In the end, Xie Jiuque still knelt before Zheng Yi in sincere conviction.

He couldn’t even defeat Zheng Yi alone.

Let alone the three Innate eunuchs whose aura and cultivation techniques surpassed his!

This Great Yu Imperial Palace indeed harbors hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

Not only the eunuchs but even Your Majesty…

“Xie Jiuque.”

“This… commoner is here.”

With a hoarse voice, Xie Jiuque helplessly lowered his head.

“Are you willing to work for me?”

“I am willing.”

“Are you willing to assist me in controlling the Great Yu Martial Arts?”

“I am willing.”

“Are you willing to join my Great Yu Court?”

“I am willing.”

“Very good.”

Zheng Yi said, “From today on, you are an advisor of my Great Yu Martial Arts Department, as well as the vice president of the Martial Artist Guild.”

“However, your identity does not need to be publicized; I have important tasks for you to handle.”

“Your Majesty?”

Xie Jiuque’s eyes moved as he asked, “What do you intend to do?”

“When I speak, I need someone from the Martial World to help me control the martial arts world.”

“Originally, Zhao Suling was the most suitable, but unfortunately, Taiyii Dao is too entangled with my Great Yu Court, which has caused dissatisfaction among many martial artists, so I had to seek someone else.”

“And you, most unfortunately, narrowly stumbled onto my spearhead, leaving me no choice but to choose you.”

“As long as you can help me control the Great Yu Martial Arts, I certainly won’t treat you badly.”

“Let me think…”

Zheng Yi looked down at Xie Jiuque and said, “Your cultivation technique is incomplete; reaching this point relied entirely on your own talent and aptitude, as well as randomly snatched swordsmanship secret manuals from other sects, which are unorganized.”

“If you help me complete this task, I will make the Hidden Martial Pavilion within the Imperial Palace fully open to you.”

“All of the martial arts stored in the Hidden Martial Pavilion will be available for you to acquire. How about it?”

“Really?!”

Xie Jiuque’s eyes suddenly brightened.

The Great Yu Hidden Martial Pavilion.

It is rumored that this Hidden Martial Pavilion was established during the Tai Zong period of Great Yu, collecting countless martial arts of the world from various sects.

There are even some unique martial arts secret manuals left after sects were exterminated.

If he could master these martial arts secret manuals, wouldn’t his swordsmanship make even greater strides?

Furthermore, the Hundred Battle Blood Slaughter Saber, White Lotus Flower Picking Technique, Celestial Demon Technique, Seven-star Swordsmanship, and others that Emperor Zhengyong just used to defeat him might also be stored in the Hidden Martial Pavilion.

If he could obtain so many cultivation technique secret manuals…

“I am the Emperor, what I say is a Holy Decree.”

Zheng Yi succinctly said, “Rest assured, I will not mistreat you.”

“I can even arrange for Xu Mujun to spar with you, to jointly explore the advancement in swordsmanship.”

“Commoner… subject, obeys the decree!”

Ultimately, Xie Jiuque respectfully bowed down, eyes filled with reverence.

“Very good.”

Zheng Yi smiled and said, “I will assign five Grandmaster Realm martial artists and more than ten First-grade Realm martial artists to accompany you to the Southern Martial Arts to lend you prestige.”

“You can also establish a sect in the south, invite heroes from all over the world, and host a martial arts conference, how about it?”

“Martial arts conference…”

Xie Jiuque’s eyes became even brighter, and he said excitedly, “Yes, Your Majesty!”

“However, under what pretext should I host the martial arts conference?”

“It’s simple — against my Ban Martial Order!”

Zheng Yi concisely said, “After you arrive at the Southern Martial Arts, you can use the name of sparring to challenge various sects in the southern martial world. Without any Innate making a move, no one will be your opponent.”

“Even if there are hidden Innates, as long as you remain unbeaten, it’s enough.”

“Once your reputation rises, you can then establish a sect and host a martial arts conference to recruit martial artists.”

Xie Jiuque hesitated and said, “If I use the Ban Martial Order as a reason to host the martial arts conference, should I support or oppose it?”

“At that time…”

Zheng Yi sneered, “By then, whether to support or oppose, it won’t be up to you.”

“Ah?”

“Also, there’s one more thing for you to keep an eye on for me.”

“What is it?”

“The Tuoba Clan of Yunmeng Marsh, ascertain the situation in Yunmeng Marsh for me.”

“Yunmeng Marsh…”

Xie Jiuque hesitated and said, “When I was young, I had once entered Yunmeng Marsh and defeated several skilled members of the Tuoba Clan in Yunmeng Marsh, but in the end, I was defeated by a young man claiming to be from the ‘Zong Family of Yunmeng Marsh.'”

“Zong Family? Hidden Sect? Exoteric Buddhism?”

Zheng Yi nodded and said, “No matter what, find a way to understand the Tuoba Clan, but do not act rashly, understood?”

“Understood, I know.”

Ultimately, Xie Jiuque still left, taking with him five Grandmaster Realm martial artists from the Martial Arts Department and more than ten First-grade Realm martial artists, marching into the Southern Martial World.

He was merely a pawn casually played by Zheng Yi.

Who knows, there might be unexpected gains in the future?

And now his focus shifts to another matter.

Forcing the Noble Families to rebel!

Yes.

He intends to force these Noble Families to rebel against me!

Several days later, at the Great Court.

“Submit petitions for urgent matters, adjourn if there’s nothing to discuss!”

As Liu Cheng’en’s words just fell, Wang Anshi stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present!”

Many officials raised their eyebrows and looked at Wang Anshi.

The current Imperial Court is divided into several major factions.

The foremost is, of course, the Emperor Faction established under Zheng Yi’s directive.

Wang Anshi, Yuan Qichang, and Cai Dashi all belong to this faction.

Next is the military led by Grand General Xu Mujun.

The so-called military is actually just Xu Mujun’s one-man show.

He has always supported the Great Yu Court and can be seen as part of the Emperor Faction.

The third faction consists of noble family officials led by Lu Xiangqing, Li Yuanhao, and Kong Xiangsi.

This faction has the most members and the deepest foundation. Although their power is not the greatest, they are involved in the most departments and cannot be compared to other factions.

The fourth faction is the Southern Upright Officials led by Zheng Xuanyue.

The officials of this faction are scholars who rose to the court through the imperial examination.

They pride themselves as disciples of sages, coming from an upright background, and look down upon the noble families and Emperor Faction.

Unfortunately, they wield little power, and their influence is thin.

The last faction…

consists of a few officials who are close to Chief Eunuch Liu Cheng’en of Ritual Department. They are frustrated and marginalized by other factions for various reasons.

With no choice, they huddle around Liu Cheng’en and others for warmth.

This faction is called the ‘Eunuch Faction’ and is the smallest in number.

Today, Wang Anshi spoke first. As Your Majesty’s mouthpiece, does this mean Your Majesty is planning another major move?

Zheng Yi said: “What brings you here, Wang Aiqing?”

“In response to Your Majesty, I have a volume of data here, and I respectfully ask Your Majesty to allow me to present it to my colleagues.”

Data?

Many people’s hearts skipped a beat upon hearing this word.

The last time data appeared was when Grand General Xu Mujun implemented the Ban Martial Order.

Could it be that today, Your Majesty has another edict to announce?

Zheng Yi concisely said: “Read.”

“Since I took office as Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, I have worked with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, local County Magistrates, and County Soldiers in the Great Yu Thirteen States to measure the cultivated land area of our Great Yu.”

“Mangzhou and Huangzhou Two States were not measured because they are new additions to our Great Yu.”

Wang Anshi gestured, and an official from the Ministry of Revenue quickly brought over a stack of account books and handed it to Wang Anshi.

“The measurement was completed on October 5, 7th Year of Zhengyong.”

“Including the Capital City, the total cultivated land area in our Great Yu Thirteen States is one billion three hundred and sixty-five million mu, with a population of over two hundred million.”

“Since the 27th Year of Tianqi, our Great Yu has continuously suffered natural and man-made disasters, causing a steady stream of refugees, making it impossible to accurately determine this population. As a result, we can only refer to the registered population of each county.”

“Why does our Great Yu have so many refugees?”

“It’s very simple: the people have no land to cultivate and can’t survive!”

“They have no choice but to sell their children and become refugees, begging for a living everywhere.”

“These people cannot survive, and once incited by ill-intentioned individuals, they turn into rebels!”

“In recent years, the repeated civil unrest in the Six Northern States stems from this.”

Although Wang Anshi’s voice was not loud, it sounded harsh to many courtiers’ ears.

“However, judging by the total cultivated land area and total population, each person should have at least five mu to cultivate, enough to support all the people.”

“But alas, countless people still become refugees, then transform into rebels and mobsters!”

At this point, someone interrupted Wang Anshi.

“Lord Wang, you are mistaken in saying this.”

“Although the total cultivated land area is over ten billion, land can be bought and sold.”

“Some people are inherently lazy, unwilling to cultivate land. They loiter all day, and their fields lay barren.”

“To survive, they have to sell their land, concentrating it in the hands of diligent people, thus producing more grain and tax revenue.”

“Isn’t Lord Wang disregarding the lives of other people, allowing the land to waste?”

“No.”

Wang Anshi said: “I am not talking about these matters, but about the change in the total cultivated land area of our Great Yu.”

“I have checked the records, and the Ministry of Revenue did a nationwide survey of cultivated land population in the 35th Year of Tianqi.”

“Back then, the nationally cultivable area was a vast seventeen billion five hundred million mu, with a population of three hundred fifty million!”

“In the 7th Year of Tianqi, a survey was also conducted, revealing an eighteen billion six hundred million mu cultivable area.”

“Going further back, in the 4th Year of Wanchang, the nationally cultivable area was sixteen billion two hundred million mu.”

“Over the past three hundred years of Great Yu, the maximum national cultivable area was in the 11th Year of Yong’an, reaching as much as twenty-one billion mu!”

“Lord Shen, you say there are lazy people unwilling to farm, and cultivated land would concentrate in the hands of diligent people, but why in just over twenty years has the cultivable area decreased by seven billion mu!”

“Where did these seven billion mu go? Can any of you, my esteemed colleagues, know?”

Facing many court officials, Wang Anshi received mixed reactions, yet no one said anything at this time.

Wang Anshi turned around, tidied his robe, and bowed to the ground with both hands.

“Your Majesty, after a thorough investigation, from the 35th Year of Tianqi to the 7th Year of Zhengyong, our Great Yu’s cultivable area has inexplicably decreased by a full seven billion mu due to various reasons!”

“Natural disasters are one aspect, but more importantly, it’s human misfortune!”

“Heavy levies, corvée labor, and military service continue unabated, causing misery to the people, leaving them no choice but to sell their lands and become refugees.”

“These lands eventually concentrate in the hands of large landlords, big officials, noble families, and even meritorious nobles.”

“These noble families, large landlords, and meritorious nobles, due to their special status, are exempt from taxes, causing our Great Yu’s tax revenue to decline year by year, leaving the national treasury empty, and making Great Yu shaky.”

“There are also some who flagrantly conceal tenant labor, using deception to hide specific arable land and population to gain significant benefits.”

“These are undermining the very foundation of our Great Yu!”

“Moreover, officials and those with merit are exempt from taxes, leading to countless large landlords attributing thousands of acres of their land under the names of meritorious scholars to evade significant taxes, weakening the state.”

“Merchants, too, are exempt from taxes, which is a grave mistake.”

“Merchants aren’t producers; they buy low and sell high, hoard, and pursue profit over integrity. Your Majesty, have you not seen the old Eight Great Bing Merchants?”

“Taxes are the foundation of the nation. There are too many vermin in the national court. I humbly ask Your Majesty to clearly see this.”

“Therefore, I request Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the land across the nation, thoroughly investigate the population across the nation, abolish heavy levies and miscellaneous taxes, lighten corvée and military service, and implement the ‘Single Whip Law.'”

“Reassert that officials and those with merit must all pay taxes and submit grain, treated equally with all the people under heaven.”

“Reorganize our Great Yu’s tax system to ensure the people’s welfare!”

“If this continues, our Great Yu will certainly make a comeback, grow ever more prosperous, and once again see a flourishing era of Great Yu!!!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep