"That is not true, Your Majesty. Do not be prejudiced against commerce. Its influence should not be underestimated. In the long run, it is more worthwhile than war."

What does this mean?

"If people can buy cheap and delicious beef and mutton from Gandan, how many people would still be willing to buy the expensive and scarce meat from Dazhou?"

"rare!"

"What if this continues?"

"Fewer and fewer people will be raising cattle and sheep!"

"What if Gandan stops supplying us with cattle and sheep one day?"

"It will be difficult to adapt for a period of time."

"What if it were food, medicine, or even people?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan's expression turned serious. "They are indeed not to be underestimated!"

“That’s right,” Jiang Nuan stood up and slowly said, “The Great Zhou has countless good things. It’s very worthwhile to pick some exquisite but impractical items for trade.”

"That makes sense."

“However, there is a condition,” Jiang Nuan raised her index finger, “the road to the west is too treacherous and must be repaired, otherwise even if trade is opened, it will be difficult to load goods.”

"I will find a way to handle the passage," Ji Xuan nodded slightly, "I'll trouble you, Madam, to take care of the trade!"

"What?" Jiang Nuan turned around and asked incredulously, "You're going to entrust such a big task to me?"

"Madam's words are insightful; she must have a deep understanding of the matter. It's better to entrust this to you than to someone who doesn't know your capabilities."

Business dealings have always been considered shameful, and even if court officials have some knowledge of them, they are unlikely to be experts.

Jiang Nuan: ...

She's fine as a bystander, picking up scraps and getting by, but how could she possibly be fully responsible for something like this?

No matter how eloquently she speaks, it's all just talk. In terms of ability and experience, she can't compare to those officials who actually get things done.

"How about this?" Jiang Nuan thought for a moment and then said, "I'll write down all the precautions, and you can assign a trusted confidant to be in charge."

"Madam Jiang is unwilling?"

“It’s not appropriate,” Jiang Nuan explained sincerely. “This matter involves many aspects, such as taxes, regulations, goods, and prices… Only the imperial court can be responsible for it.”

Ji Xuan also understood this principle.

However, not daring to directly bypass Jiang Nuan and monopolize the benefits, they could only retreat in order to advance.

After hearing Jiang Nuan's words, he thought for a moment and then agreed, "Alright."

It sounds like a real shame, but I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The next day, after washing up, Ji Xuan immediately summoned the two Grand Secretaries.

Caught completely off guard, Grand Secretary An nearly fainted upon hearing that Ji Xuan had arrived at the manor. "Your Majesty, how could you come out?"

The Empress has no heir yet. If the Emperor were to have an accident while traveling, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty would be in danger.

"It's urgent," Ji Xuan said calmly. "How is An Qing's health?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This old minister is in good health."

An Ge Lao's tone was somewhat aggrieved.

Even though she kept telling herself that the Emperor was right and that it was for the good of the Great Zhou, she still felt extremely distressed when she thought about all the things she had been through.

That's good.

Ji Xuan was also somewhat embarrassed. If it weren't for the urgency of the matter, he really wouldn't want to see Grand Secretary An.

Regardless of the circumstances, he has dedicated so many years to the Great Zhou Dynasty, and even if he hasn't achieved great things, he has certainly put in a lot of hard work. Yet, he has forced himself into this difficult situation, so he is somewhat in the wrong.

"Your Majesty, is there anything you wish to instruct us to do upon your arrival?" Sensing the increasingly awkward atmosphere, Liu An quickly changed the subject.

“Hmm,” Ji Xuan nodded slightly, then said, “I want to open up trade with the Western Regions, and I want to discuss this matter with you.”

"Open up trade?" Liu An asked, puzzled. "Why open up this all of a sudden?"

“That’s right,” Elder An said, his eyes slightly narrowed and his voice slow. “What good things could such a small place have? Besides, the route to the Western Regions is particularly treacherous, making it difficult for goods to pass through. Even if trade were to be opened, the benefits would be limited.”

He had met those traveling merchants before, but they were all dressed in rags and smelled terrible, making them really unlikable.

“An Qing is right,” Ji Xuan rubbed his forehead, “That’s why I’m seeking your advice.”

If there were no difficulties at all, he would have already taken action; why would he have waited until now?

"Your Majesty, is the national treasury empty again?"

"The national treasury is indeed running out of money."

Upon hearing this, An and Liu exchanged a glance, utterly incredulous. "How is this possible?"

The wealth donated by the court officials, nearly three years' worth of tax revenue, was already insufficient in less than a month. Are you sure this is not a joke?

"For now, there is still some, however, I have many things to do, and the national treasury is not enough to support it."

Upon hearing this, the two breathed a sigh of relief.

“Your Majesty,” Grand Secretary An couldn’t help but advise, “you must be down-to-earth in everything you do and never try to achieve something overnight. It is good that you have ambitions and aspirations, but you cannot ignore reality.”

here we go again!

Ji Xuan sighed.

That's why he was in such a hurry to plunder silver.

No matter how good one's ideas are, if there isn't enough money, a group of people will try to stop them.

All they did was save money; they didn't even consider finding ways to make money.

Now that we've finally found a solution, all we get are all sorts of advice and suggestions, which is incredibly frustrating.

Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, Ji Xuan spoke calmly, "I intend to build a Great Wall in the Northwest to defend against the Gandan invasion. This is a move that will benefit the country and its people."

Deep down, Ji Xuan wanted to force Gandan back to the desert, but there was no hope.

It's already so difficult to just hold out, let alone attack directly to their lair.

Therefore, they had no choice but to settle for second best and build a Great Wall to defend themselves.

"That's true, but the national treasury is empty. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider your decision."

"Once trade routes are established, these concerns will disappear!"

“Your Majesty,” Liu An rolled his eyes and then suggested, “How about this, we slaughter these fat sheep from the aristocratic families? They have deep roots and have accumulated wealth for generations, so they must be rolling in money and have houses full of gold and jade.”

Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary An's face darkened.

Her cold eyes were fixed on Liu An, devoid of any emotion.

That brat is not worthy of being called a human being!

These words caused Ji Xuan's expression to falter slightly.

He had planned this for a long time, and had even chosen his target, just waiting for the right opportunity.

However, this is only a temporary solution and not a fundamental cure.

The fat sheep can only be slaughtered once, and the treasury still has no stable source of silver.

"Your Majesty," Grand Secretary An immediately advised upon seeing this, "this matter is extremely inappropriate and will seriously damage Your Majesty's reputation."

The reform of the imperial examination system only affected official careers. Although it was a painful but necessary process, it also allowed people to recuperate and wait for an opportunity to act.

By trying to win people over and sow discord, the impact might be minimized.

If the foundation of a powerful family is completely uprooted, it will be extremely difficult to restore it.

This is tantamount to the hatred of killing one's entire family and clan!

He was certain that if the Emperor really took this idea, he, An Qingyun, would definitely be put on the line.

"However, the national treasury is empty. Does Minister An have any solutions?"

“Then let’s open up trade routes,” Elder An said through gritted teeth. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. This matter is difficult, but it’s not impossible.”

If official roads could be built along the Shu Road, why couldn't trade roads be built along the westward route?

Even if it's tough, it's still better than being put on the hot seat!