"National affairs should be discussed and decided by you and me, husband and wife!"
Xiao Che's domineering and unquestionable declaration was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves throughout the Golden Palace and triggering a violent ideological earthquake in the hearts of all the civil and military officials.
Shock, astonishment, bewilderment, absurdity... countless emotions swirled and churned in the hearts of the officials. They looked at the cold-faced young emperor on the dragon throne, and couldn't help but steal glances at the blurry yet noble phoenix figure behind the beaded curtain beside him. For a moment, not a single person dared to utter a word.
Oppose? On what grounds? On ancestral rules?
This emperor has already overthrown the regent and the empress dowager, and has even done something unprecedented like offering the empire as a dowry. Would he care about a mere ancestral rule that "the empress dowager must not interfere in politics"?
Agree? Who would dare agree? This is blatantly supporting the Empress's interference in politics. If it were recorded in history books in the future, wouldn't I become a treacherous minister who started the disaster of the Empress's relatives?
An eerie silence fell over the entire imperial palace. Everyone kept their eyes down, pretending to be timid and waiting for the first sign of trouble.
Xiao Che seemed quite satisfied with the effect. Ignoring the complex thoughts in the minds of his officials, he sat down directly on the dragon throne and spoke coldly in an unquestionable tone:
"My beloved ministers, rise. Let us proceed with the meeting."
He said this so matter-of-factly, as if the appearance of an extra phoenix chair beside the throne was nothing out of the ordinary.
The officials had no choice but to suppress the turmoil in their hearts, bow in gratitude, and stand up shakily.
The morning assembly began in an unprecedentedly eerie atmosphere.
The first to step forward was the newly appointed Minister of Revenue. This old man had rendered great service in protecting the national treasury during the palace coup, but now he looked worried and on the verge of tears.
"Your Majesty," he bowed and reported, "during the palace coup, our Liang soldiers suffered heavy casualties while protecting the capital. Although the rebellion has been quelled, the matter of providing relief and compensation is of utmost urgency!"
As he spoke, he actually pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped his eyes, and his voice trembled with tears: "Yesterday, I inspected the national treasury. Although I confiscated a considerable amount of property from the traitors, the treasury has been depleted for many years, and everything needs to be rebuilt. Money is needed everywhere. Repairing the palaces requires money, reorganizing the Imperial Guards requires money, and comforting the frightened people in the capital requires money... Every penny must be used wisely! If the compensation is too heavy, I fear... I fear it will shake the foundation of the nation!"
The Minister of Revenue's tearful plea for poverty immediately resonated with some officials.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a white-haired censor, known for his prudence and conservatism, stepped forward to echo his sentiments.
"Your Majesty, Minister Wang's words are quite right!" the old censor said with a sorrowful expression. "The soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country should certainly be generously compensated. However, the nation is facing difficulties, and we must also be understanding. In my humble opinion, it would be better to temporarily follow the old practice and issue three months' salary as a form of compensation. In this way, we will not discourage the meritorious officials, and we can also preserve the national treasury for future needs. This is a win-win solution, and I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully!"
These words sound grand and noble, seemingly showing concern for the country in every way, but in reality, they boil down to one word—stinginess.
Lin Wanwan sat behind the beaded curtain, seeing everything clearly. Holding the tea served by a palace maid, she looked down at the group of ministers, each with their own thoughts, through the hazy gaps in the beaded curtain.
She knew that this first issue was the beginning of the test.
Post-war compensation, seemingly a matter of money, is in fact a matter of great importance concerning the hearts and minds of the people. If the families of those soldiers who shed blood and sacrificed their lives for the emperor are not properly settled, who will be willing to risk their lives for the royal family in the future?
But the fact remains that the national treasury is empty. It's like a dead end, a dilemma.
She could feel Xiao Che's aura deepen slightly beside her. A suppressed anger was brewing within him.
Xiao Che valued the morale of his troops above all else; he had personally witnessed how his soldiers had fallen in pools of blood to protect him. Now, hearing this old minister suggest that those loyal souls be appeased with a mere three months' salary, he could barely contain his murderous intent.
He was about to speak up in rebuttal, or even lash out, and drag this pedantic old minister out to be flogged in court.
"despair."
A crisp, very faint sound came clearly from behind the beaded curtain beside him.
That was the sound of the teacup lid hitting the body of the cup.
It wasn't too big, nor too small; just big enough for him to hear it all by himself.
This was the signal they had agreed upon last night.
A soft sound signifies "agreement" or "stay put."
The thunderous rage that Xiao Che was about to unleash was instantly extinguished by the soft sound. He was slightly taken aback, but immediately understood.
He suppressed his anger, and his once cold and sharp gaze regained its imperial composure. He didn't lash out, but instead, following the old minister's words, asked calmly:
"Oh? In your opinion, what constitutes 'old practice'? During the palace coup, the victims ranged from first-rank generals to ordinary soldiers. Were there any differences in the compensation standards? Has the Ministry of Revenue estimated the total amount of money required?"
His series of calm and professional questions left the Imperial Censor, who was prepared to deliver a rousing speech, speechless. He had only mentioned it casually and hadn't thought about so many details.
The Minister of Revenue, who was prepared to face the Emperor's wrath, was also taken aback, not expecting the Emperor's reaction to be so calm.
Lin Wanwan smiled silently from behind the curtain.
She secretly glanced up at the top of Xiao Che's head. There, a pixelated figure was wearing headphones, with a "keep talking, I'm listening" expression on his face. Next to him, a line of small text floated: [Wife, this old man knows how to play the poor card, listen to this first.gif]
really!
Lin Wanwan understood. Xiao Che wasn't agreeing at all; he was clearly creating an opportunity for her to hear the bottom line and logic of these old fogies, while actually waiting for her to provide a final solution.
This unspoken understanding and tacit agreement filled Lin Wanwan with a strange sense of sweetness and control.
So this is what "working together on the same screen" feels like. He draws all the attention in front of the camera, while she strategizes behind the scenes. They are husband and wife, but more importantly, they are comrades-in-arms fighting side by side.
Your Highness, the Minister of Revenue and the Grand Censor were sweating profusely from Xiao Che's questioning, stammering as they began to search their memories and calculate data. The atmosphere in the court had shifted from the tense standoff to a tedious discussion about specific amounts of silver.
Some officials who had initially wanted to echo this view, seeing that the tide was turning against them, also kept quiet and chose to wait and see.
Time passed slowly, and just as the Minister of Revenue finally sorted out the messy accounts, and the old censor was once again preparing to conclude the matter on the grounds that "frugality is the foundation of the country," and to settle the matter with the least amount of money.
Everyone assumed that the debate over compensation would end with a resolution on "frugality." After all, the national treasury was indeed short of funds, a fact that no one could refute.
However, at that moment, a sound came again from behind the silent beaded curtain.
It wasn't the soft sound of a teacup lid.
Instead, it was the sound of three fingers gently tapping on the smooth armrest of the chair.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The sound was also very soft, but the rhythm was distinct, carrying an undeniable presence.
This is the second signal they agreed upon – I have a new plan.
Xiao Che, who had maintained a blank expression and patiently listened, had a barely perceptible smile on his lips the moment he heard the three taps.
He knew that his queen, his "simultaneous interpreter," had completed all the information reception and analysis.
Now, it's his turn as the "spokesperson" to present a completely new plan to the entire court, one that will shock everyone.
He cleared his throat, interrupting the Minister of Revenue's lengthy statement, and slowly began to speak in a tone that was somewhat playful and inscrutable:
"According to old practice, a pension is certainly not possible. But the fact remains that the national treasury is empty..."
He glanced at the old ministers below who had instantly perked up their ears, paused deliberately to make everyone's hearts leap into their throats, and then slowly dropped the bombshell that Lin Wanwan had carefully prepared, a bombshell that was enough to change the entire military merit compensation system of the Great Liang Dynasty.
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