ãThe Great Yong Dynasty, with a legacy spanning thousands of years and six diligent emperors.ã
ãThe national treasury was abundant, and the countryâs strength was formidable, truly a scene of a prosperous era.ã
ãMillions of taels of silver were nothing to the Great Yong Dynastyâs treasury.ã
ãBut all the ministers present knew.ã
ãThis precedent of distributing money couldnât be set!ã
ãThe court had always been the one collecting money for thousands of years, and now, suddenly, they were supposed to give it away?ã
ãHow was that possible?ã
ãMoreover, tax exemption itself was not appropriate.ã
ãExempting for a year was already considerable, but you, going for three years right off the bat.ã
ãWhat would the court eat during those three years?ã
ãHow would the entire dynasty operate without money?ã
ãThese were all issues that needed consideration!ã
ãAmidst the ministersâ heated discussions, Ye Yu remained unfazed.ã
ãInstead, he looked delightedly at the Finance Minister.ã
ãOnly half a yearâs taxes, you say?ã
ãThen change it, give each person three taels of silver.ã
ãIf weâre going to distribute, we should do it joyfully!ã
ãUpon hearing this, the Finance Minister instantly lost his breath.ã
ãHe collapsed in the grand hall.ã
ãThe surrounding ministers immediately began to revive him.ã
ãMore ministers, however, knelt on the ground.ã
ãThey started pleading with Ye Yu to retract the decree. Even some of those who had already submitted to him did the same.ã
ãThe reason was simple.ã
ãExempting taxes for three years, plus giving each person three taels of silver, this would undoubtedly cause a huge impact on the dynastyâs treasury.ã
ãThis couldnât be done!ã
ãYe Yuâs loyal follower, Sun Longhai, also looked distressed.ã
ãHe stood there, unsure of what to do.ã
ãFrom any angle, this decree was absolutely unreasonable.ã
ãBut Ye Yu had just ascended the throne and needed support.ã
ãSo, choosing between frank advice and unwavering loyalty was a dilemma.ã
ãJust as Sun Longhai was feeling conflicted, he suddenly received Ye Yuâs transmitted thought.ã
ãBegin the battle, Prime Minister Sun!ã
ãHearing this, Sun Longhaiâs face immediately turned red. He was indeed of first rank, but not the prime minister.ã
ãThe position of prime minister was the highest a civil servant could attain!ã
ãIt was every civil officialâs dream.ã
ãBeing addressed as Prime Minister Sun was more than a title; it was a promise.ã
ãIn that case, what else was there to say?ã
ãThe emperorâs words were always right, even if they werenât!ã
ãLetâs fight!ã
ãSun Longhai stepped forward and abruptly turned, facing the ministers!ã
ãHe began his fervent defense.ã
ãIn his excitement, he even started throwing punches.ã
ãThe court was in chaos, a scene of utter bedlam.ã
ãYe Yu didnât intervene at all.ã
ãHe only cared about the outcome.ã
ãThe process didnât matter!ã
ãThe next day, Ye Yuâs decree was announced throughout the entire dynasty.ã
ãThree years of tax exemption, and three taels of silver per person, to be delivered to everyone.ã
ãAny region where the people did not receive their silver and tax exemption notice, the local officials would be executed without question.ã@@novelbin@@
ãAfter this decree was implemented, the entire nation rejoiced.ã
ãAll the common people couldnât help but praise, believing they had welcomed a benevolent ruler.ã
ãBut the ministers sighed one after another.ã
ãThey thought the Great Yong Dynasty might decline because of this.ã
ãThere was only one exception.ã
ãThe newly appointed prime minister, Sun Longhai.ã
ãHe still had several unhealed scratches on his face. These were the scars from the scuffle in court.ã
ãAt first, Sun Longhai was very distressed, fearing he would be disfigured.ã
ãBut when he saw the prime ministerâs black robe placed before him, all his worries and grievances vanished instantly.ã
ãSun Longhaiâs eyes turned red as he made a silent vow.ã
ãFrom now on, he would be Ye Yuâs loyal dog. Honor and dignity meant nothing.ã
ãSun Longhai would steadfastly support any of Ye Yuâs decisions and fight for them.ã
ãIf he couldnât win with words, he would resort to cursing, and if cursing didnât work, he would fight!ã
ãMeanwhile, in the palace.ã
ãYe Yu was very happy.ã
ãThis money distribution had nearly emptied the treasury of almost two yearsâ worth of taxes.ã
ãBut the rewards were equally enormous.ã
ãYe Yu directly stepped into the early stage of the Integration realm, with faint signs of breaking through the mid-stage of Integration realm.ã
ãIndeed, the larger the amount of money squandered, the faster his cultivation improved.ã
ãYe Yu had come to love being the emperor.ã
ãHowever, the treasury funds were not enough for him to squander his way to ascension.ã
ãHe needed to find a way to get more money!ã
ãAfter much contemplation, he summoned Sun Longhai to the palace overnight.ã
ãThere was a night-long discussion between the ruler and his minister.ã
ãOn his third court session.ã
ãYe Yu began a new plan.ã
ãPreparing for war, and two months later, they would invade the Great Xia Dynasty.ã
ãAs soon as this was announced, the ministers immediately objected.ã
ãThe Great Yong Dynasty and the Great Xia Dynasty were neighboring countries. They had been at war repeatedly before.ã
ãBoth countriesâ national strengths had suffered significant losses.ã
ãEver since the ceasefire treaty was signed a thousand years ago, the two countries had coexisted peacefully for a millennium.ã
ãStarting a war now, without any reason, would be unjustifiable!ã
ãYe Yu gestured slightly.ã
ãSun Longhai immediately pulled out the map of the Northern Desolate Continent.ã
ãYe Yu pointed to the human empires on the map.ã
ãHe said: I donât just want to attack the Great Xia, I also want to attack the Great Liao and Shanghuai!ã
ãUntil we achieve unification and incorporate all these nations into the Great Yong Dynastyâs territory. They must either submit or be destroyed.ã
ãAs for the reason, I will give you one right now!ã
ãHow can I allow others to snore and sleep on the other side of my couch?ã
ãIn an instant, everyone present was stunned.ã
ãThey knew Ye Yuâs actions were often crazy, but they didnât expect him to be this insane.ã
ãTo swallow the entire Northern Desolate Continent?ã
ãThe Finance Minister stepped forward, trembling.ã
ãMustering all his strength, he said, Your Majesty, the treasury is empty, we have no money for war!ã
ãYe Yu sneered: Itâs precisely because we have no money that we need to fight! If we had money, I wouldnât bother with this effort.ã
ãIf we win against the Great Xia Dynasty, their silver, spirit stones, mines, and resources will all be ours.ã
ãBy then, Iâll have you counting money until your hands cramp!ã
ãThe ministers listened, and hissed; what His Majesty said, seemed quite reasonable.ã
ãAs long as they won, the men would become slaves, the women would work, and they would seize all resources, naturally, they would have money.ã
ãBut something still felt off!ã
ãThe Finance Minister pointed out the key issue, Your Majesty, what if we donât win?ã
ãâIf we donât win, Iâll confiscate all your family properties and use that money for compensation!âã
ãThe Finance Minister spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted again.ã