After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 711 - 701 Method

"But with this, the pressure on the Inspector Mansion and the common people will increase greatly. She needs to maintain so many troops, and the government office also requires expenditures, plus gathering homeless refugees. Where will all this money and grain come from?" Yu Shiming said, "She has already offended many high-ranking officials and noble families earlier on. A teenage girl, does she have the face to negotiate with them?"

Zhao Ming raised his head and glanced at him, then said, "Why does she need to negotiate?"

Moreover, who says Zhao Hanzhang doesn’t have the face for it? She is quite thick-skinned. As long as the benefits are large enough, what can’t she do?

However, once Zhao Hanzhang softens, if she wants to gain support from those high-ranking officials and noble families to get money and manpower from them, the price she has to pay will be high.

The betrothal between the Zhao and Fu families might encounter troubles.

Yu Shiming also thought of this point, but some words Zhao Ming can say, he wasn’t at liberty to speak, so he circled the words around in his mouth but said nothing.

Zhao Ming hurried to Luoyang to see Zhao Hanzhang.

However, the first people he met were not Zhao Hanzhang but Ji Yuan and Ming Yu.

As Zhao Hanzhang’s two advisors, they had a lot to do, and they plan far ahead. They were aware of the flaws in Zhao Hanzhang’s newly issued taxation policy, but it wasn’t appropriate to change it immediately.

Just as Zhao Ming said, revising the policy now would do more harm than good.

Ji Yuan invited Zhao Ming to sit and chat, with Zhao Song and Zhao Hu’s lively conversation coming from outside the door, "Today I entered the city and saw the streets are much busier than last time I visited, proving that Luoyang is improving. Why the need to change the tax policy now?"

Zhao Hu responded, "It’s better to change it, ideally back to the beginning. Zhao Hanzhang is so stingy, I used to have tax-exempt property under my elder brother’s name, and now she is the Inspector and a Duke, even more tax-exempt property, yet she took back my exemption quota."

Zhao Hu wished Zhao Hanzhang would change more, until all his property was tax-exempt.

The two old brothers chatted merrily as they headed to the backyard. Only when Zhao Ming could no longer hear their conversation did he look at Ji Yuan and ask, "Mr. Ji, why is Hanzhang thinking to modify the tax policy again?"

Ji Yuan said, "Not long ago, two noble families fled Luoyang because the taxes were too heavy and unmanageable. Miss Zhao felt uneasy and wanted to modify some regulations."

Ji Yuan looked at Ming Yu, who said, "The policy remains such that everyone, regardless of status, must pay taxes. However, considering that many noble families have also suffered calamities, the policy is revised from paying taxes based on registered property to paying taxes based on actual cultivated land, with the properties under their name not changing for five years, but if left uncultivated for five consecutive years, they will be reclaimed by the state."

For example, Chen Family previously had a hundred acres registered but actually cultivated twenty acres. Zhao Hanzhang eased the tax burden, collecting only a third of the due taxes.

This year, the refugees allocated land in Luoyang had six acres and cultivated six acres but only needed to pay taxes for two acres;

Whereas families like Chen Family would be taxed a third of their hundred acres, amounting to taxes on thirty-three acres, which was a large burden for noble families like Chen Family.

With Zhao Hanzhang’s revision, Chen Family only needed to pay taxes on a third of the twenty acres they cultivated, significantly reducing pressure.

In Yu State and Luoyang, there are quite a few noble families similar to Chen Family.

Zhao Ming pursed his lips and asked, "Where is Hanzhang now?"

"She went to inspect the soldiers cultivating the fields."

Zhao Ming snorted, "Soldiers need to train and fight, and now Zhao Han and the Xianbei are eyeing the Northern Land covetously. How much grain can soldiers cultivating the fields gather?"

"Once they march, no one will tend to the military fields. Then won’t they need to gather food from the people?" Zhao Ming rubbed his forehead and said, "Since she took control of Yu State, she has been very tough with the noble families, but the ones who can quickly gather large amounts of money and grain are still them. In these three years, everyone is used to her toughness, but with the Zhao Family mediating, they have no choice but to endure even if they’re dissatisfied."

"Changing the policy at this moment will greatly impact her authority. At that time, how many will still tolerate her dominance?" Zhao Ming asked, "What kind of taxation policy, or rather... what kind of world does she really want?"

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu simultaneously raised their heads to look at him, eyes full of surprise. Ji Yuan even raised an eyebrow slightly, straightened his back, and with a hint of a smile, said, "Zi Nian might as well ask Miss Zhao face-to-face."

Zhao Ming looked up at him, "Do you agree with her modifying the policy?"

Ji Yuan said, "As long as it’s properly managed, the drawbacks of changing the policy can be avoided. It just requires Zi Nian to endure some hardship, and the Zhao Family to suffer some grievances."

No need for Ji Yuan to say the method, Zhao Ming almost immediately grasped his approach.

Zhao Ming: ...

Turns out, after all this, he’s the big dummy.

Is he unknowingly walking into a trap?

Zhao Ming pursed his lips and said, "Call her back. I want to talk to her in person. If she can convince me, not just kneel for a day, I’ll kneel for three days."

Ji Yuan immediately agreed, then asked someone to call Zhao Hanzhang back, while discreetly asking someone else, "Go to the workshop and invite Mr. Fu, ensure he returns before sunset."

"Yes."

Upon hearing that Zhao Song and Zhao Ming had come to Luoyang together, Zhao Hanzhang immediately ran back energetically, encountering Fu Tinghan who was also hurrying back at the front door.

Both of them, one was dressed in a short top and trousers, with dirt on them, dusty all over, looking like a little village girl;

The other dressed similarly, but with mud spots on his entire upper half and wet pants up to the knees, appearing like a rural laborer.

Both were busy with work, Fu Tinghan hadn’t seen her in five or six days, and couldn’t help but smile when he saw her, asking, "Miss Zhao, just returned from the fields?"

"Yes, Mr. Fu, just returned from the river?"

Fu Tinghan nodded, "I even caught a fish today. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry to get back, didn’t bring it. Otherwise, I could treat you to fish."

Fu An, who was a few steps behind Fu Tinghan, jumped off the horse, and upon hearing this, immediately fetched something tied with straw from the other side of the horse and shouted loudly, "My lord, I brought it back."

He then held up the fish in his hand for them to see.

Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan both turned back to see the fish the size of a palm and laughed heartily, jokingly saying, "Is that fish enough to fill a tooth gap? Tomorrow when I go to the military fields, I’ll catch two for you in the river. The fish I catch are big, I’ll tell you..."

As Zhao Hanzhang spoke, she entered the door with Fu Tinghan. Upon reaching the front courtyard, Fu Tinghan suggested, "Next year, we can raise fish in the canal to enrich the diet and better supplement protein. Currently, Luoyang lacks stored meat."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Aren’t we promoting pig raising? The technique of castrating pigs has also spread."

Fu Tinghan replied, "Only the army and some workshops raise pigs as tasks. In the private sector, pig raising is still not widespread, people are more inclined to raise sheep and chickens."

Upon reaching the hall, they were already discussing methods to promote pig raising. The Zhao Ming inside twitched his forehead, unable to resist speaking, "Lord Zhao!"

Zhao Hanzhang immediately stopped talking, first glanced down at her clothes, then grinned broadly as she entered the room, clasped her hands, and gestured repeatedly, "Uncle, enduring hardships on the journey, you’ve worked hard, worked hard."