Chapter 135: The Prince of Jin's Powerful Counterattack! |
Sun Yan now had quite a few people he disliked.
That Song Shi'an, and that Ye Changqing.
The two had somewhat similar personalities.
Very young, talented, and a bit rebellious.
But their opponent wasn't him.
As someone of the older generation, he had no need to personally enter the fray.
This world would ultimately belong to the young people.
His feelings were exactly the same as the Emperor's.
The difference was, he wasn't worried about lacking successors.
Hearing this, the rigid expression on his face slowly relaxed and spread into ease: "Good."
"Shall we go welcome the young master?" the steward asked.
"Affairs of state must take precedence over family affairs."
Sun Yan continued feeding the fish peacefully: "Have Sun Qian first go to the Secretariat to report for duty. Only after everything is properly settled should he return home."
"Yes."
………
Outside Sheng'an city, a handsome man wearing neat, brand-new Rank 7 official robes sat on horseback at the very front of a procession.
Behind him were more than ten carts covered with hempen cloth concealing 'goods.'
There were also over a dozen commandery soldiers armed and providing escort on both sides.
At the city gate, after Sun Qian presented the Secretariat's credentials and the armored soldiers conducted their inspection, everyone was allowed through.
The convoy from Zhang County entered Sheng'an city.
Countless common people gathered around with great interest to watch.
Among them were quite a few unmarried young women who gazed at him with undisguised admiration.
"So handsome! Minister Sun's son, he must be the capital's most handsome man!"
"That woman who's Jiangnan's greatest beauty is also from the Sun family."
"Then doesn't that mean Sun Yan in his youth was—"
"I was fortunate enough to see him once, even more handsome than this!"
"Is it that people from Yangzhou are all beautiful, or is it just the Sun family?"
"I heard that Master Sun Qian is devoted to studying the classics and sages, unbound by romantic entanglements, and is still unmarried even now."
"Then after passing the jinshi examination this time, he'll definitely marry a daughter of an aristocratic family."
"To wait until becoming a jinshi to marry, that such a person exists..."
Seizing a son-in-law beneath the examination rankings was generally an activity after passing the juren level.
It was quite rare to do so for jinshi.
The reason was simple—people who passed jinshi at age twenty were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
And in ancient times, those with good conditions who hadn't married by sixteen were in the minority.
What kind of son-in-law was easy to catch?
Poor scholars who'd passed juren.
Of course, one could also catch jinshi candidates—either like Sun Qian, who wouldn't marry until becoming jinshi, or from declining aristocratic families and wealthy merchants trying to squeeze into high society, marrying their daughters to jinshi-lang as concubines.
As for claims that tanhua were chosen by the imperial family as imperial consorts—that was even more of a romantic fantasy.
In ancient times, those who became imperial consorts after passing jinshi could be counted on one hand.
And in all of ancient history, there was only one recorded zhuangyuan who became an imperial consort.
And after becoming an imperial consort, he spent his whole life doing one thing—cursing the mother of the person who introduced him to that position.
The vast majority of jinshi looked down on becoming imperial consorts.
How desperate would a legitimate son of an aristocratic family have to be to marry a princess?
When the aristocratic families were at their most powerful, even some of the Emperor's sons couldn't marry legitimate daughters from aristocratic families.
Even Wei Zheng, who fancied himself an upright and unyielding loyal minister, had to scrape together money everywhere to gather dowry for his son to marry into the top-tier Wang clan.
Of course, this varied by era.
Princesses weren't entirely worthless either.
It was just that the position of 'imperial consort' was truly worthless, representing the complete end of one's political career.
If you married a princess with high status, in an equal alliance with the imperial family, then you wouldn't have this problem.
However, compared to sons marrying princesses, top-tier aristocratic families were more enthusiastic about marrying their daughters as principal wives to promising princes.
Princess Consort, Imperial Noble Consort, Empress.
These were what truly had value.
One concrete manifestation of the meritorious nobility's dominance in Great Yu was this—aside from one commoner empress, all the remaining empresses came from the meritorious nobility.
The current Empress Hua came from the Hua clan of Qin Prefecture.
"Although Master Sun Qian is also handsome and graceful, noble and extraordinary, I feel that Song Shi'an from that day, wearing hand shackles and plain clothes, seemed to have more charm..."
"He'd just gotten his official robes dirty, he's a proper Rank 7 county magistrate, and his father is the Sheng'an Magistrate. Are you really being picky?"
"Who's being picky! I'm just saying compared to Master Sun's refined elegance, Song Shi'an has this somewhat deep, melancholic quality..."
"That makes your heart flutter with spring feelings, wanting to embrace him with your bosom, right?"
"How annoying! Say such improper things again and I'll tell your father!"
The two women giggled and playfully scuffled nearby, while to the side, Xinyue stood with her hand on her sword, arms crossed over her chest, observing Sun Qian for quite a while before shaking her head.
Felt pretty average to her...
But that wasn't the key point.
The convoy he brought was genuinely quite large.
"Can Zhang County's tax revenue really be this much?"
"Right, some of the large counties around Sheng'an probably couldn't collect over ten carts."
"Could it be the boxes are big but contain little money?"
"But there's no need for that—everything has to be counted anyway."
"This Minister Sun certainly has considerable influence, and this isn't even in their home territory of Yangzhou..."
Local taxes were collected by the court twice a year.
Once was the land tax, once was the monetary tax.
Land tax was collected during the autumn harvest, with the court personally dispatching troops and civil officials to each locality for collection.
Monetary tax came after the year's end, after winter.
Generally, each county's chief clerk, with armed protection provided by the commandery, escorted it to Sheng'an.
However, only Si Prefecture, with its extensive road network, could collect at the county level.
The other five prefectures had the court directly dispatch inspectors, collecting at minimum at the commandery level.
There were exceptions.
For instance, Liang Prefecture had to resist the entire State of Qi while guarding against Northern Yan—money and grain basically couldn't be collected, and from time to time needed subsidies from the court.
The major tax contributor was Si Prefecture, the most prosperous region in the realm.
But Zhang County in Qiuping Commandery of Si Prefecture was a small county, and not particularly wealthy.
Her expression gradually becoming serious, Xinyue couldn't help murmuring: "Even this was predicted by Song Shi'an?"
………
The Secretariat.
As the first among the Nine Ministers, he not only managed official appointments and dismissals but was also responsible for salt and iron monopoly tax revenue.
But to prevent concentration of power, there was also the Court of Imperial Manufactories managing mountain and sea tax revenue, and the Ministry of Agriculture managing grain tax.
After Sun Qian brought the convoy into the Palace City, it was taken over by the Secretariat.
And he himself went to report to Yu Xiu, the beloved disciple of Minister Ouyang Ke, Secretary of the Secretariat.
"Secretary Yu, these are the account books for Zhang County's salt and iron tax revenue, please review them."
"Master Qian, please sit."
Yu Xiu smiled and gestured with his hand. After inviting the other to be seated, he sat in the host's position, accepted the account book handed up by a subordinate official, opened it for a look, and his expression froze slightly.
Sun Qian noticed this detail.
Then he raised his teacup and drank his tea.
Yu Xiu continued to flip through the account book with a serious expression.
After a while, he finally asked with a smile: "Master Qian, is this after deducting the commandery and prefecture taxes?"
Every era had local and national taxes.
Divided into grain and money.
Provincial and commandery government machinery also needed to operate, so they too got a cut of tax revenue.
According to Great Yu law, the distribution ratio was: national five, provincial three, commandery two.
Aside from some special places where the court would issue policies—like military strongholds such as Shuo Commandery—the rest were roughly similar.
Of course, law was law.
Execution was different.
In certain places, the national tax actually paid might only be ten percent.
Even so, the account books balanced.
In ancient times, what was most abundant were—talents at creating false accounts.
"Reporting to Secretary Yu." Sun Qian said, "At the back of the account book are what was submitted to the commandery and prefecture."
"Mm, good." Yu Xiu nodded seriously, then handed the account book to a subordinate official, saying, "Go carefully verify and reconcile everything. After it matches, I'll sign off on it."
"Yes, sir." That person withdrew.
And Yu Xiu suddenly stood up.
Seeing this, Sun Qian also rose.
Originally thinking the other would comment on this tax revenue, he instead asked: "Master Qian has returned this time to prepare for the jinshi examination, yes?"
"Indeed, Secretary Yu." He replied with a smile.
"The work of county magistrate is so exhausting, yet you can still find time to study." Yu Xiu praised admiringly, "Truly each generation produces talented individuals."
"Secretary Yu, you're too kind."
Sun Qian's smile was faint, but he felt no particular joy in his heart.
This Yu Xiu and Ouyang Ke truly had no factional allegiances.
Even seeing this account book, they could suppress their astonishment.
………
At the Prince of Jin's estate.
Two princes sat together drinking plum wine.
However, their state was far from leisurely.
"This Minister Sun really has quite a temper, actually personally speaking up for Song Shi'an." The Prince of Zhongping sighed.
Actually, originally they'd already prepared to let Song Shi'an exploit the loophole, and with Minister Sun speaking out, Song Ce and Song Shi'an smoothly registered right at the deadline.
"Then this examination will be a contest between the Sun and Song clans." The Prince of Jin said.
"Second Brother, can you oversee the examination?" the Prince of Zhongping hinted slyly.
"Don't say such boring things." The Prince of Jin reminded him, "Besides, after the questions are set, the Grand Secretaries will all be restricted. During those days, I'll also have to stay at the Imperial Academy to avoid suspicion."
Engaging in tricks like leaking examination questions was both stupid and dangerous.
"True enough."
Though the Prince of Zhongping had many ideas, quite a few were excessively underhanded and dangerous.
Just then, a eunuch came over, saying: "Your Highnesses, Lord Huang requests an audience."
Huang Ze, a Fifth Rank official in the Prince of Jin's faction, serving in the Secretariat.
"Let him come." The Prince of Jin said.
Soon, an official arrived, smiling as he bowed to the two princes: "Prince of Jin, Prince of Zhongping."
"What is it, good news?"
Seeing him smile, the Prince of Jin asked.
"Your Highness, this humble official believes it is good news." Huang Ze said, "Sun Qian returned to Sheng'an with the salt and iron tax, correct? I saw the account books."
"Is there a problem?" the Prince of Jin asked.
"Zhang County's national tax from the salt and iron monopoly totals a full 2.2 million copper coins!" He lowered his voice but spoke forcefully.
"That is indeed quite a lot." The Prince of Jin nodded, "It seems some large counties only collect around a million."
Because this comparison wasn't very clear, Huang Ze explained: "In the previous three years, the taxes Zhang County submitted were 680,000, 810,000, and 750,000 respectively."
"Triple?!" The Prince of Zhongping was shocked.
"Moreover, according to the ratio, both commandery and prefecture taxes were fully submitted." Huang Ze explained, "That is to say, the entire county's salt and iron tax is triple what it was in previous years."
"This is good news, Second Brother!"
Zhongping immediately showed an excited expression as he looked at the Prince of Jin.
"Collecting so much in taxes, Sun Qian can also advance further. If he then passes jinshi, he can be promoted very quickly..." The Prince of Jin murmured, also showing some pleasure.
"Second Brother, that's one aspect."
Seeing he'd missed the point, the Prince of Zhongping tactfully said: "But most importantly, Minister Sun's capability has been demonstrated."
"I didn't expect Minister Sun's influence to be so effective even among the officials and gentry of Zhang County." The Prince of Jin nodded in agreement, then expressed confusion, "But this is only one county's tax revenue?"
"But this is the opening salvo of Minister Sun's counterattack."
Because Huang Ze was present, the Prince of Zhongping spoke more carefully, but still cut straight to the heart: "The essence of His Majesty wanting military farming is to gather grain and gather money. But now, with just a slight gesture from the Sun clan, tax revenue can triple!"
Suddenly, the Prince of Jin understood completely.
That's right!
Currently there was a shortage of money and grain, desperately so, which was why military farming was needed.
But now, simply by employing people from the Sun clan, without offending anyone or resorting to violence, the fiscal crisis could be rapidly resolved!
"And this is only Si Prefecture. If we let Minister Sun return to Yangzhou once..." Seeing the Prince of Jin had grasped the meaning, he added with a smile, "The deficit in Northern Liang could be filled within a year."
"Second Brother, at the court assembly, you must submit a memorial praising Sun Qian." The Prince of Zhongping advised, "You must do so vigorously."
"Understood, naturally."
The Prince of Jin's confidence suddenly swelled.
And his alliance with Minister Sun would become as close and inseparable as that between the Prince of Wu and the Song clan.