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

"If you ask me, I'm afraid Northern Yan won't last more than a few years. Intelligence says they've borrowed 500,000 shi of grain from the Jin Kingdom."

But with millions of mouths waiting to be fed, this small amount of food was far from enough. Even the rations originally allocated to the army were used for disaster relief.

"Hey, do you think we should take this opportunity to raise grain prices and make a killing?"

As he walked toward Xuanzheng Hall, Jiang Shangxian kept rubbing his hands together, clearly intending to make a fortune from it.

Shen Lang shook his head: "Raise grain prices? For a few coins, do you think it's worth damaging relations between our two countries? Besides, my Chu Kingdom is currently short of such money?"

Jiang Shangxian: "Wasn't I following your instructions to seek benefits for the people of Chu? Why are you now putting on this saintly act and lecturing me?"

"I'm speechless," Shen Lang said helplessly. "Even if we sell the grain for twice the price..."

Will the money they receive be enough to connect the north and south railways, or to dredge the canal that has been under construction for ten years? It probably won't even be enough to clear the silt deposited in the canal.

Given this situation, why strain relations between the two countries for such petty gains? This is a very poor strategy and should absolutely not be adopted.

Jiang Shangxian: "Brother, it's just that I'm not used to it yet. But then again, our relationship with Northern Yan is just so-so, it wasn't exactly friendly to begin with."

Shen Lang: "At least for now, we have to maintain appearances. This time, when Northern Yan comes to purchase grain and fodder, I plan to exchange it for something more substantial than gold and silver."

"What's something more substantial than gold and silver?"

"land!"

Shen Lang uttered a single word and strode into the Xuanzheng Hall.

"Land? What land does Northern Yan have? Hey brother, slow down, wait for me..."

Jiang Shangxian hurriedly chased after him.

"Regent."

As soon as they entered the Xuanzheng Hall, Ye Mo greeted them with a booklet in his hands.

"The State of Yan has sent an invitation, requesting to come to the capital to discuss grain procurement matters. Please take a look."

Shen Lang took the booklet, glanced at it, and casually asked, "Prime Minister Ye, what price do you think Yan should set for this grain purchase?"

Ye Mo could tell from Shen Lang's tone that he was not surprised at all, and that Shen Lang already knew about Bei Yan's movements in advance.

"I believe that grain prices should not rise too much. After all, our Great Chu still needs Northern Yan to restrain the Tianlang Kingdom. We should trade based on the current market price in Great Chu."

Shen Lang closed the booklet, waved to Ye Mo, and gestured for him to sit down in the main seat with him.

After the two sat down facing each other, Shen Lang asked again, "What is the current situation in Northern Yan? Does Prime Minister Ye know?"

After pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a sip, Ye Mo replied, "The situation in Northern Yan is not optimistic. The war this year has been far too brutal. Last month, after Cao Xianzhi returned to the capital from his mission..."

I mentioned to the old minister that the fields were barren and the spring planting season had been missed. To make matters worse, this year the Far East experienced snow in June.

The newly planted autumn seedlings have all frozen to death. If we cannot obtain assistance from the State of Chu, many people in Northern Yan will likely starve to death this year.

Many women wandered to the border of Bingzhou, intending to sell their bodies for food; the youngest girl was only seven years old.

Some Yan people, taking the risk, scaled the thick city walls and entered the territory of our Great Chu to wander and beg.

After being arrested by our border troops, he absolutely refused to return to Northern Yan, no matter how much he was insulted or beaten.

This old minister believes that we should give them some grain to appease them. The collapse of Northern Yan is not a good thing for our Great Chu.”

Shen Lang wholeheartedly agreed: "Prime Minister Ye's words coincide with my own."

The Northern Yan dynasty may collapse, but not now; at least we should wait until the north-south railway is completed.

Then, as Prime Minister Ye wishes, we will agree to the grain procurement agreement with Northern Yan.

However, the specific details must be discussed with Murong Ke personally by me.

“That’s excellent, that’s what I thought too.”

Ye Mo smiled, took a sip of tea, and then asked, "Regent, how do you plan to handle the affairs of the Song Kingdom?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "Let the Song Kingdom handle its own affairs."

Ye Mo frowned: "Are you really not going to get involved?"

Shen Lang laughed: "Judging from Prime Minister Ye's words, it seems that he really hopes I will intervene in the Song-Jin War?"

Ye Mo: "The rulers and ministers of the Song state were incompetent and foolish, especially King Zhao Huan. It was foreseeable that such a two-faced person would lead the Song state to its downfall."

Why was the Regent unwilling to send troops to rescue the Song Kingdom at this time, thus earning the gratitude of the entire Song people?

"Haha, Prime Minister Ye, I would just laugh it off if others said this, but since you've said it this way, I'll have to think about it carefully."

As he spoke, Liu Wu pushed a cart full of ice niches into the Xuanzheng Hall.

Once the outer cover of the ice niche was opened, the abundance of ice blocks emitted a refreshing coolness, quickly dispelling the stuffiness inside the hall.

In response to Shen Lang's question, Ye Mo simply smiled and replied, "It seems the Regent already has his own plans. In that case, I won't bother with these matters. Should we summon Lü Lin?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "No need. It's the same as telling Prime Minister Ye about this. This is what I think..."

He shared his plan with Ye Mo.

Upon hearing this, Ye Mo couldn't help but grin maliciously: "Indeed, the younger generation is formidable. If we proceed according to the Regent's plan, the territory of the Song Kingdom can be smoothly incorporated into the land of our Great Chu."

"It's better to be ruled by the Chu people than by a foreign tribe. At least the customs between Song and Chu are not that different."

"I will draw up a detailed plan, and you and Lü Lin can analyze it together to see if there are any omissions."

"Yes."

Ye Mo liked this way of handling work very much. There was no need to stand in front of the palace every day trying to figure out the emperor's intentions. Any ideas could be discussed and resolved by a few people in the office.

At the same time, it also eliminates many unnecessary steps, simplifies many procedures, and greatly improves administrative efficiency.

"Report~"

A member of the Imperial Guard came to report.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Ye, Army Academy officer Yue Pengju kneels outside Weiyang Palace, begging for an audience with Your Majesty."

"It's just nonsense!"

Shen Lang slammed his hand on the table.

"Notify the palace guards not to let this person into the palace. If he wants to kneel, then let him kneel."

"Yes."

Watching the guards leave, and glancing at Shen Lang, whose expression was somewhat uncertain, Ye Mo shook his head with a wry smile.

"Your Highness, you and Yue Pengju are both in your early twenties. To be frank, I was also in my early twenties at the same time."

I always felt I could use my own abilities to quell so many injustices in the world, and I never considered the consequences.

Ye Mo smiled as he tidied up a stack of memorials.

"Young people should have the spirit of youth. Yue Pengju, as a Song dynasty citizen, was concerned about the safety of his motherland when the country was in peril."

This is an act of loyalty and righteousness, so why doesn't the Regent grant his wish? In any case, the territory of Song will eventually be annexed by our Great Chu, don't you think?"

Shen Lang took a sip of tea: "Alright, Minister Ye, you don't need to concern yourself with Yue Pengju's matter. I will handle it."

Regarding the appointment and removal of officials in Wu and Jiangnan who are truly in need, Prime Minister Ye, you will have to find more suitable candidates so that they can take office as soon as possible.

Ye Mo smiled and continued to work diligently at his desk.