Empress in her second playthrough: Something's not right with this plot!

After saying that, fearing that Li Yunsheng might cheat, he immediately proposed supplementary clauses.

"You are not allowed to use your private property to fill the national treasury, nor are you allowed to increase any taxes, otherwise I will not recognize you."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I would not stoop so low as to spend seventy million taels of silver just to see Your Majesty dance."

"Are you implying that I'm not worth it!?"

"Your subject dares not."

Li Yunsheng lowered his head, a triumphant smile on his face.

"What I mean is that I will definitely convince Your Majesty."

Oh--

"I'll be waiting!"

Now that she was back, Li Yunsheng gave the Empress another chance.

"Your Majesty, I wish to become the commander of the Plum Blossom Guard. Do you think I have the opportunity?"

The Plum Blossom Guard was originally established to deal with Li Yunsheng, so the Empress naturally wouldn't hand over command to him.

"Minister Li is busy with military affairs, so there's no need to worry about such trivial matters."

Li Yunsheng bowed and said.

"Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you for your consideration. I will take my leave now."

Outside the gate of Weiyang Palace.

Guo Zhui, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, had been waiting for a long time.

After Li Yunsheng walked out of the palace gate, he only said four words to him.

"Leave no one alive."

……

Until the sun sets and the bright moon hangs high in the sky.

Jiang Qingying remained seated by the Taiye Pond, pondering what Li Yunsheng might have up his sleeve.

This gamble was a desperate gamble for her, and she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

Yet, a sliver of hope inevitably lingers in my heart—

Whether he intended to relinquish imperial power or whether the so-called bet was merely a way for him to save face.

Shangguan Xuanran reminded him from the side.

"Your Majesty, it's chilly at night, you should go back."

Jiang Qingying gazed at the moon's reflection in Taiye Pond.

"Xuanran, do you think there's any way to double the seventy million taels of silver in the national treasury within a year?"

"That's... unlikely."

Shangguan Xuanran's first reaction was that it was impossible; seventy million taels was almost the national treasury's annual revenue.

"Increase taxes?"

Jiang Qingying shook her head: "Besides this method..."

She had already considered increasing taxes, but had long since ruled it out.

Shangguan Xuanran pondered for a moment longer.

"Conquering cities and seizing territories, wars of annihilation?"

Jiang Qingying immediately retorted.

"Have you ever seen a war that doesn't cost money?"

Military equipment and provisions—none of them cost money.

Let alone doubling the national treasury's silver reserves, it would be good enough if no silver was even used up.

Furthermore, the Great Chu bordered the states of Wei, Western Zhou, Liang, and Northern Qi at the same time.

A single hair can affect the whole situation; it could destroy any country.

She couldn't think of any other possibility.

"Then we'll have to confiscate Li Yunsheng's property and have all the proceeds put into the national treasury."

Jiang Qingying sighed.

"I would like to."

If Li Yunsheng's property were confiscated, the amount would probably be more than 70 million taels.

"Let's go back."

She had just cleared her mind of all her complicated thoughts and got up to return to her palace.

A commotion could be heard in the distance.

"His Majesty!"

Jiang Qingying frowned and looked in the direction of the sound. She saw a person covered in blood being carried into the palace by two guards.

Only when she got closer did she recognize that this person was the commander in charge of the Plum Blossom Guard.

The Empress immediately had a bad feeling.

"what happened?"

"Your Majesty, I was attacked by bandits and only managed to enter the palace by the skin of my teeth."

"Your identity is extremely well-hidden, how could someone attack you?"

"I do not know, but I have been to three places, and all the guards there have already perished."

Cough cough--

The commander of the Imperial Guard coughed up blood and was already barely breathing.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guard may have been wiped out."

Jiang Qingying staggered, feeling a sudden dizziness.

Shangguan Xuanran hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health!"

The Empress pushed Shangguan Xuanran away and continued to ask.

"I ask you, the Imperial Guards' identities are extremely secretive, how could they be eliminated simultaneously within half a day?"

"minister--"

The commander of the Imperial Guard had only spoken half a sentence when his head drooped down, and he stopped breathing.

Shangguan Xuanran stepped forward, pressed his fingers against the Empress's neck, and then shook his head at her.

Jiang Qingying waved her hand weakly, and two guards immediately carried the body away.

At that moment, Li Yunsheng's words echoed in her mind.

"Your Majesty, I wish to become the commander of the Plum Blossom Guard. Do you think I have the opportunity?"

He wasn't asking me for a chance; he was clearly giving me one.

Therefore, if they refuse, the result will be a bloodbath of the inner guards.

"I swear I will never be able to reconcile with the traitor Li!"

……

Li House.

Li Yunsheng checked the system and found that he had gained 40000 emotion points from entering the palace once.

At this moment, the emotion value suddenly jumped.

It rose from 47000 to 57000, and it didn't stop until it reached 61000.

He could roughly guess the origin of this wave of emotional sentiment.

Judging by the time, news of the massacre of the Imperial Guards should have already reached the Empress's ears.

"61000..."

Li Yunsheng opened the store and browsed around before finally focusing his attention on the hypnosis card.

There are still 39000 emotion points away from 100000.

Your Majesty, you must continue your efforts!

Li Yunsheng flipped through the "Six Jia Seal Techniques" in his hand.

"How's it going?"

Liu Quan said, as if seeking credit.

"Your Excellency, everything has been done as you instructed."

During your absence, I built eighteen granaries in Qianzhou, near the capital.

Now, most of the stockpiles are already full.

Li Yunsheng put down the "Six Jia Seal Techniques" in his hand and looked at Liu Quan with some surprise.

"You, Liu Quan! You're even more greedy than the Prime Minister!"

The entire capital city had only thirteen warehouses; even with the addition of four more, it would only be seventeen.

Your granaries are more numerous than those in the capital!

Liu Quan looked aggrieved.

"Your Excellency, I did everything according to your instructions."

Snapped.

Li Yunsheng slapped him on the forehead.