Protect Our Clan Leader
Chapter 1102 - 77: Stirring Up Storms with a Single Hand! Lord Meng Surrenders (Seeking Monthly Pass)_2

Despite the uproar below, he surprisingly hadn't made a statement.

Not until Wang Yinda finished his last sentence.

Then Emperor Longchang turned to Prince De Xin and Kang Commandery Prince, his expression calm, as he said, "De Xin, Cheng Si, what do you have to say?"

At this, Old Yao sighed deeply from the side.

Wang Shouzhe indeed was ruthless enough; his grasp of people's hearts was truly exquisite. His move not only targeted the soft underbelly of De Xin's lineage but also that of His Majesty.

The foundation of a strong nation rested principally on two things: population and taxation.

With abundant tax revenue, the nation could expand faster, possess more land, sustain a larger population, and thus enter a virtuous cycle to grow increasingly strong.

Just as Wang Shouzhe had privately discussed with Long Wuji over drinks, criticizing the Emperor by saying that His Majesty's campaigns against South Qin and West Jin, fighting against two fronts may look formidable, but why was there no real result despite the prolonged wars? Instead, the national treasury was being depleted!

Ultimately, it boiled down to population and money.

Without sufficient funds, how could more armies be sustained? How could more experts be nurtured and subsidized?

It was said that the Barbarian Gu Clan from the Southern Frontier was tough to defeat, but if Da Qian's military power was stronger, capable of organizing an army comparable to the Immortal Dynasty, sweeping through the Barbarian Gu Clan in the Southern Frontier would be like reaching into a bag to take what is needed.

Previously, seeing that Wang Shouzhe was very adept at making money, the Emperor had tasked him to increase the tax revenue of Longzuo County by fifty percent within ten years. It seemed like he was deliberately making things harder for Wang Shouzhe. However, perhaps this also included an intention to probe Wang Shouzhe's capabilities, to see if he could come up with a viable plan to enrich Da Qian.

Should Wang Shouzhe possess any prosperous plan he was reluctant to reveal, this pressure might just force it out.

Revise the taxation!

Could the Emperor not know that whether it's the Imperial Household or any Prominent Family, they all tampered with their taxes to some extent. If everyone paid their taxes in full, the national power of the Great Qian Dynesty would inevitably climb.

However, as Meng Yuanbai had said, this was a deeply entrenched problem. Facing such a stubborn issue, even if His Majesty intended to rectify it, it was like a dog trying to bite a hedgehog, not knowing where to begin.

And now, as His Majesty's life was drawing to an end, it was precisely the most influential and appropriate time.

Conveniently, Wang Shouzhe had "unintentionally" proposed a seemingly feasible solution.

Looking at the Emperor's demeanor, it seemed that he already had a plan in mind.

Amidst his reflections, Old Yao couldn't help but look at Kang Commandery Prince and Prince De Xin with a hint of sympathy.

It was hard to say whether they were just extremely unlucky, or merely accustomed to judging others by themselves. Of all strategies, why did they have to meddle with tax investigations to trouble the Wang family?

As a result, Wang Shouzhe turned their assault around, plunging them into the controversy of the tax investigation instead.

Following Emperor Longchang's calm inquiry,

Prince De Xin and Kang Commandery Prince trembled inwardly, too aware of His Majesty's temperament. Using such tone and expression to ask was by no means seeking their opinion.

But, could their taxes be scrutinized? If audited, huge problems might arise.

Instantly, Prince De Xin argued uneasily, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. With the upcoming campaign in the Southern Frontier, we must not…"

He hadn't finished when Emperor Longchang chuckled coldly.

The Emperor no longer paid him any attention, his gaze sweeping across the entire Dingqian Hall. His voice was soft but carried an immense, terrifying imperial authority, "All of you claim the review cannot be done, insisting on prioritizing the greater situation."

"I, just ask you this."

"Why can the Changning Wang Clan be investigated, the Ding Duke's Mansion, An Commandery Prince's Residence, but when it comes to investigating you, it becomes detrimental to the larger situation?"

Transcendent Emperor's unseen fury, like a tangible force, pressured everyone to lower their heads, with cold sweat continuously sliding down their foreheads. This wasn't just the power of a sovereign; it was an overpowering force at the level of life and strength.

"Meng Yuanbai," Emperor Longchang said coldly.

"Here," Meng Yuanbai bowed in response.

His face turned pale, his body drenched in sweat. He understood that he was completely engulfed in this significant affair, and any misstep hereafter might lead to a profound abyss.

"I acknowledge your 'expertise' and your customary 'impartiality'," Transcendent Emperor's tone softened slightly, "I grant you the Order of the Azure Dragon Sword to oversee this tax investigation. Should there be any defiance or obstruction, exercise merciless justice!"

The Order of the Azure Dragon Sword? This authority could temporarily mobilize the National-Treasure Talisman "Azure Dragon Sword." Under this decree, whoever dared to make any irresponsible move, faced a crime synonymous with treason.

The civil and military officials present were all shocked. His Majesty was determined to revise taxation!

Prince De Xin's lineage was so horrified they were sweating profusely, their hearts pounding with anxiety. How should they handle this situation?

"Your servant is devoted unto death," Meng Yuanbai, despite ten thousand reluctances, dared not defy the decree. Luckily, with the Order of the Azure Dragon Sword, no one would dare to hinder his assignment.

Big trouble!

The several hundred civil and military officials present, each with family industries, had more or less some discrepancies in their tax records. Once the investigation touched upon them...

But who dared defy the majesty of the Emperor?

"Your Majesty, although Lord Meng is proficient in tax investigations, ultimately, he has limited manpower; fully auditing the Prominent Families nationwide is impossible," said Prince De Shun, who, returning to The Grand Assembly after hundreds of years, seemed exceptionally active and clear-minded, "In my view, why not concentrate efforts on investigating both our Prince's Mansions, Cheng Si and Ming Yuan's Commandery Prince's Residences, as well as An Duke's and Ding Duke's Mansions, as representatives for the tax inspection?"