" Your Majesty, 20% is too much, too much. Your Majesty, do you know how much 20% is…" Old Qin said in a trembling voice.
The empress suddenly reacted. Her heart trembled slightly as she looked at Wei Ge.
"Your Majesty!" Wei Ge took a step forward." My lord has created the mineral salt refining method. The quantity can completely replace inferior salt, and the price will be greatly reduced compared to the past so that the people of the world can afford it. Therefore, it is estimated that in a year, the income from salt alone will increase by at least ten to twenty times, and the net income will be about thirty to forty million taels. When the people's conditions are slightly better, they will increase even more. When the refined salt has established a trading network with the various factions of the world, there will be even more. It is difficult to predict the specifics…Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”
Towards the end of his sentence, Wei Ge saw that the empress was a little absent-minded. Her small face was pale, and she looked like she had suffered a shock.
She had vaguely guessed that there would be a lot, but she did not expect so much.
This news was like a bolt from the blue, striking the minds of all the officials in the court.
"40, 40 million taels of silver?" Countless officials were dumbfounded. They had never thought that there would be such a terrifying number. Who would have thought that?
It was unbelievable.
"Why is there so much?" Minister Qin was also shocked, his face full of disbelief.
The empress was also watching.
"Your Majesty." Wei Ge said," In the past, not everyone could afford to eat refined salt. But now that the price has been lowered, everyone can afford it. We consume it every day and earn revenue every day.”
Wei Ge explained.
All the officials understood.
Usually, the common people could not afford to eat good salt, and mineral salt had to be eaten sparingly, so as not to eat too much and get seriously ill.
However, the price of refined salt had been greatly reduced. Everyone could afford to eat high-quality refined salt, so they ate it every day. When they accumulated a small amount of salt, it was an incredible income.
"If that's the case, then twenty percent would be at least six million taels of silver a year…and there would be more after that.”the empress said.
"Your Majesty, yes!" Wei Ge nodded.
The empress stopped talking.
If I don't want to give it to you, can I take back my order and use it to refine pills? Can you do it?
As for…
Almost all the officials present froze.
Six million taels? Was it a lot?
Six million taels of silver was not enough to buy a hereditary marquis title, and even ten million taels of silver was not enough.
However, none of the officials present could afford six million taels of silver. Even some of the infamous merchants could not afford such a huge sum of money.
With this income, he only needed to save it for a few years. By then, he would be as rich as a country. It was not just empty talk.
He was both a marquis and rich enough to rival a country.
The things contained in it were too terrifying and made the officials envious.
Even some of the royal family members and nobles who had been sitting in the imperial court were moved for the first time. They were envious and their hearts were burning. Their eyeballs were about to fall out.
Marriage, marriage must be arranged.
What? You said that Marquis Xiping was already hated by the Emperor and would be beheaded sooner or later? So what if he was beheaded? If he was dead, his share would not go missing. The silver was still there, and the title was still there. If this fellow did not rebel, did not harm the relatives of the Emperor, and executed nine or six generations of his family, or scolded the Emperor for no reason, it was all fine. It was not important if he was beheaded…
All the nobles and princes were moved at this moment!
……
" Your Majesty, please reconsider…" Old Qin knelt down,""This is a serious matter. Six million taels, how many people would be able to eat and do? Your Majesty, please reconsider."
Minister Qin is deeply in the Empress's heart and has the same thoughts as me.
The empress looked at the reactions of the officials.
She also felt that it was too much…
"Minister Qin, do you want His Majesty to change the court order?”Minister Yu was the first to curse." The servant vomited blood. This is what he deserves. He is not a minister. Your Majesty, I request that Your Majesty do not need to pay Minister Qin anymore."。”
"Preposterous! I've done my best for the court? Why don't you give me my salary?" Minister Qin was unhappy. Why?
"If you can't even get the reward that the servant mentioned, what salary do you have?”Minister Yu spat.
"Your Majesty, although you set a standard, you still have to reward according to the matter. I think 20% is too much.”Old Qin ignored the furious Minister Yu.
"Your Majesty. Think twice." Many court officials couldn't sit still anymore.
It was true that Marquis Xiping had made great contributions and brought benefits to the world, but he had taken too much. It was so much that many of the officials in the court could not sit still.
"Your Majesty, please think twice. This matter needs to be considered carefully.”
The empress thought for a moment and said,"Do you think we should consider this matter?"”
The meaning of these words is that I don't really want to give it and want to take back the order. Do you think it's okay? Moreover, it's not that I don't want to give it to you, it's that the ministers don't want to give it to you. Everyone takes the blame, and I'll do it. That's what I mean.
"Your Majesty, you can't." Minister Yu was the first to jump out.
"Your Majesty, I believe that since the method of refined salt was created by the Marquis, it should be rewarded according to merit, not a single cent less.”Wei Ge said.
The empress frowned and asked Chief Wang,""Wang Qing, what do you think?"
……
The following conversation in the imperial court was equivalent to…
The empress said," I don't want to give it to him anymore. I want to take back my order. He has taken too much. If this continues, I, the emperor of a dynasty, will end up being poorer than him. How can this be?" I take back my order. Do you think it's okay?
Yu Shangshu: I don't think it will work.
Wei Ge said," Your Majesty, you can't. It's your own business that you don't have money. You can't erase the credit of others and hurt the hearts of meritorious officials."
Chief Assistant Wang: Your Majesty, make your own decision. Don't push the blame to us. If you don't want to give it to us, then take the blame yourself. Let the people talk about it.
Minister Qin: " Good, good. Your Majesty shouldn't have given it to me. It's best if you let me keep the money in the national treasury. I'll lose less hair and live a few more years."
Minister Yu said,"Old Qin, don't force yourself."
Baiguan: Your Majesty, we think we can give it, but we have to give it less. 20% is too much. It's better to use it to do something for the people.
Xun Gui: Your Majesty, you can't give less, how can you change your mind? Besides, Mu Shi is now a member of Xun Gui Group. His silver may be one of our silver. He is a noble, a Marquis. How can you give less? This is the interest of our Xun Gui Group, and it might also be the interest of some royal family or prince. No, we don't agree unless His Majesty orders that our princess 'daughter or something is not allowed to marry Mu Shi or prevent the marriage!
Xun Gui: Your Majesty, this is what Mu Shi should have said. If you change it, Mu Shi's dissatisfaction is secondary. The people will gossip behind his back. Now that the country is growing day by day, you can give it to him.
Wei Ge said,"Your Majesty, regardless of whether others think it's okay for you to retract your order, I don't think so."
Minister Qin was ready to speak.
Yu Shangshu: " You dog official, Lord Mu has vomited blood and made great contributions to the Great Luo. He has also relieved the pressure on the national treasury. Whether it's rare crops or the unparalleled salt law, they will bring huge profits in the near future. You dog thing, you don't know how to be grateful and still talk nonsense. Don't you know that without Lord Mu, how long can your dog head last?" Sooner or later, when the national treasury is in danger, His Majesty will kill your entire family.
Minister Qin stroked his black beard." That's right, the national treasury won't be so short of silver next year. Why should I worry? This old man owes the Marquis a favor…
The empress looked at Minister Qin and was speechless. A traitor?
Minister Qin looked down and thought to himself, My subject has betrayed me.
……
The empress frowned." This is a serious matter. Please consider it."”
"Your Majesty." Wei Ge took a step forward and said," I'm afraid the Marquis doesn't care whether Your Majesty rewards me or not. The Marquis doesn't care about worldly possessions. Your Majesty can give me nothing and just give me another reward."”
Your Majesty, it's up to you. Anyway, if you don't confer the title, the one who will lose is not us, but Marquis Mu. However, whatever he says or does at that time, His Majesty will have nothing to do with us!
Everyone in the court was stunned. What a good move.
The empress was also stunned for a moment. When she regained her senses, she was instantly enraged.
The hateful traitor Wei Ge.
What Wei Ge meant was that he didn't care at all, but you, a dignified person, were arguing endlessly over the silver benefits that he should have received? If this news reached Mu Hou, he would probably laugh himself to death. Then, he would harshly criticize the Emperor, saying that the Emperor was short-sighted and that a fatuous ruler was so short-sighted.
The empress's expression darkened bit by bit. She couldn't think of anything good to say.
The empress thought for a moment and said,"Pass on my decree. Marquis Mu will be rewarded with 20% of the salt and silver. There is no need to discuss this matter again."。”
"Your Majesty is wise." Wei Ge and the other officials said.
After discussing the various matters in various places, Duke Liu, who had always been an invisible person in the imperial court, took a step forward and said,"Your Majesty."
"State Duke, please speak." the empress said with a gentle gaze.
" Your Majesty, this old minister thinks that Mu Hou is a pillar of the Great Luo and is already past the age of marriage. It is inappropriate to have a single person. I beg Your Majesty to bestow a marriage. My granddaughter and Mu Houlang are both talented women. Please bestow a marriage and Mu Hou will be at ease. This old minister also thinks that Scholar Mu is very pleasing to the eye, just like my son from my previous life. This is a great fate. When Scholar Mu is at ease, he can also do his best for the Great Luo and save Your Majesty some trouble."”
The empress's expression froze.
The son from his previous life?
The officials cursed in their hearts. F * ck, why aren't you the son of a hundred generations ago? It seems that you're still an old god? Could it be related to his previous life? It was one thing for him to be greedy for her family background, but could he find a more reasonable reason?
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