The Steel Torrent swept up in the wind and snow, vanishing at the edge of the horizon.
That orderly, earth-shaking rumble seemed to linger in everyone's ears, pounding against their hearts.
Zhu Gaochi stared blankly northward. Only after a long while did he let out a deep breath.
The breath was long and slow, and he felt the knot of worry lodged in his chest loosen considerably.
He turned to look at Xia Yuanji, Minister of Revenue, and Fang Bin, Minister of War. They wore the same stunned expression.
"Did you all see that?"
Some of the Regent Crown Prince's authority had returned to Zhu Gaochi's voice.
"I... I saw it..."
Xia Yuanji swallowed with difficulty. As the man in charge of the purse strings, he had immediately seen just how much money that army was "burning."
Those weapons and armor would have emptied his Revenue Ministry's meager coffers even if there had been only three hundred men, let alone three thousand.
Fang Bin's face was ashen, and he could not utter a word.
Only now did he understand how laughable and ignorant he had been when he'd clamored for a southward relocation in front of Prince Zheng.
The man had been holding a royal flush, while Fang Bin had thought he only had a pair of threes.
This wasn't just acting on impulse. He'd been dancing back and forth at the gates of the underworld!
"Now that you've seen it, pull yourselves together!"
Zhu Gaochi slapped the wall of the carriage. "Second Son has already led the troops out. Those of us who are his elders can't drag him down from behind! Xia Yuanji!"
"Y-Your Highness!"
Xia Yuanji jumped and hurriedly bowed in response.
"Have the Revenue Ministry immediately take stock of all grain and fodder, weapons, and medicine! Give them money if they need money, grain if they need grain! Do whatever it takes to keep Prince Zheng's army supplied! If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable!"
Zhu Gaochi spoke sharply.
It was the toughest thing he had said since becoming Regent.
At last, he had something to rely on.
But Xia Yuanji's face fell at once, looking worse than if he were about to cry.
He dropped to his knees in the snow with a thump and spoke in a plaintive voice. "Your Highness, forgive me, but I am powerless! It's not that I haven't done everything I can. It's just... the treasury... the treasury is empty!"
"What?"
Zhu Gaochi furrowed his brows.
"Your Highness, have you forgotten?"
Xia Yuanji looked as though he were in mourning. "The Emperor's five northern campaigns nearly emptied all the reserves accumulated during the Hongwu and Jianwen reigns. To raise the provisions and pay for this northern campaign, I even borrowed next year's Summer Tax in advance! Forget silver—the mice in the treasury would have to leave in tears! Three thousand heavily armored cavalry, outfitted with Horse and Rider Armor... just feeding the men and horses for a single day would cost an astronomical sum! And that's not even counting damaged weapons and medical supplies... I-I really can't conjure it out of thin air!"
The more Xia Yuanji spoke, the more aggrieved he became. The dignified Minister of Revenue of Great Ming was being driven to the brink of hanging himself by a lack of money.
Zhu Gaochi's expression darkened, too.
He knew Xia Yuanji wasn't lying. Great Ming's finances truly were on the brink of collapse.
The hope that had just flared to life was doused by a bucket of ice water.
"No money... How can we fight a war without money..."
Zhu Gaochi muttered to himself. His back, which had just straightened, seemed ready to bend once more.
"Who says there's no money?"
A lazy voice suddenly came from not far away.
Everyone turned in surprise. Zhu Zhanjun, who should have already ridden off with his army, had somehow circled back on horseback.
Two guards followed behind him. Each of their horses carried a heavy Wooden Box on its back.
"Second Son? Why are you back again?"
Zhu Gaochi was both surprised and delighted.
"I forgot something."
Zhu Zhanjun dismounted and strolled over to Xia Yuanji, grinning. "Lord Xia, I hear you're out of money?"
Xia Yuanji's old face flushed. He stuck out his neck and said, "Your Highness, it's not that I'm out of money. It's the treasury that's out of money! I would give my life for my country, but even the immortals can't cook a meal without rice!"
"All right, all right. I know you, Old Miser Xia, are the greatest financial whiz in the world."
Zhu Zhanjun waved impatiently, then kicked the Wooden Box on the back of the guard's horse.
Clang!
The box toppled over. Its lid flew open with the jolt, and a blinding golden light burst forth, making everyone squint.
The box was filled to the brim with neatly stacked gold ingots!
Against the gray, snowy sky, their glittering radiance shone brighter than the sun!
"Gulp."
Xia Yuanji's Adam's apple bobbed. His eyes widened like copper bells as he stared fixedly at the gold, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit a fist.
He had managed the money and provisions of the entire realm all his life, and had seen more gold and silver than he could count. But never had he seen anything so pure, so breathtaking.
And that wasn't all.
Zhu Zhanjun went to the other horse and kicked over the second box.
Rattle!
This time, it wasn't gold ingots, but countless Banknotes!
They were the latest Baoyuan Bureau Official Notes, each one worth a thousand taels. Thick stacks were piled in the snow, fluttering and rustling in the cold wind.
"This..."
Xia Yuanji was completely dumbfounded.
He reached out with a trembling hand, picked up a Banknote, and turned it over and over. He even brought it to his nose and sniffed its familiar scent of ink.
It was real!
Every last one was real!
"Here you have fifty thousand taels of gold and three million taels in Banknotes."
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