The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was as heavy as iron.
Regent Xiao Yuan's plea to "share the nation's burdens" was like three heavy shackles, firmly binding Xiao Che's neck, leaving him in a dilemma and making even breathing difficult.
Inside the grand hall, you could hear a pin drop. All eyes darted back and forth between the Emperor on the dragon throne and the Regent kneeling in the center of the hall. It was a silent struggle, a life-or-death duel concerning the future of the empire.
Xiao Che's fingernails had dug deep into the flesh of his palms, the sharp pain keeping him conscious to the last vestiges of his consciousness. He knew he absolutely could not lose his composure at this moment, much less directly refute the Regent.
That would only solidify his reputation as a "tyrant," which was exactly what Xiao Yuan wanted.
He had to find a way to break the deadlock, a reason that could both delay the inevitable and maintain the dignity of an emperor.
Under the suffocating gazes of the entire court, Xiao Che slowly loosened his clenched fists and leaned back on the dragon throne. He forcibly suppressed the raging anger within him, his face displaying a complex expression that was both gratified and somewhat heavy.
"Uncle's benevolence is a blessing for our Great Liang and for its people." His voice sounded calm and even, yet it carried a hint of imperial majesty. "Uncle's leading by example is very comforting to me. However... disaster relief is a matter of great importance, as it affects everything."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials below, finally settling on an elderly minister in the ranks, his hair and beard completely white, who was currently sweating profusely.
"Minister Wang."
When Wang Chengen, the Minister of Revenue, heard the emperor call his name, he trembled violently and almost scrambled out of the ranks, kneeling on the ground, his voice shaking like a leaf in the wind: "Your...your old minister is here!"
"I ask you," Xiao Che's voice became deep and powerful, "that several prefectures in Jiangnan have suffered a major disaster, with hundreds of thousands of victims. How much money and grain needs to be allocated for relief? How much silver can the national treasury currently provide for disaster relief?"
He's using this as a delaying tactic.
The ball was passed to the Ministry of Revenue.
No matter how grand the Regent's plans may be, they will ultimately come down to one fundamental issue—money.
As long as the Ministry of Revenue has the funds, he has a reason to take control of the disaster relief efforts and, under the pretext that "the national treasury is full and there is no need for assistance from the imperial clan," legitimately reject Xiao Yuan's malicious requests.
However, Xiao Che never imagined that his seemingly ingenious move would actually push him further down a precipice.
Minister of Revenue Wang Chengen knelt on the cold floor tiles, feeling a chill run from his knees to the top of his head. As he listened to the emperor's question, his wrinkled old face instantly lost all color, becoming even paler than the white jade railings outside the Golden Palace.
How much silver can the national treasury provide?
This problem is worse than making him commit suicide on the spot!
He opened his mouth, making a series of hoarse sounds, but couldn't utter a single word. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, quickly soaking his court robes.
Seeing his reaction, all the officials felt a chill in their hearts, and an ominous premonition enveloped them.
Xiao Che's brows furrowed tightly, and his voice suddenly turned stern: "Minister Wang! I'm asking you a question! How much money and grain is left in the national treasury?!"
This sharp shout, like a thunderclap, finally jolted Wang Chengen back to his senses. He shuddered violently, banged his head on the ground, and cried out in a mournful voice:
"Reporting to Your Majesty... the national treasury... the national treasury..."
He choked up for a long time, and finally, as if using all his strength, he almost roared out:
"The national treasury...is out of money!!"
Boom!!!
These words caused an uproar throughout the entire Golden Palace!
"What?!"
"No money? How could that be!"
"Minister Wang, do you know that this is the crime of deceiving the emperor!"
The voices of doubt, exclamations, and disbelief instantly merged into a huge wave of sound, almost lifting the roof off the Golden Palace!
A great nation, a seemingly prosperous and powerful empire, its treasury is actually... empty?!
This is absolutely ridiculous!
Sitting on the dragon throne, Xiao Che felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, a buzzing in his brain, and he almost fainted on the spot.
Although he had already learned the truth about the empty national treasury through Lin Wanwan, the immense humiliation and shock he felt when this fact was revealed so brutally in front of the entire court was still unbearable!
Wang Chengen was now in tears. He tremblingly pulled a memorial from his robes, which was presented to him by a eunuch. Sobbing, he said, "Your Majesty, this is the latest summary of the accounts from the Ministry of Revenue... The national treasury now has only... only 130,000 taels of silver left. This amount of silver is not enough to support the massive disaster relief efforts in the southern provinces, let alone to cover the monthly salaries and expenses of the various ministries in the capital!"
One hundred and thirty thousand taels!
This number was like a resounding slap in the face to every official of the Great Liang present, and also to Emperor Xiao Che!
The entire Golden Palace fell into a deathly silence once again. But this time, the silence was not due to shock, but to a profound sense of absurdity and shame.
Just then, a sigh filled with shock and sorrow broke the awkward silence.
Regent Xiao Yuan, who had been kneeling on the ground, slowly stood up. He first looked at the Minister of Revenue in disbelief, then his face showed an expression of grief more intense than if his own father had died.
"It has come to this...it has come to this!" He beat his chest and stamped his feet, looking up to the sky and sighing, "In the hundred years since the founding of our Great Liang Dynasty, when have we ever been in such dire straits? The national treasury is so empty, what will become of the hundreds of thousands of disaster victims in Jiangnan? What will become of all the people under heaven!"
His performance was flawless. His heartbroken expression and sincere concern for the country moved many officials present, who even began to reflect on whether the emperor's extravagant lifestyle had led to the current situation.
Then, he changed the subject, his gaze fixed intently on Xiao Che on the dragon throne, his face bearing an air of righteous indignation.
"Your Majesty!" he said loudly, his voice full of power, "Since the national treasury is empty, then it is all the more appropriate for a member of the royal family like me, with a wealthy background, to take charge of the situation!"
He patted his chest and declared with great pride:
"The nation is facing a difficult situation, and your humble servant is willing to share Your Majesty's burdens! Your humble servant is willing to immediately donate 300,000 taels of silver from your family's estate to set an example for disaster relief, so as to reassure the hearts of the people!"
"Whoosh—"
If the Minister of Revenue's words were a thunderclap, then the Regent's "generosity" at this moment is a torrential downpour!
The entire court was completely won over by the regent's "benevolence and righteousness"!
The national treasury was practically empty, yet the regent was willing to personally donate 300,000 taels of silver!
What a magnanimous spirit! What a magnificent character!
In stark contrast, the pale-faced, silent young emperor on the dragon throne appeared utterly incompetent and embarrassed.
In that instant, public opinion completely and overwhelmingly sided with the Regent!
"Your Highness is benevolent and righteous!"
"Your Majesty, please grant my request! Only the Prince can turn the tide!"
The voices supporting the Regent quickly grew from a small spark into a prairie fire, resounding throughout the entire Golden Palace.
Xiao Che swayed slightly from the impact of the sound wave.
He was cornered on the edge of a cliff, with no way out.
Looking down at his uncle, who had a "righteous" face but was actually extremely hypocritical, and seeing the undisguised, victorious smile on his face, he felt an uncontrollable anger and despair surging wildly from the bottom of his heart!
Behind the screen, Lin Wanwan subconsciously looked up at the area of emojis above Xiao Che's head.
At that moment, she saw a scene that made her heart stop.
There, all the dark clouds and all the icons have disappeared.
Instead, there was a huge, glaring, blood-red warning sign!
On the warning sign, several large characters engulfed in flames were flashing and jumping wildly, as if issuing the most piercing alarm—
[Urgent! .gif]
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