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墨書 Inktalez
"Fortune increases gradually to a certain extent," Jiang Han said again.
"Our dynasty lacks money, and the surnames have no wealth either. This situation has arisen because the scholars and officials are consuming too much, or the local gentry families are hoarding vast amounts of wealth!"
"And if we want to strengthen the military, given the current scarcity of our national treasury, targeting the civil officials and the wealthy is the most effective method!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the table displayed expressions of shock.
Hong Qianjun's hand trembled so much while holding his chopsticks that he could barely keep a grip on them. He could not believe that Jiang Han would say such a thing.
The words were astonishing, like a thunderclap!
With a loud clatter, Hong Qianjun dropped his chopsticks onto the floor.
When he looked at Jiang Han again, his eyes were filled with respect. Such a method was indeed a brilliant strategy for enriching the country and strengthening its military.
Lin Qingyue stared at Jiang Han in disbelief, never imagining that her former fiancé would have such a murderous intent!
However, this strategy was indeed sound!
At the border where Wan Dajun was stationed, the court had not provided rations or weapons, forcing them to rely on their own farming to supplement their needs.
But farming yielded minimal results, while there were numerous gentry families within the border area.
If they simply eliminated a few of them, wiping out entire households could cover decades of military expenses.
Moreover, this land could be redistributed to those who supported her surname; with their backing, she would not lack for quality soldiers!
Jiang Han! Oh, Jiang Han!
I truly underestimated you!
If only you had revealed these thoughts back then, I would never have abandoned you.
Could it be that you were testing me back then? What a pity—I failed to see it.
Lin Qingyue now felt immense regret as she thought about how if she hadn’t broken off her engagement with Jiang Han, she could proudly declare to the world that the man whose talents surpassed all ages was indeed mine!
Ah! What a pity! What a pity!
Such an exceptional man has slipped away.
Lin Qingyue clenched her fists in silent regret.
As she looked at Jiang Han, her gaze softened; her mind raced with thoughts of how to mend their relationship.
Mu Jinkun was left speechless in shock. After a long pause, he finally spoke up: "Isn't your intent to kill a bit too heavy?"
"It's not just heavy; it's absolute!"
"If you want solutions and a powerful army, you need wealth. With fixed annual tax revenues, some people must be sacrificed!"
"You seek to raise taxes, then you invite rebellion! When you raise taxes, the people will revolt, and you'll need to increase taxes even more to train your army and suppress the dissent. But as you raise taxes further, others will also rebel, creating a vicious cycle!"
Jiang Han spoke slowly, "The best solution to this issue is to eliminate the civil officials and the gentry."
Jiu Gong's expression turned to one of shock, his breath quickening as if he had just heard an extraordinary strategy. On one hand, he was astonished by Jiang Han's audacity; on the other, he was stunned that Jiang Han's words completely broke the established rules of their society. Targeting civil officials and the gentry specifically, using their wealth from confiscation to train an army—this was something that no nation would dare to consider.
Since ancient times, rulers had always promised to share the world with the gentry.
"Wait a moment!" Jiu Gong interrupted, stopping Jiang Han who had just taken his seat. "If we kill the civil officials, how will the court function afterward?"
Jiang Han looked at Jiu Gong as if he were foolish.
Jiu Gong maintained a serious demeanor and asked, "Yes, if we kill the civil officials, what will happen to the court?"
"Are we not conducting the imperial examination?" Jiang Han replied. "There are plenty of people in this world who want to hold office. For instance, in your Xia Kingdom, if you're interested, you could give it a try!
You could eliminate every single civil and military official in the court and then promote those candidates who are waiting in line to take their place. You would find that the court would operate normally."
After finishing this statement with a faint smile, Jiang Han left Jiu Gong stunned into silence.
To completely eradicate all civil and military officials and annihilate their families—this was something that not only was unheard of but also unimaginable in previous times.
Jiu Gong trembled as he picked up his cup and took a sip from a newly opened bottle of liquor to steady himself.
Su Qianxue looked at Jiang Han with admiration in her eyes. She had long harbored such thoughts herself—eliminating all those belonging to the Langya Prince faction among the civil officials and military officers when given the chance.
Jiang Han was right; there were plenty of people who wanted to hold office in this world. The court would never lack for personnel; even if everyone were eliminated, it wouldn't matter.
In this game, I have won!
"Mu Jinkun, it's your turn!"
Jiang Han retrieved another bottle of liquor from behind the wine rack and placed it on Mu Jinkun's table.
Mu Jinkun's face instantly changed color. He had been so focused on admiring the boldness and audacity of this line of thinking that he completely forgot about what he would have to drink after losing—the second bottle of liquor!
He cast a hopeful glance at Jiu Gong and Hong Qianjun.
"Jiu Gong, Hong Daru! The difference between me and Mu Jinkun is clear! If you still want to speak against your conscience at this moment, then this gamble can come to an end. The literary competition between the Xia Kingdom and the Great Zhou has already concluded, and it is our Great Zhou that has won," Jiang Han said leisurely.
The thought process of Mu Jinkun was on an entirely different level from that of Jiang Han; it was not just those who did not understand literature who could see this. Even a martial artist like Yan Dong could clearly recognize that Jiang Han had emerged victorious.
Upon hearing this, Hong Qianjun immediately lowered his head and said, "We have lost!"
"First!"
"You! Mu Jinkun, are you getting anxious? Another drink?"
"I’ve just finished one bottle; do I really have to down another? This is liquor, not rice wine. If I drink another bottle, I’ll be in agony!"
Hong Qianjun revealed a look of regret as he turned to Mu Jinkun and said, "Disciple, we must accept defeat. Once this test began, we truly were outmatched!"
"Accept defeat? It’s not you who’s drinking!"
"This is liquor; it could very well be lethal!"
Mu Jinkun was getting desperate; he didn’t want to drink anymore.
Jiang Han leisurely opened another bottle of liquor and chuckled, "Just now, you said you hadn’t eaten a single bite!"
"Exactly, my stomach is empty, making it easier to absorb the alcohol! Come on, Zhuang Yuan Ye, down it in one go; stop dragging it out!"
Mu Jinkun forced a bitter smile and turned to Jiu Gong, pleading, "Your Highness, this stuff is no less than poison! Your Highness, please save me! I can’t drink this! After drinking it, I’ll be vomiting and suffering from a splitting headache; I’d rather not be human at all!"
Jiu Gong displayed a look of apprehension as he hesitated over whether or not to help Mu Jinkun.
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