The Great Han Dynasty: From Feng Lang Juxu to the Eternal Emperor

Chapter 269 Highly Respected

The end of Mogasuri's second year passed quickly.

During this month, the Han Dynasty was in peace, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had already determined the time to send troops, five days later this year after the Shangyuan Festival.

Huo Qubing and Weining were both preparing separately.

Weining's baggage force consisted of 1,300 people. This force was stationed on the outskirts of the city and was responsible for escorting 10,000 shi of grain to the border fortress.

During this period, Weining and Huo Qubing kept coming in and out of Weiyang Palace. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was laying out strategies and tactics for them in detail, focusing on Huo Qubing.

As for Wei Ning, he was just a spectator, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty always reminded him to abide by the rules, not to do things that were not his own, and not to disobey military orders.

Since the incident of Confucian officials forcing the imperial concubine into the palace a year ago, the Confucian officials headed by Yan Zhongyuan have all accepted their fate and accepted the reality that Liu Huan was transferred to a fiefdom.

However, this still did not make them give up their determination to respect Liu Huan.

Yan Zhongyuan's reputation in the hearts of the people has also begun to ferment recently. It is not a notorious reputation, but on the contrary, it is praised by the people.

Mainly because of the tax exemption incident of Yan Zhongyuan and Liu Huan to the people of southern Xinjiang, which is now well known to the people.

These people all praised Yan Zhongyuan as a wise minister and good official, and praised Liu Huan as a wise prince.

The common people's purpose was very simple. They hoped that Yan Zhongyuan could speak for them and reduce their taxes.

There were also many ministers who admired Yan Zhongyuan very much. In short, Yan Zhongyuan won a lot of fame and became famous in the court for a while. Some ministers even wrote letters and spoke uprightly, asking Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to promote Yan Zhongyuan.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was able to meet this requirement. He promoted Yan Zhongyuan to several levels of officials, mainly for salary purposes, and did not promote him to ministerial officials.

This was done to appease the Shandong Confucian disciples. He couldn't let these Confucian students and the emperor confront him all day long, which would be annoying to death.

But Yan Zhongyuan didn't follow the truth, and he took it a step further and began to write to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to withdraw his order and exempt Liu Huan from being crowned king.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty severely criticized him. Only then did Yan Zhongyuan realize that the emperor was determined, so he did not feel uncomfortable.

But soon he wrote another letter, suggesting that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty exempt the taxes in the three auxiliary areas of the capital for half a year to benefit the people.

The people in the three regions of the capital and the capital cheered and shouted, but Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was not happy.

Why does this guy like to have a presence so much?

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had a headache. If he had known about it, he would not have promoted him.

……

The imperial army of Weiyang Palace is divided into three parts: Yulin, Jianzhang Camp and Gatekeeper.

The gatekeepers are not the core imperial army, but they are crucial.

The thousand-man general guarding the south gate is Wei Yuanqing. His ancestors were nobles of the Wei State and later submitted to the Han Dynasty.

Wei Yuanqing was supposed to be promoted to deputy general of a thousand men in Jianzhangying, but due to the arrival of Li Qi, his position was removed. In the end, he was transferred to the city defense. Although he was promoted to an official position, the imperial guards and Jianzhangying were left behind. Not on the same level at all.

The anger in his heart was not against Li Qi, but against Wei Ning.

How could his official position have been replaced if Weining hadn't used his connections?

He had no one in the court and no strong connections. He had been depressed and frustrated. He finally managed to get promoted, but was eventually destroyed by Wei Ning himself.

That day when he returned to his home in Chang'an after work, a middle-aged man found him.

The other party said that he was an official in the imperial court and was in poor health. He occasionally went to the city for work and needed to bring two attendants with him.

This is illegal. Generally, the guards of Weiyang Palace will not let other strangers enter the city.

Wei Yuanqing was very wary, but the other party gave Wei Yuanqing a thousand gold coins, hoping that he would be merciful once or twice.

Wei Yuanqing was a down-and-out aristocrat, and he liked to spend a lot of money. He thought it wouldn't matter if he helped the other party once or twice. Even if he was caught, it wouldn't be a big deal, so he agreed. To win over and bribe people is a very learned thing.

Liu Huan was not a fool, so it was naturally impossible for him to come forward in person, so he found a trusted official position in the palace.

Of course, it is impossible to ask the other party if they want to kill Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty together.

Isn't this asking for death?

The best way is to bribe the other party little by little. When he accepts more and more bribes and does outrageous things, and the other party's handle is firmly in his hands, and one step back will lead to an abyss, then he will be at his wits' end. Dajian, at that time the other party couldn't refuse.

Liu Huan didn't act too hastily. Of course, Chen Ajiao told him these strategies.

Chen Ajiao taught Liu Huan how to bribe an official.

……

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, it was nearly two months since Tian Qianqiu went to southern Xinjiang.

With super high-level means, he began to control commercial taxation and farming in southern Xinjiang.

Nongsang's taxes haven't come out yet, but last month's business taxes have.

These people in southern Xinjiang trade wood, fish and shrimp and other commodities into the Central Plains, and obtain a certain amount of commercial remuneration, and the local government collects taxes.

Tian Qianqiu handed the detailed tax account book to Weining.

Tax collection just started last month, and the commercial tax collected by the Han Dynasty has already reached more than 40,000 yuan.

The money is naturally not much, but it cannot be considered small. You must know that the monthly taxes in places like Yunnan and Guizhou are not much higher than this, and this is just the beginning.

Weining was very satisfied with Tian Qianqiu's ability.

On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, we went to court early.

Yan Zhongqing didn't come, mainly because it was a financial meeting and he was not qualified to come.

When Sang Hongyang reported last year's commercial and agricultural taxes across the country to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was slightly satisfied.

Generally speaking, business has made progress despite being flat, and agricultural tax revenue has increased significantly due to the invention of the Quyuan plow.

When Sang Hongyang reported the 40,000 yuan tax collected from southern Xinjiang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not care.

But Sang Hongyang said to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty with a solemn expression: "Your Majesty, I never thought that Southern Xinjiang would have such great economic potential!"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said suspiciously: "Huh?"

He didn't understand what Sang Hongyang was so excited about.

Sang Hongyang said: "The business in southern Xinjiang has only been opened for less than a month, and the tax collected by the Han Dynasty is almost the same as that of Yunnan and Guizhou. If it continues to develop, its commercial potential will completely surpass Yunnan and Guizhou."

"And the agricultural tax has not yet been reported, but Tian Qianqiu has already calculated that in all the southern Xinjiang tribes, there are as many as 300,000 hectares of land sown with seedlings today. Its scale is comparable to that of a county in the south of the Yangtze River. It can be imagined that If the summer grain harvest this year is high, how much agricultural tax will the imperial court draw from southern Xinjiang?"

"Your Majesty! We have underestimated the economic capabilities of Southern Xinjiang."

hiss!

After hearing this data, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was stunned, and then his face changed slightly and he looked suffocated.

He said tremblingly: "Yes, but I... exempted you from taxes in southern Xinjiang for half a year."

Only then did Sang Hongyang remember that he seemed to have been excited just now, so he said indignantly: "Yan Zhongyuan is such a bastard! He has harmed the country and the people! It is an unforgivable crime!"

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty felt so distressed that he suffocated because he had previously vowed to Weining that he could not get much money from southern Xinjiang and told him not to care...

(End of this chapter)