Who put the yellow robe on me?

After the Minister of War Guo Wulie swore allegiance to the Sixteenth Prince Jiang Chen until death, Jiang Chen began to prepare to raise military funds for Guo Wulie.

Jiang Chen knew very well that the simplest way was to rely on the power of Concubine De and her mother's family, but he couldn't help feeling a little hesitant and entangled in his heart.

De Fei had been quite cold towards Jiang Chen recently, showing increasingly obvious dissatisfaction. This was simply because the recent incidents with the Third Princess of Northern Qiang and the Autumn Examination were all Jiang Chen's own actions without De Fei's approval.

She didn't seem to like Jiang Chen's eagerness to perform in the court, and perhaps she disliked his current uncontrollable state even more. Moreover, every time he came to pay his respects to her, nine times out of ten he would ask her to ask her mother's family, the Yang family of Bozhou, for money...

However, Concubine De also knew that although she was very dissatisfied with Jiang Chen's behavior, the "son" in front of her had already attracted the attention of His Majesty in the court.

Moreover, after each achievement, Jiang Chen never sought credit for himself, and each time the Yang family benefited to varying degrees. The tax reductions and exemptions for silk and cloth trades in Jiangnan were also a favor bestowed by Emperor Liang on the Yang family of Bozhou.

In fact, Jiang Chen also really liked to see Concubine De’s look of disliking him but being unable to get rid of him.

In the end, Concubine De compromised with Jiang Chen and agreed to contact Yang of Bozhou to help Jiang Chen and the Ministry of War raise military funds.

Relying on the huge financial resources of the Yang family of Bozhou, Minister of War Guo Wulie had smooth sailing in raising military funds for the Western Regions.

When Emperor Liang said to Guo Wulie in the court, "This matter has been well handled," Jiang Chen finally came back to reality from his thoughts.

"Your Majesty," Guo Wulie responded respectfully, "This matter relies entirely on the strategic planning of His Majesty the Sixteenth Prince and the financial support of the Yang family of Bozhou. Without it, I would never have been able to accomplish this."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Liang smiled with satisfaction, "Reward! Reward! Jiang Chen, the Yang family, and Minister of War Guo Wulie will all be rewarded handsomely!"

All the ministers in the court saluted and echoed: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Minister of War Guo Wulie continued, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity! However, the military funds raised by His Majesty this time can only alleviate the urgent need for defense in the Western Regions, but it is not a permanent solution.

I believe that the problem of insufficient treasury funds is the fundamental problem. Otherwise, we will probably face the dilemma of insufficient military pay again in the near future."

As soon as he finished speaking, silence fell in the court. All the ministers turned their eyes to the Minister of War Guo Wulie, and then to the Minister of Revenue Cao Shouku. They all knew that Guo Wulie's words had a hidden meaning.

When Jiang Chen heard Guo Wulie's words, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he secretly admired in his heart: "This Guo Wulie is really good. He has memorized all the words I taught him yesterday, and he said them so perfectly."

He recalled the secret conversation with Guo Wulie last night, in which he gave him detailed instructions on how to make suggestions in the court in order to achieve the best results.

Now it seems that Guo Wulie not only remembered it, but also used it so skillfully.

Not bad! Really good!

After listening to Guo Wulie's report, Emperor Liang frowned slightly, and a trace of solemnity flashed in his deep eyes.

He gently raised his hand, signaling Guo Wulie to withdraw. Then he turned his gaze to the Minister of Revenue, Cao Shouku, who was standing on his right. His voice was deep and powerful: "Lord Guo, you are absolutely right! Lord Cao, what exactly is the reason for the insufficient treasury?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Shouku hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He sensed the majesty in the Emperor Liang's gaze, and his heart tightened. "Your Majesty, the recent years of war, coupled with frequent natural disasters such as droughts and floods, have led to a sharp drop in tax revenue while expenses have increased. As a result, the national treasury has experienced a serious deficit."

As he spoke, the air in the court seemed to be stagnant. All the ministers were silent. Only the wind in the distance rustled the silk in the hall, making a slight rustling sound.

After hearing Cao Shouku's report, Emperor Liang's face darkened, his brow furrowed, clearly dissatisfied with the current situation. He slowly stood up, his robe swaying slightly as he moved, and he exuded a fierce aura.

Emperor Liang's gaze was as sharp as a torch, staring directly at Cao Shouku: "Revenue has dropped sharply? Expenses have increased? If there are only these two sentences, then your position as Minister of Revenue can be occupied by anyone, right?

I will give you another month to thoroughly investigate the exact amount of the treasury deficit and come up with a practical solution to replenish it. If you shirk your responsibilities or slack off, you will not be forgiven!"

Cao Shouku sensed the Emperor Liang's wrath, and a cold sweat broke out. His voice trembled. "I obey your command! I will do my utmost to investigate the deficit in the treasury and devise a plan to replenish it, so as to live up to your Majesty's trust."

However, an indescribable resentment surged in Cao Shouku's heart.

He knew that his position in the court was already precarious, and all of this was the result of the Minister of War pushing behind the scenes.

At this time, he hated the Minister of War Guo Wulie to the core and wanted to find an opportunity to take revenge immediately.

However, he didn't know that all the conspiracies behind this were secretly planned by the sixteenth prince Jiang Chen.

After the court session, Cao Shouku, filled with resentment, went straight to find the Ninth Prince Jiang Yu. After meeting, he could no longer suppress his anger and burst into tears, telling the Ninth Prince about his grievances and helplessness: "Your Highness, Your Majesty has ordered me to solve the problem of the national treasury deficit within one month. If I cannot do so, I am afraid my future will end here!

All of this was instigated by Guo Wulie behind the scenes. He intended to use this opportunity to force me into a desperate situation!"

The Ninth Prince Jiang Yu was already wary of the Twelfth Prince Jiang Zhan and the Sixteenth Prince Jiang Chen. Upon hearing this, he was furious.

Guo Wulie was originally a well-known fence-sitter. Now that he has defected to Jiang Chen, he feels that Jiang Chen will be even more difficult to deal with.

Jiang Yu pondered for a moment, his eyes darkening. "Sir Cao, I will definitely seek justice for you in this matter. The Ministry of War has gone too far, we must not let them off easy. Please step back, and I will think of a solution!"

After Cao Shouku thanked him and left, Jiang Yu sent someone to find another of his confidants, the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture.

After Jingzhao Prefecture Governor Yang Weiqian arrived at Prince Ru's residence, Jiang Yu immediately gave him a secret instruction: "Find a way to make the Minister of War's office restless. It would be best to start with his family affairs and prevent him from being too arrogant in the court!"

Yang Weiqian was immediately troubled by the order. Guo Wulie, the Minister of War, was currently in the limelight, and dealing with him was a real challenge.

But there was no other way, so he could only agree.

After returning to the mansion, he paced back and forth in the study. His advisor Gong Yangruan noticed the anxiety of the prefect of Jingzhao.

"Sir, you have been feeling uneasy since returning from Prince Ru's Mansion. Is there something wrong?"

Yang Weiqian told Master Gong the whole story of the Ninth Prince's plan.

Master Gong was a shrewd and capable man. After a moment's thought, a sly smile crossed his face. "Sir, this isn't difficult. I have a fellow villager named Chunli in the Minister of War's residence. She's a maidservant to the Minister's wife. If we offer her a large sum of money and have her come forward to falsely accuse the Minister's illegitimate son of rape, wouldn't that make things much easier?"

The Jingzhao prefect raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion, "You mean to let the son of the Minister of War have his hands on a maid? That's a bit far-fetched, isn't it? Why wouldn't the son of the Minister of War go out and have fun in the brothels, but instead target the maids in the mansion?"