If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

royal palace.

"I heard you arrived in the capital yesterday?"

The news reached the emperor's ears the moment Zhou Wu disembarked. Li Tiancheng waited for Zhou Wu for most of the day until a messenger reported that Zhou Wu had gone straight back to his residence. Li Tiancheng was dumbfounded, but then he understood; Zhou Wu was indeed unpredictable.

The emperor's question was clearly a rebuke to Zhou Wu for not immediately entering the palace to meet him upon arriving in the capital.

"Your Majesty, I arrived in the capital yesterday, but there are still some aspects of the plan that need to be improved, so I did not come to the palace to report to Your Majesty immediately."

Zhou Wu also knew that once he stepped into the capital, his every move would be impossible to hide from the emperor, so he had already thought of a reason.

Believe it or not, the emperor really couldn't refute this reason.

"Is the plan complete now?"

"Your Majesty, it has been perfected."

"Oh, then quickly bring it here for me to see."

The reason Zhou Wu was summoned from the South China Sea was precisely for this plan. Upon hearing that it had been perfected, Li Tiancheng immediately reached out excitedly to ask for it.

"what?"

"A plan?"

"I didn't write it down. I've already thought it through and will report it to His Majesty on the spot."

Li Tiancheng suddenly felt a dull ache in his head. It was obvious that what Zhou Wu had said earlier—that he had been bragging about perfecting the plan at home yesterday—was just empty talk.

"Then tell me."

Li Tiancheng waved his hand helplessly, signaling Zhou Wu to speak.

"Your Majesty, we are now trying to amass a huge sum of money in a very short period of time, right?"

Zhou Wu got straight to the point.

"Yes, it's certainly a good thing that Gaoli and Dazi Kingdom were destroyed and the two territories were incorporated into the Great Dragon. However, everyone underestimated the costs of post-war reconstruction, various infrastructure projects, food and supplies support, and the equipment upgrades of the Great Dragon army over the past two years. So, the little bit of wealth we had saved up before is now almost gone. The next tax collection is still a long way off. If we don't get a large sum of money now, many tasks will be impossible to carry out."

Li Tiancheng seemed to have finally found someone to confide in, and poured out all his troubles to Zhou Wu.

As a modern person, Zhou Wu understood better than anyone the difficulties of being an emperor.

"What does Your Majesty think of my proposal?"

"The method you mentioned is very bold and risky. It is absolutely unprecedented and will never be repeated. I cannot make up my mind for the time being, so I asked you to come and explain it in detail."

Li Tiancheng is a very opinionated monarch. So far, he has never encountered a situation where he couldn't make a decision, but Zhou Wu's method has indeed stumped him.

"Your Majesty, let me explain the national debt in detail."

That's right. Zhou Wu suggested to Li Tiancheng that they issue national bonds. The Dalong treasury is out of money, but that doesn't mean the people below are out of money. In the past few years, it's been like a period of reform and opening up. Maritime trade and Dalong's foreign trade have been booming. Not everyone has made money, but at least the wealthy and noble people have made a fortune.

Furthermore, given that the current national strength of the Great Dragon is undeniable, making it an absolute regional hegemon, Zhou Wu believes that issuing national bonds is feasible.

"National debt, although the name is not elegant, it is also apt."

Li Tiancheng wanted both substance and face.

"Simply put, government bonds, also known as national debt, are a special form of debt. They are the creditor-debtor relationship formed when a country raises funds from the public based on its credit."

Do you think the people will buy into this?

No one can deny the strength of the Great Dragon Empire, but Li Tiancheng still felt that the people might not necessarily accept it.

"Your Majesty, firstly, the national debt is guaranteed by the nation's credit. Not to mention anything far away, just look at the areas surrounding Great Dragon. Doesn't the world look at Great Dragon with a second eye? Secondly, the debt we issue has interest, which means it's a sure-fire way to make money for the people."

Zhou Wu's summary was very simple, but he was afraid that Li Tiancheng wouldn't understand it.

"So how much money do you estimate you can raise?"

Li Tiancheng needs a huge amount of money this time, and he is somewhat worried that even if the government bond project is successful, the amount will not be enough to meet his needs.

"Your Majesty, it depends on how much you want."

On the contrary, Zhou Wu was very confident about the issuance of government bonds.

Furthermore, once government bonds are issued, it's not about how much can be raised, but rather how much you want to raise.

"Well, there's no other way, so let's give it a try. Zhou Wu, you'll have to take the lead in this matter."

"Yes."

Zhou Wu stopped arguing, which puzzled Li Tiancheng. Usually, when Li Tiancheng assigned Zhou Wu a task, Zhou Wu would never agree readily and would always find some reasons or excuses to refuse. He was simply lazy.

Why did you agree so readily this time?

"Your Majesty, I have always been loyal to the emperor and loved my country, and I have worked hard without complaint."

This phrase, "working hard without complaint," disgusted Li Tiancheng. Yes, Zhou Wu never sought credit or rewards for himself after making meritorious contributions, but that didn't mean he wouldn't ask for benefits from his subordinates or others.

Li Tiancheng still clearly remembered that Zhou Wu had not asked for any reward for his military achievements, but when he negotiated with Li Tiancheng, Zhou Wu had always given rewards to his subordinates.

However, this is also what Li Tiancheng is happy to see, because if Zhou Wu were to be promoted based on merit, he would probably be prime minister by now. He is too young, which is not good.

Therefore, Li Tiancheng always reluctantly agreed to Zhou Wu's bargaining.

"Then go and do it quickly. If you need anything, come to me."

"Yes."

. . . . . . . .

After Zhou Wu returned, he requested to bring Su Jing, the first official under the Crown Prince's command, to the palace.

When it comes to getting things done, Zhou Wu always prefers to talk and then hopes to have a subordinate to share the burden. He had worked with Su Jing before, and Su Jing was a decent person who suited Zhou Wu's tastes, so Zhou Wu immediately thought of him.

"Lord Zhou, this matter is not easy to handle."

Su Jing initially thought Zhou Wu had asked him for a good job, but upon hearing the details, he realized it was another thankless task.

"I'm telling you, you've been in the capital for too long, how come you've become so pedantic? Is it because everything's going smoothly at the Crown Prince's residence now, leaving no room for you to make a difference? If not, why don't you come back to the South China Sea with me then?"

"Lord Zhou, you must be joking. If I really went, would you dare to take me in?"

"Haha."

Zhou Wu was indeed just venting his anger. Su Jing was different from the others; he was an official in the Crown Prince's residence and a confidant of the Crown Prince. How could Zhou Wu dare to bring such a person under his command?

"Alright, stop complaining and get to work. If you do this well, Your Highness will also deserve a lot of credit. I won't harm you, don't worry."

Although he felt like he had been tricked, Su Jing could only shake his head helplessly.