But then another problem arose: there were too many people selling off their properties at the same time, so these shops and such couldn't fetch a good price.

Some people gritted their teeth and sold it off at a low price.

Some people didn't sell; instead, they borrowed money from all over the place.

Since they couldn't borrow money from Lantian Money Shop, they had to borrow from other money shops.

They also require collateral.

Where would they get the money?

There are only two possible outcomes: either the original collateral becomes the property of Lantian Money House, or the family fortune is sold off at a significantly reduced price.

It was later discovered that the buyer after the price reduction was a merchant from the Qing Kingdom.

!!! !!! !

"So cunning!"

It's no use cursing people.

These are only a portion; the majority are opportunistic and cunning families.

They borrowed money from Lantian Money Shop and then lent it to others, earning the interest difference in the process.

Now that Lantian Money Exchange wants to collect debts, they are unwilling to pay out of their own pockets, so they are going to collect debts from others as well.

But how can we possibly collect all of that?

In the Yue Kingdom, numerous shops closed down, gardens were half-built, restaurants were half-renovated, and half of the barren mountains were reclaimed...

It seems as if overnight, the Yue Kingdom pressed the pause button.

When Xiao Yuanshuang received the message, she didn't take it seriously at all.

Now that she is the emperor, does she even need to pay attention to these kinds of private lending transactions?

Until Hengyue Money Shop secretly sent word that they were out of money.

"Where's the money?"

Xiao Yuanshuang knew all too well that the national treasury was depleted and the silver was all in the hands of the royal family and powerful clans.

Hengyue Bank was the private treasury of the Yue Kingdom. If Hengyue Bank ran out of money, it meant that the Yue Kingdom was truly broke.

She's about to ascend the throne, and you're telling me the national treasury is empty?

The official from the Ministry of Revenue knelt tremblingly on the ground. "Your Majesty, the expenses for the late emperor's mourning, repaying Hengyue Bank, and comforting the disaster-stricken people, all of these, when calculated..."

There are less than 100,000 taels of silver left in the account.

One hundred thousand taels!

One hundred thousand taels!

Is this even human language?

Xiao Yuanshuang's head was buzzing, and she urgently summoned the person in charge of Hengyue Money Exchange.

The person in charge, however, arrived with a thick stack of bills.

He knelt on the ground, his voice heavy, “Your Majesty, over the past thirty years, the court has borrowed a total of 1.15 billion taels from Hengyue Bank.”

"A total of 200 million taels were repaid. Even without interest, the imperial court still owes Hengyue Bank... 850 million taels."

"How can there be so many?!"

Xiao Yuanshuang felt that this number was like a mountain, making it hard for her to breathe.

However, she quickly adjusted her mindset, only panicking slightly.

She is now the Empress of Qing Kingdom and will absolutely not allow anyone to control her.

She stared straight at the kneeling official, her tone icy, "You mean, I have to pay back the money I owe you over the past thirty years now?"

The person in charge trembled slightly. "Your Majesty, what I mean is that Hengyue Money Exchange is also out of money..."

"This silver didn't appear out of thin air; it came from other aristocratic families and from the common people..."

It'll have to be changed sooner or later.

Xiao Yuanshuang told him to get out.

After leaving, the person in charge secretly wiped away sweat, realizing it was a risky move.

Lantian Money Exchange suddenly started collecting debts, which also affected Hengyue Money Exchange, which was also short of funds.

Moreover, he managed to get the money out of him in a few ways, and somehow it just disappeared.

When the national treasury is short of silver, it borrows from Hengyue Money Shop. Hengyue Money Shop could borrow from other aristocratic families before, and since the money eventually circulates through the national treasury, it earns interest, which is then distributed to the aristocratic families.

He wasn't flustered.

But now, even the powerful families don't have spare money.

Just when he was at his wit's end, someone from Blue Sky Money Exchange brought him a solution.

Sure enough, this method angered His Majesty, but he did not execute him, because the messenger said that if he were executed, there would be no one to take the blame.

So his life was saved.

So what's next?

Alas, the person in charge left the palace gates with a long sigh, "The Yue Kingdom... is doomed."

The depletion of funds in the national treasury and Hengyue Bank quickly impacted all aspects of the Yue Kingdom.

As the year draws to a close, officials across the country have been in arrears on their tribute for three months, and many officials have begun to petition. What exactly is going on?

The government had no choice but to sell off state assets to cover the deficit.

Of course, these assets eventually ended up in the hands of the Qing Kingdom.

This was just the beginning. The government had no money to buy grain, and merchants had no money to hire workers. The industries and shops that had suddenly withdrawn their investments were simply left idle.

The budget for Xiao Yuanshuang's coronation ceremony was repeatedly reduced and postponed.

With 100,000 taels of silver, she dared not do anything, and even took out her own private savings to subsidize it.

Individual efforts are insignificant compared to the power of a nation.

Even though she repeatedly cut back on expenses, she couldn't plug the hole.

She can't do anything with that little bit of money.

The strike started with some officials, then moved to river transport and grain/salt, and finally reached the army...

"Your Majesty, I request to resign," the Minister of Personnel was the first to give in, realizing that if he did not resign, his life would be in danger.

Those officials kept urging him on.

Then came the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War.

Looking at those resignation letters, Xiao Yuanshuang really couldn't understand where things went wrong.

She didn't owe the money herself, and she didn't empty Hengyue Bank herself. She also didn't force those powerful and wealthy families to take out loans.

And what about those farmers and workers, who are considered lowly people? Why can't they even overcome this little difficulty?

The Ministry of War also told them that with the fall of the Yun Kingdom, they must be on high alert against the Qing Kingdom.

As a result, due to military pay, they are now showing a strong tendency to occupy land and establish their own fiefdoms.

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