The Sage smiled without speaking; Empress Wang's influence was not that great, and the aristocratic families would not compromise easily.
Xiao Che was unconcerned. The fact that the Wang family could be destroyed proved that the aristocratic families were not untouchable; they could be dealt with one by one.
It wasn't until the next day in court that Yao Zhinian impeached the Cui family for cultivating mulberry trees on prime farmland in Jiangnan.
Compared to Xiao Che's shock, the Sage remained very calm.
If they did nothing, that would be abnormal.
"Your Majesty, the Cui family is planting mulberries on the best arable land, causing the people of Jiangnan to starve. Jiangnan is the granary of our Great Wei. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to unrest." Since Yao Zhinian had caught the Cui family's misdeed, he naturally wouldn't let it go.
Lu Zhongcheng naturally objected, "This is absurd. Our Great Wei's treasury is empty. Do you not know how much tax silver Qinghe pays to our Great Wei's treasury each year, Lord Yao? Did that silver fall from the sky?"
"It is true that Qinghe pays tax silver to the treasury, but was that paid by the Cui family? That is the support of all the people of Qinghe for our Great Wei dynasty, their allegiance to Your Majesty. The Cui family is merely a shameless group that steals the people's achievements. Now they are trying to undermine the foundation of our Great Wei, making the unsuspecting populace resent the court. The Cui family's intentions are punishable by death." Yao Zhinian was determined to bring down the aristocratic families this time. "According to my information, the Lu clan of Fanyang, the Li clan of Longxi, and the Zheng clan of Xingyang are all hoarding land on a large scale. It is currently the sowing season, and if it is delayed, the granary of our Great Wei will be ruined."
In the north, it was already the wheat sowing season. If the aristocratic families hoarded land and prevented farmers from sowing, it would mean delaying more than half a year's harvest.
Qin Daren, the Minister of Revenue, immediately retorted, "Your Majesty, the Cui family is having the people plant mulberries to raise silkworms. The silks from the Central Plains are highly sought after by foreign countries, and the profits are five times that of growing grain. The Imperial Secretariat had discussed this matter, and it was approved by the Imperial Secretariat, which is why large-scale mulberry cultivation is being carried out in Jiangnan this year."
Minister Qin looked at Prime Minister Mo; Prime Minister Mo had also agreed at the time.
Prime Minister Mo stroked his beard and remained silent. Gu Bohao, however, said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Secretariat did discuss this matter and agreed to it."
After Gu Bohao finished speaking, several more ministers immediately echoed his sentiments.
"Yes, this minister has also heard that Central Plains silk is popular with foreign countries, and one bolt of cloth is worth a thousand gold."
"This minister believes there is nothing wrong with replenishing the national treasury with this."
Yao Zhinian gave a look to a minister beside him, who immediately stepped forward and said, "Silk is indeed profitable, but if this money cannot buy grain, what will the people eat? What will the soldiers of our Great Wei eat? In the past, when Goujian destroyed Wu, one of his strategies was to offer roasted seeds as tribute, causing Wu to lose its grain and ruin its foundation. Such tragedies are common throughout history, Your Majesty. These villains have wolfish ambitions; they are trying to destroy our Great Wei!"
The Sage rubbed his thumb against his jade thumb ring, listening to the two factions of ministers argue fiercely without any intention of stopping them.
It was Xiao Che who was getting anxious. He looked at the Sage's expression, and the Sage gave him a look that said, "Be patient."
Just as it seemed they were about to come to blows, the Sage unhurriedly said, "Prime Minister Mo, how do you think this matter should be handled?"
Prime Minister Mo smiled and stepped forward, "Replying to Your Majesty, although our Great Wei is an agricultural nation, in recent years, in the coastal regions, especially in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in Fujian, due to geographical and climatic reasons, the people have been starving year after year by relying on farming. Many people have become bandits, and the government's suppression has been relentless, leading to severe intensification of conflicts. Later, when Governor Xu took office as the prefect of Zhangzhou, he saw that although Zhangzhou's land routes were difficult, its sea routes were clear. He then encouraged the people to engage in commerce. Our Great Wei's silks, teas, fabrics, and other goods were exported to various countries through maritime trade. The people of Fujian, driven by poverty, sought a way out and found a living. Now, the Jiangnan region is also affected. This minister believes this is a historical trend and a symbol of our Great Wei's openness and prosperity."
The Sage nodded. It was indeed true that Fujian had experienced many rebellions in the past, which had troubled the court. In recent years, there had been significant improvements.
Yao Zhinian was so angry he wanted to curse. What did this old man Mo mean? Didn't the Empress say he was on their side? Why was he still speaking for the aristocratic families?
Just as he could no longer restrain himself and was about to speak, Prime Minister Mo changed his tone, "However, the commerce of the people in Fujian is influenced by geography, and they have to do it to survive. But the Jiangnan region is known as the land of fish and rice, and Henan and Shandong are the main grain-producing provinces of our Great Wei. To abandon agriculture for commerce and waste good land is to damage the foundation of Great Wei."