Although Emperor Liu's words were somewhat false, his attitude was still clearly stated. He was dissatisfied with the so-called "commercial tax reform" proposed by the Financial Secretary. This made people murmur, especially It is Shen Yilun, the financial envoy present here, with an obvious hint of embarrassment on his old face.
Therefore, after Emperor Liu finished speaking, Shen Yilun stood up on his own initiative, leaned forward and bowed: "Your Majesty has taught you a lesson, but my ministers and others were not careful in their opinions and considered them improperly!"
Seeing this, Zhao Pu also spoke up and said to Emperor Liu: "Your Majesty, the Finance Secretary has only made preliminary plans for the increase in commercial taxes, and there is no final decision yet. The officials are still deliberation. Your Majesty's teachings should be remembered by all ministers. Keep it in mind, discuss it in depth, and come up with a comprehensive and appropriate solution!"
When it comes to official language and clichés, how many people can be more proficient than Zhao Pu, a minister? Zhao Pu talks eloquently, and he also means to speak for Shen Yilun.
His eyes wandered a bit, and the old Shen Yilun's gesture of acknowledging his guilt and asking for punishment made Emperor Liu a little embarrassed. He immediately waved his hand and said: "Shen Qing, you don't have to be like this. I'm not asking for blame, I'm just expressing my feelings. , there is no stability without farming, no wealth without work, and no life without business.
Luoyang and Kaifeng are so big that they reach all directions. Without merchants to trade from them, how could the two capitals prosper? Among merchants, there are not only unscrupulous merchants and philistines, but also good merchants and righteous merchants. There should be a distinction!
The imperial court should still encourage and protect the merchants and people who helped the Han Dynasty thrive! Therefore, when the imperial court issues policies, it should also take a longer-term view, and try to avoid killing the goose to obtain the eggs!"
"What your Majesty said is true, please remember it carefully!" Zhao Pu took the lead and agreed.
After saying that, Zhao Pu added: "The court will naturally encourage good merchants and righteous merchants, but it does not mean that they are laissez-faire. After all, merchants pursue profits and it is difficult to understand etiquette and justice. There are tens of thousands of merchants in the world, and most of them are for personal gain. Of course, they are given to the big man. It brings vitality, but it also breeds a lot of illegal things.
Therefore, I have always believed that merchants should be restrained. If they are too lenient, it will only destroy the good and honest customs among the people. If the people rush to imitate, then who will work in agriculture and who will work, which will not be beneficial to the Han Dynasty.
In addition, the imperial court has implemented policies to encourage business over the years, and with its relaxed business environment, the Han Dynasty has also produced a large number of wealthy merchants. These families have accumulated a large amount of wealth through the commodity trade through the court's good treatment, but are these people? Do you abide by the law and pay taxes in accordance with the imperial tax system? I'm afraid it's not the case.
I have also received a lot of reports. In the process of earning wealth, all the wealthy businessmen are often suspected of committing crimes, and there are even those who care about human lives. Naturally, the court should not treat these people equally.
I believe that the court can be a little more lenient with small businessmen and hawkers, but it should still strictly restrict those big businessmen and wealthy people..."
Zhao Pu's attitude was also very clear when he said this, and his words contained a lot of disgust for the powerful merchants of the Han Dynasty. However, Emperor Liu always felt a little strange when he listened to it.
Zhao Pu is not a person who shows political leanings easily. He is so strong this time and wants to deal with big businessmen with all his teeth and claws, which is worth pondering.
After thinking about it, Emperor Liu made a guess. The effect would be more obvious if the pigs were killed and fattened. If he wanted to target them, he would have to target the merchants. The imperial court had not done anything like this before.
As for the reasons given by Zhao Pu, you don’t need to take them too seriously. They are just excuses. On the other hand, among these big businessmen, it doesn’t matter which one can achieve something. Just the wealthy businessmen in the two capitals who are successful in business.
It is inevitable to have close ties with nobles and bureaucrats. After accumulating wealth to a certain extent, if you want to continue to develop and seek protection, attaching yourself to powerful people is also an inevitable choice.
In fact, many people are the minions of the powerful, such as Zhao Kuangzan, King of Dongping, whose restaurant business is booming...
Is this a way for Zhao Pu to secretly assassinate Chen Cang by attacking the big merchants? Emperor Liu's suspicious nature made Emperor Liu think more subconsciously, but looking at Zhao Pu's calm and natural expression, he couldn't help but murmur in his heart.
Emperor Liu suddenly felt that Zhao Pu was also a bit unfathomable and difficult to see through. He even felt a sense of panic after suddenly realizing that these ministers were all elites standing at the top of the Han Dynasty. They were not easy to see through. Then, in the past,
Emperor Liu has always been confident that he can see the overall situation and the whole person. It can't be these people who accompany him to perform...
Emperor Liu was suspicious by nature, and sometimes it really made Emperor Liu feel tormented. The suspicions in his heart were surging, but Emperor Liu's face remained steady. Facing Zhao Pu's gaze, he nodded and chuckled: "What Zhao Qing said,
It makes sense, the national laws are strict, and since the commercial laws are established, they are not just decorations, they must be strictly followed, and merchants should be guided and restrained to make the rules deeply rooted in the hearts of the people!"
Seeing Emperor Liu's expression of support, Zhao Pu finally showed a smile, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
When Emperor Liu noticed Zhao Pu's peaceful and courteous expression, he felt even more disgusted.
"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so I won't bother you too much. In a word, focus on state affairs and people's livelihood. After the next two or three years, the Han Dynasty will become more and more prosperous. This depends on the princes!" said on the chair.
After leaving some traces, Emperor Liu stood up and said goodbye. Before leaving, he did not forget to give him a word of encouragement.
Of course, he gave Zhao Pu a reminding look.
Regardless of how much turmoil there was in the court some time ago, the work of the Han Dynasty Hall was still running very normally. After the turmoil, everything seemed to be silent. Zhao Pu's so-called political goal of restricting nobles was ultimately limited to rumors.
, doesn’t even appear on paper.
After entering March, it was as if it had never happened. Zhao Pu did not express any attitude or opinions on this matter, but focused his energy on national affairs. There were still many things that needed to be changed, both inside and outside the Han Dynasty.
The nobles no longer made noises, and there were fewer gatherings. They seemed to feel a retreat from the contrast in Zhao Pu's performance. Of course, there were inevitable warnings from some big bosses. There might have been suspicions of conspiracy in the previous private meetings, and it was easy to
If you don't do things that are taboo, it doesn't go as far as that.
Of course, Zhao Pu is not a timid person, and he will not give in easily just because he feels some pressure. The person who made him regress was Emperor Liu, the referee behind the scenes.
Overtly and covertly, Emperor Liu reminded Zhao Pu to prioritize things. At present, the most important thing for the Han Dynasty court was to appease the people's livelihood and restore national strength. Other things should be put aside.
The food must be eaten one bite at a time; the road must be walked step by step. Emperor Liu's attitude was clear and ambiguous, but Zhao Pu had some understanding of who he was, and he let it go.
However, letting go does not mean giving up. It can be regarded as temporary concealment. Moreover, Zhao Pu's previous aggressive actions were also a kind of temptation, not only to test Emperor Liu, but also to test the reaction of the nobles. Now, it can be considered that he has got it.
Wanted answer.
A political genius like Zhao Pu is not reckless in what he does or what policies he formulates. He has clear goals, but he also needs means and methods to achieve his goals.
From Emperor Liu's ambiguous reaction, Zhao Pu also received a relatively clear attitude, but the time was not right. And Zhao Pu still had the patience to wait for a suitable time.