Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Seeing Fu Su's forehead covered in fine sweat and his face pale, many ministers couldn't help but shake their heads. It seemed that Bai Su had won this competition.

Bai Su smiled and looked at Fu Su in front of her: "I wonder if Your Highness is convinced?"

"I……"

Fu Su's face was pale. Just as she was struggling to speak, someone stepped forward and said, "Young Master Bai, we have something to say."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old with a thin face suddenly stand out from the crowd.

She cupped her hands and said, “Your Majesty, this policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce is the national policy of Great Xia. After hundreds of years and the consideration of six wise rulers of Great Xia, it is evident that this policy has stood the test of time and is truly the foundation of the country.”

"The trade that Young Master Bai mentioned seems to have some benefits at present, but it is only his opinion after all. No one knows whether it will be good or bad in the future."

"To hastily define it as the national policy of Great Xia based solely on his words would be a gross oversimplification."

"Since Young Master Bai compares himself to the wise and talented Shang Yang and Zhang Yi, would you allow us to have a contest with him? This would allow us to see just how much real talent Young Master Bai has, and we would accept defeat wholeheartedly."

Zhengjie's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly; she recognized the person before her.

This person is named Yan Lu. She comes from a prestigious Confucian family and is one of the leading Confucian figures who joined the Great Xia. Her decision to step forward at this time is somewhat troublesome.

Yan Lu is not as easy to deal with as Fu Su. It is said that she was exceptionally talented in literature from a young age. Not only did she emulate Confucius in lecturing, but she also had thousands of disciples and a considerable influence among the people. She cultivated many grassroots officials for the Great Xia Dynasty.

Even if Zhengjie disliked Confucianism, she could not deny the contributions she made to the Great Xia Dynasty.

If Bai Su were to be provoked by her and impulsively engage in a debate with her, it would probably not be an easy task.

Zhengjie glanced at Bai Su with a worried expression, wondering how to remind him.

When Bai Su saw that Sister Zheng was looking straight at her, she thought it was encouragement.

He smiled confidently and said directly, "Since you insist on seeking my guidance, how can I turn a blind eye? Although I come from humble origins, I should be able to offer you some pointers on literary skills."

This... did Bai Su eat chives? What a boastful tone!

You, a mere workshop official in the Imperial Household Department, actually dare to offer guidance to renowned Confucian scholars.

This is like a heifer becoming an elephant's mistress—it's absolutely outrageous!

The officials in the main hall looked at each other blankly for a moment.

Hu Su clenched her little fists and excitedly cheered, "Bai Su, teach her a good lesson!"

Zhengjie rubbed her temples, which were throbbing slightly, with her slender, jade-like fingers.

Although she was happy to see these scholars looking defeated, Bai Su had made such grand pronouncements right from the start, and if they lost later, it would be difficult to handle the situation.

After all, Bai Su has made great contributions one after another, attracting countless people to try to curry favor with him. However, many people are also jealous of him, but they just lack a suitable excuse for it.

If he loses, he'll inevitably be targeted and kicked when he's down.

Zhengjie looked at Bai Su in the distance, her heart itching with anger. She wished she could grab his ear and see what he was thinking all day long.

Having finally won a match, it's time to know when to stop. Why risk her provocation and give her an excuse to retaliate?

But the words have already been spoken, and it's too late to regret them. She can only bite the bullet and go for it. Hopefully, Bai Su won't lose too badly.

Zhengjie glanced at Bai Su with a hint of helplessness, then waved her hand and said, "Then I'll leave it to the two of you."

Yan Lu's face lit up with surprise, and he cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."

Bai Su asked with a smile, "Does Your Excellency have any insightful opinions?"

Yan Lu turned his head and looked at the white-clad youth in front of him.

She smiled and said, "I wouldn't call it profound theory, but I feel that Young Master Bai's words are somewhat inappropriate. As the saying goes, without rules, there can be no order. Prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce is the foundation of the nation."

"It has been implemented for hundreds of years, and it is precisely because of this national policy that the Great Xia has gradually grown stronger and unified the six kingdoms, which shows the stability of this policy."

"As for the business strategy that you advocate, it seems to have some advantages at present. However, everything has its pros and cons. Who knows what hidden dangers might be lurking behind this seemingly good appearance?"

"Have you not seen how the Tian family usurped the throne of Qi, and how Lü Buwei seized power and controlled the court?"

"Merchants are cunning by nature and are a source of trouble. To avoid repeating the same mistakes, we must not open this door lightly."

After hearing her words, the officials in the court couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Ever since the Tian family usurped the throne of Qi, all states have been wary of merchants. Relaxing the suppression of these merchants would pose a significant risk.

Bai Su smiled and said, "Your Excellency is mistaken."

Yan Lu was taken aback and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Bai Su raised a finger and said, "The reason why the Tian family was able to usurp the throne of Qi has little to do with his identity as a merchant. It is simply because the power of the Qi kingdom was declining, the monarch was weak and the ministers were strong, and the monarch was gradually losing control of the court."

"Even without the Tian family, if it were any other renowned minister who knew how to win people's hearts, the State of Qi would still be usurped sooner or later."

"There were no merchants in the Jin court or among the people, but the division of Jin into three states still occurred. This was essentially due to the decline of royal power and the loss of authority to others, and had little to do with merchants."

"To put it bluntly, this merchant is just a branch on a potted plant. What shape it will grow into depends entirely on the court's decision."

"The imperial court holds a million-strong army, which is like a sharp pair of scissors. If these merchants are decent and obedient, then let them grow well. If they don't want to obey, then give them a snip and make them decent."

"The so-called merchants in front of His Majesty are nothing but playthings in his palm, so there is no need to worry about them."

Yan Lu frowned, glancing at Bai Su with some surprise. She hadn't expected Bai Su to be so knowledgeable about the power struggles in the courts of the six kingdoms in the past.

A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead, and she said, "If that's the case, why not let the imperial court monopolize all trade? Why let private merchants participate, violating the national policy of many years, giving them the opportunity to inflate prices and disrupt the world? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Bai Su shook his head and said with a smile, "It's not about causing trouble, but rather to facilitate the court's governance."

Yan Lu was stunned: "Wh...what do you mean?"

Bai Su said with a smile, "There are many kinds of business. For necessities like salt and iron, the imperial court needs to completely monopolize them to prevent some merchants from raising prices and disrupting the world for profit."

"It is more appropriate for non-essential goods, such as cloth, embroidery, lacquerware, wine, and cinnabar, to be traded by private merchants."

"After all, the court's energy is limited, and it is impossible to be all-encompassing and have everything under its control."

“Producing, transporting, and selling in this way is a very troublesome matter, requiring a large number of officials to be dispatched, which we simply cannot manage.”

"Let these businesses be left to private merchants, let them find ways to transport goods to various places and make money beyond the Great Wall. The imperial court only needs to control each checkpoint and collect taxes."

"In this way, we can easily collect a large amount of tax revenue from merchants with very little cost. As merchants replenish their supplies, the people's resources will gradually become abundant, their lives will improve, and the national treasury will gradually become full. Is there any more profitable deal in the world?"

"Even if the court encounters an emergency shortage of money in the future, it can choose a fat pig to slaughter for a prosperous New Year. Why not?"

Yan Lu stared blankly at Bai Su, and couldn't help but gasp.

While others harvest grain to support their families, he treats merchants like straw, harvesting them round after round.

Using commerce as a tool, what a... deep and cunning calculation.

Bai Su looked at her with a smile: "I wonder if there is anything else you would like to ask?"

Yan Lu's face turned pale. She never expected that Bai Su, at such a young age, would be so knowledgeable about business, governance, and the court struggles of hundreds of years ago.

It was as if all the philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Thought had gathered in one person; this oppressive feeling made her chest feel tight and she could hardly breathe.

Yan Lu looked at Bai Su, who was smiling in front of him. After struggling with his thoughts for a long time, he cupped his hands and said, "Young master is very talented. I have lost."

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to lose all her strength, and her steps became unsteady.

All the officials present were stunned; the person before them…

The figure before them, dressed in white robes with a serene smile, was imprinted in their minds, becoming an eternal memory.

Chapter 108 Hu Yu's Tooth Mark

Several days later.

The entire city of Xianyang was in an uproar.

There's only one reason...

The imperial court finally relaxed its crackdown on merchants, who no longer had to worry about being arrested and forced into corvée labor alongside prisoners.

We can now fully engage in trade.

Although the notice stated that the more money you earn in business, the higher the taxes you have to pay, which is a little annoying, it's not entirely unacceptable.

Because the imperial court will take the lead in opening up trade with the grasslands and the Yuezhi Kingdom, which is exciting news!

You have to understand that goods from the Central Plains are scarce outside the Great Wall.

Simply take some medicinal herbs, wine, ceramics, and silk to the border region, and you can easily earn several times, even ten times, the profits, and reap a fortune.

In the past, when trading with the Xiongnu tribes outside the pass, they had to worry about bandits on the road, or being killed and robbed by the Xiongnu, which posed a danger to their lives.

But things are different now. The imperial court leads the way to trade outside the Great Wall, and we can seek the protection of the government along the way. With this security guaranteed, paying more taxes doesn't seem so unacceptable.

The city was instantly filled with the sounds of people talking.

Merchants gathered in Xianyang, preparing their goods and getting ready to follow the imperial entourage to the border region immediately.

Meanwhile, in the Shaofu (Imperial Household Department).

Bai Su held a newly bound book in his hand, stroking his chin as he fell into thought. The economy had been basically established, and the second step would naturally be to start with culture.

If the Xiongnu tribes were to change their customs and integrate into the Central Plains, this process of changing customs and customs would be essential.

He specifically instructed his men to bind some books, preparing to transport them to the borderlands with the caravan. Most of these books contained information on clothing, etiquette, ethics, and morality from the Central Plains, as well as some simple surnames, genealogies, and so on.

So that the Beiting Protectorate, starting with the Left Wise King, would learn the Central Plains script, wear the Central Plains clothes, adopt the Central Plains names, and abide by the ethics and morality of the Central Plains.

After all, the customs of the Xiongnu tribes were still very backward. When the father died, his wife and concubines were inherited by his son.

If the elder brother dies, his wife and concubines will be inherited by the younger brother.

As for German orthopedics, they had absolutely no scruples.

Such customs are far too barbaric and backward compared to those of the Central Plains.

Therefore, Bai Su planned to start by reforming the local customs and habits of the Xiongnu nobles and students in private schools.

It is believed that after one or two generations, the Xiongnu royal court will no longer exist in the southern Gobi Desert.

Is this the Zhou Dynasty ritual?

Looking at the books on the table, Wang Er felt utterly in awe of Bai Su.

After the Longmen Study had been operating for a period of time, he naturally knew the advantages of paper books: they were lightweight, produced in large quantities, and were inexpensive, making them the best tool for knowledge dissemination.

In the past, when Jiang Taigong went to the land of Qi, he preached to a group of Dongyi people and spread the etiquette of the Central Plains. There were only seven or eight hundred listeners.

But Bai Su was quite different. In such a short time, he had found a way to educate and transform all the hundreds of thousands of barbarians in the entire southern desert into Chinese.