If she hadn't sworn allegiance to Chu Fan, she might never have truly gained his trust. Furthermore, he knew that Chu Fan was now planning to unify the entire Shengwu Continent. So, would he still allow the Canglan Empire, his former partner, to continue to exist independently in the future?
However, Liu Ruyan didn't reveal these inner doubts. She knew that within the Canglan Empire, as long as she could protect her family members from being implicated, that was enough. As for the other nobles and aristocratic families, they already hated her and could even be considered her enemies. In this situation, why should she care about the lives of her enemies?
Furthermore, if the people could become subjects of the Wei Kingdom, then under Chu Fan's rule, they might be able to enjoy a more stable life. Isn't this also a blessing?
Chu Fan, however, was unaware of what Liu Ruyan was thinking, and continued to elaborate on his plan for the distribution of the ten million taels of silver:
"I have decided to allocate one million taels of silver from this vast wealth to reward ministers who have made outstanding contributions to the court over the past year. This is not only a recognition of their hard work, but also a reward for their loyalty and efforts."
Chu Anping of the Imperial Government Affairs Office and Quan Zhengcheng, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward and respectfully addressed Chu Fan, "Your Majesty, we have carefully drawn up a list of rewards in accordance with your instructions. We will ensure that every meritorious official receives the reward they deserve, thereby demonstrating the court's impartiality and widespread benevolence."
The ministers in the court also knelt and expressed their gratitude: "Your Majesty, we sincerely thank you for your grace. We will work even harder to serve the court and devote ourselves to it until our death."
Of course, these ministers had similar concerns as the kneeling generals. The court had its own rules. If His Majesty bestowed upon them a favor without expressing gratitude, it would likely become a weapon for their opponents to criticize them later. Another factor was that His Majesty's decision would truly benefit them.
One million taels of silver was indeed a huge sum. Considering their efforts and hard work over the past year, the princes of the Imperial Government Affairs Office and the officials of the Ministry of Personnel would undoubtedly remember the contributions of these meritorious officials, and they would likely receive their fair share of the reward.
After all, this concerns their own vital interests, so these ministers are filled with joy and anticipation.
Chu Fan said gently, "All of you, please stand up. I have seen and remembered your loyalty and contributions. I will not be stingy with rewards for those who have made contributions to the State of Wei. I hope that every minister in the court will maintain a fair mind and be diligent and responsible.
"I do not wish to see you forget your duties and missions for the sake of trivial gains. Do not let greed blind you and lead you into an abyss from which you cannot escape. As long as you can serve the State of Wei diligently and loyally, I will reward you with due respect and will never let you down."
When the emperor was giving his ministers gifts and favors, he also had to give them timely warnings to make them clearly aware of the boundaries of power and responsibility. Otherwise, they might mistakenly think that the emperor was an easily fooled monarch, thus becoming lazy and disrespectful.
Chu Fan, a man on Blue Star who had watched numerous historical dramas and novels, understood the crucial importance of combining kindness with severity in governing a nation. He understood that only by ensuring that ministers felt the emperor's immense grace while constantly reminding them to uphold their duties could they avoid becoming arrogant and losing their integrity due to favor. Otherwise, they would regret it only when they made mistakes and were thrown into prison.
After Chu Fan's words reached the ears of all the officials in the court, they bowed their heads again and responded in unison: "We, your Majesty, will remember your teachings and will fulfill our duties conscientiously and live up to your grace."
Chu Fan's eyes slowly swept over every minister present. He said, "Everyone, please stand up. If you kneel down like this every time I say something, how can the morning court continue? I hope you can truly integrate this loyalty and diligence into your daily government affairs.
Instead of just kneeling like a weakling in the court, and acting condescendingly and indifferently to the people's livelihood issues when facing them, what I hope for is that you can truly serve the people, work diligently and love the people, so that the people of Wei can live and work in peace and contentment. This is my greatest hope."
After hearing this, the ministers felt a chill in their hearts. They all stood up and looked solemn and dignified.
Chu Fan continued his speech: "Back to the topic, regarding the remaining four million taels of silver, I have handed them over to the Ministry of Works. The Ministry of Works will be responsible for the construction of the steam locomotive and related infrastructure. Moreover, if we want the steam locomotive to run smoothly within the territory of Wei, the investment of four million taels is just the beginning, and we will need to continue to invest additional funds."
Upon hearing this, Minister of Works Tang Hongwen immediately stepped forward and respectfully bowed to His Majesty, declaring, "I will live up to Your Majesty's trust and do my utmost to ensure that all the people of Wei can enjoy the convenience and speed brought by steam locomotives as soon as possible."
After Tang Hongwen finished speaking, the ministers in the court looked at each other in bewilderment. They knew nothing about this new thing called the steam locomotive. They thought it must be some new and amazing invention of His Majesty.
At this time, the old minister Shen Congwen in the court could not help but ask, "Excuse me, Minister Tang, what exactly is this steam locomotive? How can it bring such great convenience?"
Tang Hongwen smiled faintly and replied, "Due to time constraints and the complex principles of the steam locomotive, I cannot explain the complex principles and exquisite structure of the steam locomotive to you ministers in detail. However, once the Ministry of Works completes the construction of the steam locomotive and lays the tracks, we will hold a grand opening ceremony.
I will then invite all the ministers to witness this historic moment and experience for themselves the convenience and efficiency of steam locomotives. Then, everyone will be able to see for themselves why His Majesty attaches so much importance to this and is willing to invest so much money in this great cause."
After hearing Tang Hongwen's explanation, the court officials stopped questioning him. This was an unspoken rule in the court: if the other party wouldn't reveal the details, there must be a good reason. Further questioning would be overstepping their bounds.
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