Chapter 33

The Grand Summer Palace.

The Heavenly Heart Hall.

The hall was lit with dragon oil, emitting a faint fragrance.

At this moment.

The hall was quiet.

It was late at night, and the entire capital of the Grand Summer Dynasty was unusually quiet, everything seemed extremely strange.

"Why?"

In front of the jade desk, Emperor Yongsheng's face was slightly cold as he looked at the Minister of Rites, Yang Kai, and issued a question.

"Your Majesty."

"Gu Family's power is overwhelming, and they command the Divine Feather Army. Within the clan, six sons have been ennobled and appointed as ministers, including the commander of the capital's gates and the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice. Now, with the favor of the heavens, it is difficult to ensure that the Gu Family will not have ulterior motives."

"Please, Your Majesty, think carefully."

Yang Kai spoke, fearless of everything, offering sincere advice.

It was precisely because of these words that the Minister of War, Li Shan, and the Minister of Revenue, Zhou Changjiang, both changed their expressions.

Even the eunuch Wei Xian beside Emperor Yongsheng revealed a look of shock in his eyes.

Who in the Grand Summer Dynasty did not know about the Gu Family's power?

But the Gu Family's power was earned through repeated choices and military achievements, without any投机取巧 (cheating or taking shortcuts).

They were true loyalists; otherwise, they would not have been granted the title of "Guarding the Nation."

Now, with the heavenly mandate, directly revoking their military power is too sharp.

Undoubtedly, it would lead to a direct confrontation between Your Majesty and the Gu Family.

Everyone in the Grand Summer Dynasty was closely watching the emperor's every move, a single word or thought could lead to countless events.

If the military power is revoked, it can be guaranteed that the thoughts of all the officials would become active, and when the time comes, it would result in some undesirable consequences, truly causing a headache.

Therefore, in front of the jade desk, Emperor Yongsheng spoke.

"Ridiculous."

"Minister Gu followed the founding emperor to establish the Grand Summer Dynasty, a founding minister who has made great contributions to the Grand Summer Dynasty, and also joined me in the Jian德 (Jiande) crisis, purifying the Grand Summer Dynasty."

"I granted Minister Gu the title of 'Guarding the Nation' because of his loyalty to the nation, and the heavens bestowed the heavenly mandate precisely because of this, which is an indisputable fact."

"Minister Yang, I know you have always been at odds with the Gu Family, especially in recent days, I can understand you."

"But as the Minister of Rites, how dare you speak such nonsense? If it spreads, won't it put me in an unjust position?"

Emperor Yongsheng spoke.

His eyes were full of anger, but his words were somewhat strange.

The last sentence made people ponder.

Put me in an unjust position?

He did not blame Yang Kai for speaking nonsense, nor did he deny that Yang Kai's words were wrong, but rather believed that Yang Kai's behavior would put him in an unjust position.

Can it be understood that if a different method is used, one that does not make the emperor be criticized by the world, can action be taken against the Gu Family?

The emperor's words are always ambiguous.

Whether or not, it needs to be pondered, and if pondered correctly, it can lead to a promotion in disguise; if not, one can go home to farm in peace.

But no matter what, one cannot act on one's own, otherwise, the consequences will be dire.

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

"My words are for the court, with no personal motives."

"As for the Gu Family's grievances, I do not care about children's squabbles."

"The Gu Family has become a towering tree, and now that the Marquis of Guarding the Nation has received the heavenly mandate, I hope it is because of his loyalty."

"But throughout history, ministers have usurped the throne, and generals have rebelled, and such events have never ceased, especially..."

Yang Kai continued to speak, word by word.

But halfway through, a loud noise erupted.

Bang.

On the jade desk, Emperor Yongsheng slammed his hand down, shattering the jade table and causing a loud noise.

"Ridiculous."

"Yang Kai."

"You are too arrogant."

"I have always respected the Marquis of Guarding the Nation. During the Jiande crisis, the treacherous ministers in the court were willing to recruit the Marquis with a foreign king's title, and the Marquis had countless opportunities to capture me."

"But the Marquis did not do so."

"Now that the new dynasty has been established, you are speculating without evidence, accusing him of a fabricated crime, and still dare to say there is no personal grudge?"

Emperor Yongsheng spoke.

His voice was loud, scolding Yang Kai.

It gave the impression that he deeply trusted the Marquis of Guarding the Nation.

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Minister Yang is only worried for Your Majesty."

"Please forgive Minister Yang for his frank words."

At this moment, Zhou Changjiang's voice sounded. He was the Minister of Revenue and naturally stepped forward to mediate.

But Li Shan, the Minister of War, remained silent.

He had once served under the old Lord Gu and would have spoken up long ago if not for the emperor's anger.

Now, hearing the emperor scold Yang Kai, he was pleased.

In the hall.

Yang Kai remained silent, his attitude still clear.

And Emperor Yongsheng did not continue the topic, but slowly said.

"In the future, if there is no evidence, do not speculate here."

"Otherwise, I will not forgive you."

Emperor Yongsheng spoke, sternly warning.

Then, he looked at Yang Kai and continued.

"Yang Kai."

"The Grand Summer Academy, I have entrusted it entirely to Mr. Wenjing. In the future, if there are no other matters, you do not need to be involved."

"Next, focus on compiling the Grand Summer Canon, which is the most important matter in the court."

"Furthermore, the Grand Summer Literary Assembly must also be organized. This is one of the grand events of the dynasty, and I want the world to pay attention. The required funds will be allocated from the Ministry of Revenue."

"Do you understand?"

Emperor Yongsheng looked at Yang Kai and said.

His tone had calmed down, without any of the previous ferocity.

"Your subject understands."

Yang Kai nodded, not continuing to speak.

But Zhou Changjiang's voice immediately sounded.

"Your Majesty."

"Your subject also has something to report."

Zhou Changjiang spoke and handed over the memorial.

The emperor took the memorial and read it carefully, his brows furrowing after a moment.

"Your Majesty."

"Currently, the floods in the two rivers are severe, suspected to be caused by monsters. The areas along the river are suffering greatly, and if not prevented, it could lead to a major disaster."

"This can still be controlled, but if another mistake occurs, the flood disaster will spread to Jiangning Prefecture, which will be a huge problem."

Zhou Changjiang spoke.

He mentioned a matter.

Floods.

The Grand Summer Dynasty appeared prosperous, but in reality, there were countless disasters every year.

Although there was assistance from the Immortal Sects, natural disasters were difficult to resist, especially when involving monsters, which made it even more troublesome.

"Minister Zhou."

"I will issue an imperial edict, ordering the Lantern Corps to investigate the areas along the river. If there are indeed monsters, immediately gather the Immortal Sects to suppress them."

"However, as a precaution, let Jiangning Prefecture prepare grain and supplies, transport them into the city, and if a flood occurs, immediately open the granaries to distribute grain, with the people's well-being as the priority."

Emperor Yongsheng spoke, issuing the edict.

But upon hearing this, Zhou Changjiang's face showed difficulty.

"Your Majesty."

"If we prepare the grain and supplies, I estimate it will require at least fifty million silver taels."

"And this can only ensure that the people within the city are not affected by the disaster."

"Once a flood occurs, the people from the nineteen surrounding prefectures will flood in."

"Therefore, we need to prepare four times the supplies, to be transported to Jiangning City, which will require two hundred million silver taels."

Zhou Changjiang spoke, informing the current situation.

Mentioning the silver, Emperor Yongsheng's face turned somewhat unpleasant.

Although he had been diligently governing for twelve years, the country was generally prosperous, but the biggest problem was the lack of funds in the treasury.

It was not due to anything else, but mainly because after the Jiande crisis, to demonstrate the virtue of a wise ruler, he had waived taxes numerous times over the past twelve years.

Using the most practical method to win the hearts of the people.

This led to the current situation.

"How much silver is left in the treasury?"

Emperor Yongsheng asked.

"Your Majesty, there are barely fifty million silver taels. If we only prepare for the flood in Jiangning Prefecture, it would be sufficient, but compiling the Grand Summer Canon and repairing the palace, as well as preparing for the Grand Summer Literary Assembly, require a large amount of money."

"Furthermore, some funds cannot be allocated at will to maintain the operation of the court, so we can only barely allocate fifty million silver taels."

"Your Majesty, I believe that early warning is the most important. The grand ceremony and the literary assembly can be postponed."

Zhou Changjiang spoke, proposing his idea.

Compiling the grand ceremony and the literary assembly are face-saving projects for the dynasty, and delaying them a bit is not a big issue.

Early warning is the key.

If a flood really occurs and the food problem is not solved in time, the troubles will be endless, and the losses will be catastrophic.

But Emperor Yongsheng did not respond.

He remained silent, pondering.

After a moment, he gave his answer.

"What is the likelihood of the flood spreading to Jiangning Prefecture?"

He asked.

"Natural disasters are unpredictable, but from the current situation, at least thirty percent, and the danger is great."

Zhou Changjiang did not give a direct answer. This kind of matter cannot be spoken lightly. If he is right, it's fine, but if he is wrong, it will be troublesome.

He cannot understate or exaggerate, as transporting so many supplies and grain to the area, if it turns out to be a false alarm, will waste a significant amount, which is a huge number.

If he is wrong, his position as Minister of Revenue will be at risk.

But if it really happens and he does not advise in time, it will be a major problem.

So, it's best to be moderate, saying what needs to be said, and leaving the decision to you.

Indeed.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongsheng's face became even more serious.

After a moment, he spoke.

"Allocate one hundred million silver taels from the treasury to prepare the grain and transport it to Jiangning Prefecture."

"The compilation of the grand ceremony cannot be delayed, nor can the literary assembly."

"I remember that in one month, the autumn harvest will begin. At that time, the Ministry of Revenue will issue an edict to have the two prefectures near Jiangning Prefecture transport half of their grain taxes to Jiangning Prefecture, as a precaution."

"Also, delay the grain tax in Jiangning Prefecture for half a year until the flood subsides."

Emperor Yongsheng gave his answer.

This solution was