The empress disliked my achievements for overshadowing her own, so she turned her attention to the N

Most of the people present already knew what Chen Nan was saying.

However, Chen Nan then took out a paper letter from his inner pocket.

He held the letter high in the air.

"Gentlemen, this is a message I received from one of my former generals after I left the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Before I left, I calculated that the southern part of the Great Qian Dynasty would soon suffer from floods."

"For this reason, two million taels of silver were specially allocated from the national treasury for disaster relief."

"The letter stated that Jiang Hai misappropriated all of the two million yuan in disaster relief funds on three separate occasions."

At this point, the old man in the green robe interrupted, "General Chen, I wonder what the connection is between Jiang Hai's misappropriation of the Great Qian's disaster relief funds and my Northern Wei?"

Chen Nan glanced at the man and said calmly, "You must be the Prime Minister Changsun of Northern Wei, right?"

"How do you know?" The Prime Minister's pupils dilated. He himself had never shown his face in the Great Qian Dynasty, and even during his ten years in office, he had always kept a low profile.

Today, Chen Nan, whom she was meeting for the first time, exposed her true identity, which naturally surprised her.

Chen Nan explained: "Prime Minister Changsun, as far as I know, Jiang Hai is the second son in his family."

"His family favored the eldest son over the second, which is why he was sent to the palace."

"Ever since Jiang Hai gained favor, his family has gone to great lengths to try and leverage his relationship with Wu Fengluan to help his brother Jiang Zhe."

"Jiang Zhe is a mere brute with no brains. Relying on his family's doting on him, he always thinks that he is the most important person in the world."

"He is extremely arrogant and will not listen to advice."

"However, you all may not know that Jiang Hai misappropriated these two million taels of military funds for the Great Qian Dynasty's military expenses, right?"

Then, Chen Nan laughed dismissively.

"It sounds nice to say that two million taels are used for military expenses. If it is really all used for military expenses, it would be a blessing for the Great Qian Dynasty."

"But would a powerless person who has been at home all day, and has finally gained some power, really leave himself no way out?"

At this point, it should be quite clear.

In Chen Nan's mind, the commander-in-chief of the army that Daqian was leading this time was Jiang Hai's older brother, Jiang Zhe.

Of course, these are just his guesses, and we will only know for sure once we get to the battlefield.

"General Chen, since you were able to predict that the south of Daqian would suffer from floods, why didn't you send people to take precautions earlier, instead of needing to raise funds?"

Chancellor Changsun asked the question again, this time with a much better attitude than before.

Chen Nan didn't hold back: "Prime Minister Changsun, have you really understood the people under your rule?"

"What do you mean by that, General Chen?" Changsun Du asked, puzzled.

Chen Nan smiled slightly: "Prime Minister, you should know that it is true that the common people are simple and honest, but it is also true that they are short-sighted."

"Unless they witness the disaster firsthand, it's impossible to get them to move away from their native hometown!"

"Speaking of which, it is worth mentioning that the people of the Northern Wei Dynasty were known for their fierce and unruly nature."

"Prime Minister Changsun, if you were in his shoes, would you have advised the people under your jurisdiction to relocate beforehand?"

Chen Nan's words were all precious and heartfelt.

When he first transmigrated, under the leadership of the late Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, he once managed to control a flood.

That flood wasn't too serious, and his life in his previous life had made him completely trust the government.

Just when he thought the local people were like him, he advised them to move.

He was dumbfounded. The people not only ignored him, but also cursed him for trying to seize their land.

They're not exactly troublemakers, but they're not exactly simple and honest either.

If the Great Qian Dynasty was like this, one can only imagine how fierce the people of the Northern Wei Dynasty were.

However, after that incident, Chen Nan realized that some people only know to lift their feet when a stone hits their own.

After hearing Chen Nan's words, not only Changsun Du lowered his head and pondered.

The other civil officials had strange expressions on their faces; some lowered their heads in thought, while others looked around.

The military officers, however, seemed to have grasped the key point: "General Chen, they're just a bunch of troublemakers. Those who want to move can move, and those who don't want to move can just be killed on the spot, right?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Nan glanced disdainfully at the person who had spoken.

"Is that so? You think you can kill a village, a town, or everyone in a city? Do you think they're just ordinary people?"

The military officer scoffed, "Why not? We're just commoners!"

Chen Nan laughed, a helpless laugh.

After all, military generals are inherently reckless, and the battlefield needs people who are decisive and ruthless.

He patiently explained, "General, I've already mentioned the matter of the Great Qian Dynasty being divided in two."

"Doesn't the general want to know why the people of the Northern Qian Dynasty agreed to join a new dynasty?"

The military officer asked, "Why is that?"

Chen Nan said seriously, "It's very simple, because Bei Qian gives more."

"The Northern Wei Dynasty has appointed you as a general with a miscellaneous title and granted you a fief of three hundred bushels of grain."

"The Great Qian Dynasty hereby bestows upon you the title of 'Prince of the First Rank,' with a fief of 30,000 shi (a unit of grain).

"May I ask which side the general would prefer to go to?"

Chen Nan's words were simple and direct; the answer was already written on everyone's faces.

But that person just didn't dare to answer.

"Ahem, General Chen, there's no need to give that example. We're still talking about the people's affairs!"

On the dragon throne, the Empress Dowager awkwardly turned the matter aside.

Chen Nan didn't dwell on it and continued his story.

"The same principle applies to the taxation of each household in Daqian, while in Beiqian, children under the age of seven, regardless of gender, are exempt from taxation."

"Which one is better can be determined by comparison."

"But our Northern Wei also levies a poll tax!"

Changsun Du, standing to the side, was even more puzzled and muttered to himself, "Even with the poll tax, the Northern Wei's economy is still at the bottom."

"If it weren't for the continuous tributes from Western Shu, I'm afraid..."

He wanted to say that if it weren't for the continuous tribute from Western Shu, the economy of Northern Wei would have collapsed long ago, but he dared not say it, even if it was the truth.

Chen Nan looked at Changsun Du and asked, "May I ask, Prime Minister, what are the sources of a country's income?"

Changsun Du pondered for a moment: "Hmm... collecting taxes?"

Chen Nan: "Right, but that's only one aspect."

"The most important thing in the economy is circulation!"

"The dismal state of the Northern Wei economy was a well-known fact among the five major states."

"But have you gentlemen considered why the area of ​​Western Shu is half the size of Northern Wei?"

"Not only could they pay tribute to the Northern Wei, but they also became incredibly wealthy."

"Is the economy of Western Shu circulating?" Changsun Du's eyes lit up as he answered quickly.

“That’s right.” Chen Nan nodded with a smile. “Western Shu produces silk, and Northern Wei mostly buys its silk from Western Shu.”

"Why did the people of Western Shu use silver instead of silk as tribute?"

"Because they know that even if they give us the silver, we'll still buy their silk?"

Changsun Du's eyes lit up; the brief exchange had helped him understand many things.

He slowly walked up to Chen Nan and solemnly bowed three times.

"Left Prime Minister, regardless of what happens to you in the future, Changsun Du has learned a lot today."

"The Chancellor Changsun actually called him the Left Chancellor?" The officials were taken aback.

Hongming can be considered the foremost general in Northern Wei, having previously affirmed Chen Nan's position as General Who Guards the South.

Now, Changsun Du, the foremost civil official of the Northern Wei Dynasty, has reaffirmed his position as Left Chancellor.

"Hahaha, very good. Grand Chancellor Changsun has a broad mind. I admire him."

Looking at the Empress Dowager's smiling face on the dragon throne, and her generous praise, he was struck by her words.

Everyone was even more shocked, as it was the first time they had ever seen this aloof empress dowager praise someone in the imperial court.

While it sounds like praise for Changsun Du, in reality, when Chen Nan was still in the Daqian era, the Empress Dowager would scold him eight times a day.

Not only Changsun Du, but both civil and military officials no longer looked at Chen Nan with such coldness.

Whether it was genuine or not, at least they put on a good show.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Empress Dowager of Northern Wei said, "My lords, the Great Qian army of 300,000 is at our gates. We have no choice but to fight!"

"As General Chen just said, the commander of the Great Qian Dynasty is very likely Jiang Zhe."

"Let's discuss who to send into battle."