Crushing taxes and levies

The rebellion was finally quelled, and the fires in the city were extinguished.

The soldiers who rebelled earlier are still in custody.

With the Emperor Kaide, the Ministry of Ministry of Rites has begun drafting the regulations for his state funeral.

According to Emperor Kaide's final instructions, Fang Weiyan was to inherit the throne of the Jiang Kingdom.

But what's left is a complete mess.

The Jiang Kingdom is now riddled with problems. A group of treacherous officials who rebelled have been dealt with, but there are still a number of ministers in the court who harbor ulterior motives.

Besides this, the imperial court also owed a considerable amount of military funds.

Now, Fang Weiyan has to repay all of this money.

According to the report submitted by the Ministry of Revenue, the military pay of the Jiang Kingdom was 1.6 million taels in arrears, and the salaries of officials in various regions were in arrears totaling 103,600 taels.

Besides these, the construction of canals, city walls, dikes, and other structures in various places has also incurred a debt of 960,000 taels of silver.

In addition, there are other miscellaneous and miscellaneous debts totaling 510,000 taels of silver.

Seeing these countless debts, Fang Weiyan felt a suffocating sensation welling up inside him.

On Earth, he would need 240 yuan to buy one tael of silver, so one million would cost him 240 million RMB!

Now, the total debt owed here is nearly three million taels of silver.

This would require Fang Weiyan to earn 600 million, which he would then use entirely to buy silver in order to fill these gaps.

Fang Weiyan's head throbbed at the thought. What kind of country had he taken over that owed so much money? Six hundred million!

He had worked desperately to make money, but he only earned a little over ten million. He used that ten million to build Pingjiang City, and that's only just begun to take shape.

Now look what's happened; they're owing a staggering 600 million in debt alone.

Fang Weiyan felt a headache coming on for a moment.

I knew the Jiang Kingdom's treasury was empty, but I never imagined it was so badly indebted.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so worried?"

Fang Weiyan was sitting in the imperial study where Emperor Kaide Fang Weiyan, and anyone could see the sorrow on his face.

Princess Jin'an had slowly walked in, saw Fang Weiyan's appearance and couldn't help but ask softly.

But when she glanced at what Fang Weiyan Fang Weiyan was holding, she immediately understood what he was worried about.

Seeing this, Princess Jin'an understood. "The Jiang Kingdom is indeed in a mess right now, and you'll have to put in a lot of effort to fix it."

At this point, more than ten days had passed since the rebellion was quelled. In these ten days, Emperor Kaide had been successfully buried, and Fang Weiyan had been officially enthroned.

Things have calmed down in Yanhuai City, but the Jiang Kingdom has not improved just because of the change of ruler.

The situation remains the same.

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Fang Weiyan nodded slightly. "I'll take care of the money."

At this point, Fang Weiyan couldn't help but rub his temples again. He owed too much money; the thought that 600 million was just the amount he owed was too much to bear.

If he wants to strengthen the Jiang Kingdom power in the future, he'll have to continue investing money.

It feels a bit like a pay-to-win game. Even if he were a rich kid, he couldn't afford to spend money like this...

"Oh, by the way, Princess..."

Just call me Yunxi.

Upon hearing this, Princess Jin'an immediately interrupted Fang Weiyan's form of address.

Princess Jin'an was her title; her given name was Yunxi.

Fang Weiyan nodded upon hearing this, "Then, Yunxi, you've now become Yin God..."

Fang Weiyan scratched his head as he spoke. He hadn't expected the other party to suddenly turn into Yin God. But now that this was happening, Fang Weiyan wondered if he could give some of the Incense Offerings from Earth to Yunxi.

Giving it to other Yin God would be a waste, but giving it to Yunxi would be just right.

Anyway, the other person will be his person from now on.

"If Fang Lang wishes to marry, the Yin God is also an option, but Yunxi is not yet 14..."

Upon hearing Fang Weiyan's words, Yunxi assumed that Fang Weiyan wanted to get married, and her ears immediately turned slightly red.

Upon hearing this, Fang Weiyan quickly waved his hand, "No, I was just thinking that with demons rampant in the Jiang Kingdom, you'll need to suppress the Underworld Administration in various places in the future. I'll try to get more Incense Offerings to help you improve your strength. What do you think?"

When Fang Weiyan shared his thoughts with her, Yunxi was taken aback. After understanding Fang Weiyan's meaning, her ears turned even redder.

"Yunxi is a princess of the Jiang Kingdom. She should only serve her country. If she can contribute, she will naturally comply."

After realizing she had misunderstood, Yunxi became very shy and left in a hurry after speaking.

She originally wanted to spend more time with Fang Weiyan so that she could get to know Fang Weiyan better, but she never expected such an embarrassing thing to happen.

Seeing Yunxi running over, Fang Weiyan scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then asked someone to invite the Dragon King.

As soon as the Dragon King entered, Fang Weiyan gestured for him to sit down. "Dragon King, I would like to ask you some more questions about the Human Sovereign."

Fang Weiyan composed himself and then asked.

Now that he is the ruler of the Jiang Kingdom, it's time to inquire about this matter.

"Now that you are the ruler of the Jiang Kingdom, you can learn some more specific things. To ascend to the throne of the Human Sovereign, you must go to Mount Kunxu to worship Heaven and Earth, and be officially appointed by the Heavenly Emperor."

The Dragon King understood Fang Weiyan's meaning and immediately began to speak.

"And the only way to ascend Mount Kunxu each year is on the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, when the king burns a letter to heaven, at which time the road to Mount Kunxu will be opened."

"As for obtaining a title from Heaven, that will depend on the strength of the Jiang Kingdom. However, given the current state of the Jiang Kingdom, obtaining such a title is probably impossible."

The Dragon King was quite clear about this matter, and immediately explained it to Fang Weiyan in detail.

Fang Weiyan roughly understood after hearing these words: to become the Human Sovereign, one still needed to go to Mount Kunxu?

What should we pay attention to at that time? Are there any more specific points?

Fang Weiyan wanted to know more, so he continued to ask.

"The most important thing about Mount Kunxu is the sacrifice. The sacrifices are made from the rice you have grown, your country's copper coins, silver, gold, and other valuables, as well as silks, satins, books, and other items."

Upon hearing these words, Fang Weiyan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "Are these all used for sacrificial offerings?"

"Yes, the yield of rice per acre and the weaving of silk and satin can show whether your country is well-off. Items like silver can show the wealth of your people. Books can show the level of civilization of your country, and so on."

The Dragon King spoke to Fang Weiyan.

Fang Weiyan's heart stirred upon hearing this, "What if all of these could be done to the extreme?"

"Naturally, I will be able to be successfully appointed to the position of Human Sovereign. Moreover, the position of Human Sovereign is also divided into different ranks. I heard that there are five ranks of Human Sovereign, with the first rank being the highest. However, if you ask me what benefits I would gain if I were to become a first-rank Human Sovereign, I am not entirely sure. I only know that the higher the rank, the more powerful I will be in the future."

The Dragon King's words made Fang Weiyan start to have his own ideas. As for rice, he believed that the rice he grew would have an amazing yield.

This should be able to crush other countries in the world.

As for silk fabrics and the like, I wonder if machine-woven ones would be suitable? Putting aside other factors, the production volume of these items is astonishing.

Another issue is currency. I wonder if it's possible to bring over currency from my own country?

As for books, I don't think I need to worry about that; I have plenty of books on my own.

If things go like this, I wonder if I'll even be able to obtain the position of a first-rank Human Sovereign?

Listening to what the other person was saying, Fang Weiyan became even more expectant.

"Thank you for informing me, Dragon King."

After listening to what the other party had to say, Fang Weiyan still politely thanked them.

Regardless, I should still thank those who deserve it.

"There's no need to be so polite."

The Dragon King waved his hand, indicating that Fang Weiyan was being too polite.

Seeing that Fang Weiyan seemed to have nothing else to do, he got up and left.

The next day.

Fang Weiyan arrived at the main hall to attend court.

When Fang Weiyan arrived at the main hall, it was rather sparsely populated. Recently, many ministers in the court had been killed.

This resulted in a pitifully small number of ministers in the imperial court.

To be honest, if Fang Weiyan wasn't genuinely worried about running out of people, he would have actually wanted to fire the remaining staff.

But there's nothing we can do now, we can only bear with it for now.

"I am deeply grateful for the late emperor's favor and have now inherited the throne. I hope that in the future, the court will be united in purpose, so as to ensure lasting peace for the Jiang Kingdom."

After watching the ministers finish their greetings, Fang Weiyan's first words were a hope that they would perform their duties well in the future.

The ministers exchanged glances, still feeling a slight sense of awe towards the emperor who had led the army to quell the rebellion in Yanhuai City.

After all, the other side had killed many ministers in recent days, and every minister who was executed had his entire family, including three generations, exterminated.

The recent killings in Yanhuai City have made them somewhat uneasy.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the current emperor seems very young; he is actually a ruthless character.

"We, your humble servants, will dedicate ourselves to the utmost, even unto death."

The ministers shouted again.

Looking at the sparse number of ministers, Fang Weiyan sighed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do.

"There are many vacancies in the court, so the Ministry of Ministry of Personnel should take the time to notify all students in the country to take the exam. The exam papers will be provided by me, and the travel expenses will be covered by the imperial court."

Having just taken office, Fang Weiyan had many things to do. Although he was feeling quite troubled by the current state of the Jiang Kingdom, he couldn't help but start working on drawing up his own blueprint.

"Your Majesty, the imperial treasury..."

The ministers had no objection to the examination, but the question remained: where would the Jiang Kingdom find the travel expenses?

"Don't worry, I'll only get the money."

Fang Weiyan waved his hand and, without waiting for the ministers to speak, said something directly.

After speaking, Fang Weiyan continued to wave his hand, and the guards at the door immediately came in, carrying a basket in their hands.

"These are crops I planted when I was the magistrate of Linbei County. With these crops, we only need to sow them in the other counties and prefectures, and our Jiang Kingdom will be free from famine in the future."

Fang Weiyan spoke, he gestured for the ministers to come forward and take a look.

The ministers were taken aback when they heard this, and when they went forward to see for themselves, they were all stunned.

What lay before them was a plant whose roots were covered with fruit-like things.

This string of them is not only extremely long, but also enormous in size.

There was also a corn stalk next to it, with extremely thick ears of corn growing on it.

Fang Weiyan also had some corn, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables cooked for the ministers to try.

The ministers took a bite and felt the fragrance filling the air. They all stared wide-eyed at the basket in front of them, some incredulous.

The things growing here are not only incredibly beautiful, but also incredibly delicious?

"What you're holding are corn, potatoes, and other crops. The yield of corn is over 7,000 jin per mu, potatoes over 16,000 jin per mu, and cabbage over 8,000 jin per mu."

Fang Weiyan still remembered what Uncle Fu had mentioned about yield per mu last time, and now he brought it up again.

The ministers listened in stunned silence. Now, looking at the crops laden with potatoes and corn, they were amazed. If they hadn't seen these things with their own eyes, they would have been completely bewildered.

At this moment, they probably wouldn't believe Fang Weiyan's words at all.

A yield of several thousand catties per mu, more than ten thousand catties of grain? How is that possible!

But right now, this thing is actually right in front of them.

The ministers were shocked. With such a large and high-yield crop, it seemed that the Emperor's statement about no more famines in the future was true.

Potatoes yield 16,000 jin per mu. If sold as coarse grains, they would fetch 380 jin per tael of silver, meaning one mu of land could sell for 42 taels of silver!

Upon realizing this, the ministers were immediately invigorated, and thinking of their own fertile fields, they were overjoyed.

Fang Weiyan observed the expressions on the ministers' faces and knew what they were thinking, but he made no attempt to point it out.

He planned to reclaim all the land in various places, but his foundation was still weak, and it would be bad if he acted rashly and provoked these people to rebel.

Currently, people in ancient times regarded land as the main tool for making money, and acquiring fertile land was their most common activity.

To solve this problem, simply shift their attention away from the land.

Therefore, Fang Weiyan did not tell them at this moment that in order to grow such a high-yield grain, they would need their own fertilizer.

He intended to create this pitfall for these ministers, as well as for the gentry in other places.

"Furthermore, starting today, all corvée labor and taxes for farmers in the Jiang Kingdom will be waived, while taxes for merchants will be retained for the time being."

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on him, Fang Weiyan then began to announce.

Things like taxation can be directly borrowed from Earth. He has no experience in governing a country, but he does have the ability to copy others' work.

Moreover, given the current state of the Jiang Kingdom, trying to collect taxes from the people is simply a pipe dream.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to simply abolish them all, along with all other exorbitant taxes and levies.

"Emperor!"

Upon hearing Fang Weiyan's words, the ministers were stunned. If these taxes were all abolished, where would the court collect money from in the future?

They can understand that this emperor has no experience as a ruler, but with such a chaotic approach, the country he finally took over might fall apart in no time!

"My mind is made up! Say no more."

Seeing that the ministers were about to say something, Fang Weiyan immediately waved his hand, stopping them from speaking.

He's been looking at a lot of relevant policies lately and has already figured out what to do.

The most important thing right now is to make the people feel hope for life. In addition, he needs to draw up a blueprint for the people and the ministers in the court.

It's acceptable to give them a rosy picture in advance.

However, Fang Weiyan will complete this ambitious plan as soon as possible.

While making grand promises, Fang Weiyan needed to encourage people to get back to work and stimulate the economy. In addition, he should first bring industrial assets under state ownership.

In this way, the country can have revenue and money to continue to incentivize people to work, earn money, and then consume it, which in turn drives industry.

This is a virtuous cycle.

In short, now that he is the emperor of the Jiang Kingdom, he needs to take immediate action in order to achieve a higher ranking when he ascends Mount Kunxu.

However, the ministers were somewhat bewildered. They had just witnessed the emperor produce such an astonishing amount of grain, and now he was not collecting taxes from the people who were farming. Wasn't this a complete waste of a huge sum of money that had come from the national treasury?