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

"What nonsense are you spouting! People from the martial world truly don't understand matters of state. The rise of the Chu Kingdom is naturally due to the Empress's discerning eye for talent."

But to say that Shen Lang alone can bring about a resurgence is utter nonsense!

Zhou Xianwu was clearly enraged by Lin Yunxiu's words.

"Our Great Song Dynasty has lasted for over three hundred years, but due to unfavorable circumstances, it has faced unprecedented external threats."

Military spending alone accounted for over 60% of the government's budget, which led to widespread poverty and hardship.

If our Great Song Dynasty were in the position of Chu or Wu, would we have ended up in this predicament?

Lin Yunxiu snorted coldly: "Lord Zhou, I originally thought you were a good official who could distinguish right from wrong and judge black from white."

Even if I didn't want to, I would still utter such disgusting words. You attribute the current resurgence of the Chu Kingdom to the vague and unfounded fate of the nation.

This negates human effort; ultimately, it's just your idealistic mindset at play, and you can't stand the fact that the State of Chu is far superior to the State of Song.

Is the State of Chu not in a difficult situation right now? It has been at war with the State of Yan in the north for over a decade, the Western Xia is eyeing it covetously in the west, and the Luchuan region in the south is no match for it either.

In addition, the overseas state of Li is also encroaching on the maritime territory of Chu. But after only three years since the Empress ascended the throne, what do you think of the current situation?

Luchuan was decimated, Western Xia was destroyed, and the empress, whose power had previously waned, now completely controlled the central court.

None of these achievements were obtained through any national fortune. Shen Lang's assistance to the Empress in consolidating her power demonstrates his extraordinary talent.

What's there to be unwilling to admit? Ultimately, it's because Shen Lang comes from a humble background, merely a child scout from Bingzhou, unlike you, Lord Zhou, from a scholarly family in the Song Dynasty.

But he accomplished what you wanted to do but couldn't, which makes you jealous and feel inferior, and you're unwilling to admit it.

Lord Zhou, please see this clearly: it is people who govern the country, not some supernatural force or deception.

I am skeptical that an unextinguished fire could bring prosperity to the Song Dynasty.

After speaking, Lin Yunxiu walked straight past Zhou Xianwu and headed towards the inn without looking back.

"Ah~"

Zhou Xianwu pondered for a long time, then sighed sadly and slowly followed.

……

Weiyang Palace, Ningxi Hall.

After the court session ended, Jiang Mengxuan invited Shen Lang and Jiang Shangxian to a gathering here to discuss matters concerning the unextinguished fire.

After establishing a relationship with Shen Lang last night, Jiang Mengxuan no longer maintained her aloof demeanor in private.

She had already changed into a set of casual silk clothes and was lying on her side on a long corridor armchair, gently waving a round fan, looking extremely relaxed.

"Please make yourself at home; there are no outsiders here."

Shen Lang: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Ok?"

Jiang Mengxuan seemed very dissatisfied with Shen Lang's answer.

"Okay, Mengxuan."

"Ah."

Jiang Mengxuan's eyebrows relaxed only after Shen Lang changed his tune.

Jiang Shangxian, who was standing to the side, laughed so hard he could hardly stop.

After more than a year of dating, the two have finally reached the point where they can tie the knot.

Jiang Shangxian had even planned it out: after the two of them got married, he would call me uncle, and I would call him brother, and we would address each other as our own.

"Uncle, what's going on with this fire? Do you know?"

“My nephew, I really don’t know what ‘unextinguishable fire’ means. The assassins from the last few times kept arguing about why the fire wouldn’t go out, but I really don’t have any in my area.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang added, "Those assassins said the fire wasn't extinguished inside your body. It seems necessary to make a cut in your stomach to verify their claim."

"Oh dear, that won't do." Jiang Shangxian hurriedly covered his stomach and twisted his chubby body to move back. "To have to cut open a belly for something that may or may not even exist is just too cruel."

Jiang Mengxuan quickly interrupted, "Alright, Imperial Uncle, whether it's true or not, just bear with it for now."

"Visit the Prince's Mansion more often to keep your aunt company. With her protecting you, I feel more at ease."

Jiang Shangxian looked troubled: "My imperial nephew, can't you let me stay in the palace a little longer?"

"No."

Jiang Mengxuan refused without even thinking.

"Now that your aunt has returned from her visit home, you must go back to the Prince's residence. Uncle, you and your aunt have been married for so long..."

If we still don't have an heir, the other members of the imperial clan will start gossip.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shangxian could only sigh helplessly.

"Since my imperial nephew has said so, then I will obey. I will return to my residence now."

"Yes, Uncle, take care."

After Jiang Shangxian left, only Shen Lang and I remained in the hall.

Jiang Mengxuan immediately smiled and stretched out her fair, lotus-root-like arm to him, patting the side cushion.

"Ah Lang, come sit over here."

Without any hesitation, Shen Lang got up and sat down next to Jiang Mengxuan.

"It must have been very tiring for you to march all this way in this hot weather."

"With your words, any hardship is worth it."

"uh-huh."

Jiang Mengxuan chuckled softly, picked up a chilled cherry from the coffee table, and slowly put it into her mouth.

Instead of chewing directly, she gently bit half of it with her white teeth, then stood up, supported Shen Lang's shoulders, and pushed him down.

As the cherry drew ever closer, and the beauty gazed at him with encouraging eyes and tender affection, Shen Lang felt his mouth go dry.

He instinctively wrapped his arm around Jiang Mengxuan's waist, and gently bit the other half of her cherry with his lips.

Finally, their two burning lips drew closer and closer, until they were pressed tightly together...

Is it sweet?

"Yeah, sweet."

Is it as sweet as me?

"You are sweeter."

Jiang Mengxuan smiled faintly and sat down in Shen Lang's lap.

"Ah Lang, am I dreaming?"

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that? Shouldn't I be the one overjoyed to be able to marry the Empress of Great Chu?"

"So you just got back to Beijing yesterday and tried to escape, and we almost didn't see you again?"

"Where can I have it?"

"Really do not have?"

"no!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan gently pinched Shen Lang's waist with her jade-like fingers, her face blushing with shyness.

After a tender moment, the two finally got down to business.

Shen Lang gently stroked the Empress in his arms and asked softly, "Mengxuan, do you understand why the Song envoy requested that the fire not be extinguished today?"

Jiang Mengxuan wrapped her arms around Shen Lang's neck and rested her cheek on his chest: "I've guessed some things, but there are too few clues to make an accurate judgment. I want to hear your thoughts, A Lang."

Shen Lang: "We need to understand the current situation facing the Song Kingdom in order to analyze their purpose in not extinguishing the fire."

"Yes, I'm listening."

"In fact, all the situations that Song State faced boil down to one thing: no money."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan immediately raised her head and looked at Shen Lang in disbelief.

"The State of Song is poor? That can't be true, although the territory of the State of Song is not as vast as that of my Great Chu."

But it's definitely not a small area. With 60 million people and frequent trade, how could it possibly be short of money?

"Don't worry, Mengxuan, let me explain the math to you."

"The Song Dynasty's biggest expenditure is its ever-increasing military spending, which alone accounts for 60% of the imperial treasury."

Secondly, the salaries of officials were outrageously high. For example, a second-rank official would typically receive 10,000 taels of silver annually.

In addition to expenses for travel, meals, and government allowances, the total came to approximately 20,000 taels of silver. This was still the legal income of a second-rank official.

The salaries of officials alone consumed nearly 20% of the government's budget. Next came the offerings to the imperial family and relatives, ranging from a minimum of two thousand taels to a maximum of thirty thousand taels.

After this expenditure, the Song state's fiscal surplus was reduced to less than 10%, and this 10% surplus was to be used for people's livelihood projects such as water conservancy, military farms, and canal transport.

Mengxuan, do you think this amount of spending is enough?

Jiang Mengxuan shook her head: "Of course it's not enough. Such an expense is simply too enormous."

Shen Lang nodded: "Because of the lack of effective constraints, the problems have become too deep-seated over time, and the imperial court's funds simply cannot support the ever-increasing expenditures."

The Song Dynasty court may appear prosperous at present, but it is actually rotten inside, relying on expanding its fiscal deficit and living beyond its means to maintain its administrative operations.

If things continue like this, the fall of the kingdom is only a matter of years away. Their purpose in pleading not to extinguish the fire was certainly not to fulfill their filial duty to the Zhao emperor.

Instead, they wanted to use the inextinguishable flames to persuade Northern Yan to send troops to reclaim the six prefectures and thirteen counties occupied by the Jin Dynasty, because there were gold mines there that could alleviate their financial crisis.

Jiang Mengxuan couldn't help but cover her mouth.

Shen Lang's perspective was so unconventional; he always managed to get straight to the heart of the matter.