NOVPUB"Actually, I think Zichuan’s approach is feasible," Fa Zheng weakly cheered for Chen Xi. Okay, Fa Zheng was just there to make his presence felt; regardless of which side he stood on, everyone ignored him. After all, Chen Xi had made it clear long ago that until certain requirements were met, Fa Zheng would just be quietly sidelined by us; we wouldn’t count him in the official tally."
"Xiaoo Zhi..." At that moment, Chen Xi cast aside everything he had previously said and finally found a supporter, "Xiaoo Zhi, I will recommend you as the Prime Minister of Qi State later. True men should be like this, firmly following my lead!"
"Xiaoo Zhi?" "Xiaoo Zhi?" Jia Xu and Guo Jia both turned their heads to stare at the little brother who had defected, and instantly Fa Zheng felt the pressure.
"Being part of the Mount Tai intelligence organization is much better than any Prime Minister of Qi State, hahaha..." After hesitating for less than three seconds, Fa Zheng became a fence-sitter once again and defected back, leaving Chen Xi feeling infuriated at such lack of principle. 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
"Alright, now it’s once again a bunch of us against you," Lub Su patted Fa Zheng on the shoulder, signaling not to worry about Jia Xu and Guo Jia, as they wouldn’t do anything to him, then turned back to glare at Chen Xi.
"Zizhong, tell me, how is my new trade law?" Chen Xi turned his head to stare at Mi Zhu, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Mi Zhu, who was hiding among the crowd, had no choice but to step forward. As soon as he returned, he was pulled into the Political Office by Chen Xi, and scarcely had the new trade law been introduced when it turned into the current situation. Liu Ye almost came to blows with Chen Xi, what the heck! And now he’s asking him?
Indeed, Liu Ye, Jian Yong, and Lub Su all cleared some space around Mi Zhu, and then everyone’s gaze was fixed on him, including Fa Zheng who was staring blankly at Mi Zhu, expressing his anger. Despite being a minor character, Fa Zheng was determined that he could grow and become a major player; he was ready to explode!
What could Mi Zhu say? He had seen the new law before, and for any merchant, it was too good to be true. As a merchant, of course, it was excellent, but now as a subordinate of Liu Bei, wouldn’t this harm Liu Bei’s interests? And wouldn’t harming Liu Bei’s interests also harm everyone’s interests? Therefore, such a trade law could absolutely not pass!
After all, for the current Mi Zhu, money was not so important. As a merchant, where were the prospects compared to those of an official? In Mi Zhu’s view, Liu Xuande had the potential to reach the top. If it weren’t for his lowly origins and Mi Zhen’s status not allowing her to become Liu Bei’s legal wife, then Mi Zhu thought it might have been a good choice for her to marry Liu Bei, especially since Liu Bei was only thirty years old!
Because of this, Mi Zhu would not pass this new law even if it killed him. If earning less money could make Liu Bei stronger, Mi Zhu figured he could handle even tens of billions of losses without much stress, simply considering it as paying for an official position. Before, he didn’t have the qualification to buy one, but he didn’t mind this concealed form of bribing, because the stronger Liu Bei was, the greater the returns for Mi Zhu, and he found this acceptable!
As for Chen Xi’s new trade law, which would let him make money while weakening Liu Bei, forget it. What’s more important, money or an official position? Money or a powerful patron? What a joke! The natural profit-seeking instinct of merchants made Mi Zhu very clear about what was to be gained and lost, so he was even more steadfast than anyone present: he resolutely disagreed with this harmful trade law!
"Zichuan, there’s not a chance that I will pass this trade law. I’ve staked all my wealth on our lord, and I don’t have the capabilities you people have; I only have money and loyalty. If our lord were to fall, I would be buried with him. What I can do is show absolute loyalty to our lord, so there’s no way I would pass any tax law that might harm our lord’s interests," Mi Zhu said with a bitter expression, without leaving any room for maneuver, directly rejecting Chen Xi’s proposal.
His candid words struck a chord with everyone present. Mi Zhu was different from them; if Liu Bei were to fail, they could simply switch allegiances. With their abilities, they would be desired anywhere, or if they were defeated, they could simply retire in peace without anyone troubling them. But Mi Zhu, being a merchant in these times was a very lowly thing, so if Liu Bei were to fail, the best outcome for the Mi Family would be to leave behind a trace of descendants...
"Sigh, I understand," Chen Xi sighed. There was no way to continue the discussion, as nobody would agree to it. Unprecedented matters required everyone to weigh their options at this time. Their actions were not wrong, and even though Chen Xi knew a transaction tax would only bring benefits without drawbacks, he could not provide an explanation.
"Zichuan, if one day we completely suppress the Four Directions, then perhaps we could try this new law. For now, please keep it locked away, as it is somewhat untimely during this period," Lub Su looked at Chen Xi and noticing his low spirits, sighed.
[Dominate the Four Directions, huh?] Chen Xi chuckled bitterly and waved his hand to indicate he was alright, "You all go attend to your affairs. Let me have some peace."
Everyone present was no fool. Seeing Chen Xi’s depressed demeanor, they all knew what was happening and excused themselves one by one, leaving Chen Xi alone in the Political Office, quietly contemplating everything.
Chen Xi was well aware that if he did not implement a transaction tax now, there would never be another chance to do so in the future. As for Lub Su’s so-called ’dominance over the Four Directions,’ this was more of an excuse. Circumstances would be even more critical then than now. Should even a slight change occur during the time of asserting dominance over the Four Directions, there might be a rebound from all sides. The need for stability then would be greater than now. If it couldn’t pass now, how could it pass then?
