The death of Fifth Prince Xiang Yuyuan made many imperial scions with ulterior ambitions furl their banners and silence their drums, at least for the time being. Even the Crown Prince dared not overstep his bounds.
Yet no one expected another major event to follow immediately afterward.
Just how rich was the Tan Household? It was a question that had puzzled many.
But few had imagined that the answer would actually be revealed-or rather, almost no one had imagined it would be revealed so soon, while Tan Yuanshang was still alive.
In some respects, the Tan Household's donation of almost all its holdings to the Imperial Court caused an even greater sensation than Fifth Prince Xiang Yuyuan's death.
Of course, in the end, the emperor did not accept Tan Yuanshang's offer to hand everything the Tan Household owned over to the Imperial Court. At least some of its shops and commercial networks across various trades remained in the family's hands.
Tampering with those was no longer a matter concerning only the emperor or Tan Yuanshang. It could cause upheaval throughout Great Yong's economy.
Still, the major assets that could be handed over were all surrendered, including, but not limited to, various fields and properties. Even the lavish Tan Residence in Heaven-Bearing Prefecture's city was handed over along with them.
The Imperial Court's Ministry of Revenue officials turned out in full force to inventory the assets transferred by the Tan Household. It took more than half a month to establish a basic picture, and another month to make things clear, but the work had only just begun. Reconciling the accounts was particularly laborious.
Some basic facts, however, had become clear.
The Tan Household's assets were indeed staggering, yet they also seemed somewhat unexpectedly modest.
In terms of cash alone, the donated