Chapter 528: Everyone Gets What They Want

Chapter 678: Imperial EdictChapter 528: Each Takes What They Need

Li Chen's words were full of emotion. Anyone who heard him would think he was a caring brother, deeply worried about his younger brother's safety.

Only Zhao Xuanji's heart was incredibly calm.

Everyone is a thousand-year-old fox. The prince usually doesn't like to play "Chat with Demons," but now he suddenly enjoys it, which indicates that there is an important matter coming up.

So Zhao Xuanji's vigilance was raised to the highest level.

"Your Highness is so caring and considerate towards King Zhao. If King Zhao knew, he would be deeply grateful. This would also become a beautiful story to tell."

As someone who has spent decades immersed in the world of "Strange Tales from a Liaozhai," Zhao Xuanji clearly knows his stuff. He seamlessly followed Li Chen's words, demonstrating a masterful understanding of the genre and creating a natural flow in the conversation.

Li Chen let out a soft sigh and waved his hand, saying: "Although what you say is true, King Zhao is after all a descendant of the Li imperial family. If this palace were to favor and protect him too much, how would the civil and military officials view it And how would the common people view it"

"The Qin Dynasty established itself through military prowess and governed with filial piety. If, because of this palace's personal desires, the King of Zhao neglected his martial arts, failing to show filial piety to our father emperor and loyalty to the court, then that would be this palace's fault."

Having said that, Li Chen earnestly said to Zhao Xuanji, "Therefore, after much deliberation, I feel that the memorial submitted by the cabinet is quite reasonable. It is possible to add some burdens to King Zhao. Dealing with the White Lotus Cult is dangerous, but it is precisely in such dangerous situations that one's responsibility as a prince can be demonstrated."

Zhao Xuanji's vigilance grew heavier and heavier. He carefully considered every word and sentence he used, afraid of revealing the slightest flaw.

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Xuanji finally said: "Your Highness's thoughts make the old minister feel deeply comforted."

With a faint smile, seeing that the bait had taken effect, Li Chen immediately followed up with a persuasive tone: "Besides this, this palace has one more thing, hoping to be passed in court. However, Senior Advisor, you are highly respected, and many civil and military officials all look up to you. Therefore, for this matter, I still need to ask Senior Advisor for your approval first before continuing to push forward."

Here it is!

Zhao Xuanji's eyebrows furrowed, but instead of feeling nervous, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.

As expected, it's all about mutual benefit.

In contrast, Li Chen put forward his own demands at this time. Had he not done so, Zhao Xuanji would have been restless.

If there are requirements, then it's easy to handle.

It's nothing more than an exchange, a compromise, each getting what they need.

With a slightly relieved mind, Zhao Xuanji didn't readily agree. Instead, he cautiously asked, "I wonder what matter could possibly be so important that it warrants your Highness's serious consideration"

Li Chen let out a light chuckle and said to Zhao Xuanji in a gentle voice: "In your opinion, Your Excellency, the court now needs to relieve the disaster, restore people's livelihood, and revitalize all industries. What is the most urgent and important issue"

Zhao Xuanji replied, "Silver."

The imperial treasury is empty. We have the will but not the means to accomplish anything. The silver in the treasury has almost run out. Just a few days ago, officials from the Ministry of Revenue told me that if we don't collect more taxes soon, we won't even be able to pay the salaries of government officials next semester, let alone provide disaster relief and funding for development.

With a nod, Li Chen said, "Indeed so. Elder Ge, your wisdom is as sharp as a torch, you saw through the problem at once."

"The treasury's empty, this isn't a result of one day's fault. Thinking it through, there are only two solutions: increasing revenue and reducing spending. Reducing spending simply means cutting back on current expenditures, but if we don't increase revenue, we'll still be poor. So I thought about ways to generate more income for the imperial court."two problems now."We don't know the situation yet, what we need to do first is verify the facts."Duan Jinjiang bowed slightly and said, "Then let's end our conversation here for today. Please have the...