Chapter 418: Beating a Drowning Dog
"There isn't such a rule," Yun Chu continued, "but rules are made by people."
Consort Xuan's eyes immediately lit up with hope.
"If a feudal prince governs his territory exceptionally well, allowing his mother to visit his fiefdom for a short stay isn't a major issue," Yun Chu said with a smile. "I've heard that since the Eighth Prince went to Xiaochang, even the bandits there dare not show their faces. When spring comes, if you miss the Eighth Prince, you can visit Xiaochang. The scenery along the way is quite beautiful."
Consort Yun was overjoyed. "Wonderful, wonderful! Thank you, Chu'er."
She knew that Chu'er was setting an example for the other consorts.
She was telling them that as long as the feudal princes performed well, they could reunite with their mothers.
This was also a way to win over the families of these consorts—even if they couldn't be used for her own purposes, she couldn't let them become tools in Chu Rui's hands.
After chatting with everyone for a while, Yun Chu left the banquet.
Whether the remaining princes would go to their fiefdoms or not held no direct benefit for her; she respected their choices.
She stood up and left the main hall. Instead of returning to Kunning Palace, she went to the side hall where Li Jingshu resided.
Since the late emperor's passing, Li Jingshu's situation had become problematic. As she was not an official consort and not recorded in the imperial genealogy, she shouldn't remain in the palace.
But the Li family had fallen into decline, and Li Jingshu truly had nowhere to go. With no new consorts entering the palace yet, Yun Chu allowed her to stay.
She was a pitiable soul.
"Is it Erlang? Has Erlang come?"
The person inside came out and, seeing it was Yun Chu, looked disappointed. "So it's the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West."
Her memory remained fixed on the time when Yun Chu had first saved her, still thinking Yun Chu was the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West.
Yun Chu didn't correct her. "It's cold outside, Miss Li. Please come inside and sit. Erlang is busy today and won't be coming."
Li Jingshu sat on the couch and began embroidering. "Erlang said he likes the knee pads I embroider for him. I've already finished over ten pairs. Why hasn't he come yet?"
Yun Chu didn't know what to say and sighed.
Li Jingshu remained lucid for only a short while before slipping back into her distraught state. After taking her medicine, she fell asleep.
Yun Chu stood in the courtyard and instructed the attendants, "Ensure all provisions are sufficient. If anyone mistreats her, I will not be lenient."
On New Year's Eve, they had to stay up late. Yun Chu stayed up with her three children.
But by midnight, all four of them had fallen asleep. The next morning, Yun Chu was awakened by someone prying her eyelids open.
The little rascal Jue Ge'er had woken up first. Without crying, he sat on Yun Chu's stomach, vigorously prying at her eyeballs and giggling.
"You little troublemaker."
Yun Chu picked him up and nuzzled his cheek.
Chu Hongyu and Chu Changsheng also woke up.
With no court session to attend, Chu Hongyu lingered in Yun Chu's room, playing with his younger siblings.
Soon, visitors came one after another to offer New Year's greetings, and Kunning Palace remained bustling.
This continued until the seventh day of the lunar new year.
The first court session of the year brought joyous news.
It turned out that the 100,000 troops sent to reinforce the eastern front last year had joined forces with the original 100,000-plus soldiers, and they had reorganized their battle strategy.
Once the battle weapons were manufactured, transported, and installed, they took the initiative to declare war.
The Eastern Tomb Kingdom considered itself the king of naval warfare and looked down upon the Great Jin's land forces. Facing the 200,000 troops of Great Jin, they dispatched only 80,000 elite soldiers.Had they employed their former tactics, these eighty thousand elite troops could have taken at least thirty thousand Great Jin soldiers' lives.
However, this time, the Eastern Tomb Kingdom miscalculated.
They never anticipated that Great Jin had developed a new contraption. As their warships drew near, the device suddenly descended and crashed onto their decks. They couldn't shift it away, for its base was studded with dense iron nails deeply embedded into their wooden planks.
The Eastern Tomb Kingdom could only watch helplessly as Great Jin's soldiers crossed via suspension bridges onto their ships, cutting them down one by one like radishes, tossing each corpse into the sea.
Out of their eighty thousand troops, sixty thousand were slaughtered, with only a handful managing to escape.
Their entire fleet of warships was also towed away by Great Jin.
This battle dealt a severe blow to the Eastern Tomb Kingdom.
"Great victory! A great victory! This battle is a resounding triumph!" The messenger soldier reported with elation. "The Valiant General plans to press the advantage and crush the tiny Eastern Tomb Kingdom. He seeks the Emperor and Empress Dowager's approval!"
"Excellent!" Chu Hongyu sprang to his feet excitedly. "We must beat the drowning dog, flatten Eastern Tomb, and incorporate that insignificant territory into our Great Jin's domain!"
The court officials unanimously voiced their agreement.
Since naval warfare shouldn't prolong battle lines or drag on, avoiding massive consumption was crucial.
Striking while the iron was hot was now the optimal strategy.
Yun Chu nodded. "Issue the order: command the Valiant General to immediately lead two hundred thousand troops to attack the Eastern Tomb Kingdom!"
The messenger soldier accepted the command and departed.
The court ministers remained immersed in joy.
"Indeed, it was the battle weapon designed by His Majesty that turned the tide. Otherwise, how could we have subdued Eastern Tomb so swiftly?"
"His Majesty has just turned eight years old. At that age, we could barely comprehend our studies, yet His Majesty is truly gifted, a heaven-chosen sovereign."
"With such wisdom at such a tender age, His Majesty will undoubtedly become a benevolent ruler, ushering in a century of prosperity and earning a place in history as an enlightened monarch."
"I share that belief..."
These praises made Chu Hongyu swell with pride.
He struggled to contain himself, but his little bottom still wriggled slightly. Unable to resist, he turned to Yun Chu to seek praise.
"Our Yu Ge'er is the most remarkable." Yun Chu praised him, then added softly, "But as the Emperor, protecting your subjects and defending our lands is your duty. You must not become overly proud or complacent."
Chu Hongyu nodded earnestly. He gazed at the still-chattering court and declared, "We have an announcement to make."
The hall fell silent.
Only then did he continue, "The foundation of a nation lies in agriculture. We believe farming is central to the state. After consulting the Empress Dowager and Minister Ouyang, We have concluded that besides reducing farmers' land taxes, we should enhance the agricultural performance evaluations of local magistrates. This will enable them to guide farmers effectively and increase yield per mu..."
Upon hearing this, the Minister of Revenue hurried forward. "Your Majesty, the state treasury is depleted. We cannot afford further tax reductions..."
"The treasury's emptiness is your responsibility, not a burden for the poorest farmers to bear." Chu Hongyu looked at the others. "What are your views, esteemed ministers?"
"This subject believes it is feasible." Chief Li was the first to step forward. "Agriculture is the nation's backbone. Lightening farmers' tax burdens can stabilize the majority's popular sentiment, forming the foundation for lasting peace and order."
Others also stepped forth in succession.
"Last year, Great Jin faced numerous challenges. It is time to issue benevolent policies to steady the people's hearts.""With the increase in official assessments, aiding farmers in boosting production, and the rise in per-mu yield, taxes may not necessarily decrease. I believe this is a positive development."
"I second the proposal!"
"Excellent!" Yun Chu declared. "This matter is settled. Draft the decree into writing and swiftly promulgate it throughout the land."
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