Chapter 79: State-Owned Enterprise

On this day, Liu Ying found an opportunity to go out and buy things for Mei Ling’er. As she walked along the street, she was suddenly tripped by someone. The person quickly caught her, saying, “Oh dear, I’m so sorry, miss, are you alright?” Liu Ying waved her hand dismissively. “I’m fine,” she replied.

Someone nearby chimed in, “You’ve hurt the young lady, shouldn’t you take her to see a doctor?” The person hastily agreed, “Yes, yes, I should take her to see a doctor.” Liu Ying was still confused, insisting, “There’s no need, I’m alright, I can walk.” But the two were so enthusiastic that, before she knew it, they had whisked her away, with no one around noticing anything amiss.

They led Liu Ying into a medical clinic, took her straight to the back hall, shut the main door, and their expressions immediately changed.

“Liu Ying, you’ve been in the Crown Prince’s residence for a month, and yet there’s been no sign of progress?”
“Yes, not even a chance to poison him?”
“Have you seduced Chen Mu? I don’t see any evidence that you have.”

The two spoke in turn, and Liu Ying finally understood.

“You’re from the Yintang Organization?” she asked.

“Of course! Have you forgotten what you promised the Left Protector?” one of them replied.

Another said, “Who gave you money, treated your illness, and advised you to go accuse Chen Mu?”

A third added, “It was the Left Protector who told you that Chen Mu, a man hungry for fame, would surely help you seek revenge.”

The other continued, “Exactly. After your Liu family’s matter was resolved, did you forget the Left Protector’s kindness?”

Liu Ying hung her head, biting her lip, before finally saying, “But the Chen Mu I’ve seen isn’t like that. He treats the servants in his residence very well, and everyone says he’s done much for the country and the people…”

A member of the Yintang Organization interrupted, “What are you saying? Are you doubting the Left Protector?”

Liu Ying felt aggrieved, pondering how to argue back. Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open.

A dozen black-clad men surrounded the three. Chen Mu strode in through the doorway.

“Yintang Organization, so it really is you.”

These men were all shadow guards. Chen Mu had received word from the Hemp Robe Guards and came at once, bringing only the most reliable shadow guards for the task. The Hemp Robe Guards were responsible for secret investigations; Chen Mu would not let them appear openly.

Hearing Chen Mu expose the Yintang Organization and realizing they were surrounded by so many experts, the two men did not hesitate. They pulled something from their robes and tried to swallow it.

Chen Mu reacted instantly, recognizing their intention to commit suicide by poison.

“Seize them!”

At his command, the shadow guards moved forward, swords in hand, to subdue the pair. Unfortunately, they were a moment too slow; one succeeded in taking the poison and died instantly. The other had his arm slashed, and the poison fell to the ground.

Chen Mu ordered, “Take him back for interrogation. Investigate this clinic thoroughly.”

The Yintang Organization would never choose a clinic at random; this place was almost certainly under their control.

A few shadow guards took the man away; the rest spread out to search the clinic.

Chen Mu approached Liu Ying and spoke softly, “Are you alright? I heard you’d been abducted, so I came with my men.”

Liu Ying’s gaze flickered. “I—I’m fine.”

Chen Mu nodded. “Good. Come home with me.”

At those words, Liu Ying trembled inwardly.

Home? Since her parents died, no one had ever spoken that word to her. Yet today, Chen Mu—the very man she once tried to poison—had said it to her.

Her mind was in turmoil; she didn’t know whether she should reveal the truth. If she kept silent, Chen Mu’s investigation would suffer. If she confessed and Chen Mu turned hostile, she would lose the last warmth she had.

While she hesitated, Chen Mu had already turned to leave.

Seeing Liu Ying hadn't moved, Chen Mu beckoned, “Come on, let the shadow guards handle this.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Looking at Chen Mu’s smile, Liu Ying made up her mind. Perhaps she would speak the truth, perhaps she wouldn’t. But from today onward, she would truly begin to repay Chen Mu.

…

The next day at court, Chen Mu put forth a proposal.

He would establish state-operated enterprises in Great Xia.

The concept was far ahead of its time; no one understood it, not even Chen Xing Tian.

Chen Mu explained that, strictly speaking, Great Xia already had state-run entities—military equipment and salt were state-controlled.

Since Chen Mu had reformed the private armies, weapons and armor could no longer be manufactured privately; doing so was illegal.

Salt had long been a state monopoly; private trading or mining was forbidden.

However, these were not profit-making ventures. Weapons and armor were produced for the military and not for sale.

Salt was cheap and brought little revenue.

Yet what Chen Mu proposed was all-encompassing. Many foods and goods he had invented would be manufactured by state-operated units, ensuring authenticity and preserving culture. Such things might be lost or distorted among the people, but state enterprises had the original recipes and could protect them well.

Tributes from foreign lands would also be produced by state enterprises and sold to the public, increasing the national treasury.

Food and goods could be imitated by the populace, but foreign tributes should not circulate among commoners. If imitations appeared, it likely meant they had leaked out.

This would ensure these tributes could be sold at high prices.

After hearing the proposal, Chen Xing Tian felt it could enrich the treasury and was about to agree.

At that moment, someone spoke up in opposition.

“Your Majesty, I believe the Crown Prince’s proposal is flawed.”

Chen Xing Tian saw it was Sui Qing, the minister in charge of taxation.

“Oh? Minister Sui, this proposal would increase tax revenue. Why do you, as the tax minister, object?”

Sui Qing replied, “Your Majesty, precisely because I oversee taxes, I see its flaws.”

“Imagine, Your Majesty, if such state enterprises are established, they will have government support and inevitably grow larger, impacting private merchants of similar goods.”

“As a result, those merchants would shift to other occupations. So while it seems taxes will increase, in reality, it’s robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

“It would not increase overall tax revenue, but instead burden the people and waste the court’s manpower.”

Chen Xing Tian frowned; Sui Qing’s reasoning was not without merit, and he could not immediately think how to refute it.

Just then, Chen Mu smiled. “Minister Sui, you are mistaken!”

“Great Xia is vast, and for quality assurance, state enterprises would only be established near the capital, under my personal guidance.”