Chapter 267: Wealth Theory? Tax Fairness?
"Aren't you afraid that we will leave Xiangyang City and continue to fight against you like a fish in the sea?"

Ye Feng smiled and shook his head: "No."

"Because you are smart people and you won't do stupid things."

"If the emperor was right beside you, dying for the Han Dynasty, protecting his master, and leaving behind a name of loyalty that would last forever, you might still hesitate."

"After all, you can say that everything you do is for the Han Dynasty, the Emperor."

"It makes sense to endure humiliation, but the emperor is long gone, and few people believe in your so-called justice."

"And I'm giving you the choice to leave a name that will last forever. Would you refuse?"

Liu Bei and Cao Cao looked at each other and said with a wry smile: "You are so terrible."

“It captures human nature so accurately.”

"That's right. We are willing to take Yangzhou and Yizhou for you."

"In order to convince you, we can choose someone you designate."

Ye Feng laughed and waved his hand: "Don't employ people you doubt, and don't doubt people you employ. Since I trust you, I will naturally not interfere with your choice."

"Pick the right person and leave tonight."

"Go for it!!"

Liu Bei and Cao Cao looked at Ye Feng with complicated expressions, bowed for a while, and then turned and left.

After the two left, Kuai Yue at the side hesitated and said, "My lord, do you really want to let them leave?"

"These two people are very good at bewitching people, why bother..."

Kuai Liang didn't wait for his brother to finish his words and slapped him on the back of the head: "A king must have a heart that embraces the world and swallows up the universe. My lord is destined to sweep the world and create a prosperous era. How can you care about your opponents?"

"If they really want to resist, they will only end up dead. It will just take a little longer."

Xu Shu nodded: "Yes, these two are heroes, they won't go back on their words like villains. The most important thing is that as long as they contribute, Yizhou and Yangzhou can win without fighting, saving several major battles and many lives."

Ye Feng nodded: "You are all right. When the power is enough to achieve an overwhelming victory, some merciful measures are still necessary."

"At least the hundreds of thousands of people in the city won't have to die."

"Order the entire army to gather the surrendered soldiers, calm the people, and tell everyone that anyone who dares to take advantage of the situation will be killed without mercy."

"Here!!"

Just as everyone was about to leave, Ye Feng's voice rang out again: "Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, Xu Shu, the three of you stay. I have something else to tell you."

The three of them stopped and stayed in the main hall.

Not long after, everyone left. Ye Feng looked at the three people with interest: "You are all smart people, do you know why I kept you here?"

"But it doesn't matter!"

The three of them knew that this was a test from Ye Feng, and they all lowered their heads in thought.

After a while, Kuai Liang and Xu Shu said in unison: "My lord, you want to rectify Jingxiang."

After they finished talking, they looked at each other and smiled.

Ye Feng continued to smile and said, "Tell me in detail."

Kuai Liang humbly said, "Yuanzhi, you should speak first."

"If you hadn't pointed out a clear path for our Kuai family, I'm afraid we would have become prisoners right now."

Xu Shu did not refuse and said sternly: "My lord, you want to rectify the Jingxiang family."

Jingxiang family?

Kuai Yue felt a chill in his heart. Could it be that Ye Feng was going to attack them right after he took over Jingxiang?

Kuai Liang seemed to have known this for a long time, and sighed: "It's a strange dimension, don't let your imagination run wild."

Kuai Yue came back to his senses and nodded quickly. Ye Feng asked, "Does Yuan Zhi think it's appropriate?"

Xu Shu said solemnly: "The talent selection method implemented by the lord in Jizhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou is very fair, giving poor students a chance. I was born in a humble family, and I know how rare this opportunity is."

"And in order to implement this method throughout the country, the biggest obstacle to the implementation of this policy is the aristocratic families."

"Although many of the Jingxiang noble families have successfully stood up for themselves and helped the Kuai family welcome the lord into the city, their achievements are their merits and their mistakes are their faults."

"We cannot give them special privileges just because of their merits and change the original good policies."

"This is why the Lord left us here."

Ye Feng looked at Xu Shu approvingly: "Well said."

"Merit cannot be used as a weight to save one's life. It is very good to make a clear distinction."

"Zirou, Yidu, what do you two think?"

"But it doesn't matter. From now on, I will just laugh off everything you said today. If you want to convince me, you can speak now."

Kuai Yue had a lot to say, and was about to speak, but Kuai Liang spoke first: "We will follow whatever decision the lord makes."

"Perhaps we don't understand the reason for doing this in the short term, but from the moment we chose the lord, we shouldn't have any doubts."

"After all, your position is in the world and in the nation. A hundred years later, we are just the head of a family and don't have too many ideas at all."

"Since there is none, just follow the arrangements."

Ye Feng laughed: "It's good to protect yourself."

"But I prefer your rebellious look."

"I'm not Liu Biao, don't worry about whether I can listen to you."

"I'll feel more comfortable if I speak my mind."

Kuai Liang was stunned and remained silent for a long time: "My lord, not all noble families are short-sighted. There are also many with fine traditions who will take out their food in years of famine to save more people."

"Can you consider giving them some leniency?"

Ye Feng said: "I never said that I wanted to exterminate the aristocratic family. I just wanted them to know that not everything they have belongs to them."

"Your Kuai family has a lot of wealth. You think that this wealth is accumulated through the efforts of generations of family members."

"But in reality, if you don't have the protection of the country, and the Wuhuan and Xiongnu cavalry come to attack, your wealth will only become a death warrant."

"Do you still want to reason with them? Will these people listen?"

“So it is said that there is no home without a country.”

"Without a powerful country behind you, even living is a luxury for you, let alone enjoying life."

“Do you think there is a problem with handing over wealth to the country?”

Kuai Liang stood there in a daze, not saying a word for a long time.

Ye Feng continued, "Ordinary people still pay the harvest from their fields every year. Why do those who have more wealth not have to pay taxes, or pay so little tax?"

"Do you think it's fair?"

Kuai Yue at the side could not help but ask: "If the country takes away all the wealth, who will be willing to struggle and who will be willing to work hard?"

"Won't that mean we will all just sit there and eat up all the food?"

Ye Feng shook his head: "Taxation does not mean taking away all wealth, but collecting according to the amount of wealth. The rich get more, and the poor get less."

"Otherwise, what's the difference between us and robbers?"

Brothers Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously: "My lord has good intentions, how can we not understand?"

"After I go back, I will definitely"

(End of this chapter)