Chen Zhennan stood at the entrance of the treasury, his eyes blazing as he stared at the heavy blue brick door, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
Just then, the heavy sound of a carriage approaching came from nearby, like the whisper of the earth.
Turning around, Chen Zhennan's gaze fell on the slowly approaching convoy. The horses in the convoy moved with steady steps, and the wheels made a dull sound as they rolled on the ground.
The person leading the team was Song Yunyang. He walked slowly to Chen Zhennan, then pointed to the convoy behind him, his tone revealing a hint of fatigue.
"Your Majesty, the money looted during the palace coup is all here, totaling four million three hundred thousand taels. The gold and silver utensils have also been handed over to the Ministry of Rites."
A complex mix of emotions welled up in Chen Zhennan's heart. It was no easy task for Song Yunyang to get the money back from her soldiers, and she was afraid she would lose the hearts of the soldiers of Da Yan.
"Yunyang, you've worked so hard," Chen Zhennan said slowly, feeling a pang of heartache as he looked at the exhaustion on her face.
"This is all I should do. With this money, the capital's finances should be greatly relieved."
Chen Zhennan lowered his head slightly, pondered for a moment, then raised his head and looked at Song Yunyang with deep and gentle eyes.
"Yunyang, what do you think about using the money you brought back to hold a grand investiture ceremony?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Yunyang frowned, shocked by the sudden suggestion.
A hint of displeasure crossed her face, and her voice carried a touch of sternness: "Your Majesty, do you want to become a tyrant? I brought this money back not for you to squander."
Chen Zhennan was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He then realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly explained, "I just didn't want you to suffer any injustice, and if you use this money for the investiture ceremony, your people will be more likely to accept it."
His words carried a hint of tenderness, attempting to soothe Song Yunyang's emotions.
Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang felt a pang of anxiety and retorted without hesitation, "They are your people now. You know very well how to win people's hearts. I believe in your abilities. This money absolutely cannot be wasted."
Chen Zhennan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile, and he felt secretly gratified.
“Even without this money, I can still ensure that the people of the capital live and work in peace and contentment.”
Song Yunyang's expression remained unchanged as she objected again, saying, "That won't do! It comes from the people and should be used for the people. This money is the blood and sweat of the people all over the country."
"Alright, since you insist, Shiyu, put this money into the vault!"
Yan Shiyu nodded and then instructed the officials of the Ministry of Revenue to deposit the silver into the treasury for accounting.
Although Song Yunyang disagreed with spending so much money on the investiture ceremony, Chen Zhennan had already ascended the throne, and it was time for him and Song Yunyang to hold a wedding.
The next day, he summoned officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue to inquire about the procedures and expenses required for the investiture ceremony.
The officials respectfully presented a thick procedure book, explaining in detail each step and the amount of silver required.
"Your Majesty, the investiture ceremony is a complex and cumbersome process. Ancestor worship, deity worship, and various rituals are all indispensable," the official from the Ministry of Rites said respectfully, his voice tinged with nervousness, as if afraid of saying something wrong.
"Yes, Your Majesty, this whole process will cost at least 3.5 million taels of silver."
Chen Zhennan was somewhat troubled upon hearing this, not expecting that a formal investiture ceremony would cost so much money.
I picked up the Ministry of Rites' procedure book and looked at it. It started before dawn and lasted until after dark. The process was quite complicated. It would probably exhaust a person, and each step would require a lot of money.
Chen Zhennan put down the program and thought for a long time. He was filled with contradictions. On the one hand, he wanted to give Song Yunyang a grand wedding, but on the other hand, he didn't want to be too extravagant.
After much thought, I realized that I didn't need to follow such a complicated process for my wedding. I decided to have a modern wedding instead.
"Okay, let's do it that way."
As he spoke, Chen Zhennan picked up a pen and paper, scribbled for a long time, and made a list, which he then handed to the two officials below him.
"Just follow the procedures on this list. Don't talk to me about etiquette or formalities. Find someone from the Imperial Observatory to pick an auspicious day. Go."
The two officials looked at the list and were somewhat stunned. The steps written by Chen Zhennan were too simple, and the required cost was less than 100,000 taels of silver.
"Your Majesty, isn't this a bit too simple? You are the supreme ruler; wouldn't such a simple investiture ceremony be beneath your dignity?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan waved his hand and said with a light smile, "There's no such thing as dignified or not. Getting married isn't suffering. Just do as I say and go ahead."
The two officials exchanged a glance, but said nothing more. They nodded and turned to leave.
As the wedding arrangements were finalized, Chen Zhennan's thoughts gradually shifted from personal matters to those corrupt officials.
Three days later, all the special forces members from the thirteen states arrived in the capital. Their arrival made the atmosphere in the capital tense. Officials were all walking on thin ice, afraid that they might accidentally cause trouble.
Inside the Imperial Study, Chen Zhennan sat on the dragon throne, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the thousands of pieces of evidence presented by Yan Shiyu.
These pieces of evidence meticulously documented the officials' actions of transferring assets, each piece of which was irrefutable.
Chen Zhennan's expression gradually turned serious, and he said coldly, "Well done. Issue the decree that no one is to be absent from tomorrow's morning court. If anyone dares not to come, send someone to arrest them!"
Yan Shiyu nodded emphatically, "Yes, Your Majesty."
After speaking, Yan Shiyu turned and walked out of the imperial study, relaying Chen Zhennan's orders.
The next morning, a tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the Lizheng Hall, as if even the air itself had frozen.
Chen Zhennan sat on the high dragon throne, his eyes sharp and cold as he surveyed the officials below the stage.
He didn't even need to count carefully; he could tell at a glance that there weren't enough people.
Chen Zhennan slightly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a mocking smile.
"The imperial decree issued yesterday stipulated that no one should be absent from the morning court session today, but I did not expect so many people to be missing."
Upon hearing this, all the officials couldn't help but lower their heads, a hint of panic flashing across their faces.
Seeing this, Chen Zhennan quickly waved his hand and said with a light smile, "Don't be nervous. Since you're here, it doesn't count as disobeying the imperial decree."
As he spoke, Chen Zhennan turned to look at Yan Shiyu, who immediately understood and shouted, "Someone, bring them up here!"
At a command, the gates of the Lizheng Hall slowly opened, and a group of special forces soldiers dressed in black and wearing red cloaks escorted a group of officials who were bound hand and foot onto the court.
Chen Zhennan looked at the officials being brought in and couldn't help but let out a soft snort.
"You gentlemen are truly audacious! You've been given so much time, yet you've ignored the imperial edict. You truly are officials of the capital, willing to risk your lives for money. You have guts!"
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