Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 200 I've Decided Not to Wait Any Longer
Just then, a calm and reserved voice rang out from outside the door, clearly penetrating the heavy doorway.

"Your Majesty, Tian Ergeng, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Lu Xiangsheng, the vice commander of the Tengxiang Guard, are waiting outside the gate."

The emperor inside the room let out a soft "hmm" through his nose.

"Let them in."

The door opened.

A chilling coldness enveloped the two figures, instantly engulfing this warm place.

“Your subject is Tian Ergeng.”

"Your subject is Lu Xiang Sheng."

The two men walked to the imperial desk, knelt on one knee, their movements perfectly synchronized, their voices as clear as metal and stone.

"See Your Majesty!"

"Rise, and take a seat." The emperor's voice remained calm.

Wang Chengen quietly moved several brocade stools and placed them beside the four people.

Tian Ergeng and Lu Xiangsheng thanked the emperor, stood up, and sat down with their backs straight.

A brief silence fell over the room once again. But this silence was completely different from the one before. If the previous stillness was the oppressive calm before a storm, then this silence was the breath-holding before a sharp blade is drawn.

The emperor slowly turned around.

"When I was in the capital, I discussed with Minister Bi many times the idea of ​​establishing a 'Tax Bureau' to oversee the nation's finances, enrich the national treasury, and benefit the people's livelihood."

His voice was unhurried, as if he were telling a distant story.

Hou Xun and Yang Sichang felt a chill run down their spines; the main topic was about to be discussed!

"But that was ultimately just a blueprint on paper, a mere discussion within the cabinet."

The emperor abruptly changed the subject!
"But today, right here in Dezhou, right outside the gates of the capital, I have decided—I will not wait any longer!"

Zhu Youjian's voice suddenly rose, "I will personally set up this 'Tax Bureau' in the south!"

The true intentions are revealed!
If these words were spoken in the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City, they would surely have drawn tremendous criticism from the officials.

However, in this heavily guarded Dezhou post station, in this room where only trusted confidants were present, these words shed all pretense of gentleness and elegance, leaving only a resolute and ruthless determination.

Hou Xun and Yang Sichang were terrified, their palms already covered in cold sweat.

They felt no longer like courtiers sitting in their warm chambers discussing politics, but rather like standing on the edge of a precipice with a mad monarch, plotting a gamble that could overturn the world.

The emperor's gaze swept over their horrified faces without pausing.

"I intend to establish a tax bureau in every province, prefecture, and county across the country, completely independent of the provincial administration commissioners and prefectural offices, and vertically managed by the imperial court in the capital!"

"The pilot program will begin in the south after I quell the rebellion in Jiangnan!"

"The chief officials at all levels are jointly appointed by me, the Grand Secretariat, and the Ministry of Revenue; their subordinate officials are recruited and assessed by the Customs Service. Their salaries are directly allocated from my Imperial Treasury and the Ministry of Revenue!"

"From appointments to salaries to performance evaluations, everything is controlled by the central government. Local officials have no right to interfere, no right to comment, and certainly no right to meddle!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Sichang's mind went blank!
He instantly thought of that distant and powerful dynasty—the Han.

During the reign of Emperor Wu, embroidered-robed envoys were appointed to tour the country with imperial credentials, act on behalf of the emperor, and their power shook the world.

Isn't this "Tax Bureau" before us just a larger, more clearly defined, and more tightly organized legion of "Embroidered-Clad Messengers"?

Is this about creating a separate financial system?
However, the real thunder was yet to come.

The emperor's gaze slowly swept over the two silent stone statues—Tian Ergeng and Lu Xiangsheng.

His voice was deliberately lowered at this moment, yet it possessed an even more chilling penetrating power.

"The tax officials are my 'financial ministers.' Anyone who obstructs the new policies, besieges government offices, or violently resists taxes, Tian Ergeng," he said, looking at the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, "you, the imperial guards, need not report to the emperor or request permission, arrest them on the spot! Interrogate them severely, gather evidence, and punish them according to the law, as a warning to others!"

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Tian Ergeng's usually expressionless face, and a bloodthirsty excitement flashed in his dark eyes. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, leaned forward slightly, and spoke in a deep voice filled with longing.

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree. My imperial guards are ready to vanquish all evil spirits and demons at any time!"

The emperor nodded and turned his gaze to Lu Xiang-sheng.

"Anyone who gathers a crowd to resist the law, or who incites rebellion, Lu Xiang-sheng," his voice regained its composure, yet carried an undeniable air of ruthlessness, "your troops are my law! Execution first, reporting later, is a special privilege of imperial authority!"

"The time has come to make a name for ourselves and achieve great things."

Lu Xiang-sheng clenched his fist on his knee, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

A surge of long-suppressed passion erupted from the depths of his heart like magma from the earth. He abruptly rose from his seat, knelt on one knee once more, his entire upper body taut like a bowstring.

"Wherever Your Majesty's sword points, my blade and spear will follow!"

Power, a pure sense of power, bursts forth from this brief answer.

Hou Xun and Yang Sichang were completely stunned.

They then realized that the emperor had summoned not just the two of them, the civil officials, tonight. This was a fusion of sword and pen, an interweaving of benevolent rule and tyrannical rule. The emperor had already equipped his new policies with the sharpest and most cruel fangs and iron claws.

Zhu Youjian was very satisfied with their response.

"The Ming Dynasty's finances and taxes will be divided into two."

"First, central taxes."

"Salt, tea, customs, and mines—these four are the lifeblood of the nation and the public good of the world! Their taxes belong entirely to the central government, directly managed by the tax office, and every penny goes into the national treasury. This is mine! It is the money and provisions to feed hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the nine borders, and the life-saving money to relieve disaster victims throughout the world!" He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife sweeping over everyone in the hall.

"Anyone who dares to lay a hand on the matter is an enemy of the nation, an enemy of the Emperor!"

A deathly silence fell over the room. Even the occasional crackling of charcoal popping in the brazier sounded particularly jarring.

Then, the emperor's voice grew colder and colder, detonating the most climax of the night with a thunderous roar.

"Secondly, shared taxes."

"Land tax and commercial tax will be collected according to the new system after land survey and registration, based on the actual amount collected. Of the total amount collected, the central government will take seven and the local government will retain three!"

These words struck Hou Xun and Yang Sichang like a silent thunderclap.

70/30!

Moreover, they're cutting into the two most fundamental and core sources of revenue: land tax and commercial tax! This is ruthless exploitation!
This is to fundamentally and thoroughly destroy the economic foundation upon which local gentry and bureaucratic groups depend for survival!

Looking at the four faces, each different yet all equally filled with shock, the emperor showed no sign of triumph.

He knew this was just the beginning; drawing up a grand blueprint was easy, but turning it into reality required the blood and bones of countless people.

He looked at Lu Xiang-sheng, his voice steady.

"Minister Lu, your first task is not to fight on the battlefield. I want your soldiers to protect the surveyors from the Ministry of Revenue and remeasure this land in Jiangnan, inch by inch!"

He walked up to Lu Xiang-sheng and looked down at him.

"I want to see if the preferential treatment plaques of those gentry and wealthy families, which grant them the privilege of living in harmony with the nation, are harder than the bayonets of my Ming soldiers when the swords and spears of the new army are at their side!"

Lu Xiang-sheng felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and he kowtowed heavily: "Your subject, I would gladly die ten thousand times!"

Immediately, the emperor's gaze turned to Hou Xun, Yang Sichang, and Tian Ergeng.

"Minister Hou, Minister Yang," he said sternly, "you two will take the lead in drafting the regulations, laws, and detailed rules for the Customs Service! It must be done quickly, before I arrive in Jiangnan, with a complete draft ready!"

"Minister Tian, ​​you will cooperate! Order all shops, workshops, banks, and warehouses in Jiangnan to register with the newly established tax office within a specified period and obtain 'business registration.' Any business that fails to register will be considered a black market operation! Your Imperial Guards, together with the local garrisons, will directly confiscate their assets! Thirty percent of the proceeds will go to your Imperial Guards, and seventy percent will go to the national treasury!"

He added another sentence, which made Hou and Yang's hearts skip a beat.

"Furthermore, I will instruct Fan Jingwen of the Ming Dynasty Treasury to prepare. I intend to promote the issuance of Ming Dynasty Treasury notes to every corner of Jiangnan. I want to expose to the light of day all those millions and tens of millions of dollars buried underground and circulating in the black market!"

"It's difficult, isn't it?"

The emperor suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh devoid of sarcasm, but rather brimming with an all-knowing confidence.

He turned around, returned to his desk, looked at them intently, and uttered those words that were enough to reassure everyone, bringing them back from hell to earth.

“I know what you are worried about. Without manpower, money, or rules, relying solely on courage in the dangerous and dangerous Jiangnan region is no different from throwing an egg against a rock.”

He paused, then said, "I have already sent an urgent message to the capital. Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan and President of the Great Ming Treasury Fan Jingwen are to depart for the south immediately. My instruction to them is to meet you in Songjiang Prefecture!"

This news was like a warm current instantly flowing into the cold hearts of Hou Xun and Yang Sichang.

Bi Ziyan, Minister of Revenue! With him in the south to oversee things, this whole game finally has a real foundation!

The emperor picked up a book of memorials that had already been bound together from his desk. On the cover were the four large characters "Outline of the Tax Bureau".

He tossed the booklet onto the table.

"This contains the departmental functions, organizational structure, and power boundaries of the Tax Bureau, which I have personally drafted over the past few months. However," he changed the subject, "I have left blanks regarding staffing, budget, and how local branches should adapt to local conditions."

"Hou Xun, Yang Sichang," the emperor's gaze swept over their faces, carrying an undeniable authority and expectation, "I am giving you a chance. After Bi Ziyan and Fan Jingwen arrive, you two will assist them in thoroughly perfecting this outline!"

"I hereby appoint you two as the Left and Right Assistants of the Jiangnan Customs Commission! Hou Xun will be in charge of Zhejiang and Fujian, with Songjiang Prefecture as his headquarters. Yang Sichang will be in charge of the entire Southern Zhili region!"

"I want to see which of you two, whom I personally selected, can take a piece of the tough bone in this Jiangnan region for me and for the Ming Dynasty!"

If the previous appointments were a responsibility and a pressure, then these words at this moment ignited the fire of all their ambition and aspirations!
It's a dilemma!

They will each control one of the two most prosperous territories in the land!
Hou Xun and Yang Sichang instantly felt a surge of heat rush from their feet to their heads. All the fear and unease they had felt earlier transformed into boundless ambition to achieve great things!
The emperor looked at the burning flames in their eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, turned his back to everyone, and looked out at the snow-white earth illuminated by the moonlight.

"My temporary residence is the central hub of power for the Ming Dynasty!"

"I want the whole world to open their eyes wide and see how I will create a brand new world in the south!"

"Without a thorough land survey, a tax system cannot be established..."

The emperor drawled out his words, which echoed endlessly in the quiet night.

"I will never return north!"

As the words fell, the emperor's figure was reflected on the windowpane covered with Korean paper, like an immovable king suppressing the ancient demonic aura, silent and majestic, suppressing all the undercurrents within this post station and even the entire world outside the post station!
Hou Xun and Yang Sichang were so excited that they trembled all over.

However, amidst the fervor, they all noticed a detail in the emperor's words.

"After I... quell the rebellion in Jiangnan..."

Suppressing the rebellion?

The Jiangnan region has been peaceful for a long time, so where does this "rebellion" come from?
unless……

A terrible thought arose in both of their minds at the same time.

(End of this chapter)