I meet all the requirements for becoming a god in this world!

Chapter 231 The pilot results shocked the imperial court.

Supervisory Office.

Cheng Laiyun stared directly at the documents in his hand.

On the document, every word was crooked and distorted.

It's immediately obvious that it's Hai Wuyai's handwriting.

"Tsk."

Cheng Laiyun looked at the words on the document.

A slow, gentle curve appeared at the corners of his mouth:

"I have done a good deed for the people of the world."

With that, he put the document into his pocket, closed his eyes, and began his usual cultivation.

The next day.

Cheng Laiyun walked out of the Regent's Office courtyard and looked towards the street ahead.

He is waiting.

At the street corner, a group of people slowly appeared.

Then they moved from far to near.

"Boss!!"

A chubby figure paused for a moment after passing by, then his eyes widened in shock:

"Why did you come to pick me up yourself?!"

It was Hai Wuyai who had stayed in Changle County for nearly five months.

Behind him stood a figure as thin as a bamboo pole.

Who else could it be but Zhu Yuanzhi?

"Boss! I've got it!" Zhu Yuanzhi shouted when he saw Cheng Laiyun.

"Heh heh." Looking at the two familiar figures, Cheng Laiyun chuckled and said:

"Thanks for your hard work."

…………

The Golden Palace.

Emperor Jianye gazed calmly at the people in the hall.

The little eunuch beside him had a sharp and loud voice:

"Speak if you have something to report, otherwise the court is adjourned!!!"

Someone spoke up directly.

It was Chen Bingbi, an imperial censor of the Censorate.

This person had been silent for more than half a year since Zhou Heng's downfall. Today, he suddenly stood up, holding a folded book in his hand, and spoke in a loud voice, as if he had finally found an outlet for his pent-up energy.

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."

Chen Bingbi walked to the center of the hall, bowed to Emperor Jianye, and straightened up. His gaze swept over Cheng Laiyun's position in the Regent's ranks.

But... it's empty.

Cheng Laiyun was on the street picking up Hai Wuyai and Zhu Yuanzhi.

"Oh?" Emperor Jianye raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Minister Chen, what is it?"

Chen Bingbi's gaze was indifferent as he bowed and spoke:

"The land tax reform has been piloted in Changle County for nearly six months since Inspector Cheng took office."

"Spring planting and autumn harvest, and the autumn tax collection have also ended. Logically speaking, the results of the pilot program should have been reported to the Emperor long ago."

"However, to this day, the Imperial Household Department, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Grand Secretariat have not received the autumn tax accounts from Changle County."

"We've been piloting this for a whole year, but we still can't produce any numbers."

"Your Majesty, may I ask—what exactly has been revealed by the pilot program for the new policies?"

He paused briefly at this point, giving the officials in the hall time to consider his words.

Everyone looked up after hearing his speech.

Some people were taken aback.

Someone frowned.

Some people sneered.

Just a few words.

Everyone could hear it.

This is an attempt to make things difficult for Cheng Laiyun.

The "equalization of land tax and poll tax" was a new policy.

There is strong support from some people.

Naturally, some people are unwilling to accept this.

This Chen Bingbi seems to be the latter. Before anyone could react, Chen Bingbi's voice continued:

"During the year that Inspector Cheng surveyed land and implemented new taxes in Changle County, did the people benefit, or were they subjected to unbearable hardship?"

"Will the imperial court be able to collect more taxes, or will it all be for nothing?"

"If Cheng Laiyun cannot produce a clear result by the time he attends court today—I believe the matter of merging the land tax and poll tax should be reconsidered!"

After he finished speaking, he stood aside, tucked the tablet into his robes, and remained composed.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Huan, a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward, his voice even more sarcastic than Chen Bingbi's:

"Your Majesty, Imperial Censor Chen is absolutely right."

"At the beginning of the implementation of the new policy, many colleagues in the court raised questions - the land tax reform sounds good, but in reality there are too many variables."

"Now, half a year has passed, and the pilot results from Changle County have yet to be reported."

"If it were truly effective, given Inspector Cheng's personality, he would probably have already presented the account books to the imperial court."

"The fact that it was delayed in reporting is itself—" He paused, then smiled.

That smile held a knowing, "We both understand" quality: "It explains a lot of things."

Upon hearing this, several low laughs rippled through the hall.

The censors exchanged glances, all seeing the same thought in each other's eyes:

Cheng Laiyun has been incredibly influential for the past six months. He seized the title of Marquis of Suining, he proposed the Edict of Grace, and even the Prime Minister of the Prince of Zhenbei has been overshadowing half of the capital for his sake.

We finally got a chance today, so if we don't take advantage of it, when will we?

Another censor stepped forward, this time an elderly man from the Censorate, with gray hair and beard, speaking slowly and deliberately.

But each word is like an oil-soaked cotton cloth, wrapped around a smoldering ember:

"Your Majesty, I have heard that the land survey in Changle County has caused chaos and disorder over the past year."

"Many local gentry complained that the new taxes were too heavy, and some moved out of Changle County with their families."

"If the pilot program truly benefits the people, why are some people fleeing?"

"If Inspector Cheng cannot produce solid data, this old minister humbly requests Your Majesty to postpone the implementation of the land tax reform, lest the new policy become a policy that harms the people."

There were three people. One of them said, "If we can't come up with a result, we'll renegotiate."

One person said, "The fact that it was not reported for so long speaks volumes."

One person said, "The people are fleeing the new policies, which are harming them."

The process was progressively designed to place Cheng Laiyun in a position where he had to deliver his results on the spot.

Many centrist officials in the hall began to whisper among themselves, their eyes occasionally drifting toward the ranks of the Regent.

The Crown Prince stood in the Eastern Palace's ranks, his brows furrowed.

He wanted to stand up and say something, but he had no data at hand, and his attitude alone couldn't silence these censors.

Just as he hesitated, a figure stepped out from the ranks of civil officials.

Yu Qingzheng stood in the center of the hall, turned around, and faced Chen Bingbi.

He wasn't carrying a ceremonial tablet; his hands were behind his back, his beard and hair were gray, and his back was ramrod straight.

"Censor Chen, you just said that the pilot results from Changle County have been delayed in being reported because Inspector Cheng is not up to par." "Let me ask you—you served as a censor in the Censorate for eight years, impeaching no fewer than dozens of officials. For which one of them did you personally examine the accounts, inspect the fields, or visit the people?"

"You impeached Cheng Laiyun, you impeached Xinzheng, do you even have a single page of Changle County's tax records?"

"Is there even a single testimony from an ordinary citizen? Not a single page of written testimony, yet you dare to spout nonsense in court. Is your integrity as an imperial censor based solely on guesswork?!"

Chen Bingbi's face stiffened, and he was about to retort, but Yu Qingzheng did not give him the chance.

He took a step forward, his voice deepening.

"Also, you just said that some people in Changle County have fled."

"I'm telling you, it's not about running away, it's about coming back."

"Before the new policy, some migrants fled Changle County. After the new policy was implemented, they heard that the poll tax had been abolished and the land could be redistributed, so they brought their families back."

"More people are returning than leaving. Is this an 'escape' or a 'return'? Censor Chen, would you like me to slap the Ministry of Revenue's household register in front of you so you can see it word by word?"

The crown prince also stepped forward, facing Zhao Huan, his tone calm but resolute:

"Zhao, you just said that 'the fact that the report was delayed in time speaks volumes.'"

"I'd like to ask you a question—are you questioning Inspector Cheng, or are you questioning the new policies themselves?" "Cheng Laiyun hasn't been drinking tea and walking his birds for the past six months; he's been surveying the land."

"If everything goes smoothly, he will naturally report it truthfully; if he encounters resistance, he will try to find a solution; if the pilot project fails, he will also report it truthfully."

"You don't even know what numbers he reported, yet you've already prejudicially labeled him a 'failure'—is this your duty as a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Rites?"

Zhao Huan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The Crown Prince's words were a perfect scathing rebuke—he wasn't defending Cheng Laiyun; he was advocating for "procedural justice."

Chen Bingbi and Zhao Huan looked at each other, still trying to come up with a rebuttal.

The whispers in the hall had not yet completely subsided.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the palace gate.

He moved steadily and calmly, taking each step with great steadiness.

The doors of the Golden Palace were wide open, and the morning light streamed in from outside, drawing everyone's gaze involuntarily to that direction.

Cheng Laiyun, dressed in a black official robe with a bronze plaque at his waist and holding a thick tax book in his hands, stepped over the threshold and entered the hall.

The sunlight cast a long shadow behind him, merging it with the golden brick floor of the hall, as if he had stepped into it himself. He stopped in the center of the hall and bowed to Emperor Jianye: "Your subject Cheng Laiyun greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Jianye leaned back on his dragon throne, the beads on his crown swaying slightly.

"Cheng Laiyun, you've come at the perfect time."

"These ministers are discussing the results of your pilot program in Changle County."

"I am also very curious, has the autumn tax from Changle County been collected?"

Emperor Jianye's voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire hall.

Everyone is waiting for this answer.

Cheng Laiyun glanced at everyone discreetly.

He then nodded.

"Your Majesty, it has been collected."

He opened the tax book, his eyes scanning over the densely packed numbers.

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips. Instead of reading from the booklet, he raised his head, faced the assembled officials, and uttered a statement that stunned everyone:

"Before I implemented the land tax reform in Changle County, I reviewed the old records archived by the Ministry of Revenue."

"In the twenty-fifth year of Jianye, the total poll tax of Changle County amounted to 12,400 taels of silver."

"This is the annual tax that Changle County paid to the imperial court before the implementation of the new policies."

He paused for a moment, then announced the second number:

In the autumn of the twenty-sixth year of the Jianye era, the entire Changle County levied taxes based on the amount of land, collecting a total of 128,000 taels of silver.

……

The words fell.

The hall remained silent for three full breaths.

It wasn't the kind of silence where people were whispering; it was the silence where everyone had stopped breathing.

128,000 taels, which is ten times the 12,400 taels of last year.

Ten times, not tenfold, but tenfold. Everyone was frantically calculating the numbers in their minds—Changle County is just a medium-sized county on the outskirts of Beijing; how much would it be if this model were implemented throughout the entire province?

How much is the national promotion conference?

Zhang Qinian, the Minister of Revenue, was the first to react.

He strode abruptly out of line, his voice trembling: "My God!! How much did you say?"

"One hundred and twenty-eight thousand taels? Say it again!"

Cheng Laiyun met his gaze and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"128,000 taels."

"Every transaction has a receipt record from the county government, a verification stamp from the household registration office, and a review approval document from the supervisory authority."

"If Minister Zhang does not believe it, he can go to the Regent's Office now to retrieve the original account books."

Zhang Qinian did not check the account books.

He simply stood in the center of the hall, his lips trembling, as if he were repeatedly calculating some numbers in his mind.

Having managed the Ministry of Revenue for so many years, he knew how much tax a medium-sized county could collect in a normal year. 128,000 taels—that was the amount a medium-sized prefecture used to collect.

Now a county has collected the tax, and this was after the abolition of the poll tax—it wasn't collected by exploiting the people, but by uncovering hidden land and making those with more land pay more taxes.

Zhou Wenqing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, subconsciously wanted to speak, but found his lips trembling.

The meaning behind these numbers sent chills down his spine even more than the numbers themselves—the new policy had been a success in Changle County, and a resounding one at that.

Every word of opposition they had uttered in court before became a joke.

"Ten times!"

I don't know who it was, but they couldn't help but speak in a trembling voice.

Emperor Jianye had already stood up.

It wasn't a slow rise; it was a sudden, violent jeweled stand, the beads on the crown swaying wildly and making a soft, clattering sound.

He looked down at Cheng Laiyun, his voice low and deep, but every word trembled slightly:

"Cheng Laiyun, I ask you—is this 128,000 taels of silver the tax for the entire Changle County?"

Emperor Jianye lost his composure. His years of cultivated imperial skills and composure crumbled upon hearing these figures.

He forgot all of it.

His eyes were fixed on Cheng Laiyun.

"Yes."

"Was it collected after the abolition of the poll tax?"

"Yes."

"Is every transaction traceable?"

"Every transaction is documented and traceable."

Emperor Jianye's hands began to tremble.

He looked at the thin tax book in Cheng Laiyun's hand, then glanced at the various expressions on the faces of the officials in the prince's eyes, and then suddenly let out a strange laugh.

"ha!!"

That laugh was unrestrained and unbridled. "Ten times."

He savored those two words, as if he were tasting a newly taken pill; the first taste was sweet, but the aftertaste was endlessly potent.

"Bang!!"

Emperor Jianye slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne.

A deafening sound emanated from the main hall.

He shouted loudly:

"When I implemented the land tax reform, some people told me that it was a wicked policy, a law that would bring disaster to the country, and that it would shake the foundation of the nation."

"The tax registers for Changle County are here now—whoever said that, step forward, and I'll show you what the foundation of the nation truly is!!"

No one stepped forward.

Liu Wentai's face was as white as paper, while Zhou Wenqing lowered his head and held the tablet to his chest.

Emperor Jianye took the tax register, flipped through a few pages, closed it, and handed it to the eunuch beside him.

Then he raised his head, facing the assembled civil and military officials, his voice regaining its imperial majesty, but each word struck like a hammer on an anvil: "The land tax system will be implemented from Changle County to the entire province, and from the entire province to the whole country, effective immediately."

"Cheng Laiyun is in full charge of overseeing this matter. If anyone in any prefecture, county, or county obstructs the new policies—Cheng Laiyun, bring out that token."

Cheng Laiyun took out the "As if the Emperor were here" token from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

Emperor Jianye did not accept the invitation; he stared at all the officials present.

You can keep this token.

"Wherever it is pushed, the token follows. If local officials do not cooperate, they can be dealt with on the spot with this token, without having to report to the emperor."

"I want to see whether those hidden fields are better concealed or whether your blade, Cheng Laiyun, is sharper."