Chapter 5

Truly breathtaking, truly breathtaking!

Seeing the erudite scholars, the Left Chancellor Lin Yuyang and the Right Chancellor Yu Ziqi, being refuted one by one by a mere fourteen-year-old child, Emperor Da Wei secretly marveled, "My son is truly a prodigy!"

Zhao Yuansi couldn't help but turn his gaze to the Chancellor He Xiangxu. At this moment, how could the Emperor care about having these three chancellors help scold his mischievous son? He was more interested in seeing whether his extraordinary son could also refute He Xiangxu.

If even the old minister He Xiangxu were to be refuted, it would indeed be a remarkable tale!

Seeing the Emperor's slightly mischievous gaze, He Xiangxu inwardly sighed. He naturally understood that the Emperor was acting on a whim, purely wanting to see a good show, but how could he let the Emperor get his way in such matters?

The three chancellors of the prestigious Zhongshu Province being rendered speechless by a nearly fourteen-year-old prince, if this news spread, the faces of the chancellors in the Zhaoyang Hall would be utterly lost.

For the sake of the chancellors' dignity and his own old face, He Xiangxu did not want to suffer a setback.

He slowly walked up to the Eighth Prince Hongrun and carefully observed this Eighth Prince, whose words and actions were different from the other princes.

"Truly a lively prince..." He Xiangxu sighed inwardly, stroking his beard and smiling, "This old minister has lived for several decades and can hardly claim to have anything to teach the prince. Let me tell you a story."

"Please go on."

"Once, someone planted two saplings. One was diligently cared for, with weeds removed and branches pruned, eventually growing tall and strong, becoming a pillar for a grand hall. The other, due to lack of care, grew thin and twisted, and could only be used as firewood. ... Prince, do you wish to be a pillar or firewood?"

Emperor Da Wei Zhao Yuansi nodded in approval.

Unexpectedly, the Eighth Prince Hongrun tilted his head and looked at He Xiangxu for a while without answering. He then smiled and said, "Old minister, shall I tell you a story as well?"

"Prince, please go on." He Xiangxu was puzzled.

Hongrun thought for a moment and said, "Let me continue the old minister's story. ... The tall pillar was eventually transported to the palace and became a pillar of the grand hall. However, without the other pillars, it could not support the grand hall. In the following harsh winter, this pillar lay idle. Meanwhile, the twisted tree was cut down by the locals and used as firewood, allowing hundreds of people to survive the winter. ... Old minister, do you wish to be a pillar or firewood?"

"..." He Xiangxu opened his mouth but found no words to say.

What was originally a fine parable to advise the prince had been completely altered by Hongrun's few words. Especially, Hongrun pointed out a fact: a tall tree can indeed become a pillar, but a single pillar is not enough to build a grand hall. Without other pillars, it can only lie idle, useless. On the other hand, the twisted tree, though unremarkable, could provide warmth and cooking for hundreds of people during the harsh winter.

Which is truly higher and which is truly lower?

"Ha, it seems my old face cannot be saved today..." He Xiangxu sighed and shook his head.

Although everyone in the hall knew that the Eighth Prince Hongrun's arguments were twisted, the problem was that he presented them so convincingly that they seemed to have some truth.

At this moment, Emperor Da Wei Zhao Yuansi was truly moved. He had thought it was just a joke, but he never expected that his eighth son, Hongrun, had actually refuted the three erudite chancellors. Although he had used a trick, it was something even the Sixth Prince Hongzhao had never achieved.

"Ancestors of Da Wei, is this child's talent comparable to Hongzhao? Truly a thousand-mile horse!"

Zhao Yuansi was delighted and moved, but he did not show it on his face. After all, although Hongrun had refuted the three chancellors, it also fueled his mischievous and playful nature. This trend could not be encouraged.

Thinking of this, Zhao Yuansi coldly snorted and pretended to be indifferent, scolding, "All twisted logic! The three ministers kindly advised you, but you are being unreasonable and disrespectful!"

"Father, you should have said this beforehand. Now, it's not enough to convince your son..."

"Oh?" Zhao Yuansi laughed, stroking his chin with a strange expression, "If so, let me ask you a question. Will you dare to answer?"

Hongrun looked up at his father and laughed, "If even Father cannot refute me, will this eunuch Tong also come to trouble me?"

"What kind of talk is this?"

Although the people in the hall found it amusing, they did not dare to speak out. The old eunuch Tong Xian hurriedly waved his hands, "This old servant dares not."

At this moment, Zhao Yuansi frowned and said, "I will ask one last question. If you can answer it... well, I will not hold your truancy against you."

He originally wanted to say that if you can answer it, I will allow you to skip the palace school, but then he thought that Hongrun was very clever and might actually answer it, so he changed his words.

"Is that all? ... Alright, Father, ask away." Hongrun said with a sullen expression.

Emperor Da Wei thought for a moment and unexpectedly asked, "This morning in the Wende Hall, you proposed the four words 'prosperous people, strong nation.' Now, I ask you, how can we make the people prosperous?"

"Huh?"

The three chancellors looked at Emperor Da Wei in surprise, thinking, "Isn't this supposed to be a lesson for the mischievous prince? Why is it turning into a policy question? How can a mere fourteen-year-old child answer such a national strategy? The Emperor is clearly making it difficult for the Eighth Prince."

But what surprised them even more was that Hongrun answered without hesitation, "Promote commerce, reduce taxes."

In other words, support the development of private commerce and reduce taxes.

"..." The Right Chancellor Yu Ziqi was taken aback, as Hongrun's words aligned with his own thoughts.

"Indeed, he answered it..."

Emperor Da Wei's expression remained unchanged, as he had anticipated this and promptly changed his promise: "Taxes are the foundation of the nation, and cannot be reduced so easily. Let's talk about promoting commerce."

"What's there to talk about? It's just about encouraging the development of private commerce." Hongrun said casually.

At this point, the Right Chancellor Yu Ziqi couldn't help but speak up, "But, Prince, if we encourage the development of private commerce, it will inevitably harm the interests of the nobles..."

Hongrun turned to look at Yu Ziqi and said indifferently, "Among the people of Da Wei, the nobles only make up two or three out of ten, but they control seven or eight out of ten of the wealth. Taking one or two parts and returning them to the people, what's the big deal?"

Yu Ziqi's eyes lit up, feeling as if he had met a kindred spirit. A moment ago, he was dissatisfied with the prince's disrespectful remarks about the sages, but now he wished to have a long conversation with him.

His expression made He Xiangxu and Lin Yuyang exchange bitter smiles.

Fortunately, Emperor Da Wei Zhao Yuansi timely intervened, "Thinking this way doesn't mean the nobles of Da Wei will think the same. Even though I am the Emperor, if all the nobles are dissatisfied with me, it will be a headache. Currently, we cannot touch the interests of the nobles. Under such circumstances, how can we make the people prosperous? ... This is my question. If you can answer it, I will allow you to skip the palace school and make another promise to you. Otherwise, you must attend the palace school every day."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Ziqi, who had already developed a favorable impression of Hongrun, couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, this is a bit too harsh. The Eighth Prince, though lively, is still a fourteen-year-old child. Your question is something I, who have lived nearly forty years and read over a hundred books of sages, find difficult to answer. Why make it difficult for the prince?"

"Otherwise, how can he be made to attend the palace school? This Yu Ziqi..."

Emperor Da Wei looked at the chancellor with a mix of amusement and frustration, thinking, "At first, you deliberately made it difficult for my son, and now you are pleading for him. Which side are you on?"

Shaking his head, Zhao Yuansi ignored him and asked Hongrun, "Without touching the interests of the nobles, how can we make the people of Da Wei prosperous? Can you answer this?"

"This is simple." Hongrun said casually.

"This... is simple?!"

Whether it was Emperor Da Wei or the three chancellors, they were stunned by Hongrun's words.

The hall fell silent, and only Hongrun spoke without hesitation, "Let me give an example. Suppose the wealth of the nobles is the money in Father's left pocket, and the money the people of Da Wei have is the money in Father's right pocket. Father doesn't want to transfer the money from the left pocket to the right pocket, but still wants the right pocket to have more money. There is only one way."

"What way?" Zhao Yuansi asked, somewhat excited.

Hongrun looked at Emperor Da Wei and calmly said, "Take the money from others' pockets and put it into Father's right pocket!"

"Ridiculous!" Emperor Da Wei was disappointed and displeased, "Do you think I can plunder others' wealth?"

Before he finished speaking, Yu Ziqi urgently called out, "Your Majesty, wait!"

Emperor Da Wei looked at Yu Ziqi in surprise and saw that he was looking at Hongrun with excitement, asking, "Prince, do you mean to take action against other countries?"

Emperor Da Wei realized he had misunderstood.

Indeed, besides Da Wei, there were other countries in the world. If we could find a way to take the wealth of other countries, it would be a good way to make the people prosperous without touching the interests of the nobles. However, we couldn't just launch a military campaign, as that would make Da Wei a target for other countries, which would be more harmful than beneficial.

"How can it be implemented?" Yu Ziqi asked, representing the doubts of everyone in the hall. He didn't think Hongrun would suggest a direct military campaign.

"Trade! Through international trade!"

"Trade with other countries?" Yu Ziqi gradually calmed down, "In the past, Da Wei has traded with other countries... but there hasn't been much benefit."

"How did you do it?"

Yu Ziqi explained, "One year, the state of Wei was short of grain. Their ruler sent an envoy to Da Wei, requesting the Emperor to provide some grain. In return, Wei offered several fine horses, gold, jewels, and ten beautiful women..."

"Beautiful women?" Hongrun unexpectedly interrupted with a smile.

Yu Ziqi, caught off guard, instinctively said, "They were naturally sent to the palace..."

Realizing his mistake, he glanced at Emperor Da Wei, who seemed to have a dark cloud over his face.

"Prince, you've got me!"

Seeing Hongrun laugh heartlessly, Yu Ziqi felt like crying.