Chapter Nine: In the Halls of Power

"Enlist in the army?" Zhao Ziheng curled the corners of his mouth into a helpless smile. "How could I possibly have enough silver to enlist?"

Hearing this, Wei Tianze was taken aback, his face full of confusion as he asked, "Does it cost silver to enlist?"

"Naturally! To sign up, you have to pay fifty taels of silver upfront. Those of us who go to war are already stepping into a dangerous place where blades have no eyes; to put it bluntly, we are trading our lives for money. But now, before we even reach the battlefield to fight the enemy, we have to cough up such a huge sum. If someone truly had fifty taels of silver, why would they take such a risk? Is it to pay for their own death sentence?"

Wei Tianze was baffled. "Who made the rule that one must pay to enlist? And where does that silver go?"

It was no wonder that no one had been willing to join the army in recent years. The wealthy didn't want to go, and the poor couldn't afford to. With the border conflicts intensifying, the imperial court had no choice but to forcibly conscript men. Those caught were not only unpaid, but their survival was a gamble. No wonder the common people were so disillusioned with the court.

"These are not things for poor commoners like us to worry about. Sigh... I lost my parents at a young age and survived only because of the meals provided by my neighbors. I have always kept that kindness in my heart. Now that Long'an County is suffering from a severe drought and the people are in agony, I cannot sit idly by. With no other choice, I turned to banditry, specifically robbing the rich and unrighteous to use their wealth to provide relief."

Wei Tianze listened quietly as Zhao Ziheng recounted his experiences and grievances. "If it no longer cost silver to enlist, and there was even a bounty, would you be willing to go?"

"Of course I would. What man doesn't want to make a name for himself and rise above his station?"

Wei Tianze smiled. "Good."

The two continued their trek into the mountains. They worked tirelessly, refusing to give up as they climbed slope after slope. Their persistence paid off; they finally found a clear river in a mountain not far from Chengping County.

Looking at the babbling water, joyous smiles broke out on both their weary faces.

Wei Tianze shouted in excitement, "This is wonderful! As soon as the silver from the imperial court arrives, we can use it to purchase the necessary materials and organize everyone to work together to divert this water down!"

Beside him, Zhao Ziheng could not hide his excitement and nodded in agreement.

The two quickly filled their water skins with the clear river water and hurried back to the village to share the good news with the others.

When the villagers saw the full skins of clear, cold water, they couldn't help but cheer with joy.

Wei Tianze struck while the iron was hot, shouting encouragement: "In the coming days, everyone eat and drink your fill. Once the court's silver arrives, we will immediately start purchasing materials and digging the channels to bring this water down to us!"

A chorus of responses erupted from the crowd: "Yes! We will follow Mr. Wei's lead!"

"Everything shall be decided by Mr. Wei!"

Seeing the people's support, Wei Tianze wore a look of relief and satisfaction.

Late that night, Wei Tianze sat at his desk and quickly wrote two letters, sending them to his father, Wei Changlong, and his eldest brother, Wei Hongbo.

When Wei Changlong received the letter, he knew it was time to act.

The next morning, at the imperial court, Emperor Xiao Ceyun sat high on the throne, his brow furrowed. He slammed a memorial onto the table. "Silver, it's always silver! Is that all they want? Am I raising a pack of useless fools just to beg me for money!?"

Silence fell over the court, the ministers bowing their heads in fear. A suffocating tension filled the hall.

Xiao Ceyun fixed his icy gaze on the Minister of Revenue, Tang Zhengchen, who was standing with his head lowered. "Minister Tang, how much silver is left in the national treasury?"

Tang Zhengchen, who had been silent, trembled as his name was called. He stepped out of the line and said with a look of distress, "Your Majesty, in recent years, our dynasty has suffered from constant natural disasters and man-made calamities. Some regions are hit by severe drought, with no crops to harvest; others suffer from floods, leaving the people homeless and unable to pay taxes. Consequently, the treasury has seen only expenditures and no income. There is very little silver left."

Xiao Ceyun's face darkened further. He swept his sleeve, knocking the mountain of memorials on his desk to the floor. "You tell me every year that the treasury is empty, but where did the silver that should have been there go? Did it just vanish into thin air?"

Xiao Ceyun's eyes burned with fury, his sharp gaze seemingly capable of piercing through Tang Zhengchen.

Terrified, Tang Zhengchen collapsed to his knees, kowtowing and trembling. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I am loyal to the court. Every entry in the treasury is recorded; I would never dare to embezzle even a single coin. Please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly!"

Xiao Ceyun took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his rage, and said slowly, "Send all the silver currently in the treasury to the disaster-stricken areas to provide immediate relief. I do not want to see another memorial asking me for disaster relief funds!"

Just as Tang Zhengchen was about to reply, Wei Changlong stepped forward and announced, "Your Majesty, the war at the border is intense, and the situation is ever-changing. We may need rear-guard support and supplies at any moment. With the treasury already depleted, using funds for disaster relief might jeopardize the supplies for our soldiers at the front!"

Xiao Ceyun sneered inwardly. He knew exactly what Wei Changlong was doing—worrying that his beloved son fighting at the border would suffer defeat due to a lack of supplies. "Then what is your strategy, Prime Minister? Should we ignore the suffering people just to favor the soldiers?"

Just as the court seemed at an impasse, Wei Changlong bowed and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the people are the foundation of the state. How can the court ignore their suffering? Since the treasury is empty, I am willing to donate my entire family fortune in the name of the imperial court to help the victims. I beg Your Majesty to grant this request!"

Wei Changlong's words were like a thunderclap. Everyone, including Xiao Ceyun, was stunned.

After a long pause, Xiao Ceyun asked in bewilderment, "What do you mean, Prime Minister? I asked for your counsel, not for you to empty your house."

Wei Changlong's gaze remained firm. "Your Majesty, as the Prime Minister, it is my duty to resolve your concerns and care for the people. I am willing to bear the entire cost of the grain and silver needed for this relief effort. I pray for your approval!"

By taking money from the people and using it for the people, he would leave no evidence of corruption and would be hailed as a virtuous official.

Xiao Ceyun frowned slightly. "Prime Minister, if you donate everything, how will your family of dozens survive? I cannot bear to see this."

Xiao Ceyun was increasingly perplexed by the Wei family's behavior. First, Wei Yanqiao gave up luxury for a life of prayer; now, Wei Changlong was willing to exhaust his fortune. Was the next step for Wei Hongbo, who held the command of a million soldiers, to surrender his military power?

His heart tightened. The war at the border was critical. If Wei Hongbo surrendered his command and he couldn't find a capable replacement, the border might fall.

Facing the Emperor's concern, Wei Changlong did not retreat. He knelt again and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, my mind is made up. Please grant my request!"

Those who usually opposed Wei Changlong and claimed to be the "loyal" ones were now at a loss. They couldn't find a reason to argue, as Wei Changlong's actions were incredibly righteous—not something a corrupt official would do.

Since Wei Changlong dared to play this game so openly, they would wait and see what his true goal was.

The Grand Tutor, Song Hanlin, stepped forward and suggested, "Your Majesty, the treasury is empty. Since the Prime Minister is so concerned for the people, why not let him pay for the relief first? When the treasury is replenished in the future, we can repay him in full."

The officials led by Song Hanlin echoed in unison, "We beg Your Majesty to grant this request!"

Xiao Ceyun pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, before slowly responding, "Very well! Since the Prime Minister is so dedicated to the common people, I am moved by his sincerity. I grant this request! From today on, all silver sent to the disaster areas shall be funded by the Prime Minister!"

"As you command!"

After the court session, Wei Changlong led a group of officials back to his estate.

They gathered to count the silver to be sent to the disaster areas. At the same time, Wei Changlong secretly dispatched trusted confidants, disguised as commoners, to leave the capital and investigate the truth behind the fifty-tael enlistment fee.