203: Chapter 203 Salt and Iron

When the victory report, which symbolized victory, was transmitted through the "Heavenly Net"—a communication network already spread across the entire country—at a terrifying speed approaching the speed of light, back to that magnificent capital that had been yearning for it—the Divine Capital—the entire city instantly fell into an unprecedented, immense, and fanatical state of boiling excitement!

"We won! We won!"

"Long live Marshal Zhao! Long live the Wu Dynasty!"

"Hahaha! I knew it! Our dynasty's heavenly troops are invincible!"

Countless commoners spontaneously poured out of their homes onto the streets.

They waved everything they could hold, using the purest and most primitive ways to vent the excitement and ecstasy that had been building up in their hearts for months!

Those cheers, filled with endless pride and glory, sounded like a tsunami of mountains and seas, shaking the heavens and scattering the clouds in the sky!

On the day of the triumphant return, the Divine Capital was empty as everyone flocked to the streets.

The scale of the scene was even more enthusiastic and fanatical than when the army first set out!

Gao Feng led the civil and military officials ten miles out of the city to personally welcome his hard-working "Wolf-Exterminating" Marshal and the tens of thousands of heroic soldiers who had returned bathed in blood.

He looked at Zhao Yu, who, though thinner, still had eyes filled with sharpness and determination.

He looked at the soldiers behind him, all covered in blood yet wearing expressions of pride and the joy of surviving a catastrophe.

A heartfelt, gratified smile appeared on Gao Feng's handsome face, which seemed not like that of a Mortal.

He walked forward himself to lead the battle-scarred warhorse for Zhao Yu, and in a tone filled with endless appreciation and admiration, he spoke loudly in front of the hundreds of thousands of commoners:

"Marshal Zhao, you have worked hard."

"In this battle, you and your soldiers have upheld the national prestige of the Wu Dynasty and avenged the shame of Wangxi Fort. Your merits benefit the nation and will last for generations!"

"I am deeply gratified!"

"Convey my decree!"

Gao Feng's voice suddenly rose, like rolling thunder, booming across the entire sky of the Divine Capital!

"All soldiers who participated in this Northern Desert expedition shall be promoted three ranks and rewarded with one hundred taels of silver!"

"All martyrs who unfortunately sacrificed their lives in this battle shall be posthumously awarded the title of 'Loyal and Brave.' Their families shall be supported by the imperial court for life, and their descendants may enter the Royal Military Academy for advanced studies without examination!"

"I want everyone in this world to know that I will never fail those who have bled and sacrificed for the Wu Dynasty!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long live!"

The hundreds of thousands of commoners who witnessed this scene, along with the tens of thousands of returning soldiers, could no longer suppress the excitement and gratitude in their hearts at this moment!

They spontaneously knelt before the young emperor, who stood between heaven and earth like a deity, and let out their most pious and fanatical cheers!

The sound was like a tsunami of mountains and seas, endless and long-lasting, as if it would overturn the entire world!

...

That night, the imperial palace was brightly lit, and drums and music played in unison.

An unprecedented, grand celebration banquet was being held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which symbolized supreme glory.

Gao Feng sat high on the dragon throne carved from a single piece of Kunlun warm jade.

He frequently raised his glass to toast Zhao Yu, who sat at the head of the hall, and all the meritorious generals who had participated in the Northern Desert expedition.

The entire hall was filled with laughter and the joyful atmosphere of having survived a catastrophe.

However, just as everyone was immersed in the immense joy brought by this glorious victory, beneath the clamor of wine and song, a huge undercurrent was hidden that would make any ruler lose sleep and appetite.

After the banquet ended, inside the Imperial Study.

The soft candlelight illuminated Gao Feng's handsome face, which seemed not like that of a Mortal, making it flicker between light and shadow.

He sat quietly behind the dragon desk made of thousand-year-old golden nanmu wood.

His eyes, deep as the sea of stars, were quietly gazing at the person kneeling before him—the one he trusted most, the "money bag" of the entire Wu Dynasty—the Minister of Revenue, Li Qingzhao, who was dressed in magnificent palace attire but had a face full of deep fatigue and gravity.

In front of Li Qingzhao lay a thick ledger, emitting a rich scent of ink.

On the ledger, every expense incurred during the Northern Desert expedition was recorded in detail, densely packed in the neatest small clerical script.

Those shocking numbers were like sharp, heavy hammers, striking hard at Gao Feng's heart, which was already as firm as a rock!

"Your Majesty, please take a look."

Li Qingzhao's voice carried a trace of undisguisable hoarseness and bitterness.

"This Northern Desert expedition lasted nearly half a year. Our dynasty mobilized a total of 200,000 elite troops, 300,000 laborers, and 100,000 warhorses..."

"In this battle, although our army achieved the final victory and successfully defeated the main force of Boerte, capturing nearly a million cattle and sheep, 30,000 warhorses, and countless furs and sundries, the price our army paid was also... immensely huge."

"According to preliminary statistics from the Ministry of Revenue, this expedition cost our dynasty a total of 32.7 million taels of silver! 5.8 million shi of grain! And the various military supplies are too numerous to estimate!"

"This... has almost completely emptied out all the family wealth that our Wu Dynasty has worked hard to accumulate for nearly three years since its founding."

Although Li Qingzhao's words were spoken with immense difficulty, every word was true, without the slightest exaggeration.

Gao Feng listened quietly, his handsome face devoid of any expression.

He knew that war burned money, but he hadn't expected it to burn money to such a terrifying degree!

Thirty million taels of silver, five million shi of grain!

This was no longer just fighting a war; this was clearly using mountains of gold and silver to fill the bottomless pit of war that could never be filled!

Although he had obtained a huge amount of wealth by confiscating the properties of the old aristocratic families, that wealth had already been invested in the even more money-burning nationwide industrialization construction and the promotion of compulsory education!

The current Wu Dynasty looks prosperous and thriving, with all trades reviving, but in reality, it is like a giant that looks bright and beautiful on the outside but is already heavily in debt on the inside, walking with immense difficulty at every step!

And this Northern Desert expedition was like adding frost to snow, draining the already scarce blood from this giant that was already stretched thin!

"I understand."

After a long while, Gao Feng slowly squeezed out these four words.

He knew he had to find a way, in the shortest possible time, to find a brand new and more stable source of revenue for this huge Empire!

Otherwise, his grand blueprint aimed at creating eternal peace would very likely collapse because of this most realistic and fatal word: "money"!

...

At the morning court the next day, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which had just become joyful because of a glorious victory, was once again shrouded in a repressive and gunpowder-filled atmosphere.

Led by the great general who guards the nation, Du Wei, and the "Wolf-Exterminating" Marshal Zhao Yu, who had just returned in triumph, the military group was energetic and high in Battle Intent, as if they had been injected with chicken blood!

They jointly submitted a memorial, passionately requesting His Majesty to take advantage of this great victory, when the grassland barbarians' Origin Qi was severely damaged and their morale was low, to send troops again to conduct a thorough, earth-sweeping pursuit of the remnants of Boerte, who were already like stray dogs!

They wanted to completely pull up the so-called "Gray Wolf" from the grassland by the roots, once and for all!

"Your Majesty!" Du Wei was the first to stand out.

His loud voice, like rolling thunder, boomed throughout the entire hall!

"The Art of War says, 'One should pursue the fleeing enemy with remaining courage, not seek fame by imitating the Hegemon!' Although the main force of that brat Boerte is lost, he is as cunning as a fox. If he is allowed to escape back to the depths of the grassland to recuperate, within ten years, he will surely become a major threat to our dynasty again!"

"I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me another 100,000 elite troops! I am willing to sign a military pledge that within one year, I will surely take Boerte's head and present it before Your Majesty!"

Du Wei's words immediately aroused a chorus of agreement from all the military generals present!

Each of them was rubbing their hands, wishing they could immediately put on their armor again, rush to the battlefield, and establish an unparalleled achievement that would go down in history!

However, before their voices had faded, the civil official group, led by Left Prime Minister Liu Chengfeng, immediately stood out and expressed the strongest and most resolute opposition to their proposal!

"General Du, that is incorrect!"

Liu Chengfeng slowly walked out from the ranks.

His face, which was always full of wisdom and composure, was now filled with deep gravity.

"The so-called 'War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life or death, the road either to survival or ruin; hence it is imperative that it be thoroughly studied.' The General only sees the victory on the battlefield, but has not seen what a heavy price our commoners have paid to support this victory!"

"Now, our national treasury is empty, and the people's strength is exhausted. We are already unable to support another expedition of such a grand scale!"

"If we force an expedition, it is no different from drinking poison to quench thirst or draining the pond to catch all the fish! By then, before the grassland barbarians can make a comeback, our dynasty's internal structure will collapse first because of this heavy war burden!"

"Therefore, I believe that what our dynasty should do most at present is not to continue indulging in militarism, but to immediately put away weapons, release warhorses to the southern mountains, let the people rest, vigorously develop production, and restore national strength! After our country is wealthy and our people are strong, it will not be too late to seek that earth-sweeping achievement!"

Liu Chengfeng's words were like a basin of ice-cold water, ruthlessly poured over the hearts of those military generals who had been dizzy with the joy of victory!

For a moment, the entire court was in an uproar because of these two diametrically opposed viewpoints!

The military generals accused the civil officials of being afraid of death, short-sighted, and "surrenderists"!

The civil officials retorted, accusing the military generals of being warmongers who engaged in bellicose expansion, sought grand achievements, and were ignorant of the hardships of the common people.

Both sides held their ground, arguing endlessly. Some hot-tempered generals and equally stubborn censors even rolled up their sleeves on the spot, looking ready to turn the solemn Hall of Supreme Harmony into a wrestling ring.

"Enough!"

A shout filled with endless majesty, like a thunderclap on a clear day, exploded in the hall.

Gao Feng slammed his hand onto the armrest of the Dragon Throne, his eyes, deep as a sea of stars, flashing with a chilling light that made hearts tremble.

The entire hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.

All the ministers, whether civil or military, subconsciously closed their mouths at that moment, looking up with eyes filled with endless awe and fear at the young emperor, who was clearly enraged.

"Are you finished arguing?"

Gao Feng's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.

He slowly rose from the Dragon Throne, his cold gaze sweeping over every minister in the hall.

"What you all say makes sense, but you have all forgotten the most important point."

"That is, I alone am the sole and final decision-maker of this country!"

"Whether to go to war or seek peace, it is for me alone to decide!"

Gao Feng's words were filled with an unquestionable, supreme dominance.

He slowly walked down the imperial steps, and under the tense and uneasy gaze of all the ministers, he stopped in front of the Minister of Revenue, Li Qingzhao.

"Qingzhao."

Gao Feng's voice suddenly became incomparably gentle.

"Let me ask you."

"In our dynasty, what is the most profitable?"

Li Qingzhao was slightly taken aback by these words. Although she did not understand why Your Majesty would suddenly ask such a question, she subconsciously began to calculate rapidly in her mind.

A moment later, she answered cautiously in an uncertain tone:

"Reporting to Your Majesty... If one speaks of the most profitable business in this world, it is naturally... salt and iron."

"Salt is the foundation of the people's livelihood and is indispensable to everyone. Iron is the Sharp Weapon of the nation; whether it be farming tools or weapons, neither can do without it."

"Although these two things may seem unremarkable, the profits behind them are so immense that they could drive any nation to madness!"

"Very good."

Gao Feng nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this.

He slowly turned around, his deep eyes flashing with the brilliant light of wisdom, like the stars!

In a tone that allowed no doubt, as if proclaiming a truth, he solemnly declared to the entire world!

"Hear my decree!"

"From this day forward, within the territory of our Wu Dynasty, we shall fully implement—"

"State management of salt and iron!"

"All salt and iron mines within our Wu Dynasty are to be nationalized! They shall be uniformly mined, smelted, and sold by the imperial court!"

"Anyone who privately mines or sells salt and iron shall be charged with treason, and their three generations of kin shall be executed!"

"I will use the profits from this salt and iron to fill our national treasury!"

"I will use this wealth taken from the people to build an invincible army capable of sweeping across the world and conquering the stars and seas!"

"I will have that so-called 'empty national treasury' completely wiped from the history books of our Wu Dynasty!"

Gao Feng's words were like thunderclaps from the Nine Heavens, striking hard at the hearts of all the ministers present!

They were all stunned and speechless, shocked by Your Majesty's earth-shattering, grand vision, which was filled with endless boldness and dominance!

They knew that from this moment on, a brand new and even more powerful, massive war machine, one capable of making any enemy tremble, was about to descend, forged by the hands of their ambitious and talented young emperor!

However, while Gao Feng's policy of "state management of salt and iron," which aimed to firmly control the country's most important economic lifeline, was a great undertaking that would benefit the nation and the people in the long run.

In the short term, it was like poking a hornet's nest, instantly igniting the monstrous rage of the old Jiangnan gentry and salt and iron merchants, who had long harbored endless resentment and hatred for the new policies in secret!

Salt and iron, these highly profitable industries comparable to gold, had long been firmly monopolized by the wealthy and influential noble families and tycoon merchants entrenched in the Jiangnan region!

Through collusion with local officials and smuggling with the Japanese pirates entrenched in the East Sea, they were able to extract immense wealth every year, enough to rival the wealth of the nation!

This wealth became their greatest source of confidence for raising private armies, buying people's hearts, and vying with the imperial court.

Now, Gao Feng's imperial decree of "state management of salt and iron" was tantamount to carving a huge chunk out of their own flesh!

This made them feel even more pain and despair than if they had been killed!

Driven by huge financial losses and deep-seated class hatred, these old Jiangnan forces, forced into a corner, finally tore off their hypocritical masks of gentility, revealing their hideous, man-eating fangs!

They secretly formed a rebel organization called the "Anti-Wu Alliance" on the scenic Taihu Lake in Wu Commandery!

Under the hypocritical banner of "clearing the emperor's side, killing the tyrant, and restoring the laws of the ancestors," they utilized their vast, nation-rivaling wealth and their deep-rooted influence in the Jiangnan region to secretly recruit tens of thousands of displaced people who had lost their land due to the new policies, along with Jianghu desperadoes who were also full of hatred for the Wu Dynasty, to form a so-called "Jingnan Army" in a very short time!

They even used secret channels to purchase large quantities of firearms and armor, which had long been strictly prohibited by the Wu Dynasty, from the Japanese pirates with whom they were secretly colluding!

They intended to use a massive armed rebellion, capable of overturning the entire Jiangnan region, to issue their angriest and maddest roar to the young emperor far away in the Divine Capital!

Spring, the fifth year of the Qiyuan era of the Wu Dynasty.

Just when the entire Wu Dynasty was still immersed in the joy of the victory of the expedition to the northern desert.

A long-planned, earth-shattering incident finally erupted in the Jiangnan region, where undercurrents had long been surging!

Under the unified command of the "Anti-Wu Alliance," the so-called "Jingnan Army" launched a rebellion simultaneously in several important prefectures in Jiangnan!

They seized government treasuries, burned down government offices, and slaughtered officials loyal to the imperial court!

For a time, the entire prosperous Jiangnan was engulfed in flames of war, with blood flowing like rivers!

The situation in Jiangnan, which had just been stabilized for less than a year, instantly fell into unprecedented chaos and turmoil!

News of the rebellion reached the Divine Capital at the fastest speed!

The entire imperial court was shaken!

All the ministers were stunned and speechless, shocked by the daring and crazy actions of the rebels in Jiangnan!

However, after receiving this battle report filled with blood and sin, Gao Feng's handsome face, which seemed almost not of a Mortal, showed no surprise and no anger, only a cold calm, deep as an ancient well.

It was as if all of this had long been within his expectations.

He slowly rose from the Dragon Throne, his cold gaze sweeping over every minister in the hall, and finally landing on Xiang Hao, the Marquis of Divine Power, who stood at the head of the military officials like a demon god.

"Xiang Hao."

Gao Feng's voice was calm and devoid of any emotion.

"This general is here!"

Xiang Hao suddenly stepped out from the ranks, his eyes, filled with violence and wildness, burning with a raging Battle Intent capable of completely incinerating the entire world!

"I appoint you as the Grand Marshal of 'Pacifying the South,' in total command of all military affairs for this suppression of the rebellion!"

"I give you one hundred thousand elite troops of the Divine Power Battalion!"

"I also grant you the authority to mobilize all local garrison troops in Jiangnan!"

"I have only one requirement!"

Gao Feng's voice suddenly became filled with endless blood and cruelty!

"I want you to use the fastest speed to kill every single one of those rebellious traitors who dare to rebel!"

"I want you to use their blood to teach everyone in this world who harbors ulterior motives a lesson—"

"There is only one end for betraying me, and that is death!"

"This general obeys the decree!"

Xiang Hao let out a terrifying roar filled with endless violence and wildness, his massive body, like that of a demon god, seeming at this moment to transform into a god of war and destruction walking among men!

He knew that a terrifying massacre, enough to make the entire Jiangnan run with blood, was about to be unleashed by his own hands!

Xiang Hao's suppression of the rebellion was simple, brutal, and unreasonable.

He did not even formulate any complex tactics, nor did he conduct any unnecessary probing.

He simply led his one hundred thousand elite troops of the Divine Power Battalion, who were also like demon gods and equipped with the latest heavy armor and massive mountain-splitting axes, like the most unreasonable steel bulldozer, and pushed straight through from the center of the rebellion—Wu Commandery!

The so-called "Jingnan Army," although numerous and well-equipped, appeared so fragile and vulnerable before these war machines that had long been battle-hardened and were accustomed to killing!

Their flesh and blood were like paper before the massive axes capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, easily torn to shreds on the spot!

Their seemingly solid lines were like fragile ants before the unshakeable torrent of heavy armor, easily crushed to pieces on the spot!