Chapter 1391: Slaughtering the Fat

Emperor Liu's words, though somewhat grand and empty, made his attitude perfectly clear—he was dissatisfied with the so-called "commercial tax reform" proposal put forward by the Finance Commission. This naturally set people to murmuring inwardly, especially Shen Yilun, the Finance Commissioner seated among them, whose aged face was marked with obvious embarrassment.

Thus, as soon as Emperor Liu finished speaking, Shen Yilun took the initiative to stand up, bowed deeply, and said: "Your Majesty's instruction is right; it was our deliberation that was ill-considered and our planning that was improper!"

Seeing this, Zhao Pu also spoke up, saying to Emperor Liu: "Your Majesty, regarding the proposal to increase commercial taxes, the Finance Commission has only made a preliminary draft—nothing is settled, and the officials are still deliberating. Now that Your Majesty has offered guidance, we shall keep it firmly in mind, delve deeper into discussion, and produce a comprehensive and fitting plan!"

When it came to officialese and platitudes, how many could match the fluency of seasoned ministers like Zhao Pu? Zhao Pu spoke at length, and there was also an intent to speak up for Shen Yilun.

His gaze wandered for a moment, and the aged Shen Yilun's posture of admitting fault and begging punishment actually left Emperor Liu somewhat embarrassed. He immediately waved a hand and said: "Minister Shen need not do this. I am not assigning blame—merely expressing a passing sentiment. Without agriculture, there is no stability; without industry, there is no wealth; without commerce, there is no vitality.

With Luoyang and Kaifeng as great as they are, drawing from all directions, without merchants trading among them, how could the Two Capitals enjoy such prosperity? Among merchants, there are not only profiteers and market sharks, but also honest traders and righteous dealers—one ought to distinguish between them!

As for the merchants and common folk who join in building the prosperity of the Great Han, the court should still offer encouragement and protection! Therefore, when the court issues policies, it should keep its sights set on the long term—the sort of thing that kills the goose that lays the golden egg should be avoided as much as possible!"

"What Your Majesty says is most true; we shall bear it in mind!" Zhao Pu led the chorus of agreement.

Having said this, Zhao Pu continued: "As for honest traders and righteous dealers, the court naturally should encourage them, but that does not mean giving them free rein. After all, merchants pursue profit and have little regard for propriety and righteousness. The merchants of the realm number in the thousands upon thousands, most acting for private gain. They indeed bring vitality to the Great Han, yet they also breed no small amount of lawlessness.

Therefore, I have always held that merchants ought to be kept under restraint. If they are indulged too freely, it will only corrupt the honest customs of the people. If the common folk rush to imitate them, then who will farm, who will work? That would hardly benefit the Great Han.

Moreover, in recent years the court has pursued policies encouraging commerce, and with that permissive business environment, the Great Han has produced a great many wealthy merchants and rich traders. These households, benefiting from the court's goodwill, have accumulated vast fortunes through trade and commerce. But whether these people abide by the law and pay their taxes according to the court's tax system—I fear that is not the case.

I have also received no small number of reports: among the great merchants and magnates, many have been implicated in wrongdoing and criminal acts in the course of amassing their wealth, and some have even been guilty of treating human lives like grass. Toward such people, the court naturally should not extend equal treatment.

In my view, toward the small peddlers and hawkers, the court may be somewhat lenient, but toward the great merchants and the fabulously wealthy, it should impose strict restraint..."

Zhao Pu's words carried an equally clear attitude, and his speech was not lacking in disgust toward the great merchants and magnates of the Great Han. But as Emperor Liu listened, he could not help feeling something was off.

Zhao Pu was not a man who readily revealed his political leanings. For him to come on so strong now, baring his claws to go after the great merchants—that was worth some careful consideration.

After some thought, Emperor Liu had a guess: when slaughtering pigs, one picks the fat ones—the effect is more pronounced. If you're going to target someone, you target the big merchants. The court had done similar things before.

As for the reasons Zhao Pu had laid out, one needn't take them too seriously—they were merely excuses. On the other hand, among these great merchants, those who had achieved success—which of them lacked connections? Even the wealthy merchants of the Two Capitals who had built thriving businesses were closely tied to the meritorious nobility and bureaucrats. This was unavoidable; once wealth accumulates to a certain degree, if one wants to keep growing and seek protection, attaching oneself to the powerful is an inevitable choice.

Indeed, many of them were nothing more than the claws and teeth of the powerful. Take Zhao Kuangzan, the Prince of Dongping—his family's restaurant business was thriving splendidly...

Was striking at the great merchants perhaps a means by which Zhao Pu was secretly crossing the river by a hidden channel? His suspicious nature led Emperor Liu to think a few steps further, but looking at Zhao Pu's calm and natural expression, he could not help but mutter inwardly.

Emperor Liu suddenly felt that this Zhao Pu was also unfathomable, hard to see through, and even felt a jolt of alarm as if suddenly enlightened. These ministers were all elites standing at the very top of the Great Han—how could they be so easily seen through? Could it be that all along, his confident insight into the overall situation and into people had merely been these men performing for him...

His suspicious nature did, at times, cause Emperor Liu considerable anguish. Though suspicion surged within his heart, Emperor Liu's face remained steady. Meeting Zhao Pu's gaze, he nodded and said with a light smile: "What Minister Zhao says also has merit. The laws of the state are strict; since the commercial code has been established, it is no ornament—it must be strictly enforced. As for merchants, they should be guided and restrained, so that the rules take root deep in people's hearts!"

Seeing Emperor Liu express his support, Zhao Pu finally showed a hint of a smile, clasping his hands and saying: "Your Majesty is wise!"

And noting Zhao Pu's calm and deferential expression, Emperor Liu felt even more unsettled inside.

"Ministers are busy with affairs of state, so I shall not disturb you further. In a word—focus on the nation's affairs and the people's livelihood. Get through the next two or three years, and the Great Han will grow ever more prosperous. That will depend on all of you!" Having left a slight imprint on the chair, Emperor Liu rose to take his leave, and before departing, he did not forget to offer a word of encouragement.

Of course, he also gave Zhao Pu a look of reminder.

Regardless of how much turmoil there had been in the court recently, the various functions of the Great Han's government continued to operate normally. After the storm, everything seemed to settle into silence. Zhao Pu's so-called political goal of restraining the meritorious nobility ultimately remained confined to rumor—it never even appeared on paper.

After entering the third month, it was as if nothing had ever happened. Zhao Pu expressed no further attitude or opinion on the matter, instead devoting his energy to governance. There were still many places within and beyond the Great Han that needed change.

The meritorious nobility also stopped making a fuss, and their gatherings grew fewer, as if they sensed a retreat from the contrast in Zhao Pu's behavior before and after. Of course, there were no shortage of warnings from the big shots—the earlier private meetings had carried the suspicion of conspiracy and collusion, easily giving others a handle to criticize. Things that invited taboo were not to be done, and matters had not reached that point anyway.

Of course, Zhao Pu was not a timid man, nor would he easily yield because of some pressure. What made him step back was Emperor Liu, the referee behind the scenes.

Openly and covertly, Emperor Liu had given Zhao Pu reminders: one must distinguish the primary from the secondary. The foremost priority of the Great Han court at present was still soothing the people's livelihood and restoring national strength; everything else had to be set aside.

Rice must be eaten one mouthful at a time; the road must be walked one step at a time. Emperor Liu's attitude was clear yet tinged with ambiguity, but Zhao Pu was a man of understanding—he grasped the meaning and let it go.

But letting it go did not mean giving up; it could be seen as a temporary concealment of one's aims. Moreover, Zhao Pu's earlier aggressive moves had not been without an element of testing—testing both Emperor Liu and the reactions of the meritorious nobility. Now, he had obtained the answers he wanted.

A political talent like Zhao Pu would not act rashly in anything he did or any policy he issued. His goals were clear, but achieving those goals required means and methods.

And from Emperor Liu's ambiguous reaction, Zhao Pu had also received a fairly clear signal—it was merely that the timing was not right. And as for the patience to wait for the right moment, Zhao Pu had plenty of it.