Capital City.
The Emperor looks at the document in his hand, with Chief Secretary Xie Changshen standing beside him.
Song Xian has been back in the Eight States for more than half a year, and news from the region keeps flowing into the Capital. The Central Secretariat just organized it properly and presented it to the Emperor.
"Prime Minister Xie, can you discern any hints?" the Emperor asked.
Xie Changshen bowed and said, "If calculated according to the submitted documents, this year the Eight States can remit over eighty percent of taxes, significantly more than the fifty percent agreed upon by Song Jiedu and Du Jiedu with the court earlier this year."
After returning to the Eight States, Song Xian focused on market matters, and during this period, he had five exchanges of goods with the Liao people, including furs, lamb, and even acquired stallions.
