At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

"No gifts."

Chu Ling said calmly, then turned and walked towards the daybed, his back to the two of them, "Minister Xiao, is there something you need to see me about?"

"I do indeed have some matters to attend to."

While saying this, Xiao Jing glanced at Chu Hui beside him.

Chu Hui understood what that meant.

Why doesn't Your Highness leave?

Chu Hui was also helpless. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, but that his elder brother, the emperor, had kept him there.

"Then say it."

Chu Ling sat down, lifted his robe, and looked at Xiao Jing, saying, "I happen to have some matters to discuss with you, Your Excellency."

"Yes."

Xiao Jing bowed in response.

Now Xiao Jing understood what was going on.

"Your Majesty, the reason I have come to Your Majesty is to inquire about the duration of the Ministry of Revenue's confiscation of assets," Xiao Jing said, stepping forward under Chu Hui's gaze.

“Even if we investigate the things that Chen Jian and his cronies have done, such an important government office as the Ministry of Revenue cannot be shut down like this, otherwise the central government will have a big problem.”

"It seems that we, the ruler and his minister, have the same idea."

Chu Ling smiled, looked at Xiao Jing, and then gestured, "Sit down and let's talk."

At this moment, a temple servant brought over a brocade stool.

"Yes."

Xiao Jing first bowed, then lifted his robe and sat down.

Seeing this, Chu Hui walked over to the Luohan bed and sat down.

In the central government, power struggles are normal. However, from the perspective of governance, one cannot only focus on these aspects. One must also understand the financial situation, the local conditions, the quality of official governance, and the state of the military. If one is unclear about these things, one might find it difficult to continue governing.

"Minister Xiao, I want to know the true situation of the Great Yu."

Chu Ling flicked his sleeves and said with a resolute look in his eyes.

Although Chu Ling does have many forces and organizations under his command, which allows him to obtain a lot of valuable intelligence, it is ultimately incomplete.

Xiao Jing was different.

He was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

The central government was in charge of decision-making, the Chancellery was in charge of deliberation, the Ministry of Personnel was in charge of execution, and the three ministries each managed their own areas. In addition, the central government of the Great Yu Dynasty also had the Six Ministries, the Nine Temples, and various supervisory offices, plus the Censorate, thus constructing a complete system of governance.

Of course, the above only applies to the written part.

The necessary struggles and contests are indeed necessary.

However, a comprehensive understanding of the situation in the Great Yu Kingdom is still very necessary.

"The situation in Dayu is not optimistic."

Under Chu Ling's gaze, Xiao Jing lowered his head slightly and said, "Although the three-year turmoil has ended, there are many thorny issues facing the central government. If the central government does not resolve the long-standing problems as soon as possible, with the current national treasury reserves of more than four million taels of gold and silver, it may not last until the end of this year before the national treasury runs out of gold and silver."

"Is it that serious?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Hui looked at Xiao Jing in astonishment.

Logically speaking, it shouldn’t be.

Yes.

The turmoil of the past affected many parts of Dayu, but Dayu has a vast territory, so how could it not be able to overcome any difficulties it may encounter?

"Your Highness, is the situation really that serious?"

Xiao Jing frowned slightly and said, "A three-year-long upheaval has affected not only the northern and southern borders, but also many other places. In the past, the central government has levied more than eight million additional taxes to deal with these problems, but only a little over five million have actually been levied."

"According to the information I have gathered, the shortfall is not, as the local authorities have claimed, not collected, but rather has gone into the pockets of some individuals."

“What’s even more serious is that while the central government adds these taxes and levies, at the local level, some are secretly adding more at each level, which has led to a lot of exorbitant taxes and levies at the local level.”

"Such a thing actually happened?!"

Chu Hui exclaimed incredulously, "Since you've found out all this, why don't you arrest these people?!"

"Because we can't arrest them."

Xiao Jing looked at Chu Hui and said, "If we really arrest them, the central government won't even be able to get those five million, and the local order will become even more chaotic. How can we resolve this unrest then?"

Chu Hui: "..."

Xiao Jing's words had a huge impact on Chu Hui; it seemed completely different from what he had imagined.

"Your Majesty, the resentment among the people under the rule of Dayu is now extremely strong."

While Chu Hui was in shock, Xiao Jing said to Chu Ling, "If the additional taxes and levies are not abolished as soon as possible, it may not be long before popular uprisings or even rebellions occur under the rule of the Great Yu."

"I have thought about this matter."

Chu Ling exclaimed softly, "Now that the turmoil is over, such temporary additional taxes and levies should be abolished by the authorities, and local governments should be strictly prohibited from imposing them again."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Xiao Jing stood up and bowed.

This is something Xiao Jing has always wanted to do, but previously, because Chen Jian was in the Ministry of Revenue, his efforts to promote these things encountered great resistance and obstacles.

Although Xiao Jing's appointment as Left Minister of State Affairs gradually transformed the Ministry of Personnel from a purely theoretical institution into a more practical one, the specific policies to be implemented still needed to be assigned to various departments for concrete execution.

However, the factional struggles within the court meant that taking concrete actions was not as easy as one might imagine.

Whether it's the present-day Dayu or the Dayu of the past few years, there's a phenomenon where those who truly want to get things done have to compete and fight with others first, wasting a lot of time and energy on this. Only when the surrounding situation stabilizes can they free up their hands to do something.

However, during this process, there will still be people who constantly trip up and secretly hinder us, which has led to a gradual decrease in the number of people who want to do real work.

It's a thankless task!

This is why Chu Ling chose to engage in strategic maneuvering and struggle.

Even if you choose to resolve the issue through violence, it may seem like you've seized power, but in reality, even if the imperial edict is issued, whether anyone will actually obey it, or how much of it will be implemented, is all unknown.

Even outside of Yudu, it's uncertain how many people in this area actually recognize it.

Therefore, Chu Ling cannot be impatient. He needs to eliminate the positions of factions through this struggle and game, and at the same time, select a group of people who can actually do things, and while they are doing their jobs, gradually change the atmosphere.

"Let's skip the polite formalities."

Seeing Xiao Jing's reaction, Chu Ling waved his hand and said, "Besides the increased taxes and levies, what other situation is there in the Great Yu? Tell me everything you have to say."

"Since local governments can generate exorbitant taxes and levies through the central government's additional collections, I don't believe there aren't other problems. Tell me in detail everything you know."

"The minister obeys the order."

Xiao Jing bowed and said.

Chu Ling understood a principle: when you find a cockroach, it is very likely that the cockroaches have already become a plague in places that cannot be seen. Chu Ling was mentally prepared for such a filthy thing. After all, even the Jingji Province, which is closest to Yudu, can cover up a disaster. What else would some people not dare to do?