dognovel Chapter 1330: Sure enough, the Imperial Concubine’s seal is still effective
Chapter 1330: Sure enough, the Imperial Concubine’s seal is still effective
"Your Majesty, at least use some to moisten your throat and refresh yourself."
After he finished speaking, Shen Zhinian raised her eyes, her eyes filled with unpretentious concern, and looked at him.
Being looked at by Shen Zhinian with such tender eyes, Nangong Xuanyu felt a little warmth in his heart.
The corners of his lips softened slightly, and his tone softened unconsciously: "Well, Nian Nian is thoughtful."
Li Changde, who was standing aside, almost cried for joy when he saw this, as if he had seen a living Bodhisattva who saved people from suffering!
God knows how anxious he was these past few days, watching His Majesty lose his appetite and work day and night, and how he couldn't persuade Him. The corners of his mouth were almost blistered.
As expected, the words of the Imperial Noble Consort were effective. As soon as the Empress arrived, the low pressure around His Majesty, which kept strangers away, dissipated a lot.
Li Changde immediately stepped forward with a grateful and cautious smile on his face. He first took out the silver needle and carefully tested the poison.
After confirming that everything was correct, he personally scooped out a small bowl and respectfully placed it next to the emperor, softly advising, "Your Majesty, this ginseng soup is a gift from the Imperial Concubine. It's cooked to perfection. Please use some. The emperor's health is at stake!"
Nangong Xuanyu glanced at Shen Zhinian, finally nodded, took the bowl of ginseng soup, and drank it in a few gulps.
The warmth of the ginseng soup seemed to dispel some of the fatigue accumulated in my heart, but it failed to truly resolve the deep worries.
The emperor put down the soup bowl and rubbed his increasingly painful forehead.
Seeing this, Shen Zhinian took a step forward, placed her slender fingers on his temple, and massaged it with moderate force, her voice soft and distressed.
"Your Majesty has been eating less these past few days, and now he looks worried and restless. Seeing this, I feel uneasy..."
"But what difficult and troublesome problems have occurred in the court?"
Her words were full of pure concern, just like a wife who cared about her husband, without any intention of prying into the affairs of state.
Nangong Xuanyu closed his eyes, feeling the comfortable force coming from his forehead, and the taut string in his heart seemed to relax a little.
The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs, this is the ancestral rule. But deep down, he has long regarded Nian Nian as a wife with whom he can share his joys and sorrows.
In order to maintain the majesty of the emperor, he could not tell his ministers about his fatigue and pressure, but only in front of her was he willing to reveal a little.
Nangong Xuanyu was silent for a moment, and finally sighed, his voice low and helpless: "It's a war on the border."
"The Xiongnu are coming with such ferocity this time, the battle is at a stalemate, and the daily expenditure on food, fodder, and military pay is like a bottomless abyss. The Ministry of Revenue... is already stretched to its limits."
He paused, his tone tinged with sarcasm, "The Duke of Dingguo's mansion was confiscated a few days ago. It seemed like a good profit, but that old fox Liu Chongshan poured most of the money into the bottomless pit of his private soldiers in Xingyang."
"The money that actually went into the treasury is just a drop in the bucket compared to the huge military supplies. It can't solve the urgent problem."
Shen Zhinian listened quietly, his hands did not stop moving, but many thoughts flashed through his eyes.
A deeper worry appeared on her face at the right moment. She parted her lips slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just sighed softly and said softly, "I don't understand the important affairs of state."
"But... I hope Your Majesty will take the dragon's health seriously and not worry too much about injuring himself."
Her hesitant and dutiful tone sounded strange to Nangong Xuanyu.
He knew very well that Nian Nian was more than just a pretty face.
Her mind was astute and her horizons broad, far beyond the reach of ordinary palace ladies. Her momentary hesitation just now was definitely not without purpose.
Nangong Xuanyu opened his eyes, held Shen Zhinian's hand that was pressed on his forehead, raised his head and looked at her with deep eyes: "Niannian, did you have any thoughts just now?"
The emperor keenly caught her fleeting inspiration.
Shen Zhinian immediately showed a look of panic, wanting to pull back her hand and kneel down: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I dare not!"
"The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. This is the ancestral precept. I dare not discuss state affairs!"
Nangong Xuanyu did not allow her to retreat. He exerted a little force on his hands and pulled her back to his side. His tone was unprecedentedly gentle and encouraging, even with a hint of subtle expectation: "There are no outsiders here."
"At this moment, it's not the emperor who is questioning his concubines, but the husband who is chatting with his wife and listening to the inner thoughts."
"Tell me what you're talking about. Whether you're right or wrong, I'll forgive you and won't let anyone know."
Shen Zhinian drooped his eyelashes, but sneered in his heart.
Chatting? Hearing insider insights?
That sounds nice.
Now when I pamper her, naturally there are no taboos and husband and wife are one.
But if she ever angered him or lost his favor, what she said today could at any time become ironclad evidence that she was acting like a hen crowing the dawn and trying to interfere in government affairs.
She had already experienced this man's coldness and imperial mentality deeply enough.
However, since Shen Zhinian had chosen this path, with a burning desire for supreme power and a desire to truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the emperor and hold his fate firmly in his own hands, he had to take some risks.
Moreover, Shen Zhinian has the memories of his previous life, and is more confident that the day when he falls out of favor will never come.
She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. When she raised her eyes, there was still a trace of timidity in her eyes, a caution that was in line with her status as a palace concubine: "Then... then I have spoken nonsense."
"If what I say is wrong, Your Majesty, just treat it as my humble opinion and just laugh it off."
Nangong Xuanyu nodded encouragingly.
"I just heard Your Majesty mention the lack of military pay and the limited proceeds from the confiscation of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion..."
Shen Zhinian carefully considered her words and said slowly, "I am a foolish person, but I just thought... Although the imperial treasury is empty, not all the wealth in the world is hidden in it."
Nangong Xuanyu's eyes narrowed: "Oh? What do you mean?"
"The Great Zhou is vast and rich in resources, with merchants flocking to it, and there are many wealthy people among the people."
Shen Zhinian's voice gradually steadied, carrying a guiding tone: "Especially in Jiangnan, Lianghuai and other places, salt merchants, grain merchants, silk merchants... there are many wealthy people."
"They are rich enough to rival a country, but they are often reluctant to contribute when the country is in trouble."
Nangong Xuanyu frowned, "I know this, but raising commercial taxes will inevitably lead to strong opposition, and adding water from afar will not quench a nearby fire."
Taxes were just reduced at the beginning of the year, and adding commercial taxes now would be tantamount to contradicting oneself and would even provoke civil unrest.
"I don't mean to raise taxes."
Shen Zhinian shook his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with intelligence. "Your Majesty, can we try another method? Instead of conscripting, borrow, or... recruit?"
Nangong Xuanyu seemed to be thinking: "Borrow? Recruit?"
"Exactly."
Shen Zhinian nodded. "Your Majesty, have you ever considered following the example of the previous dynasty and issuing a special IOU? Perhaps calling it a 'war IOU'?"