"I know, does Your Excellency have any good ideas?"
Ye Lingfeng stared at Zhongli with an expression of humility and humility. Zhongli, seeing the emperor's gaze, couldn't help but cough twice, thinking seriously for a moment before shaking his head: "This old minister has no choice."
Inside the study, the other officials all sneered inwardly, "You have no choice. Why are you pretending to be concerned for the people? Everyone knows that."
Inside the study, all was silent. Ye Lingfeng no longer relied on these officials and was seriously thinking about how to handle the current matter. In addition, he had already examined the geographical location of the south and had a preliminary idea in mind. The low-lying land in the south caused rainwater to accumulate, reducing daily income. All that was needed was to dig ditches and canals. However, the digging of these ditches and canals required people knowledgeable in water conservancy to complete the task. Moreover, even so, he would personally supervise the work to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation and causing the matter to be handled poorly.
But this adds another expense. There is already a large shortfall in the second half of the year. If we open up ditches and canals for the southern land, it will add another expense. Where will this money come from?
Ye Lingfeng racked his brains trying to figure out where he could get the money.
Just as he was lost in thought, a eunuch came in and reported, "Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."
Upon hearing that Ling'er had arrived, the coldness on Ye Lingfeng's face faded, and the fierce aura around him dissipated considerably. He waved his hand, signaling to the little eunuch, "Let Her Majesty in."
"yes."
The young eunuch withdrew.
Inside the Imperial Study, Prime Minister Zhongli stood up and said urgently, "Your Majesty, we are discussing matters. This Imperial Study is still a place for discussing matters. The Empress is still a concubine in the harem. How can a mere woman come to the Imperial Study so casually?"
As soon as Zhongli finished speaking, all the ministers around him looked at him, then turned to look at the doorway.
Zhongli followed the gaze and saw the Empress looking at him with a half-smile in front of the Imperial Study. Her eyes were unfathomable, and Zhongli couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart. However, he was now the Prime Minister and the leader of the Six Ministries. How could he show weakness to the Empress in front of others? Therefore, Zhongli straightened his back and looked fearless.
At the gate, Hailing glanced at Zhongli. She disliked this prime minister to no end. Although he was a role model for all officials, he did not act like one. He would not step forward when he should, but would step forward desperately when he should not. If he were an old pedant, it would be fine, but he was a cunning and treacherous old man, which made him extremely annoying. Right now, she had not caught him red-handed, but if she had, it would be the end of the Zhong family. Now, instead of protecting himself, he knew how to cause trouble.
Hai Ling withdrew her gaze, picked up a food box, and walked towards the Emperor, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Your Excellency, what an arrogant tone! Aren't women human beings? You think I can't even enter the Imperial Study? Does Your Excellency remember who gave birth to you and who raised you? Without your wife, where would you be? Tell me, Your Excellency, is your wife more important, or are you more important?"
Hai Ling stood beside the Emperor, while Ye Lingfeng remained silent, showing no intention of stopping her.
The ministers in the Imperial Study all kept their distance from the Prime Minister. This Prime Minister's head was filled with mush. Everyone knew that the Empress of Bei Lu was very clever. Now that the Empress had arrived, they couldn't be more eager for someone to come up with ideas to solve the current problem. He was quite the talker.
As long as the country prospers, it doesn't matter whether she's a woman or a man.
However, Prime Minister Zhongli could not comprehend what the ministers were thinking, because he was so angry at Hailing's words that his face turned black, and he pointed at Hailing with a trembling body.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty's words are improper."
What is propriety?
Hai Ling stared coldly at the Prime Minister. She had overheard the discussions among the officials in the study outside the door. Currently, there was no grain tax in the south, and the court was short of a large sum of money. Zhong Li, as a high-ranking official second only to the emperor, did not know how to share the emperor's burdens and even had the nerve to talk about propriety. Thinking of this, Hai Ling's face suddenly darkened, and she coldly shouted.
"Zhongli, as the Prime Minister, instead of using your brain to think about how to share the Emperor's burdens, you are actually thinking about whether a woman should come to the Imperial Study. Do you think that if I don't come to the Imperial Study, you, Zhongli, will have a plan to share the Emperor's burdens? If that's the case, I will leave the Imperial Study immediately."
Inside the Imperial Study, everyone stared at Zhongli, then looked at the Empress. The Empress was truly formidable; Prime Minister Zhongli was rendered speechless, trembling like a leaf in the wind. The Prime Minister, usually so arrogant and domineering, relying on his past as a high-ranking official of the late Emperor, never looked down on anyone. Unexpectedly, he had been humiliated in front of the Empress. This was truly gratifying.
The Empress is right. The current issue is how to resolve this matter of money. Why is the Prime Minister so fixated on whether the Empress enters or not? Besides, he's just making trouble out of nothing. There's no record of the Empress being forbidden from coming to the Imperial Study, yet he insists on doing so.
Now he's shot himself in the foot. Is the Empress someone that just anyone can deal with?
Inside the Imperial Study, Zhongli grew increasingly angry when he saw that no one was helping him. Meeting Hailing's eyes, he angrily declared, "We are discussing state affairs; the harem must not interfere in politics."
"I think the Prime Minister can retire and go back to his hometown. His mind is confused. Have you forgotten that His Majesty said that I am equal to His Majesty? So how can you say that I am interfering in politics? It is normal for me to participate in court affairs."
Hai Ling had an expression that said, "So what if I'm interfering in politics? The Emperor himself said so."
Actually, she didn't want to pay attention to their affairs. She was pregnant at the moment, so she didn't want to deal with these things.
She just saw that they couldn't come up with a solution, so she wanted to help them come up with some ideas. Who knew that such a bunch of nonsense would come out, and even bring up the claim that she was interfering in politics. So what if she was interfering in politics? When she was not in the palace before, the ministers in the court reported to her when there were things to do. So what?
"You, you?"
Prime Minister Zhongli was so angry that his beard trembled. He slumped into a chair, unable to utter a single word. A kind official stepped forward to comfort him, and then a high-ranking official stood up and respectfully spoke.
"I wonder if Her Majesty the Empress has any thoughts on this matter?"
"I do have some ideas, but I'm afraid some people will think that the empress is interfering in politics. If that gets out, I don't know what kind of bad reputation I'll have."
Hai Ling mocked and ridiculed Prime Minister Zhong Li.
Upon hearing the Empress say she had an idea, everyone in the Imperial Study stood up, and someone anxiously asked, "What good idea does the Empress have?"
Seeing that Hai Ling had defeated Zhong Li, Ye Lingfeng reached out and helped her sit down, then said softly, "Ling'er, what ideas do you have? Tell everyone."
Hai Ling nodded and then said, "The people must pay their taxes."
"this?"
Unexpectedly, the Empress advocated that the people in the south pay taxes. The faces of the people in the Imperial Study were all filled with disappointment. If the taxes in the south were paid, the people would definitely be displaced. At that time, the number of beggars in Beilu would increase, and Bianliang City would not be peaceful.
While others felt disappointed, Ye Lingfeng knew that Hai Ling hadn't finished speaking, so he held her hand, gesturing for her to continue.
"After the people have paid their taxes, they will run out of food. We can use this as an excuse to raise funds throughout the country. The people in the south have no food to eat. People in Bianliang and all over Beilu can donate money or grain. Whether they are merchants or officials, no one is exempt. This is an imperial decree. In this way, we can solve the problem of food shortage in the south."
As soon as Hai Ling finished speaking, the ministers in the Imperial Study all had their eyes light up. That's right, there was no food in the south, but for the whole of Northern Lu, the food shortage in the south was only a small part of the problem. If the whole country donated food, the problem in the south would be solved.
Upon reflection, several people stood up and exclaimed, "Your Majesty's idea is absolutely brilliant!"
"Yeah yeah,."
The Empress is indeed wise; she came up with such an idea as soon as she took action.
Prime Minister Zhongli was speechless, but he was still very unwilling to accept his defeat, rolling his eyes and panting heavily.
Ye Lingfeng happily issued the order: "Immediately issue an edict to all prefectures and counties. The south is suffering from food shortages due to the rains. Merchants, wealthy households and officials in all prefectures and counties, please donate money or grain if you have any. As people of the Northern Lu Kingdom, we should all help each other in times of difficulty."