If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

Three days later, news of the end of the autumn harvest spread throughout the capital.

When the officials of the Ministry of Revenue were counting the taxes, everyone was shocked.

This year's tax revenue not only remained the same, but was actually 30% higher than in previous years.

This was unprecedented in the history of the Great Liang Dynasty.

Lu Wanliang, the Minister of Revenue, personally presented the account books to Zhao Yu, his old face displaying a complex expression.

He was well aware that this was because those powerful families dared not tamper with taxes in order to secure the upcoming right to recruit soldiers, and even voluntarily paid more in order to curry favor with the emperor.

But the thought of all the money he used to make from this place in previous years made his heart bleed.

Zhao Yu flipped through the account books, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

He put down the account book and asked Qiu Ping, who was beside him.

"How is the auction venue setup outside the Xuanzheng Hall going?"

"Your Majesty, everything has been arranged as you requested. The platform, seats, and sunshade are all in place."

Qiu Ping lowered his voice.

"In addition, all the special arrangements you requested have been completed."

Zhao Yu nodded.

"Let's move on to the auction."

On the day of the auction, the square outside Xuanzheng Hall was packed with people.

The heads and elders of various powerful families were all present, each with a determined look on their face.

They exchanged polite greetings with clasped hands, but their words were full of probing.

Zhao Yu stood behind the curtain at the back of the platform, quietly observing the various people below.

"How much have the major families mortgaged so far?"

Wei An bowed and whispered the report in his ear.

"Your Majesty, according to the Ministry of Revenue's statistics, the Li family has mortgaged assets worth seven million taels, the Lu family five million taels, the Zhang family six million taels, and the Gan family... ten million taels!"

Zhao Yu was slightly surprised.

The fact that the Gan family mortgaged ten million taels of silver was within his expectations, since Gan Qing was in the know and this ten million taels was mostly the sum of their savings.

What surprised him was the Zhang family.

This family, ranked sixth, actually mortgaged more than the Lu family, which shows they have quite a bit of ambition.

However, no matter how ambitious they are, it's useless. After all, what awaits them is not a blueprint for governing their own territory, but a huge trap!

"very good."

Zhao Yu nodded in satisfaction.

"These aristocratic families have practically emptied their coffers for this auction."

Wei An echoed in a low voice.

"Your Majesty is wise. After this battle, all the major families will surely be severely weakened."

Just then, a hearty laugh came from the side.

Prince Qian Zhentian of Zhennan strode out. He was dressed in casual clothes today, but he was still as imposing as ever.

"Yu'er, are you really sure? You really want to auction off this batch of armor?"

His tone carried a hint of probing.

Zhao Yu turned around and bowed respectfully.

"My eldest uncle is here."

"It's just a batch of old armor; it'll rust if left in the national treasury. Auctioning it off to aristocratic families will not only replenish the national treasury but also allow them to share the burden of the court. Why not do it?"

The Prince of Zhennan shook his head, walked to his side, and lowered his voice.

"Have you thought this through? These powerful families will never behave themselves once they get their armor."

"They will definitely imitate it privately, and even manufacture it in large quantities."

The Prince of Zhennan's voice became serious.

"Moreover, those new recruits they enlisted were originally intended to be trained as militia. But with armor, the instructors will train them to be elite troops. Before long, each household will be able to muster tens of thousands of elite soldiers. At that time, they will hold considerable power and influence, and you, the emperor..."

He didn't say what he was going to say next, but everyone present understood.

At that time, the major aristocratic families will divide their territories and rule independently, thus completely usurping the throne.

The reason why the major families are investing so heavily is precisely for this purpose.

For them, as long as they succeed, they can earn back any amount of money or grain in the future.

Zhao Yu smiled calmly.

"Uncle, you're overthinking it. With you, the Prince of Zhennan, here, what can they do even if they have many elite troops? Can they possibly turn the world upside down?"

This statement not only expressed absolute trust in the Prince of Zhennan, but also cleverly deflected the blame.

The Prince of Zhennan gave him a deep look, but didn't reply. Instead, he changed the subject.

"I heard the Wolf Kingdom's compensation arrived today? Are you planning to bring those precious medicinal herbs to liven things up?"

Zhao Yu nodded.

"Exactly. Is Uncle worried that I'll auction off that Soul-Severing Grass as well?"

"It's good that you still remember."

The Prince of Zhennan directly admitted it.

"That Soul-Severing Grass is very important to me, so don't forget what you promised me."

Zhao Yu smiled.

"How could I forget all that my uncle has done for me? That Soul-Severing Grass was picked out separately long ago and will never be auctioned off."

At this point, Zhao Yu changed the subject.

"However, I'm a little curious. Although this Soul-Severing Grass is rare, found only in the Wolf Kingdom, as far as I know, its effects seem minimal. As a poison, its unique odor makes it easily detectable; as an antidote, no one can confirm its efficacy. Uncle, what is your purpose in wanting it?"

A hint of unease flashed across the Prince of Zhennan's face, then he burst into laughter.

"Don't worry about that. Anyway, your uncle won't harm Daliang."

He patted Zhao Yu on the shoulder.

"Knowing too much about some things is not good for you."

Zhao Yu could only laugh it off, but secretly noted this suspicious point in his mind.

At this moment, a commotion arose from the audience.

Gan Qing, Li Chengzhi, Lu Mingyuan, and Zhang Wenyuan arrived at the scene almost simultaneously.

They greeted each other politely, appearing outwardly amicable, but the air was thick with an unseen tension.

Seeing this scene, the Prince of Zhennan suddenly asked.

"Yu'er, you've gone to so much trouble to organize this auction. What if they've already colluded in secret and deliberately lowered the price, resulting in it not selling for a reasonable price?"

This is a very pointed question, directly addressing the biggest risk of auctions.

Zhao Yu smiled faintly.

"That's alright. The imperial court is currently in dire need of reconstruction, so it's normal that they can't repay the mortgaged properties for the time being."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Zhennan was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and burst into laughter.

"Good! Well said!"

The Prince of Zhennan laughed so hard he almost fell over.

"That's how a ruler should be! What kind of wise ruler is one who holds himself back for the sake of a little dignity! Yu'er, your temperament is becoming more and more like that of an emperor."

Zhao Yu smiled modestly.

"Uncle, you flatter me. However, I am confident that I can get them to pay a high price and will never give them the opportunity to collude to lower the price."

The Prince of Zhennan became interested.

"Oh? What method? Tell me about it."

Zhao Yu smiled knowingly and slowly uttered two words.

"Blind shooting".