Chapter 31

And besides doing business, there is also private land!

Yes!

The imperial court stipulates that all commoners pay taxes according to the land they rent, with each person paying fifty percent of the tax!

Remember, this is tax paid on rented land!

But what if nobles choose not to rent and instead hire people to farm the land with their own money?

Hehe... no tax!

Not a single grain of tax needs to be paid!

So, in the current world, all top nobles do not pay taxes; all their land is farmed by hired people paid for with their own money.

Only nobles of average means, who cannot afford to hire people to farm, will rent out their own land.

There are also those who are morally coerced, fearing others will call them rich but unkind, so they symbolically put up a portion of their land for rent.

And then there are those who are truly kind-hearted!

On their own land, the imperial court takes fifty percent, the commoners take forty percent, and they themselves take one percent!

These are truly great benefactors!

In that case... is no one in charge?

Of course no one is in charge!

Since Xia Qi usurped the throne in the Xia Dynasty, changing the election system to hereditary rule and turning a public world into a family world for nearly two thousand years, it has always been this way.

No one cares whether the commoners live or die; nobles come first. This is the rule of Huaxia, Xia, Shang, and Zhou for two thousand years!

If not for the sages Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mozi, and Yang who appeared during the Spring and Autumn period!

If not for Guan Zhong from the State of Qi who forcibly established the order of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, placing farmers in second place!

If not for Lord Xinling, Wei Wei Wuji, from the State of Wei who fiercely suppressed the nobles and wanted to distribute the nobles' grain to the commoners, who would even care about the commoners!

They won't!

No one cares about ordinary commoners!

And even though they did so many things, after their deaths, the commoners were still pigs and dogs, still slaves!

Even now, it is the same!

To sum it up in one sentence: money!

The nobles are very rich!

Of the world's wealth, the nobles monopolize seventy percent!

The remaining thirty percent belongs to the state and the commoners!

Selling this high-priced paper to them is correct!

Only they can afford the high price!

And the process of selling the paper is equally simple!

Li Si didn't even need to introduce much; he simply followed Facing Ying Su's example, spread out a sheet of paper, and wrote the character for "paper" on it!

Instantly, the entire hall went crazy!

Everyone realized one issue, which was... this object could replace bamboo slips!

It is much larger than bamboo slips, and moreover, it is much lighter, thinner, and more convenient.

More crucially, the amount of text it can hold is incomparable to bamboo slips!

Almost everyone saw its use!

But at the same time, some also paid attention to its price.

They wanted to see whether its price was higher than that of silk!

If its value exceeded that of silk, then its value would not be high!

After all, silk is cheaper!

As for the pricing, although Li Si had a number in mind, feeling that three coins would be about right, after all, Facing Ying Su had said that the cost for one hundred sheets of paper was less than one coin!

But he understood Facing Ying Su's intention: to sell high-priced paper!

And he, being someone who had served Lu Buwei, was naturally skilled in the merchant's ways, so he did not state the price directly but instead said:

"This object is a gift from an immortal, and the total quantity is small. Currently, I only have these fifty sheets here. If you want them, place your bids; the highest bidder wins! Additionally, this object is sold by the sheet!"

First, he gave this object the gimmick of being from an immortal, then told them the quantity was small and that it was sold by the sheet, further highlighting its scarcity!

Letting them bid with the highest bidder winning meant it was an auction; no matter what, let them fight for it; perhaps as they fought, the price would rise!

This was not in vain of the New Emperor's intention; the higher, the better!

And as Li Si's voice appeared, instantly, everyone was shocked!

What shocked them was certainly not what Li Si said about an immortal.

Ghosts, monsters, gods, and immortals are only believed by foolish commoners who do not study!

Nobles and merchants believe in only one thing!

Money!

And the profit in hand!

But they were still shocked!

Shocked by the total number Li Si mentioned, only fifty sheets, and moreover, sold by the sheet?

They even proposed an auction!

The highest bidder wins!

At that moment, everyone involuntarily began to calculate!

First, this object must be of extraordinary value!

But... no matter how valuable it might be, its function is no different from that of bamboo slips or silk!

Its price absolutely cannot exceed that of silk!

Therefore, someone made an offer!

"Ten coins per sheet!"

"Ten coins?"

As soon as the words were spoken, Li Si exclaimed in astonishment!

Fortunately!

Fortunately, he had not quoted a price immediately but had chosen the method of auction; otherwise, who knew how much less money he would have earned!

But at the same time, he was also overjoyed!

Because Ying Su had told him; he knew the production cost of this item, and even one hundred sheets did not exceed a cost of one coin.

And now, a single sheet had sold for a price of ten coins; this was truly...

Just as he was getting excited, however, at that very moment, someone called out a bid again: "Thirteen coins!"

"Thirteen coins?"

Li Si was even more shocked.

And before he could remain stunned for long, someone directly announced a high price: "Thirty coins!"

PS: Seeking flowers, seeking evaluation votes!

026. Annual tax revenue of over ten million coins!

"How much?"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

Li Si similarly felt his scalp go numb!

Ten coins, thirteen coins; for those who had never seen paper and did not know its production cost, these prices were still relatively reasonable.

But... thirty coins!

Thirty coins already exceeded the price of silk; what was the point of this!

But with just a little thought, Li Si understood!

Currying favor!

This was currying favor with him, the Prime Minister.

If this paper had belonged to him, and someone had dared to curry favor so blatantly, Li Si would have long since thrown them out.

But... this was selling paper on behalf of Ying Su; the higher he drove the price now, the easier it would be to set the price when paper appeared in large quantities in the future.