Luo Sheng stood with his hands behind his back, watching Han Lin leave the Luo residence.
Han Lin, the Marquis of Anyang, glanced back at the residence, looking somewhat lost and dispirited. He had come because he feared the emperor's sweeping investigation into commercial taxes would strike too broadly and trigger widespread unrest, so he had wanted to ask where the Luo Clan stood.
After all, the Luo Clan had always supported the development of commerce. Taking agriculture as the foundation while giving equal weight to agriculture and commerce had been the core of King Wen of Luo's governing philosophy, and this was also one reason he had disparaged the Legalist School's agriculture and warfare system.
But he thought back over what Luo Sheng had told him.
"Collecting taxes is the court's prerogative. My lord, if you wish to be a loyal official, then devote yourself fully to implementing it. If you fear widespread unrest, then weigh how far to take it. What use is worrying here?
"A thousand years ago, my ancestor Duke Wen of Luo was still able to bring order to Yin-Yang and the realm when the Son of Heaven suffered a disastrous defeat on his southern campaign and the Royal Domain fell into turmoil.
"Great Han's situation today is incomparably better than that of the Zhou State back then. What is there to worry about?"
These words were a classic example of reasonable-sounding nonsense, fully reflecting Luo Sheng's attitude: he paid no attention to this internal affair of the Han Dynasty.
This left Han Lin somewhat bewildered.
Changle Palace.
The methods for investigating and collecting commercial taxes still needed discussion. Liu Dan, whose temperament was rather violent, said bluntly, "Commerce has always flourished East of the Passes, especially in Qi Land. Begin the investigation there."