The Empress nodded, but then sighed, "Although my imperial farms have vast fertile lands, they cannot compare to the entire Yun Yue Kingdom. If we can only promote the cultivation of new crops within the imperial farms, it would ultimately be a great pity."
"Are there no other methods?"
Chu Chen's expression turned serious, and he cupped his hands in advice, "The local gentry hold great power. Whoever seizes their land makes an enemy of them, which could lead to chaos across the realm, and Your Majesty might find it difficult to protect yourself."
"I believe this matter can be approached gradually and not rushed. I have my own methods to reclaim a large amount of land for Your Majesty within a year or two. I implore Your Majesty to be patient and grant me time."
The Empress's majestic eyes brightened slightly. She rose and asked eagerly, "Chu Chen, are you planning to assist me in enacting reforms?"
Chu Chen quickly shook his head, "Your Majesty, while the court appears powerful, aside from the border guards, there are only fifty thousand veteran soldiers outside Shuangyue City. Another fifty thousand were recruited last year, and their weapons and armor are not yet fully equipped."
"The three thousand imperial guards have only recently become familiar with each other. If we were to enact reforms now, how could we withstand the backlash from the opposition? Your Majesty must not entertain such thoughts."
The Empress's expression fell. She sat back on the dragon throne and said weakly, "Then what solution do you have?"
"Your Majesty, do you recall the soap and scented soap I invented?"
"Of course, I remember. These two items are now the greatest source of income for my inner treasury."
The Empress first nodded, then looked at him with confusion.
"Your Majesty, do you think the annual income from scented soap and soap, calculated by a prefecture or county, can compare to the annual income from farmland?"
Chu Chen asked with a knowing smile.
The Empress paused, then began to calculate.
Due to the climate and fertile soil of Yun Yue Kingdom, most crops could only be harvested once a year. Only the fertile lands near Chen Kingdom and Qi Kingdom could yield two harvests, allowing for spring and winter planting.
With one harvest per year, a typical local gentry with a thousand mu of land, planting mostly wheat, would yield about one and a half shi per mu. Considering tax exemptions for some meritorious individuals and a tax rate of two out of ten for others,
The gentry would earn approximately thirteen hundred shi of wheat annually. In terms of money, at the current market price of sixteen wen per dou, this would translate to 208,000 copper coins, or 208 taels of silver.
"The annual yield from the gentry's land is only worth a little over a hundred pieces of scented soap?"
The Empress exclaimed in shock upon reaching this conclusion.
"What?"
Princess Xin Yue had not yet grasped the implication.
Shuangyue City, as the capital of Yun Yue Kingdom, had a population of about 500,000 people, with approximately 100,000 households. If one percent of the wealthy could afford to buy a piece of scented soap each month, at a price of two taels, the revenue would be 10,000 taels, which is fifty times that of the gentry's earnings.
For a county with 20,000 people, opening a scented soap shop would earn about 400 taels, double the income from the gentry's land.
Although the income was only double that of a single gentry, scented soap shops had a faster return on investment and a shorter cycle.
In contrast, farmland yielded once a year and had a slow return.
The difference between fast and slow could lead to other benefits, such as reinvestment in expansion or consumption, or a stronger ability to withstand risks.
Having understood these points, the Empress looked at Chu Chen and asked, "I now realize the terrifying potential of the scented soap and soap you manage for me. But what is the connection to this matter?"
"Your Majesty, what if I told you that I could invent new commodities, similar to the high-priced, popular scented soap or the widely sold ordinary soap, and then use the profits from these to entice the gentry to exchange their money and land for opportunities to open factories? The government could then establish a merchant association to guarantee sales. What do you think?"
Chu Chen asked with a smile.
"Hiss~"
The Empress gasped. She had never imagined that the land annexed by the gentry, which could only be reclaimed through reform, could be recovered in such an indirect manner.
The Empress could already envision how this method would peacefully return the annexed land from the gentry to the court. The court could then grant it to farmers under other pretenses. With land to cultivate, the farmers would stabilize the grain output of Yun Yue Kingdom and, in turn, stabilize the nation's stability.
Furthermore, the gentry who entered commerce would revitalize the trade and commerce of Yun Yue Kingdom. With the addition of commercial taxes, within three years, the court would have both wealth and food, and would also win the hearts of both the farmers and the gentry.
This strategy was truly a plan that killed two birds with one stone, and then two more!
Compared to the risks of forcefully implementing reforms, such as national instability, the throne being unstable, and military expenditures, even a fool would know how to choose.
"In terms of governance, I am far inferior to Chu Chen!"
The Empress sighed inwardly, but her heart was filled with excitement and anticipation. She only allowed a hint of joy to appear on her face.
Princess Xin Yue, belatedly realizing the implications, grabbed Chu Chen's arm with her beautiful face full of delight, "Chu Chen, you truly live up to your reputation! To come up with such a brilliant plan!"
"This is wonderful! This way, those farmers can survive, and the court will have abundant income from money and grain!"
The Empress cast a slightly reproachful glance at Princess Xin Yue, feeling that her young daughter had stolen her lines.
She had no choice but to change her intended words and said with a smile, "Chu Chen, your plan is excellent. I agree to its implementation. But I wonder if you can invent new commodities comparable to scented soap and soap? How long will it take?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, I have many ideas for new commodities in my mind. I need to return and ponder them carefully. I ask Your Majesty to wait a few days."
Chu Chen could not say how long it would take, as he had no idea what to produce. He decisively employed the tactic of delaying.
"Indeed, such matters cannot be rushed and require careful planning."
Although eager to see the results, the Empress still held back and said with a gentle smile.
"In the meantime, shall I first promote the cultivation of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn on the imperial farms?"
The Empress asked again.
Chu Chen nodded and said, "Your Majesty, regarding the new crops produced on the imperial farms, please do not have people sell them in the market. We must strictly inspect every output to prevent them from reaching the market and falling into the hands of the gentry."
"This way, we can maintain secrecy and also use these as seeds for the farmers once they have land, shortening the time to restore grain production."
"I understand," the Empress nodded without any objection.
In terms of finances, there was still the income from scented soap and soap. Although Chu Chen was no longer managing it for her, the Shao Li Li family was still assisting. With an annual income of two million taels, the inner treasury was not lacking in funds. In fact, if it were not for subsidizing the court, the inner treasury would have a significant surplus.
Grain is the foundation of a nation. If it is controlled by foreign powers, one will be at their mercy. If a large amount of land is annexed by the gentry without paying taxes, the foundation of the nation will be unstable.
With the grain production issue, which arose from the appointment of the veteran official Chen Yuanliang as prime minister, now having a perfect solution, the Empress's mood improved considerably.
However, she then thought of another troublesome issue and could not help but ask, "Chu Chen, corruption is rampant among the officials in the court. Do you have any methods to resolve this?"
"Naturally, there are, and it is very simple," Chu Chen replied with a slight smile.