[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers":3,"chapter-restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-381":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Restoring the Mountains and Rivers",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2364650,4623,"Chapter 381: Thunderclap","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-381",381,"\u003Cp>Taihe Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grand court session was only halfway through, with officials fiercely debating, when a battle report from the front shattered the deadlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu the Rebel is dead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Lotus Rebellion, which had plagued the Great Yu for years, was drawing to a close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prosperous lands of Jiangnan had returned to Great Yu’s control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this good news, the Emperor and his ministers all wore broad smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reward them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ministry of War, verify the battle achievements swiftly and grant honors to those who served with merit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning issued the order with grandeur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all his years on the throne, this was the easiest time he had ever had to hand out rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Revenue, usually so quick to cry poverty, unusually did not object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rewards are one-time; tax revenue is continuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the imperial army reclaiming Jiangnan, Great Yu’s fiscal income next year will rise dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With money in its coffers, the Ministry of Revenue can finally stand tall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, Jiangnan has just suffered war, and everything lies in ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I humbly beg Your Majesty to exempt the eight provinces—Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Nanzhili, Huguang, Fujian, and the Two Guangs—from all taxes for the next three years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left Censor-in-Chief Lai Yaohua was the first to propose this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the issue of tax exemptions, the Pure Stream faction had always been the vanguard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the start of his reign, Emperor Yongning would have agreed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After war, exempting taxes to let the people recover and rest sounded perfectly politically correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the court simply had no money!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the rebel forces in Jiangnan had been crushed, Great Yu’s realm was far from truly peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Internally, rebels still ravaged Sichuan and Shanxi; externally, Annan invaded while the Northern Barbarians lurked hungrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solving these problems all required money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exempting the eight provinces from taxes meant that, far from improving the treasury after reclaiming the territory, it would only deepen the financial burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During wartime, these eight provinces funded their own administration and military expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that war had ended, their former high degree of autonomy must be reclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the court exempts their taxes, then all administrative and military expenditures in these eight provinces must be paid by the central government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Lai, this is mistaken!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Currently, these eight provinces are all collecting taxes themselves to fund the suppression of rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely these new taxes that enabled the suppression of the rebellion and sustained hundreds of thousands of troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If these taxes are waived, the court must allocate twenty-one million taels annually to cover their daily expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Ministry of Revenue’s total income from all other provinces combined is less than twenty-one million taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where will the massive fiscal deficit be filled?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Chengjie immediately rebutted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing the Pure Stream faction’s eloquence was unmatched, he chose not to argue—instead, he spoke only in figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how reasonable the excuse for tax exemption, the court simply had no money to implement it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could expenses be so high?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the past, the combined administrative costs of these eight provinces never exceeded three or four million taels!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Yaohua’s question stirred agreement among the ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After war, some increase in administrative spending was understandable—but not limitless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember, in bad years, the entire Great Yu’s tax revenue barely reached twenty million taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ask the Ministry of War about this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Chengjie spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War was the greatest money-sink; after a major conflict, military expenditure was inevitably the largest cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Local garrison units were in ruins and useless; to suppress the rebels, we had to expand recruitment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six garrisons in the Two Guangs, five in Huguang, two each in Jiangxi and Zhejiang, three each in Nanzhili and Fujian—totaling twenty-one recruited garrisons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding the governor's standard troops and naval forces, the total recruited troops in the eight southern provinces exceeded three hundred thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The daily needs—food, lodging, sanitation, weapons, and equipment maintenance—cost roughly fifty taels per soldier annually, totaling sixteen million taels alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the war, grain prices will gradually fall; military expenditure is expected to drop below fifteen million taels annually.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zefeng spoke frankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Yu’s military spending had always been bizarre, with vast disparities in pay between different units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without doubt, the recruited troops raised by the noble factions were paid in full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When civil officials held power, everyone suffered hardship; even when one’s own men were sent to the front, they still suffered—how could anyone be willing to fight and die?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even newly raised units possessed considerable combat power, and the core reason was simple: the soldiers were fed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The main costs are clear—no further explanation from me is needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Postwar reconstruction requires money; increased spending is inevitable, and this portion cannot be cut.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Chengjie’s voice erupted like thunder through the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the officials from the southeast could not accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, they had accepted the surtaxes partly out of survival pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And partly because several Viceroy’s had promised that all new taxes were temporary, to be abolished once the rebellion was crushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, the Ministry of Revenue clearly intended to keep them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were in the Minister of Revenue’s seat, they would do the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After enduring such pressure to extract money from the provinces, how could they simply stop collecting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with massive provincial expenditures, the Ministry of Revenue still netted several million taels annually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the surtaxes imposed by the Viceroy’s targeted merchants, not commoners, making them high-quality revenue sources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the end of war and the revival of trade, these taxes would only continue to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is robbing the people!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is reckless militarism!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The war is over—why keep so many troops? Clearly, they intend to hold power by force!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chorus of objections filled the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with the ministers’ fierce reaction, Emperor Yongning hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, perhaps let Minister Pang explain the tax composition of the southern provinces?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Junhui gently suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chief Grand Secretary’s role was hard—balancing the Emperor’s interests and those of the ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the court’s standpoint, the commercial taxes had been hard-won and must not be canceled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the ministers’ stance could not be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men in the court represented the gentry class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merchants were the gentry’s purse—merely hidden behind the scenes for the sake of reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning immediately approved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He too wanted to understand how the noble faction’s Viceroy’s had been operating in the south—and how severely they had exploited the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The tax systems of the eight southern provinces differ in detail, but are fundamentally consistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though called ‘lijin,’ they are in essence taxes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Categories include land tax, commercial tax, salt tax, tea tax, customs duty, mining tax, liquor tax, and iron tax; others like head tax and broker tax are negligible and may be omitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Land tax converted to silver amounts to about seven million taels, primarily due to wartime factors, and may increase in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But much of it is collected in kind; after grain prices fall, the silver equivalent will decrease further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The actual growth depends on real conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salt tax: about six million taels; customs duty: about 6.8 million taels; commercial tax: about five million taels; mining tax: about 2.3 million taels; liquor and tea tax combined: 1.8 million taels; iron tax: about one million taels; other miscellaneous taxes total two million taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total fiscal revenue of the eight provinces is roughly thirty-two million taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In our dynasty, this is a record—but still far behind the Song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, these figures are estimates by the Ministry of Revenue; actual amounts may vary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, salt tax is collected directly by the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the war, newly established salt fields along the coast must also come under court control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the funding for the twenty-one newly raised garrisons comes primarily from central allocation or provincial assistance must be decided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after these are settled can we determine the tax allocation between the court and provincial administrations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Chengjie spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the ministers’ astonished expressions, he was thoroughly satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, when he first received the data, he was stunned by the financial acumen of several marquises and dukes from the noble faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given the precedent of the Song Dynasty, he no longer found it strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the Southern Song controlled only a fraction of territory—not much larger than these eight provinces—yet its tax revenue far exceeded this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My loyal ministers, you are truly the pillars of my realm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the ministers were still in shock, the thrifty Yongning Emperor spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this level of revenue, even if it meant oppressive taxation, he would accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new taxes were concentrated on customs duties, commercial taxes, mining taxes, and tea and alcohol taxes; land taxes were actually reduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it contradicted his own earlier stance—he had abolished tax supervisors upon ascending the throne, reducing mining and commercial taxes to nearly zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The high customs duties clearly contradicted the maritime ban policy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before such massive revenues, these minor issues were forgivable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep within, the Yongning Emperor couldn’t help but sigh: at critical moments, family still proved most reliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, such oppressive taxation will drive the people to despair!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I humbly beg Your Majesty to remove the posts of Marquis Wuyang, Duke Chengguo, and Marquis Zhenyuan, and order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest them…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lu Guoheng, the Censor-in-Chief, could finish speaking, the Yongning Emperor rose from his dragon throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Embroidered Uniform Guard, seize this traitorous minister and interrogate him severely!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with the emperor’s fury, the ministers preparing to impeach froze in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that they lacked courage—mainly because Lu Guoheng spoke without any thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposing taxation? He chose the worst possible argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elevating it to a political level, he accused loyal ministers of baseless crimes—easily interpreted as the court preparing to discard its tools after use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the Great Yu Dynasty, Marquis Wuyang, Duke Chengguo, and Marquis Zhenyuan were heroes who had turned the tide in times of crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the emperor did not betray them, all was well; but if he did, future historians would record it in vivid, damning detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they tried to cover it up, the dozens of officials present would surely document it upon returning home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people’s records would be even more numerous, likely inventing entire stories to go with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever dared to join in now, when the truth emerged, would be remembered as the Qin Hui of the Great Yu Dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prospect of eternal infamy—even among the clean-stream officials—was something they avoided at all costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers feared being branded villains; the Yongning Emperor feared it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he made no response, the outside world would assume it was his will—the political consequences would be unthinkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1800,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","2e19582b6c37aa0d9aba711059abc15c5995af5c19f8b1b932fa18107a1fa864","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-382","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-380",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]