Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 159: Become a disciple and marry a wife
Zhou Xin couldn't help but doubt.

These decrees are expertly crafted, each word a gem, encompassing both the broader context and meticulous detail, leaving them practically impeccable. Between the lines, they reveal the profound experience and wisdom of their drafters.

Young Master Yan seems to be only nineteen years old this year. How could he come up with such rigorous and thorough policies?

Zhou Xin's heart was filled with doubts. He stared at Yan Yi without blinking, as if he wanted to get a clue from him. However, the other party's calm and composed expression made him even more puzzled.

Thinking carefully, these decrees were indeed the first of their kind he had ever seen in his life, and he had never seen them in any scripture. Considering that Yan Yi was so young, yet had already accomplished such incredible feats as defeating Zhu Zhi and Wang Lang, he could only attribute him to a genius, and he couldn't help but believe it a little.

Zhou Xin's gaze towards Yan Yi suddenly changed dramatically. He sat up straight, as if facing a great scholar, discussing the truth with him. He asked with a hint of inquiry, "Excuse me, Young Master, although it is convenient to combine some miscellaneous taxes into one, it can also reduce official exploitation. However, I have noticed that there are some other miscellaneous taxes that are also suitable for being combined. Why don't you cancel these as well?"

Yan Yi answered truthfully, "These are chaotic times with many wars. We shouldn't act hastily. If we make adjustments too quickly, it could lead to trouble."

Zhou Xin understood that the other party was worried about touching the interests of certain people and causing backlash, so he planned to take it slow and steady.

Having governed for many years, he had a deep understanding of this. He couldn't help but sigh and continued, "Young Master, you've consolidated some of the miscellaneous taxes and reduced the age range for levying taxes like the Suanfu. Aren't you worried that the tax revenue will be reduced and that your expenditure will not be enough to cover your expenses?"

Yan Yi repeated his theory of population mobility and continued, "Handicrafts and commerce are the sources of wealth. If properly guided, they can become an important supplement to taxation. I intend to establish workshops based on the conditions of each county to develop handicrafts such as weaving, fishing, smelting, and pottery. I also intend to build roads and bridges to promote trade and circulation. This will increase people's income and enrich the government treasury."

Zhou Xin paled when he heard this and exclaimed, "Young Master, this is unacceptable! Emphasizing agriculture over commerce is the foundation of a country. Haven't you heard of the fall of Qi at Hengshan?"

The destruction of the Hengshan State by the Qi State occurred over 800 years ago. At the time, the Hengshan State was highly skilled in smelting and weaponry. While not as powerful as the Qi State, it was not weak either.

To annex the State of Hengshan, Qi orchestrated a carefully orchestrated "trade war." First, they concentrated their resources to purchase large quantities of Hengshan weapons, forcing the people of Hengshan to abandon farming and turn to smelting and weapon manufacturing. Domestic food was purchased from other countries. After all, they had plenty of money, and their main strategy was to be tyrannical.

After two or three years, the people of Hengshan State grew increasingly wealthy, but no one wanted to farm anymore. Qi State then began purchasing grain from other states at exorbitant prices, causing prices to soar. Even if the people of Hengshan State used all the money they earned from selling weapons to buy food, it still wasn't enough to feed themselves. Countless people died of starvation in the country, and unrest soon broke out.

So Qi State took advantage of this opportunity and joined forces with Lu State to launch a war of annihilation. They quickly destroyed the powerful Hengshan State in one battle and divided it up.

This event had a profound impact on history. After this, nations began to realize that only a stable agriculture could guarantee national stability. While commerce could generate immense wealth, it could also easily lead to unrest, undermining a nation's foundations and ultimately leading to its downfall. Consequently, increasing emphasis was placed on farming, gradually forming a national policy of prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce.

Therefore, emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce is not just a matter of fooling the people.

Yan Yi naturally knew about this and understood the problems involved. The reason why commerce developed in later generations was because grain production had reached a level that could easily feed everyone. However, in this era, grain production capacity is extremely low. Coupled with factors such as war, epidemics, and disasters, once the number of people farming decreases slightly, grain prices will immediately rise sharply, and those who cannot afford grain will become the source of unrest. He was unwilling to discuss this issue with Zhou Xin too much, and simply explained: "Important handicrafts and commerce will not be open to the public, but will be government-run. Farming is naturally the most important, this is the foundation, and it will not be shaken or changed."

Zhou Xin breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and discussed other government orders with Yan Yi.

Yan Yi patiently chatted with him until late at night.

In order to recruit Zhou Xin, he talked about some topics that he rarely mentioned to others in his daily life. If this person did not accept the recruitment, he would have no choice but to kill him with great pain.

Zhou Xin's heart grew more and more astonished as they talked. He discovered that Yan Yi possessed a unique and profound understanding of the political gains and losses, rise and fall of dynasties throughout history, and a deep knowledge of the pros and cons of current affairs. It was like a bottomless abyss; the deeper he delved, the more unfathomable it seemed. A sense of brilliance and brightness rose within him, and he no longer doubted that Yan Yi was the man who had enacted the decrees.

He thought to himself, "It's truly astonishing that this man, at such a young age, possesses such insight and vision. Besides Cao Mengde and Yuan Benchu, I'm afraid he's the only one who can bring peace to the world in the future."

Unconsciously, he felt that they had met too late. Especially since Yan Yi's thoughts on cherishing the people coincided with his own.

When the conversation got exciting, under Yan Yi's intentional guidance, Zhou Xin seemed to be considering the issue from Yan Yi's perspective.

For example, at this moment, Yan Yi pretended to be melancholy, lamenting that his background made it difficult for the nobles to recognize him. Zhou Xin actually offered him advice: "Young Master, why not find a teacher and marry a noblewoman to broaden your network and make friends with the nobles? As long as you take the first step and gain the recognition of some of the nobles, things will get smoother from now on. Young Master, you have land, people, food, and soldiers, and you have the ambition to stabilize the people. Are you still worried that no one will come to serve you?"

Yan Yi was delighted to hear this and asked, "Duke Zhou's insight is profound and has opened my eyes. But I wonder who should I choose as my teacher and who should I marry, according to Duke Zhou's opinion?"

Zhou Xin stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "Young Master's teacher must possess knowledge, reputation, and connections. All three are indispensable. Since Young Master has established himself in Jiangdong, the most suitable person right now is none other than one person."

Yan Yi asked impatiently, "Who is it?"

Zhou Xin said word by word, "Sheng Xian! This man is well-versed in history and modern knowledge, renowned throughout Jiangdong. He once served as the prefect of Wu Commandery, and his students and former officials are spread throughout Jiangdong, and his friends are many renowned scholars and heroes. If the young prince could become his disciple, all his problems would gradually be solved."

After hearing this, Yan Yi felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his head, and everything became clear, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had appeared.

He bowed deeply to Zhou Xin and said sincerely, "Duke Zhou's words have enlightened me. I sincerely thank you!" Without waiting for Zhou Xin to return the greeting, he continued, "Duke Zhou, please advise me again. Who should I marry?"

(End of this chapter)