Chapter 139 Lord Zhou, are you kidding me?

After thinking it over, Cheng Jin found her idea funny again.

How could she ask Chu Chengye whether he believed her or not.

Cheng Jin shook her head secretly.

It doesn't matter whether he believes it or not. Even if he says he believes it now, she can't do anything if he changes his words in the future.

He is the emperor, and what he says is the imperial edict.

What ability does she have to change Chu Chengye's mind?

She admitted that she didn't dare to trust Chu Chengye deeply, and it did make people feel illusory to entrust her life to another person.

She must find another way out for herself besides staying with Chu Chengye.

Chu Chengye looked at Cheng Jin, but there was a deep meaning in his eyes. He was about to speak, but was interrupted by Cheng Jin.

"It's too late, go to bed."

She didn't know what Chu Chengye would say, and suddenly she didn't want to know at all.

Cheng Jin felt a little dizzy, not knowing whether it was because she stayed up too late. She squinted her eyes at Chu Chengye and lay down directly.

Chu Chengye withdrew his body, leaving a space for Cheng Jin to sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed and covered Cheng Jin with the quilt again.

The room was silent for a long time.

Although she was very sleepy before, now she was really quiet and ready to sleep, but Cheng Jin was not sleepy at all.

She didn't know what her intention was in asking those questions.

Did she want to hear a word of affirmation from Chu Chengye? Did she

also want to get a promise?

What was she expecting?

Cheng Jin couldn't figure it out.

She had been thinking about getting rid of everything from herself before. She just needed to live with her family who were originally villains. But now, is it that she can't escape or doesn't want to escape at all?

She couldn't understand why she was on a pirate ship with Chu Chengye and couldn't get off. She asked Chu Chengye like a child whether he believed in her or not.

[Nervous.]

Cheng Jin turned over and cursed herself .

Chu Chengye, who was sitting on the bed, had no idea that Cheng Jin had so many thoughts in her mind. He was staring at Cheng Jin's figure with her back to him when he suddenly heard Cheng Jin's insult.

Chu Chengye wanted to laugh helplessly, thinking that Cheng Jin was scolding him.

He raised his hand to smooth the hair behind Cheng Jin's head and whispered, "Thank you."

Cheng Jin suddenly turned around and stretched out her hand to Chu Chengye, saying, "Give me money as a token of appreciation. No amount is too much."

"I have done such a big favor to the emperor. It would make me happy if the emperor gives me something as a reward."

Cheng Jin held her hands in front of Chu Chengye.

Whatever messy thoughts you have, they are not as real as our money.

Chu Chengye smiled and patted Cheng Jin's palm, and put her hand into the quilt.

"Money-obsessed, you will be indispensable when the time comes."

Chu Chengye said this, but he took off his ring and put it in Cheng Jin's hand.

"These are all I have now. If you still want, I can only take off my clothes here."

Cheng Jin curled her lips in disdain, "No, let's go."

[Don't freeze you to death outside. ]

Chu Chengye didn't stay in Jingyang Palace for long. He left soon after leaving his things.

This matter is not easy to implement. If he wants to be foolproof, he must make plans in advance.

Chu Chengye quickly contacted those extremely wealthy ministers privately about the banquet for the ministers.

They were the ones who thought of ways to bring up the matter to cause trouble for Chu Chengye. How could they not know what Chu Chengye meant. At

this juncture, a table was set for them for no reason. Even a fool would know what was going on.

Those people naturally didn't want to give Chu Chengye money, so they pretended to be in dire straits. Even the court robes they wore to court were patched, intentionally for Chu Chengye to see.

Chu Chengye turned a blind eye and never mentioned asking them for money.

Seeing that Chu Chengye didn't buy it, those people became even more extravagant on the day of the banquet.

That man and more than a dozen officials were all dressed simply, and they just sat in the hall and looked at Chu Chengye.

Chu Chengye didn't say anything, so they kept pretending to be stupid.

Chu Chengye looked at this group of old guys who were so cunning, and he didn't even know how to vent his anger. He just knocked on the table and looked around at everyone in the room.

Those people avoided Chu Chengye's eyes when they met his.

But it was not a solution to keep dragging it on like this, so Chu Chengye could only speak first: "Today I am inviting all of you to a banquet, and I'm sure you have heard about it. There is a war here, and the country's finances are tight, but for the sake of the people of Southern Qi, this war must be fought."

"My dear ministers, please understand my difficulties. I will set an example and take out 10 million taels."

The matter was raised by the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, so he was naturally the first to bear the brunt.

He was seen wearing a casual suit of coarse linen, and walked out of his seat. The few steps he took were all floating, and he wished he could fall headfirst in front of Chu Chengye.

He bowed to Chu Chengye.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to take out five..."

Chu Chengye stared at him tightly, clenched his fists, as if he wanted to hear the answer he wanted to hear.

Who knew that the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue gasped and spoke after a long pause.

"I am willing to give out five hundred taels."

Chu Chengye: "..."

It's better not to say it.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They were still wondering why the Minister of Revenue, who was a typical member of the Five Princes Party, suddenly gave the emperor so much money.

If the Minister of Revenue gave out a large sum of money, then they would naturally have to match the amount of the Minister of Revenue.

But since the Minister of Revenue said five hundred taels first, they would not give more than this amount.

Chu Chengye clenched his hands on his legs and looked at the Minister of Revenue with a cold face.

He said in a deep voice: "Lord Zhou, are you kidding me?"

Zhou Lu immediately knelt on the ground and cried, "Your Majesty, I dare not."

"How dare I joke with Your Majesty? Your Majesty asked me to contribute to the border war. Since it is for Your Majesty and for Southern Qi, I will naturally refuse even if I die."

"But I really have the will but not the strength. I have been an official in the court for many years and I get a salary from the court. There are regulations."

"I have elderly parents and young children to take care of, and the expenses in the mansion are not small. In order to collect these 500 taels in the past few days, I have tried every possible way. All the valuable things in the mansion were sold out, and I even went hungry for several meals before I could collect the money."

"I really have no other choice."

Chu Chengye supported his forehead with one hand and pinched his temples. He closed his eyes with a headache and listened to Zhou Lu's nonsense.

Zhou Lu was about to faint from hunger while talking.

Chu Chengye waved his hand and quickly asked someone to take Zhou Lu away.

Seeing that this trick was effective and they could save five hundred taels, the group of people began to follow suit.

Some of them stuffed food into their mouths without restraint, pretending to be starving, and some of them stretched their tattered clothes to make them more torn.

Chu Chengye looked at everything in front of him and his headache became worse.

He originally said that he would prepare some simple things to complain to these old guys, but who knew that the cunningness of these people was beyond his expectation.

Too cunning, too cunning.

After a while, the ground was full of people kneeling.

"I am willing to pay three hundred taels to serve the country."

"I can pay two hundred taels."

"I will pay fifty taels."

"I will pay twenty taels."