Chapter 125: The First Blood Given to the Sea Merchant

The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Works hurried over, completely baffled and their hearts pounding with anxiety.

Empress Wu was a woman of merciless severity. The two ministers were terrified that the old empress, growing impatient on the eve of her ascension, would make an example of them.

Yet upon entering the hall, both men were stunned.

Empress Wu's current appearance was hardly dignified. Her phoenix crown was crooked, and she sat squarely amidst a pile of scattered papers, a large chest resting beside her.

"I... I pay my respects to the Holy Empress."

Wu Zetian did not even raise her head. "You are here? Rise."

Seeing this, the two men felt their tension ease slightly. It seemed she was not looking for trouble; there appeared to be a genuine matter at hand.

"We wonder why the Holy Empress has summoned us so urgently. What are your commands?"

"Hmm." The old empress then raised her head with evident reluctance.

"I wish to discuss the matter of the kilns with the two of you."

Thereupon, Wu Zetian explained the charts and data she had seen from Wu Ning, detailing how foreign maritime merchants reaped manifold profits.

Very well, the two men finally let go of the stones hanging in their hearts.

However, this matter... both of them found it rather difficult.

One was the Ministry of Works, which exclusively managed official kilns, and the other was the Ministry of Revenue, which oversaw finances and household registries. In truth, certain matters had long been known, and the exorbitant profits of porcelain exported overseas were no secret.

Yet, there was simply nothing to be done!

"This matter is not so simple."

"Oh?" Wu Zetian frowned. "Explain."

A subordinate official of the Ministry of Works said, "The profits of porcelain transported overseas by foreign merchants are indeed high, but our Great Tang is utterly helpless against these massive gains."

"After all... after all, maritime voyages by sea merchants involve high costs to begin with. If we arbitrarily raise prices, they will find no profit to be made and will simply abandon the business."

"Furthermore..." the Junior Vice Minister of Revenue added, "Furthermore, the official kilns of our Great Tang cater to the people of the Tang, and foreign merchants do not trade directly with official agencies. Surely the imperial court cannot... compete with the people for profit?"

Hearing this, Wu Zetian wore a playful, enigmatic smile.

"Then there are no other ways?"

"None." Both shook their heads in unison.

Who wouldn't want to increase state revenues and thereby achieve a meritorious service? Unfortunately, there was truly no way.

"Sigh!"

Wu Zetian shook her head upon hearing this, deeply disappointed.

Lowering her head to look at Wu Ning's memorial, she suddenly murmured:

"You two, you're not even as capable as a sixteen-year-old boy!"

"Ah, ah!?" Cold sweat instantly broke out on both men.

My Holy Empress, these are not words to be spoken casually!

"Wh-What did the Holy Empress say?"

"Nothing."

Wu Zetian did not even raise her head. "Go back and draft a set of regulations."

"Whenever foreign merchants enter the Tang, levy maritime taxes according to the value of their cargo. For spices, glassware, and other luxury goods, collect taxes several times over; call this the Luxury Tax."

"Upon departure from the port, if they carry goods of the Great Tang, taxes shall still be levied based on value. Collect one-third, one-fifth, or one-tenth accordingly; call this the Offshore Tax."

"Go!"

"Discuss the specific amounts in detail and submit a memorial."

"..." Both men were utterly bewildered.

They hurriedly asked, "Then, then what about the merchants of our Great Tang who go to sea?"

Their very first thought was that if such exorbitant taxes were levied, how could merchants in coastal states like Quan, Fu, and Guang possibly survive?

After all, though rare, Tang citizens venturing overseas for trade did exist.

However, before the two could finish, Wu Zetian impatiently interrupted, "Tang merchants going to sea do not fall into this category; a separate tax rate shall be set!"

At this, Wu Zetian raised her head slightly and smiled.

"Perhaps, Tang merchants going to sea... will even receive additional subsidies."

"..."

"Obe... Obedient to the decree!"

This time they were not just bewildered; they were completely dumbfounded.

In heaven's name, who on earth came up with such a devastatingly thorough strategy?

Neither of the two men was stupid, and they immediately grasped the crux of the matter.

Heavy taxes for foreigners! Light taxes for domestic citizens, and perhaps even subsidies?

Comparing the inside and outside, the difference was vast.

Was this not forcing coastal merchants to chase profits and venture out to sea?

When the time came, the cost of goods from Tang merchants would be far more competitive than those of foreign merchants. Who then would dominate the maritime routes? And into whose pockets would those thousand-fold or ten-thousand-fold profits ultimately fall?

This move was utterly ruthless; not only did it increase tax revenue for the imperial court, but it also placed maritime routes firmly in the hands of the Tang people.

...

Heh, to say nothing of these two Tang officials looking bewildered, if that madman of the Song were here, he would likely be equally dumbfounded.

And he would undoubtedly curse, "Damn it!!"

He had spent countless years of effort, expended boundless wealth, lost his best brother, and personally led a fleet on an expedition to the Mediterranean just to steer the Great Song toward the ocean.

Yet Old Nine Wu—how fortunate for him—accomplished the entire feat with just a few sheets of paper?

The madman would likely feel deeply unbalanced and should have studied finance and accounting instead.

...

The great hall remained silent after the two ministers withdrew. After a long while, a sudden, soft chuckle escaped the old empress.

"Jiulang, oh Jiulang, with this single strategy, what you have delivered is far more than mere tax revenue!"

With that, Wu Zetian lowered her head once more to read.

At this moment, in Wu Zetian's eyes, this was no longer a simple chest of memorials, but a treasure trove.

Glancing down, she read further: "Regarding the approach toward foreign merchants, we should be strict in the east and lenient in the west..."

...

Meanwhile.

"You induced Her Majesty to levy heavy taxes on overseas foreign merchants?"

Princess Taiping questioned Wu Ning with an expression of incomprehension. "Do you realize that Her Majesty actually dislikes merchants the most? She will certainly never grant this convenience to Great Tang maritime merchants."

Wu Ning merely chuckled. "Not necessarily. I wager that the Holy Empress will certainly agree to this."

"Why?"

"Because for the Holy Empress, opening up maritime trade has a hundred benefits and not a single drawback."

Taiping could not understand. "Aside from potentially increasing tax revenue, this princess truly sees no other benefits."

"Is increasing tax revenue not enough?"

Wu Ning retorted, "Which emperor does not wish for abundant state finances?"

"Furthermore, this matter offers benefits far beyond mere tax revenue."

...

In truth, another primary reason why Wu Ning was certain Wu Zetian would agree was that opening the coast would be immensely beneficial to political stability.

It came back to that same issue: the power struggles within the imperial court.

Fostering the Wu clan and initiating the imperial examinations had the fundamental purpose of countering the aristocratic families and the powerful clans of Guanzhong.

The aristocratic families of Wei and Jin, along with those founding meritorious officials, remained far too powerful. Wu Zetian needed greater forces to counterbalance the court.

Thus, maritime merchants provided her with an exceptional opportunity.

Wu Ning knew very well that once Great Tang maritime merchants managed to break outward, given the maritime dividends of the present era, it would inevitably create a massive new class of wealthy elites.

The profits earned overseas by the first batch of merchants daring to venture to sea could never be matched by those mundane country squires in the Central Plains! Having received the grace of Empress Wu and made their fortunes riding the wave of encouraged maritime ventures, which side would they stand on? It went without saying.

Would the old empress abandon such an exceptional pillar of support simply because she disliked merchants?

Impossible. She would certainly agree, and she would undoubtedly give vigorous support to maritime merchants.

This was a policy leverage, and a deeply covert one at that.

By the time those aristocratic clans realized something was amiss and attempted to suppress them, it would already be too late. The maritime merchants of the Great Tang would have long secured their initial victories and perhaps even run rampant across the seas.

...

"Why?"

After listening to Wu Ning's explanation, Princess Taiping was deeply shocked, yet she also felt profound concern for Wu Ning.

"The more you display your talent, the less at ease Her Majesty will feel about you, and the more dangerous you will be!"

"Why? Why must you still offer this idea?"

"..."

Wu Ning fell silent for a moment. He truly feared death, but he feared violating his conscience even more.

After a long while, he forced a faint smile. "Rest assured, I have a fallback plan..."

"The Holy Empress... the Holy Empress will not kill me."