Chapter 220 Confrontation
The Crown Prince sighed, resigned to his fate, and said, "Lord Lu, war is constant in Dagan today. When the Yilin Army attacked Ningzhou, although they ultimately held it, other civilians are still suffering from the war. The people have been plundered by the Yilin Army, and both I and the Emperor have been unable to sleep or eat. This time, I invited Lord Lu to the capital to discuss the issue of pacifying the Yilin Army."
Lu Chenyang thought to himself, here it comes.
Lu Chenyang remained calm and said, "It is my duty to share your majesty's worries. However... can the imperial treasury afford this sum of money?" He looked at the crown prince with a smile, "Yesterday's palace banquet was so plain and simple. I petitioned the emperor to provide relief to the people, but the court didn't even provide any grain. The Yilin Army is said to have a million strong army, and this war may take three to five years. Can the food and fodder be supplied?"
Lu Chenyang thought for a moment and continued, "No matter how capable I am, I can't cook without rice. People need money to eat and feed their horses. If the court is in trouble, I can think of a way, but I am poor! Otherwise, why would I only send a few carts of local specialties to Your Highness?"
The prince's face flushed slightly, and he screamed in his heart, "Did his father have to embarrass Lu Chenyang at the palace banquet? And now he was caught with it today!"
How can we fight this war if the imperial court has no money? Lu Chenyang made it very clear. He is a minister and he has to obey the emperor's orders. But he can't be asked to pay for the food and fodder, right?
Can the court afford it now?
The Crown Prince blushed. He was about to say something when Lu Chenyang asked, "Or do Your Majesty and Your Highness have other plans?" He pulled out a memorial from his pocket and handed it to the Crown Prince. "This is my estimate of the amount of food and fodder needed for this war. Please review it, Your Highness."
What plans could they have? Actually, they had none.
The Crown Prince took it and looked at it. It was a number that made his eyes go dark. Lu Chenyang's memorial was extremely detailed. First, it required the amount of food and fodder to be prepared, the number of escorts needed, then the second batch, the third batch... It even predicted the duration of the war and made a corresponding budget. It was truly thorough.
But even with this first batch of food and fodder, the prince knew at a glance that the national treasury could not provide it.
The Crown Prince said sternly, "Lord Lu, I honestly cannot provide all this food and fodder. It's shameless of me to say this, but I know it's not easy for you, Lord Lu, to show compassion for the people. You should also know that only by quelling the civil strife can the people live a stable life. With your talent, you will surely ensure that the people of the world live and work in peace and contentment." The Crown Prince lowered his head and looked back at the memorial, calculating the amount of food and fodder. He gritted his teeth and said, "I can guarantee half of the food and fodder mentioned in this memorial." After a pause, he added, "I guarantee to you, as the Crown Prince, that this food and fodder will be delivered on time. This is the only promise I can make to you, Lord Lu."
Lu Chenyang pondered in silence. He was satisfied with the prince's performance.
Even if the Crown Prince had some calculations in mind, he could understand. After all, in this position, the throne was the temptation. The Crown Prince was not only doing this for himself, but also for the supporters behind him. So even if the Crown Prince was a little wary and suspicious of him, he was not angry.
At least the prince is not only concerned with fighting for power and profit for himself, he at least has the people of the world in his heart and is willing to devote his energy to it.
The Crown Prince made the promise in the name of the crown prince and shouldered all the pressure. This was not only to express his sincerity, but also to demonstrate his strength.
There are so many things involved in ensuring that food and fodder are delivered on time and in the right quantity. The fact that the Crown Prince could actually make such a promise shows that he has not been idle during his time as Crown Prince.
In other words, he has been operating this business for a long time, and now he has finally made a breakthrough and revealed his true strength.
Lu Chenyang looked at him for a long time without saying anything.
This matter is of great importance, as it concerns our country and the people.
The life and death, even wealth and glory of countless people, at this moment, all depend on Lu Chenyang's thoughts.
The prince did not avoid his gaze, but continued to look back at him calmly and gently.
He knew that he had to make Lu Chenyang feel at ease with him.
To be honest, the prince was a little nervous at this moment.
The man before him was the most powerful man in Daegan, the one who could decide the fate of this country. His youthful and handsome appearance and his kind and compassionate character always gave people the illusion that he was easy to manipulate.
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