"According to old practice, a pension is certainly not possible. But the fact remains that the national treasury is empty..."
Xiao Che's slow, deliberate words were like two enormous millstones, trapping the civil and military officials in the Golden Palace, leaving them in a dilemma. On one side was morality, on the other was reality; no matter which side they leaned towards, it seemed impossible to have both.
The Minister of Revenue and the conservative old minister exchanged a glance, both feeling uneasy. They couldn't fathom the young emperor's thoughts. If they said he was considerate of the national treasury, he had clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with old practices; if they said he wanted to generously reward meritorious officials, he had personally admitted that the national treasury was empty.
In the suffocating silence, Xiao Che finally uttered the words that had kept everyone in suspense.
"My beloved ministers," his voice suddenly became deep and solemn, "I believe that for the loyal souls who sacrificed their lives for the country, monetary compensation is only a temporary favor, far from enough to comfort their spirits in heaven, let alone to show the great Liang Dynasty's respect for meritorious officials."
Upon hearing these words, His Highness's military officers immediately straightened their backs, their eyes filled with emotion. His Majesty truly cares for his soldiers!
The civil officials, however, felt a chill run down their spines, realizing the situation was dire. Was His Majesty about to disregard the national treasury and forcibly distribute enormous sums of compensation? What... what were they to do?!
However, Xiao Che's next words completely exceeded everyone's expectations.
He stood up, walked to the side of the steps, and glanced at the officials below, whose expressions varied. In an unprecedented tone, imbued with a sense of sacredness and solemnity, he announced, word by word:
"I intend to select a prime location on the outskirts of Beijing to build a 'Heroes's Park'!"
Martyrs' Park?
The entire court, including Lin Wanwan behind the beaded curtain, was hearing this term for the first time. Everyone looked bewildered and confused.
Xiao Che didn't give them much time to speculate. He continued to explain this epoch-making idea in his loud and clear voice.
"The names of all soldiers who died for our Great Liang in this palace coup, and in all future battles, regardless of their rank, shall be engraved in stone and erected on a monument in the garden for future generations to admire!"
"This garden should be repaired with royal funds, and people should sweep it in all four seasons so that it may enjoy incense offerings forever! Let the world know that the glory of those who shed blood and sacrificed their lives for our Great Liang will last as long as the nation itself!"
boom!
If the term "Martyrs' Park" is still unfamiliar to most people, then these words are like a thunderclap that struck the very core of everyone's mind!
What a magnificent achievement! What an honor!
The names of the fallen soldiers will be engraved on stone tablets, and the royal family will personally offer sacrifices to honor them, ensuring their eternal glory! This is no simple act of compensation; it elevates their achievements to a status almost equal to that of past sages! This is posthumous fame! It is an unparalleled honor that can bring glory to one's ancestors and benefit generations to come!
Your Highness, the military commanders, led by the Minister of War, were trembling with excitement, their eyes glistening with tears! What had they sought in their lives of military service? Wasn't it to achieve merit and make a name for themselves in history? And Your Majesty's move was to allow every ordinary soldier who sacrificed his life for the country to enjoy this honor!
A soldier will die for one who understands him! With such posthumous honor, why worry about soldiers not risking their lives!
However, the shock brought by Xiao Che is far from over.
He paused for a moment, then revealed the most crucial and fatal element of the plan.
"Furthermore, the children of all those who are enshrined in the Martyrs' Garden, regardless of gender, can attend government schools free of charge! Upon graduation, if they demonstrate talent, they will be given priority for official positions under the same conditions!"
Whoosh—!
This time, the entire Golden Palace was in complete uproar!
If establishing a martyrs' park grants posthumous fame and supreme spiritual glory, then this second benefit is a tangible future for descendants that can change the fate of a family!
Free admission to government schools! Priority recruitment as officials!
What does this mean? It means that as long as you die for your country, your child, no matter how poor their background, will have the opportunity to rise in social class! This is equivalent to opening up a stable path for upward mobility for all military families!
This is no longer an open scheme; it's a blatant conspiracy!
It tightly bound the affairs of all the soldiers after their deaths, the future of their children, the royal favor, and the fate of the country together!
At this moment, the Minister of Revenue stopped crying, and the conservative old minister no longer insisted on any "old precedent." They simply stared dumbfounded at the emperor on the dragon throne, speaking eloquently, with only two words remaining in their minds:
Absolutely amazing!
That move was absolutely brilliant!
It not only solved the urgent problem of potentially emptying the national treasury with huge sums of compensation (phased investment is far less stressful than a one-time payment), but also provided soldiers with motivation and satisfaction far exceeding monetary gains through posthumous fame and the future prospects of their descendants—two intangible benefits that far outweigh monetary rewards! They gained fame, won over hearts and minds, and saved money!
Behind the beaded curtain, Lin Wanwan looked down at the shocked expressions on the faces of the officials below, as if their worldviews had been completely shattered, and her smile grew even more smug.
She secretly glanced at the top of Xiao Che's head. Sure enough, there was a chibi-style figure wearing a doctoral cap, enthusiastically cheering, with a line of sparkling text next to it: [Wife's move is brilliant! It saves money and earns fame at the same time! My genius wife! .jpg]
Seeing this meme, Lin Wanwan almost burst out laughing. This plan, of course, was something she had carefully considered last night and passed on to Xiao Che through a "secret code." She had simply repackaged the modern concepts of "martyrs' cemeteries" and "preferential treatment for military families" in a way that was understandable in this era; she hadn't expected the effect to be so outstanding.
While the entire court was still reeling from the shock, the Minister of War could no longer contain his excitement.
With a thud, this stalwart old general knelt down on the spot, facing the dragon throne, tears welling in his eyes, and cried out in a hoarse voice:
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty's grace is boundless! Such great favor is truly a blessing for the millions of soldiers of our Great Liang! This old minister... On behalf of all my comrades-in-arms, I kowtow to express my gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"
After saying that, he slammed his head heavily against the cold, hard gold brick.
His actions served as a signal. All of His Highness's military officers, regardless of rank, knelt down in unison!
"Your Majesty, we kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace! Long live the Emperor!"
The heartfelt shouts, choked with emotion and filled with excitement, resonated in every corner of the Golden Palace with unprecedented sincerity and fervor.
Faced with this situation, the civil officials who had originally wanted to find fault with the details were completely speechless.
They knew that from this day forward, the young emperor's prestige within the army would reach an unshakeable peak. There would be no longer any reason to shake the military's absolute loyalty to the royal family.
Xiao Che looked at the kneeling generals below, a satisfied expression on his face. He raised his hand, signaling them to rise.
The issue of compensation has now been perfectly resolved.
However, just when everyone thought the matter had been settled, an untimely voice rang out again.
It was that same conservative Imperial Censor.
He had recovered from his shock by now. Although he was also impressed by the brilliance of the plan, as a censor, it was his instinct to find fault.
He stepped forward tremblingly, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, this plan... this plan is good, but... building a 'Heroes's Garden' is not something that can be done in a day; establishing official schools will also cost a huge amount of money. I don't know... I don't know where this money will come from?"
The moment this question was raised, the previously excited Golden Palace instantly cooled down.
Yes, the plan is good, but it still can't avoid the most fundamental problem—money.
If such a grand promise is made but there's no money to deliver, wouldn't that be a huge joke?
The Minister of War, who had just been moved to tears, felt his heart sink again.
As if by prior arrangement, everyone's gaze once again focused on the dragon throne and... what lay behind the beaded curtain.
They were beginning to sense that the true leader in the court today might not be His Majesty on the dragon throne, but rather the Empress behind the phoenix throne.
Faced with this sharp questioning, Xiao Che remained completely calm, even displaying a confident smile on his face.
Just now, he had received the latest instructions from his "mastermind."
He slowly picked up another prepared memorial from the dragon table and gently tossed it downwards.
"You have a good question, my dear minister."
He looked at the Imperial Censor, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"I was just about to discuss with my ministers the question of where 'money' comes from."
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