RPAGF Chapter 325 The Bold Miss Shi
Chapter 325 The Bold Miss Shi
Chapter 325 The Bold Miss Shi
Shen Yuxi nodded slightly, his eyes full of appreciation: "What Minister Shi said is absolutely right. I think this plan is feasible."
"If any of you ministers have any objections, we may discuss them further; if there are no objections, then we shall begin preparations for the opening of the market."
Shi Wanxia was gratified to see that her suggestion had been approved, but she also knew that the road ahead was long.
This is just the first step; many more difficulties and challenges await them.
But she was not afraid, and secretly vowed to contribute her strength to the prosperity of Cangling.
After the court session, Shen Yuxi kept Shi Wanxia behind.
"Minister Shi, we are so grateful to you for your excellent advice in court today," Shen Yuxi said gently.
"Your Majesty flatters me. This is merely my duty," Shi Wanxia replied humbly.
“However, implementing this strategy will inevitably encounter many obstacles. Do you have any solutions?” Shen Yuxi asked with concern.
Shi Wanxia's gaze was firm: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I am mentally prepared."
"Implementing new policies will inevitably affect the interests of some people, but as long as we proceed step by step, reason with them, and appeal to their emotions, we believe we can overcome the difficulties."
"Your humble servant will also do his utmost to deal with any situation at any time."
The young female official, Shi Wanxia, stood tall and spoke passionately about her views on the development of the dynasty. Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, illuminating her resolute face.
However, Emperor Shen Yuxi, sitting on the dragon throne, was not so optimistic. He frowned slightly and raised his hand to interrupt Shi Wanxia.
"Minister Shi, if those people are unwilling to give up their benefits and are unwilling to cooperate, what are your plans?"
Shen Yuxi's voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the empty hall.
After all, the reforms proposed by Shi Wanxia not only affected the interests of powerful families and clans, but also the interests of many ministers in the court. These forces were deeply entrenched and could have far-reaching consequences, making them difficult to shake.
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia was taken aback. She, who had been speaking eloquently, instantly fell into deep thought.
She knew perfectly well that His Majesty was right. These vested interests would inevitably resist reform strongly, but without reform, the Cangling Dynasty would gradually decline amid increasingly acute social contradictions.
Seeing her deep in thought, Shen Yuxi remained calm. He waved his hand, signaling someone to bring Shi Wanxia a chair, and said gently, "Minister Shi, sit down and think it over."
At this moment, footsteps sounded outside the hall. Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou, accompanied by Minister Cui Zhihao, requested an audience outside the door.
Upon hearing the announcement, Shen Yuxi then had them summoned in.
The two entered the main hall, bowed respectfully, and said in unison, loud voices, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty!"
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"
Shen Yuxi was in a good mood. Looking at his son and trusted ministers, he quickly said, "Get up, all of you! Your Highness, what brings you here?"
Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou raised his head and carefully glanced at Shi Wanxia. Seeing that she was safe and sound, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
During this period, he had a lot of contact with this Miss Shi and admired her talent and courage. Naturally, he was also worried that her frank advice to the emperor in private might offend him.
While everyone was talking, Shi Wanxia suddenly thought of the Single Whip Method used by Zhang Juzheng, a regent minister of the Ming Dynasty.
A sudden idea struck her, and a glint of light flashed in her eyes. She said urgently, "Your Majesty, this can actually be solved in this way. We should not only vigorously develop commerce, but also collect taxes reasonably in order to control the market."
She paused slightly, her tone becoming more serious, "The biggest problem now is land consolidation. The gap between the rich and the poor is too large, and most of the land is in the hands of officials, powerful families, gentry, and wealthy people."
“At this time, it is absolutely unacceptable to collect taxes based solely on the number of people! We must find a way to get these people to pay more taxes.”
Shen Yuxi listened and nodded slightly, feeling that what the girl said made sense; these problems were indeed the most fundamental dilemmas facing the dynasty at present.
But he wondered how Shi Wanxia intended to resolve the issue.
"My dear minister, please speak freely."
Shi Wanxia took a deep breath and mustered her courage to ask, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask, who owns this empire? And who is in charge?"
The Crown Prince and Choi Ji-ho, who were standing nearby, turned pale with fright upon hearing this.
This girl is practically courting death. Such a sensitive issue could be fatal if she's not careful.
Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou quickly spoke up: "Lord Shi, this world belongs to Father Emperor, and it is Father Emperor who should be in charge!"
Shen Yuxi's face also darkened instantly, showing displeasure. He was very dissatisfied with Shi Wanxia's question: "What do you mean by this, Minister Shi?"
Shi Wanxia was not intimidated by the emperor's majesty. Instead, she smiled calmly and said unhurriedly, "Your Highness is right. Then it's settled. The whole world is yours."
"Then this land is yours, belonging to the country. Everyone only has the right to use it, but the ownership of this land will always belong to Cang Ling, and will always belong to the country. Don't you agree with what I said?"
After hearing this, Shen Yuxi fell into deep thought. Although Shi Wanxia's words were bold, they were not without reason.
If we can start from this perspective and clearly define the ownership of land as belonging to the state, then we can legitimately control and tax land owners.
At this moment, Cui Zhihao stepped forward and said with concern, "Your Majesty, what Lord Shi said is good, but those powerful families and court officials will certainly not easily hand over control of the land. They have deep roots in various places, and I'm afraid it will cause great chaos."
Shen Yanzhou echoed, "Father, what Lord Cui said is absolutely right. This matter needs to be considered carefully and we should not rush into it."
Seeing the worried looks on everyone's faces, Shi Wanxia said firmly, "Your Majesty, reform is difficult, but if we do not reform, the future of the Cangling Dynasty will be in grave danger."
“We can start with some small things, such as investigating land, verifying the information of land owners, and severely punishing those who conceal land or evade taxes.”
"At the same time, we will vigorously support commercial development, reduce commercial taxes, and encourage people to engage in commercial activities, thereby increasing the country's fiscal revenue."
"Once commercial development shows some improvement, we can gradually promote land reform, which may reduce some resistance."
As Shen Yuxi listened to Shi Wanxia's plan, he gradually formed an idea in his mind.
He looked at the young female official with admiration in his eyes: "Minister Shi, what you say makes sense."
"We will proceed as you suggested. First, we will draft a detailed plan and submit it to me."
"I will convene the court officials to discuss this matter and ensure that it is resolved properly."
Shi Wanxia immediately knelt down to express her gratitude: "Your Majesty is wise. I will do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's trust."
Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou looked at Shi Wanxia and secretly admired her courage and wisdom.
He stepped forward and said to Shen Yuxi, "Father, I am also willing to assist Lord Shi in jointly promoting the reform."
Shen Yuxi nodded with satisfaction: "That's good. With the two of you working together, I can rest assured."
Seeing this, Cui Zhihao also expressed his opinion: "Your Majesty, I am also willing to do my part for the reform."
Shen Yuxi looked at his three ministers, his heart filled with confidence.
He believed that as long as they worked together, the Cangling Kingdom would surely usher in a new era of prosperity.
However, the path of reform is destined to be fraught with difficulties. Shi Wanxia and Shen Yanzhou encountered numerous problems in the process of formulating the reform plan.
They need to conduct detailed investigations into the land conditions in various places and collect information on landowners, which requires a lot of manpower and resources.
Moreover, they also faced pressure and doubts from all sides. After learning about the reforms, some powerful families sent people to the capital to try to stop them from proceeding.
Shi Wanxia and Shen Yanzhou did not back down. While organizing manpower to conduct land surveys, they also dealt with various forces.
They went deep into the countryside, understood the hardships of the people, and collected a wealth of data to prove the necessity of reform.