My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

The emperor will not attend court early today.

However, he issued three imperial edicts.

The first imperial edict announced that the princes were growing old and should share the burden of the country, so they were specially ordered to go to the northern border to hone their skills, and they would depart soon.

The second imperial edict praised Governor-General Kua Sun for his outstanding talent and loyalty to the emperor, and specifically appointed him to oversee the training of the princes. His position as governor-general would be taken over by the deputy governor-general, and he would also depart soon.

As for the third imperial edict...

Some people saw Hongfu leave the city and go to Songlin Xiaozhu, but they still did not know the specific details of his departure.

Whether it was civil or military officials, or the four kings and seven dukes, they were all taken aback upon hearing this news and discussed in private what the emperor intended to do.

Unexpectedly, what is even more astonishing today is the sudden appearance of the legendary demons, who are wreaking havoc on the human world.

In the imperial study room.

The high-ranking officials were urgently summoned to the palace, each with a solemn expression and a sense of unease in their hearts.

The Prefect of the Capital has already sent people to take stock. The casualties among the people are heavy, and there is widespread mourning. Not a single person dares to read it aloud in public.

The emperor unfolded the memorial, looked at the conservative estimate of 50,000 dead and wounded, and fell silent. The real number might be double.

The Great Xia Dynasty has experienced many disasters, and the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people are not even among the top.

But this is Shenjing, the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty, right under the emperor's nose.

And this time it's not a natural disaster, but the work of demons!

The atmosphere inside the hall was solemn.

Everyone was confused, puzzled, and even somewhat incredulous.

The idea of ​​demons and monsters has always existed only in folk tales and stories, but now it has actually become a reality?

And then there's Chu Lengyu, she actually managed to fight against demons! Those who previously thought she was just bluffing and not good at killing now felt their faces burning with embarrassment.

Those who once slandered her as a "demoness" dared not mention it again, and at the same time regretted it deeply, wishing they had never said such things.

Today's events have completely overturned everyone's understanding.

She not only fought against demons, but also single-handedly protected the peace of the capital city, making those who had once looked down on her feel ashamed.

It should be noted that the collapse of a section of the city wall of Shenjing City was only due to Chu Lengyu's sword light accidentally brushing against it.

But thankfully, she was there.

Otherwise, how could they still be standing here unharmed?

They discreetly observed the emperor, noting that although his face appeared tired, his eyes were firm and he showed no signs of panic.

Recalling how the emperor had supported and trusted Chu Lengyu from the very beginning, suppressing all voices inside and outside the court, they became even more certain that the emperor must have known something all along.

The emperor put down the memorial, his heart heavy, but he had to pull himself together and asked, "How much silver can the Ministry of Revenue still provide?"

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Revenue hurriedly stepped forward and replied nervously, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue can immediately allocate approximately... 500,000 taels of silver."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked surprised.

Five hundred thousand taels of silver is undoubtedly an astronomical figure for an ordinary family, but it seems insufficient at this time of national crisis.

The emperor's eyes widened, and he demanded, "Where is the silver from the national treasury?!"

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Revenue immediately knelt down, touching his forehead to the ground, his voice filled with fear: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Everything I have said is true."

"Two years ago, the Jiangnan region suffered a once-in-a-century flood, and the imperial court allocated two million taels of silver for disaster relief; last year, various regions experienced a spring drought, resulting in a poor harvest, and the imperial court allocated another eight hundred thousand taels of silver to alleviate the people's suffering."

"In addition to expenses such as frontier military supplies and officials' salaries, the national treasury is already stretched thin, and it is really difficult to squeeze out more silver."

Even the 500,000 taels was fictitious; it wasn't real gold or silver, but rather a conversion of various goods.

The Minister of Revenue felt deeply helpless; faced with such a predicament, he was truly powerless to do anything.

Upon hearing this explanation, the courtiers in the hall fell silent.

In fact, everyone had a pretty good idea of ​​how much silver was left in the national treasury. However, when they suddenly learned that there were only 500,000 taels left, both the emperor and his ministers felt that this amount was far too little.

But what the Minister of Revenue said was also true.

Although the Great Xia Dynasty is generally blessed with favorable weather and peace, disasters still occur from time to time, as has been the case in recent years.

In addition, demons that had never been seen before suddenly appeared in the capital today, causing widespread suffering and death.

If this matter is not handled properly, it will inevitably arouse dissatisfaction and resentment among the people, and some people with ulterior motives may even attribute it to "the emperor's lack of virtue and divine punishment", causing social unrest.

However, while the emperor himself held reverence for the theory of the interaction between Heaven and humanity, he was not entirely superstitious.

He knew that the rise and fall of a nation ultimately depended on people's efforts and changes!

He frowned deeply, thinking: Suppose 50,000 people are affected by the disaster, and 500,000 taels of disaster relief funds are distributed among these 50,000 people, which is 10 taels per person. Although it is a bit small, it is not unacceptable. At least it is enough for them to live for several months and get through the most difficult time.

But the emperor knew even better that after layers of exploitation, the amount of ten taels of silver that would ultimately reach the people was probably less than one tael, or even just a small amount of rice to make up for it.

In the dead of winter, in addition to basic food and drink, people need clothes to keep warm and charcoal fires to keep warm, all of which require money.

Just as the emperor was about to discuss disaster relief strategies with his ministers, his expression suddenly changed.

He paused his conversation, gently raised his hand, signaling the ministers to stop their discussion, and said in a deep voice, "It is already late today, all of you should return to your residences and rest. We will discuss this in detail at the morning court tomorrow."

The courtiers had no suspicions. Now that the palace gates were about to be locked, the emperor couldn't very well leave them all in the palace to discuss things all night, could he?

They bowed and replied in unison, "We take our leave."

After speaking, they orderly withdrew from the imperial study, leaving the emperor alone sitting behind his desk.

After they left, Chu Lengyu revealed herself and then set up a soundproof barrier to prevent outsiders from hearing their conversation.

When the emperor saw her, it was as if he had seen a pillar of strength, and his heart was no longer flustered.

However, he still reached out and gently covered a light yellow-covered book on the table.

Chu Lengyu cut to the chase, saying, "Your Majesty's concern is nothing more than the empty treasury, making it difficult to raise enough funds for disaster relief. However, I do have a method that may solve Your Majesty's urgent problem."

Upon hearing this, a hint of anticipation flashed in the emperor's eyes, and he asked, "What brilliant plan do you have, young lady? Please speak freely."

"Confiscate their property!" Chu Lengyu said decisively. "The four kings and seven dukes, leave no one alive!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chilling atmosphere seemed to rush towards us.

The emperor was startled.

These nobles and princes lived extravagantly in their daily lives, and their mansions must have accumulated a great deal of wealth.

However, dealing with them is no small matter. Once implemented, it will inevitably cause a shock to the government and the public, and may even trigger a series of chain reactions.

Therefore, he couldn't help but hesitate.