"After much thought, it seems that only you can step in and help resolve this!"
Logically speaking, as Tan Wu was his subordinate, he should have assisted in handling this matter.
but.
At this moment, Sima Lie was caught in a deep dilemma.
The officials involved in the loan program numbered over a hundred, including officials from the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, representing almost the entire imperial court.
Yinzi was ruthless, showing no regard for family ties, so you can imagine how angry these people were.
Even Sima Lie is not someone you can easily offend.
If I were to stand up for them, wouldn't that be breaking with the entire imperial court?
Previously, due to various reasons, those ministers were already quite dissatisfied with him. Now that he had stood on the opposite side, it was a case of a cornered dog jumping over the wall!
This was a critical moment; he was locked in a fierce battle with Zhao Lie, and the old man seemed ready to tear a piece of his flesh off at any moment.
Zhang Tang, however, is subtly resurfacing, hiding in the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike.
He absolutely cannot cause any more trouble now.
Seeing that Sima Lie had not responded for a long time, Tan Wu became anxious and hurriedly urged him to ask.
"Your Excellency, please say something!"
"The imperial edict has arrived, and the officials are pressuring us. This matter is definitely not that simple. We need to plan it carefully. Minister Tan, you also need to think of a solution." The evasive meaning in his words was all too obvious.
How could Tan Wu not hear it?
Seeing that he refused to help, she then offered to help.
"Your Excellency, if you ask me, if this matter really can't be resolved in the end, then let's use the salt tax to pay off the debt!"
When the national bonds were first issued, that foolish emperor said that the salt tax would be used as collateral, which reassured the officials and they bought the bonds.
Now that we really can't pay back the money, let's do as we agreed before!
It is only right to pay back debts, especially the debts of those troublesome officials!
His suggestion was a perfectly reasonable request, but Sima Lie was instantly displeased and shook his head in disbelief.
"No! Absolutely not!"
joke.
If you use the salt tax to pay off your debts, then what am I supposed to use?
With the Xiongnu army at the foot of Youzhou and the frontline battles intensifying, he was anxiously waiting for this money to prepare for war or negotiate peace!
Without the silver from the salt tax, how can we fight this war?
"This won't work, that won't work," Tan Wu said with a bitter expression, and plopped down in a chair.
"Your Excellency! That's over two million taels of silver! I'm truly at my wit's end!"
Sima Lie knew that if he didn't deal with this guy, he would definitely stay at his residence and refuse to leave.
After a moment's thought, he summoned the butler and whispered a few words to him. The butler looked on in astonishment.
"so much?"
"Just take it when I tell you to!"
The butler went back in about three to five minutes later, carrying a silver note.
Tan Wu was secretly delighted.
Sure enough, only children who can make noise will eat! He immediately stretched his head out, wanting to see the number on the ticket!
Sima Lie glared at the guy with annoyance, then reluctantly handed it over.
"Take this money for now. Two million is no small sum. Nobody can come up with it right away. Let's delay it as long as we can."
He took the banknote and looked at it.
Two hundred thousand taels is indeed a bit low, considering that the national debt to be repaid is as high as two million taels, and this is only one-tenth of that amount.
"Prime Minister, this is not enough."
"Huh?" Sima Lie glared again. "Then figure it out yourself!"
"No, no, no, then I'll take it for now!"
It's a little less, but it's better than nothing.
If all else fails, I can add some more myself later.
After receiving the silver notes, Tan Wu finally left satisfied.
On the other side.
The candlelight flickered in the secret room, and Qin Yu was writing wildly without even raising his head.
The army of this era was not strong in combat. Even the elite soldiers would collapse immediately once the casualty rate reached a critical point.
On the one hand, no one is doing ideological work with them, and the system of competing for committees, which was the same as in the previous life, has not yet been established.
On the other hand, it is related to the training they receive.
The establishment of a system requires long-term planning, but the quality of soldiers can be improved quickly by changing the training model.
Currently, the training methods of the Great Xia army are still the most traditional ones, involving wielding spears to stab straw men in a large drill ground.
It would be a miracle if such an inefficient and useless training method could produce a highly effective army!
In military operations, the most important thing for an individual soldier is physical fitness! Secondly, lower-ranking soldiers also need to have a certain understanding of the battle situation.
Only when physical fitness is adequate can the orders given by superiors be carried out more effectively.
Therefore, Qin Yu has now completed the military training combat manual and the booklet on grappling techniques.
It was at this moment.
Anfu approached quietly and reported in a low voice.
"Your Majesty! The Empress says she needs to speak with you!"
That woman never gave me a friendly look. I was already being nice by not kicking her out when I took the initiative to find her. Why would she take the initiative to find me?
Has the sun risen in the west?
Or is something big happening?
Although Qin Yu was puzzled, he still hurried off.
Inside the palace, a beautiful figure sat dignifiedly, revealing an elegant and alluring back view.
With delicate, slender hands, she moistened the teapot and poured tea, her movements flowing smoothly and gracefully.
Upon seeing Qin Yu arrive, Zhao Lan turned around and gave a bright, gentle smile.
"Your Majesty! You've arrived?"
Upon hearing such gentle and tender words, Qin Yu did not feel comfortable at all. Instead, her eyelids twitched wildly, and she sat down next to Zhao Lan with a pounding heart.
"Your Majesty, please have some tea first!"
As she spoke, Zhao Lan brewed a pot of tea and respectfully presented it with her delicate hands!
Qin Yu found it even stranger!
Holy crap!
What's wrong with this woman? Or has she taken the wrong medicine?
She has never acted like this since she met Zhao Lan.
Such a contrast, could there be a huge pitfall waiting for me?
Seeing that Qin Yu did not accept the tea, Zhao Lan was not annoyed. Instead, she put the clutter on the table aside and set up the chessboard.
"Your Majesty, how about we play a game of chess?"
Pfft!
Finally, Qin Yu frowned and immediately began to ask questions with suspicion.
"Hehe, let's not play chess anymore. Let's get straight to the point, my dear consort."
"I'm not used to seeing you like this. Why don't you try to recover?"
Zhao Lan suddenly smiled generously, her bright eyes and white teeth swaying, making people's eyes water.
"In the Emperor's heart, is my sister so cold and heartless, so uncomfortable to you?"
Qin Yu was taken aback. After a closer look, he noticed the aura emanating from within and the subtle differences in the facial features. Something was wrong! This wasn't Zhao Lan.
This is my sister-in-law, Zhao Yan!
In an instant, Qin Yu suddenly realized something, and a hint of evil light flashed in his eyes.
Feeling his aggressive gaze, Zhao Yan didn't feel uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, her body felt hot.
She nodded and lowered her head, offering a shy smile as she explained.
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