Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!

Chapter 1229: Chapter 1229: Falling Behind and Getting Beaten

The following morning, as the ministers who were to attend the early court gathered at the palace gates, they all stood in silence. The memory of the palace coup that took place a few days prior cast a psychological shadow over them.

As the sound of the palace gate being pushed open echoed through the air, everyone’s heart tensed even though the palace had been thoroughly cleansed. Yet an illusion persisted, as if blood covered everything.

Zhou Shuren had entered the palace many times by now, but the sensation hadn’t lessened. Gazing down the long palace corridor, Zhou Shuren felt chills; this was the palace, the seat of power, and also a place built upon the dead.

In the great hall, the Emperor and the Crown Prince had arrived first, with the Crown Prince standing below the Dragon Throne.

Zhou Shuren glanced over once before withdrawing his gaze. Along with the other ministers, he entered the hall and, after the act of kneeling and paying respects was over, they all stood up.

The Emperor showed no intention of speaking, and his sitting posture wasn’t as erect as usual. Instead, he slouched casually, leaning his arm on the armrest of the Dragon Throne.

The Crown Prince stepped forward, ”Yesterday, General Hou returned after quelling the remnants and brought back a large quantity of harmful ointment. The amount was so large that it alarmed me. There were as much as two thousand jin. The Imperial court prohibits this ointment from entering the country, but still there are those who, for profit, recklessly smuggle it in. I am utterly furious.”

The Crown Prince paused, ”Two thousand jin, I don’t know if that’s the amount for a year or for how long, but I do know how many families it could harm. Moreover, these items were found on an island hidden by the Zhang family, and even the foreign craftsmen who manufactured them were discovered.”

After the Crown Prince finished speaking, the ministers below began to discuss. Were the remnants collaborating with foreigners? Had the Zhang family granted foreigners certain benefits? Was the relationship between the Zhang family and the foreigners based purely on interest, or were they involved in the planning?

The implications were different.

Zhou Shuren, who had a thorough knowledge of history, knew all of its humiliating Chapters well, and how the turn of events in the previous dynasty had been favorable. Although the latter period of the former dynasty had been incompetent, it changed history and the population had continued to grow. Even a decade of warfare had left a certain population for the present.

Now he had slowly laid some foundations that he wouldn’t allow to be destroyed. He was unwilling to let these foreigners go unchecked—”Those who are not kin will have ulterior motives,” he thought, preferring to consider conspiracies.

Zhou Shuren stepped forward, ”This official has something to report.”

Surprise flickered in the Crown Prince’s eyes, and the Emperor’s expression became much more solemn. At past court sessions, Zhou Shuren had never spoken unless necessary, and had never been the first to speak—today was the first time he did so.

Zhou Shuren felt the gazes upon him, but he straightened his posture, looking directly at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince glanced at the Emperor, who nodded. Then the Crown Prince said, ”Minister Zhou, please speak.”

Zhou Shuren organized his thoughts, ”Before discussing the foreigners and the harmful ointment, I would like to talk about the taxation in the Ministry of Revenue.”

After a pause, he continued, ”Before our country opened to maritime trade, merchants were not very prosperous. Although agriculture was emphasized, tax exemptions were frequent, and the overall national taxation revenue was not high, with severe tax evasion in salt taxes at that time.”

When these words fell, the faces of the veteran ministers in the court grew serious—indeed, at the dawn of the dynasty, the imperial court had struggled, especially the treasury.

Zhou Shuren continued, ”After the initiation of maritime trade, the state relaxed its policies on merchants. Commerce flourished, and as maritime trade developed continuously, it became one of the important sources of national tax revenue. Last year’s tax revenue was twice that of the previous year, and this year—before even reaching autumn—the silver coins tallied have almost caught up with the entire previous year’s maritime trade tax revenue.”

The ministers in the court gasped—such rapid growth.

Zhou Shuren didn’t disclose the specific figures; some ministers could estimate, as they controlled merchants who paid their annual taxes, and knew more clearly than Zhou Shuren how much was collected.

Zhou Shuren’s expression was solemn, ”Taxation represents interests, and as our country’s technologies such as glass improve, and the advantage of foreign goods decreases, our country appears as a gold mine in the eyes of many Western nations, each wanting to take a bite.”

He wanted to say cake, but unfortunately, this metaphor was not intuitive in ancient times.

The Crown Prince had already understood what Zhou Shuren had laid out so extensively and wanted to say, he should say that Rongchuan is truly commendable for being taught by Minister Zhou, possessing such a broad and grand vision.

After letting the others digest his words, Zhou Shuren continued, ”This official now wants to say, I believe the foreign presence on the Zhang family’s islands is no accident. I’ve heard there are cannons on the islands, and together with the gunpowder used in this palace coup, I am deeply convinced that it is the support and cooperation from foreigners for the Zhang family’s rise to power. They want the Zhang family to replace the Emperor and the Crown Prince because they stand in their way. These foreigners wish to disrupt and interfere with our internal affairs, and their intentions are punishable. I beseech the Emperor and the Crown Prince to discern this truth.”

As soon as Zhou Shuren finished speaking, the room buzzed with even more discussions.

Some conservative ministers said, ”This official believes that Minister Zhou’s words are too extreme. The Ministry of Rites is preparing to welcome the envoys coming from afar, and there might be some misunderstanding.”

Zhou Shuren’s face remained stern; damn misunderstandings, he truly loathed speaking with some of these conservative ministers. This was why he previously hated to speak out, sometimes they could infuriate him to the extreme. His teammates were so inept that it made him not want to continue speaking.

Seeing Zhou Shuren’s anger, the Emperor was amused, but he also sighed, realizing that Zhou Shuren and Rongchuan shared the same thoughts. The Emperor lamented that his younger son had deep considerations, obviously learning from Zhou Shuren, and the young son, too, held the belief that foreigners harbored ulterior motives.

The Crown Prince, observing some of the conservative old ministers engaged in lofty talks, thought to himself, if he weren’t worried about hurting the old ministers’ feelings, he would have had enough. He secretly wished that, once he ascended the throne, he would select ministers with agile minds.

The Crown Prince signaled for silence, ”There is conclusive evidence that the harmful ointment was produced by the foreigners on the island. As for the other crimes, I will send people to investigate further.”

Some ministers who had taken benefits from the foreigners had by now shut their mouths. Sometimes they could intercede, but with the Crown Prince’s statement, it was clear that intercession was not an option.

Zhou Shuren knew in his heart that the Emperor and the Crown Prince were intent on convicting the foreigners, but given the involvement of several nations, even if they were convinced of the foreigners’ evil intentions, they would not come to a conclusion in just one court assembly.

Zhou Shuren did not say more; he had expressed what needed to be expressed. Brainwashing wasn’t achieved in one attempt, and as Zhou Shuren counted the people he knew around him, he refused to believe that with more persuasion, his allies would not eventually increase.

Zhou Shuren pulled the corners of his mouth into a smirk; sometimes, he truly detested the arrogance of some ministers, wondering where their confidence came from. Strength was the true mark of a powerful nation, not just empty flattery—the might of a fist was the only real logic.

Subsequent discussions focused on the harmful ointment’s propaganda and the already drafted laws; the political affairs were swiftly dealt with.

After the morning assembly dispersed, Zhou Shuren, reluctant to listen to some people’s grandiose theories, suddenly realized how tough the Emperor sometimes had it. Although he disliked it, he often had to perk up and listen, not even allowing his mind to wander.

Elder Wang approached, ”Today, this old man has seen the sharp side of Minister Zhou.”

He had always thought that Zhou Shuren was excessively cunning, but today his impression had significantly changed.

Zhou Shuren replied, ”I am just worried. As you know, my second son admires the foreigners’ learning, and my wife reads about it too. Although I don’t have the time to study these things, with members of my family understanding them, I hear more, and the rapid development of the foreigners frightens me. Centuries from now, if our descendants are not enterprising, what will become of the future? Elder Wang, the underprivileged are bound to be beaten.”

Elder Wang was taken aback, muttering to himself, ”The underprivileged are bound to be beaten?”

Zhou Shuren nodded, ”Yes, that’s the way it is. The future will be a competition not just of population, but of technology, of firepower.”

Only by maintaining superiority can one keep their status unchanged.

Elder Wang looked intently at Zhou Shuren, and in this moment, the image of Zhou Shuren in his mind shifted from a skinny fox to a visionary concerned about the future. Zhou Shuren was looking towards the horizon of the future, whereas he himself was still confined to his family’s legacy.