Chapter 1471: Succession (Part 2)

No one knew Zhao Mingming was the Crown Princess, but as her friends, they all knew she was talented and ambitious.

Like-minded individuals agreed to take the national exam together.

Anyone who earned Zhao Mingming’s approval was naturally capable. At this time of a hundred schools of thought contending, they naturally wanted to make achievements in their careers. So upon receiving her invitation, they agreed after a brief consideration.

Those who needed leave took it, others resigned, some packed their bags, and everyone made their way towards Luoyang from all directions.

They met in Luoyang, and Zhao Mingming graciously presented them with a large house for their lodging.

Moving in with looks of astonishment, they asked, "How much does it cost to rent this house for a month? Two years apart, have you become this wealthy?"

Zhao Mingming didn’t mention it was one of her retreats and said, "I’ve been on the battlefield a few times, acquired some spoils of war, and always saved my salary. There’s enough for the rent, so live here without worry."

Only then did her friends remember to ask, "You’re already an Assistant General and clearly can advance through a military career. Why return to the capital to take the national exam?"

Zhao Mingming replied, "The Kouman Khanate has submitted, Great Hua is powerful, and there won’t be more wars in the short term. Advancing through military merits is impossible now. It can only be done through drills, improving armaments, competitive tests, or seniority, none of which I can afford to wait for."

Moreover, there’s reform going on in the military now.

After the new dynasty was established, wars broke out occasionally. Over ten years, fighting occurred off and on, recovering previously lost territories for Hua Country and extending the border.

To ensure the army could go on expeditions without worries and better settle disabled and retired veterans, Zhao Hanzhang placed many national workshops under the military’s name.

But in these years, due to the country’s strength, all ethnicities and regions lived harmoniously admiring power, leading to fewer conflicts, revealing various issues within the military.

Workshops originally for settling disabled and retired veterans had their benefits seized by military leaders and second-generation officers, leading Zhao Hanzhang to start reforms.

These were people who followed her mother through life and death. She could foresee the results of military reform. Although things could proceed, it would take time and effort, with results far less fruitful than civilian reforms.

She is currently in her prime with great ambitions; there’s no patience to slowly grind it out with them.

So she opted to start with civil reforms, and the reform plans previously discussed with Fan Lianyin and Zu Daosheng would begin implementation.

For five years, Zhao Hanzhang had already taken the lead, engaging in tax reform.

The poll tax was integrated into land rent and taxes, with the main tax paid in silver coins. The entire nation bustled for three years before finally stabilizing.

These past two years were for consolidation. Zhao Hanzhang was fixing leaks and omissions without introducing new reform projects.

Before returning to the capital, mother and daughter communicated that the reform plan to abolish the corvee would be handed over to Zhao Mingming to execute.

Since corvee is not only related to population but also to land and assets, this opportunity will be taken to verify the population and land again, continuing the new tax reform.

If Zhao Mingming can successfully accomplish this task, it will prove her capability to handle matters independently, allowing Zhao Hanzhang to consider granting her more authority;

If not, Zhao Hanzhang would still need to continue grooming her, cleaning up after her.

With the Crown Princess returning to the capital after her training, the court, initially lively, became overly active like water splattering in a hot oil pan.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at the flushed, brightly excited ministers, concerned about their health.

With such excitement, be wary of high blood pressure.

Upon returning to the capital, Zhao Mingming’s first task was being appointed the chief examiner for the talent-selection national exam and also holding the position of Vice Minister of Ministry of Revenue.

This granted her the authority to select officials, allowing her to choose the talents she favored from this national exam.

Zhao Mingming, for the past few years, had been contemplating how to select talents who could cooperate with her reforms, having long prepared the questions. Except for her, no one else knew them.

Oh, perhaps Fan Lianyin and Zu Daosheng, constantly by her side, might guess some of them, as they understood her intentions.

But neither of them could participate in this year’s national exam.

The pathfinders have fallen, so naturally, the advantage couldn’t be passed to their fellow cultivators. They silently watched as their friends entered the examination hall without knowledge.

After the national exam concluded, candidates leaving the examination hall bore faces of utter dejection, "Why was this year’s essay question so difficult?"

"Ruined, ruined, my entire exam sheet is ruined, was this exam indeed the Crown Princess’s doing?"

"Why are the questions set by young people so hard?"

"Perhaps it’s because of their youth, that they dare set such questions? Directly addressing Your Majesty’s new policies."

But since the Crown Princess dared to ask directly, they too had to dare to speak out directly.

If all their answers were favorable, it might lack originality and fail to stand out; if unfavorable, then they’d be opposing the emperor.

The best approach was to affirm the policies while identifying flaws or proposing continuation reforms.

But how many candidates held such insights?

Among the senior court officials, who wasn’t smarter? Who wasn’t more visionary?

Most candidates felt disheartened, believing they’d failed this time.

Yet some remained confident, feeling their answers hit the mark, having carefully observed the reforms over the past five years.

Indeed, the new policies were good, but issues always emerged during local implementation.

The Emperor residing in the Capital City might be unaware of the chaos beneath, possibly thinking the new policies were flawless, so now they could reveal the local status of these policies.

The previously calming court once more sparked liveliness due to the new policies.

After handling some affairs, Zhao Hanzhang joined in the excitement, casually picking up an exam sheet. Noticing the essay section was half empty, with the written portion mostly filled with flattering remarks, she glanced at other answers and, finding them decent, tossed it aside, then leafed through other sheets, asking, "Any good pieces?"

Zhao Mingming, delightfully scampering over, presented a few sheets, "Mother, have a look."

Zhao Hanzhang took them and began to read earnestly.

There were those subtly criticizing her new policies for burdening the people while spending excessively, and others that outright praised the policies and offered practical suggestions.

She reviewed them all diligently.

"Those criticizing me mentioned that to pay taxes in silver coins, commoners must sell their grains and fabrics to merchants to obtain silver. In some places, grain and fabric prices are heavily suppressed during harvest seasons, causing torment to the people regardless of harvest yields."

"It seems the court’s efforts to stabilize prices are inadequate," Zhao Hanzhang asked Zhao Mingming, "How should this issue be resolved?"

"Firstly, ordering local county governments to set minimum grain and fabric prices during harvest seasons, purchasing them to stabilize the market; secondly, increasing oversight and severely punishing unscrupulous merchants inflating or suppressing prices."

After pausing, Zhao Mingming added, "Your Majesty, I suggest forming an Imperial Censor Team to inspect the local granaries, ensuring they’re well-stocked, and auditing granary account books everywhere."

Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily upon hearing this, "To think of inspecting granaries shows your years of experience weren’t in vain."

Indeed, if there are issues stabilizing prices, the granaries must be checked; fixating solely on county governments is pointless.

If there’s no issue with the granary stocks and books, how could the commoners’ grains not fetch a fair price?

Local granaries undergo yearly renewal of old stocks.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Rumor has it that Fan Lianyin’s arithmetic surpasses her mother’s. She’s been idle at home since returning to the capital. Now that you’re Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, this matter should be entrusted to you."

With a smirk, Zhao Mingming lowered her head and responded, also requesting a position for another friend, "Your Majesty, there’s also Zu Daosheng. The censor inspections can be dangerous, unexpectedly encountering bandits."

Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes dimmed, nodding, "Very well, appoint Zu Daosheng as an Imperial Army Captain, ordering him to assist the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Censorate."

Fan Lianyin was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, assisting Zhao Mingming.

Fan Ying also joined Zhao Mingming’s team. For this inspection, several skilled Imperial Censors were dispatched to assist Zhao Mingming.