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

"Commander Shen, now that Chang'an has been recovered, the court should move back to the old capital, right? If I may presume to say something, you now possess immense merit, so it shouldn't be difficult for you to mention it to His Majesty."

“What the head of the Changsun family said is correct. The Great Chu court has been calling for the restoration of the old capital for more than two hundred years. Now that the old capital has been restored, it is indeed time to move back to Chang’an.”

As he spoke, Shen Lang got up and walked to a copper basin filled with ice, then placed his hand on it and rubbed it for a while.

"But as I just said, the matter of moving the capital is too complicated. Even if the court wants to move back to Chang'an, it is probably not something that can be decided immediately. So why rush it?"

Changsun Yang unconsciously stood up and looked at Shen Lang. He was about to say something when Shen Lang raised his hand to stop him.

"As Mr. Shen mentioned before, the barbarians of Xiliang have not yet been pacified."

Moving the capital back to Chang'an at this juncture would require directly confronting the harassment from the Qiang and Hu tribes in the northwest.

At this juncture, proposing to relocate the capital will only provoke a unified backlash from both the government and the public.

Changsun Yang hurriedly said, "Commander Shen has led the royal army with unstoppable momentum. The Western Liang region will be recovered within three months, which will greatly reduce the external threat to Chang'an."

Shen Lang smiled and pressed his hand back onto the ice: "That may be true, but even if Xiliang is destroyed, there's still the Weizang Kingdom."

That was the Western Xia, a more powerful and barbaric tribal empire; I had to be wary.

Changsun Yang immediately understood Shen Lang's implied meaning and bowed, replying, "General Shen, Your Highness! Allow me to reveal my secret: as long as the royal army remains in Guanzhong..."

We, the powerful clans of Guanzhong, will send every penny of the provisions and pay needed by the army to the troops!

"If you don't believe me, I can raise six million taels of silver and one million shi of grain tonight, and deliver them to Commander Shen tomorrow!"

His answer was firm and confident.

But Shen Lang just smiled, pulled his hand back from the ice basin, and didn't reply immediately.

Jiang Shangxian, on the other hand, was stunned by the astronomical figure of "six million taels" of silver.

Changsun Yang eagerly awaited Shen Lang's response.

As long as Shen Lang speaks up, the minimum guarantee is that the imperial army can be stationed in the Guanzhong region, thus securing the assets of the powerful clans in Guanzhong.

However, Shen Lang had already discerned the underlying meaning in those words and replied with a smile, "Patriarch Changsun, what are you doing? The three million shi of grain you sent last time has already saved the people of many places in Heluo."

"If you were to fund the military expenses again, how could that be justified? Those gossipy officials in the court would submit a single impeachment, and I, Shen, would be in deep trouble."

Changsun Yang's eyes narrowed. The unspoken meaning behind those words seemed amiable, but in reality, it was fraught with murderous intent.

Yes, the delivery of three million shi of grain to Luoyang could be explained by the reason of providing disaster relief and relieving the court's burden.

But if we send military funds directly to the border troops, then a problem arises.

Is this the imperial army or the army of your powerful clans in Guanzhong?

Who should this army listen to from now on?

Thinking of this, Changsun Yang broke out in a cold sweat and really wanted to slap himself.

This cannot be blamed on him. Since the Chu state moved its capital, the Changsun family has not served as officials in the Chu court for more than two hundred years, and has always followed the Western Xia system.

If it weren't for Shen Lang's guidance, his entire family would probably have been recorded in the Empress's register.

Throughout history, the greatest taboo for ambitious emperors has been to amass military power and provide provisions for their personal guards. Even if things are peaceful for the time being, if the matter is investigated in the future, the Changsun family will be the first to be wiped out.

After a moment of lingering fear, he hurriedly bowed to Shen Lang and said, "General Shen is right. It was all my oversight. Please forgive me."

Shen Lang calmly replied, "Patriarch Changsun, there's no need for that. Let's talk about the relocation of the capital. Patriarch Changsun, what do you think is most important when relocating the capital?"

Changsun Yang replied, "Naturally, the environment and climate are the most important factors. Chang'an has always had an imperial aura..."

Shen Lang interrupted him directly: "It seems that Patriarch Changsun is not very familiar with the current national policies of our Chu Kingdom. Let me, Shen, explain it to you."

After the Empress ascended the throne, her top priority was pragmatism. Metaphysics and feng shui were nothing but superstitious and supernatural talk.

To put it simply, I, Shen, have seen Chang'an today, and it seems quite different from the grand and magnificent atmosphere I had in mind.

Looking around, the houses are dilapidated, and the people are emaciated. Do you think His Majesty would abandon the prosperous city of Jinling and rush to Chang'an to establish the capital?

Changsun Yang was taken aback, then quickly said, "Please rest assured, Marshal Shen, I will organize the people to rebuild Chang'an and construct palace walls to welcome His Majesty back to the capital."

Shen Lang shook his head: "Is repairing Chang'an City enough? Patriarch Changsun doesn't think it's that simple, does he?"

"Please advise, Commander Shen."

"Alright then, I, Shen, spent some time with His Majesty in the palace, so let me settle some accounts with you."

His Majesty's personal treasury is entirely composed of taxes from various parts of Jiangnan, totaling 600,000 taels of silver, 150,000 shi of refined rice, and 2,500 bolts of silk annually.

These figures are from the second year of the Xuan Yuan era. Currently, His Majesty's treasury has an annual income of approximately 1.15 million taels of gold, 430,000 shi of refined rice, and 13,000 bolts of silk.

"May I ask, Patriarch Changsun, if His Majesty moves the capital to Chang'an, how much income will her treasury receive?"

Changsun Yang immediately broke out in a sweat.

Shen Lang continued, "Furthermore, His Majesty's Shanglin Garden covers a total area of ​​280,000 mu."

Of these, 80,000 mu were top-grade imperial farmland, yielding two harvests per mu per year, with each harvest producing approximately 520 jin of rice.

Another 10,000 mu are planted with mulberry trees, and another 10,000 mu are planted with fruits and vegetables for the imperial court.

The remaining land is specifically designated for training a new army. If Your Majesty were to move the capital to Chang'an...

Can you guarantee that the Shanglin Garden in Jinling can be replicated to this extent?

Changsun Yang remained silent.

"Finally, the household registration, population, and tax revenue of Chang'an cannot be counted. His Majesty has no one under his rule. Is she supposed to be all alone?"

After Shen Lang finished speaking, Changsun Yang was so shocked that he slumped back in his chair.

Jiang Shangxian and Piaoxu were completely confused, not understanding what was wrong with the conversation between the two.

But Changsun Yang already understood what Shen Lang was trying to say.

The translation is: Chang'an has been recovered. You powerful clans in Guanzhong must return the land, people, and resources that should have been controlled by the royal family and the court, or the royal army will surely point its guns at you first.

Wow, that's amazing! Really amazing!

Changsun Yang felt genuine admiration for Shen Lang's calm and collected words.

He considered himself a wise and experienced ruler, possessing the qualities of a worthy subject.

Compared to this little fox, I'm still far inferior.

"Patriarch Changsun, what's wrong with you?"

Seeing that Changsun Yang's face was pale and his eyes were lifeless, Shen Lang knew that he had achieved half of his goal for the day, so he immediately pretended to be concerned and went forward to pour him a glass of water.

Changsun Yang hurriedly said, "General Shen, please teach me what to do?"

Shen Lang smiled and said, "How about this, Patriarch Changsun? I will personally write a letter to His Majesty, and you and your subordinates can go to Chang'an to meet the Emperor."

"If you have any difficulties or thoughts, why don't you go and tell His Majesty in person?"

Changsun Yang's eyes lit up immediately, and he hurriedly tried to get up and bow down.

Shen Lang helped him up: "Patriarch Changsun, what are you doing? Get up quickly. I am a junior and cannot accept your grand gesture."

"To have the opportunity to personally travel to the capital and meet the Emperor is an immense honor. Thank you, Marshal Shen, for making this possible!"

Changsun Yang dared not refuse to thank him. Shen Lang's invitation for him to meet the emperor in Jinling was tantamount to telling him indirectly that at least the Changsun family could return to the imperial court.

Moreover, with Shen Lang's letter of recommendation, this matter is bound to succeed.

If the Empress wants to move the capital, one must first enter officialdom. Only by entering the court can one have the opportunity to get close to the Empress, know her preferences and temperament, and understand the changes in the Great Chu court.

This is what Shen Lang really meant, and Changsun Yang only understands it now.

"Shen Shuai, I..."

"Alright, Patriarch Changsun, I understand what you mean. I will send you the letter to His Majesty later. You can set off after you receive it."

"Thank you, thank you, Commander Shen..."

Changsun Yang burst into tears. Returning to the officialdom of the Great Chu was the wish of his family for generations, and now it was about to be realized, so he was naturally filled with emotion.

Shen Lang quickly stepped forward to help him up: "Patriarch Changsun, why do you need to do this? I will always remember everything you have done for the royal army."

Here's what we'll do: you will donate the six million taels of silver for military expenses and one million shi of grain that you previously promised to His Majesty, in the name of the powerful clans of Guanzhong.

By having Shen handle it on their behalf, the powerful clans of Guanzhong would be appeased, and Shen would also avoid being implicated.

Jiang Shangxian, who had been lingering on Piaoxu, frowned and his forehead creased when he heard Shen Lang say those words.

"Good heavens, after all this time, they still haven't let go of that military pay."

Changsun Yang, however, had a hint of joy on his face.

What people like them fear most is giving gifts that are not accepted.

Now that Shen Lang has accepted it, it means that his and the powerful families of Guanzhong are basically guaranteed to enter officialdom, and there will be no suspicion of bribing the military.

After all, this was nominally a tribute from the powerful clans of Guanzhong to His Majesty, so no one could find fault with it.

So he immediately picked up his wine glass.

"General Shen, this glass of wine is for you!"

"Patriarch Changsun, you are too kind. We will need your help in Guanzhong in the future."

"Serving His Majesty is my lifelong wish."

Both sides were satisfied with the meal; Shen Lang received military funds without spending a single penny of the imperial court's money.

Changsun Yang got the opportunity to enter the government and received strong support from Shen Lang, thus ensuring the safety of the powerful clans in Guanzhong.

It can be said that everyone is happy.