Chapter 1000: Exchanging Fiefs?

Sanxin had already thoroughly understood what Baifeng meant; the so-called joint operation actually meant that the owner of the fief had to provide the land, construct the buildings, and also provide subsidies higher than the normal wages given by Huaxia City, while Huaxia would only train the talent and then pay a certain wage.

However, regarding this "Establishment System," if those people going to work in the fiefs didn't even have an establishment, it would mean that Huaxia wouldn't have to provide a single grain of food, and these Nobles would have to support Huaxia's high-income class; yet, the Nobles couldn't refuse to pay this wage, because if their territories wanted to attract enough people to reside there, they had to have supporting schools and hospitals.

This move by Baifeng not only solved the issue of the quality of life for the people on the fiefs but also threw the responsibility of providing for them onto the Nobles; if you want your fief to have enough output, you must do it this way.

And Sanxin had to agree, because he knew that an "Establishment System" could also restrict Huaxia's doctors, teachers, and even Workers to cities like Huaxia City, preventing them from going to the Nobles' fiefs; if Sanxin didn't agree to this condition, the conditions Baifeng proposed later would only be even harsher.

Sanxin couldn't help but wonder if the King had planned this long ago or if he had thought of it suddenly; such a complete policy should have been prepared long in advance, but it wasn't as if Baifeng hadn't come up with extremely feasible and excellent policies just by tapping his head before.

Unable to think too much, Sanxin had to agree immediately: "King, I am willing to accept such a policy; I can fully implement it in my fief, and I can take the lead in implementing it."

Baifeng clapped his hands happily: "Good, Sanxin, you can be said to be the first person in our Huaxia to cross the river by feeling the stones; I don't know if this policy is good or bad, so you have to try it out for us."

Sanxin felt ashamed: "The King's policy must be good; it has never gone wrong."

"Hey, there's no need to flatter me like that. How about this: you go and draft the document for us, draft a proposal regarding the recruitment of population for cultivation in Noble fiefs and the joint operation of public hospitals, as well as the relevant legal clauses. We'll pick a time to hold a meeting and perfect it together. By the way, don't mention the Establishment System for now, and don't tell anyone else; I haven't fully thought it through yet, it's not perfect enough. When I've perfected it, I will bring it up again."

Sanxin nodded repeatedly: "Very well, King, I will go and prepare the draft immediately."

"How about this, you take note: you Nobles can directly promote the preferential policies of your own fiefs; how many people you can attract depends entirely on yourselves, and I will not block it here. If you can find mines in your own fiefs, we can also work together to develop them."

"From now on, you can start promoting it. Even for those most distant fiefs, as long as you can guarantee the safety of our people and the supply of food, they can go and reclaim wasteland right now. However, the owner of the fief has the obligation to protect the arrangements for those living on the fief, because this is the price for collecting taxes, understand?"

Sanxin said repeatedly that he understood, but he was muttering in his heart: Taxes? Isn't this collected by Huaxia? We are only collecting land rent in the name of taxes, and now suddenly another task has come; what does this mean, do we still have to raise an army?

"Sanxin, do you have any other questions regarding this fief? I remember you still have a larger fief in a very distant place, right? Do you have any thoughts on that?"

Sanxin's head immediately began to sweat; he took out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. Could the King really hear what I am thinking in my heart? How does he know everything?

"King, regarding that fief, I do, I indeed have some thoughts."

Baifeng picked up the tea that had already gone cold, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his legs, putting immense psychological pressure on Sanxin.

"Oh, what thoughts? Why don't you tell me?"

Sanxin stood up, trembling as he was about to kneel to Baifeng, scaring Baifeng so much that his tea was about to spill. He hurriedly had a servant help Sanxin up, though Sanxin's knees had stayed on the ground for two seconds.

After he stood up, he tried his best to make his tone sound sad: "King, I, Sanxin, have been following you to fight and build since the beginning, and we have the Huaxia of today. You have also rewarded me with enough, and I have such a large fief."

"However, I am getting old, and I don't know how many more years I can hold onto this position. I have many children, and the number of people in my family grows every year. My current salary is not quite enough to use, and when I retire, it will be even harder to support my family."

"So I feel that our family will still have to rely on the output of the fief to live in the future; after all, you know my children, not many of them are promising, and they cannot support such a large family."

"Now that I know there is an opportunity to develop this fief, I am indeed anxious. The fief next to Huaxia City is easy to develop, and I can still see the day it has output."

"However, my fief in the west is truly too remote; I don't know when I will be able to see grain growing on it. So, King, if possible, could I exchange my western fief for one a little closer?"

Baifeng finally understood what Sanxin was trying to do, so he hurriedly said: "Hey, it's fine, it's fine. Sanxin, sit down first. You are a great contributor to our Huaxia, and I will certainly satisfy your request. How about this, tell me where you want to exchange your fief to?"

"But I will state first: an exchange is possible, and I can exchange it for something closer, but there is really no space left around Huaxia City and Lema City; they have basically all been enfeoffed to you all. If you want to exchange your distant fief for someone else's nearby fief, then the other person certainly won't be willing, right?"

Even though Baifeng told him to sit, Sanxin didn't dare to sit and kept standing to answer. He was truly sacrificing everything for his family. Even if Baifeng started to distance himself from him after today, as long as he could exchange his fief for a good place, it would be worth it. He no longer counted on his children having much ability or being able to go very far.

They were not very smart, one by one, and their abilities were insufficient, nor had he discovered what they were talented in. Unless he sacrificed himself for the country, otherwise, given the current situation in Huaxia, it was impossible for them to reach very high positions.

If you look at the Nobles of Huaxia, which one of them isn't a meritorious official? Their sons could be mediocre; why must his own son inherit this position of Prime Minister? It's impossible.