Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play -
Chapter 90: Asking for Money
Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Asking for Money
Emperor Jianming spoke, but Elder Lin remained silent throughout. Neither Lord Lin nor Mr. Wu dared to stir up further trouble. In the ten years since Emperor Jianming’s ascension, he excelled at playing peacemaker and consistently favored the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. The aristocratic families had long grown accustomed to it.
However, Emperor Jianming thought to himself, the more unruly Xie Xun acted and the more trouble he stirred within the Kyoto Capital Guard, the deeper the rift between the aristocrats and the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion would grow. This was precisely what he relished. If Xie Xun were isolated and unsupported in court, all the better. The more indulgent Emperor Jianming was toward Xie Xun, the more reckless Xie Xun became, and the more the aristocrats came to detest him.
The morning court session was a battlefield of both words and implied threats. When it concluded, the snow fell heavier outside. Marquis An Yuan accompanied Xie Xun as they exited the Jinluan Palace, sharing a teasing smile. "How did your first day in court feel?"
"More exhausting than killing enemies in Ningzhou," Xie Xun replied earnestly.
Laughing heartily, Marquis An Yuan patted his shoulder. "Nephew, don’t be too hasty about the military household reforms. Take your time. We haven’t even touched the appetizers yet—there’s a feast of challenges waiting for you."
Marquis An Yuan departed in high spirits, leaving Xie Xun standing on the palace steps, waiting for Elder Lin. When Lin Cheng emerged and saw him, though they had argued earlier in court, Lin Cheng smiled and said, "Young Marquis, let’s have a drink together tonight if you’re free."
"Sure!" Xie Xun straightened his stance and accepted the invitation. Elder Lin and several other senior officials exited the hall as well, heading toward the Wenyuan Pavilion to discuss further matters.
As the other officials noticed Xie Xun standing tall and graceful in the snow, they tactfully stepped aside to clear the path. Xie Xun approached Elder Lin, offering his arm. "Grandfather, the roads are slippery in the snow. Allow your grandson to assist you."
Just as Elder Lin was about to reply, Mr. Gong rushed out, nearly slipping in his haste, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Elder Lin, wait! Young Marquis, wait!"
Mr. Gong, gasping for breath and adjusting his official hat, wore a pained expression. "Elder Lin, Young Marquis, please have mercy. The Ministry of Revenue truly has no funds to allocate. Spring planting is just around the corner, and it concerns Ningzhou’s military grain supply for the entire year. This is a critical matter—the funds cannot be diverted. With the winter snow disasters, the inner court needs repairs, and the military salaries need to be paid. Where would the money come from? Most of last year’s tax revenues were already sent to Ningzhou. Everyone has been tightening their belts. Even the officials’ salaries have been halved. And yet, the Ministry of Revenue could barely scrape together enough for spring farming!"
Every spring planting and autumn harvest, Mr. Gong’s habitual lament about financial woes was guaranteed. The poor elderly official, now past his fifties, wept over the lack of funds in court and cursed his troubles at home. Being the Minister of Revenue of the Yanyang Dynasty was akin to holding a hot potato. Managing finances required funds, and with an empty treasury, he was forced to constantly devise new ways to extract money from the aristocrats each year.
"What are we to do?" Xie Xun chimed in with exaggerated misery. "I’ve already sold off some ancestral property to cover the accounts of the northern city. Now the Kyoto Capital Guard still needs salaries. Must I sell more ancestral property? If Father returns, he’ll break my legs!"
"Young Marquis, I truly cannot cover your personal debts," Mr. Gong’s eyes reddened with urgency. "Elder Lin, please say something. You’re more familiar with the state of the treasury than anyone else."
Elder Lin, with his faltering steps, snow-white beard, and weary eyes, sighed heavily. "Cut the Forbidden Army Camp’s salaries by half. Use the surplus funds to cover the Kyoto Capital Guard’s accounts, ensuring future salary payments are timely. As for Xie Xun’s personal debt, let the Ministry of Revenue issue a promissory note."
Xie Xun was speechless. "...Grandfather, why are you using my own methods against me?"
Mr. Gong’s mood shifted instantly, a smile breaking across his face. At least the 500,000 taels wouldn’t come directly from the ministry. But cutting the Forbidden Army’s salaries further, after a previous reduction, might incite unrest—they were, after all, the Imperial City Guard.
Elder Lin added, "This was the cabinet’s collective decision. Let Lin Cheng handle the appeasement. With the treasury empty and civilians and soldiers alike struggling, let’s get through the winter first before tackling anything else."
"Yes, yes. I understand," Mr. Gong hesitated before gathering his courage to speak again. "Elder Lin, if need be, perhaps we could organize another fundraising campaign? When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Funds lying idle in family vaults are mere stones—not money. It only becomes wealth when it flows."
Xie Xun finally heard something agreeable from Minister Gong. Elder Lin, gazing into the vast snowstorm, remained silent. Taking the hint, Mr. Gong quickly walked away, leaving Xie Xun to assist Elder Lin toward the Wenyuan Pavilion. "Grandfather, robbing Peter to pay Paul isn’t a long-term solution."
"Zhixu, even a leaky wall can still offer shelter. Tear it down completely, and countless people will be crushed beneath the rubble," Elder Lin said, his tone heavy with wisdom. "This wall that’s stood for centuries isn’t as fragile as you think. In the Kyoto Capital Guard, keep your head low and wait for the Ningzhou battle report."
Over these many years, after spending so much money, the Beiman must surrender. Dragging on the conflict any longer would spell devastation for the populace. Xie Yuan was well aware that fighting war with war was far from a sound strategy. No one was more eager than him to secure victory in this campaign. However, the Beiman forces were strong and well-positioned, with natural defenses that were easy to hold and difficult to breach. The Beiman King, a legendary warlord of his time, was equally matched with Xie Yuan. Two tigers locked in battle—only one could survive.
Elder Lin prayed daily, hoping the heavens would bless Yanyang with victory in this war.
After recovering from her illness, Fengyu took Zhang Da, Qiuxiang, and Chunlu on a trip to the northern city. Now overseen by the Kyoto Capital Guard, the northern city had become orderly. Lady Liu and her children were safe and sound, thanks to the care of their neighbors. The Ministry of Industry had also dispatched specialists to re-plan densely populated areas of the northern city, reinforcing houses. The weather had shown favor—near the Lantern Festival, the snowfall diminished. Fengyu surveyed the weaving and dyeing workshop as well as the tea factory.
Although the weather was improving, light snow continued to fall. Fengyu kept her hands tucked under her cloak, clutching a hand warmer, while Qiuxiang and Chunlu followed her closely.
Zhang Da remarked, "Miss, my mother mentioned that the Young Marquis has recently been sending people to register military households."
Fengyu, being a general’s daughter, was immediately alert. "He wants to reform the military household system? Foolish dreams. Even the Marquis Zhenbei struggled for years without success."
The Yanyang Dynasty’s military household system required hereditary conscription—sons taking the place of deceased fathers, and younger brothers succeeding fallen elder brothers. For the Ningzhou expeditionary army, military households’ families could receive stipends. However, the system had severe flaws: it was harsh and rigid. With frequent wars and high casualties, military households constantly had to provide male members for service, leading to the extinction of family lines. Moreover, the stipends were meager, and many soldiers deserted.
Military households held an even lower status than common households. Many civilians refused to intermarry with military households to protect the status of their descendants, causing the military households’ standing to plummet even further. The old Marquis Zhenbei had long sought to reform the system, advocating for better care of the soldiers’ families through adjusted stipends and land allocation. However, such decisions clashed with the interests of the noble families, who controlled most of Yanyang’s farmland and resisted any reduction in their own profits. Additionally, land redistribution would increase the court’s financial burden. After decades of war draining resources, the court treasury was in no condition to support such undertakings. As a result, reform of the military household system never materialized.
Xie Zhang had once proposed supplementing the army through voluntary recruitment. However, this would require robust financial backing. Without the means of mobilizing the entire nation’s resources, relying solely on the wealth of the Su Family could not sustain such a method. Ultimately, the idea of voluntary recruitment fell by the wayside.
The northern city was home to many military households, and many of these families now lacked male members. With stipends cut off by the court, they lived in dire straits. Such systemic issues were beyond the ability of any single individual to resolve.
The plundering of resources in the northern city was merely a symptom of the aristocrats exploiting the weak. Like a mayfly shaking a tree, nothing could fundamentally change.
Now that the court had at least assigned someone to address these matters, Fengyu was content with the current state of affairs.
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