blenderwars Why isn't Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan a man in Chapter 216?
Why isn't Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan a man in Chapter 216?
"Don't use this unless absolutely necessary!" Li Yuanke said.
Shen Shixi understood what he meant. This thing was like a nuclear bomb in later generations. It was too destructive, and there was no weapon to counter it. This thing was only good for deterrence. Using it to strike would be too much.
"good!"
To be honest, in terms of reason, Shen Shixi admired Li Yuanke quite a bit; it would be a blessing for the people to have such a person as emperor.
If she were to encounter a ruler like Emperor Wu of Han, who was known for his aggressive and militaristic policies, Shen Shixi would simply have to stay in the backyard, waiting to die. Otherwise, not only would her value be completely exploited, but she would also lose her life.
Emperor Wu of Han would definitely have had the ambition to unify the world.
It's even possible to travel through the universe.
After unifying the six kingdoms, Qin Shi Huang wanted to live forever. After Emperor Wu of Han became emperor, he wanted to expand the territory. Li Yuanke probably just wanted to lie down and let the court officials do the work themselves.
Fortunately, he was afraid of dying, otherwise he would have really been finished!
When they set off for the capital, they stopped in Youzhou for a short rest. The main reason for this was that Shen Shixi needed to train the officials in Youzhou and the people from the Ministry of Revenue on the matter of opening a special economic zone.
Shen Shixi then gave a detailed explanation of the special economic zone from several aspects: first, to prevent smuggling; second, to prevent high-tech products from being sold; and third, to ensure that tariffs are levied reasonably, etc.
After understanding the significance of the special zone, Zhu Tao, the governor of Youzhou, felt a great responsibility on his shoulders and deeply regretted that the Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan was not a man or an official, but had to be a palace concubine.
"Your Majesty, please enlighten me on how to reasonably determine the tariff. This concerns the interests of the court, and I must proceed with utmost care," Zhu Tao asked.
Shen Shixi observed that Zhu Tao was an honest intermediary. Although he was not very quick-witted, he was willing to listen to opinions and was capable of great things.
"Regarding tariffs, the starting point should be 25% of the value of the goods..."
Someone from the Ministry of Revenue couldn't help but ask, "Is it really that tall?"
Shen Shixi said, "That's right, the adults probably don't have any business experience..."
Her words caused everyone's expressions to change. Among the social classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were the lowest class and a class that was looked down upon. Those present were all scholars, so they naturally felt humiliated.
Shen Shixi stopped at the right moment and explained with a smile, "I apologize if I have offended you all! You are all scholars, and you carry the flame of civilization within you;
Placing you at the forefront of the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants is also a reminder from our ancestors that in times of national crisis, the first priority is to preserve you. Only advanced civilization can allow a nation to thrive and multiply throughout its long history.
It means that the traditional social order of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants is not that merchants are inferior.
These words elicited praise from everyone present, and naturally, everyone was very pleased.
Li Yuanke gave her a deep look.
Zhu Tao understood and said, "Your Majesty is indeed insightful; I wholeheartedly agree with your views!"
There was no other way; from now on, he would have to deal with businessmen.
Shen Shixi smiled and said, "In that case, I will add one more thing. It is the nature of merchants to pursue profit, but we should also see the contributions that merchants bring to society and the court and treat them fairly, without despising or belittling them."
If the Great Zhou Dynasty wants to be prosperous and strong, the court should adopt an open attitude, unite as many people as possible, make as many friends as possible, and make as few enemies as possible. Only in this way can stability and peace be achieved, and the Great Zhou Dynasty stand for ten thousand generations.
In the future, we will definitely need to develop the economy. Even if we don't raise the status of merchants, at least they shouldn't be seen as lowly people in the eyes of the court.
At that time, merchants had a low social status. They could not participate in the imperial examinations, could not enter officialdom, and could not even wear fine clothes or ride horses.
Of course, she only mentioned it briefly, planting a seed. As for what the court did, she didn't bother to interfere. After all, any change requires a trigger and a long process.
Fortunately, those participating in today's discussion are all people who will be dealing with businessmen in the future. As for Shen Shixi, no one dares to underestimate her, whether it is because of the Emperor's favor or her own abilities. They have to think about what she says two or three times in their hearts.
Getting back to the main point, let's talk about profits.
Shen Shixi said, "What I want to say is that you should not think that the tariff rate is too high. You should all know that this is not an ordinary merchant business, but cross-border trade."
As far as I know, merchants across the land are eager to make money if they have a 10% profit; they'll take risks if they have a 50% profit; they'll trample on all human laws for a 100% profit; and they'll risk the extermination of their entire family if they have a 300% profit.
The words in "Das Kapital" were not fabricated by her.
Li Yuanke looked at her.
At this moment, all the officials wished they could resign and go into business.
Zhu Tao sighed, "It was our narrow-mindedness that led us to this."
Shen Shixi said, "The level of tariffs for imported and exported goods follows a principle: if the other party's goods are beneficial to the people's livelihood of our Great Zhou, then the import tariffs will be lowered; if the exported goods are beneficial to the other party's people's livelihood, or if the other party desperately needs them, then the export tariffs will be as high as possible, and some will be prohibited from sale."
"We understand!"
Everyone was completely convinced.
Shen Shixi also mentioned the road repair project. Now that they have money, they should properly repair the main roads. Speaking of which, she suggested that since they were going to repair the roads, they should turn the official roads into asphalt roads.
With coking coal, it's easy to build asphalt roads, and cement roads are also possible.
Shen Shixi instructed him to build several large buildings and create more shops in Youzhou City so that they could be rented to traveling merchants from the north and south. This would essentially be the first pot of gold that Youzhou would earn.
After giving his instructions, Shen Shixi left. The emperor and his ministers had a very lively discussion, brainstorming and expressing their opinions. The Ministry of Revenue arranged for someone to take notes, and Zhu Tao also had someone write down every single detail. They all had ideas on how to build the special commercial zone.
Li Yuange was staying at a temporary palace in Youzhou, not far from the governor's mansion. After Shen Shixi returned, Lin Guiyou and the other two came to pay their respects and asked, "How long does Your Majesty plan to stay here? Shall we go shopping?"
"Go shopping! What's wrong with shopping? Are you worried about leaving us behind? Go on, I want to go shopping too, I need to buy some gifts to take back." Shen Shixi said, taking a sip of tea.
Guo and Yuan were naturally delighted and discussed where to go shopping and what to buy.
All three of them were completely in the dark.
Lin Guiyou said, "If you're going, go with Chenyuan. The four of us haven't gone out together yet."
Guo and Yuan naturally agreed, and just as they were about to leave, the governor's wife and her daughter came to pay their respects to the ladies.
Shen Shixi had a very good impression of Zhu Tao and thought he would be an important minister in the future, so he hurriedly invited him in.
"Your humble servant, Lady Zou, pays respects to the Imperial Noble Consort and all the other ladies!"
"Your humble servant, Zhu Shouchun, pays respects to the Imperial Noble Consort and all other ladies!"
"No need for formalities! Please take a seat!" Shen Shixi said.
Madam Zhu was about forty years old but did not look old, indicating that her married life was quite good. Her daughter, Zhu Shouchun, had just come of age and was outstanding in appearance, elegant and dignified. Every word and action was appropriate and measured, and she spoke slowly and deliberately, showing the demeanor of a great family.
She always secretly glanced at Shen Shixi.
When Shen Shixi looked at her, she quickly smiled shyly.
After it happened several times, Shen Shixi stopped taking it seriously.
Madam Zhu noticed this and secretly glared at her daughter, who then calmed down.
Shen Shixi then asked, "What books has Miss Zhu read?"