latelenovela Chapter 208
Chapter 208
Chapter 208
"Your Highness! According to our agreement, the deadline has not yet arrived. Moreover, during this period, some things have indeed happened in Daliang. How can the Prime Minister system be abolished so easily?"
Shangguan Xiong said angrily.
Qin Yu looked at Shangguan Xiong and smiled without saying anything. The Emperor Liang had issued an edict to abolish the prime minister system. Shangguan Xiong was just looking for trouble by saying this.
"Shangguan Xiong, do you think what I said is child's play?"
Emperor Liang's face was as gloomy as water.
"Your Majesty! I don't dare!"
Shangguan Xiong's face suddenly changed, and he looked at Qin Yu with eyes full of resentment. He was tricked by Qin Yu again.
"You still don't dare? I asked you to be the governor of Haizhou, but you refused to go. And you messed up the government of Daliang. What use is there for me to have a useless person like you?"
Emperor Liang angrily rebuked Shangguan Xiong.
Shangguan Xiong was extremely shocked. Since he became the Prime Minister of Daliang, he had never been reprimanded by the Emperor of Liang, let alone such a disrespectful rebuke!
All the civil and military officials remained silent. They were officials from Shangguan Xiong's faction, but that didn't mean they were fools. If they helped Shangguan Xiong at this time, they would completely offend Emperor Liang!
"Your Majesty! I believe that Haizhou was conquered by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the crown prince of Daliang. He will definitely inherit Your Majesty's throne in the future. Therefore, it is only natural that Haizhou should be made His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's fiefdom!"
At this time, the Minister of Revenue Li Wei stood up.
During this period of time, he was a person who couldn't please both sides. After what happened today, he finally thought it through. Shangguan Xiong only treated him as a money bag. Only by being loyal to Emperor Liang could he have a bright future!
"What do you think, my dear ministers?"
Emperor Liang glanced at his civil and military officials and asked in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty! We think what Minister Li said makes sense!"
All the officials seconded the motion.
"Well then! I hereby declare that Haizhou will be granted to Yu'er as a fiefdom. At the same time, the Ministry of Personnel will select ten officials to assist the Crown Prince in governing Haizhou!"
Emperor Liang said in a deep voice.
In any prince's fiefdom, only the taxes within the fiefdom belong to the prince. Theoretically speaking, the essence of the fiefdom is still the territory of Daliang, so naturally there must be officials from Daliang to hold important positions.
"Thank you, Father!"
Qin Yu said in a deep voice.
Shangguan Xiong then said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty! The Crown Prince confiscated 70 million taels of silver from the noble families of Haizhou. This shows how wealthy Haizhou is. If all the taxes from such a rich land belonged to the Crown Prince, wouldn't it mean that the Crown Prince would be as rich as an entire country in the future?"
"Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider and at least require His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to pay a portion of the tax annually! I propose five million taels!"
Upon hearing Shangguan Xiong's proposal, all the officials present were interested.
Haizhou is a piece of fat meat, and they must be itching to have a piece of it. If Qin Yu can pay 5 million taels of silver in taxes to the court every year, they can get some of it.
"Haha! Prime Minister Shangguan is right, Father! I propose that Prime Minister Shangguan be appointed governor of Haizhou and govern the state on my behalf. I don't ask for much. Just pay five million taels of silver in taxes each year and leave me five hundred thousand. If you can't do that, chop off Shangguan Xiong's head!"
Qin Yu said with a sneer.
"Your Highness! You are deliberately targeting me!"
Shangguan Xiong said angrily.
"You must have been kicked in the head by a donkey! The proceeds of this prince's confiscation of Haizhou are the accumulation of the aristocratic families of Haizhou over the past few decades. Now Haizhou is just a hollowed-out state capital!"
"Forget paying five million taels to the court annually. This prince might not even be able to collect five hundred thousand taels in taxes in a year!"
"Furthermore, I have purged all the noble families. The surrounding countries will not trade with Haizhou in the short term. Haizhou will need a large amount of silver to fill the gap in the early stage. Shangguan Xiong, will you give this prince some money?"
Qin Yu asked back in a cold voice.