Inside the palace, Lin Yi and his son fell into a brief silence as they looked at the mountain of wealth piled up before them.
These were all donations from the people, which together completely submerged a corner of the palace, creating a man-made gold mine.
The retired Emperor Lin Rusong looked completely bewildered and asked incredulously, " Yi'er, were all these donations from the people?"
In all his years, this was the first time he had ever heard of common people donating money to the emperor, let alone so much. It was something that only happened in a storybook.
Judging from the amount, it's at least close to ten million strings of cash, which is no small sum. These people have probably emptied their savings for their funerals.
"Yes, these were all donated by the people of Yong'an City." Lin Yi nodded and said with a wry smile.
He was also shocked. Although this amount of money was not as much as what he had extorted from powerful families, it was an astronomical figure compared to ordinary people.
It's easy to imagine that these ordinary people did their utmost.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Lin Rusong said "good" three times in a row, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, excitedly saying, "Throughout history, perhaps only my son has won the hearts of the people so well!"
The fact that ordinary people are voluntarily donating money is a tremendous thing.
Throughout history, which emperor has had this prestige? Only one's own son could achieve this; it was an immense honor.
Even if it doesn't bring glory to one's ancestors, it is definitely a great act of virtue.
Grand Tutor Wang Ziwen also smiled broadly and exclaimed, "Haha, I was outside today too, and the donation site really got my blood pumping."
The people of Great Liang lined up to donate, leaving the foreign tribes nearby completely stunned.
This was the first time they had ever witnessed such unity; their shocked expressions were like those of country bumpkins who had just learned something new. The scene was simply exhilarating!
Thinking of the expressions on the faces of those foreigners, Wang Ziwen couldn't help but want to laugh.
Those people arrived with great fanfare, but when they saw this scene, they were completely dumbfounded and almost peed their pants in fright.
"Haha, they've certainly broadened their horizons. Not everyone can be as popular as my son." Lin Rusong was extremely proud, attributing it all to his excellent parenting.
Lin Yi rolled his eyes, ignoring the two old men's flattery.
To be honest, he was also taken aback by the enthusiasm of the people. Nearly ten million strings of cash were raised from just Yong'an City, which was simply a miracle.
This shows that there's strength in numbers; if everyone contributes a little, it can quickly accumulate into a mountain.
He looked at Zhao Gao beside him and said in a deep voice, " Zhao Gao, have you mistreated these common people?"
They donated so much money; their kindness and loyalty are priceless. I can't let them down. These lovely people deserve to be cherished.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant distributed a large amount of supplies to them, more than ten percent more than what they donated. In fact, they made a profit!" Zhao Gao explained upon hearing this.
"Okay, that's good!"
Lin Yi nodded slightly. He always believed that if someone treated him with respect, he would naturally return the favor sevenfold.
It's just a little bit of supplies; a simple act of Win People Over with Virtue over with kindness, and these supplies arrived.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ziwen couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
Back then, everyone said that the Crown Prince of Heir of Northern Liang was useless and that the entire Northern Liang would be dragged down by him. Who could have imagined that the Crown Prince would not only defy the heavens but also perform such a good deed in the end?
The prince had already received the money, but he actually returned some of it, thus benefiting the people instead.
This is worth nearly ten million strings of cash, given away so easily, and it has to be the crown prince.
Lin Rusong couldn't help but nod inwardly, muttering, "As expected of me, I have keen insight. I saw at a glance that my son is suited to be emperor, and it will surely be a celebrated story in the future."
Why is the emperor so kind? It's because he has good judgment.
Depend on!
Lin Yi's five senses were enhanced, so he naturally heard his father's mutterings and couldn't help but laugh and cry. This old man was becoming more and more narcissistic.
"Your Majesty, Xu You requests an audience!"
At this moment, Wang Yue hurriedly walked over.
Xu You!
Lin Yi immediately realized that it must be related to the Court of Diplomatic Reception, and directly ordered him to bring the person in.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
No need for formalities!
"Your Majesty, Nan Yiming of Zhennan has presented a great gift, wishing to negotiate peace with our Great Liang." Xu You held up the box in his hand and said in a deep voice.
This Mingzhu is priceless; he dares not hold it in his hands, for that could be fatal.
If you fall into Net trap, life won't be easy.
"A grand gift?"
Lin Yi took the box, and upon opening it, his eyes lit up; it was actually a natural Mingzhu.
This thing is quite expensive; the most valuable Mingzhu in later generations was worth three billion.
The one in my hand isn't very big, but it's of excellent quality and must be worth tens of millions; it's definitely a treasure.
However, to think that peace can be achieved with just this is wishful thinking. The dignity of the Great Liang cannot be compromised by such a small amount of money.
He chuckled and asked, "Is the newcomer Nan Yiming, the heir to the Zhennan?"
"That's right, we've confirmed his identity, and we've also planted a thorn in his side." Xu You nodded and explained his plan.
oh?
Lin Yi's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected Xu You to start developing business as well.
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, "As expected of Yuan Shao's number one cunning strategist, Xu You's instigation might just turn Nan Yiming to the dark side."
What was once a promising future king of the Zhennan has now been turned into a discarded pawn.
Not only is his life insecure, but the throne will also be passed on to someone else. How can he tolerate this? He's bound to turn to the dark side.
Although there's no need to resort to such tactics in the current situation, this move is enough to thwart Nan Ke's plan to delay the enemy's advance, and it can also annoy him a bit.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Minister Xu has done a good job. I'll leave this matter to you. Perhaps you can plunge Zhennan into internal strife."
It doesn't matter how useful it is, as long as it hits the nail on the head, it can reduce the cost of crushing the opponent.
Besides, my ministers have already started doing their jobs; I can't just dampen their enthusiasm, that would be disrespectful.
As expected, Xu You was overjoyed upon hearing this.
He exclaimed excitedly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Nan Yiming is now a caged bird, unable to fly out of my grasp. If Your Majesty wishes him to be round, he will be round; if Your Majesty wishes him to be flat, he will be flat!"
Hard work pays off, and now it's finally my turn, Xu You.
My scheming paid off; the Emperor saw my efforts, which is a huge boost and will propel me to take off!
"Haha, my dear subject, you're very thoughtful!"
Lin Yi patted him on the shoulder. What bad intentions could a hardworking subordinate have? He deserved support.
He glanced at Wang Yue and laughed, " The Net must work closely with Xu You to get this done. If Nan Ke wants to make a mess of things, then I'll let him rot in the pot!"