I am the snake demon!

"Does Your Highness intend to collect commercial taxes?"

The officials from the Prince's residence who came to discuss matters immediately changed their expressions upon hearing Bai Xuan's words.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Bai Xuan asked the official.

"Your Highness, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. You have just ascended the throne and should govern by non-interference, not by rashly making reforms that could affect the people's livelihood. Furthermore, the commercial tax was established by the late king, and as his son, you should not change it without authorization," the official said respectfully.

"What's your name? What's your job?" Bai Xuan asked, frowning.

"Your Highness, I am Liu Chong, the Junior Steward of the Prince's Palace," the official replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

"From what you're saying, you're completely loyal to my father," Bai Xuan said.

"Your subject is utterly loyal to the late king," Liu Chong replied without hesitation.

"Alright, since that's the case, the late king must have had a hard time in the underworld without your service. Although it's been a long time, he should still need you if you are buried with him. Go and be buried with him." Bai Xuan waved his hand, and then a guard from the royal palace entered the hall, grabbed Liu Chong, and was about to drag him out.

Liu Chong's face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, and he cried out, "Your Highness, I was wrong! Spare me! Princess, save me!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuhua frowned slightly and looked at Bai Xuan, saying, "Third brother, Liu Shaofu has served the Prince's Mansion for ten years. Even if he hasn't made any great contributions, he has certainly put in a lot of hard work."

"Very well, since eldest sister has spoken, let's keep it for now." Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan looked at the guards of the Prince's Mansion, and only then did the guards stop.

Having narrowly escaped death, Liu Chong bowed deeply and said excitedly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for sparing my life. Thank you, Princess."

"However, you shouldn't take the position of Junior Chamberlain. Which of you is the Junior Chamberlain Assistant?" Bai Xuan looked at the other officials.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Among the many officials of the Prince's Palace, a civil official swallowed hard and stepped out of the path with a slightly timid expression.

After the new Prince of Zhenbei returned to his residence, he had not handled any political affairs. His subordinates knew nothing about his temperament, and they never expected that he would kill the Minister of the Imperial Household Department at the first meeting.

If the princess hadn't spoken up, the young master would probably be dead by now.

Even if he doesn't die, he's already crippled, and his future is uncertain.

Indeed, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.

"You'll be in charge of the Imperial Household Department. Prepare a plan for collecting commercial taxes in seven days. Any questions?" Bai Xuan asked.

Upon hearing this, the former Vice Minister of the Imperial Household was taken aback at first, then his eyes widened and burst forth with an unprecedentedly bright light. He excitedly said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not need seven days, I will only need five days to come up with a plan that will satisfy Your Majesty. To be honest, I also feel that the current commercial tax is too low, and I have long intended to submit a memorial to Your Majesty to levy a commercial tax. However, I was afraid of being obstructed by villains, so I dared not submit the memorial."

Although the titles "Shaofu Cheng" and "Shaofu" differ by only one character, the difference between the two is like heaven and earth.

If he hadn't come today, it would have taken him at least ten years to advance further.

So, he achieved instant success without doing anything?

What does it mean to serve a ruler as if serving a tiger?

Your Majesty is wise!

He has a keen eye and recognized his talent at a glance!

I would go through fire and water for the king!

Upon hearing the phrase "the Junior Prefectural Magistrate has become the Junior Prefect," everyone present turned their attention to him, especially his deputies, whose eyes burned with anticipation, revealing different intentions.

They are no less capable than this Junior Chamberlain.

"Really? Tell me about it." Bai Xuan looked at the new young master and said.

"When the northern border was first pacified, everything was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt. To promote the people's livelihood, the late king set a commercial tax of one-thirtieth of the taxes, which showed his concern for the people and his great virtue and wisdom. However, times have changed. At that time, everything was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt, but now, under the rule of the late king, the northern border is prosperous in all industries and commerce is thriving. The trade routes to the Western Regions are thriving and caravans are coming and going in an endless stream. However, the commercial tax is still low and does not match the economic situation. This is harmful to the people's livelihood and makes the people's hearts unsettled. They want to do business instead of farming, which shakes the foundation. This is a great harm."

"Furthermore, many of those who come to trade have connections, so even the commercial taxes that should be paid are often not submitted. Some merchants even bribe officials, from ordinary clerks to prefects, which further reduces commercial taxes in the northern border. I find this extremely inappropriate, especially since the Xu family's exemption from commercial taxes is a real problem. I believe that the tax rate needs to be increased, and the types of taxes that need to be collected should also be expanded..."

The new young master spoke eloquently.

The duty of the Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household) is to collect taxes from the fiefdoms, and the Shaofu Cheng (Assistant Director of the Imperial Household) is the deputy of the Shaofu. If he said he knew nothing about commercial taxes, he would be lying.

It's just that the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; and if you do nothing, you make no mistakes.

If even the head of the Imperial Household Department doesn't care, what can his deputy care about?

Even if the Prince's mansion collected more taxes, it wouldn't end up in his pocket. If he were to bring it up rashly, he might offend the Xu family.

But if it leads to a promotion, that's a different story.

As an official of the royal court, serving the king faithfully and working for the well-being of the people are his duties as a subject!

Bai Xuan nodded slightly, a satisfied expression on his face. Professionalism really makes a difference. He asked, "Very good. What's your name?"

"Your Majesty, this humble servant is Tian Ji," the new young master of the palace said respectfully.

"Tianji, a good name. If you can collect good commercial taxes, you will be the cornerstone of my northern border," Bai Xuan said.

"Your Highness is too kind. I will serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty and dedication," Tian Ji said excitedly.

The North is the cornerstone of the nation.

He felt his blood boiling.

Bai Xuan smiled faintly, then looked at the others and said, "Today is not the first time you have met me, but it should be the first time you have gotten to know me. You have all dedicated yourselves to the Northern Border for many years, and I cherish old friendships and will not punish you arbitrarily. But what I want are people who are loyal to the Northern Border and to me, and who can serve me, not people who want to teach me. After all, you are not my uncle. If anyone feels that they are not suitable, they can resign now."

"We dare not," the officials replied, bowing in unison.

"Then devise a plan for me. Remember, we should not fear changes in the weather, nor heed public opinion, nor blindly follow ancestral laws. As long as it benefits the northern border, we need not consider anything else. I will inform your families when I have the results. From today onwards, you will live in the palace. Those who perform meritorious service will be richly rewarded, like Minister Tian, ​​while those who attempt to obstruct will be punished like Liu Chong," Bai Xuan said.

"Your Majesty, we obey." Upon hearing this, the officials bowed again.

The deputy was eager to make a move, while the head of the department felt immense pressure.

Inside the hall, a group of civil officials racked their brains, offering suggestions and advice.

This was the first time Xu Yuhua had ever seen the officials of the Prince's Palace so ambitious.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting.

Bai Xuan invited them to have a meal and stay at his residence, and said the meeting would be held the next day.

After everyone left, Xu Yuhua looked at Bai Xuan with amazement and said, "Third brother, you were born to be the Prince of Zhenbei."

"Elder sister, you flatter me. I am just an ordinary person." Bai Xuan tried his best to say that he was very ordinary in a very arrogant tone.

Seeing Bai Xuan's silly antics, Xu Yuhua couldn't help but smile.

"Judging from the enthusiasm of these people, we should be able to formulate a relatively complete commercial tax system. Combined with the previous plan, this two-pronged approach can resolve the situation in the northern border," Li Daoyan said with satisfaction.

Bai Xuan's desire to impose commercial taxes was somewhat unexpected, but he also had high hopes for the outcome. In any case, as long as he retained his military power, even if the plan failed, it wouldn't fundamentally affect the situation; he could simply start over.

In his view, Bai Xuan's two-pronged approach might actually solve the problem.

"So I went to practice chess and focused on preparing for the upcoming Zhenlong Chess Tournament. I'll leave the rest to Uncle Zhong and Eldest Sister. Good luck, Uncle Zhong and Eldest Sister." Bai Xuan made a gesture of encouragement to them, and then left with Hongxiu.

"Go for it? What do you mean?" Xu Yuhua looked at Li Daoyan in confusion.

"I don't know. Your Highness often makes some surprising remarks. I'm going to give you some pointers on chess and formations." Li Daoyan smiled warmly, then quickly got up and left.

He's already so old, he's practically a dying lamp, why bother adding more oil?

Seeing this, Xu Yuhua was both annoyed and amused. She shook her head helplessly, returned to her room, and continued to handle official business. Changing the commercial tax was easier said than done.

Even as the night grew deep and quiet, Xu Yuhua remained hunched over her desk, poring over the intricate commercial tax cases. A headache struck her, and she instinctively looked up to see that the lamp oil was almost gone, intending to have someone add some more.

Just as this thought crossed Xu Yuhua's mind, she remembered Bai Xuan's words from that afternoon: "Keep it up!"

Does this guy mean I should add more lamp oil at night so I can work better?

Thinking of this, Xu Yuhua couldn't help but bite her lip lightly, a hint of embarrassment and annoyance appearing on her face. No, she had to get him to do the work.

It doesn't make sense. He, the Prince of Zhenbei, enjoys the company of beautiful women every day, while I, a mere princess, have to work day and night.

It's not my son who will inherit the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion in the future.