One moment, Fang Yun had been talking about taxing the rich; the next, he had turned to tax relief, leaving many people scratching their heads.
Fang Yun continued, "I wondered whether we should reduce or waive some people's land taxes, head taxes, or business taxes. But the treasury was already empty. If we lost that revenue, where would we find the money to fill the hole? I couldn't think of an answer, so it kept weighing on me."
"Then Li Zhixiao spoke up. Since the court held monopolies on salt, iron, tea, and the like, could we raise their prices? Naturally, I disagreed. I criticized him, saying that ordinary people and the wealthy consumed about the same amount of salt each day. Raising the price would burden ordinary people while having no effect on the rich. Wouldn't that still be mistreating the common people?"
Dong Yueqian and Xu Changgeng rested their hands on Li Zhixiao's left and right shoulders respectively.
Li Zhixiao could only keep smiling bitterly.
Finally, Fang Yun said, "Still, the three of them gave me an idea. I wondered whether we should levy additional business taxes on luxury goods that ordinary people couldn't afford. That way, ordinary people wouldn't be affected, while the wealthy, since they could afford luxuries, naturally wouldn't mind those taxes. Beyond that, I can think of no other way to replenish the treasury, and it has left me in no mood for this Literary Assembly. So I must apologize to you all for disrupting it. Ah... never mind. I truly have no heart for attending this Literary Assembly. I'll take my leave. Please carry on."
As he spoke, Fang Yun departed with weary sighs, as though he had aged ten years in an instant.
The heads of the various Lineages all wore expressionless