Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

After a victory banquet, the relationship between the emperor and his ministers at least maintained a superficial harmony.

Shen Lang and Jiang Shangxian returned to Chang Le Palace with Jiang Mengxuan.

Upon entering the palace, Jiang Mengxuan said to the two men, "Today is the most triumphant day I have had in recent years. You are both meritorious officials of the Great Chu. Please take your seats as you wish."

It was clear that no matter how hard Jiang Mengxuan tried to maintain her aloof image, she couldn't hide the excitement on her face at this moment.

In less than two years since his ascension to the throne, he has gone from the initial humiliation of ceding three counties outside Bingzhou to the present expansion of Luchuan by three hundred li.

The Empress swept away the gloom and proved to the world that she was capable of protecting the country and leading it to prosperity.

Of course, she knew that everything she had today was thanks to the man in front of her named Shen Lang.

"I have summoned you here for another matter. The 20 million taels of silver raised by the aristocratic families for the railway has been secured."

The foundation for the railway project has already been expanded by 480 li in recent days. I intend to increase the scale of construction once the weather becomes more comfortable.

However, according to the budget, 20 million taels of silver doesn't seem enough to build a railway all the way to the Nanzhao region. After all, the railway foundation in the plains is not a problem.

If we encounter high ground, the cost of foundation construction will likely be two to three times higher. I specifically consulted with the Ministry of Works, and the required shortfall is approximately 15 million taels.

Although textile factories are currently enjoying considerable profits, this is a long-term solution that cannot address the immediate crisis.

But I don't want to delay the construction schedule. Do you have any other ways to generate quick cash to solve this urgent problem?

As she said this, her eyes remained fixed on Shen Lang the entire time.

It's very simple. She knows her own royal uncle's capabilities perfectly well, and she also knows that this so-called "expedition commander" position was entirely Shen Lang's scheme.

Shen Lang did this simply because he feared that his achievements might overshadow his master and one day bring him to his death.

This left Jiang Mengxuan speechless. Did he really think of her as a tyrant with only a lust for power?

After listening, Shen Lang immediately took out two more storage rings from his robes: "Your Majesty, there is something I must explain to you."

The war reparations obtained from this campaign against Luchuan totaled 24 million taels of gold.

The amount of reparations stipulated in the treaty was merely a tactic employed by your subordinate.

The remaining fourteen million taels of gold are all here.

There was more than enough money to ensure the railway was completed on schedule; any extra money could be used to further expand the army.

Increased investment in research and development and production of industrial plants can accelerate industrialization.

"What did you say? How much?"

Even the usually composed Jiang Mengxuan was utterly shocked by the astronomical amount of war reparations.

"So, in other words, you received a total of 24 million taels of gold in war reparations from this campaign against Luchuan?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing Shen Lang's definitive reply, Jiang Mengxuan remained speechless for a long time.

The fact that such a battle could yield so many benefits was something Jiang Mengxuan found hard to accept.

Jiang Shangxian seized the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, Shen Lang specifically withheld these fourteen million taels of gold for you. As for the other nine million taels..."

It was merely a ploy to divert the attention of the Six Ministries. In truth, Shen Lang had been wholeheartedly thinking of His Majesty's best interests from the very beginning.

Jiang Mengxuan's bright phoenix eyes darted around as she quietly observed Shen Lang's calm expression.

This is such a huge fortune; most people would have pocketed it long ago if they had it.

But he...

A strange current surged through my heart and quickly spread throughout my body.

So this is what it feels like to have someone to rely on?

"Shen Lang, I don't know how to thank you."

"Your Majesty need not thank me; this is what I should do."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Lang felt a pang of regret.

"Damn it, was I too generous? I didn't even keep an ounce for myself? Even Hai Rui would call me a saint if he saw me like this!"

But then she thought about it again and felt relieved: "Forget it, I don't feel secure with this money anyway. What's not mine will never be mine. Why think so much?"

Jiang Mengxuan, unaware of Shen Lang's thoughts, simply gave him a faint smile: "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

After saying that, she stretched out her delicate hand, gesturing for the money to be handed over.

Shen Lang instinctively handed over the storage ring.

But just as he was about to let go, he hesitated again and did not throw the storage ring into the Empress's hands.

Seeing this, the Empress simply clenched her jade hand into a fist, extended a slender finger, hooked one of the storage rings, and began to pull it toward herself.

But soon, she felt a resistance coming towards her, and she couldn't help but frown.

Shen Lang was seen gripping the end of the storage ring tightly, his face blank, seemingly resisting Jiang Mengxuan's tugging.

"Shen Lang."

"what?"

"let go."

"Your Majesty, actually, after thinking about it carefully, the amount of money might not match up. I need to count it again carefully."

"No need. I trust you. Let go."

"Let's count them again. I'll send them to you after I've counted them all. If anything is missing, it would be a serious crime of deceiving the emperor."

"It doesn't matter. Even if I lose an ounce or two, I won't care. Let go."

"How about I take another look?"

"Shen Lang, listen to me, let go, okay?"

Jiang Mengxuan's gentle call immediately eased Shen Lang's tension.

In that moment of relaxation, Jiang Mengxuan successfully hooked the two storage rings containing fourteen million taels of gold into her own hands.

Shen Lang saw with his own eyes that Jiang Mengxuan's face was filled with undisguised joy.

"Forget it, there will be other opportunities to earn money in the future, don't worry about it."

He kept reassuring himself.

The moment Jiang Mengxuan received the storage ring, she immediately put it into her bosom at the speed of light.

"Now that we have this huge sum of money, the railway project can proceed smoothly, and industrial development and military expansion can also proceed in an orderly manner."

"By the way, Shen Lang, how much silver do you still need for that earthen fortress you mentioned earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang shook his head: "The court and His Majesty don't need to spend a single penny; someone is willing to build it at their own expense."

Jiang Mengxuan was taken aback: "What do you mean by that?"

Jiang Shangxian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Shen Lang has already made arrangements. The local gentry of Nanzhao will fund the construction of these earthen fortresses themselves."

The imperial court will not only not have to spend a single penny, but will even be able to collect a sum of money from them later.

Jiang Mengxuan looked puzzled, completely not understanding what it meant.

Shen Lang: "Your Majesty, let me briefly explain the situation to you."

The success of this campaign against Luchuan was certainly due to the overwhelming firepower of the Imperial Guards.

But in my opinion, the most deserving credit goes to the wealthy and powerful groups who were willing to fund their participation in the military campaign.

"But why would those wealthy gentry willingly pay for the repairs of their strongholds out of their own pockets?"

"Your Majesty, please allow me to finish speaking. In fact, the soldiers in these strongholds are not part of the main force of our Great Chu army."

They were entirely composed of retainers, guards, and even tenant farmers from the local gentry of Nanzhao.

I have granted them the authority to recruit small armies.

However, the prerequisite is that these recruited soldiers cannot stay within the territory of Nanzhao.

We must continue to extend into the Indochina Peninsula, with them as the pioneers.

The efficiency of implementing a fortified advance strategy would be more than ten times that of the current Chu army.

After all, people are profit-driven, and the Indochina Peninsula is rich in real estate, with countless high-quality coal and iron ore reserves.

I, your humble servant, agree that after they profit from all the resources they occupy, they only need to hand over 30% of the profits to the imperial court, and that they will have priority in providing the imperial court with mineral resources.

"Then I will not concern myself with any of their actions in the Indochina Peninsula, even if they wipe out a tribe or a country."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan felt almost numb.

Is this how military operations are conducted?

"But what if those wealthy and powerful people have ulterior motives?"

"So, Your Majesty, this is why I suggested building a railway. As long as there is a direct railway connecting Nanzhao and the capital..."

Are you worried that the central government can't suppress these manor mercenaries? If even the expanded Imperial Guard can't handle them, I might as well just kill myself.

Jiang Mengxuan gradually fell into thought.

Shen Lang continued, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, those wealthy landowners and gentry will not only not harbor any disloyal intentions, but will actually grow more and more powerful as they reap the benefits."

They further supported the Chu state's outward expansion, believing that the more land it expanded and the larger its territory became, the greater their interests would naturally be.

This is the essence of land-based expansion: only when the interests of the rulers and subjects are aligned can a dynasty thrive and continue to function.

After listening to Shen Lang's words, Jiang Mengxuan revealed a knowing smile.

"Alright, I'll listen to you. Just give me a list of the specifics. Tonight, you'll stay in the palace and dine with me."