pricked him on the shoulder with a needle. The pain caused Li Chen to gasp."I deserve death, I deserve death!"The palace maid was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she immediately knelt dow...Chapter 1184: Tax Inspection

Upon hearing Su Zhen's words, Hu Shifan, who had always held great respect for him, immediately retorted: "General Su, your words are misguided. While there is indeed the risk of suspicion from vassal kings, what matters most right now is the six hundred thousand cavalry outside Yueya Pass. If the Liao army enters the pass, the entire world will be plunged into chaos, and those vassal kings will have no time to cause trouble."

"General Su has already seen King Ning's reaction. The old minister dares to say that if the Liao army enters the pass, those vassal kings will absolutely not send a single soldier, but will wait for the imperial court to charge ahead, exhaust their blood and sweat, and then come out to clean up the mess."

At that time, even if the Liao army was driven out, the court would be severely weakened and completely lose its deterrent power over the vassal kings. That situation would be exactly what the vassal kings desired most.

Upon hearing this, Su Zhen'ting let out a low hum and said, "This is akin to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs! General Hu's words are truly exaggerated. What if we fail to punish King Ning in the end and provoke rebellion from other vassal kings King Ning already has troops at his command and has always been defiant towards the court. If we force him into a corner, the responsibility will fall on you, General Hu. Can you bear it"

Hu Shifan was so angry that his beard bristled and his eyes bulged. He said, "You're afraid of responsibility for this, and you're afraid of responsibility for that. What good is it to do anything at all It would be better to just surrender!"

Su Zhenting laughed angrily and said, "General Hu, why are you so capricious at your age When did I ever say that I was afraid of responsibility, or that I would surrender without a fight It's just that the current situation is special and difficult. We need to find a completely foolproof solution. As General Hu said, the risks are simply too great."

Hu Shifan gritted his teeth and said loudly, "Precisely because the situation is special and difficult, we must use extraordinary measures for this extraordinary time. If the situation were not so special and difficult, why would the court have to look at King Ning's face"

"General Su's words seem reasonable, but they are actually nonsense. If there is a foolproof plan, please tell us your savior's remedy, old minister will definitely listen with rapt attention!"

Seeing the two of them raising their voices, getting ready to fight, Li Chen said with a wry smile, "Alright, alright. You both are my left and right arms. Together you're over a hundred years old. Why fuss over such a small matter"

Su Zhen and Hu Shifan also reacted at this time, realizing that arguing in the East Palace was indeed inappropriate. They sheepishly raised their hands and said, "Old minister has lost composure, please punish us, Your Highness."

Waving his hand, Li Chen said, "You are all offering advice to the court for the good of the empire. How could I possibly punish you"

"In fact, General Hu's words are not without reason."

Li Chen's words made Su Zhen Ting's face change drastically, and Hu Shi Fan's face lit up with joy.

Li Chen raised his hand, signaling them to be quiet. He smiled and said, "Of course, we need to have means, but how to use those means matters. We must definitely not directly issue an edict to reclaim the tax rights. Firstly, it goes against legal principles, and secondly, it violates ancestral rules."

"This palace doesn't collect taxes, but sending people down to check them shouldn't be a problem, right"

Li Chen spread his hands and said with a smile, "Even within the territory of a vassal king, the vassal king enjoys tax rights. But it is clearly stated that he only temporarily borrows the land for use by the king. If the imperial court wants to check taxes throughout the land, then the vassal king's territory is also royal land, and no one can say otherwise."

Su Zhen'ing and Hu Shifan looked at each other, both acknowledging this compromise.

"Your Highness, this plan is excellent. However, how will we collect this tax And who will be in charge of it Choosing the right person is crucial. If they are incompetent, their efforts will be wasted. But if they are too capable, there's a risk they might disappear. We need someone strong, with sharp eyes and the ability to navigate social circles." Su Zhen Ting spoke.rince, even an ordinary person with a little self-respect would find it unbearable.He lowered his head slightly, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks.It was as if every minister and official, civil and...