You are not alone.
Lin Wanwan's simple yet firm promise was like a lightning bolt piercing the darkness, instantly illuminating the deepest loneliness in Xiao Che's heart.
He stared at her in shock, at the radiant light of "sharing the burden with you" in her eyes. He felt that the cold, hard corner of his heart, hardened by years of carrying heavy burdens alone, was completely melted by a surge of warmth.
He never imagined that one day, someone would see through his imperial mask to his truest, most vulnerable core, and that after seeing this wretched ruin, instead of backing down, someone would choose to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, making this place "our" battlefield.
This transcends ordinary marital affection; it is a resonance and harmony deep within the soul.
After a long while, Xiao Che finally recovered from the immense shock. He slowly and solemnly reached out and took her hand.
His palms were still warm and strong, but now they held an unprecedented and unreserved trust.
"Okay." He said only one word, but his voice was slightly hoarse. "Our battlefield."
From "my empire" to "our battlefield," the difference of just one word makes all the difference.
This means that from this moment on, he truly regards her as an equal partner who can share the fate of the entire empire.
After confirming their feelings for each other, the oppressive and heavy atmosphere vanished, replaced by a high spirit full of hope and fighting will.
The two no longer dwelled on the past, but immediately turned their emotional commitment into concrete actions. Standing in the empty royal treasury, they began their first truly meaningful "joint discussion of state affairs."
“To fill this space, it all boils down to four words: increase revenue and reduce expenditure.” Lin Wanwan spoke first, breaking the silence and getting straight to the heart of the problem.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che shook his head with a wry smile, the flame of hope that had just ignited on his face dimming further.
"Easier said than done."
He pulled Lin Wanwan to the small pile of gold and silver in the treasury, his tone filled with helplessness and resentment: "Wanwan, do you know what the most profitable business in the Great Liang Dynasty is?"
Before Lin Wanwan could answer, he answered his own question: "It's salt, it's iron, it's tea."
“These three items are all monopolies of the imperial court, and should have been the most stable and abundant source of income for the national treasury.” He pointed to the pitiful amount of gold and silver at his feet and said self-deprecatingly, “But look at it, how much of it actually flows into the national treasury each year?”
A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Because the largest salt merchant in the land is the regent's brother-in-law; the largest iron merchant is his most capable protégé; and the tea trade in Jiangnan is firmly controlled by several powerful families with close ties to him!"
"The power to collect taxes and the profits from the salt and iron monopolies are firmly in the hands of the Regent's faction. Every year, they only hand over a small portion of the profits to the national treasury, like giving alms to beggars, while they enrich themselves and use the majority of the wealth to support their retainers and consolidate their power!"
"If I want to cut spending, they will exaggerate expenditures and complain about being poor. If I want to increase revenue and forcibly take back the monopoly from them, that would mean making enemies of more than half of the officials in the court, which would inevitably lead to political turmoil, or even... a mutiny!"
This is the dilemma Xiao Che faces.
As an emperor, he was like a chairman whose financial power had been stripped away, watching helplessly as a group of rats devoured the company's core assets, while he was powerless to do anything because his foundation was not yet stable and he was afraid to act against them!
This is a deadlock. A deadlock that, within the existing political framework, is virtually unsolvable.
Lin Wanwan listened quietly, gaining a deeper understanding of Xiao Che's situation. She knew that with her current understanding of the times, it was too early for her to offer any groundbreaking suggestions on national economic matters such as "increasing revenue and reducing expenditure."
That's not a problem she can solve right now.
but……
A brilliant idea flashed in her mind!
A huge gold mine, hidden under the lamplight and overlooked by everyone in this era, suddenly appeared in her mind!
“Your Majesty,” her eyes suddenly lit up, her tone filled with barely suppressed excitement, “what you’re describing is the predicament of the ‘national treasury’.”
"But what we need to address now is the emptiness of the 'internal treasury,' right?"
Xiao Che was taken aback and looked at her in confusion: "The national treasury and the internal treasury are closely related. If the national treasury is empty, how can the internal treasury be full?"
"No, not necessarily!" Lin Wanwan's eyes shone brightly. She grabbed Xiao Che's hand and said excitedly, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? We have a place that is not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, nor is it controlled by the Regent, yet it is incredibly wealthy!"
"Where?" Xiao Che, infected by her emotions, couldn't help but ask.
Lin Wanwan looked at him and slowly, clearly uttered two words:
"The harem!"
"The harem?" Xiao Che was even more confused. "The harem costs a fortune every year; it's an expense. Where does the wealth come from?"
"That's not right!" At this moment, Lin Wanwan's mind seemed to sprout wings, and the economic common sense and business models from her previous life were running wildly in her mind.
With the excitement of discovering a new continent, she gave this ancient emperor a unique "asset inventory lesson".
"Your Majesty, you only see the expenses of the harem, but you don't see the enormous assets hidden within it!"
"Just think about it, how many concubines in this harem have titles? Aren't they all from prestigious families? Their monthly allowances, the rewards from His Majesty during festivals, and the 'tribute' that their families send in continuously to maintain their dignity in the palace—all this gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings—what a terrifying fortune that is!"
"These riches are scattered throughout the various palaces; they are their private property. Aside from rewarding their servants or competing with each other, this money is just dead money, lying dormant in chests!"
Xiao Che was given a completely new perspective by her words. He seemed to have vaguely grasped something, but it wasn't very clear.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Lin Wanwan knew the time was right. She then presented her most crucial and revolutionary idea.
"Your Majesty, although the national treasury is empty, the harem is not poor! What we lack now is not money, but a way to make this 'dead money' circulate and make it 'generate money'!"
"What we need is the 'first pot of gold' to start all of this!"
Xiao Che's breathing quickened slightly at that moment. He was captivated by Lin Wanwan's energetic words and pressed her for an answer: "You mean..."
A most direct and brutal thought flashed through his mind.
"...Robbed the harem?"
Upon hearing this straightforward answer, Lin Wanwan couldn't help but burst out laughing.
She looked at the emperor before her, who was making the serious suggestion to "confiscate their property," and shook her head with a smile.
Her eyes shone with a brilliant light as dazzling as diamonds, a light that seemed to make the entire empty treasure vault pale in comparison.
“No,” she looked at him, her voice carrying a hint of mystery and pride, “it’s even more sophisticated than confiscating property.”
She paused, then slowly and deliberately uttered that groundbreaking term—a term powerful enough to overturn the financial concepts of this era:
"Your Majesty, you've heard of..."
"...'Royal Women's Bank'?"
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