The sage spoke with absolute certainty, and with the blood-written tablet before him, no one could utter a word of rebuttal at this moment. All that remained was a roar that could be heard even from the nearby Taihua Palace.
"Your Majesty is wise and enlightened! Long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!"
In fact, Miao Wan has never quite understood. When facing the enemy, isn't it normal to fight back when you have the ability?
She didn't understand why these powerful people were so cowardly.
But Qiao Ruichen knew that Dayue's civil and military officials and royal relatives were not without blood, and many of them supported going to war with Xifan, but they were all in Taihua Palace.
Now in the Taiji Hall, the clan members only care about keeping their own fiefdoms safe and don't want them to spend money or manpower. They don't actually care whether a war breaks out or not.
As for the rest of the people, most of them were from the Regent's lineage. Since the Regent did not want to start a war, it was natural that the people in the hall were a bunch of spineless people.
This also indirectly reflects the saint's helplessness. There are still too few officials from humble backgrounds and neutral parties who can lead the three provinces and six ministries.
The more this happens, the more the saint wants to get the regent out as soon as possible.
Otherwise, if the regent is given the opportunity to cause chaos, the country may be destroyed in the hands of this emperor due to internal and external troubles.
After the banquet officially began, Miao Wan quietly asked, "Husband, when was the blood stele book made?"
Qiao Ruichen whispered to her, "That's when you start a nationwide challenge in all three places."
Miao Wan snorted softly, "No wonder General Cheng came to me every day crying poor during that time. His field service score has increased significantly."
Qiao Ruichen raised the corners of his lips slightly, and held Miao Wan's small hand on the table, "General Cheng is not as good as me, he married a good wife."
Miao Wan had achieved most of her goals when she returned to Beijing this time, and she was in a particularly good mood. She gave Qiao Ruichen a look that said, "You have really good taste."
While the couple was exchanging glances, the palace servants behind them presented dishes and soup.
Although the dishes at the New Year's Eve palace banquet were not very hot, they still looked good.
Moreover, the imperial kitchen probably knew that everyone couldn't have hot meals, so they specially prepared soup in small clay pots so that everyone wouldn't have to clink glasses with empty stomachs.
After talking so much, Miao Wan felt a little thirsty and wanted to drink some soup.
Qiao Ruichen is similar.
However, before Qiao Ruichen picked up the spoon, he paused to allow Miao Wan to take out a small square piece of paper from her sleeve pocket.
Before entering the palace for the banquet, Miao Wan specifically reminded him that she would not underestimate any plots of palace fighting or domestic fighting that appeared in novels.
Even though the novel is exaggerated, what can I say, ahem, for someone as afraid of death as Miao Shiren, she would rather be prepared and have more tools.
You have to be on guard against things like food that is mutually reinforcing or counteracting, colorless and odorless poisons, laxatives that make people look bad, aphrodisiacs that ruin a person's reputation, and even allergens that may ruin a person's appearance.
At first, Miao Wan was worried about how to defend herself, so she specifically asked Jiao Niang if there was any universal antidote pill.
Jiao Niang rolled her eyes at her and said, "Do you think I'm a fairy? If I were a fairy, I would have gone to heaven long ago. Why would I still be keeping those little bastards here?"
Miao Wan was so criticized that she couldn't say anything in rebuttal. She could only touch her nose and smile. Well, you can believe in novels, but you can't believe them completely.
In the end, Gu Shuyao gave her strong support with science. Any toxic substance, even if it is colorless and odorless, is mostly acidic, including but not limited to certain poisons.
Therefore, Gu Shuyao used the oldest method of poison detection and prepared a lot of chemical test papers for her. They were not cheap, but they worked well.
Most poisons will react to this test paper to some extent, and the rest should be able to be dealt with by silver needles and detoxification pills.
Miao Wan held a spoon close to the test paper, and as soon as a corner of the test paper got wet, she let out a "huh" sound.
"This soup... is really filling." Miao Wan sighed a little.
The pure white test paper turned into an orange-yellow color as soon as it was wet. It was too yellow, so yellow that no one would believe it if I said it was fine. It made me nervous. This was mushroom soup, so it should be slightly acidic and at most green.
Qiao Ruichen also knew what the reaction of the test paper meant. Although he didn't understand the principle, he was clear about one thing: there was something wrong with the soup.
He held Miao Wan's hand tightly and immediately looked up at Sun Cheng.
Sun Cheng nodded at him calmly. It was not just the soup. From beginning to end, the Saint and Concubine Jin did not eat anything, only drank wine.
The wine he drank, from the wine jar to the liquid, was all taken out from his private storehouse, and only Sun Cheng could enter his private storehouse.
The steward in charge of the imperial kitchen and the palace servants who served the meals at the palace banquet all knew the suspects, and Sun Cheng was not in a hurry to find anyone. After all, the suspects were people from the lineage of the Regent and the Concubine Xian.
They can't escape. The most that can happen to them is suicide. If they are caught, nothing can be learned from them.
Qiao Ruichen and Miao Wan didn't care about these things. The couple had eaten before they came, so they were not hungry at the moment. They were just waiting for the palace banquet to end so that they could go home and stay up until the New Year.
After welcoming the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, they will return to the northwest. Since they are going to fight, many things need to be prepared, and Qiao Ruichen has no time to stay in the capital.
As for Miao Wan, she had no obsession with the capital. She just wanted to clean up the Jingyang Marquis's mansion on the second day of the New Year when she returned to her parents' home. She had no plans to stay there for a long time.
There are artistic ways to slap someone in the face, and there are also rough ways. Miao Shiren...is not picky.
However, the palace banquet did not end as the couple wished and ended so quickly.
The Regent had no intention of giving up. He could not hand over his military power. If he wanted to go to the Zhennan Army... he would need money and supplies to support the army.
Where did it come from? Of course, it came from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War.
If the fighting breaks out in the northwest first, it is reasonable to focus on the Gubei Army.
The Regent was prepared to fight this battle, but he did not intend to let the Gubei Army win easily.
He winked at the Minister of the Chancellery.
The Minister of the Chancellery stood up immediately and said, "Your Majesty, in a battle with the Western Regions, the Southern and Northern Guard Armies must be wary of foreign invasions. This will put a strain on military pay and supplies. As you know, the national treasury is not well-off, and I'm afraid it won't be able to sustain the Northern Guard Army in a prolonged battle with the Western Regions."
With the potatoes, essential oils, and beet sugar production methods provided by Miao Wanjin, the sage's private treasury was actually already very full, which was also the basis for his strong advocacy of conquest.
The reason why these things were not put into the national treasury was naturally because he knew that the Secretariat was just the regent's warehouse.
So at this moment, the sage asked calmly, "What does Prime Minister Yu want to say?"
Shangshu Ling Yu Wencheng glanced back at Qiao Ruichen and said with a smile, "I heard that the Qiao family in the northwest is rich enough to rival a country, and they strongly advocated going to war with the Western Regions. I believe the Qiao family will be responsible for most of the military pay and supplies. With the annual allocation from the court, it shouldn't be a problem."
The Saint's expression was unclear. He only raised an eyebrow and looked at Qiao Ruichen. "What do you think, my dear Qiao?"
Qiao Ruichen subconsciously looked at Miao Wan. Everyone saw it and was even more surprised.
It turns out that it is true that the daughter-in-law of the Qiao family is the boss, and even General Qiao has to look at his daughter-in-law's mood.
The saint was originally feeling a little heavy-hearted, but because of Qiao Ruichen's look, he inexplicably felt a little relieved.
His expression brightened considerably, and he looked at Miao Wan with a smile, "What do you think, Madam Qiao?"
Miao Wan stood up with a smile, respectfully saluted the Saint, and said in a crisp voice, "In reply to Your Majesty, the Qiao family is willing to donate one million taels of silver to the national treasury."
The Minister of the Chancellery narrowed his eyes, a smile still lingering on his lips. "Mrs. Qiao's ability to evade important issues is no less than her ability to act like a tantrum. How can a war be stopped with a million taels of silver? You, a mere woman, are so ignorant, yet you dared to speak so brazenly just now. It shows that you don't care about the safety of the people."
He was implying that Miao Wan was just a hypocrite who could only talk about big principles.
Miao Wan was not polite either. She had already made one censor faint from anger, so it wouldn't be too much to make another one faint from anger.
She simply rolled her eyes at the Minister of Chancellery. "Whether I'm capable or not is another matter. My Lord Prime Minister is so anxious to get my Qiao family to commit insubordination and usurp the throne. You're so actively offering advice to His Majesty. You've definitely given me enough to worry about."
Yu Wencheng's face changed, and his voice changed as well. "How dare you! What nonsense are you talking about!"
Miao Wan snorted coldly, "You speak as if the six ministries are all run by the Prime Minister. Naturally, it's Your Majesty who should decide what to do, right? All the people in this world are Your Majesty's subjects, and the soldiers of Dayue are all Your Majesty's soldiers. Military pay and supplies should naturally be distributed by Your Majesty."
"Not only has the Prime Minister failed to properly manage the six ministries for Your Majesty, he even dared to suggest that my family, the Qiao family, should be responsible for distributing military pay and supplies. Will the soldiers then recognize my family as their leader, or will they be loyal to Your Majesty? My family has no intention of rebellion, but the Prime Minister is actively involved."
Her words made the Regent's face change. Everyone knew that Yu Wencheng was his man, and Miao Wan's words were almost a slap in his face.
The Regent looked at Miao Wan coldly, "Madam Qiao, be careful with your words. Dayue has only been stable for ten years, and the treasury is empty. As a minister, there is nothing wrong with the Prime Minister sharing His Majesty's worries and offering advice. If the Qiao family is willing, the soldiers will naturally know who to be loyal to. If they are not...whose pockets will be filled with the court's salary?"
Miao Wan nodded, "Then why not let those who have money contribute money, and those who have strength contribute strength. Everyone here just said that your majesty's will is wise, so is it okay if you don't show some support?
In this way, I will add another one million taels of silver to Your Majesty, and leave the military pay and supplies to Your Majesty. When the time comes, the military supervisor will go to the northwest and distribute the military pay and supplies, so that the people and soldiers can be grateful for Your Majesty's grace. Isn't that enough?"
Many people present changed their expressions, even the Shangshu Ling was a little stunned.
They had never seen anyone so shameless. Who would donate military funds to the court? They even assigned work directly to the saint and skipped the six ministries.
Yu Wencheng was so angry that his lips were shaking. Anyone who knew the responsibilities of the three provinces and six ministries would not dare to say this, as this would offend everyone.
The problem is that Miao Wan doesn't know. She doesn't know much about the affairs of the court, and she is not afraid of offending anyone. Anyway, she doesn't plan to work in the court.
The most important thing is to please the one who should be pleased.
The sage laughed heartily, finally feeling relieved for once that night. He said something that made everyone's faces turn pale. "I think what Madam Qiao said is absolutely right. Moreover, the Qiao family is not only good at business, but also has pure intentions, makes sound plans, and is loyal to the emperor and patriotic. This is a great virtue. It is settled."
Everyone: “…”
The Minister of Chancellery knelt down, his voice hoarse, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. The matter of military supervision should be submitted by the Ministry of War, and then submitted to Your Majesty for final decision by the Secretariat. The changes in military pay and supplies will be handled by the Ministry of Revenue..."
"Prime Minister Yu may have forgotten one thing." The saint interrupted Yu Wencheng slowly and glanced at the Regent indifferently.
"Generally speaking, government affairs should be submitted to me by the three provinces, but in the end, this world belongs to me. If I remember correctly, I have already ruled the country myself."
Yu Wencheng was speechless and didn't even dare to look back at the Regent.
The sage said that he was personally ruling the country, but the position of regent prince was still there. The sage had never been so tough before and still did things according to the old system.
He suddenly felt that the day was about to change.
The Regent raised his head and looked at Qiao Ruichen, then saw the spoon in the soup on the table. He lowered his eyes and said nothing.
The secret medicine should have arrived in the northwest by now. As long as Qiao Ruichen and Cheng Shao don't survive the war, he still has a chance and doesn't have to take the worst path.
When the palace banquet was over and everyone was heading out of the palace, a certain prince who was forced to express his willingness to donate money could not help but mock Miao Wan and Qiao Ruichen at the palace gate.
"It's all talk and no substance, but it's not that the Qiao family doesn't want to spend the money. I just don't know if they have the life to spend all the money they earn."
Miao Wan, unlike her thorny demeanor in the Taiji Hall, smiled and saluted the prince whose fiefdom was in Henan Province. "Prince Ye has misunderstood. My Qiao family is rich, not a problem. We dare not take all the credit for such a good deed. As for the silver that the prince and the others have thrown out, it will be recouped sooner or later. Who knows, it may even be tenfold or a hundredfold."
Prince Ye still didn't understand. Shangshu Ling Yu Wencheng heard it and sneered, "Could it be that Madam Qiao is dreaming and still dreaming?"
Miao Wan ignored him and continued to look at Prince Ye. "Prince Ye also knows that the Qiao family can make money. If you believe me, my husband and I will come to visit you tomorrow. What do you think?"
Prince Ye ignored Yu Wencheng. They were all smart people, so how could he not hear the deeper meaning in Miao Wan's words?
He was a money-loving man, so his expression immediately improved a lot. After thinking about it, he agreed.
Miao Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Tomorrow, she would not only visit King Ye, but also all the other people who had suffered heavy losses. This would provide the backing for the logistics center and the official newspaper.
At this point, she had completed everything she needed to do from returning to Beijing to entering the palace and leaving the palace.
Before getting on the carriage, Miao Wan saw Yu Wencheng still waiting with a grim expression on his face, and his carriage was still behind.
Miao Wan thought about it. If it weren't for Yu Wencheng's brilliant idea to get her money, she would never have thought of this method of naturally finding the most powerful people behind the scenes.
She bowed sincerely towards Yu Wencheng and said, "If it weren't for Prime Minister Yu who was anxious to think about the Qiao family in front of His Majesty, the Qiao family would not be able to offer filial piety to His Majesty, let alone visit the residences of the princes and adults. If the Qiao family becomes richer in the future, at least half of the credit will go to you. Thank you in advance."
The sage quietly seized the power of the national treasury, and Miao Wan falsely accused him of plotting a rebellion. Miao Wan also treated him so sarcastically that the older Yu Wencheng felt his body shaken.
At this moment, a sudden gust of cold wind blew, and Miao Wan's eyes widened. "Oh, why is Prime Minister Yu's face blue? Is he cold?"
Yu Wencheng: "..." He was out of breath, and when he saw his coachman coming, he fainted.
When Miao Wan got on the carriage, there was chaos outside again.
Qiao Ruichen pinched Miao Wan's nose while suppressing his laughter. The censor in front was just short-tempered, and the Prime Minister behind was his wife who did it on purpose.
Miao Wan hummed with satisfaction. The grave of the last thief Chen who had cheated her of her money was already overgrown with grass. Now Yu Wencheng still wanted to take advantage of the Qiao family. Who knows, maybe he was also greedy for his grave.
All in all, tonight's palace banquet was perfect.
The Saint and Concubine Jin learned from Sun Cheng that their cousin-in-law had fainted from anger again, and they both couldn't help laughing.
Tonight's palace banquet was wonderful for them.
The author has something to say:
There should be about ten chapters left before the main story is finished. If you have any extra chapters you want to see, please leave a message and I will start working on the chapter outline in advance~
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