Chapter 49: Stormy Weather in Xudu!

  "Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live, forever and ever!"

  "All of you, my dear sirs, calm down!" Seeing Li Jue's head, Emperor Xian of Han was overjoyed. The hatred that had been harbored for many years could finally be vented. With Li Jue dead and Pei Mao, who had followed him to Xu Du, now in control of Chang'an and Luoyang, he would return to the capital and soon the good days of ruling supreme would arrive?

  "The multitude loves you, Pei Mao has made great contributions in pacifying the rebellion. I have decided to confer upon Pei Mao the title of Marquis of Jiping! To proclaim his merits."

  "Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers were still delighted with the conquest of Chang'an and Luoyang, and of course they had to flatter Liu Xie.

  "Zao Ai Qing? What does Zao Ai Qing think about the rewards for the generals of Guanzhong?"

  "Your Majesty's reward is agreed upon by your humble servant, with no dissent!"

  "Very well, after I have made a decision, send someone to Chang'an to reward the generals!" Cao had no objections to his own decisions, how delightful!

  Looking at Liu Xie's pleased appearance, Lü Rui shook his head helplessly. Fool, fool is really a big fool, and he doesn't even know when he's fallen into a trap.

  "Retreat!" Liu Xie, seeing that today's court meeting had achieved his purpose, was very happy to retreat. Cao also returned to the Imperial Chancellor's mansion with Lü Bu, and Cao Ang had awakened, but his body was relatively weak and needed rest. Looking at his son was also necessary!

  "Rui'er? Go inside the mansion first and see if Eldest Madam has really gone out of the city to burn incense?"

  What's wrong, Cao? Are you asking me to take the lead again? No choice, having boarded the pirate ship, I can only follow Old Cao! The Buddha said: If I don't go to hell, who will go to hell? Charge forward bravely!

  Lü Rui waited until he confirmed that Ding Laohu was not in the mansion before allowing Cao to enter Cao Ang's room, while Lü Rui stood guard outside.

  "Father!" Mrs. Cao saw Cao and hastily bowed.

  "Father...... Father!" Cao Ang also stiffened his body to pay respects to Cao.

  "Zi Xiu, no need for more courtesy, quickly lie down and rest!" Cao hurriedly stepped forward to support Cao Ang.

  Looking at Cao Ang's still pale face, Cao Cao couldn't help but shed tears and said: "Zixiu, Father owes you an apology, Father really owes you an apology. If you unfortunately passed away? Your father......?"

  Seeing Cao's sad look, Cao Ang also shed tears and comforted him saying: "Father do not be sad, I will die for you, it is the duty of a son. If something happens to you, our Cao family will perish!"

  "Good, Zixu, with a son like this, how can I worry that great things will not be accomplished?" As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of Cao Cao's joyful laughter came from inside the house.

  Deep father-son relationship! "Gugu, gugu, gugu!" Isn't that right? This is the secret signal agreed upon by Lü Rui and the people in the mansion. How did Ding Laohu come back so quickly?

  "Uncle, uncle, hurry up, your wife is back!" Lü Rui rushed into Cao Ang's room immediately.

  Cao Cao looked at Cao Ang and said: "Zixiu, take a good rest. When you recover, I will hold a grand banquet in the mansion to celebrate your victory in Wan City!"

  "Father?"

  "Zixiu, you also know your mother's temper, I'd better leave first!"

  Cao Ang nodded and watched as Cao Cao and Lü Bu left his room and headed towards the back door of the courtyard.

  Cao Ang looked at the two figures disappearing into the distance and suddenly remembered something. "Father... Father?" Unfortunately, the two had already walked far away. Ding Lao Hu sealed off the back door in order not to disturb Cao Ang's rest!

  "Second Uncle, what's going on?" Seeing the original back turned into a stone wall, Lü Rui was stunned, and Cao also froze. Ding Lao Hu sealed this place, what to do? Cao Ang's bedroom courtyard is relatively small, if staying here, Ding Lao Hu will definitely find out!

  "Rui'er?" Cao discovered that Lü Rui was nowhere to be found.

  "Uncle, I'm coming over!" It turned out that Lü Rui had passed through the hollow wall, which had a pattern of a bell on it. On either side were larger oval-shaped hollows, just big enough for a child over ten years old to pass through! (Ding Laohu hastily sealed the door, but there was something not quite right about it.)

  "Rui'er, you've gone, what am I to do?" The anxious wife Cao stomped her foot, "Others can't come through, they'll definitely get stuck!"

  "Uncle, climb up!" Lü Rui pointed to the surrounding wall, which had hollow patterns that served as footholds, allowing them to climb over.

  Cao was taken aback for a moment, and then crawled over? Although when he was young, when he snatched someone's wife, he often did this kind of thing, but now?

  Not far away, the sound of footsteps came, Ding Lao Hu approached! Cao Er didn't say a word and climbed up to the wall in one swift motion.

  Wow, Cao's wife is indeed a master of wall-climbing and snatching women, so fast? This is absolutely skillful! Not even 10 seconds have passed, and you've already reached the top!

  "Mother, slow down, these are steps, be careful!" Mrs. Cao was reminding Cao Cao and Lü Bu that Ding the Tiger was entering the courtyard.

  Cao heard this and flew into a rage, leaping down from the wall and tumbling to the ground like an overturned turtle.

  "What sound?"

  "Mother might have been scared by the servant from next door, I'll go take a look!"

  "Uncle, hurry up and leave, what are you still doing here?"

  Lü Rui helped Cao up and they rushed towards the main gate of the Sima Mansion.

  "Master?" At night, Guo Jia came to the mansion to report to Cao Cao, but as soon as he entered the room, he found that one of Cao Cao's eyes was swollen, and Zou Shi was massaging it for him.

  Cao looked at Guo Jia, nodded to Zou Shi to leave, then said: "Feng Xiao, don't be alarmed. This morning I went back to the Sima's residence with Rui'er."

  "Ah!" Guo Jia suddenly realized that something must have happened and their lord had become like this.

  "Filial piety? How's that going?" Cao rubbed his swollen eyes and gritted his teeth, revealing a pained expression.

  Guo Jia bowed and said: "Your Excellency, we have transported the goods to Chang'an according to the Emperor's reward. By the end of the month, all the officials will know what's going on. Your Excellency, by that time your injury will have healed, and you can properly deal with them!" Guo Jia's last sentence was spoken while suppressing a smile.

  Seeing Guo Jia's tears of joy, Cao Cao waved his hand and said: "Feng Xiang, if you want to laugh, just laugh out loud. You and I are both sentimental people. This is not the imperial court, so go ahead and laugh!"

  Guo Jia finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. Cao saw Guo Jia laugh and asked: "Fengxiao, having a wicked wife at home is not easy to get along with, what's your solution?"

  The two of them began discussing ways to deal with the mother-in-law at home, leaving Lü Rui aside. It's really a case of "wife in charge", good brothers!

  "Your Majesty, we have no more grain, please take charge for us!" Time passed quickly and it was already the end of the month. The officials in the imperial court had not received their salaries and began to complain to Emperor Xian.

  "Governor Yang? What's going on here?" Liu Xie angrily asked Yang Biao.

  Yang Biao cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, the taxes in Yanzhou are insufficient, Zhongliang has no money to issue, and there is no grain to dispatch!"

  "What?" Liu Xie was stunned.

  "Your Majesty, this is this year's Zhong Yang's tax payment!" After finishing speaking, Yang Bi handed the national treasury list to Liu Xie.

  Liu Xie looked at the memorial and was shocked. The rewards he had given to Pei Mao and the Guanzhong generals had almost exhausted the national treasury, so what could be done for the civil and military officials? Liu Xie looked at Yang Bi and said: "Tomorrow, convene a meeting of all ministers to discuss countermeasures!"

  "Yes, Your Majesty!" After finishing speaking, Yang Biao retreated and went out.

  "Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, forever and ever!"

  "Everyone, calm down!"

  "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

  "Everyone loves you, recently the national treasury is empty, and all officials have no salary to pay. Why is that? Minister Cao?" Liu Xie gave Cao a warning as soon as he went to court.

  Cao also had his prepared response, speaking slowly and calmly: "Your Majesty's rewards to the various generals of Guanzhong are too generous, the taxes from Zhongyuan are insufficient, so it is impossible to pay their salaries. Your humble servant has not received a salary either!"

  Cao deliberately raised his voice and told the officials, "It was Emperor Xian who embezzled your salaries. I, Cao, did not receive any salary either. Your Majesty, what do you say we should do?"

  "Why is the treasury empty?" Liu Xie heard Cao's question and immediately became enraged, counterattacking Cao.

  "Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty because of excessive spending. The income cannot cover the expenses!" Yang Bi stepped forward and reported to Emperor Xian of Han.

  It turned out that Yang Bi came out? Liu Xie was stunned for a moment, and Yang Bi actually spoke for Cao this time? Liu Xie asked: "Old Ai Chen, do you have any evidence?"

  "This is the list of taxes for Zhong Yang, please take a look, Your Majesty!" After finishing speaking, Yang Bi handed over the tax bill.

  Liu Xie looked at the document and was stunned, he had actually issued all the rice and money for the next three months to the Zhong Yang officials. What could be done? Liu Xie looked around and asked: "Gentlemen, with the national treasury so empty, can we increase taxes to replenish it?"

  "Your Majesty cannot, the thirty tax one was set by Emperor Guangwu of Han, how can it be abolished?"

  "Your Majesty, absolutely not!" Then a group of officials stood up one after another and began to oppose Liu Xie.

  Thirty taxes one, the tax system of the Great Han Dynasty, one-thirtieth of the land tax was paid by the landowner to the state, known as the most relaxed tax in Chinese history, and also the death knell of the Great Han's land annexation.

  Liu Xie actually wants to move the 30% tax? How foolish! Lü Rui shook his head helplessly, the 30% tax law is the foundation of the great Han aristocracy and the humble landowners. Has Liu Xie's brain gone haywire?

  At the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the land was returned to the state, and Emperor Guangwu rearranged the distribution of land, enfeoffing many meritorious officials, but most of the land was still in the hands of the state.

  Although the number of meritorious officials who were granted land was small, many people received food allowances. What to do with the money in hand? Investing in gold is definitely not as good as investing in land, everyone knows that, so just buy land with the extra money! Over time, the wealthy became wealthier and the poor became poorer due to the light taxation. Land annexation became a direct cause of the downfall of the Eastern Han dynasty! (Taxes were paid by landlords to the state, while rent was paid by peasants to landlords, usually half of the land's yield, so the vast peasant population was still being exploited!)

  The aristocracy and the common landowners differed only in the amount of land they owned, and changes in taxation directly affected the interests of all landowners. In less than a moment, the officials were densely packed like a black tide. Emperor Xian was helpless and could only wave his hand and say: "This matter will be discussed later!"

  "Fall back!" It ended without incident!

  In the following days, a rare spectacle appeared in history. The officials of the Han Dynasty's central government begged for food from the local officials of Yanzhou, while the officials of the central government were starving, and the local officials of Yanzhou were full of fat! Cao Cao had money in Yanzhou, to show loyalty, the aristocratic families of Yanzhou such as Cao, Xiahou, Xun, Chen, and Lü donated money to support the finances of Yanzhou. It was a political investment, and there would definitely be returns later! Cao Cao was delighted, and the military and civilians of Yanzhou were united in their hearts.

  In Cao's prime minister's mansion, in front of Cao were placed large and small bamboo slips, and in front of Lü Bu were also piled up like a small mountain. What is this? In later generations, it has a very powerful name: Recommendation Letter!

  Many high-ranking officials in Xucheng expressed their desire to go down to the grassroots level for training and asked for vacancies in Yanzhou. Why? Because the salaries of Yanzhou officials can be paid on time!

  Cao looked at so many application forms and burst out laughing!

  Guo Jia cupped his hands and said: "Congratulations, milord. These court officials will surely know who their mother is after they've gone hungry for a while!"

  "Then wouldn't I become their mother?" Cao thought of this and burst out laughing!

  Cao then handed the bamboo slips to Xun Yu and said, "Gongda, select those who can be loyal to us, use them according to their abilities, and let the rest fend for themselves!"

  "Yes, milord!"

  Lü Rui was crying and laughing at these application forms. There were even officials from the imperial court, such as the Grand Herald, who wanted to be the steward of the Lü Rui Qi Hou Mansion. How did Lü Rui not know that his own steward was so valuable? Could he be compared to a high-ranking official like Zhong Yang? After searching around, there were no suitable talents, so they handed it over to Ling Er to cook and do chores. Bamboo, don't waste it, be environmentally friendly!

  The Imperial Palace is in dire need of talented individuals, but Liu Xie's palace has no one worthy of use!

  Liu Xie gathered the group of officials in the inner court to discuss how to solve the problem of the empty national treasury, but when he looked around, he was shocked to find that more than half of them were missing. Liu Xie hastily asked: "Yang Gong, where have the other officials gone?"

  "Your Majesty, some of the elderly officials have retired and returned to their hometowns." Even if they didn't receive a salary, they could still return home; after all, there was still land in their hometown! This is Fu Wan!

  "Some of your majesty's officials have already begged for official positions in Yan Province and are too ashamed to see you!" This is Dong Cheng!

  "Your Majesty, some of the elders have gone to serve other lords due to hunger!" This is Yang Biao!

  Listening to the three men's answers, Liu Xie's heart was unstable and he slumped in his dragon throne. Cao Mengde, you've won again!