132: Wang Anshi's Reform

Chapter 131: Wang Anshi's Reform

In the end, Xie Jiuque still knelt down before Zheng Yi with complete and utter submission.

He could not even defeat Zheng Yi alone.

Not to mention, there were also three Innate eunuchs whose presence and Cultivation Technique surpassed his own!

This Great Yu palace was truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers lay.

Not only the eunuchs, but even Your Majesty...

"Xie Jiuque."

"I... This humble commoner is here."

A hoarse voice rang out, and Xie Jiuque helplessly lowered his head.

"Are you willing to work for Us?"

"I am willing."

"Are you willing to assist Us in controlling the Great Yu Martial Forest?"

"I am willing."

"Are you willing to join Our Great Yu Dynasty?"

"I am willing."

"Very good."

Zheng Yi said, "Starting today, you shall be a consultant of the Shangwu Division of Our Great Yu and the vice president of the Martial Artists Association."

"However, your identity does not need to be made public. We still have important matters that require you to handle them."

"Your Majesty?"

Xie Jiuque's eyes flickered as he asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"We speak of needing a Jianghu person to control the Martial Forest for Us."

"Originally, Zhao Su Ling was the most suitable, but unfortunately, the Taiyi Sect and the Great Yu Dynasty were too deeply intertwined, drawing the dissatisfaction of many Jianghu people, so We had no choice but to look for someone else."

"And you were the most unfortunate, barely running right into Our gunsight, so We had to choose you."

"As long as you can help Us control the Great Yu Martial Forest, We naturally will not treat you unfairly."

"Let Us think..."

Looking down at Xie Jiuque from above, Zheng Yi said, "Your Cultivation Technique is incomplete. Being able to Cultivate to this day relies entirely on your own talent and Aptitude, as well as saber technique Secret Manuals randomly snatched from other Sects, which is utterly unorganized."

"If you help Us complete this task, We will fully open the Imperial Palace's Martial Treasury to you."

"You may acquire all the martial arts stored within the Martial Treasury, how about it?"

"Really?!"

Xie Jiuque's eyes suddenly brightened.

The Great Yu Martial Treasury.

Rumor had it that this Martial Treasury was established during the reign of the Great Yu Taizong, collecting the martial arts of countless Sects across the world.

There were even martial arts Secret Manuals of Sects that had been destroyed, leaving behind only unique copies.

If he could learn these martial arts Secret Manuals, wouldn't his saber technique progress to the next level?

Furthermore, the Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber, White Lotus Nianhua Art, Heavenly Demon Great Art, Seven Stars Sword Technique, and others that Emperor Zhengyong used to defeat him just now might also be collected in the Martial Treasury.

If he could obtain so many Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals...

"We are the Emperor, and what We say is an imperial decree."

Zheng Yi said concisely, "Rest assured, We will never treat you unfairly."

"Furthermore, We can even have Xu Mujun spar with you and jointly discuss the progression of saber techniques."

"This commoner... This subject obeys the decree!"

In the end, Xie Jiuque bowed down with complete submission, his eyes respectful.

"Very good."

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "We will arrange five Grandmaster Realm and more than a dozen First Grade Realm Martial Artists to accompany you to the southern Martial Forest to boost your momentum."

"You can also establish a Sect in the south relying on the foundation We have given you, widely invite heroes from all over the world, and hold a martial arts tournament, how about it?"

"A martial arts tournament..."

Xie Jiuque's eyes grew even brighter, and he said with excitement, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"However, under what pretext should I hold this martial arts tournament?"

"It's very simple, it will be targeting Our Ban on Martial Arts!"

Zheng Yi said concisely, "After you arrive in the southern Martial Forest, you can use the name of sparring to defeat various Sects in the southern Martial Forest. If no Innate experts make a move, no one will be your match."

"Even if there are hidden Innate experts, you just need to remain undefeated."

"After your reputation rises, you can then establish a Sect, hold a martial arts tournament, and recruit Martial Forest people."

Xie Jiuque hesitated and said, "If I hold the martial arts tournament under the pretext of the Ban on Martial Arts, should I support it or ban it?"

"At that time..."

Zheng Yi sneered, "By that time, whether to support or ban it will no longer be up to you."

"Ah?"

"There is one more matter, help Us keep an eye out for it."

"What matter?"

"The Yunmeng Lake Tuoba Family. Investigate and find out the situation of Yunmeng Marsh for Us."

"Yunmeng Marsh..."

Xie Jiuque hesitated and said, "When I was young, I once broke into Yunmeng Marsh and defeated several experts of the Yunmeng Lake Tuoba Family, but in the end, I was defeated by a young man who claimed to be from the 'Yunmeng Marsh Main Family'."

"Main Family? Hidden Sect? Manifest Sect?"

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "No matter what, find a way to investigate the Tuoba Family, but do not act rashly, understand?"

"Alright, I understand."

In the end, Xie Jiuque left, taking five Grandmasters of the Shangwu Division and over a dozen First Grade Realm Martial Artists, plunging headfirst into the southern Jianghu.

He was merely a spare piece placed by Zheng Yi.

What if there were unexpected gains in the future?

And now his focus was placed on another matter.

Forcing the aristocratic families to rebel!

Indeed.

He wanted to force this group of aristocratic families to rebel against Us!

A few days later, during the grand court assembly.

"Speak early if you have matters, and withdraw from court if there are none!"

As soon as Liu Chengen's voice fell, Wang Anshi stepped out of the ranks.

"Your Majesty, this subject has a memorial to present!"

Many officials raised their brows and looked at Wang Anshi.

The current imperial court was divided into several major factions.

The leader was naturally the Emperors Party established under Zheng Yi's instruction.

Wang Anshi, Yuan Qichang, and Cai Dashi all belonged to this faction.

Next was the military faction led by Grand General Xu Mujun.

Calling it a military faction, it was actually Xu Mujun's one-man show.

He had always supported the Great Yu Dynasty and could also be regarded as part of the Emperors Party.

The third faction was the faction of aristocratic family officials led by Lu Xiangqing, Li Yuanhao, and Kong Xiangsi.

This faction had the largest number of people and the deepest foundation. Although their power was not the greatest, they were involved in the most departments, which other factions simply could not compare with.

The fourth faction was the southern Purist Faction headed by Zheng Xuanyue.

The officials of this faction were all scholars who ascended to the stage of the imperial court through the imperial examinations.

They fancied themselves disciples of the Saint and of purist origins, looking down upon aristocratic families and the Emperors Party.

Unfortunately, they held no great power in their hands, their influence was thin, and their authority was the smallest.

The last faction...

It consisted of several officials who were on good terms with Liu Chengen, the Directorate of Ceremonial Directorate's Chancellor Eunuch. They were depressed and unfulfilled, and were squeezed out by other factions for various reasons.

Having no other choice, they could only gather around Liu Chengen and the others to huddle together for warmth.

This faction was called the Eunuch Faction, and it had the fewest people.

Today, Wang Anshi spoke up first. Since he was the Emperor's mouthpiece, didn't that mean the Emperor was going to make another big move?

Zheng Yi said, "What important matter does Beloved Minister Wang have?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject has a volume of data here and requests Your Majesty's permission to make it public to all my colleagues."

Data?

Hearing this word, quite a few of them felt their hearts skip a beat.

The last time the word data appeared was when Grand General Xu Mujun implemented the Ban on Martial Arts.

Could it be that today, Your Majesty was going to issue another ban?

Zheng Yi said concisely, "Read."

"Since this subject took office as the Junior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, I have set about uniting the Jinyi Guard, the local prefects of the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Yu, prefectural troops, and others to measure the cultivated land area of the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Yu."

"The Mang Huang Two Prefectures were recently returned to Our Great Yu, so they have not been measured yet."

Wang Anshi waved his hand, and immediately an official from the Ministry of Revenue ran over holding a stack of account books and handed them to Wang Anshi.

"As of October 5th in the seventh year of zhengyong, the measurement was completed."

"Including the capital, the total cultivated land area of the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Yu is 1.0365 billion mu, and the total population is over 200 million people."

"Because since the 27th year of Tianqi, Great Yu has continuously experienced natural and man-made disasters, resulting in a continuous stream of refugees whose population cannot be clearly ascertained. Therefore, we can only check based on the registered household population of each prefecture and county."

"Why are there so many refugees in Great Yu?"

"It is very simple. The common people have no land to farm and simply cannot survive!"

"They have no choice but to sell their sons and daughters, turning into refugees and making a living by begging everywhere."

"Once these people who cannot survive are incited by scheming individuals, they will turn into rioters!"

"In recent years, civilian rebellions have been continuous in the six northern prefectures, and this is precisely why they arose."

Although Wang Anshi's voice was not loud, it sounded rather grating to the ears of many court ministers.

"However, judging by the total cultivated land area and the total population, every commoner should have at least five mu of cultivable land, which is enough to feed all the common people."

"Yet unfortunately, countless common people still fall into refugees, and subsequently transform into rioters and mobs!"

Just at this moment, someone interrupted Wang Anshi.

"Lord Wang, your words are wrong."

"Although the total cultivated land area is over a billion mu, land can be bought and sold."

"Some common people are lazy by nature, dislike farming, and idle around all day, leaving their fields desolate."

"In order to survive, they have no choice but to sell their land, thus land becomes concentrated in the hands of hardworking common people, through which more food and taxes can be produced."

"Could it be that Lord Wang disregards the life and death of other common people and lets the land lie barren?"

"No."

Wang Anshi said, "What I am talking about is not this, but the change in the total cultivated land area of Our Great Yu."

"This subject has checked the records. During the 35th year of Tianqi, the Ministry of Revenue once conducted a nationwide total measurement of cultivated land and population."

"At that time, the country's cultivable area reached as much as 1.75 billion mu, and the population was even 350 million!"

"It was also checked during the seventh year of Tianqi, with a cultivable area of 1.86 billion mu."

"Going further back, in the fourth year of Wanchang, the country's cultivable area was 1.62 billion mu."

"In Great Yu's more than three hundred years, the country's cultivable area was at its peak in the eleventh year of Yongan, when the country's cultivable area reached a full 2.1 billion mu!"

"Lord Shen, you said that there are lazy common people unwilling to farm, and that cultivated land becomes concentrated in the hands of hardworking and down-to-earth common people, but why is it that in just over twenty years, the cultivated land area has decreased by a full 700 million mu!"

"Where on earth did these 700 million mu of land go? Do you colleagues know?"

Facing the many court ministers, Wang Anshi saw that the expressions of the officials present varied, yet no one said anything at this moment.

Wang Anshi turned around, straightened his robes, crossed his hands, and bowed down to the ground.

"Your Majesty, as investigated and ascertained by this subject, from the 35th year of Tianqi to the 7th year of zhengyong, Great Yu's cultivable area has inexplicably decreased by a full 700 million mu due to various reasons!"

"Natural disasters are one aspect, but man-made disasters are even more important!"

"Excessive taxes and levies, and endless corvée labor and military service have caused the common people to suffer immensely, leaving them with no choice but to sell their fields and land and turn into refugees."

"And these lands ultimately become concentrated in the hands of large landlords, high-ranking officials, major aristocratic families, and even nobility."

"Because of their special status, these major aristocratic families, large landlords, and nobility do not need to pay taxes, causing Great Yu's tax revenue to worsen year by year, leaving the national treasury empty and making Great Yu precarious."

"There is an even greater batch of people who wantonly conceal tenant farmers and corvée labor, using deceptive means to hide specific cultivated land and population, thereby obtaining massive profits."

"All of these are digging up the roots of Our Great Yu!"

"There are also officials; those who bear scholarly honor are exempt from paying taxes, which causes countless large landlords to affiliate hundreds or tens of thousands of mu of land under their command under the names of scholars with scholarly honor, thereby evading massive taxes and rendering the country poor and weak."

"Merchants also do not need to pay taxes; this is a great taboo."

"Merchants do not produce; they buy low and sell high, hoard supplies for speculation, and forget righteousness for profit. Has Your Majesty forgotten the past Eight Great Merchants of Bing?"

"Taxation is the foundation of the country, and there are far too many worms in the imperial court. We humbly ask Your Majesty to discern this clearly."

"For this reason, this subject implores Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the country's land and population, abolish exorbitant taxes and levies, reduce corvée labor and taxation, and implement the Single Whip Law."

"Reiterate that government runners and those with scholarly honor must all pay taxes and grain, treating them equally with the common people under heaven."

"Reorganize Our Great Yu's taxation to comfort the common people!"

"If this continues, Great Yu will inevitably regroup, grow increasingly prosperous, and recreate the prosperous era of Great Yu!!!"