75: Chapter 74 New Policies

Great Yan Imperial Calendar, April 28th of the yuanchun era.

It was the third day since Minister of Revenue Shang Bo was executed. His head hung at the gates of Huadu, blackened by exposure to the wind and sun. Yet, no one dared to retrieve it because Crown Prince Xiao Xuan had not given the word. The former officials of Great Shang lowered their heads and hurried past the city gate, not daring to cast even a single glance. They were afraid—afraid they would be next. Embezzled silver was delivered to the Ministry of Revenue overnight. Occupied lands were voluntarily returned to the commoners. Appropriated grain was compensated for twofold. Without needing Xiao Xuan to urge or investigate them, they cleaned up their own acts.

This was the strategy of killing one to warn a hundred. By killing one person, ten thousand were intimidated.

Crown Princes Mansion, first basement level. Xiao Xuan sat in the primary seat with a memorial sent by Xiao He spread out before him. Written upon it was the first budget since the founding of Great Hua—military expenses, official salaries, public works, and disaster relief; every item was clearly listed. The total was eighty million taels. Meanwhile, the national treasury held only thirty million. The fifty-million-tael deficit weighed on Xiao Xuan's shoulders like a massive mountain.

Xiao He stood before him with a solemn expression. "Your Highness, this is already the most frugal plan I could devise. Any further cuts and the soldiers of the border army will go hungry."

Xiao Xuan remained silent. The border army could not go hungry; if they did, no one would guard the borders. Officials could not go unpaid; if they weren't, no one would work. Public works could not stop; if they did, the commoners would have no livelihood. Disaster relief could certainly not be reduced; if it were, people would starve to death. Money was needed everywhere, but where would it come from?

"Minister Xiao," he spoke, "how much silver remains in the treasuries of Great Xia, Great Shang, and Great Qin?"

Xiao He shook his head. "Your Highness, I have checked the treasuries of those three nations. They are empty."

Xiao Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Empty?"

Xiao He gave a bitter smile. "Emperor of Great Xia spent thirty million taels building palaces. Emperor Zhao Yu spent fifty million maintaining his army. Emperor Ying Hao spent twenty million on wars. The treasuries of the three nations were squandered entirely by them."

The hall fell into silence. Strategist Guo Jia couldn't help but curse, "What a bunch of spendthrifts." Strategist Jia Xu stroked his beard and said, "Your Highness, cursing them now is useless. The question is, where will the silver come from?"

Xiao Xuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked toward Master Lu Ban. "Lu Ban, how much silver can your workshop earn in a year?"

Master Lu Ban grinned. "Your Highness, my workshop does not make money. I only manufacture armaments; I do not sell them."

Xiao Xuan shook his head. "From today onward, manufacture half for the military and sell the other half. To whom? Sell them to those small nations. They need armaments for self-defense, and we lack silver. It will be a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Master Lu Ban was stunned. "Your Highness, this—armaments are vital instruments of the state. How can they be sold?"

Xiao Xuan looked at him. "Vital instruments of the state are also silver. Without silver, vital instruments are just a pile of scrap iron."

Master Lu Ban was silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand."

Xiao Xuan then looked at Xiao He. "Minister Xiao, from today onward, the commercial taxes of Great Hua shall be halved."

Xiao He was taken aback. "Halved? Your Highness, the treasury is already short on silver—"

Xiao Xuan interrupted him. "If commercial taxes are halved, the number of merchants will increase. With more merchants, there will be more business. With more business, there will be more tax revenue. Although the tax rate is lower, the tax base will be larger. The total income will not decrease."

Xiao He looked thoughtful and slowly nodded. "Your Highness is brilliant."

Finally, Xiao Xuan looked at Zhang Liang. "Zi Fang, from today onward, the officials of Great Hua will undergo evaluations every three years. Those who fail will be dismissed. Those with excellent evaluations will be promoted. We will not look at background or seniority, only ability."

Zhang Liang smiled slightly. "Your Highness, this is going to affect everyone's livelihood."

Xiao Xuan also smiled. "If we don't shake up their livelihoods, they won't work properly."

The first reform after the founding of Great Hua thus began. Halving commercial taxes, official evaluations, and the sale of armaments abroad. These three new policies were like three blades striking at the old order of Great Hua. Some cheered, while others cursed. Those cheering were the commoners. With commercial taxes halved, business became easier. With official evaluations, corrupt officials grew fearful. With armaments sold abroad, the nation gained wealth.

Those cursing were the old aristocrats. With taxes halved, their monopolies were broken. With official evaluations, their descendants were dismissed. With armaments sold abroad, their privileges were curtailed. They were indignant, but they didn't dare speak out. Because Xiao Xuan's blade still hung at the city gate.

Great Yan Imperial Calendar, May 3rd. The fifth day after the implementation of the new policies. In the court of Huadu, the first voice of opposition appeared.

A former official of Great Xia stepped forward and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."

Emperor Xiao Yuanshan raised his hand. "Granted."

The former official said, "Halving commercial taxes is like destroying our own Great Wall. Great Hua's commercial taxes were already low. If they are halved again, what will be left in the treasury? I implore Your Majesty to rescind this order."

The hall fell silent. Everyone's eyes fell upon Emperor Xiao Yuanshan. He did not answer but instead looked toward Xiao Xuan.

Xiao Xuan stepped forward and looked at the former official. "What is your name?"

The official replied, "I am Xia Yuanchang."

Xiao Xuan nodded. "Xia Yuanchang, are you of the Great Xia imperial family?"

Xia Yuanchang said, "Yes. I am the cousin of the Emperor of Great Xia."

Xiao Xuan looked at him. "How many shops do you have in Huadu?"

Xia Yuanchang's expression changed. Xiao Xuan continued, "If you won't say it, I will say it for you. You have eight shops in Huadu selling cloth, grain, wine, and tea. With commercial taxes halved, you could earn an extra hundred thousand taels a year. You oppose the tax cut because you fear others will also open shops and steal your business. Am I right?"

Xia Yuanchang's face turned deathly pale. He knelt on the ground, trembling all over. "I... I..."

Xiao Xuan did not look at him but turned to face the hundred officials. "Who else opposes this?"

No one spoke. Xiao Xuan waited for a moment and then nodded. "Good. Since no one opposes, then it is settled. Court is adjourned."

When the news spread, the world was in an uproar. Xia Yuanchang had been exposed in public and slunk back home in disgrace. His shops closed their doors the next day. They weren't shut down by the government; he closed them himself. Because his scandal had spread throughout Huadu, no one went to his shops to buy anything anymore.

Everyone else who had thought of opposing fell silent. They knew that Xiao Xuan knew everything. Their every move was under his watchful eye.

Great Yan Imperial Calendar, May 10th. The twelfth day after the implementation of the new policies.

A stone stele had been added to the gates of Huadu. Four large characters were carved upon it—'The World is for All'. This was Xiao Xuan's handiwork. He wanted everyone to know that Great Hua did not belong to him alone; it belonged to all the people under heaven.

On the day the stele was erected, the commoners of Huadu gathered around the city gate, looking at the stone and discussing it animatedly.

"The World is for All? What does that mean?"

"It means the world belongs to everyone, not just the Emperor alone."

"Is that for real?"

"The Crown Prince said it himself, how could it be false?"

The commoners were half-believing and half-doubting, but smiles appeared on their faces.

That night, Xiao Xuan stood alone on the palace walls, gazing at the myriad lights of Huadu. The new policies had been in effect for twelve days, and the results were better than he had imagined. Commercial taxes were halved, and the number of merchants had increased by thirty percent. Official evaluations had resulted in the dismissal of seventeen corrupt officials. The sale of armaments had earned two million taels. The silver in the treasury had risen from thirty million to thirty-five million taels. Although it was still far from eighty million, at least things were moving in the right direction.

Behind him, Jiang Ziya walked over.

"Your Highness, what are you thinking about?"

Xiao Xuan did not turn around. "I am thinking about Xia Yuanchang. He is of the Great Xia imperial family, Xia Yuanchang's cousin. I exposed his disgrace in public; will he hate me?"

Jiang Ziya was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "He will. But he won't dare to act. Because he knows that to act is to die."

Xiao Xuan turned around. "Master Jiang, do you think I did wrong?"

Jiang Ziya shook his head. "Your Highness was not wrong. You simply did what needed to be done. People like Xia Yuanchang are a blight if left alone. Even if Your Highness hadn't exposed him, he would have met with trouble sooner or later."

Xiao Xuan fell silent. He remembered the way Xia Yuanchang had knelt on the ground, trembling and pale. He wasn't afraid of Xia Yuanchang's hatred, but he was wary of the person behind him—the head of the Great Xia imperial family, the Emperor of Great Xia. The Emperor of Great Xia had not expressed his stance yet. He didn't oppose the new policies, but he didn't support them either. He was simply waiting—waiting for Xiao Xuan to make a mistake.

"Master Jiang," Xiao Xuan spoke, "what is the Emperor of Great Xia thinking?"

Jiang Ziya said, "He is thinking about when Your Highness will leave."

Xiao Xuan was stunned. Jiang Ziya continued, "The gods of the Heaven Realm are coming; Your Highness will have to go eventually. The Emperor of Great Xia is waiting for that day. Once Your Highness is gone, no one in Great Hua will be able to suppress him."

Xiao Xuan was silent for a long time. Then he smiled. "He won't live to see that day. Before I leave, I will have him properly settled."

Jiang Ziya looked at him, his eyes full of gratification. "Your Highness, you have truly grown up."

Xiao Xuan also laughed. "Master Jiang, you have truly said that many times now."

The two looked at each other and laughed simultaneously. The moonlight spilled over the city walls, stretching their shadows very long.