After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 712 - 702: What Kind of Taxation System Do You Want
Zhao Ming did not openly come to Luoyang; he came hidden within Zhao Song’s team.
Although Chen County is very close to Luoyang, he is now in charge of Yu State. If the officials and people knew the leader left Chen County, it could cause trouble.
Moreover, the border with He Yan State is not very stable.
Thus, Zhao Ming took advantage of a rest day to spread the word that he was closing his doors for contemplation and would not meet anyone for the time being, then he followed his father to Luoyang.
He went through such hardships, such exhaustion, such painstaking effort, yet Zhao Hanzhang comes back talking to Fu Tinghan about raising pigs and sheep, not even in a hurry to see him.
It infuriated him!
Seeing her in plain clothes, even more travel-worn than he who came from afar, he was even more annoyed, "Why don’t you hurry and change into proper clothes to meet me? Such disarray truly hurts the eyes."
Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily and said, "Uncle, don’t mind it; I just came back from the fields. Don’t you also go to the fields every spring plowing?"
Saying so, Zhao Hanzhang still pulled Fu Tinghan down to change clothes.
Fu Tinghan only had time to raise his hand for a half-bow, his waist not even bent before Zhao Hanzhang dragged him away.
Only then did Zhao Ming exhale, feeling refreshed, and turned to Ji Yuan, saying, "Her marriage should still be with Tinghan. He’s the most suitable."
Ji Yuan smiled, stroking his beard, and said, "Naturally, they are a match made in heaven. It’s hard to find another young man so accommodating, willing to yield to her this way."
So, wanting Zhao Hanzhang to win the support of those noble families through marriage is impossible, and Ji Yuan also disagreed, too unpredictable.
With someone else, this team might fall apart, with too much power struggle, people forget their original intentions.
Ming Yu had been listening silently on the side, and hearing this, he raised his head and said, "The matter of marriage alliances doesn’t necessarily need the governor himself."
He glanced over Zhao Ming and Ji Yuan, indicating, "Someone like Governor Zhao is also very suitable."
Zhao Ming’s hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly.
Ming Yu said, "Everyone knows the governor and the Zhao Family are inseparable, so any Zhao Family offspring can be used for marriage alliances, strengthening ties with noble families from various regions to gain their support."
Ji Yuan frowned and wasn’t very agreeable, worried that if Zhao Family members got too entangled with local powerful families, Zhao Hanzhang would find the Zhao Family her biggest obstacle if she got to that position.
Ming Yu glanced at him, eight words yet to be dot, why worry, better to focus on present interests.
But Zhao Ming wouldn’t agree either; back in Chen County, upon detecting Zhao Hanzhang’s ambitions, he became wary.
Should she really achieve it, with the Zhao Family this powerful, it would become her hindrance. By then, it would be either her demise or Zhao Family’s end, which is a prediction he couldn’t accept, hence he directly rejected Ming Yu’s proposal, "I am resigned, not intending to remarry."
He looked at Ming Yu and politely said, "Instead, Mr. Ming and Mr. Ji are more suitable."
The two immediately began to defer.
They are aides with great ambitions, scheming hard every day, wishing they could squeeze out sleeping time, where’s the time to marry and have children?
In these chaotic times, if the environment isn’t known to be safe, marrying and having children is merely adding to future pain of separation by death.
The land unsettled, how to establish a family?
All three fell silent.
Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan soon returned in light clothes; the two had been busy all day, starving.
But Zhao Ming and the others had already had their evening meal, so she simply invited them to the backyard’s open veranda to barbecue.
"Quick, let the kitchen first send a basket of buns to fill the stomach."
Ting He answered and ran to the kitchen with Fu An to get things, soon returning with buns and pre-cut marinated meat.
Fu An squatted to light a fire, put on the stone slab usually used for grilling, then stepped aside, taking a large clump of clay from a basket and put it into the stove.
Zhao Ming frowned, moved his eyes that hurt, and asked, "What’s this?"
Fu An explained, "This is Beggar’s Chicken, a new way of eating devised by the young lady and the lord."
Recently, Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan often went to the fields. In the cool autumn air, the pheasants were plump, but nights were somewhat chilly.
Zhao Hanzhang, seeing the firewood, couldn’t help but make the hunted pheasants into Beggar’s Chicken.
Yet autumn and winter pheasants, though plump, couldn’t quite compare to domestic chickens in taste.
Farmed chickens were fat and tender; stuffing them with things like ginger and mushrooms, marinating finely, wrapping in lotus leaves, coating with clay, then tossing into the fire...
Once the Beggar’s Chicken was done, breaking open the clay revealed fragrant, tender chicken; a gentle pull, and the drumstick could be taken out. Fu An felt he could eat a whole one himself.
Pity, the household had few chickens too. After the lady caught two, the backyard cook watched the chickens closely, saying some should be left till year’s end to entertain officials and generals.
Today, it’s just Mr. Ming here, so the kitchen slaughtered one, pre-marinated it for Zhao Hanzhang’s use.
Zhao Hanzhang assured Zhao Ming, "Don’t look at its unappealing appearance; it’s delicious."
Zhao Ming grunted, "You even say buns mixed with wheat bran taste good."
Seeing her chewing joyfully on a gray-white bun in her hand, Zhao Ming felt a bit pained, yet didn’t relent with his words, "There was a more relaxed path, and you insist on pushing yourself like this."
He glanced at Fu Tinghan, biting into the same gray-white bun, and said, "Even dragging those around you with you into hardship."
Zhao Hanzhang turned to look at Fu Tinghan, then asked Zhao Ming, "Why do you say that, Uncle Ming?"
Zhao Ming replied, "Didn’t I mention before, a few months ago, the Fan Family came to pledge allegiance, with just a little nod from you they’d offer large sums of money."
Zhao Hanzhang sighed, "Didn’t I tell them to participate in the talent recruitment exam? As for buying land, even Seventh Uncle couldn’t be an exception, so how could I spare the Fan Family?"
Zhao Ming said, "In this chaotic world, such minor rules can be disregarded for now."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "Are you telling me to settle accounts in autumn?"
She said, "I don’t mind being scolded, but I worry about limited ability. Once a precedent is set, I might not be able to stop later."
Zhao Ming raised an eyebrow, directly asking, "Why do you want to amend the tax laws? Don’t you know once changed, it might be seen as capricious governance, losing prestige?"
"This is my fault, but I cannot knowingly continue wrongfully," Zhao Hanzhang said, "If not amended and controlled, the middle and small landowners and gentry in Yu State and Luoyang won’t be able to bear the taxes and might have rebellious thoughts and flee."
Zhao Ming pondered for a moment, asking, "Then why not restore the old system? Hanzhang, what kind of tax system do you ultimately want?"
He continued, "Exemption from taxes has always been a reward for meritorious subjects by the king, an honor to them. Your grandfather succeeded the ancestral title, the fief he received, and the tax exemption rights were all inherited. Hence, he was loyal to Great Jin."
Zhao Ming paused, then said, "If you want... tax exemption is unavoidable."
