pay salaries.

Both Chaosan Dafu and Youqi Jiangjun are of the fifth rank, which is the same rank as Shen Xian.

The two memorials, "On Governance" and "The Wealth of Nations," earned him official positions at the fifth rank in both the civil and military fields, which was already quite good.

After all, the Grand Chancellor of the Great Jing Dynasty was only a third-rank official.

In other words, the first and second ranks were never intended for ordinary officials; it's best to just pretend they don't exist.

Having Shen Xian run a newspaper and establish the Jingchong and Zhanyao Divisions were concrete actions to implement his "Public Security Policy".

However, the "Two-Tax System" was not rushed. Firstly, the timing was not right, which Shen Xian had anticipated. Secondly, implementing the "Two-Tax System" would likely require him to become a "Third-Rank Official of the Secretariat and Chancellery" or "Chancellor of the Secretariat and Chancellery," serving as prime minister in the Council of State Affairs.

The power to lead the offices of Pacifying Evil and Slaying Demons is truly immense.

It can be said that the martial arts techniques stored in the Qilin Pavilion, as well as the pills and divine weapons in the treasury, can be used at will. The latter two cannot be used for personal gain, but can the martial arts techniques be kept out of sight?

Shen Xian naturally caught this news, and his heart stirred slightly.

(End of this chapter)