The Prodigal Son

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the victorious soldiers, Zhao Luan ordered them to rest before boarding the imperial carriage to return to the palace.

The moment the imperial carriage started moving, Zhao Luan stepped on Qin Yu's instep.

"hiss……"

Qin Yu gasped dramatically, looking at Zhao Luan with an innocent expression, "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

"Stop playing dumb with me!"

Zhao Luan glared at Qin Yu with wide eyes, "Tell me, how much silver did you get from selling official positions?"

Got it!

I knew it!

Ugh!

Du Zhiwen is really something, he doesn't know anything about keeping secrets.

He wanted to give the female demon a surprise!

Qin Yu complained inwardly, but replied with a grin, "Not much, just four hundred thousand taels."

Four hundred thousand taels?

A fierce glint suddenly flashed in Zhao Luan's eyes, and she gritted her teeth: "Don't force me to beat you!"

Zhao Luan looked ferocious, as if she wanted to devour someone.

You're kidding me!

If Qin Yu only managed to get this little bit of money, she'd change her name!

Qin Yuqian smiled and quickly changed his words: "What I mean is to give Your Majesty 400,000 taels of silver."

Hearing Qin Yu's words, Zhao Luan's legs began to twitch uncontrollably again. "Do I even care about your four hundred thousand taels of silver?"

Qin Yu grinned, "Since Your Majesty is so noble, then I'll keep it myself!"

"You wish!"

A fierce glint flashed in Zhao Luan's eyes again. "Tell me honestly, how much silver did you take?"

Qin Yu avoided Zhao Luan's gaze, hummed for a while, and then answered in a low voice, "Around 1.6 million taels."

"How much...?"

Zhao Luan's eyes widened suddenly, her face turning pale and then red.

She originally thought that Qin Yu would be lucky to make a hundred or two hundred thousand taels of silver by selling official positions.

As a result, this bastard actually managed to get 1.6 million taels of silver?

Zhao Luan grew angrier the more she thought about it, and her chest began to heave.

That bastard!

With 1.6 million taels of silver, he actually thought he could only take 400,000 taels for himself?

Is he trying to fob off a beggar?

After struggling to suppress the urge to pin Qin Yu to the ground and beat him up, a cold glint suddenly flashed in Zhao Luan's eyes: "Are the officials in Min region really that wealthy?"

Not entirely.

Qin Yu explained, "Yu Wu fled south in haste, only managing to take some officials and valuables with him. After they crossed the river, Yu Yang fell into chaos. Many officials took this opportunity to frantically plunder money, and some even sent their men to pretend to be defeated soldiers to rob wealthy families in Yu Yang..."

He learned about these circumstances when he was selling official positions.

To be honest, Zhao Luan felt that 1.6 million taels was too much, but he really felt it was too little.

If Du Zhiwen hadn't already appointed several officials in advance, he felt that selling it for three to five million taels of silver wouldn't have been a problem at all.

Yuyang is the capital of the Min Kingdom!

The number of officials, gentry, and wealthy merchants in Yuyang was countless.

To put it bluntly, if they stormed into the palace and ransacked it, they could easily find a fortune.

Beneath those ruins, there must still be a great deal of gold and silver treasures that were not taken away in time.

Even if Yu Wu took away thirty cartloads of gold and silver treasures, there must still be countless riches in the entire Yuyang.

Hearing Qin Yu's words, Zhao Luan couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

If I had known this would happen, I should have appointed Qin Yu as Imperial Commissioner!

Anyway, isn't he trying to balance his merits and demerits?

Let this scoundrel cause some trouble first, confiscate all the silver from the officials and gentry in Min, and then we'll make sure his merits and demerits cancel each other out.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Luan asked, "Is there any clue as to the whereabouts of those thirty carts of gold and silver treasures?"

Zeng Guan had already reported the matter of the thirty cartloads of gold and silver treasures to her in his memorial to the throne.

She's been thinking about those thirty cartloads of gold and silver treasures these past few days!

That was thirty cartloads of gold and silver treasures, not thirty chests!

If that batch of gold and silver treasures could be found, it would not only alleviate the financial difficulties of Mindi, but might also be able to support the imperial court.

"When I left, there were no leads yet."

Qin Yu replied, "However, with the capabilities of the Treasure Mirror Division, they should be able to uncover some clues!"

"I hope so!"

Zhao Luan nodded slightly, then suddenly changed the subject, "I'm too lazy to waste words with you. Let me tell you, I'm very unhappy right now! You'd better hurry up and think of a way to deal with you to appease me!"

"..."

Qin Yu leaned forward slightly, looking at Zhao Luan with a surprised expression.

Ask her to figure out a way to deal with herself?

I'm already lazy enough, and you're even lazier than me?

You want to get back at me? You expect me to come up with the solutions?

Isn't that ridiculous?

I really want you to take off your armor, so I can see you but not have you, so you can tease me until I'm stuck in this state, making me feel like my heart is being scratched by a cat, okay?

She might as well stop calling herself Zhao Luan and start calling herself Zhao Ritian!

Still angry?

Isn't it just that she wants a share of the spoils but is too embarrassed to ask because of her status as the Empress?

After spending a million taels of silver, all her anger dissipated, and she'll probably even treat herself to a cheongsam!

Qin Yu secretly pursed his lips and sighed, "Your Majesty, if you want a share of the spoils, just say so. Why beat around the bush like this?"

"What did you say?"

Zhao Luan's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and her gaze turned fierce once again.

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Qin Yu chuckled, "What I mean is, I wonder if giving Your Majesty 800,000 taels of silver would appease Your Majesty's anger?"

A hint of a smile flickered across Zhao Luan's face as she lowered her gaze, but her eyes suddenly sharpened. "The ill-gotten gains should be confiscated and deposited into the national treasury! You still dare to brazenly use them to bribe me?"

Qin Yu's face turned green upon hearing Zhao Luan's words.

Oh shit!

I'm already shameless enough, and now I've met someone even more shameless than me?

And they confiscated everything?

Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!

This female devil is truly more ruthless than capitalists and more vicious than Zhou Bapi!

However, this money was indeed embezzled.

If Zhao Luan is determined to take everything into the national treasury, then he really has nothing to say.

Qin Yu was extremely annoyed and said half-jokingly, "Your Majesty, if you keep playing like this, you'll have no friends left!"

Zhao Luan suppressed a laugh and declared with absolute authority, "I only need loyal ministers and capable generals, not friends!"

"have to!"

Qin Yu gave Zhao Luan a thumbs-up, "I admit defeat!"

"Oh, I'm not even angry yet, and you're already getting angry?"

Zhao Luan narrowed her eyes, looking at Qin Yu with a half-smile.

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are the king's subjects! How dare I, your subject, lose my temper before Your Majesty?"

Qin Yu's face lost its jovial expression, and he now looked every bit the part of a ruler and his subject exchanging courtly greetings.

"Stop being sarcastic and insincere with me!"

Zhao Luan kicked Qin Yu, glaring at him angrily: "I may take silver from the national treasury to reward you, but I will never allow you to openly appropriate the proceeds of corruption for your own use! If you dare to even entertain such a thought, no matter how great your achievements are, I will punish you severely!"

Oh?

Did I misunderstand her?

Is she trying to launder money for herself?

That's why she's called an empress.

Look how thoughtful we are!

Understanding Zhao Luan's intention, Qin Yu's expression immediately relaxed, and a smile returned to his face. "Your Majesty is wise and powerful; this humble subject admires you!"

"Don't try that on me!"

Zhao Luan angrily kicked Qin Yu, but Qin Yu dodged it, which only fueled Zhao Luan's anger. "I'm getting more and more annoyed with you! You'd better come up with a way to deal with you before you get back to the palace, so I can calm down! Otherwise, I'll promote you!"

That ungrateful bastard!

I kindly helped him clean his butt, and he still got angry with me?

Correct!

Promote that bastard!

For him, promotion was the only punishment!

He's so busy all day that he doesn't even have time to flirt!

Zhao Luan's outrageous demands left Qin Yu speechless.

However, he knew that Zhao Luan was angry at the moment, so he just thought she was saying things in anger.

She's already blatantly selling official positions, and she still wants to get promoted?

Let's ask the entire court whether they agree!