Chapter 1180: Emerging Talent

When the light of fortune made Zi Xu feel a glimmer of hope, although hope often brings disappointment, it still allowed him to feel excitement for a short while. On the other hand, for Cao Cao, things were turning into a tragedy.

The Grand Court Assembly only convened once a year, so it tended to last a long time. As the most powerful force in the court, Cao Cao didn’t have much to say. Although Zhang Hong had shown goodwill toward him, which pleased him, he was also troubled by Liu Bei's growing strength.

"My lord has requested I present a report to His Majesty," Guan Yu said, standing tall and offering a slight nod in the direction of Emperor Liu Xie after he had reported on the grain and tax collections from Liu Bei's territory over the past year.

The amount of grain and taxes reported by Guan Yu was substantial, enough to make Liu Xie quite pleased. However, both Xun Yu and Zhang Hong could sense that some of the resources had been hidden. Liu Bei surely had more than what was reported.

Of course, Xun Yu and Zhang Hong left room for maneuvering when they presented their reports, making it difficult for others to detect any discrepancies. While Guan Yu’s numbers exceeded those from Xun Yu and Zhang Hong, they were not drastically higher than the expenses for military maintenance and education.

Since the numbers presented by Guan Yu had been personally verified by Chen Xi and Liu Ye, they were solid and flawless. Even if someone were to audit them, they wouldn't find any issues. However, great strategists sometimes rely on intuition and guesses to arrive at estimates that can’t be countered with hard data.

"Speak freely, if you have more to say. The Grand Court Assembly exists for open discourse and to determine the nation's direction for the coming year," said Liu Xie, showing a hint of imperial authority. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that Guan Yu, as an outsider, had made a request.

"My lord, troubled by the fact that the people of the empire have difficulty obtaining salt, wishes to provide salt at the same price as grain to benefit the people of the land," Guan Yu's deep and commanding voice echoed through the entire court, causing a moment of silence. Most of the prominent families had already received this news, leaving only Liu Xie in the dark.

Liu Xie furrowed his brows. He wasn’t sure if he should approve such a proposal. A hint of dissatisfaction crept into his heart; matters of such significance should have been discussed with him beforehand so that he could lead the initiative.

Sima Yi, always sharp-eyed, noticed Liu Xie’s frown and seized the moment to speak, "General, perhaps you have overlooked that the salt tax is one of the most important taxes of the Han Dynasty. If salt prices drop too low, how will the state fund its loyal and trustworthy soldiers?"

On the surface, Sima Yi’s words seemed to support Liu Xie, but upon hearing them, Cao Cao couldn't help but cast a glance at Sima Yi, recognizing his youth and insight, as well as his loyalty.

Cao Cao was well aware that anything Liu Bei aimed to accomplish must be thwarted, lest the gap between them widen. Lowering salt prices was a benefit that Liu Bei had secured with the prominent families, something that needed to be obstructed as much as possible.

However, Cao Cao didn’t directly oppose it. The reason was simple: he needed the support of the powerful families at this time. Moreover, while Liu Bei might gain some favor with the people through this move, it wasn’t of great importance in Cao Cao’s eyes. As long as the credit for lowering salt prices wasn’t attributed to Liu Bei, it wouldn’t matter much.

Cao Cao didn’t rely on salt taxes to maintain his army, so a reduction in salt prices would even make things easier for him. Therefore, his motivation to resist this policy wasn’t strong, especially since there was no need to antagonize the prominent families. He wasn’t as powerful as Chen Xi and Liu Bei, who could afford to go against them.

However, Cao Cao didn’t mind causing a bit of trouble for Liu Bei. Sima Yi’s words had given him some satisfaction. Even if they couldn’t stop the prominent families' promise to Chen Xi, they could still make things difficult for Liu Bei.

"You raise a valid point, yet salt is critical to the livelihood of the people, and lowering the price would indeed benefit them. As for the salt tax being a crucial state revenue..." Liu Xie hesitated for a moment, while Guan Yu remained calm and composed. Liu Ye had long prepared for such a response.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Dongting has already verified the accounts with my lord. Please review them," Guan Yu said, his expression unchanged. Liu Ye’s greatest talent lay in his ability to anticipate all possible responses and prepare the appropriate counters, especially when dealing with someone like Liu Xie, whose intellect was not particularly sharp.

Soon, a eunuch presented the prepared ledger to Liu Xie, who, after reviewing it, couldn’t hide his delight. The salt tax portion was surprisingly generous, making Liu Xie feel more favorable toward Liu Bei and Liu Ye.

Upon seeing the records, Liu Xie’s attitude toward Guan Yu improved, and he thought to himself that Liu Bei and Liu Ye were exemplary members of the imperial family. Though the report mentioned that Liu Bei’s territories in Qing, Xu, and Ji provinces required support and thus would not be paying taxes, Liu Xie didn’t mind. After all, these were personal fiefdoms of the nobility, and it was customary for the imperial family not to tax their own earnings.

Liu Bei’s clear distinction of his personal salt sales from the rest of the tax collection, while offering the rest to Liu Xie, made the emperor believe that Liu Bei was a loyal royal relative. Additionally, Liu Bei had handed over the salt distribution to merchant families, which only deepened Liu Xie’s satisfaction.

Of course, Liu Xie, who had been raised under the influence of women, had no idea about the intricacies of the situation. He was likely to find himself caught between warring tigers, with Cao Cao inadvertently becoming collateral damage.

"Uncle Liu is indeed a loyal and faithful man," Liu Xie exclaimed, holding onto the ledger with great satisfaction.

"My lord will be deeply grateful to hear such praise," Guan Yu replied stoically, secretly growing more impressed with Liu Ye’s meticulous preparations.

Afterward, Liu Xie glanced at Sima Yi. Feeling particularly pleased, he showed favor toward Sima Yi, who seemed only a year or two younger than himself. Smiling, Liu Xie asked, "To which family does the general belong?"

"Sima Yi of Henei greets Your Majesty," Sima Yi replied with a carefully crafted expression of fear and respect, bowing deeply. He had expected Liu Xie wouldn’t remember him, having been too inconspicuous before. But this time, it was enough to be noticed.

Liu Xie didn’t say much more, but the slight nod he gave made it clear that Sima Yi had left an impression.

"Master, be careful. With His Majesty’s temperament, he’s bound to try collecting the salt tax as written in that ledger. I bet the records are full of places where taxes can’t be collected," Chen Qun whispered to Cao Cao, whose face darkened to match the bottom of a pot, though his complexion was always quite dark.

"Don’t worry, Master. If His Majesty insists on collecting the tax, we can always send General Dong to handle it," Xun Yu’s calming voice added, easing some of Cao Cao’s tension.

[Chen Zichuan, do you have to calculate ten steps ahead for everything you do?] Cao Cao thought, sneering as he glanced at Guan Yu. But just as he was about to turn away, he noticed a dozen streaks of light appearing in the sky above. [What in the world is that?]

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