BXBX NOVEL Chapter 367 - 367: Educating about Taxes
Xiao Ye furrowed his brows, as if he was deep in thought.
“Is it because the situation at the southwest border is tense?” he asked after a while.
Jian Qingqing was not surprised at all that he had this keenness because the school could be said to be closely related to the court. Many of the students in the school were also officials. Most of these students would definitely enter the officialdom in the future. Usually, the teacher liked to use examples of things in the court in his lectures, so it was necessary to have this political keenness.
She nodded. “I think the Treasury is running out of money.”
Speaking of this, she thought of Ming Zhiyan. Ming Zhiyan was now the Minister of Revenue. The Ministry of Revenue was the first to bear the brunt of the matter regarding money and grain. She did not know how he had been recently. It seemed that she had not seen him for a long time.
Xiao Ye was a little silent, frowning as he said, “I didn’t expect it to be this serious. What does the Emperor want to do? I don’t think it’s enough to rely on the court officials to buy these bicycles, right?”
Jian Qingqing looked at him with appreciation and said, “It’s enough that we can resolve the urgent situation for now. The taxes from all the places should arrive soon.”
As she said that, she looked at Xiao Ye and said awkwardly, “If the Emperor wants to ask you for something, I wonder if you’re willing to give it to him?”
Xiao Ye was confused, “Me? What can I give to the Emperor? He doesn’t know me.”
“No,” Jian Qingqing shook her head. “You do. I just don’t know if you’ll be willing to give it up.”
Xiao Ye thought for a while, then said with a determined look, “Your Majesty is the ruler of the people. It’s our duty to share your burden. So, as long as Your Majesty orders it, I’ll definitely do it.”
Jian Qingqing looked at him with appreciation. She wanted to praise him, but she was afraid that he would become a rigid and stubborn official in the future.
Thus, she thought for a moment and said) “It’s not that we have to listen to everything the Emperor says, what if… I’m saying what if, in the future, the Emperor becomes a muddleheaded ruler, and you don’t have to listen to him now. Or what if the next ruler is a mediocre ruler and he asks you to do things that are detrimental to the people, you also don’t have to listen to him. As an official in the court, you eat the food of the people, and naturally have to serve the people, so you can’t do anything detrimental to the people.”
Xiao Ye nodded thoughtfully, and said, “Sister, what you said is different from what Teacher said, but I think you’re more right.”
“So you have to think for yourself,” Jian Qingqing said with a smile. “Be loyal to your heart and be a kind person.”
“Yes!” Xiao Ye nodded his head firmly. “Sister, I will.”
“Then, can you tell me what the Emperor wants from me, Sister? I don’t have anything.”
Jian Qingqing smiled and called in Xiao Hu and Xiao Lang, who were playing outside. “Xiao Hu, Xiao Lang, come in for a moment!”
Xiao Hu and Xiao Lang immediately stopped playing and ran in, panting. They asked, “Sister, what’s the matter?”
Jian Qingqing put away the expression on her face and said sternly, “Let me ask you, do you pay taxes when you sell bicycles?”
“Ah?” The three of them looked at her in confusion, then shook their heads and said, “No, we forgot to pay taxes.”
“So now that you know, do you want to hand it over?
The three of them nodded in unison. “Yes.”
“Sister, how much do we have to pay?” Xiao Lang asked with a conflicted expression.
Jian Qingqing looked at Xiao Hu and asked, “Xiao Hu, you should have learned the tax laws of the Great Wei Kingdom, right? Tell me.. How much tax do you have to pay?