Xiao Yichen also had to admit that the old fox's words did have some truth. Moreover, it was obvious that he had seen Xiao Lingtian's mind to speak, as if he was painting a large cake, although he couldn't eat it yet, but he painted the most perfect appearance, with infinite attraction.

Since ancient times, no matter what country or dynasty the king wanted, the most important thing was to expand his territory and turn these conquered lands into his own inherent land. In this regard, Xiao Lingtian's thoughts are actually similar. Because of this, even he began to think about it at this moment, and he was not as disgusted with this proposal as before.

Xiao Yichen just glanced back at his father's appearance, and he already understood a little bit of his thoughts. To be honest, if he didn't know how powerful it was, even he didn't think it was a big problem to reopen the agricultural tax.

Seeing that he didn't speak again, he was afraid that he was really going to be in big trouble, and if he forced out his eldest brother, then this trouble would be really difficult to control. Thinking about this, I saw him turn around and clasp his fists and say to Xiao Lingtian: "Father, the son has some advice, after speaking, if the father decides to reopen the agricultural tax, the son will definitely not object!"

"Qinglong'er said, as a father, I also want to hear your opinion. Xiao Lingtian nodded and said very casually.

"Thank you, father!" Xiao Yichen said after saluting: "Father, do you still remember the filial piety of the ancestors?"

"I remember. Xiao Lingtian was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "There are several virtuous monarchs in my Xiao royal family. ”

"Yes, it is indeed the wise monarch of my Xiao royal family, but in his later years, because he also wanted to expand the domestic output and increase military resources, he sold the development rights of cherished metal mines, which were originally completely state-owned and mined in an appropriate amount purely for integrated construction, to private capital forces at a very high price. Xiao Yichen's face was solemn, his voice was like a bell, and he said loudly: "At the beginning, the national strength of the empire was more than doubled. However, when his grandson succeeded to the throne, the precious minerals that could have been used for tens of thousands of years were exhausted by predatory exploitation in just two hundred years! After that, the empire was short of resources, and it was extremely difficult to purchase them, and for 17 generations of kings, for tens of thousands of years, the national strength not only did not exist, but fell sharply. ”

As soon as these words came out, the important ministers were speechless, and even Xiao Lingtian's face became more and more serious, just staring at his son and not speaking.

"It is true that land cultivation is not like mineral development, and there is no such thing as fertile land turning into wasteland in a short period of time. However, the emperor can think about it, as soon as the agricultural tax is opened, everyone will have to pay taxes. What will happen to farmers who are self-sufficient and use the surplus for sales? The only way to make up for this loss is to raise the price of grain. How can grain merchants be willing to bear this loss in their pursuit of profits? Naturally, they can only further raise their own grain prices in order to safeguard their losses. Even if it is purchased by the imperial court, the purchase price must be higher than the original price, otherwise how can the peasants have the heart to farm?

As a result, it seems that the imperial finances were initially greatly increased by agricultural taxes. But in fact, this part of the increase in finances always needs to be filled. Why did the empire collect agricultural taxes? Therefore, the only people who could eventually fill it were the common people who needed to eat whole grains, vegetables, vegetables, fish, and meat every day! Isn't this a competition with the people?

This is only secondary, the people of the empire such as us are kind and gentle, if we just pay an extra tax, we will not make the empire rebel everywhere. But what about the people who collected the grain tax? There were hundreds of millions of imperial officials, and they were all humble gentlemen, and they could not do anything with a clean breeze on their sleeves? Originally, the gold that grew in the ground, they could only look at it and drool, and no one dared to collect taxes privately in the name of agricultural taxes. However, once the agricultural tax is reopened, especially in the initial stage, it will inevitably have a variety of names, and the excesses and miscellaneous taxes will rise in accordance with the trend.

More importantly, even now, it is not a strange thing for the feudal lords in various places to wantonly disregard the laws of the country and expropriate in their fiefdoms. This kind of levy, in the final analysis, is just to make life more difficult for the people in the fiefdom. However, once the agricultural tax is collected, then if anyone moves his mind, he will force those peasants who are hungry to raise the flag of rebellion!"

Looking at Xiao Lingtian again, Xiao Yichen said in a deep voice: "Father, whether the son is alarmist or not, the father is naturally clear-cut. But as a courtier, the son must remind his father. A small mineral development right has gone through nearly 20 generations of kings before it was returned to the imperial court. What about the agricultural tax? It is true that the opening of the agricultural tax today only requires the will of the father, but if we want to take it back, I am afraid that even if the sons and daughters command thousands of armies and collect them from place to place, no one will dare to put their hands into it as they do now! The only people who can reopen the agricultural tax will be those who are really beneficial

A person who is enough to get the money with his own hands is definitely not a holy monarch who exalts above the temple!"

The words have already been said for this part, how could Xiao Lingtian not know what Xiao Yichen meant. He wants to make it very clear that once the agricultural tax is reopened, it will be the people who will suffer, the holy monarch will be jealous, the clan will benefit the most, and it will be the entire empire that will face infinite trouble!

Yuwen Xiucheng didn't expect Xiao Yichen to dare to be in the court, and he didn't hesitate to risk offending all the civil and military forces to say it so bluntly. Even if there is a political disagreement, even if there is a lot of fear, even if you have your own careful thoughts, you can see that on the steps in front of you, the body that is not too tall, and the face that is as handsome as a goblin over there, the left political officials of the empire still have a kind of admiration from the bottom of their hearts.

At this moment, whether it is anyone who agrees with Xiao Yichen's statement or someone who disagrees, he can only bow his head for the time being. In other words, which of the officials in this court does not have some property or fief of their own? If you come out at this moment and say that you Xiao Yichen is wrong, wouldn't that be tantamount to telling the world that I am the one who wants to profit from the agricultural tax? Therefore, the strange silence of silence has become the only situation now.

Xiao Jinglu, who was kneeling on the ground, was really itching with hatred at the moment, a trick that he had worked hard for a long time to come up with was about to be destroyed, and he would be ridiculed like a fool. The more he thought about it, the greater the resentment in his heart, and the man with resentful eyes in his eyes finally stood up, pointed to Xiao Yichen's back and said: "Brother Three Emperors, I shouldn't have said that as a younger brother, but the military, government and civil affairs have been separated since ancient times, and you, as the commander of the Xingchen Army, are pointing fingers at civil affairs, is it possible that the entire imperial military, government and civil affairs are under your jurisdiction?"

"You!" Xiao Yichen turned around suddenly, and before his fingers were raised, a stir came from his chest, and he couldn't help but spurt out a mouthful of blood, and the person fell to the ground softly in an instant.

"Qinglong'er?!"

"Third brother!"

"Your Highness!!"

In an instant, the entire hall was in chaos, and even Xiao Jingxuan himself stayed in place, forgetting to withdraw even the raised finger, just staring at the man who had fallen to the ground so stupidly.

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