Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Numbers speak for themselves. When the comparison between four million shi of grain and one million taels of silver was presented, most officials’ expressions turned thoughtful. Even the official who had previously refuted Princess Wanshou fell into deep contemplation.

Princess Wanshou further presented her calculations: “In the past, tax collection was handled by the government, which designated specific granaries. The commoners had to transport their grain to these granaries, and any losses during transportation were borne by the taxpayers themselves.”

This included grain lost due to bumpy roads and grain consumed by the transporters during the journey.

“There was once a case where the transport distance was too far, and out of three cartloads of grain, the transporters ate one and a half carts’ worth. In other words, while it seemed that taxpayers only needed to submit three cartloads of grain, in reality, they had to provide four and a half.”

Princess Wanshou provided a straightforward analysis: “But if taxes were collected in silver instead, the commoners could simply purchase food along the way while transporting the silver, significantly reducing wastage.”

Her reasoning was sound.

However, every policy is bound to face scrutiny.

Another official stepped forward, his tone measured as he inquired, “Langzhong, your intention is indeed to benefit the common people. But what if corrupt officials deliberately drive up silver prices during the summer and autumn tax seasons? How should we address this?”

This official had risen through the ranks from a county magistrate and was well-versed in grassroots realities.

In other words, during tax seasons, the imperial court would set a standardized silver price for each region based on local conditions, prohibiting unauthorized price hikes.

Furthermore, censors and the Jinyiwei would be tasked with nationwide oversight, strictly punishing officials and merchants who attempted to manipulate silver prices. If anyone was found exploiting the situation, not only would their illicit gains be confiscated, but they would also face severe penalties to serve as a deterrent.

All of this was outlined in the memorials Princess Wanshou had submitted.

The questioning official revealed an approving look, nodded, and saluted the elderly emperor.

“In that case, I have no objections.”

The Right Assistant Minister of Revenue, Wei Ren, stepped forward: “Your Majesty, I believe this policy should first be implemented in select prefectures as a trial to confirm its feasibility before being expanded further.”

The old emperor nodded.

“That is indeed necessary…”

[Oh ho! Pilot program!]

The officials of Great Xia: “!!!”

Xu Yanmiao, how did you recover so quickly? Aren’t you even going to take another moment to recognize what seemed so familiar to you?!

If you act like this, we’ll have to split our attention later to listen to the lively drama you bring. Multi-tasking is exhausting!

The old emperor, with great perseverance, finished his sentence: “It is indeed necessary to select a few prefectures for a trial run. Does anyone have any recommendations?”

The Right Assistant Minister of Revenue casually presented a few figures: “Currently, Great Xia’s annual land tax yields at most 29.5 million shi of grain. Of this, 12 million shi are allocated for local use, while the remaining 17.5 million shi are divided as follows: four million shi from the south, 13.5 million shi from the north. However, 7.5 million shi of this is allocated for military expenses, which means…”

He delivered his final conclusion: “The amount of grain that needs to be transported to the capital is four million shi from the south and six million shi

[Wow!] Xu Lang applauded internally. [Did he memorize all these figures just from daily work?!]

The Right Assistant Minister of Revenue, Wei Ren, looked as if he had consumed an elixir of immortality—radiant and brimming with energy.

He even felt an urge to proclaim it to the world.

He! Wei Ren! Had just been praised by Baize! Today was surely a day of great fortune, filled with auspicious omens!

—A chronic believer in superstitions.

Unable to resist showing off, he flaunted his numerical acumen once more: “Speaking of tax distribution, in previous years, the total salary for all military officials, converted into silver, amounted to around one hundred thousand taels. This year, it has increased to nearly two hundred thousand taels. Your Majesty’s boundless grace and generosity are truly remarkable. Though I am but a civil official, I cannot help but feel deeply moved.”

At the top of the hall, the old emperor paused for a moment, coughed lightly, and adjusted his tone: “There is no need to make a big deal out of this. Military officers risk their lives for me—raising their pay is only right.”

“Your Majesty!!!”

The entire assembly of military officials was moved to tears.

The old emperor: “Ahem, let us continue discussing taxation. Such minor matters need not be brought up again.”

[Is it because you secretly cut their salaries and don’t want to talk about it too much for fear of being found out?]

Silence fell upon the military officials.

A civil official, under the discreetly indulgent gaze of the censors, leaned over and quietly asked a military officer, “Are you okay?”

The military officer, in a dry voice, replied, “A little dizzy.”

His civil official friend patted his shoulder sympathetically and said, “My condolences.”

Meanwhile, the Right Assistant Minister of Revenue stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

He never imagined he would inadvertently uncover this matter.

He understood now!

His expression grew tense with worry.

It seemed today was truly an unlucky day for him—perhaps he was about to lose his position or even face execution. But thanks to Baize’s divine blessings, the disaster had merely resulted in an administrative mishap rather than a life-threatening one!

Yes! That must be it!

Straightening his slightly askew jade tablet, he exhaled sharply.

[Come to think of it, were civil officials’ salaries also cut? Let me check… Nope, they weren’t. Probably because if they took any more cuts, they wouldn’t be able to survive. The salaries are already so low that a ninth-rank minor official can’t even afford to eat meat every day. At least military officers occasionally receive monetary rewards under the guise of maintaining balance between civil and military officials.]

The old emperor: “…”

Xu Yanmiao, stop inserting your personal commentary. In any dynasty, a ninth-rank official wouldn’t be able to afford meat every day.

The military officials turned to the old emperor, their gazes filled with grievance.

Your Majesty! Don’t look away from us! What’s going on here? Explain yourself! We always thought we were your most cherished military officials—that’s why you occasionally rewarded us with silver!

The old emperor: “…”

Ah… well… um…

The old emperor fixed his gaze on his shoes, as if staring hard enough would let him see through them to the swollen, calloused skin of his feet—worn from years of hardship.

[Then again, the old emperor has had it rough too. The mess left behind by the previous dynasty has taken him thirty-five years, and it’s still not fully cleaned up.]

[For example, there was that mistake in the calendar system, which led to inaccurate agricultural calculations and hindered crop yields.]

[Or the chaos in currency regulations…]

[And the constant misfortune of natural disasters—floods, droughts, locust plagues, snowstorms—hitting the country year after year. Only in recent years has the frequency lessened a little.]

[It’s not like he could just tell the military officials outright: ‘The nation is struggling right now, so we need to cut your salaries—let’s all get through this together.’ These are men who risk their lives for him. They tightened their belts to fight for this empire, but they didn’t do it just to keep tightening their belts afterward. They’ve long passed the age where ideals alone could sustain them.]

[So the only option was to set their salaries at a fixed amount from the very beginning. That was something the old emperor and Minister Yuan decided on together.]

[Speaking of which, over these thirty-five years, military salaries have increased. Back in the founding days, the total converted into silver was 88,888 taels… oddly auspicious.]

The military officials: Tsk! What the hell is the use of good luck? Give us something practical!

[Originally, the plan was to allocate over a hundred thousand taels, but because the nation was too weak back then, it was cut down. Now, at least, it’s been raised to 200,000 taels—an improvement.]

The military officials counted on their fingers.

So, if they subtracted the extra silver that His Majesty secretly gave them and continued working hard for another ten years, they might finally break even? But something about this still didn’t sit right…

Xu Yanmiao, ever sharp with logic, caught on immediately: [Wait—doesn’t this mean that for the past thirty-five years, all the ‘rewards’ given to military officials weren’t actually rewards? They were just compensation for their salary cuts? You thought you were getting bonuses, but in reality, they were just quietly patching up your missing pay? So… what happened to the actual performance-based rewards from the past thirty-five years?]

Faced with a room full of resentful stares, the old emperor—for once—felt a rare pang of guilt.

Uh… um… The treasury was looking pretty good lately—maybe it was time to hand out some more rewards?

—Though the thought alone already made his heart ache.

The old emperor cleared his throat. “Regarding taxation, does anyone else have any ideas?”

The military officials silently stared at him.

Your Majesty, don’t change the subject.

The old emperor turned his gaze toward Princess Wanshou with an expression full of desperate expectation.

Princess Wanshou lowered her eyes in hesitation.

She had already said everything she needed to say.

Straining her mind for something more, she suddenly caught sight of the crown prince, and inspiration struck: “Your Majesty, I believe we could take inspiration from the Blacksmiths’ Guild. When they anticipate payment disputes, they prepare a strike fund in advance. Similarly, the Ministry of Revenue could allocate a reserve of emergency grain. That way, if any issues arise, and taxpayers find themselves in hardship, the government can provide relief in time.”

It was a sound proposal—but it meant the Ministry of Revenue would have to shell out even more money.

The old emperor: “I think this is feasible.”

After speaking, he instinctively looked at Yuan Zheng, expecting a rebuttal.

The former Minister of Revenue, now Minister of Works, Yuan Zheng, lazily lifted his eyelids but remained silent.

The old emperor suddenly realized—Oh right, he’s been reassigned.

Which meant… he could now freely allocate funds from both the inner treasury and the national treasury!

Excitement surged through the old emperor.

“Ahem. How many mines do we currently have in the country? Previously, we allowed private citizens to purchase mining rights when the court lacked the resources to extract them. Shouldn’t those now return to state control?”

Time to make money, time to make money!

Many officials turned to look at Minister Yuan.

This was his policy, after all.

Like most founding emperors, the old emperor had faced a period when the country was too weak to fully govern its territories.

Take the mines, for example—the court lacked the manpower to exploit them. Minister Yuan had proposed a solution: leasing them to private individuals, with the government taking a 20% cut of the extracted minerals and holding the first right to purchase the remaining ore.

Additionally, once a mine was discovered, it would be auctioned off in an open bidding process. Interested parties had to first pay a deposit of 300 guan before making their bids, with the highest bidder winning the rights. If someone placed a deposit but didn’t bid, their money was forfeited, and they faced additional penalties.

Yuan Zheng stood quietly, as if the old emperor’s words had nothing to do with him.

So… so then…

The officials hesitated. “It’s worth a try.”

The nation was now in its thirty-fifth year, and with the silver mines from the Wokou islands supplementing the treasury, finances were much more stable. It should be fine, right?

The old emperor: “Regarding the court’s next course of action, does anyone have suggestions? Now’s the time to speak up.”

—The boss is finally approving budgets!!!

Excited, officials across various departments perked up. More than a dozen of them immediately stepped forward.

The Director of the Ministry of Revenue: “Your Majesty! During the annual maritime trade season, if the Maritime Trade Office could host a banquet for foreign merchants and seafarers, it would cost no more than 200 guan, but it would encourage more foreign traders to engage with the Great Xia and motivate local merchants to sail abroad.”

The old emperor: “Only 200 guan? Approved!”

Director: “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

The Assistant Minister of Works: “Your Majesty! Housing in the capital is scarce. Could we construct government-owned housing on state land for the people to rent? The buildings don’t have to be in pristine condition, but we could charge only 500 wen per month per unit to showcase Your Majesty’s benevolence.”

Another construction expense.

The old emperor: “Since it benefits the people, approved!”

The officials: “!!!”

Wuhu!!!

Then let’s keep going!

Hahaha, Emperor is like a kid here when he realized he has pizza money without any mommy supervision. Spent on all candies. And emperor, you should return the reward money too to Military officials.

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