Chapter 606: The Gentry and Officials Pay Grain Taxes Together

However, knowing what should be done is one thing; being able to do it is another matter entirely.

This time, facing the pressure from Zhu Youxiao, Wei Zhongxian and the other man were finding it hard to bear.

The Emperor told you two to cooperate properly, yet you keep undermining each other—what's the meaning of this? Are you not giving me, the Emperor, any face?

If you won't even give face to the Emperor, do you think the Emperor's face isn't worth anything, or is your own face worth too much?

Courting death isn't done this way, which is precisely why Wei Zhongxian and the other man had this meeting.

"Not undermining each other is doable," Chen Hong said, looking at Wei Zhongxian. "But I don't trust you. What if I don't undermine you, and you turn around and undermine me instead? Wouldn't I have lost both the wife and the soldiers?"

"You don't trust me? I'm far more trustworthy than you." Wei Zhongxian gave a cold snort and said, "This time His Majesty is watching. You think this will be easy? Let me put it this way—are you in or not?"

"How do we do it?" Chen Hong curled his lips and said.

"Isn't it simple? You hand over your Embroidered Uniform Guard personnel in the seven southern provinces to me, and I'll hand over my Eastern Depot personnel in the six northern provinces to you. We'll temporarily place them under each other's command. How about that? That way we won't lack manpower."

"This matter probably needs His Majesty's approval." Chen Hong said with a grim face.

"Of course we must petition Your Majesty." Wei Zhongxian quickly added.

Tsk, you old eunuch, you actually tried to trap me!

Wei Zhongxian felt he had nearly been duped. If this matter didn't go through His Majesty, it absolutely wouldn't do. Private transfers of authority would be unthinkable!

"As long as you agree, we'll submit a joint petition to His Majesty." Wei Zhongxian said once more.

"You just want your men to keep an eye on me, and if I commit any offense, you'll have them report it, won't you?" Chen Hong stared at Wei Zhongxian and said.

"A suspicious man sees suspicion in everything. Can't there be a little trust between people?" Wei Zhongxian said irritably.

"Trust you?" Chen Hong curled his lips and said, "But this time you lend me your men, and I lend you mine. Let's see who's capable of finding faults in the other—that's a good thing too. I refuse to believe my men will lose to yours."

"Then we'll wait and see." Wei Zhongxian gave a cold snort and flicked his sleeves, saying, "I'll go back and write the routine memorial. Afterwards, you'll co-sign with me, and this matter is settled."

Having said that, Wei Zhongxian flicked his sleeves and walked off with his hands clasped behind his back.

Watching Wei Zhongxian's manner, Chen Hong gave a cold snort and said, "What an attitude."

Both men knew the gravity of this matter and the significance of this cooperation. As for talking about digging up each other's dirt—that was just talk.

If during this matter the two of them tried to dig up each other's scandals, they would never get past the Emperor. Whoever dared to impeach the other would die a miserable death.

Who did they think the Emperor was? Did they think they could fool him so easily?

If anyone truly believed the Emperor was easy to deceive and tried to use his hand to eliminate rivals, the end result would likely be digging their own grave.

So Wei Zhongxian and Chen Hong were merely refusing to concede verbally.

This morning's events were earth-shaking to begin with, so the news spread extremely quickly throughout the capital.

In an instant, it stirred up a massive wave of public opinion, with countless people discussing it. Even the capital's newspapers seized the opportunity and began officially publishing the news.

Early in the morning, quite a few newsboys were already holding up newspapers and shouting through the streets.

"Extra! Extra! The court has established scholarships, specially rewarding scholars!"

That was pure clickbait, and the bias was extremely obvious. Anyone could tell at a glance that this was meant to tout the benefits of the gentry and officials paying grain taxes together—the benefits to the court, the benefits to scholars.

The newspaper's main readership was scholars, and hearing such good news, the papers sold out instantly.

The news in the papers was, of course, written with flowery embellishments, expounding the benefits of the gentry and officials paying grain taxes together from two angles.

On one hand, tax collection by the court would be more convenient;

On the other hand, scholars could directly receive silver, which was also more convenient—no need to farm, no worry about land being extorted. Perfect.

But anyone with discerning eyes knew that wasn't how it really worked. Did scholars need to farm the land themselves?

That land was farmed by others. As long as they held land without paying taxes, they made money. Under such circumstances, anyone could see at a glance what this policy was really about.

As for the gentry and officials paying grain taxes together, that was even simpler. Your tax-exempt privileges are gone—with that condition announced, how could public opinion not boil over?

Of course, some also cited examples of the imperial clan, relatives of the emperor, and hereditary nobles all paying taxes, with only scholars still exempt. Thus a certain argument emerged: Why should you scholars not pay taxes?

In daily life you study the classics—poetry, books, rites, changes, the sages, loyalty to the sovereign. Everyone else pays taxes to support the nation—what about you scholars? Are you inferior to those people?

These were all paid shills, just steering the narrative.

Regardless of how the outside world argued, every court and government office was rapidly advancing this matter, without the slightest hesitation, and no one dared to hesitate.

Zhu Youxiao's words were imperial edicts; what was decided in the court was national policy.

In an instant, messages continuously flew from the capital to all regions, and people continuously left the capital.

Some were court personnel, others were not. These people were all rushing to the localities to deliver the news—especially those students whose families owned land. If their families learned of this too late, they'd be finished.

Zhu Youxiao received reports on these developments every day—someone would always tell him. But he didn't care; anything that couldn't stir up real trouble wasn't worth calling trouble.

"Your Majesty, this is a routine memorial jointly submitted by Wei Zhongxian and Chen Hong." Wei Chao came to Zhu Youxiao's side, holding a memorial in his hands, and said respectfully.

Those two fellows actually submitted a joint memorial?

Zhu Youxiao reached out and took the memorial, quickly flipped through it, and smiled.

To be honest, he truly hadn't expected those two to come up with something like this. It seemed their political wisdom was truly beyond what ordinary people could match.

Zhu Youxiao tossed the memorial back to Wei Chao and said, "This matter, I approve. Let them handle it as they see fit."

"Oh, and go to the storeroom and fetch two jade ruyi—a matching pair—and send one to each of them."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wei Chao quickly acknowledged, feeling somewhat helpless inside.

How had those two suddenly seen the light? Shouldn't they be fighting to the death at a time like this? What was this cooperation business?

Utterly senseless—a pair of good-for-nothings. Now you can't fight anymore, and you even get jade ruyi from the Emperor. What about me?

I get nothing out of this. I was hoping to pick up a melon when you two had crippled each other. How disappointing!

Though he felt helpless inside, Wei Chao's smile on his face was radiant, and he personally went to pick out two jade ruyi to deliver to them.

Now Wei Chao was even starting to worry—if those two truly cooperated, how would he get by in the palace in the future? Wouldn't those two cover the sky with one hand?

All those eunuchs would have to listen to them, and then he'd be finished.

Who knew what His Majesty was thinking, letting them do as they pleased like this?

Wei Chao couldn't figure it out.

In fact, Zhu Youxiao's thinking was very simple. This land survey was too important—everything else could be set aside.

As long as this matter was pushed through smoothly and steadily, nothing else mattered. How these two men operated, Zhu Youxiao didn't care; as long as they got the job done.

As for whether these two would find a common direction through this cooperation, and later continue collaborating until they held great power in their hands?

Zhu Youxiao could only say that was wishful thinking. If Wei Zhongxian and Chen Hong truly reached that point, then drag them out and behead them together. By then, they'd have company on the road to the Yellow Springs.

Of course, that might not even be necessary. As such a merciful emperor, killing them wouldn't be proper. After all, they had done so much for him—so instead, they could go build his mausoleum, or go watch over the ancestral tombs. Those were all fine arrangements.

Chen Hong and Wei Zhongxian had no idea what Zhu Youxiao was thinking. If they had known, who could say whether they would still have chosen this cooperation?

News continued to spread, and the days passed one by one.

The Grand Secretariat had already produced a feasibility document. As long as Zhu Youxiao stamped it with the imperial jade seal, it could be proclaimed to the world, and they could get things moving as quickly as possible.

The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had also set out.

The Censorate had formed inspection teams and had begun traveling to various regions.

The Office of Transmission had also grown busy, with various couriers dispatched to investigate in all directions.

In a word, everyone was in motion.

Zhu Youxiao, having been still for too long, felt the urge to move and very much wanted to go out for a stroll.

Of course, his days in the palace had been quite pleasant lately. After a period of rest and recuperation, a man regains his fighting spirit, doesn't he?

But with no news coming back from Liaodong, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but worry.

Liaodong, upon the grassland.

Sun Chuanting sat on his horse, glanced at Sun Chengzong beside him, and said with some helplessness: "Commander, there was no need for you to make the trip in person, was there?"

"What, you think I'm too old?" Sun Chengzong said with a smile.

Sun Chuanting dared not say such a thing, so he could only nod and say: "How could that be? You're old but vigorous—we juniors still have much to learn from you."

"Don't say that." Sun Chengzong waved his hand and said, "It sounds hollow and false. You're worried I'll topple off my horse and die right here on the grassland, and then you won't be able to explain yourself when you go back."

Sun Chuanting was very embarrassed.

Because Sun Chengzong had hit the mark.

Sun Chuanting truly was worried. Sun Chengzong was simply too old, riding back and forth across the grassland—if the slightest mishap occurred, how could he explain it?

Moreover, once battle began, blades and spears had no eyes. If this old man got so much as a scratch, he wouldn't be able to answer for it.

If he truly died—even if the commander died of old age or illness—how could he possibly continue fighting the campaign?