The room was a lounge, complete with a bed, a large sofa, and a recliner. Outside the window lay a boundless lake, a cool breeze sweeping across its surface and entering through the window, rustling the nightgowns of the two women.
Isabelle and Cen Yemeng were wearing identical nightgowns, a pale yellow adorned with small white flowers. The fabric looked comfortable and smooth. Cen Yemeng sat by the window, while Isabelle lay on the sofa, eating fruit.
In comparison, it was evident that despite Isabelle’s good figure, her proportions and skin quality were far inferior to Cen Yemeng’s. Moreover, Isabelle had recently gained weight, at least twenty pounds more than before. Her thighs were now plump, and she even had a slight belly. Was her period of weight gain upon her, soon to transform her into a matron with a waist ten spans thick?
“Hubby, hug!” Cen Yemeng reached out.
Jiang Ye sat beside her and held her tightly.
Isabelle glared at the couple, then dismissively turned her head, biting into an apple with a crunch, finishing it in a few bites.
“Disgusting!” Isabelle muttered under her breath.
Cen Yemeng and Jiang Ye indulged in their affection for a while, seemingly oblivious to others. She then activated the holographic projection screen and continued to handle official business.
Jiang Ye watched silently from the side.
Cen Yemeng was processing requests submitted by the prefects of various counties.
Jiang Ye remained silent throughout. He had decided not to interfere with his wife’s endeavors under normal circumstances, wanting to see what the Exile Star could become.
Isabelle didn’t stay on the sofa for long either. After eating a few fruits, her phone began to ring. For the next few hours, Isabelle also quietly handled official business.
Jiang Ye glanced at the content Isabelle was processing. It pertained to logistics construction and numerous internal military affairs, such as personnel changes, equipment procurement, and the progress of new weapon research. After all, she was the Commander-in-Chief, with a different division of labor than Cen Yemeng.
It wasn’t until half past midnight that Cen Yemeng finally finished approving all the documents.
“Time for bed?” Jiang Ye yawned.
“Not sleeping.” Cen Yemeng’s eyes were still bright. “My schedule is to wake up at two in the afternoon and sleep at eight in the morning, sleeping six hours a day.”
“Me too.” Isabelle grabbed another apple and crunched on it. “It’s really strange, I wasn’t on this kind of bizarre schedule originally. After living with Mengmeng for so long, we’ve gradually synchronized.”
“I’m not too sleepy either, so let’s chat.” Jiang Ye said, “You’ve carried out many significant reforms on the Exile Star. I want to know the content and effects, to learn from you two teachers.”
“The three biggest ones, Old Yi should have told you about them,” Cen Yemeng said, counting on her fingers. “Establishing the Six Ministries, the small county system, and implementing taxation.”
“She only mentioned it briefly, didn’t elaborate,” Jiang Ye replied. “I’d like to hear the details, starting with taxation.”
“There are many types of taxes, set by referencing the tax structures of nearby planets,” Cen Yemeng explained. “However, adjustments have been made for different income groups. The wealthier pay more taxes, while ordinary citizens do not have to pay direct taxes.”
“Like you,” Isabelle said, looking at Jiang Ye. “If you were to get residency on the Exile Star, you’d have to pay tens of trillions in taxes annually. Want to consider immigrating? We offer free medical care, free education for children, and free utilities.”
“Tens of trillions? You can eat me then! Where would I get that much money?” Jiang Ye exclaimed. “If I had tens of trillions to pay taxes, would I still care about that little bit for utilities?”
“Ah? You don’t have money? Is all your money managed by your wife?” Isabelle paused her apple-eating.
“How could that be? This isn’t child’s play. So much money is managed by dedicated personnel,” Cen Yemeng explained. “Jiang Ye’s finances are somewhat ambiguous. The vast majority is invested in Jiang Ye Star and Birong Star, but he can access it if he wants to spend it.”
“There are consumption taxes too, right?” Jiang Ye asked.
“Of course. The worse the item, the higher the tax. For betel nuts, tobacco, and alcohol, the tax can be as high as eighty percent. For a hundred yuan for a pack of cigarettes, eighty yuan becomes tax revenue deposited into the military account. The proportion varies with the price of goods. Taxes on cheap goods for the poor are controlled below eight percent. Luxury brands, fine wines, yachts, and similar items can have double the tax. For example, a bottle of Diamond Daughter Red, with an actual value of twenty thousand, would cost sixty thousand after tax.” Cen Yemeng continued, “Some necessities have only a symbolic tax, such as infant formula, life-saving drugs, and student textbooks, with taxes around zero point one percent.”
“This is really taking the ‘rob the rich to help the poor’ principle to the extreme, but there’s one issue,” Jiang Ye said. “If you impose excessively high taxes on the rich, won’t that encourage them to immigrate to other planets, taking the Exile Star’s wealth with them?”
“That is a concern. We will think about subsequent measures later. If the situation you described occurs on a large scale, we may indeed have to adjust,” Cen Yemeng said. “But optimistically, the logistics system invested in by the Galactic Empire military is nearing completion. Several sections have already begun operations, processing over a hundred alien spaceships daily. Enormous profits! In the future, the revenue from logistics alone will be enough to support the treasury.”
“Enviable,” Jiang Ye nodded.
He wasn’t speaking jokingly; he was genuinely envious.
Jiang Ye Star was left to its own devices, relying solely on its own development. The Exile Star, however, started with massive investment and military support. Some planets are truly born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
“The Six Ministries are actually quite simple,” Cen Yemeng continued. “The Ministry of Personnel handles officials outside the military, personnel changes, salary adjustments, integrity oversight, and so on. The Ministry of Finance manages alien immigration, population statistics, livelihood, welfare measures, poverty alleviation, and other matters related to the common people. The Ministry of Rites covers education and diplomacy, internally disseminates authoritative information, transmits news, relays public opinion upwards, and policies downwards, while also managing schools and research institutions. The Ministry of War needs no explanation. The Ministry of Justice handles legal regulations, and the police force is also included within the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Works oversees land, urban construction, and large-scale projects.”
“The person who brought me here just now was the Minister of War, Huang Bingyan,” Jiang Ye looked at Isabelle. “Isn’t there a ready-made Commander-in-Chief right here? Why aren’t you, Old Yi, the Minister of War?”
“That would disrupt the hierarchy,” Isabelle smiled. “Mengmeng and I are equals, the highest leaders of planets with records in the Galactic Empire. If I were to serve as Minister of War, I would become Mengmeng’s subordinate. Although in reality I am Mengmeng’s subordinate, it cannot be done procedurally. It’s like an old minister manipulating a puppet young emperor in ancient times; everyone knows the real power lies with the old minister, but the young emperor must exist. Aren’t you and Mengmeng in the same situation? She is your puppet young emperor.”
“Idiot.” Cen Yemeng reached out and lightly hit her husband. “What’s wrong? Have you become stupid automatically after being away from me for too long? Come see me often in the future; a hug will recharge your intelligence.”
Jiang Ye had no retort; his brain had indeed short-circuited. He shouldn’t have asked such a foolish question.
Of course, it certainly wasn’t that he was genuinely stupid, just that he was tired and his mind was not clear. Yes, it must be that.
“Besides these major changes, we are also preparing to implement a series of minor measures,” Cen Yemeng said. “These minor measures might be very effective. Hubby, let me tell you about them, and you can give your opinions.”
“Alright,” Jiang Ye nodded.