A perfectly good honor has been turned into a donation.
The top two students, who should have been outstanding, became the third-ranked student, standing out from the crowd.
No wonder the spring breeze was gentle in Fangyuan, and no wonder the Fang family remained calm and composed.
The original tax on wealth was blurred into a donation, and the Fang family's forced behavior was transformed into a voluntary act.
The key is that collecting taxes from the wealthy is difficult, and if one makes a donation by chance, one can gain the emperor's favor, and no shrewd aristocratic family would refuse.
For example, the Zhu family, the Tao family, the Qiu family, the Zhou family, and the Meng family.
With the addition of the eldest prince, the imperial family could accumulate at least 300,000 taels of silver, enough for the frontier soldiers to eat and stay warm throughout the winter, which would also explain why he was unusually relaxed and cheerful today.
The Fang family must have consulted with the emperor beforehand, and most of the families that donated were from their own camp.
In contrast, the Jiang family, the Dou family, and others all frowned and shook their heads, hesitant about whether to follow.
If we go along with it, the Fang family will reap all the benefits, which will only benefit Fang Yuan.
If they don't follow through, they fear leaving a grudge in the emperor's heart; the later they pay, the less weight they carry.
How to make rival powerful families work hard but get no reward, and how to be outmaneuvered by the Fang family.
Xu Mo lowered his head. His first thought was not the annoyance of being overshadowed, nor the difficulty faced by the Jiang and Dou families, but the fact that the eldest prince was able to make an appearance, which meant that the Fang family's actions were not just about trying to regain their reputation.
They must have a backup plan.
The Fang family supports the eldest prince with the sole aim of seizing the throne, making all the other princes pale in comparison, and highlighting the one and only star among them.
Will they attack the Fifth Prince?
Will the Fifth Prince step forward?
What was initially a worrying situation has become more anticipated because of this speculation.
At this time, the Hanlin Academy scholars had already recorded the amount of gold and silver donated by each family.
Looking at the dazzling amount, the Emperor's face was full of satisfaction and kindness. "Hong'er has only been in power for two years and doesn't have many assets. It will probably take you a long time to save up these 50,000 taels."
The eldest prince stood up from the ground and said passionately, "It is my duty as a prince to share the burdens of my father and to solve the problems of the Dayu Dynasty."
"As the eldest brother, I should set an example for my younger siblings. Only if I do better can they follow my example and care about the people."
He's here, he's here.
The Fang family was not content with simply regaining their reputation; they also wanted to squeeze out rival families and, incidentally, other princes—truly a brilliant way to kill two birds with one stone.
The Fang, Tao, and Zhu families donated so much money that the Jiang, Dou, and Yao families hesitated, wondering whether they should follow suit.
The eldest prince donated 50,000 taels of silver. How could the second, fourth, and fifth princes, who were also princes, not have any doubts?
What must the imperial family be thinking?
She either hoped her sons would donate, or she refrained out of consideration for their lack of funds.
The answer is obvious.
"Hong'er's kindness is commendable; hundreds of thousands of border soldiers will be grateful to you." The Emperor spoke slowly, seemingly giving the princes from the aristocratic families a chance to interject.
The powerful families, led by Jiang Jizong, were still hesitant.
Suddenly, Steward Wu stepped forward and whispered in the Emperor's ear in a voice that everyone could hear, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince has arrived. He says he wants to raise ten thousand taels of silver as a token of his appreciation."
After saying that, he glanced at the location of the side hall and added, "The Third Princess also said that she is willing to donate 10,000 taels of silver together with Consort Min."
The second prince's birth mother is unknown. He is only half a year younger than the eldest prince. He left the palace two years ago to establish his own residence. He has some assets, but not much; ten thousand taels is his limit.
The Third Princess had not yet left the palace and did not have much wealth. Fortunately, Consort Min had a powerful family behind her, which enabled her to come up with 10,000 taels of silver.
The emperor clearly understood his children very well, and nodded in satisfaction.
He still didn't respond, seemingly waiting for someone else to donate.
The powerful families hesitated, but gradually began to waver, whispering as they discussed the amount.
The hall went from tranquil to noisy, and the scholars who should have been the center of attention were left out in the background, becoming mere extras.
Some people were indignant, gritting their teeth as they said, "The Crown Prince and Scholar Fang did it on purpose, donating at this time to deliberately make us unhappy."
Some people, knowing the intricacies of the situation, whispered, "We were just caught in the crossfire; the First Prince and the Fang family's real target is probably the Fifth Prince."
"The Fifth Prince?" Xu Mo blurted out in surprise.
"Yes, it's the Fifth Prince." The person in front whispered even more. "The Second Prince's birth mother is not prominent but has already established her own residence. The Third Princess has a powerful family backing her. The Fourth Prince's mother is also a Noble Consort. It wouldn't be a problem for her to come up with ten thousand taels of silver."
"Only the Fifth Prince, whose birth mother died early, and whose maternal family has fallen into poverty, can hardly afford even five thousand taels, let alone ten thousand taels."
Even if you take it out, the subsequent expenses for food, clothing, housing, transportation, and social obligations will all cost money.
A prince shouldn't be living worse than palace maids and eunuchs.
The eldest prince took the lead, followed by the second prince and the third princess. Although the fourth prince has not made a move yet, he is unlikely to escape.
As a royal heir who also holds the title of legitimate heir, it would be unreasonable for the Fifth Prince not to contribute ten thousand taels of silver.
Once he loses the support of the people, no matter how hard this legitimate prince tries in the future, he will have no chance of getting that position.
The Fang family's performance was truly impressive.
Xu Mo couldn't help but feel anxious, even though he hadn't confirmed that it was his fifth brother.
"This situation is difficult to break." The voices sighed and gradually faded away.
The noisy main hall quieted down. As if they had agreed, the noble families took the lead, with Jiang Jizong taking the first step. Just as he lifted half a step, a hoarse and weak voice came from the side hall.
"Your Majesty, I am late."
The person who arrived tried to suppress their breathing, but you could still hear that they were panting heavily, as if they had rushed over.
This move not only explained his late arrival and dispelled the displeasure of the imperial family, but also showed everyone present that he valued this donation.
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