The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 525 My Private Donation

Yue Wenxuan watched them discuss for a long time. Eventually, all the civil officials in charge of internal affairs began to think that "this war is unacceptable." After all, half of the Song Dynasty south of the Yangtze River was starving and in dire need of food. At this time, waging war would be a bad strategy.

They were about to start voting, and once they cast their votes, they would definitely abandon the Northern Expedition.

Yue Wenxuan spoke up at this moment: "Wait, don't rush to vote. I'd like to offer another opinion."

All the ministers turned to look at him.

Yue Wenxuan smiled at the civil officials and said, "If this battle is not fought with public funds, but with donations from philanthropists, would that be feasible?"

Upon hearing this, Li Gang's expression changed: "Young Master Yue wants to temporarily increase taxes on officials and wealthy merchants? I object! I vote against it."

In fact, the so-called "philanthropists donating money to the country" would have been considered a temporary tax increase in the Song Dynasty. Emperor Huizong of Song loved to play this game. When there was a shortage of money for war, he would increase taxes. In name, the tax would be levied on the gentry and landlords, but the gentry and landlords would immediately pass it on to the poor, eventually causing chaos throughout the Song Dynasty.

Li Gang, of course, had to object immediately!

Other civil officials immediately echoed, "We must vote against this."

Yue Wenxuan thought to himself: "Voting against it shows that these civil officials still have a conscience. It was right of me to use Yang Yizhong to kill those heartless traitors."

He smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone. When I say that kind-hearted people are donating money to the country, I don't mean that we should increase taxes on local gentry and landlords."

Li Gang: "So how do you do it?"

Wu Jialiang laughed heartily: "I know! Young Master Yue will have to pay out of his own pocket again."

Li Gang: "?"

Zhang Jun: "?"

Lu Zai: "?"

The civil officials from the Southern Song Dynasty all looked bewildered, as if to say: "Can you afford a Northern Expedition of this scale out of your own pocket? Even if you own a mine, it's not enough!"
Gong Erniangzi, Zhang Yong, and other former generals of the Northern Song Dynasty all smiled without saying a word.

Yue Wenxuan turned to all the officials and said, "This Northern Expedition will not use a single penny of public funds, nor will it impose a single copper coin tax on the gentry, landlords, and common people. All expenses will be sponsored by my own money. So, do you all think this battle is worth fighting?"

"Of course we can fight!" Qian Zhuoqun laughed.

Gong Er Niangzi: "Of course we should vote in favor."

Zhang Yong: "Get it done!"

Li Gang: "Hey, wait a minute, even if Young Master Yue is richer than a country, he can't possibly support a battle like this."

Lu Zai: "Being richer than a country is just an adjective; it's impossible for someone to actually be richer than a country."

Zhang Jun: "Impossible, how could one person become this rich?"

Wu Jialiang laughed heartily: "You all underestimate Young Master Yue. When our Jiaodong rebel army was first established, it was entirely supported by Young Master Yue's own money. Later, the reconstruction of Chuzhou and Shouchun was also entirely funded by Young Master Yue himself, without asking the treasury for a single copper coin. Otherwise, how could our small rebel army have developed so quickly?"

The Southern Song officials were all shocked: "Is it true?"

The former officials of the Northern Song Dynasty laughed in unison: "How could this be fake?"

"Hiss!" Li Gang and the others were shocked. No wonder Yue Wenxuan had been able to keep the mastermind behind the Northern Song Dynasty in check. He was so terrifying.
Yue Wenxuan said, "While everyone is having this meeting, I have already placed a large amount of grain in the woods outside the city. Please organize the laborers to move it. All of this grain will be used to support the Northern Expedition. This is only the first batch. In the future, I will provide as much grain as the Northern Expeditionary Army needs."

Li Gang was utterly shocked: "How could it have come to this!"

Yue Wenxuan: "The Jin Kingdom only has this one chance to abolish the puppet Qi state, so we must make good use of it. Therefore, I must spare no expense to participate and not miss this opportunity. I wouldn't normally be so generous. I still hope that the Song Dynasty can solve its own financial problems." Li Gang felt something was off about Yue Wenxuan's tone, which sounded like he was being "excluded from the Song Dynasty."

He couldn't help but look at the expressions of Gong Erniangzi and other veteran officials of the Northern Song Dynasty, only to find that they acted very normally, seemingly not surprised at all by such words.

Forget it, I don't understand! I won't bother trying to figure it out!

Focus on the immediate problems.

Then, the effeminate voice of the Thirty-Second Eunuch rang out: "Alright, the deliberation phase is over. Now we enter the final voting phase... All regents, please organize your thoughts and cast your solemn and sacred votes..."

"This Northern Expedition! Do you all agree to fight or disagree? Please vote!"

Li Gang answered without hesitation: "Agreed!"

Then everyone expressed their opinions, and all twenty regents unanimously agreed: "Agreed!"

With the basic national policies set, the next step is to work out the details.

Those in charge of logistics should focus on logistics, while those in charge of combat should focus on combat.

When the meeting adjourned...

Li Gang and the others walked out of the Regent's Hall, still feeling as if they were dreaming.

So this is how important national affairs can be decided.

It feels so good.

This is vastly different from the old system where a group of officials would argue in front of the emperor, trying to gain his support through his favor, and ultimately the emperor would make the final decision.

That was not a world for discussing right and wrong, but a world for pleasing the emperor!
Li Gang turned to look at Lu Zai beside him and whispered, "Brother Lu, don't you think that being an official like this now allows you to better realize your ideals and ambitions?"

Lu Zai spread his hands and said, "I felt it! Actually, what surprised me the most about this meeting was Young Master Yue. Before the meeting, I was thinking that if Young Master Yue made a decision, the ten regents of the Northern Song Dynasty would definitely follow his decision blindly and vote, making the voting system a mere formality. But Young Master Yue did not make a decision. Apart from providing food, he did not make a single decision."

Upon careful reflection, Li Gang realized, "Isn't that right? Yue Wenxuan, the mastermind behind everything, didn't utter a single word during the decision-making process."

All decisions were made by the regents themselves through discussion.

Li Gang couldn't help but sigh, "How can there be such a selfless person in the world? I really can't understand it."

Lu Zai: "Maybe... he's not human?"

Li Gang rolled his eyes: "What else could you be but a human? Don't talk nonsense."

Lu Zai said in a low voice, "I overheard some veterans from the Northern Song Dynasty say that Young Master Yue is a celestial being, like a prime minister from heaven who descended to earth to help restore order to the world."

Li Gang: "Don't talk nonsense. Don't believe in this nonsense like those illiterate people who can't read a single word. The lesson of Manichaeism is still fresh in our minds."

Lu Zai smiled and said, "That's true!"

"Brahma and I, my broken body, the mighty sacred fire..." Li Gang couldn't help but recite a short passage from the Sacred Fire Sutra, and sighed softly, "The original intention of this Sacred Fire Sutra was good, it also wanted to save the world and have compassion for the world, but once it developed into something like Manichaeism, it changed its meaning. The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits, that makes sense. I don't care whether the gods in heaven are good or bad, but there must never be such a sect in the mortal world."

Lu Zai: "Brother Li's insight is far superior; I am no match for it."

(End of this chapter)