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“Then I’ll give the orders,” Yin Fan said.
Su Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes showing a pensive look. “How is it in Qi?”
“The people are voicing their grievances. If this continues, there may be a rebellion among the people. The sixty percent tax burden is too much; it’s like asking for their lives,” Yin Fan explained.
“Brother Yu, we found out that after last year’s snow disaster, the people in Qi were already struggling to make ends meet. Now, they are facing increased taxes and conscription,” Yin Fan added with a cold snort. “Calling it conscription is just a euphemism. It’s not voluntary enlistment; they are forcibly taking even children as young as eleven or twelve years old.”
Su Yu furrowed his brow. The usual age for conscription was after fourteen, and eleven or twelve was too young and wouldn’t be able to withstand the subsequent training. They were sacrificing lives for the sake of their own interests.
“Brother Yu, is there any way to remedy this situation?” Yin Fan asked.
“That’s Qi’s affair, and we can’t intervene. But do their officials and the Emperor not care about the lives of the people?” Su Yu questioned.
The people are the key to an Empire’s development. While there are aristocrats, merchants, and officials, they are the minority. The majority of the population consists of ordinary citizens. By oppressing them, the authorities are provoking rebellion. If the people of Qi can’t bear this oppression, and a capable leader emerges, a rebellion would be easily sparked.
“Currently, the officials are only concerned with their own interests, and the Emperor is even more indifferent. If he cared about the people, he wouldn’t increase the tax burden,” Yin Fan remarked with a cold laugh.
Compared to Qi, Ling was slightly better. They didn’t enslave or exploit the people, and the tax burden in Ling had remained at thirty-five percent for many years. Currently, Qi had the heaviest tax burden, while Xuan consistently had one of the lowest tax rates among the Empires.
“Brother Yu, do you think it’s possible to overthrow the monarchy in Qi and install a more capable ruler?” Yin Fan inquired.
“I think the Prince Luo in Qi is promising. He’s been imprisoned for opposing the Emperor and Crown Prince’s decision to increase the tax burden on the people. It seems like the Emperor is ready to give up on him,” Su Yu responded.
Su Yu wasn’t surprised by this development. “Prince Luo is indeed promising, but he lacks widespread support. It won’t be easy for him to ascend to the throne.”
“Brother Yu, what about the situation in Qi?”
We can’t just stand by and watch the people suffer, can we?
“Brother Yu, our people have found that Qi actually has enough food,” Yin Fan reported.
The fact that there is enough food but the tax burden on the people is being increased indicates that they are determined to win this war and are preparing for long-term warfare.
“It’s truly reckless for Qi to be thinking about war right after a disaster. What about Qi Ming? How is he doing with the treasure that Nan Qiao gave him?” Su Yu inquired.
Yin Fan and the others were excited to talk about Qi Ming. “Brother Yu, that guy Nan Qiao is really cunning. The Gu he gave to Qi Ming is hard to detect, and when it takes effect, it can make Qi Ming suffer unbearably and even drive him to madness and murder.”
Several people have already been killed by Qi Ming’s own hands, but this news has not been made public and has been suppressed by Qi Ming.
This was an unexpected surprise for Su Yu. “So Qi Ming has finally met his match. What about his bodyguard?”
“He’s seriously injured.”
Su Yu’s mood improved even more.
The person has always been at odds with him. Even when he had a good relationship with Qi Ming, the person dared to glare at him, and later on, he even instigated trouble between him and Qi Ming. In his past life, he would have met a similar fate, and it had a lot to do with that person. It’s quite interesting that he has been seriously injured by Qi Ming in this lifetime.
“At least he’s not dead,” Su Yu remarked.
“You’re overthinking it, Brother Yu. Once Nan Qiao uses the Gu, he won’t let the other person die,” Yin Fan explained. According to Nan Qiao, death would be a release for them, and what he wanted was for those people to suffer a fate worse than death. Qi Ming has offended Brother Yu, so Nan Qiao won’t let him off easily. It’s really a pity that he was dealt with by Nan Qiao in such a way.
“Continue to keep an eye on them, and report back to me immediately if there’s any news,” Su Yu instructed.
“Brother Yu, I heard from Nan Qiao that sister-in-law has given birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins. Can we go and see them?” Yin Fan asked after finishing the business at hand. He had been itching to see the children ever since Nan Qiao mentioned how adorable they were, but there were still matters to discuss with Su Yu.
“Let’s go, I’ll take you to see them,” Su Yu said.
Yin Fan and the others quickly followed as Su Yu went to fetch the two children.
As they gazed at the adorable children, Yin Fan and the others’ hearts melted.
“They are so cute, and they really resemble Brother Yu,” Yin Fan said as he gently poked the children’s soft cheeks. This was his first time being in such close contact with such small children.
“Do you want to hold them?” Su Yu asked when he noticed their excitement.
Yin Fan and the others were pleasantly surprised and eagerly looked at Su Yu. “Brother Yu, is it okay?”
“Of course,” Su Yu replied.
Yin Fan held the children with a stiff posture, afraid to exert too much force for fear of accidentally hurting them.
Seeing Yin Fan in this state, Su Yu felt as if he was looking at his past self. The first time he held two children, he was just as stiff and nervous.
“You don’t need to be so tense. They won’t be comfortable if you hold them like that,” Su Yu advised.
Yin Fan made an effort to adjust his posture to make the children more comfortable. After holding them for a short while, he was sweating profusely. Su Yu chuckled and took the children from him. “Go and have something to eat and rest. Whenever you come back, you can visit the children.”
Although reluctant, Yin Fan and the others obediently prepared to go for their meal. As they left, they stole another glance at the children before departing with a hint of reluctance.
“What did Yin Fan say?” Wang Jinhe inquired.
“Ling Empire is as I expected, but in Qi, the people are voicing their grievances. They are even conscripting children as young as eleven or twelve,” Yin Fan reported.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jinhe furrowed his brow and looked troubled. “These people are simply insane. Can children as young as eleven or twelve even go to the battlefield?”
“Let alone going to the battlefield, they might not even withstand the training,” he remarked. The new recruits they brought back this time were all over fourteen.
“When Xuan trains its soldiers and recruits new soldiers, they ensure they are well-fed. They won’t let them go hungry. Given the current situation in Qi, whether these children can eat well is one thing, and with such heavy training, it’s likely that these children will have a hard time enduring,” Su Yu added.
Wang Jinhe was at a loss for words. No matter how angry or frustrated they felt, the people in Qi were still citizens of Qi, and it was not their place or reason to help the people of an enemy Empire.
“Isn’t there anyone there to manage the situation?” Wang Jinhe asked.
“There was a prince who opposed the increased tax burden, and he has been imprisoned. With him as a cautionary example, who would dare to speak out?” Su Yu said coldly.
Those people were all seasoned politicians in the court, and they knew exactly when to act and what to say.