Immediately, all the officials and civil servants fell silent.
Some of the bolder ones even glanced at Emperor Jingyuan's expression, but seeing that he had no expression, they lowered their heads again.
At this moment, Prince An also fell silent.
Between the common people and the crown prince who is not in mortal danger, which is more important?
Everyone knows the answer.
But nobody says it.
During the Little Ice Age, temperatures would drop dramatically, freezing many people and livestock to death, and food supplies would also decrease sharply.
Without sufficient food, the Great Yan Kingdom could easily descend into turmoil, and in severe cases, be destroyed.
The key issue is that they don't know how long the Little Ice Age will last.
Now the ministers are all starting to stockpile grain!
Don't assume everyone is being discreet; in reality, everyone knows what's going on, they just haven't said anything.
For a moment, a somber atmosphere filled the entire hall.
Emperor Jingyuan also felt the urgency of the situation.
"Minister Shen, how much silver can the Ministry of Revenue mobilize?"
"Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty. The Ministry of Revenue has exhausted all its resources and can only raise 660,000 taels of silver."
What? That's all? That's not enough!
Before Emperor Jingyuan could speak, Shen Mingzhu's scream rang out.
[Guagua, His Majesty is so poor!]
Emperor Jingyuan: ...He won't hold a grudge against a young girl!
[Host, what do you think! During the summer flood season, the dikes in Jiangnan were destroyed, and the Ministry of Revenue has allocated a large sum of money for repairs. Unfortunately, they don't know that despite the huge amount of money being spent, it's still a shoddy project!]
[They've embezzled again!]
Bingo! You got it right!
At this moment, the person in charge of the construction department was covered in sweat!
He's finished!
Emperor Jingyuan's sharp eyes shot over, and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, who was directly in charge, trembled and shook.
[Guagua, why is that official shaking? He has Parkinson's!]
[Host, he's the official in charge of building the dikes in Jiangnan this year. He probably got this illness from doing too many bad things!]
Come on, Guagua, let's see what kind of gossip he has!
[Wow! Host, he's so rich! A prefect earns 100,000 taels of silver a year, that's absolutely crazy!]
The entire court: What are you talking about?!
But they are very honest and upright!
They devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the future of the Great Yan Dynasty, working tirelessly until their deaths.
[Host, let me tell you, that Parkinson's official is named Xiao Zhengjie. He works in the Ministry of Works. Over the years, wherever there's a construction project, he gets involved and profits handsomely. He's the richest man in the entire Ministry! Wow! So much gold, a dazzling expanse of gold!]
[We've struck it rich!]
Shen Mingzhu's voice echoed in the silent hall, so clear and melodious, lingering in everyone's ears for a long time.
Xiao Zhengjie knelt down in the main hall with a thud.
"Your Majesty, this old minister is innocent!"
[Guagua, what crime did he commit?]
[Host, I don't know!]
It was so focused on looking at the gold that the whole room was almost blinding the system!
A golden house!
How greedy!
Xiao Zhengjie wanted to say something more, but Pei Siyan stepped forward and covered his mouth. He was then dragged away by the arriving Imperial Guards!
When they reached the entrance of the main hall, Xiao Zhengjie stared at Shen Mingzhu with bloodshot eyes, wishing he could throw a knife at her and kill her!
It's all her fault!
She never attends court properly, she just spends all her time gossiping!
Other ministers: How rich is Vice Minister Xiao!
Minister of Revenue Shen Changyuan: Is it as much as the silver in the national treasury?
The national treasury is empty; my daughter is here to save the day!
To be honest, even Emperor Jingyuan at the head of the table was curious about how much money a vice minister of the Ministry of Works could embezzle!
Judging from Shen Mingzhu's screams, there must have been quite a few!
[Wow, host, so much gold! We're rich! The whole room is full!]
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhu knew she had to retrieve the gold from the golden house before the emperor and his men discovered it!
[Yay! I'm rich!]
[Second Brother, Third Brother should come back soon! When they do, we will send all the supplies to the north to buy provisions for the Xie family army, so the soldiers can be well-fed and have the strength to fight the barbarians and march straight to their capital!]
Emperor Jingyuan: Thank you! You're so devoted to killing the Hu people!
Soon, Qin Zhao, the commander of the Imperial Guard, led his men to the Xiao residence.
The sudden summons of the Imperial Guards to the Xiao residence caused quite a stir; even before the court session ended, the entire city of Shengjing knew about it.
Especially Xie Qinghuan, Shen's mother, was constantly filled with anxiety.
She was thinking about Shen Mingzhu.
I'm so afraid something might happen to her!
Meanwhile, Shen Mingzhu, who was being worried, was having a lively chat with the gossip system.
[Guagua, what do you think about me petitioning the emperor to let my second and third brothers return to the capital for a family reunion as soon as possible? I miss them!]
[Host, isn't this a bit problematic? They're now the Zhenbei Army; if they return to the capital early, the others will be unhappy!]
Who is dissatisfied?
All the officials: We all agree.
[Host, you should submit your memorial. We'll see if Emperor Jingyuan approves it.]
[He should approve it, after all, I'm the Crown Princess now, attending court in my husband's place, essentially acting as the Crown Prince's representative. I didn't complain about being given a sixth-rank official position! Besides, it's my first time submitting a memorial, so I shouldn't lose face. Moreover, I didn't make any unreasonable demands; I'll visit the Crown Prince at the Eastern Palace often!]
[Host, you can give it a try!]
Give it a try!
All the officials and civil and military officials were waiting for Shen Mingzhu to present her memorial.
Shen Mingzhu quickly straightened her clothes and stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report!"
"Minister Shen, please speak."
"Your Majesty, the north is bitterly cold, and every autumn during the harvest season, the barbarians attack. Now that the harvest is over, Advisor Shen Qingzhan and General Shen Qinglan of Ningyuan should return to the capital to prepare for winter supplies. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow them to return to the capital ahead of schedule to learn how to cultivate sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes grown in my home can also be donated to the Zhenbei Army as soon as possible, so that the soldiers and people of the north can enjoy a better life sooner."
[Guagua, is it okay if I say this? I feel like I have ulterior motives!]
[It should work, right? The host is the best!]
The entire court: Uh…
Lord Shen practically told me outright to let my second and third brothers return to the capital, as the sweet potatoes we grow are meant for the Zhenbei Army.
Shen Changyuan stood in the front row with incredibly thick skin; she knew Emperor Jingyuan would agree.
"Granted! Summon Shen Qinglan and Shen Qingzhan back to the capital immediately!"
[La la la, great, Guagua! I get to see my second and third brothers again! When they get back, I'll make them teach Shen Qingbo a lesson! Humph!]
The ministers looked at Shen Changyuan and thought, "It seems your fourth son has offended this little tyrant."
At this moment, Shen Qingbo was unaware that he had offended someone and was comforting Shen Jiaojiao at her Chunfeng Courtyard!
"Jiaojiao, don't be angry. Your crying breaks my heart!"
Shen Jiaojiao looked utterly aggrieved, a small pearl hanging on her eyelashes, seemingly about to fall, making her look incredibly charming.
"Fourth Brother, have you forgotten about me now that you have Mingzhu? After all, she is your own sister."
"How could that be? Jiaojiao! You are the sister that my eldest brother and I personally adopted. You are special in our hearts. Don't take it to heart by Mingzhu. Just stay at home and be a good young lady of the Marquis's mansion. No one will dare to bully you. Your brothers will protect you!"
"Fourth Brother~~~"
"Jiaojiao~~~"