Chapter 34 - 34. Why is Your Majesty rebelling against your own state?

Chapter 34 34. Why is Your Majesty rebelling against your own state?

Xiao Yunxi sighed in her mind and said, “The harem should not be involved in politics, but the southwest is a natural obstacle for the Great Song Dynasty. Now that there is a rebellion in the southwest, Your Majesty should dispatch a large army to quell the rebellion, so as to ensure the long-term stability of the Great Song Dynasty.” “I know the reason, but unfortunately the national treasury has no money, and Nanyang is only a few hundred miles away from the capital. If the severe drought in Nanyang is not resolved and a riot occurs, it will endanger the imperial capital.”

Zhao Ji went to sit down on the dragon bed while Xiao Yunxi hurriedly poured him tea. When she was about to lean into Zhao Ji’s arms, Zhao Ji dodged her.

Xiao Yunxi immediately showed some resentment on her face. “Your Majesty, you haven’t been intimate with me for many years.”

“Ahem… I… I just woke up, and my body is a little unwell, so…” Zhao Ji created some distance with Xiao Yunxi.

Xiao Yunxi sighed again in her mind. Every time you use this kind of excuse to prevaricate me and then you end up going to the palace of another concubine. Obviously, you dislike me.

“It’s my fault for not taking that into consideration…” Xiao Yunxi didn’t get close to Zhao Ji any more, and continued instead, “The disaster in Nanyang has to be relieved, and the rebellion in the southwest has to be pacified. Well, why don’t you transfer the money from Genyue to General Huangfu, and solve the rebellion in the southwest first.”

Zhao Ji seemed a little irritated, but still said, “You probably don’t have all the information. The southwest is thousands of miles away from the imperial capital, and every time an army goes on an expedition, food must be collected first. An expedition will take at least a few months, if not one to two years. These military expenses, plus the expenses on the road, and the coordination of the ministries, are far from being solved by five million taels…”

“And I know about the rebellion in the southwest, and it’s not particularly serious. Just leave it to the local army.”

“Your Majesty can learn from the former emperor and ask the ministers and royal families to donate money. I have learned that they are very wealthy,” Xiao Yunxi said after she gave it some thought.

“Do you want me to let go of my honor and beg these ministers? If news spreads, how can I save my face?”

Zhao Ji wanted to take a sip of his tea. However, when he heard this, he immediately threw the teacup on the ground and splashed the tea on the ground.

“I don’t mean that…” Xiao Yunxi looked sad as she quickly bent over to clean up the mess. Then she immediately said, “Why don’t I go home first and ask my father to take care of the donation so Your Majesty doesn’t have to do it.”

When Zhao Ji didn’t speak, Xiao Yunxi knew that he had acquiesced.

With a smile on her face, Xiao Yunxi got up and said, “I think Your Majesty does not look too well, why don’t I give you a massage to relax.”

She was about to walk towards Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji frowned immediately, waved his hand as if he was trying to avoid snakes and scorpions, and said, “No… no need, I’m a little tired, you should go back first.”

Xiao Yunxi had a hurtful look on her, and said, “Does your majesty despise me?”

When Zhao Ji saw Xiao Yunxi’s expression, he knew that the way he acted was over the line, so he smiled and explained, “What are you even saying, you are my empress, the leader of the harem, my left arm. How can I despise you? It’s just that I’m a little tired.”

“Then Your Majesty, take a good rest. I’ll go see my father now…”

Xiao Yunxi turned around, wiped the corner of her eyes from an angle that Zhao Ji couldn’t see, and quickly stepped back.

Shortly after Xiao Yunxi left, Zhao Ji murmured. “The imperial teacher said that the construction of Genyue is not only related to whether my body can return to normal, but would also allow me to break through to the first-realm. I can’t delay that even for a moment…”

Xiao Yunxi took action quickly.

It was only in the afternoon that Xiao Yunqi, the father-in-law of the emperor, and the Chancellor of Wars of the Great Song Dynasty, gathered all the officials in the manor on the grounds that he had obtained a strange stone and invited hundreds of officials to examine

After the examination, it was time to talk about donations.

However, the result was unsatisfactory.

The royal relatives were inexorable.

Civil and military officials pretended not to understand.

In the end, the whole event only raised two-hundred-thousand taels.

As for Xiao Yunqi, the Chancellor of Wars, the father-in-law of the emperor, with multiple important titles, only donated thirty-thousand taels.

The officials totalled only two-hundred-thousand taels of silver.

Finally, the news reached Zhao Ji, and Zhao Ji was furious.

Immediately, he called the Head of Eunuch Wei Xian and asked him to bring the two depots to raid them.

Wei Xian immediately looked troubled and said, “Your Majesty, think twice!”

Due to Zhao Ji’s reforms, under the instigation of officials, the first thing was to reduce the power of the East and West Depots, which almost removed the power of the powers.

Now if they were to raid.

Wei Xian was worried that such a scene would happen.

Why is Your Majesty rebelling against your own state?

Zhao Ji was also furious. However, when he heard what Wei Xian said, he immediately calmed down, suppressed the anger, and asked Wei Xian to call the empress.

At this moment, Xiao Yunxi had not received any news of the donation.

When she heard His Majesty called her over, Xiao Yunxi was instantly overjoyed. She had not been called by His Majesty for nearly four years.

She hurriedly cleaned up and went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

As soon as she entered the hall, a smile appeared on her face as she said, “Your Majesty, isn’t it…”

Before she could finish, she was rudely interrupted by Zhao Ji and was scolded, “Look at what you have done. You have humiliated me. After the entire event, I only collected two-hundred-thousand taels in total, making me a joke among the officials.”

“two-hundred-thousand taels, how could that be?” Xiao Yunxi’s smile disappeared and her face turned instantly pale as her eyes became moist.

“How could it be? You should have thought of this long ago. You just wanted to see me make fun of myself. Your father, your father, only donated thirty-thousand taels, thirty-thousand taels. Is he giving me his pocket change?” Zhao Ji was so angry that he had to support himself with the bedframe.

Xiao Yunxi immediately slumped on the ground. She knew what thirty-thousand taels represented. Although she had been away from home for a long time, and she didn’t know the power of her family, she didn’t need to think to know that they could afford more than thirty-thousand taels.

Even three-hundred-thousand taels of silver was a small amount.

What was her father thinking?

Zhao Ji, after he saw that Xiao Yunxi was speechless, thought he was right, immediately criticized her again and again.

Xiao Yunxi left the Hall of Supreme Harmony in despair and went to see Xiao Yunqi again.

As a result, Xiao Yunqi immediately pretended to be poor. “Your Majesty, others don’t know me, but you should know me? I’m an honest official, and my salary is not much. These thirty-thousand taels of silver are all saved by my frugality. How can I have that much money?”

Xiao Yunxi didn’t believe it at all. “Father’s actions made it very difficult for me to act in the palace.”

“Your Majesty is making life hard for you?” Xiao Yunqi inquired and immediately frowned.

“Your Majesty has been in a high position for too long, and doesn’t know how the people below live. The two-hundred-thousand taels were all donated by the officials after my hard work to persuade them. You have given birth to children for His Majesty, and His Majesty is treating you like this…”

Xiao Yunqi allowed his aura to unleash and the power of a first-realm master was unleashed. He said, “I will enter the palace now, and talk to His Majesty.”

Xiao Yunxi wiped away her tears and hurriedly said, “His Majesty didn’t make it difficult for me.”