Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 173 Reform

Chapter 173: Chapter 173 Reform

The peace negotiations have come to a standstill, with the entire court abuzz with discussions. The Beiman, having been defeated, are so arrogant in their attitude. Is this how they seek peace?

To seek peace, one must have an attitude of seeking peace.

With the clam wrestling with the snipe, the fisherman stands to gain. As the Beiman and Yanyang remain at a standstill, Sannan benefits instead. Although all officials despise Dugu Jing’s arrogance, they still hope for successful peace negotiations.

The noble families no longer wish for war.

Xie Xun, too, is stubborn. The Beiman want to kill Xie Jue and refuse to relent; he also insists, "You can roll back; we’ll continue fighting."

The two sides remain in a deadlock.

Lin Mansion.

Lin Hongyuan and Lin Hongcheng have come to seek Elder Lin, but he remains hands-off regarding the peace negotiations, entrusting the full authority to Xie Xun.

He is overseeing the spring plowing, hoping for favorable weather and a bountiful autumn harvest this year.

Moreover, spring is the season of frequent floods in Jiangnan; Elder Lin is focused solely on spring farming and Jiangnan disasters, paying little heed to the peace talks. In his view, the matter is simple: if the Beiman wish to negotiate peace, they must show sincerity. Killing Xie Jue is simply not possible.

If their army were at the gates, the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion would be willing to sacrifice themselves to protect the city’s people. But now that Yanyang has won, what grounds do the Beiman have to make such unreasonable demands? It’s merely the machinations of schemers.

Though the Marchioness has only Xie Xun as her biological son, Xie Zhang and Xie Jue were registered under her name at birth, and the Marchioness often brings the children to the Lin Residence.

Everyone at the Lin Residence treats the three sons of the Xie Family as equals, as if they were their own. Though Elder Lin favors Xie Xun, he still deeply cares for Xie Zhang and Xie Jue.

"Father, leaving the peace negotiations at an impasse isn’t a long-term solution. We need to break the deadlock; if Zhixu keeps acting so headstrong, how can we continue discussions?" Lin Hongcheng was getting anxious.

"How to break the deadlock—by killing Ting Feng to get them to agree to the talks?" Elder Lin calmly said as he read a memorial from Jiangnan, "Today, they propose killing Ting Feng; tomorrow, they could kill Shou Yu, and the day after, they might suggest killing Zhixu. That’s not how peace is negotiated. Even Zhixu is better than you in that regard."

"Father, that’s not what I intended," Lin Hongyuan defended, overwhelmed, "Peace talks need to progress somehow. Zhixu’s temper is too hot; maybe we should let someone else handle the negotiations."

"Who would you replace him with?" Elder Lin asked leisurely, tossing the memorial onto the desk.

The servants in the courtyard had been sent far away, leaving the yard utterly silent. Lin Hongyuan and Lin Hongcheng exchanged a glance before Lin Hongyuan said, "The main reason for the cabinet is peace. They don’t want to engage in conflicts anymore; the Crown Prince has a gentle temperament and is, after all, the heir. Let him handle the negotiations."

"Is this your opinion, or is it the Crown Prince’s?" Elder Lin inquired.

Lin Hongyuan didn’t answer directly but asked instead, "Father, did you know that the Marquis wants to reform the land system?"

Elder Lin chuckled, "It’s not just the land system he wants to reform. He also wants to abolish the military household system, promote agriculture, and suppress commerce. Why only mention reforming the land system?"

Yanyang underwent a land system reform decades ago. Back then, land was distributed among vassals, and buying and selling were not allowed. Later, the state recognized private land ownership and allowed buying and selling. However, due to war and famine, land gradually concentrated into the hands of the seven major families, resulting in land annexation. This led to farmers having fewer lands to cultivate, eventually becoming tenant farmers.

The Old Marquis Zhenbei had a strategist named Bai Feng whom he recommended to the emperor’s presence to carry out reforms, aiming to reform taxes and curb land annexation. The reform mainly focused on the land system, hoping to implement a one-household, one-farm system. By reforming taxes, they aimed to curb land annexation. Yanyang currently implements a head tax system.

The tax is collected monthly, and it’s burdensome. Many people cannot afford the heavy taxes.

The Old Marquis Zhenbei and Bai Feng, having traveled extensively, were highly dissatisfied with the land annexation in Yanyang and conceived of a taxation policy based on land property. Regardless of household registration, only land property mattered. Land was divided into dry fields, wet fields, superior land, inferior land, etc., with varying tax provisions, essentially taxing based on the wealth gap.

This policy challenged the interests of the nobility since most land in Yanyang was owned by the nobility, leading to Bai Feng’s downfall.

After Bai Feng’s death, when the Marquis Zhenbei wanted to continue pushing for reforms, the Beiman Army invaded, and the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion was exhausted from responding, leaving the matter unresolved. Later, Yanyang and Beiman were locked in bitter battles.

The late Emperor wanted to continue implementing the Old Marquis Zhenbei’s reform policies to weaken the power of the noble families but was burned to death in the deep palace.

After Yanyang negotiates peace with the Beiman, the Marquis Zhenbei will surely support Emperor Jianming in implementing tax and land reforms, thereby weakening the noble families’ control over imperial power.

Separating military power from imperial power is a grave taboo.

Currently, the three forces are in a tenuous balance, keeping each other in check. If broken, it would surely lead to a storm of slaughter.

The noble families will never watch idly as the Marquis Zhenbei pushes for tax and land reforms.

Lin Hongcheng said, "Father, if the Marquis pushes for reform, what will we do as a family—support or oppose?"

Elder Lin looked down, already in his seventies, yet dragging his frail body without stepping down. For what reason? Was it to resist the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion’s suppression of the noble families, or to pave the way for the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion’s reforms?

Lin Hongyuan and Lin Hongcheng once thought, Father is the Lin Family Patriarch, the head of the noble families, leading them with one call. The nobles have hollowed out imperial power not just overnight, maintaining decades of prosperity and stability. They hoped for a century of prosperity, for the family to thrive uninterrupted, disallowing anyone from touching their interests.

If the reforms succeed and imperial power flourishes, the noble families would become mere servants under the emperor’s mercy, subject to honor or disgrace on a whim. Thus, for decades, the noble families have blocked reforms.

Even went as far as... burning the late Emperor.

Whoever lit the fire, the fact remains that the noble families tacitly agreed and enforced it.

"You have already come to a decision, so why not share your thoughts?" Elder Lin remained calm, signaling Lin Hongcheng with his eyes to pour tea.

Lin Hongcheng rose to make tea, serving a cup of clear tea to his father and brother, filling the room with tea fragrance.

Lin Hongyuan said, "For decades, land reforms have always been bloody, touching not just one family’s interests. Father, the Li, Zhou, Fang, Cai, Zhang, Wang, Xie, Lin—all belong to noble families. Family ties have been continuously formed over the past century, and they act as allies, ensuring the continuation of family honor and disgrace. If the Marquis insists on going his own way, he will stand against the entire noble families. Though the Marquis has waged war for years, the noble families have never stabbed him in the back, preparing supplies for him as well. Ningzhou has people, has grain when needed. The noble families are of one heart with the Marquis; the Xie family is also a major family, and land reform will also weaken their control. Yet after defeating the Beiman, the Marquis wants to strike the noble families. Why do something so harmful without benefiting yourself?"

"Do you hold the same thought?" Elder Lin looked at Lin Hongcheng.

"Yes!" Lin Hongcheng sighed and said, "Mr. Zhang heard from somewhere that the Marquis intends to reform recently and found us, subtly asking what our Lin Family’s stance would be. Father, the Marquis has spent years on the border, unconcerned with state affairs. A decade ago, due to reform, the court was drenched in blood. Now, with peace on the borders, there’s no need for turmoil again."