Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 46 - 46 40 Continuous wars plundering from the merchants

46: Chapter 40: Continuous wars, plundering from the merchants 46: Chapter 40: Continuous wars, plundering from the merchants Near noon, Gu Wen had just finished breakfast when he heard wailing outside his residence.

Stepping outside, he saw a round-faced merchant with a large belly clutching the legs of a government official and wailing, surrounded by a large group of government officials and government workers continuously moving items out of his house, appearing as if they were about to confiscate everything.

After inquiring through his servants, he learned that the Market Trading Department was collecting taxes again, specifically targeting merchants with a “household tax.”

The Market Trading Department, responsible for the collection of commercial taxes, also managed the taxes for all merchants.

It was led by a deputy director and staffed with eight minor yet influential officials, who tightly controlled the merchants like fearsome beasts.

As for the reason behind their actions resembling a house raid, it was because the tax officers also needed to supplement their household expenses.

Gu Wen tugged at the corner of his mouth, knowing that Daqian was doomed, but things were deteriorating faster than he had anticipated.

At noon, after finishing with the house across the street, the tax officers swarmed toward Gu Wen’s residence.

Gu Wen slowly walked out of his residence, with Qin Mianrong and Rong Leng followed closely by trusted aides wielding swords.

The friction of armor and the heavy footsteps combined, instantly making the ferocious tax collection team seem more approachable.

Particularly Qin Mianrong and Rong Leng, their aura and gazes were not of ordinary imperial guards but of fierce soldiers who had returned from the frontier.

Daqian, even in its lax state, maintained a basic fighting capacity in its frontier troops; otherwise, they would have been overrun by barbarians long ago.

Sometimes, Gu Wen quite admired the frontier troops for managing to hold on for so many years under such a languishing government.

The demeanor of the deputy director of the Market Trading Department had changed from the fierce visage of the morning, and now he greeted with a submissive smile, “Ah, Mr.

Wen, good afternoon.”

“Where’s the peace?

Are you here to confiscate?”

Gu Wen asked indifferently.

There were three steps at the doorway, and he looked down at the official from a higher position.

Since he was here to collect money, his expression was certainly not cheerful.

Yet unaware, a slight emotion triggered the spirit charm, and his dark pupils seemed to contain endless authority, causing the tax officials to feel even more suffocated.

An eight-pound rabbit is a meal for an eagle; an 800-pound rabbit can swallow an eagle.

If you want to kill across species, you need to gain weight; although officials generally have authority over merchants, not every one of them holds high position.

The deputy director of the Market Trading Department was a lowly eighth-ranking officer, but Gu Wen was one of the few major merchants at Dragon Bridge who could not be easily manipulated.

Furthermore, the armored and sword-bearing trusted aides behind Gu Wen were somewhat intimidating.

“Dare not, dare not,” the deputy director of the Market Trading Department replied shamefacedly, stepping forward with a silver piece and whispering, “Mr.

Wen, I’m just following orders.

Please be merciful.”

He even had to bribe me.

Gu Wen found it somewhat amusing, but he would not truly accept it and risk it becoming a handle against him; he pushed the silver back and said, “Sir, just follow the rules, and I will fully cooperate with the government.”

The deputy director immediately sighed in relief and thanked him repeatedly in a low voice.

He wasn’t blind.

Being able to get by in Bianjing required being alert, especially for the executives, because you never know if someone was related to the Emperor.

But the deputy director knew Gu Wen’s identity, a well-known major merchant in Bianjing.

Though not a high-ranking court official, the man was not someone he could afford to offend, especially with imperial guards in his home.

Nevertheless, rules had to be followed, as it was the Emperor demanding the money, and every wealthy household in the city had to pay, including the Chief of Staff.

He took out a document and read:

“Under the sage’s rule, all is tranquil and the people safe in their homes.

Merchants amass wealth unaware of the people’s hardships.

With constant natural disasters and fierce external enemies, the front lines are strained and must be supported by all.

All merchants, great and small, will have taxes increased by thirty percent; any household with more than ten doors and windows will be charged an extra five taels per additional door or window, with no cap.”

Gu Wen’s brows twitched, and even he struggled to maintain his composure at that.

He knew the government was here to collect money and was aware of the government’s monstrous depths, but still felt the urge to curse at this moment.

Taxes on doors and windows, why don’t they just ascend to heaven?

In ancient times, residences, particularly those of the officials and nobles, were well-ventilated and illuminated, usually having many doors and windows, even around the garden walls for decorative purposes.

If evaluated comprehensively, Gu Wen estimated he might need to pay over a thousand taels.

Tax officials entered the residence, each accompanied by a family servant or maid to prevent theft.

This time, the tax officials did not dare act as they had in the morning, plucking hairs on a passing goose, but honestly recorded their findings without taking so much as a needle or thread.

Eventually, the deputy director somewhat sheepishly announced the results: “Marquis Wen, the total is 1,200 taels; I can round it down to 1,000 taels for you if you agree?”

He hoped to offer a face-saving measure to Gu Wen, perhaps fostering future interactions where he could receive favors.

Gu Wen shook his head and said, “No need, sir.

Just conduct official business as usual.”

With a balance of 4,500 taels in his account, deducting 1,200 taels left him with 3,300 taels.

Once all outsiders had left, Gu Wen and Jiang Fugui were in a room where the latter cursed vehemently, not naming names, but everything was self-evident.

At that moment, countless people likely cried out about the unjust heavens, though their curses were not directed at the heavens.

Beyond Qianjing County, numerous eyes were cast towards Bianjing, and within Bianjing, countless citizens looked towards the palace.

Blamed by thousands and bemoaned by many, it was uncertain how much longer this could last.

After drinking a few sips of tea, Gu Wen said calmly, “The ones who should be anxious are not us.”

Throughout history, the rise of dynasties involved myriad bizarre experiences, each unique; however, the scenarios during their downfalls were eerily similar.

When the high and mighty were wasteful, they plundered from the people; with civilian unrest looming, they turned to plundering from the merchants.

Now that they had reached the point of commerce, the next step was to face the relentless rebellion, delegating power locally, causing feudal lords to rise.

The front lines were tense, and the barbarian cavalry that breached the internal defenses couldn’t be ousted.

Should they entrench themselves in Ze County, it would be akin to infiltrating the hinterlands of a former life.

—————–

Ze County.

The smoke of war connected the earth with the sky; peasants pushed the sieging rams that had become mired in mud, while flaming giant rocks soared overhead, crossing one killing field after another, the fires revealing myriad faces of panic, anger, and madness.

Boom!

A giant rock landed on the city wall creating a breach, but it was like a pebble dropped into an ocean wave—swiftly drowned out by innumerable sounds of clashing weapons.

In the deepest part of the largest city of Ze County, Ze City, in a mansion.

The Prefectural Governor of Ze County was bound to a chair, a hand emerged from the darkness, pinching a black bug to insert into his nostril, followed immediately by piercing screams.

The next day, the Prefectural Governor of Ze County defected to the barbarians, and countless noble families defected as well.

Continuous victorious reports from the front lines of Bianjing arrived daily, with officials hastily riding back from outside the city, loudly announcing how many enemies a certain general had destroyed.

It was unclear if it were because of Daqian’s high-quality postal stations that, despite the lengthy journey, they still had the energy to shout loudly.

—————–

Water House.

Gu Wen was reviewing the accounts; last month, the Water House had earned eight thousand silver, deducting a thousand for various costs including wages.

Just yesterday, they had sold a yearly water contract for half-price, amounting to five thousand silver; altogether, that made twelve thousand silver.

He lifted his pen, made a stroke, smooth as running water, and recorded an income of twelve thousand silver!

Standing beside him, Jiang Fugui admired Gu Wen’s admittedly unattractive handwriting, incessantly praising, “Brilliant!

Absolutely brilliant!”

Gu Wen smiled and asked, “What’s brilliant?”

“A golden touch, a ten-thousand-silver stroke, each mark worth ten thousand silver!”

Jiang Fugui also rarely showed literary flair.

The two men exchanged a smile, everything understood without words.

If these merchants only took fixed salaries and dividends, they might not even sustain a lavish lifestyle, much like court officials.

Truly uncorrupt ones could barely ensure their families wouldn’t starve.

Yet Gu Wen and his partner had never been lenient in siphoning revenues from the royal residence; their dictionary lacked the words for “loyalty to the Emperor”.

Two thousand silver in profit; Gu Wen took fifteen hundred, Jiang Fugui got five hundred.

The latter shook his head repeatedly, saying, “Oh no, that won’t do; I hardly contributed.

Just give a hundred as a gesture.

This money doesn’t grow on trees; normal families earn mere ten silver a year.”

Starting from a thousand silver, this was the epitome of living in luxury.

Yet they were only servants to the nobility; the real moneymakers and spenders were always the elite.

With a smile that held an obscure meaning, Gu Wen stated, “Indeed, there are many things I need you to handle.”

“Then, I’ll ask for a reward after the job is done.”

A savings of four thousand five hundred silver, found nineteen hundred, left with five thousand six hundred, under the slogan ‘wealth flowing in continually!’

Nighttime, Dragon Bridge.

No commoners in sight, only distinguished nobility gathered.

A carriage came to a halt, coordinates Mount …

“Mr.

Wen, we’ve arrived.”

Eyes deep and mysterious peered from the shadows, then Gu Wen in his plain black attire, completely according to the court’s regulations for merchant dress, stepped down from the carriage.

Guests and numerous merchants, the beauties from pleasure houses, countless eyes landed on Gu Wen.

At Dragon Bridge, where the elites abounded, rarely could anyone afford armed servants in armor.

Yet Gu Wen received such treatment, a privilege not even Chief of Staffs dared to claim in Bianjing—what immense imperial grace.

Even if only he understood that, beyond protection and prestige, it felt more like a shackle.

The entire scene fell silent, then waiters from various restaurants scurried and competed to invite Gu Wen.

His reputation at Dragon Bridge was sky-high; just a word from him could unite many brothels to crush the market’s corrupt dealers.

Without top-tier elites stepping in, he was truly the undoubted ‘Thousand-Year-Old of Dragon Bridge,’ a title called out by enthusiasts, yet never misnamed.

And the top-tier elites weren’t likely to intervene—the adults wanted it all, both wealth and fame.

Zhao Feng spent hundreds of thousand silvers annually, yet was reputed for his integrity.

Gu Wen entered Qianfeng Tower, since it was business, a record was needed, letting Zhao Feng know he had entered Qianfeng Tower.

Snapping back to reality, a young servant from the brothel called out loudly, “Marquis Wen, honored by your presence at Qianfeng Tower!”