The first poisonous scholar in Daxia, starting from the abdication of the prime minister

Chapter 356 If I don’t scold you and make you vomit blood, I’ll admit defeat!

Emperor Xia sat on the dragon throne, watching Gu Jingzhi talking, and was quite patient!

He did not reprimand Gu Jingzhi for his somewhat inappropriate words. After all, this was a political discussion... one could not just criticize him based on every word, right?

Based on his understanding of Gu Jingzhi, he knew that this kid was laying the groundwork right now.

Some of the topics they talked about seemed to have nothing to do with the subject he started talking about, but Emperor Xia knew that these were all foreshadowings to prepare for the purpose later!

So he prepared to cooperate.

Emperor Xia lowered his eyelids and said in a steady voice, "What Gu Qing said resonates deeply with me! Back then, I was just an ordinary family. If the officials of the previous dynasty were as Gu Qing said, understanding the people's wishes, I don't think we would have lost the world!"

"Although our Great Xia has subsequently achieved great unification, the fundamental needs of the people of this world have never changed!"

"When officials govern a place, they should take the people's fundamental interests as their premise. Only in this way can there be long-term stability and peace!"

"Gu Qing's words are very kind!"

The emperor made the final decision, and all the officials could only bow their heads in praise.

After all, the emperor said that he conquered the world because when he was an ordinary citizen, the officials of the previous dynasty didn't care about his life or death, so he took up the cause of justice... and established the foundation of the Great Xia.

If you sing a different tune, you're saying that I, the emperor, am here to rebel!

Uprising and rebellion are essentially both for the purpose of becoming emperor, but the concepts are different!

Seeing his ministers bowing in submission, Emperor Xia said calmly, "Gu Qing, please continue!"

"promise!"

Gu Jingzhi bowed and continued, "Now that we have discussed the fundamentals of people's livelihood, let's talk about taxes!"

"In my opinion, after a complete and strict supervision system is implemented, this local minimum tax system can be abolished..."

"What?"

When many civil servants heard this, their first reaction was to oppose it.

"Marquis Xiling, the court's establishment of a minimum tax amount is a manifestation of Your Majesty's benevolent rule. Are you acting so recklessly and disregarding Your Majesty's reputation?"

"Marquis Xiling, we admit that you have some ability in governing, but this action concerns..."

Some people are speaking harshly, some are mocking and scolding, some are watching coldly, and some are gloating!

Gu Jingzhi, however, remained calm and unafraid. Instead, he sneered, "Your Majesty's initial decision to set the minimum tax rate was indeed out of compassion for the local people, not to oppress them with taxes! But how does the policy of 1/30 tax compare to previous dynasties?"

"Let's not talk about other places. Has Ningzhou ever paid the full amount of taxes before? Has Your Majesty ever punished you for this?"

"..."

As soon as Gu Jingzhi asked, the voices of opposition were immediately silenced!

Gu Jingzhi continued to sneer, "Your Majesty's benevolent rule is manifested in your consistent care for the people over the years! Yet, your Majesty's compassion for the people was exploited by corrupt officials, who fabricated the Case of the Empty Seal, a case that has horrified the world throughout the ages!"

"Your Majesty's kindness has made corrupt officials even more arrogant, bringing disaster to the Jianwu Dynasty. Ha..."

That disdainful tone, that disdainful look...all the officials were silent after seeing it.

Gu Jingzhi glanced at them, scorning them in his heart, then turned to face Emperor Xia: "Your Majesty, the tax rate of 1 in 30 is unacceptable. Except for those truly impoverished areas, the people have always paid taxes at this rate, and there have never been any complaints from the people. This is enough to prove that there is no problem with this tax rate!"

"The minimum tax rate was set in the third year of Jianwu, after the imperial court measured the land under heaven. It was a benevolent policy based on the situation! However, nearly twenty years have passed. Could it be that the land under heaven has remained unchanged?"

"Two years ago, the imperial court implemented land reform and remeasured all the land in the country. Facts have proven that, except for some remote and barren areas, if the tax rate of 1:30 is applied elsewhere, it would be much higher than the minimum tax rate!"

"I believe that abolishing the minimum tax and using a performance appraisal system as the standard for evaluating local officials is imperative!"

He opened the scroll in his hand!

Above is a table that divides the tax amount into multiple levels!

"Facts have proven that eating from the same pot is unacceptable and cannot maximize the talents of officials! I will divide the tax amount into multiple stages. Based on the establishment of a 1:30 tax rate, and without violating the laws of the court, I will maximize the talents of officials and increase local tax revenue!"

"Different taxation levels will be used as one of the criteria for evaluating officials. Those who can increase local tax revenue without disrupting people's livelihoods, education, or punishment will be the officials the court will prioritize for promotion!"

"Not only should they be promoted, but they should also be rewarded with salaries!"

"Those officials who rely on their rank, receiving monthly salaries but doing nothing...if they only think about getting by, not only are they wasting state funds, but they are also undermining the dignity of the court, and are of no benefit to their families or the country. How can such officials have the dignity to accept court salaries and live a life of affluence that ordinary people could never achieve in their entire lives?"

"I believe that people like this... should be punished!"

"Only by allowing the performance appraisal system to serve as a mirror can we select talented officials for Your Majesty and the court, and only then can we..."

"Your Majesty, I object!"

Before Gu Jingzhi could finish his words, an official jumped out, pointed at him and cursed, "Gu Jingzhi, how can a profit-seeking person like you be worthy of discussing Dao with the ministers in this court?"

"The sages said to despise profit and value righteousness! Your so-called performance appraisal... is it asking us, the officials of Great Xia, to prioritize profit over righteousness and become lackeys of money?"

"Your Majesty, Gu Jing's remarks are detrimental to the nation. I implore Your Majesty to strip him of his official title and expel him from the court to rectify the moral climate!"

"???"

Gu Jingzhi glared!

He was just talking excitedly when suddenly a man appeared and started scolding him. He was a little confused!

It seemed that this was the first time he had been scolded like this since he entered the court.

Not only him, but other officials were also stunned after hearing this. Just as they were stunned, another person jumped out, pointed at Gu Jingzhi and cursed: "Gu Jingzhi, you also read the books of sages and entered the officialdom through the imperial examination. The sages taught us to value righteousness over profit. Now you are rebelling against Tiangang like this. You have forgotten your roots!"

"..."

Gu Jingzhi looked at the official's eyes and his cheeks twitched slightly. If you didn't know, you would think I killed your whole family!

Forget your roots?

Gu Jingzhi sneered and said, "Since you like to say that, let's have a good chat today. I will lose if I don't scold you guys until my Taoist heart is shattered and my blood is shed in the court!"

"It is true that this Lord values profit, but how can you say that he has forgotten his loyalty?"

He said coldly, "Forget your roots? What do you mean by forget your roots? In my opinion, you mediocre people are the ones who forget your roots!"

"As the sage said, when the granaries are full, one will know etiquette!"

"Only when you're rich do you know etiquette, but you don't even understand such simple principles? You read the books of the sages but don't understand their meaning. This is forgetting your roots!"

"You rely on the teachings of sages to ascend the social ladder, yet you quickly forget all about them. You talk big about righteousness but don't know what it means. You've forgotten your roots!"

"You came from the common people, but you became officials and yet you ignored the people's interests. The people don't have enough to eat, but they still pay taxes to pay your salaries. You wait for fine wine and delicious food, beautiful wives and concubines... and yet you talk about righteousness to the common people. This is ungrateful!"

"I, Gu Jingzhi, value profit, but I never neglect the interests of the people. Compared to you, who are only good at talking big, who is a good minister and who is a mediocre official? Who is unworthy of standing in this court?"

“To read the books of the sages without understanding their meaning is unwise.”

"As a court official, you do not think about serving the country and the people, but only know how to talk big. You are disloyal to the country and unkind to the people!"

"You take the taxes paid by the people as your salary, and you only do things that forget your roots. Where do you get the courage to even talk about righteousness?"

"Unfaithful, unfilial, unkind, unjust, and unwise... You old scoundrels, gray-bearded scoundrels, you are over fifty years old, yet you only know how to study the classics without understanding their meaning. You are ignorant of the righteousness of your country and the suffering of the people. How dare you speak so arrogantly here? I have never seen anyone as shameless as you!"

"Gah?"

Everyone looked at Gu Jingzhi in shock, as if they had not yet woken up from the "Zhuge Quotations" that had been passed down through the ages.

Gu Jingzhi sighed deeply.

"Ugh!"

"Old villain, please retreat immediately. Being in the same court with you is truly a disgrace to our generation..."