Cui Yan nodded and patted Cui Lin on the shoulder. "At present, the only clans willing to give His Majesty their full support are the Zhen Clan and our Cui Clan. In my view, you too could join the ranks of the Nine Ministers someday."
Cui Lin's eyes lit up, and he drew Cui Yan into another lengthy conversation.
The Xuan Room.
Guo Jia handed Liu Xie the register tallying that day's donations and said with concern, "Your Majesty, the money, grain, and supplies being donated are dwindling."
"Ten days have passed, and only five remain, yet those Great Aristocratic Clans still show no intention of donating anything. Could they have failed to take the bait?"
The common people's means were far too limited.
After all, they were not well-off themselves and could not necessarily even fill their own stomachs.
The vast majority of the money, grain, and supplies raised over the past few days had been donated by wealthy merchants and local magnates seeking an audience with the Son of Heaven.
The prey of this overt strategy were those aristocratic clans, yet they still had no intention of entering the fray.
This left Guo Jia deeply worried.
If hundreds of thousands of commoners could not be properly settled, it would be a disaster.
It would also deal an enormous blow to the Son of Heaven's reputation.
"There's no hurry, no hurry." Liu Xie set down the memorial in his hand and smiled faintly. "We can let the arrow fly a little longer. They cannot possibly remain unmoved. What do you think, Wenhe?"
As Liu Xie looked his way, Jia Xu said with a smile, "Indeed. Your Majesty's strategy is truly brilliant. Those aristocratic clans have already entered the trap."
"All that remains now is to draw in the