Though Wu Xian had been mentally prepared, hearing Shen Tang's shameless remarks for real still made the corners of his mouth twitch. His expression grew more tangled than a ball of yarn. Everyone knew gold and silver were good things, but who went around saying so? Even if you loved money to death, you still had to be modest about it. You might even scold it for smelling of copper to show how refined and above the common rabble you were.
Shen Youli was something else. The first thing out of her mouth was that she wanted money.
He was, after all, the Sovereign of a country. Even as a prisoner, his true worth could hardly be measured in gold and silver.
Talking about money at every turn was beneath his dignity.
He asked, "You're a Sovereign. How could you be short of money?"
Shen Tang said, "I am. I'm practically going mad from how broke I am."
Wu Xian: "..."
Shen Tang continued to grin, completely unbothered by the Imperial Recorder's gloomy expression. She even hooked an elbow over Wu Xian's shoulder, acting quite familiar with him. "I won't hide it from you, Brother Zhaode. When Kang was first founded, we were so poor we rattled. We wished we could split every coin in half just to make it go further. Even I, the Sovereign, had nothing left over at the end of the year. We pinched pennies from the beginning of the year to the end. If that doesn't count as being broke, what does?"
Only then did Wu Xian notice the fabric Shen Tang was wearing.
It was indeed nothing particularly expensive.
Not just Shen Tang, but most of the civil and military officials under her wore simple clothes. Their garments were patterned mostly with inconspicuous designs,