On the official road on the outskirts of Chang'an City, there is still a little snow on the branches, and the grass beside the road has sprouted.
A red bellyband was thrown on the side of the road. Gu Wende looked up and saw Yan Zhenqing and Xue Bai walking side by side in front, not noticing his little movement.
He straightened his robes and wanted to step forward and say something, but he couldn't. Only the scenes from last night were rising and falling in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel extremely ashamed.
Taking a closer look, Liu Jing, who looked calm in front of him, had two bright red marks on the back of his neck...
"Teacher, if you can trust my ability to ask questions, I can be sure that those who fled have never been granted land."
"Call me 'county captain' and continue."
Yan Zhenqing didn't bother to correct Xue Bai when they were talking alone last night, but now in front of others, he was not allowed to be so clever.
"When a land is granted, regardless of how many there are, men must receive a bond. This is a common practice and is not new in recent years. If anyone dares to dissent, there are many officials who will find ways to make them bow their heads."
Xue Bai knew what Yan Zhenqing really wanted to investigate, and continued: "The common people are the most patient. Without this acre of land, Qu Ada found a job in Chang'an, and his life was still manageable. He was in Xishi
He set up a stall selling linen, and he paid the rent for eight years. As long as he could provide food for his family, he would never be a fugitive and sell himself into slavery. But starting from five or six years ago, he paid the rent.
It’s amazing.”
"Why?"
"If students are asked to summarize, the imperial court has reduced the proportion of rent in taxes."
"That's a good summary." Yan Zhenqing said calmly: "This is the merit of the right prime minister, and it is also the reason why the saint called him a 'virtuous prime minister' many times."
"Yes, it sounds like the right prime minister is really talented." Xue Bai said: "The land grant is abolished, the land is not equalized but the taxes are equalized. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that the mediocrity of renting must be changed. The right prime minister also knows it, so he reduces the mediocrity of renting.
, changed to various miscellaneous taxes.”
Yan Zhenqing turned around and took a deep look at Xue Bai.
He suddenly couldn't tell whether he was a shameless villain who clung to Li Genu and would bite him when betrayed, or a politician who had great ambitions but used unscrupulous means.
"Qu Ada is most afraid of the imperial decree that 'exempts the people from renting Yongdiao for one year.' It is said that the taxes in Guanzhong are exempted, but the taxes are collected from far away, and the money has to be collected. This money is not like renting Yongdiao.
It is a fixed amount, and he has to pay as much as the official says. After paying the foot money, there is also a discount. If the cloth paid is soaked and the color is not good, the loss will be calculated and spread on his head..."
When Xue Bai said this, he thought of the way Qu Ada burst into tears when recounting these things, and also thought of the praised financial management methods of Yang Shenjin and Wang Xian.
"Yang Shenjin was appointed as the prefect, and when he received goods from various states, if there were water damage or wounds, he ordered the state to levy and reduce the estimated money. The levies in the states and counties continued over the years."
This was when he saw with his own eyes that Li Linfu wanted to protect Yang Shenjin, and what was written in the memorial was regarded as a great achievement.
In the past two or three months, these people used power to persecute him. Xue Bai was not angry. There is competition in the power field, survival of the fittest, and willingness to accept defeat. This is common sense. But those who win power should at least do their part.
This is the basic quality that anyone who gambles on life should have.
Only this morning, when he heard the complaints of those who had fled, Xue Bai felt angry.
Many people have died in Tianbao's five years. He can die, but he will never allow people to climb up by stepping on his body as a stepping stone. They will only keep breaking the foundation of the country.
There is no basic bottom line.
Where Yan Zhenqing looked, he saw Xue Bai's childish face tensed up, showing a sense of majesty and righteousness.
He thought about it and finally considered testing it.
First, he waved the two county officials to go to the front post house to buy some food. When he and Xue Bai were left alone, he asked: "Xue Bai, let's just talk about tax laws. What do you think of the right prime minister?"
Xue Bai looked at the backs of the two county officials and replied: "The right prime minister is a genius in tax law."
Yan Zhenqing said: "Really?"
Xue Bai pondered for a moment, raised his tone, and instead praised Li Linfu. The more he praised, the more generous he became.
"The Tang Dynasty was at its peak, unprecedented in history. Anyone with insight knows that the ancient tax laws can no longer adapt to the future, and the tax laws must be reformed. But the right minister does not need to reform, he only needs to change the proportion of tax laws in the national wealth.
Collect new taxes without abolishing old laws, collect miscellaneous taxes without suppressing mergers, and the official warehouses will be full and the treasury will be rich. It is precisely "recalling the heyday of Kaiyuan in the past, the small town still had thousands of households. The rice was fat and the corn was white, and the public and private
The barns and barns are all abundant. 'It was the sage and the Right Prime Minister who created the prosperous age of the Tang Dynasty."
"The Tang Dynasty sometimes reduced the rent for a whole year, but the taxes increased. Why? Wang Xian checked the household registration and collected ten years of rent from the dead soldiers in one year. Yang Shenjin levied the discount
Se, the tribute has never been cut off year after year. The right minister works hard day and night, and is conscientious in his work; the saint does not leave Chang'an for ten years, and there is no trouble at home; the people join the big family, receive their protection, and live and work in peace and contentment!"
"In this way, step by step, until everyone in the world knows that it is better to collect miscellaneous taxes, and only need a little pain of loss of life and corpses everywhere, the tax system can be reformed on the basis of the tax law of the right minister, from taxation to other tax laws.
This is all the result of the right prime minister. It is such a virtuous prime minister that he is worthy of ruling the world for more than ten years. His merit is in the country and will last forever!"
~~
"With such a method of reducing expenditure and the right prime minister being so wise, it is no wonder that the saint has relied on his right prime minister for more than ten years!"
In the residence of the Right Prime Minister, the newly appointed Jingzhao Yin Xiaojiong was visiting Li Linfu.
The matter discussed is the top priority of this year's government affairs - the sage wants to expand the Lishan Hot Spring Palace and rename it Huaqing Pool; at the same time, the battle of Longyou is about to start, and the sage urges Wang Zhongsi to capture Shibao City.
Both of these are costly and complicated undertakings.
However, the Taifu's treasury, which was originally thought to be very abundant, turned out to be in deficit.
Yang Shenjin deserved to die. As soon as the Yang brothers were escorted back from Luoyang, the saint ordered them to die and sent the whole family into exile.
There are countless beauties in Hongnong County’s palace, and the dignitaries in Chang’an are already gearing up and preparing to share the food...
Li Linfu couldn't care less about this case.
He has been attending to official duties these days, working hard and sleeping late at night, thinking about how to raise this money for the saint.
To this end, he has thought of a good way to save money.
The imperial court spent a lot of money on paper for official documents every year. Li Linfu made a memorial and selected the official documents that were regular every year. These would not need to be reprinted, which would save a lot of paper expenses.
But cutting expenditures is not enough, you also have to increase revenue...
"Don't flatter yourself in front of the truth. Jingzhao Mansion should be a model for prefectures and counties in the world, and political achievements are indispensable."
"Right minister, don't worry. I'm going to investigate the fugitives. In the sixth year of Tianbao, the taxes of Jingzhao Mansion will definitely be 20% higher than when Han Chaozong was there."
There was a coughing sound from behind the screen.
Xiao Jiong was stunned for a moment, gritted his teeth, saluted again, and responded: "Thirty percent, there is something we can do!"
Li Linfu then waved his hand and summoned Ji Wen to discuss the taxation of Jingzhao Mansion.
At the end, Ji Wen did not retreat and whispered: "Right Prime Minister, Xue Bai..."
"What's the hurry? Are you free? Let's talk after we find out who is behind it!"
Li Linfu knew very well why the saint relied on him, and only in the face of such serious matters, he would be jealous of talents and eliminate dissidents.
Finance and taxation are the foundation of the Holy Family.
Don't worry, there are many people to be killed in Tianbao's sixth year. Let's talk about it after collecting the tax...
~~
Xue Bai and Yan Zhenqing entered Chang'an City from Mingde Gate and walked along Zhuque Street.
Zhuque Street is wide and bustling, with a large number of pedestrians, well-dressed and plump figures.
The curly-haired Hu Shang walked by while leading a camel, his eyes full of wonder at this incredible prosperity, and he shouted "Moo! Moo!"
During the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, their family wealth was still strong, which also allowed them to relax from the depression of tracking down runaways.
When they arrived at Anyefang, Yan Zhenqing was about to go back to Chang'an County in the west. When he turned around, he saw that Xue Bai was still following him. He waved his hand and said, "Go back?"
"I wonder if the students passed the teacher's test?"
Last night Xue Bai rejected Qingxu Bieye's beauty trap, and this morning he asked a lot of questions, and he thought his performance was okay.
Yan Zhenqing frowned.
He just wanted to scare Xue Bai off by doing some hard work, but in fact there was no test at all.
"Don't call me like that again. In this case, go back and write a policy statement with the title of renting mediocre tunes. There is no need to rush. Think about it before handing it over to me."
"Students must write carefully!"
Xue Bai readily agreed, thinking this was a great opportunity.
Some people may look down on policy theory, but his experience has taught him that it is very important. Especially in the Tang Dynasty, to convince others, you cannot do things slowly and wait for word of mouth to spread. Later, people will only misunderstand his thoughts and ideas.
ability.
How does a person think he should govern? What kind of governance skills does he have? How much political ambition does he have? Policy theory is the most intuitive thing.
In troubled times, a reckless hero can kill tens of thousands of people with one sword and one shot. With his prestige, he can slowly convince his ministers of his ability to govern the country for decades. But in this prosperous age, if you want to accumulate fame as quickly as possible, you must have the most.
Intuitive, the most solid thing.
Following Yan Zhenqing on the right path in officialdom is to strengthen your ability to govern the world step by step. This is the foundation.
Machiavellian tactics are just a means to help the fundamentals.
~~
Returning to Du's house in Shengpingfang, I saw Lu Fengniang and Liu Xiangjun sitting in the second courtyard chatting, with several children running around and playing around them.
"It's fun to have more children. I look so envious. I've long wanted to have another daughter, but my husband doesn't want to..."
Lu Fengniang hugged Xue Jiuniang, looking like she couldn't let go of the little girl.
When Xue Bai entered the hospital, the six children immediately stood in a row again and shouted in unison: "Brother Six."
"Brother Six, didn't you say you were going on a long trip? Why are you back so soon?"
"Well, I took a trip to a nearby one yesterday, and I'm going to make another trip to a distant place in the next few days."
"ah."
Everyone was very disappointed.
Xue Bai bowed and went to the study.
Du Youlin was holding a book in his hand and was sleeping soundly. When he heard the knock on the door, he quickly sat up and straightened his beard.
"Xue Bai is here. I have something to say to you. Why don't you go and save your grandpa?"
"I've been saving."
"Then take a look at this." Du Youlin pointed to the note on the table, "My second mother asked someone to give it to you. I read it first when you weren't here."
Xue Bai took it and took a look. There was nothing hidden in the note. On the contrary, everyone knew about it.
Xue Ling's creditor sued Xue Bai to Wannian County Government and asked him to use Fengwei Restaurant to pay off his father's debt. He also ordered him to go to Qingmen Restaurant to redeem his debt, otherwise he would go to Jingzhao Mansion.
The other party finally saw his intention and refused to give him the opportunity to act as a filial son in front of others, insisting that he be a true filial son.
Xue Bai read it and didn't have much reaction. He asked Du Youlin for some advice on policy writing.
At the end, Du Youlin stroked his beard and said with emotion: "Okay, it's very rare that you can study hard, but don't forget that filial piety comes first. When recruiting scholars in the Tang Dynasty, the first priority is moral character, and the first priority is filial piety."
"Don't worry, uncle, I will raise money right now and redeem him tomorrow."
~~
Xue Bai then went to Fengwei Building again.
He climbed up to the small attic, and Du Jin saw him coming from a distance, so she changed her robe into a skirt.
"Did you receive my message?"
She didn't lock the door with Xue Bai in advance. It must be because he didn't come that night, otherwise she would have to complain according to her temperament.
At this time, it has been posted.
"You didn't come back last night, so I didn't dare to send the news to Mrs. Guo's house. I thought the news would be sent back home, so you can see it when you get back."
"I didn't go to Xuanyangfang. I went out of the city with my teacher Yan Xianwei."
Du Jin's eyes lit up and he said, "You have accepted Yan Zhenqing as your teacher? Although his official position is low, he is a direct branch of the Langya Yan family. He has been a Jinshi and is famous all over the world."
"Um."
"Let's get down to business...our plan was discovered."
"This is not a very fast response."
"What are you going to do?"
Xue Bai said in his ear: "Please help me arrange for someone to deliver a message to Pei Mian in the name of delivering wine and food, saying that I can't hold down Lao Liang and Jiang Hai. They can't see Jia Xiao and they want to sue the emperor."
shape……"
"good."
"Is there anyone you can trust?"
Du Jin bit his ear and whispered: "Don't worry, I will make your 30% share worth it."
Xue Bai said: "Xue Ling can't die. I just seize the day and have no time to keep filial piety for him."
"I understand, I'll arrange a place."
"Okay, I still have to meet the Tian brothers."
"Are you in a hurry?"
"You influenced me to write policy papers."
"No matter what policy paper it is, I can help you write it."
"Do you want to do it now or wait for me to come back?"
"Then go ahead and make the arrangements first."
Since the relationship between the two has changed, the efficiency of private discussions on treacherous plots has become higher.
When Xue Bai left Fengwei Building in a hurry, someone soon went out with food boxes to deliver wine and food. This was quite new in Chang'an.
~~
In the evening, Pei Mian returned home.
"Alang, someone said this afternoon that they had delivered takeout to you."
"takeout?"
Pei Mian frowned slightly, opened the food box with the words "Fengweilou" engraved on it, and saw a plate of pastries.
Fengweilou is famous for its stir-fry dishes, but its pastries are only average and not as exquisite as they require certain ingredients.
Pei Mian drove away the others, picked up a date cake, broke it open, took out the small note rolled inside, read it, and smiled slightly.
In recent days, he has been sending people to keep an eye on Fengwei Building, trying to find the whereabouts of Lao Liang and Jiang Hai, but he has found nothing and only heard a lot of bad things about the Xue family.
But he didn't expect that before he was anxious, Xue Bai was anxious first.
"Tomorrow, at the feeding time, Kang's restaurant?" He murmured, "Do you think I don't know your plan to drive away tigers and swallow wolves? You are a filial son."
Pei Mian knew that Xue Bai could not poison him, so he took a bite of the jujube cake in his hand.