The First Lackey Under The Empress

Worse than dog shit…

Inside the private room, Han Zhou's expression froze.

At this moment, even with his 'gentlemanly demeanor,' he almost couldn't suppress the anger that suddenly surged in his heart.

Anyone who has painstakingly accumulated for several years, compiled for several months, and whose 'Ten Policies' were praised by the current Grand Tutor, would find it unacceptable to have them so denigrated by a military man.

"Lord Zhao, may I ask why Han's policies are so displeasing to your eyes?" Han Zhou, the Wang Anshi of the Great Yu Dynasty, said.

Zhao Du'an looked at his expression and reaction with interest, and said lightly:

"You think my evaluation is too low? Unacceptable, then don't come out asking for comments."

Han Zhou took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and said seriously:

"Han has lost his composure. It's not that I can't accept harsh criticism, it's just that…"

"First," Zhao Du'an didn't bother listening to his explanation and went straight to the point:

"Policy makers should adapt to local conditions. Any strategy should be based on the current situation.

There is no policy in the world that should never be changed. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't need to plan a new policy. You must understand this simple principle.

Then let me ask, what does the scholar think of the current situation in the Great Yu Dynasty? Is the foundation solid?

The imperial power is dispersed, powerful families are numerous, internal strife is constant, the remnants of the rebellious Second Prince are frequently rekindled, and the Eight Kings are eyeing the throne…

Although His Majesty has greatly improved things in the two years since he ascended the throne, the time is too short, and outside the capital, the people constantly question…

In this situation, how can we withstand a drastic reform? Your Ten Policies are too radical."

Han Zhou was not surprised to hear this.

Because this point was also a concern and question among the other scholars in the Academy of Literary Profundity.

Too radical.

Zhao Du'an's question was completely within his expectations.

He immediately said sincerely:

"Lord, your concerns are indeed a drawback. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Lord, you work in the Imperial Court and do not understand the local situation.

In fact, the current imperial finances are already alarmingly in deficit. The capital is the richest place in the Great Yu Dynasty. At first glance, it still has a vibrant atmosphere, but outside the capital, it is already crumbling. The national treasury is empty, and the court's annual needs are a huge sum of money…

Lord, this matter is already imminent. There are indeed gentler strategies, but how can we afford to wait?

You say that the current Emperor has only been on the throne for a short time and his foundation is unstable, which is true.

But conversely… Ha, I will say something disrespectful today, how can you be sure that continuing to let the finances deteriorate will be better in a few years?

It will be too late when the court can't pay salaries and military rations!

And now, His Majesty, with the sharp momentum of ascending the throne, may still be able to push forward the new policy. When the disease is truly terminal, it will be impossible to even move a knife."

As he spoke, Han Zhou's tone was a little excited.

He took another breath, stared at Zhao Du'an, and said sincerely:

"Lord, everything has a price. I know the Ten Policies are radical, but between two evils, choose the lesser… Moreover, I also said that the implementation of the new policy will not be too radical, but the strategy is radical, but the means are gentle…"

Zhao Du'an chuckled and shook his head:

"Radical strategy, gentle means… Scholar, you are too naive. I'm afraid you have been in the Hanlin Academy for too long and no longer know the suffering of the people below."

Han Zhou said excitedly: "I am not from a powerful family, and I have also been poor…"

"But you are not now,"

Zhao Du'an interrupted him, holding a wine cup, and pointed to the elegant private room:

"This kind of restaurant."

He pointed to the dishes on the table again:

"This kind of dish. Ordinary people cannot afford to enjoy them.

Scholar, you have suffered in the past, and I also believe that you have the ambition and courage to do things for the world.

But I still say the same thing, scholar, you have been in the noble position of the Hanlin Academy for too long. Even if you visit the local areas, what you see is not the real grassroots people.

Therefore, your ideas have long been divorced from the mundane world."

Zhao Du'an chuckled:

"Gentle means? Ha, you can control this degree, and some of the people you are looking for may also be able to control this degree, but… how many can there be?

The implementation of the new policy will inevitably require countless grassroots officials and even clerks in the nine provinces and eighteen prefectures to operate! To execute!

Do you think they can still control this degree?

I dare to make a judgment that the moment the new policy leaves the Academy of Literary Profundity, it will change!

The further down it goes, the more it will be added layer by layer. A grain of sand you throw out in the capital will become a mountain on the heads of the people!"

Han Zhou was refuted until his face was red, and he hurriedly defended:

"But supervision can be introduced. Each local government has supervisory officials, and imperial censors can also be sent to patrol…"

Zhao Du'an sneered:

"Supervision? How to supervise? Okay, even if we take a step back, you can really find enough obedient supervisory officials to send out and ensure that the new policy does not change when it reaches the local government, but what next?

Do you believe that the people below have ten thousand ways to turn the new policy into a way to make profits?"

He held the chopsticks and pointed to a plate of fried green sprouts on the table, saying:

"Let's take the first item in your Ten Policies, the green… the so-called Spring and Autumn Tax Law as an example. You said that whenever there is a shortage of food, the court will lend money to the people to purchase grain seeds…"

Han Zhou was also aroused by anger, and raised his head and said:

"Yes. I have visited the people. Whenever there is a shortage of food, the people have no choice but to borrow money from landlords, wealthy households, or merchants in order to survive. After working hard for a year, after paying back the money, the remainder is only enough to fill their stomachs.

If they encounter a disaster year, they can't even pay it back, just because of the high interest rates among the people! And if the court lends money, it can lower the interest rate and avoid奸贼 exploiting the people. Isn't it beneficial to the country and the people?"

He spoke with confidence and impassioned.

Zhao Du'an sneered and said quietly:

"That sounds wonderful in theory. If I were a local clerk, I would simply wait for the farmers to borrow money from the government, then collude with merchants, using gambling dens, taverns, brothels... all sorts of means to entice them to spend the borrowed money.

A significant portion of the farmers, once they have money in hand, simply cannot resist and cannot hold onto it.

In this way, without violating the laws of the court, the government's funds are completely divided up. I ask you, can the Imperial Censorate monitor this?"

Han Zhou was speechless!

He paused, wanting to say that the court officials wouldn't all be as bad as him...

But he didn't say it.

Because he remembered the appearance of the rural clerks he had witnessed when he was poor... Yes, those lower-level officials could indeed do such things.

Zhao Du'an continued:

"No, no, no, this method is not clever enough.

As far as I know, wine is also a government business, right? Then, just tempt those fellows to spend the money they receive on buying wine sold by the court.

In this way, the money goes around in a circle, and officials at every level can get a cut. Even the主管 officials in charge of selling wine can use this to make the accounting numbers look good and ask for credit from above..."

Han Zhou was dumbfounded, shocked by this kind of fancy operation that he had never even imagined.

This was beyond his realm of knowledge.

But Zhao Du'an knew that these sly operations all happened in history after the implementation of the Green Sprout Act.

There were even more outrageous things than this.

Zhao Du'an hadn't finished yet. He picked up his chopsticks and pointed to another plate of meat on the table, saying:

"Furthermore, your Exemption from Service Act is even more laughable."

Han Zhou retorted:

"The people suffer from corvée labor. Now, as long as those who are supposed to perform service in a given year pay a certain exemption fee, the government can use this money to hire others who have never performed labor service in that year. Wouldn't this be a win-win for everyone?"

Zhao Du'an sneered:

"A win-win for everyone? Let me ask you, what about the 'Land Rent, Household Tax, and Labor Service Adjustment'?"

The so-called "Land Rent, Household Tax, and Labor Service Adjustment" was a general term for the various taxes levied on the people by Great Yu, a type of tax regulation.

Zhao Du'an knew that in history, the Sui and Tang dynasties had also implemented it.

Zhao Du'an said:

"Your Ten Policies only mentioned exemption from service, but did not abolish Great Yu's method of collecting taxes. And the 'Labor Service' in the Land Rent, Household Tax, and Labor Service Adjustment originally required the people to perform corvée labor.

You are asking people to pay money to be exempt from service on one hand, while on the other hand, the tax system has not been changed.

In this way, wouldn't the people who are supposed to perform service be taxed twice? They have to perform corvée labor and pay money to be exempt from corvée labor... It's simply laughable!"

Han Zhou was shocked into a cold sweat upon hearing this.

This was indeed his oversight.

The tax laws of Great Yu were a mess, with various taxes mixed together. Han Zhou had never worked in the Ministry of Revenue and had not thought of this.

Next, Zhao Du'an relentlessly refuted the various flaws in his Ten Policies, leaving Han Zhou unable to retort.

Finally, Zhao Du'an stared at him with a stern tone:

"However, everything I have said above is not the key.

The real core flaw is that your Ten Policies, seemingly for the benefit of the country and the people, are in essence nothing more than using various means to get everyone's money into the hands of the court, no different from mosquitoes sucking blood!

What is this?

It's nothing more than four words: competing with the people for profit!"

Zhao Du'an sighed. This was also the point he was most moved by when he read the history of feudal dynasties in his previous life.

Throughout history, a group of people has been dividing up limited wealth, with the strong becoming richer and the weak becoming poorer.

These Ten Policies are nothing more than letting the court step in and become the most ruthless divider, exploiting everyone outside the court.

This achieves the goal of rapidly enriching the national treasury in the short term.

Wang Anshi's Reform was essentially a method with the sole purpose of seizing money.

Zhao Du'an finally concluded:

"Competing with the people for profit is to push everyone to the opposite side of the court. Once the Ten Policies are successfully implemented, the national treasury will certainly be rapidly enriched, but at the same time, the people of the world will regard the court as the enemy and His Majesty as a robber!

Not only will the country not be stable, but it will become even more turbulent. At this time, as long as the rebels who support社逆党 publicize this matter, making the people hate His Majesty, and the Eight Kings offer some benefits to buy people's hearts.

At that time, who do you think the people of the world will be more willing to recognize as the emperor of Great Yu? The emperor who exploits them? Or the thief who buys people's hearts?"

Zhao Du'an slammed his chopsticks on the table and looked down at the foremost talent in front of him, coldly saying:

"Therefore, is it wrong for me to say that it is a policy that harms the country and is worse than dog feces?"

Is it wrong?!

At this moment, Zhao Du'an's calm voice fell into Han Zhou's ears like a thunderclap.

It blasted the brain of this scholar, who had been in the limelight in the Institute for the Advancement of Literature today and showed signs of becoming a future prime minister, into a blank, his back soaked with cold sweat!

An unspeakable fear surged into his heart.

Before Han Zhou's eyes, he vaguely seemed to see the people of the world being exploited after the implementation of the Ten Policies, with silver and money flowing into the capital like rivers.

Accompanying it were countless hateful eyes, banners of rebellion, rising flames of war and smoke, and the blood that soaked the Hun River.

At this moment, he seemed to be awakened by a blow to the head, his face pale.

He suddenly woke up from his blind confidence and swayed.

He was silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he picked up the wine cup in front of him, raised his head, and drank it all in one gulp.

Dog feces?

It seems... right.

Han Zhou closed his eyes painfully, then opened them again, and exhaled a breath of wine in self-deprecation:

"Hearing your words is better than reading ten years of books. Your Excellency is a great talent, Han... has been taught!!"

Thank you godess - moon for the 1500 coin reward!