"Wanwan, tomorrow, we'll convene a meeting of the core cabinet members for a 'closed-door meeting' with just the few of us."
Xiao Che's solemn words, along with the astonishing emoji above his head, made Lin Wanwan's heart almost stop beating for a moment.
She didn't know how much Xiao Che had guessed or believed. But she knew clearly that he hadn't chosen to confront her directly, but instead used a high-level "closed-door meeting" to give her the highest recognition of her talent, transcending any suspicion based on their status.
This is a silent understanding, a domineering declaration that "no matter who you are, I need you."
Lin Wanwan suppressed the turmoil in her heart, forced herself to remain calm, and nodded, accepting this weighty invitation.
...
The next day, before dawn.
Three inconspicuous blue cloth carriages silently drove out from various corners of the capital and finally stopped outside a secluded corner gate of the imperial city.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and those who stepped out were none other than the three most central figures in the power structure of the Great Liang Dynasty: the newly appointed Prime Minister Chen Xuan, the Minister of Revenue Wang Shouren, and the Minister of War Shen Ce.
These three men—one the head of the civil officials, one in charge of the nation's treasury, and one commanding a million soldiers—were all capable of shaking the Liang Dynasty with a mere stomp of their feet. Yet, at this moment, they were all dressed in ordinary clothes, their expressions solemn, following a young eunuch as they entered the depths of the palace through a secret passage.
When they were finally led to a secret room in the back hall of the Imperial Study, even these three pillars of the nation, who had seen many storms, couldn't help but gasp in shock and were deeply moved!
This secret chamber was clearly the emperor's central meeting place, simply furnished yet exuding an air of authority. However, what shocked them was the arrangement in the center of the chamber.
A dragon throne, representing supreme imperial power, was prominently displayed among them.
And right next to the throne, just half a step away, stood a magnificent phoenix chair with a beaded curtain hanging down!
Phoenix Chair!
It was actually moved into the secret meeting place for such important military and national affairs, and placed alongside the dragon throne!
The three of them were utterly shocked!
They were all exceptional individuals, and they immediately understood the terrifying political signal hidden behind this seemingly simple arrangement, a signal powerful enough to overturn a thousand-year-old tradition!
Yesterday morning at court, His Majesty, holding the Empress's hand, announced that "the husband and wife will discuss state affairs together," which was already a bombshell. And today, he actually moved the phoenix throne directly into the inner chambers of the cabinet, placing it alongside the dragon throne… This is no longer a simple matter of "discussing"; this is an attempt to completely and utterly integrate the Empress into the core of the empire's highest decision-making body!
The three exchanged a glance, each seeing undisguised horror in the other's eyes. They had a feeling that today's secret meeting was likely to discuss a momentous event that could change the future destiny of the Great Liang Dynasty!
Just as their thoughts were racing, another door to the secret room was pushed open.
Emperor Xiao Che strode in, followed by Lin Wanwan, dressed in empress's everyday clothes and with a calm expression.
"My three esteemed ministers, rise and be seated." Xiao Che's voice was devoid of any pleasantries or formalities, getting straight to the point.
After the three were seated, their gazes involuntarily drifted towards the phoenix chair. Lin Wanwan did not sit down, but instead gracefully walked behind the beaded curtain and quietly sat down. The hazy beaded curtain obscured her face, but could not conceal her composed and unhurried demeanor.
Xiao Che did not sit down. He walked directly to the center of the secret room and said bluntly, "I have summoned you three ministers today in secret because of a document concerning the future of our Great Liang."
As he spoke, he handed the copy of the "Five-Year Plan of Daliang" to the three men.
"This is a plan that Her Majesty the Empress has spent several days working on, outlining the development of our Great Liang for the next five years. My three ministers are all pillars of the nation, and I would like to hear your opinions."
As soon as he finished speaking, he stopped talking and handed the floor to the "Empress," indicating that they could begin watching.
Upon hearing this, Chancellor Chen Xuan and his two companions were filled with even greater astonishment and uncertainty. The Empress's plan? And it concerned the fate of the nation? Suppressing their doubts, they quickly opened the document in their hands.
Inside the sealed room, only the rustling sound of turning pages could be heard for a moment.
Like Xiao Che yesterday, the expressions of these three top minds of the empire also underwent a dramatic transformation from calm to surprise, and then to shock, when reading this plan.
They were all pragmatic individuals who had climbed up from the very bottom, and they understood the workings and deep-seated problems of this empire better than anyone else.
When they saw the idea of the "orphanage", Prime Minister Chen Xuan did not think about the waste of money, but rather about the great role this move would play in winning over the hearts of the people and cultivating a new generation of loyalists to the royal family!
When they saw the business plans such as "opening up trade routes between the north and south" and "standardizing weights and measures", Wang Shouren, the Minister of Revenue who was in charge of the treasury, had a bright look in his eyes. He seemed to have already seen the magnificent scene of the national treasury overflowing with tax revenue in the future!
When they saw the detailed military merit compensation system and the army reform plan, Minister of War Shen Ce, a general who had fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, began to breathe heavily. He knew that if this plan could be implemented, the fighting power of the Liang army would be raised to an unprecedented level!
However, after the initial shock came enormous skepticism stemming from traditional thinking.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Chen Xuan was the first to speak. He carefully cupped his hands towards the beaded curtain and said, "This... this 'Shanggong Academy' admits women to school and teaches them various crafts... This... This is probably contrary to the ancient teaching that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, and it will... It will shake the foundations of human ethics!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Wang Shouren, the Minister of Revenue, also raised his concerns: "And these 'national bonds'... borrowing from merchants with the nation's credit, this is... this is tantamount to competing with the people for profit! How can the prestige of the court be used as collateral? What if... what if the project fails and cannot be repaid, then public resentment will boil over, the foundation of the nation will be shaken, and the consequences will be unimaginable!"
The two senior officials' questions were incisive, pointing directly to the two most subversive and risky core elements of the plan.
Although they held reverence in their hearts, they also fulfilled their duties as subjects, bringing what they considered the greatest risks to the forefront.
Xiao Che didn't speak; he simply looked at Lin Wanwan behind the beaded curtain. This was her stage, and he believed in her.
Faced with the questions from these two important imperial officials, Lin Wanwan behind the beaded curtain remained completely calm.
A clear and calm voice slowly rang out, reaching the ears of everyone.
"Prime Minister Chen," she answered the prime minister's question first, "what exactly is meant by 'virtue' in ancient teachings?"
Chen Xuan was taken aback, and subconsciously replied, "Virtue refers to being virtuous, kind, and gentle, and being a good wife and mother."
"Very well." Lin Wanwan's voice was unhurried, yet carried an undeniable logical force. "If a woman can weave finer fabrics to keep everyone warm; if she is knowledgeable in medicine to spare women, children, and the elderly from illness; if she is skilled in mathematics to increase revenue and reduce expenditure for the national treasury... then I ask you, Prime Minister Chen, which is more virtuous: such a woman's contribution to the country, or simply being a good wife and mother?"
She paused, then her voice suddenly rose several decibels: "In my opinion, a woman's talent is not for private use, but for the use of the country! The 'Shanggong Academy' cultivates not resentful women confined to their chambers to compete with men, but pillars of the nation who can contribute to the strength of our great Liang! This is the greatest 'virtue'!"
These words struck Chen Xuan's heart like a resounding bell. He opened his mouth, only to find that his own words of wisdom, which he was so proud of, seemed so narrow-minded in the face of the other party's grand narrative of "serving the country and the people."
Before he could refute, Lin Wanwan turned her gaze to the Minister of Revenue.
"Minister Wang," her voice rang out again, this time filled with the power of data and facts, "I understand your concerns about the risks of 'bonds.' But do you know how much silver our dynasty loses each year due to the flooding of fertile land caused by neglected irrigation systems? And how much tax revenue is lost due to blocked trade routes and unsold goods?"
Without waiting for Wang Shouren's reply, she recited a series of incredibly precise figures. These were all calculated bit by bit from the mountain of memorials to the throne.
“We are losing this money every year! But building water conservancy projects and paving official roads are the foundation for future generations to benefit! If we ‘borrow’ a penny now, we can earn back ten or even a hundred times that amount in the future!”
"As for credit," Lin Wanwan's voice carried a strong sense of confidence, "Is His Majesty's credit, the credit of the Great Liang, inferior to the credit of any bank in the capital? As long as the projects we invest in benefit the country and its people, why wouldn't the people trust us? And why wouldn't merchants across the land lend us money?"
"This is not about competing with the people for profit; it is about 'gathering the wealth of all people to do something that benefits all people!'"
His words were logically clear, based on detailed data, well-reasoned, and thought-provoking!
Wang Shouren, the Minister of Revenue, an old man who had controlled the purse strings of the Liang Dynasty for half his life, felt his mind buzzing. He had spent his entire life thinking about how to "cut costs," but he had never imagined that money could be "generated" in this way!
The meeting gradually transformed from initial skepticism into a heated discussion about the details.
"Your Majesty, regarding the curriculum of the 'Shanggong Academy,' this old minister believes that, in addition to the skills of various crafts, a subject of 'accounting' could be added to specifically train accounting personnel for various ministries and departments..."
"Your Majesty, regarding the issuance of 'bonds,' I suggest that the first tranche be issued using the royal treasury as collateral, to set an example and dispel merchants' doubts..."
"Your Majesty..."
Unbeknownst to them, this secret meeting had completely evolved into a fierce "brainstorming" session led by the Queen!
Through the beaded curtain, Lin Wanwan calmly and composedly answered the detailed questions posed by the empire's top minds. Each of her answers was precise and forward-thinking, leaving the old ministers increasingly astonished and impressed!
They seemed to see a door to a new world being slowly pushed open by this mysterious empress.
The meeting ended late at night.
Xiao Che adjourned the meeting.
However, the three elderly ministers, with their white hair and exhausted appearance, did not leave immediately.
Without prior arrangement, they straightened their clothes and then, facing the beaded curtain, performed a deep and solemn ancient and heartfelt Confucian salute.
The leading prime minister, Chen Xuan, sighed deeply in a voice filled with heartfelt emotion:
"A single conversation with the Empress is worth more than ten years of studying the classics!"
The Minister of Revenue and the Minister of War, their faces also flushed, excitedly echoed:
"Our Great Liang... shall rise!"
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