The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Zheng Xun didn't know why she brought this up, but he still nodded truthfully: "It's all arranged. After they recover in a while, the Azure Dragon Guard will train them."

Distracted like this, Zheng Xun indeed did not continue thinking about it.

Zheng Jin smiled and continued listening to the two ministers arguing in front of him.

The two sides were the military faction, led by Yan Zekai, the Vice Commander-in-Chief, and Dong Xi, the Minister of War, and the civil faction, led by Shen Jiaming, the Minister of Revenue and the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue.

They were arguing about disarmament.

Although it is called troop reduction, most of the veterans and disabled soldiers in the army have made meritorious contributions. If they are allowed to return home, in addition to the cost of supporting them, there will be an additional cost of recruiting and supporting new soldiers.

As is widely known, the national treasury is currently low. During this period, many officials have returned some of the money they had embezzled, but after making up for the back pay owed in recent years, military salaries, and subsidies for fallen soldiers, not a single penny is left.

The Ministry of Revenue was truly a case of "even a skilled cook can't cook without rice."

"We don't need you to raise money, you're just too generous, making decisions on a whim all day long, and then leaving all the difficulties to the Ministry of Revenue!"

The Minister of Revenue, a man of great martial spirit, became somewhat agitated at this point and nearly got into a fight with a group of military officers.

Shen Jiaming hugged him tightly and pulled him back forcefully: "Calm down, this is the imperial court, not a martial arts school!"

He was truly worried sick. While other officials had the power to supervise, he was simply holding the reins of the Minister of Revenue, preventing him from getting into fights or accidentally cracking open the skulls of other ministers.

Even with him holding her waist, the Minister of Revenue could still lift his leg and kick her: "You're so generous, why don't you put some silver into the national treasury?"

Although the Minister of War managed to dodge in time and was not injured, he was not quite there in time either, as a bright footprint appeared on his chest.

Wow, the Minister of Revenue is quite the fighter! It's just a pity for Shen Jiaming; his face is all red from holding his breath, but he just can't pull this donkey back.

The Minister of Revenue's fighting prowess was more than just "good." At his peak, he was capable of taking on an entire court of generals single-handedly. In the end, he was beaten black and blue, and even his attackers became afraid of him. Yet, he still got up and fought again.

Although the emperor was happy to see his ministers "friendly sparring," he was also afraid that someone might get seriously injured, so he later arranged for Shen Jiaming, the supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, to keep an eye on him.

Actually, there are ways to make money quickly.

The emperors of the Great Yong Dynasty did not have the habit of killing meritorious officials. Each emperor was very generous and rarely stingy with bestowing titles. However, it didn't matter; without pressure from the emperor, they could still fight amongst themselves.

For a subject, having a ruler who won't discard them after they've served their purpose is a good thing. However, because there are no restrictions, this benefit only lasts for that time. Most descendants are corrupted by wealth and status, not only failing to continue the glory of their ancestors but also becoming parasites who live off their ancestors' legacy.

[It took nearly a thousand years for the dynasties before the Great Yong to differentiate between powerful and aristocratic families. However, the Great Yong Dynasty, which had only been established for a few years, had already produced a new group of nobles and powerful families, which became a new kind of aristocratic family in another sense. During the reign of the previous emperor, this group of people manipulated the government and wanted to put their own children into the court.]

The reason why the disarmament has been delayed for so long is also partly due to the interference of long-established families who have entrenched themselves in the military.

When his father ascended the throne, he knew he had no choice but to take a gradual approach to change the situation.

This group amassed 70% of the wealth of the Great Yong Dynasty.

But did the ministers and the emperor not know this? They did know, but many ministers themselves came from newly powerful families, so naturally they would not harm their own interests.

Actually, this matter is easy to resolve.

The emperor instantly perked up.

Some people are interested, while others are not.

Some people who appear cheerful on the surface actually have a deep and unsettling look in their eyes when they look at Zheng Xun.

The sixth prince coughed a few times and leaned against Zheng Xun's side.

His senses were extremely sharp. If anyone looked at Zheng Xun with malice, he would smile and look back at them, his clear eyes revealing them almost without any way to hide.

In my hometown, there once came a ruthless man named Huang Chao.

[“When autumn comes on the ninth day of the ninth month, my flowers bloom and all others wither. A fragrant array fills Chang'an, and the whole city is adorned in golden armor.” This line, from Huang Chao’s repeated failures in the imperial examinations, reflects his deep resentment that powerful families controlled the examinations, treating ordinary scholars unfairly.]

Since he couldn't pass the imperial examinations to enter Chang'an, he decided to conquer it. Thus, he led his rebel army and stormed the capital. "The streets were trampled with the bones of officials," and "Not half of the grand mansions and vermilion gates remained standing." No matter how powerful the aristocratic families were, they couldn't continue their evil deeds even after their heads were chopped off.

[The Great Yong Dynasty did not have a Huang Chao, but it could create one. As long as no one knew that Huang Chao was the emperor's man, the accusations could not be leveled against the royal family.]

The moves are underhanded, the plans are brilliant, but unfortunately I can neither articulate them nor put them into practice. What a pity!

The Emperor: fell into deep thought.

The ministers were both surprised and terrified.

You're being a fool!

I want to practice more!

Don't you feel guilty?

This is no lucky star, it's clearly a jinx!

Now they all know her plan! It can't be carried out anymore! Otherwise, she'll be written into history and infamous for eternity.

However, when their eyes accidentally fell on the Emperor, they found him with his head down, deep in thought.

Everyone:...

What's going on between you and your daughter? What's going on with your royal family?!

One father and two daughters, they're all living devils, they've stirred up a hornet's nest!

Some people looked at the princes with tears in their eyes, thinking that the royal family's kindness had all been transferred to the princes.

However, this is also a good thing, at least we don't have to worry that the future emperor will also be a living devil.

At this moment, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue suddenly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, last night the Ancestor appeared to me in a dream, admonishing me: 'The Great Yong is currently at a critical juncture of life and death. As citizens of Great Yong, we have an inescapable duty.'"

"After waking up, I wept bitterly, feeling deeply ashamed before my ancestors and the founding emperor." As he spoke, he couldn't help but raise his sleeve and gently wipe his eyes.

After choking back tears for a moment, he clasped his hands together, raised them above his head, and then bowed deeply: "Your humble servant is of meager strength and can only offer seventy percent of the family fortune on behalf of the Marquis of Wu'an to express my heartfelt gratitude."

Other noble families: ?!

Holy crap, I got backstabbed!

He was both loyal and filial, and he understood the greater good!

Has he forgotten what he told them before? They clearly agreed to stand together and protect the interests of the new aristocracy, and now he's betraying them!

What happened to the saying that only interests are eternal in this world?

Well, he knows how to be a good guy, but he makes them look bad to everyone else.

Despite the angry stares, the Left Vice Minister remained unfazed.

He understood clearly that their household was small and not extravagant. If the Great Yong Dynasty fell, all their wealth would be nothing but a fleeting dream, so it would be better to donate it.

When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?

There aren't many people as clear-headed as him, but there are quite a few smart people who can read the situation.

Immediately, those who could make the decision followed suit and expressed their opinions.

What else can we do?

If we really don't maintain an army, what if the Brown Kingdom invades?