Before the house is confiscated, the enemy's warehouse is emptied and exiled

At the same time, Xiao Heng was in the inner hall with the ministers of the Ministry of Revenue, having a heated discussion about this matter. Everyone had a frown on their face and looked worried.

In recent days, Xiao Heng has been immersed in reading the detailed records of land reclamation policies of past dynasties.

After careful study, he was surprised to find that although the various tax reduction and exemption policies implemented in the past had different forms, they were essentially the same as the policies he implemented. He had never been able to find an excellent way to fundamentally solve the problem once and for all.

Not only that, even some newly established countries' tax reduction and exemption policies for land reclamation ended in complete failure, as these ministers of the Ministry of Revenue said.

In the historical books he consulted, such events were clearly recorded:

There was once a king who came from a poor peasant family, so he had a deep understanding of the hardships of life at the bottom of society.

After he established the new country, he issued three edicts to reduce taxes and issued an imperial decree stipulating that farmers would never have to pay taxes on the wasteland they reclaimed.

This should have been a great thing that made the people happy and applauded, but unexpectedly, this policy died after being implemented for less than two years.

What exactly caused it to end so abruptly?

It turned out that since the introduction of this policy, the people had been fighting each other to compete for those fertile wastelands, and vicious incidents of mutual harm among the people had occurred frequently. For a time, the entire social order became chaotic and turbulent.

In the end, the monarch had no choice but to abolish the policy.

Seeing this, Xiao Heng couldn't help but secretly rejoice:

"Fortunately, this kind of chaotic situation has not yet occurred in our Nanyue country."

The ministers of the Ministry of Revenue, like grasping at a lifeline, took advantage of this so-called "lesson from the past" and could not wait to advise Xiao Heng, urging him to decisively abolish the current land reclamation policy and resume collecting land taxes from farmers.

At this moment, Xiao Heng was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, he knew that the national treasury needed a stable source of income, but on the other hand, he also understood that increasing the tax burden on the people at this time was not a good idea.

However, he really couldn't find a good reason to refute the ministers.

Just when Xiao Heng was hesitating and undecided, a graceful figure came - Shen Qingge stepped into the inner hall.

As soon as she entered the hall, her sharp eyes instantly noticed the strange atmosphere inside.

Without any hesitation, she walked lightly and firmly towards Xiao Heng's side.

"What's going on, gentlemen? Is it because the discussion on the strategy for land reclamation was too intense, causing the atmosphere to become so tense?"

Shen Qingge opened her red lips slightly, and her clear and pleasant voice broke the suffocating silence in the hall.

The Minister of Revenue Su Mu and the Minister of Agriculture Zhang Qiu exchanged glances. Although they were a little unhappy, due to Shen Qingge's status and her relationship with Xiao Heng, they still forced a smile.

"Ahaha...it turns out that General Shen has returned!

We are discussing with the King the revision of the land reclamation policy!

I wonder if you, General, have gained anything during your trip?"

In fact, they knew clearly in their hearts that Shen Qingge had always firmly supported Xiao Heng's position and stood on the same front with the king.

Originally, they saw that the king had begun to waver under their earnest persuasion and was almost agreeing to adopt their proposal to levy land tax.

Who could have expected that Shen Qingge would come back at this critical moment!

Now all the previous efforts may be wasted.

I really don’t know what these two people are thinking about all day long. From ancient times to the present, which dynasty would not levy land tax on the people?

Ugh……

Thinking of this, Sumu and Zhangqiu couldn't help but sigh and shake their heads.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingge calmly observed Xiao Heng's slightly flushed face, and slowly scanned the changing expressions of the ministers in the hall. He had already guessed a general idea in his mind.

However, even so, she remained calm and explained in detail to everyone the true situation she had obtained from her personal visit.

Lord Su Mu listened carefully to Shen Qingge's words, and felt a surge of joy in his heart. He first bowed to Xiao Heng, then stood up and said:

"Your Majesty, look! These common people are inherently lazy.

Even if you rack your brains to plan everything for them, they may not know how to be grateful. This is all due to their inherent bad nature!"

Then another minister echoed:

"Indeed, Your Majesty. In my opinion, this policy of land reclamation will inevitably lead to chaos.

Moreover, it also harms the vital interests of small landowners. If this continues, it will be difficult to win the genuine support and support of the people."

However, at this moment, a different voice was heard in the inner hall.

After listening to Shen Qingge's description, Liu Wen, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, changed his mind and said aloud:

"That's wrong! We can't generalize. After all, nearly half of the people are still willing to reclaim wasteland.

This shows that they still support the policy implemented by the king.

If we rashly abolish this decree now, won't the government be branded as having lost its credibility with the people?"

"Master Liu is absolutely right..."

"Yes, what Lord Liu said is not without reason. The government cannot easily go back on its word, especially since our Nanyue Kingdom has just been established and its foundation is still unstable!"

In this way, the situation where everyone was united in advising Xiao Heng to abandon the land reclamation policy instantly turned into a scene of fierce debate between the two factions, neither of which gave in.

Both sides expressed their views and confronted each other sharply, and neither side was willing to compromise easily.

For a moment, the hall was noisy and in chaos.

Sitting on a high seat, Xiao Heng felt as if countless needles were pricking his head, causing him a severe headache.

A long time passed like this, and the noise showed no sign of stopping, but instead became more intense.

Xiao Heng finally couldn't stand it anymore, he slammed the table in front of him:

"My dear ministers, please stop arguing!

If this clamor continues, when will there be a conclusion?

Why don’t you calm down and listen to what General Shen has to say!

After all, this time she was the one personally going deep into the people's lives to investigate their real needs, so she must have the most say!"

Following Xiao Heng's shout, the hall fell silent in an instant, and everyone's eyes were focused on where Shen Qingge was.

At this moment, everyone held their breath, eager to hear what insights this highly-anticipated female general would express.

Shen Qingge slowly raised her head, a faint smile on her face. This smile was like the warm sunshine in spring, giving people a warm and reassuring feeling.

However, when she began to express her views, the entire hall was once again in uproar.

"In my opinion, the land reclamation policy must not be abolished!" Shen Qingge's clear and pleasant voice echoed in the hall.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

The ministers from Sumu immediately showed disdainful expressions on their faces, and some even snorted without disguising their feelings, as if they had expected it.

They all shook their heads, acting as if “See, I knew this would be the result.”

In contrast, the ministers of Liu Wen's faction all looked happy.

They looked at each other, their eyes full of complacency and pride.

Obviously, they were very satisfied that General Shen supported their position.

As everyone knows, Shen Qingge has always been quite prestigious in the court, so her words naturally carry great weight.

As for Shen Qingge, seeing this scene, he was not panicked at all and said calmly:

"My Lords, please be patient and allow me to explain in detail!"