Chapter 413: Two Policies
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Emperor positioned himself beside Su Bin and remained there for an extended period.
As the Emperor perused Su Bin’s responses, he noticed a significant departure from the other candidates’ submissions. The more he read, the more engrossed he became in Su Bin’s ideas.
While the royal treasury stood depleted, Su Bin’s approach deviated from the conventional path. He advocated commencing the effort to replenish the treasury by targeting the royal family, nobility, and the wealthy, rather than further burdening the commoners with increased taxes.
He emphasized the heavy tax burden already borne by the common people, such as the rural farmers who were subjected to an extensive array of levies. Their obligations ranged from military service taxes to national taxes, labor taxes, paddy taxes, dryland taxes, head taxes, bull head taxes, pig head taxes, and even taxes on something as modest as raising a chicken.
The Emperor’s countenance soured upon realizing the extent of the commoners’ taxation. He wondered how he had remained unaware of such a taxing system, which included levies on chicken ownership.
Nevertheless, the Emperor retained his composure and continued to read Su Bin’s proposals.
Su Bin’s recommendations included two policies that could rapidly replenish the treasury. The first policy involved requiring the wealthy to disclose their assets, with a mandate that they surrender 5% of their wealth to the treasury. Although 5% might seem modest, the potential impact was substantial.
Su Bin also suggested implementing a whistleblowing system to uncover concealed assets. Any conclusive evidence of asset concealment would lead to the forfeiture of the entirety of the hidden wealth.
Under this proposal, the whistle-blower stood to receive a reward ranging from 20 to 30% of the concealed assets, creating a strong incentive for individuals to report wealth that was hidden from taxation. This mechanism would not only encourage those with knowledge of such assets to come forward but also deter the wealthy from attempting to covertly amass wealth.
The second policy entailed the nationalization of select projects, such as the iron industry, where both the resources and the mines would become state-owned. The Emperor recognized the perils associated with privately owned mines, where safety hazards were often disregarded in the pursuit of cost-cutting and profit maximization. Instances like concealing accidents or covering up landslides had led to loss of life and deprived the victims’ families of any compensation. These families had previously attempted to seek justice, but the corrupt influence of mine owners, who had bribed officials, had left them without recourse.
The Emperor acknowledged that designating minerals as state-owned would alleviate safety risks and bring substantial benefits to the nation. As he read on, he silently nodded in approval, finding Su Bin’s suggestions to be remarkably astute.
Throughout this process, the Emperor had been stationed beside Su Bin, closely following the proceedings. The Third Prince, who was watching with a knowing smile, inferred that the duration of his father’s engagement indicated a keen interest in Su Bin’s proposals. The Third Prince was well aware of Su Bin’s talents and capabilities, and he recognized that if his father embraced these suggestions, it would signify a lack of faith in the Crown Prince’s motivations for suppressing Su Bin.
The Crown Prince’s demeanor, in contrast, was marked by frustration and unease.
He speculated that his father’s sustained interest in Su Bin’s proposal must signify a genuine curiosity. This raised concerns about the potential elevation of Su Bin to a significant role based on his suggestions, which in turn might unveil his own role in suppressing Su Bin.
Despite his inner turmoil, he maintained a facade of composure, skillfully concealing any trepidation.
With the Emperor by his side, attentively reviewing his responses, Su Bin initially felt a hint of discomfort, but he swiftly regained his composure. These two policies had long been in his thoughts, thanks in part to the guidance of Qin Zhenzhen, who had imparted knowledge of effective governance.
If the Emperor were to embrace these policies, it would be a commendable step toward serving the common people’s interests.
Among the five examiners, one individual displayed particular delight, the only one among them who was not aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction..
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