Chapter 13 Divide and Conquer

It was clear from today's court session that if Jiang Chen hadn't used extraordinary means to uproot the Mei family, it would have been impossible to implement either the recovery of land or the abolition of tax exemptions for the gentry and wealthy landowners.

"I must divide them," Jiang Chen thought with a sinking gaze, then smiled.

"Why not start with this opportunity?"

Du Guangsheng stood under the scorching sun until late afternoon, almost suffering from heatstroke, when he finally saw Feng Jin hurrying out.

"Lord Du, His Majesty summons you."

Du Guangsheng was overjoyed and quickly followed Feng Jin to the Hall of Diligent Governance.

As soon as he entered the hall, before Du Guangsheng could speak, Jiang Chen spoke first.

"Minister Du, I heard you have important matters to report? Standing outside for more than two hours?"

"If all the officials of my Great Wei were like Minister Du, how wonderful would that be."

As he spoke, Jiang Chen wore an expression of regret.

Du Guangsheng's brow twitched. He wasn't fainting from the sun, but from Jiang Chen's words.

*You* deliberately made me wait, but you make it sound like I wanted to.

Du Guangsheng was furious, but he had to force a smile and say, "It is my duty."

After saying that, he quickly got to the point, saying, "Your Majesty, after court adjourned, I pondered for a long time at home and still feel that it is inappropriate to reimpose land taxes on the gentry and wealthy landowners!"

"How is it inappropriate?" Jiang Chen asked.

"Your Majesty, recently, when Your Majesty wanted to recover land, the gentry and wealthy landowners were very understanding and cooperative, which made the land recovery very smooth."

"If we cancel the preferential treatment for them at this time, I am afraid it will chill the hearts of the gentry and wealthy landowners!"

Du Guangsheng spoke sincerely, seemingly indignant on behalf of the gentry and wealthy landowners.

Jiang Chen sneered inwardly.

Understanding and cooperative?

If he hadn't used some tricks, he probably wouldn't have recovered even a tenth of the land by now!

It was clearly a case of not moving without a whip, but the way Du Guangsheng put it, it was as if Jiang Chen was in the wrong.

"Then what does Minister Du mean? Should these taxes not be collected?"

Jiang Chen put on a troubled expression, "But the laws of my Great Wei clearly state that the gentry and wealthy landowners are exempt from labor but not from taxes."

Du Guangsheng's forehead veins throbbed. What Great Wei laws?

Aren't these things there when you want them and ignored when you don't?

Du Guangsheng wanted to say that, but he couldn't.

He could only say, "Please think again, Your Majesty. If the gentry and wealthy landowners do not support my Great Wei, I am afraid there will be chaos in the world!"

In the end, Du Guangsheng even added a bit of a threat.

Jiang Chen's expression also turned cold instantly.

"According to Minister Du's meaning, if I collect land taxes from the gentry and wealthy landowners, my Great Wei will perish?"

"I dare not," Du Guangsheng said.

Although he said he dared not, his tone was clearly full of threat.

Jiang Chen's gaze grew colder, and he said calmly, "What Minister Du said seems to make sense. I'll think about it again."

Du Guangsheng heard the meaning of Jiang Chen's dismissal and did not stay any longer. Anyway, he had made his point.

After Du Guangsheng left, a murderous intent flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes.

A Minister of Revenue who is not on the same page with him is absolutely unqualified!

After Du Guangsheng returned to his mansion, many officials sent people to inquire about the news.

After drinking two large bowls of cold tea, Du Guangsheng said confidently, "Don't worry, His Majesty will definitely have some scruples."

Upon receiving this news, the officials were all relieved.

At the court session the next day, Jiang Chen took the initiative to speak.

"Yesterday, Minister Du waited outside the palace for two hours to see me. Such loyalty is truly touching!"

Hearing Jiang Chen mention yesterday's events, many officials who hadn't paid much attention to it immediately perked up.

Minister Du is indeed the Minister of Revenue. He persuaded His Majesty as soon as he stepped forward.

Thinking that the gentry and wealthy landowners would soon continue to be exempt from taxes, they couldn't help but feel hopeful and cast admiring glances at Du Guangsheng.

Feeling the gazes from behind, Du Guangsheng stepped forward with great ambition and said loudly, "For Great Wei, for Your Majesty, I ask for nothing else but to dedicate myself to the utmost, until my dying breath!"

"Good!"

Jiang Chen said with a smile, "Minister Du is truly the Sleeping Dragon of my Great Wei."

Receiving such high praise, Du Guangsheng smiled and said, "Thank you for Your Majesty's praise."

"Praise is not enough."

Jiang Chen waved his hand, and Feng Jin stepped forward, holding a stack of documents in his hands.

The officials' gazes were immediately drawn to the documents, filled with curiosity.

Du Guangsheng didn't know what Jiang Chen was up to and could only wait for Jiang Chen to continue.

"I have already had people investigate and found that the Du family's land was not maliciously occupied, so I have decided to return it all to you, Minister!"

As he spoke, Jiang Chen nodded to Feng Jin.

Feng Jin then carried the documents and came to the already stunned Du Guangsheng, smiling and saying, "Lord Du, this is His Majesty's grace. Quickly accept it and thank His Majesty."

Du Guangsheng's eyes went dark, and he almost fainted.

After regaining his senses, he looked at Jiang Chen with shock and anger.

He never expected Jiang Chen to play such a trick!

The other ministers looked at Du Guangsheng strangely.

Before, they admired Du Guangsheng for being able to stand in the scorching sun for two hours at such an old age. Now it seemed that he was clearly putting on a show of suffering to make His Majesty think he was a loyal minister.

They even suspected whether Du Guangsheng had even mentioned the matter of withdrawing the order to Jiang Chen.

If he had, how could His Majesty have praised him?

The officials in the back who were originally full of expectations now looked at Du Guangsheng with a gaze that wished they could eat him!

Good, you said you would ask His Majesty to withdraw the order, but in the end, you opened a back door for yourself alone.

Treacherous! Shameless!

An official quickly stepped forward and said angrily, "Your Majesty, I don't think this is appropriate!"

Jiang Chen recognized the man and found that he was originally on the side of the other ministers. He smiled inwardly but didn't show it on his face.

"Oh? What's inappropriate?" Jiang Chen asked.

"If one can receive rewards for waiting outside the palace for two hours, then that is unfair to the truly meritorious officials!"

That official glanced at Du Guangsheng and found that Du Guangsheng was glaring at him fiercely, and he couldn't help but feel scared subconsciously.

But then he thought that now his family's land had been confiscated, and he was just a minor official of the sixth rank, with nothing to lose. Anger and courage immediately filled his body.

He continued to say loudly, "I believe that among all the officials, the only one who deserves to be rewarded is Grand Tutor Yuan!"

"Apart from that, I will not accept any rewards His Majesty gives to anyone else!"

With the first official taking the lead, many officials who felt betrayed spoke up one after another.

"Your Majesty, I also believe that apart from Grand Tutor Yuan, I will not accept any rewards anyone else receives!"

The angry officials spoke up one after another, and the court was in chaos.

After the initial anger, Du Guangsheng's face quickly turned from red to white.

The premise for him, the Minister of Revenue, to sit firmly was that everyone else had to cooperate.

Now he found that even the Vice Minister of Revenue vaguely had a tendency to speak up, which made him panic.