"No need, let's go first!"
Han Luoxue gently raised her hand. She had long known that her identity would be criticized, but what did it matter? As long as Han Yuchen was devoted to her, that was enough.
Qinghe sighed. Although there was only the Empress in the palace, it seemed that her days would not be peaceful!
Soon, they arrived at the venue for the palace banquet. When Han Luoxue entered, most of the people were already there.
Ouyang Zhen was slightly surprised when he saw her, and quickly stood up to greet her.
Men and women sat separately, with a curtain separating them. However, many people were still surprised when they saw how much Ouyang Zhen cared about Han Luoxue.
Some of the ladies curled their lips in disdain, thinking to themselves that Han Luoxue was really ignorant, that the dignified empress actually made the emperor personally greet her.
However, they didn't realize that if it were anyone else, Ouyang Zhen wouldn't even bother to glance at them.
After Han Luoxue came in, the girls who had just been talking also quietly ran in.
They sneaked out, but when they heard the Queen was coming, they hurriedly returned.
The banquet began, and there were performances. The daughters of all the ministers were very enthusiastic, simply hoping to get some exposure in front of Ouyang Zhen, perhaps hoping to catch the emperor's eye someday.
Some of them kept a sullen face the whole time.
"Lord Li, who has offended you?"
Some people looked curiously at the Minister of Revenue, who always had a worried expression.
"Alas, the national treasury is empty right now, there's not much silver left. How much money will this banquet cost!"
Everyone says the Ministry of Revenue is lucrative, but that probably only applies if there's money to be made. Right now, their Ministry of Revenue is so poor even rats wouldn't bother visiting it.
But the emperor needs money to ascend the throne, and he needs money to hold banquets, and they can't say anything else.
That's almost all gone.
"this……"
The person asking the question had a darting look in their eyes, and suddenly an idea popped into their head.
He stood up, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I just saw that Minister Li looked very worried, saying that the Ministry of Revenue is currently in dire need of funds."
As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone looked over at him.
The women in the next section also perked up their ears. They had a feeling that the person who spoke was up to something.
"I think that since the Ministry of Revenue is currently short of funds and the national treasury is empty, it would be better to hold fewer banquets like today in the future."
Ouyang Zhen's face darkened; he was about to explode with anger.
Is Wu Gan out of his mind? They were the ones who encouraged the banquet in the first place. Now that the other side has agreed, he's starting to say that we should have fewer banquets. Has he lost his mind?
Just as Ouyang Zhen was about to speak, Han Luoxue raised her hand, grasped his fist, and shook her head with a smile.
"Wu Gan, if I remember correctly, it was you who encouraged us to hold this banquet, wasn't it? Besides, this is the first time we've held one since I ascended the throne. Are you saying that this time is also inappropriate?"
Ouyang Zhen's face turned cold, and his voice became extremely icy.
"Don't be angry!"
Han Luoxue patted the back of his hand, but her expression remained calm.
Although it was the first time she had seen so many people, what did she have to be afraid of? She was the Empress, and everyone here except Ouyang Zhen had to kneel before her.
Whether they like it or not.
"Xue'er, what's wrong with you today?" Ouyang Zhen was a little shocked when he saw her. He didn't expect that Xue'er would use a disguise pill today.
The effects of this elixir are extremely miraculous; even acquaintances who have seen it will find it a bit strange. Furthermore, Han Luoxue is dressed to the nines today, so even if the Empress Dowager saw her, she would probably only assume it was because Han Luoxue had dressed up so elaborately.
Ouyang Zhen knew that wasn't the case.
"I still want to travel around the capital in the future. It would be so boring if they all knew I was the Empress!"
Han Luoxue smiled mischievously. Ouyang Zhen didn't complain. His wife could do whatever she wanted, as long as she was his wife.
"Does Lord Wu mean that the national treasury is completely empty?"
Although Han Luoxue's voice was soft, it possessed a magical power that made people submit.
The person who had just spoken paused for a moment, but finally nodded.
However, considering that people outside might not see him nod, he still spoke up: "Yes, the national treasury is out of money now, so the palace should save wherever possible."
"Lord Wu is right. Since the national treasury is empty and we're so poor, you shouldn't force the Emperor to choose concubines anymore, right?"
Madam Wu snorted coldly. She usually wouldn't attend such banquets, but today was Han Luoxue's first time hosting one, and she wanted to support Han Luoxue.
"this……"
"Madam Wu is right. Since there is no money in the national treasury, let's forget about selecting a concubine!"
The Empress Dowager also expressed her strong agreement.
Lord Li stood up and said respectfully, "In my opinion, saving money is not enough to solve the problem of the national treasury. At critical moments, we still need to think of other ways to replenish the national treasury."
"That's a great idea! I've heard before that Your Majesty has many ideas and methods. I wonder if Your Majesty has any ideas?"
Wu Gan immediately turned his attention to Han Luoxue.
Han Luoxue was secretly curious. This should be the first time she had met this person, right? Why did she feel that this person had a problem with her? Was he targeting her the moment they met? Did she steal his daughter's man?
Upon hearing this, many people who had originally wanted to see Han Luoxue and join in the excitement quieted down, wanting to hear what the Empress would say. They thought Han Luoxue would be anxious or make excuses, but unexpectedly, her expression remained extremely calm.
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