The locomotive, emitting white smoke, steadily moved away, accelerating after leaving Qingzhou Station.
The common people, seeing this, rushed to follow the steam locomotive. In their mundane lives lacking entertainment, they didn’t want to miss this wondrous event. At least now, they had more to talk about after meals.
After the locomotive’s speed increased, Fei Ji’s old face flushed. He said, “I really should slap myself. At this rate, the steam locomotive’s speed can at least keep up with horses.”
“Not only that, it can outrun horses and doesn’t need rest like horses. The only thing needed is to set up water and coal supply stations along the way,” Princess Pingyang said with a smile.
This trial run was perfect. Everyone witnessed the steam locomotive accelerating, and during acceleration, the steam locomotive also pulled eight carriages. These carriages would be able to carry a lot of goods in the future.
Pang Yukun was also so happy he couldn’t close his mouth. However, amidst his joy, he also felt a pang for the national treasury’s silver. He said, “Your Majesty, this railway is truly a colossal project that burdens the people and wastes wealth. Just building this section of railway in Qingzhou Province cost the imperial treasury over three hundred thousand taels of silver. If all six prefectures were connected, it would require at least ten million taels of silver. I fear the imperial treasury is incapable.”
Fei Ji and Pang Yukun jointly managed the national treasury and were naturally well aware of this. The national treasury’s silver, besides being used for building railways, also had to be used in many other places: military expenses, education, official salaries, road construction in various prefectures and counties, and workshops to be established for the reforms. All of this made the national treasury stretched thin.
Princess Pingyang frowned. She said, “Your Majesty is happy now. Why do you two bring up such disheartening matters? As for silver, there’s always a way to find it. Now, the merchants in Qingzhou Province are all making a lot of money from their trade. It’s time they contributed something.”
After a pause, Princess Pingyang said to Xiao Ming, “Your Majesty, you are too polite to these merchants. In the past, which merchant didn’t pay annual tributes to the imperial court? But now, they pocket all the silver they earn and even contend with the imperial court for profit. This is unacceptable.”
In fact, like Princess Pingyang, many officials now had some opinions about merchants. After all, Qingzhou Province’s current policies were overly biased towards merchants.
With a light chuckle, Xiao Ming said, “Aunt, those words are incorrect. When the common people are rich, the nation is rich. When merchants are rich, the national treasury is sufficient. The silver in the national treasury now is all from selling steam engines, and that’s all the merchants’ money. Moreover, I have already instructed Li Kaiyuan to regularize commercial taxes and establish a specialized tax office, the Tax Bureau. From now on, they will be responsible for overseeing the collection of taxes from merchants and common people.”
Pang Yukun and Fei Ji immediately smiled upon hearing this. They were just about to bring up this matter, but Xiao Ming had already thought of it ahead of them.
Princess Pingyang nodded in satisfaction. She said, “Your Majesty is wise. Taxation is of paramount importance to the nation. Only with sufficient taxes can the imperial court afford officials, build cement roads and railways, and equip the army with firearms, thereby enabling the Great Yu Empire to defeat the surrounding barbarians and maintain a peaceful and prosperous era.”
“Aunt is absolutely right. I am preparing to reorganize the tax system next,” Xiao Ming mused. The collapse of the Ming Dynasty in contemporary times was largely due to its inability to collect taxes. Eventually, the state couldn’t even afford to support its army, leading to a situation where powerful families were rich, but the nation was poor.
Having learned this lesson, Xiao Ming naturally dared not emulate the Ming Dynasty’s over-indulgence of powerful families and merchants. Once the Tax Bureau was established, merchants would only be able to obtain travel permits for trade after paying their taxes and presenting their tax certificates.
Merchants who evaded or avoided taxes would not only lose their right to do business but also face punishment.
While the group was discussing finding silver to build railways, a sudden cry of surprise rang out not far away.
Xiao Ming and the others looked over and saw two Westerners, one old and one young, walking through the crowd towards them, but they were stopped by guards.
However, the older Westerner seemed very unwilling, continuously speaking to the guard.
“Zhao Long, go ask what’s happening,” Xiao Ming said.
Zhao Long responded and left. A short while later, he returned and reported, “Your Majesty, these two people say they are merchants from the West, and they want to enter Bowen Academy to study.”
“Nonsense! Bowen Academy is not a place they can enter!” Fei Ji was the first to speak. “These people from the surrounding areas always learn our Great Yu Empire’s crafts and then bite us back. They truly fear power but lack virtue. Your Majesty, you absolutely must not let them enter Bowen Academy.”
“I think it would be better to simply expel them from the Great Yu Empire. They are truly bold, daring to disturb the imperial carriage. Are they tired of living?” Princess Pingyang had always disliked people from these foreign lands.
When she was in Chang’an, sometimes Persians would come to Chang’an to trade, and Princess Pingyang would show her hostility towards these people even then.
Xiao Ming looked at the two. Bowen Academy naturally could not be open to them; otherwise, the academy’s knowledge would be learned by them, and the technological blockade would become empty talk.
Moreover, the behavior of these two further solidified his thoughts, because at this time, Europe’s pursuit of science and technology had reached a fever pitch; science had even become a belief for many.
Their reckless act of forcing their way in further confirmed this.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Expel these two from the Great Yu Empire. This is not Europe. In the Great Yu Empire, you must abide by the Great Yu Empire’s rules. This is also a warning to all Western merchants in Qingzhou Province.”
As he spoke, Xiao Ming considered whether he should also implement a visa system. Before these people entered the Great Yu Empire, he would ask about their purpose for coming. If he discovered impure motives, he would directly block them from entering the country.
After all, these Western vagrants entering the Great Yu Empire could cause considerable harm, whether by acting as spies or stealing technology.
Upon receiving Xiao Ming’s order, Zhao Long immediately had the guards expel the two from the Great Yu Empire. From this day forward, the technological blockade would be implemented step by step.
This interlude passed, and the train had already vanished from their sight, continuing northward.
Xiao Ming had intended to ride after it to see, but ultimately abandoned the idea. The locomotive’s success was proven the moment it left the station.
Now, he faced the problem of continuously extending this railway, which would require a huge amount of silver.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ming felt somewhat fortunate that he had established the Qingzhou Chamber of Commerce. In the current situation, besides taxing merchants, he also needed to strengthen state-led trade.
This Goryeo business, the Qingzhou Chamber of Commerce would certainly take the lion’s share, and the remaining profit could be distributed among the other merchants.
Developing private trade was important, but silver was also crucial for the imperial court. While commerce was still in its infancy, he could only rely on state-led trade to bring ample silver to the national treasury.
Only with ample silver could he solidify the foundation of the Great Yu Empire.