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

"I've heard that Ye Fan has been making waves in the Song court lately. The Zhao emperor has even become sworn brothers with him and he's been granted the title of Marquis of Dingjun. He must have some extraordinary abilities to be so successful."

Shen Lang's tone was full of sarcasm, and he kept glancing at Ye Mo out of the corner of his eye.

However, Ye Mo had already expelled Ye Fan from the Ye family. To him, Ye Fan was now nothing more than a stranger, and no matter how Shen Lang mocked him, he was not moved in the slightest.

"Regent, there's no point in talking nonsense now. I just want to know your next move."

"That depends on what Prime Minister Ye thinks," Shen Lang countered directly. "I intend to take this opportunity to annex both Northern Yan and Song into the territory of Great Chu, but is reality allowing for that?"

Ye Mo replied, "With the current national strength of our Great Chu, whether we attack Song or Yan, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort. The only problem is the aftermath."

The Ministry of Revenue calculated yesterday that, setting aside everything else, the money and grain required to help tens of millions of people of different ethnicities in the Far East survive a potential famine would be astronomical.

In addition to restoring agriculture and animal husbandry, and repairing the damaged city walls, a careful examination revealed that every expense was enormous.

Shen Lang narrowed his eyes: "Judging from what Prime Minister Ye is saying, can I assume that you are still choosing to attack Song over Yan?"

Ye Mo chuckled softly: "The State of Song is weak. Even if the State of Chu does not send troops, it will inevitably be destroyed by the iron cavalry of the State of Jin. Why bother with this and let the world say that the State of Chu is unjust?"

Minister of War Lü Lin spoke up: "An investigation has revealed that the training level of the Song army's infantry and cavalry is far inferior to that of the Jin army. The so-called reforms of the Song state are merely a copy of the elite military system of the Wu Zhao state."

This military system relies on concentrating the army's elite forces in one point, prioritizing warriors and followed by elite soldiers, in order to achieve the effect of conquering cities and seizing territory.

Actually, upon closer reflection, this military system was also implemented during the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Chu Dynasty; it's not exactly novel.

However, as the territory of the Great Chu gradually expanded, this military system became unsuitable for large-scale warfare, and therefore it was abolished.

It's truly baffling that the Song state is now abandoning its readily available conscription system and instead opting to revert to a strategy from hundreds of years ago.

Ye Mo: "The primary function of conscription is to exempt civilians from all corvée labor. On this point alone, does the Song Dynasty have the courage to implement it?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Lang, who was squinting and contemplating, and his heart was filled with emotion.

How much preparation did Shen Lang make to establish Chu's conscription system as a national policy?

One was to suppress the aristocratic class; another was to divide the aristocratic families in Guanzhong and Jiangnan; a third was to divert conflicts from external wars; a fourth was to develop industry and relinquish profits; and a fifth was to buy off the old army in the north.

Each step Shen Lang took, taken individually, might only be considered amazing.

But as each step is executed and the final goal is established, it makes one think deeply and break out in a cold sweat.

If he makes even one wrong step, Shen Lang will face the extreme fate of being torn to pieces.

Ye Mo still can't imagine where Shen Lang's confidence and courage came from. Was he really not worried about leading him into a bottomless abyss?

After a moment, Shen Lang slowly spoke: "Attacking Song is not advisable, nor is attacking Yan, so there is only one path left to take."

Lü Lin: "Which way?"

"Building roads."

Shen Lang stood up and said, "The saying goes, 'To get rich, build roads first.' I believe everyone has already experienced the convenience of railways and paved roads."

The north-south railway will ensure the central government's absolute control over the local areas. This is the matter I, as acting on behalf of His Majesty, must handle with my colleagues.

However, before we begin, let me make this clear: I know that there are many dissenting opinions within the court regarding my appointment as regent.

There were even rumors that I harbored rebellious intentions and wanted to usurp the throne. Regardless of those rumors,

Today, I'll give you a heads-up: I've already spoken with His Majesty, and after the birth of the prince, I will no longer concern myself with court affairs, and naturally, I will no longer serve as regent.

You don't need to imagine any drama of a powerful maternal relative usurping the throne. Instead of focusing your energy on these unfounded rumors, you should think about how to successfully complete this year's administrative targets.

Ye Mo: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will shut those corrupt officials up."

Liu Wu spoke up: "In fact, we have all seen what the Regent has done over the years. According to the laws of the Great Chu, everything the Regent has done is for the sake of the country and the nation, and he has done nothing wrong."

Shen Lang: "Alright, Liu Wu, if you can't flatter me, then don't. I know better than you what I did and where I went wrong."

You only need to manage the laws of the land; as for the rest, your colleagues will take care of it.

After saying that, he directly asked Lin Yu, "Minister Lin, how much of the national treasury's surplus is left from last year?"

"Reporting to the Regent, the national treasury had a surplus of 24.82 million taels last year."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang immediately said, "Bring it all out and hand it over to the Ministry of Works. Within three months, complete the connection of the railway lines between Jinling and Wu."

The remaining funds will all be invested in shipyard construction. By this time next year, I want to see Jiangnan Shipyard fully equipped with the escort vessels for the flagships Pojun and Kaiyang.

Lin Yu replied, "I will submit the funds to the Ministry of Works for processing as soon as possible, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

"There's something else," Shen Lang added. "The plan for opening the bank can be submitted now, along with the relevant regulations and proposals."

Your Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Justice should coordinate everything; in short, the usurious lending practices of powerful and unscrupulous gentry must be eradicated.

Lin Yu stood up: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will draft the relevant regulations for the bank as soon as possible."

Shen Lang nodded and looked at Ye Mo again.

Before Shen Lang could answer, Ye Mo replied directly, "The Duke of Zhenguo need not say anything; this old minister understands."

The old minister will have those scions of powerful families submit all the land registers they possess to the court as soon as possible for redistribution to the people.

Shen Lang: "So, is there a plan for how to allocate these resources?"

Ye Mo took out a booklet: "In the preliminary plan, taking one mu of medium-sized farmland as an example, a farmer will be allocated five mu of land. Assuming a household of five people, the farmer can get twenty-five mu of land, with a maximum of fifty mu."

"Ah."

Shen Lang responded, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. With the land area, the newly cultivated grains, and the application of fertilizer, it would be enough to feed a family.

Of course, this is just to ensure the family has enough to eat; if you want a better life...

"In addition, the minimum contracted land area is 20 mu, with a maximum of 100 mu per household for the time being. Besides paying a fixed amount of grain once a year, this contracted land..."

All other profits from planting belong to the family. The contract period is three years. If the planting is done properly and taxes are paid on time every year, a long-term contract can be signed.

The old minister has already written down the specific details, which will be given to the Regent later.

Shen Lang: "Food is the most important thing for people. If farmers don't get rich, who will want to farm in the future? Gentlemen, never underestimate the power of farmers."

Throughout history, the core problem leading to the downfall of dynasties has been agriculture in 99% of cases. While the situation in our Great Chu hasn't deteriorated further, it's not too late to mend the fence after the sheep have escaped.

"Remember the Regent's orders!"