Chapter Seventeen: That Is Exactly What I Thought!

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Luodu, Prime Minister’s Residence.
“Hahaha, Minister Bai, you’ve done excellently. With this, if His Majesty wants to hold a folk festival, he will inevitably have to put the Great Wall construction project on hold.”
Listening to Ouyang Yu’s praise, Bai Lian appeared modest.
“Nonsense, nonsense. It is Minister Ouyang’s strategy that is superior; we merely followed orders.”
“However, if His Majesty truly halts the Great Wall project, there are only three days left. Can you prepare all that is needed for the Moon Worship Festival in time?”
Bai Lian chuckled lightly.
“Fear not, Minister. In truth, the arrangements His Majesty mentioned are quite simple. The workers are already prepared, materials are sufficient; if we proceed, it will take at most a day.”
As Ouyang Yu nodded, Bai Lian continued.
“Yet, Minister, I do not speak without cause; the treasury is indeed strained!”
“Since the start of this year, the taxes collected from the princes and nobles have amounted to less than half. Even if the Great Wall project is paused and some funds recovered, the monthly massive expenditures remain unsustainable.”
Hearing this, Ouyang Yu frowned slightly, his tone tinged with displeasure.
“Damn it! They delayed last year, and now again this year? Sigh, His Majesty has already lowered the taxes for princes and nobles. Send more people to urge them.”
“Use the remaining silver in the treasury for now. When next year comes, I will find a way to replenish it.”
“Minister, at this rate, it likely won’t last until next year...”
“Unless... unless the taxes on the common people increase and the princes and ministers cut expenses, we might sustain for a while longer.”
Ouyang Yu looked somewhat surprised at Bai Lian’s words.
“What!? Not even enough to cover next year’s expenses?”
Just as Bai Lian was about to reply, a servant hurriedly rushed in from outside the door.
“M-Master, bad news!”
Ouyang Yu was displeased.
“What’s the panic? What happened?”
“News just came from the palace... it says His Majesty left the palace and is selling imperial artifacts on the street...”
...
Half an hour earlier.
Danyang Palace.
“Your servant Cai Jing, pays respects to Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty, I just heard that someone is selling palace artifacts on the street, including things used by the late emperor...”
Before Cai Jing could finish, Li Chen laughed.
“Yes, I ordered those people to do that. What of it?”
Li Chen thought to himself, this fellow surely came to oppose him.
Next, he expected a barrage of complaints about the impropriety of such actions...
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However...
Cai Jing widened his eyes, feigning great surprise.
“Oh? No wonder. I was wondering who had such audacity to sell palace artifacts openly on the street. Even if they were forgeries, it would be a crime punishable by extermination of nine clans... but it was Your Majesty.”
He wore a meaning-laden smile.
“I dare speculate that Your Majesty does this to draw closer to the people, yes?”
“Throughout history, which emperor has done such a thing? Yet Your Majesty does, so the people must feel that You are exceptional.”
“Everyone knows Your Majesty is not selling these artifacts for profit, but to let the people feel that the royal family and commoners are the same—that what the Son of Heaven uses, the people may also use.”
“In short, in our Great Zhou, whether prince, noble, or commoner, there is no distinction in status.”
Li Chen was somewhat surprised.
As expected of the cunning minister I favor; this young lady is remarkably perceptive.
“Hahaha, yes, yes, you’re right. That is exactly my thinking!”
After a brief silence, Cai Jing spoke again.
“But Your Majesty, in my view, it is still not enough!”
“Not enough?”
“Indeed. You have only sent palace people to sell these items. The people may accept this, but these are the brazen counterfeiters selling fakes. Even if bought, they would think they just got something like the palace’s.”
“But if Your Majesty personally goes, it would be entirely different. It would dispel the notion that the artifacts are fake and fully realize Your Majesty’s intent of equality with the people.”
“What do You think?”
Li Chen immediately clapped his hands repeatedly.
“Good, good, you’ve truly spoken from my heart...” As he said this, he grabbed Cai Jing’s sleeve. “Come, come, what are we waiting for? Let’s go sell!”
Following behind the emperor, Cai Jing revealed a barely perceptible smile, thinking to himself:
“Hmph, luckily my gamble was right.”
“This fool actually believed my nonsense?”
“The emperor selling palace artifacts on the street? Ha, never before in history has there been such a foolish sovereign.”
“Such a pity for my lord; though he is less capable than this fool, he never sat on the throne.”
“Master, rest assured, I, Cai Jing, will make this incompetent emperor increasingly inept, so that you may rightfully ascend to the throne!”
...
Before long, Li Chen led Cai Jing and others in a grand procession to the street.
To let the people know it was the emperor arriving, Li Chen specially wore the imperial robes, seated in the imperial carriage, flanked by dozens of guards, staging a grand spectacle.
“Look, it’s the emperor!”
“You’re lying! The emperor could never come...”
Before the speaker finished, he was dumbfounded.
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Not far off, the imperial entourage was slowly approaching.
The crowd instantly erupted; many were seeing the emperor come out of the inner palace for the first time.
Strangely, usually when an emperor tours the city, soldiers clear the way early, and it’s impossible to mingle freely among the crowds like this.
But this time, the imperial entourage not only reached the bustling market district, but the emperor even stepped out of the carriage.
The people were completely stunned.
No one knows who first knelt down...
In an instant, nearly the entire street of commoners fell to their knees, voices raised in acclamation.
“Long live the emperor, long live...”
Some bolder ones dared to lift their heads, stealing glances—after all, this was the first male emperor of Great Zhou.
Heads bowed low, they speculated why the emperor had come out.
“Hey, what do you think the emperor is doing out here?”
“I think those counterfeiters selling fake goods must have enraged the emperor, so he came out specifically to punish them.”
“I don’t think so. A mere fake goods seller wouldn’t warrant the emperor’s personal attention. There must be something more important...”
As it happened...
Shortly after Li Chen stepped down from the carriage, he addressed the kneeling crowd.
“Everyone, please rise.” After one led the way, the crowd stood up. “Do not be alarmed by my leaving the palace today. I shall meet with you often henceforth.”
Then Li Chen approached the stall managed by Wan’er.
“You’ve all seen this stall, right? I’m here to tell you that all these imperial artifacts are genuine. Anyone interested may purchase freely!”
The crowd erupted in astonishment, faces filled with disbelief.
They all assumed these were fakes, yet... they are real?
Moreover, the emperor personally came out to sell them.
Heavens! What have I just witnessed? The emperor selling imperial goods on the street?
Amid the uproar, Li Chen glanced at Cai Jing, feeling an unspoken joy.
Then the system’s voice sounded:
[Congratulations, Your Majesty, for performing foolish sovereign behavior. Great Zhou’s national fortune has declined by 500 points, currently at 8,050 points.]
[According to the current decline in national fortune, rewards are being distributed...]