The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

"Minister Chu, this strategy could indeed affect the very foundation of our Great Zhou Dynasty."

"How do you think this should be resolved?"

After the officials had calmed down, Murong Si looked at Chu Xiu with a slight frown and asked.

All the officials, both civil and military, focused their attention on Chu Xiu, but their eyes were filled with hostility.

However, they did understand something.

Even though they had just given her such advice, Murong Si still asked Chu Xiu.

This shows that Chu Xiu had already discussed it with Murong Si!

Today's court assembly is nothing more than a formality.

Even with the opposition of the officials, Murong Si was determined to reform the commercial tax.

Alternatively, increase the number of troops in ordinary states and reform commercial taxes.

These two things are the real reasons why Chu Xiu is attending the court assembly today!

As a result, the representatives of these top families, such as the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, in the imperial court began to ponder the matter.

Besides those with vested interests, the four families that control the border prefectures and have border troops are the Zhao family of Liaodong, the Zheng family of Hanzhong, the Wang family of Taiyuan, and the Dugu family of Wuwei.

The Yang family of Hongnong, the Zhao family of Yingchuan, and the Wang family of Danyang are definitely supportive.

After all, with chaos imminent, the army is the most important force.

Although Yang Yan, the head of the Hongnong Yang clan and the Grand Secretary, has resigned from his post, it does not mean that the Hongnong Yang clan has no other officials or representatives in the court.

Furthermore, because Yang Yan served as the Grand Secretary for many years and cultivated his influence in the court, the power of the Hongnong Yang clan in the court had surpassed that of any of the five surnames and seven prominent families.

"Your Majesty, I believe that although the tax exemption privilege of the gentry has been abolished, a tax exemption quota could be issued to those who have passed the provincial examinations and the imperial examinations."

"For example, a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) can be exempted from 100 taels of goods tax, and a Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination) can be exempted from 1,000 taels of goods tax; the excess amount must be paid normally."

"And we implemented a system of tax-for-service labor to win the support of small and medium-sized merchants."

"This will inevitably minimize the impact of reforming commercial taxes."

Chu Xiu said with a solemn expression.

"Prelude!"

Murong Si spoke without hesitation, giving the civil and military officials no chance to object.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Yang Tao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, knelt down and spoke in a firm and powerful voice.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Zhao Jian, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Wang Chongyi, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, knelt down and shouted loudly.

The three of them respectively represented the Hongnong Yang clan, the Yingchuan Zhao clan, and the Danyang Wang clan, three of the five surnames and seven prominent families.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

All the civil and military officials who were affiliated with the three great families knelt down in unison and shouted in unison.

"Your Majesty is holy."

Seeing that there was no way to change the situation, Zhao Duo, the Minister of Personnel, and others led the remaining civil and military officials to kneel down and pay their respects.

"Minister Chu, since you proposed the commercial tax reform, you shall be fully responsible for it!"

"Chu Aiqing was in charge of establishing our Great Zhou Tax Administration, and he served as the first Minister of the Great Zhou Tax Administration, with the rank of the third grade."

"The Great Zhou Tax Administration is independent of the Six Ministries and is not subject to their jurisdiction. It is directly responsible to me."

"Oversees national commercial tax collection, tax system reform, and tax supervision."

"Minister Chu, do you have any ideas regarding the structure of the Great Zhou Tax Administration?"

Murong Si pondered for a moment, then looked at Chu Xiu and asked.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the General Administration of Taxation of the Great Zhou can refer to the structure of the Six Ministries."

"In addition to the Minister, there is one Left and one Right Vice Minister, both of the third rank."

"The Left Vice Minister is in charge of tax collection and administration, as well as tax regulations, while the Right Vice Minister is in charge of the tax offices."

"According to their functions, the Inspectorate General of Taxation can be divided into three major tax offices: the Commercial Tax Office, the Salt and Iron Tax Office, and the Audit Office."

"The Commercial Tax Bureau is responsible for formulating commercial tax items, calculating tax revenue, and allocating local tax revenue; it has the following subordinate departments: Maritime Trade Bureau, Brokerage Bureau, and Customs Duty Bureau."

"The Salt and Iron Administration was responsible for issuing salt permits, collecting ironware monopoly tax, and mining tax; it had two subordinate offices: the Salt Tax Office and the Iron Smelting Office."

"The Auditing and Censorship Office is responsible for investigating local tax deficits, reviewing tax accounts, and impeaching corrupt tax officials."

“One fifth-rank official and one fifth-rank assistant official for each department.”

Chu Xiu pondered for a moment and said, "In addition to the three major bureaus of officials, there are also three directly subordinate agencies."

These three directly affiliated agencies are: the Tax and Bank Transport Depot, the Tax Bureau, and the Tax Thousand-Household Office.

"The tax silver transport treasury is in charge of the melting, casting, escorting, and sealing of tax silver."

“One ambassador of the fifth rank.”

"The tax office is responsible for verifying tax deeds and documents, marking anti-counterfeiting marks on tax invoices, and maintaining tax case files."

"One official of the sixth rank, serving as a millstone."

"The tax bureau is responsible for armed anti-smuggling operations, suppressing tax-resistant riots, and protecting the transportation of tax revenue."

"Eight officers of the fifth rank, each holding the rank of commander."

"Finally, there are local tax authorities, which are divided into state tax commissioners, prefectural tax commissioners, and county tax commissioners."

“One prefectural tax commissioner of the fourth rank, one prefectural tax commissioner of the sixth rank, and one county tax commissioner of the seventh rank.”

"At the same time, the state tax commissioner directly supervises one thousand-household office, the prefectural tax commissioner directly supervises one hundred-household office, and the county tax commissioner directly supervises one banner."

“From the General Tax Commissioner to the prefectural and county tax commissioners, the officers and soldiers of the thousand-household offices, hundred-household offices, and general flag officers, elites were selected from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Imperial Guards, and the Beijing Garrison to supplement the ranks.”

After a pause, Chu Xiu continued.

"Prelude!"

"The entire tax bureau of the great state, from top to bottom, is under the jurisdiction of Minister Chu."

"Any official whom Minister Chu approves of can be recommended by the court and the public."

"Once Minister Chu has prepared the list, he can hand it over to me."

Murong Si said calmly.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

Chu Xiu knelt down and said in a firm and resounding voice.

Murong Si trusted him so much, so naturally he wouldn't let her down.

All the civil and military officials believed that he had discussed it with Murong Si in advance.

However, this is not actually the case.

He did not discuss any of the matters discussed in court with Murong Si beforehand.

"Everyone is safe."

Murong Si waved her hand before addressing the assembled civil and military officials.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After expressing their gratitude, the civil and military officials stood up.

Murong Si nodded slightly and looked at the civil and military officials, saying, "Do my esteemed ministers have anything else to say?"

All the civil and military officials in the court remained silent.

Today's events have been too much of a shock for them; they need time to process them.

Even if there were things that needed to be reported, they no longer had the mood for it.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Chu Xiu clasped his hands in a fist salute to Murong Si.

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials' foreheads twitched, and they looked at Chu Xiu with furrowed brows.

Do you have something else to report?

"Your Majesty, I believe that since the number of troops in the ordinary prefectures of our Great Zhou Dynasty needs to be expanded, and in order to deal with the rebellion of the Yellow Heaven Sect and other traitorous sects, our Great Zhou Dynasty's capital garrison and imperial guards also need to be expanded to increase their numbers."

Chu Xiu considered for a moment, then spoke with a serious expression.

"Expand the Beijing Garrison and the Imperial Guards?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the civil and military officials changed slightly.

However, this is a matter for which they are not suited to offer advice.

Because if the number of troops in ordinary prefectures is increased, the number of troops in the capital and the imperial guards cannot be increased, right?

More importantly, when the number of troops in the ordinary states was expanded, they said that the national treasury was short of money. Now that Chu Xiu has said that he will reform the commercial tax, there will naturally be no shortage of money.

They had even less reason to offer advice.