The next morning, Lin Ming woke up and discovered that his lifespan account had once again increased.
[Ding! Empress’s rage value +999! Lifespan extended by minutes! Reward: Black Gunpowder Production Technique!]
Lin Ming grinned, “Looks like our Empress truly flew into a rage last night!”
Did the black stockings work?
“Duke Commander, what nonsense are you talking about—” Lin Wan’er, still drowsy, carelessly rested her long, beautiful leg on Lin Ming’s knee.
Lin Ming smiled, “Just daydreaming.”
“Her Majesty’s imperial decree! Duke Commander, receive the decree!”
A eunuch from the palace arrived at the Lin residence at that moment. Hearing this, Lin Ming quickly got out of bed, dressed, and jogged over to receive the decree.
“Minister Lin Ming receives the decree!”
The young eunuch read rapidly, “By the mandate of Heaven, His Majesty proclaims!”
“Lin Ming, well done.”
“Get to the palace immediately! I have important matters for you!”
That was it—just two lines!
Lin Ming was stunned. The Empress was usually known for her elegant writing. Why was she being so blunt this time?
“Duke Commander, once you’ve received the decree, come with me to the palace immediately,” the eunuch respectfully urged.
“Eunuch, may I ask why Her Majesty has summoned me?” Lin Ming asked.
The eunuch forced a smile, “This… I’m not sure. But Her Majesty seemed to be furious last night and didn’t sleep until late. No idea who angered her, but I vaguely heard something about black stockings…”
Lin Ming froze.
Damn, did he mess up?
Could Ye Qinghuan be planning to settle scores now—waiting for him to enter the palace and then chop him down?
Even though he now had the strength of an entry-level expert and had learned quite a few martial arts techniques yesterday, the Empress had already reached the Grandmaster level. The gap between them was still considerable.
Not to mention the palace was filled with elite experts and thousands of Imperial Guards. What if he couldn’t fight his way out?
After thinking it through, Lin Ming decided to secretly call in the Unseen Ones to protect him. If anything went wrong, he’d make a run for it!
Upon entering the palace, Ye Qinghuan summoned him to the Hall of Diligent Governance. To his surprise, over a dozen ministers from the Empress’s faction were already present. Officials from all six ministries above the third rank were also gathered!
Was this an informal high-level meeting? Wait—wasn’t the Empress going to kill him?
“Duke Commander, you’re here!” Ye Qinghuan sat on the throne, her gaze soft and tender. It was hard to believe this was the same Empress who had raged all night.
She smiled, “Come, take a seat.”
“Your Majesty, I am overwhelmed!” Lin Ming was confused. Being called in early in the morning to attend such a high-level meeting—what trick was Ye Qinghuan playing?
Ye Qinghuan laughed and said, “Last night, I stayed up reading your memorial. I was amazed. Though the phrasing and sentence structure were rough, the reasoning had great depth.”
“So, before you arrived, I let all these court officials read it as well.”
Lin Ming’s heart skipped a beat.
As expected, a minister immediately stepped forward and said sharply, “Duke Commander, exempting officials from taxes has been a tradition since the previous dynasty. It was clearly established during the reign of the founding Emperor. Now you submit this memorial—are you asking Her Majesty to violate ancestral laws and become unfilial and unjust?”
“Indeed! Duke Commander, don’t forget, your family owns tens of thousands of mu of fertile land that has never been taxed. Easy for you to talk!” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Even officials from the six noble families raised objections. After all, they were the biggest landlords. Now Lin Ming had proposed that officials and nobles should pay taxes just like everyone else—it directly threatened their interests.
The entire landowning bureaucratic class would now be against him!
Lin Ming was bitter inside.
This Empress really knew how to kill with a smile. On the surface, she wasn’t punishing him, but she had just turned him into a target for everyone.
So what now? Admit defeat?
Lin Ming wasn’t that kind of person. He didn’t see himself as some righteous saint, preaching morality. But he did believe in one thing: without a nation, there can be no home.
Sometimes, some battles had to be fought.
He quickly raised his head, glanced around the hall, and said in a firm voice, “The laws of our ancestors are not unchangeable. Heaven has no fixed path—it doesn’t exist solely for a wise ruler, nor does it perish for a tyrant. If we cling blindly to the past, then the Great Duan Empire should never have existed.”
“As for tax exemptions for officials, it is a farce! Why should officials live in luxury without lifting a finger, while a peasant family of five toils all year and still can’t feed themselves?”
“If reforms are to be made, the Duke Commander Manor will take the lead in paying taxes!”
Everyone was shocked. They had never expected the carefree Lin Ming to suddenly deliver such a bold and shocking speech.
It felt like he had been possessed by a great scholar! But then again, no ordinary scholar had this kind of cutting insight and courage.
For a moment, everyone was speechless.
The six noble families stared at each other in confusion. Wasn’t Duke Commander supposed to be one of them? Why was he pointing the gun at their elite class?
“You all hold high offices, enjoy hereditary titles and privileges, but when have you considered the lives of the common folk? Are you not afraid of rebellion? If that day comes, your privileged lives will be over!”
Lin Ming’s next words caused an uproar in the hall.
“Lin Ming! That’s treasonous!”
“Our Great Duan Empire is prosperous—how could there be rebellion!”
The officials were red-faced, spitting in fury.
Lin Ming shook his head. These so-called scholars still preached about cultivating oneself, managing the household, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world.
But they didn’t understand that giving up some privileges could ease social tensions and preserve their rule.
If they insisted on hogging all the benefits, it would force the people to revolt and redistribute everything by force.
On the dragon throne, Ye Qinghuan tilted her chin, watching the scene with great interest. Initially, she had come with a heart for revenge, but now, she found herself genuinely impressed.
She thought, “Maybe I was wrong about him. This Duke Commander might not be as useless as he seems.”
Just then, a loud and urgent voice echoed from outside.
“Report! Urgent dispatch from 400 kilometers away!”
A sweating official rushed in and knelt down, “The Yellow River has experienced a month of continuous rain. Last night, the dikes in ten counties broke simultaneously. Floodwaters have submerged eight provinces in the He-Yu region! The number of affected victims is no less than 10 million!”
“What?!”
This was like a bomb dropped into a still lake—Ye Qinghuan’s mind went blank, and she shot up from the throne in shock.
Even the ministers, who had been quarreling moments ago, stumbled in panic.
“Ten million victims?! If this sparks rebellion, the whole Empire will descend into chaos!”
“The He-Yu region is in the heart of the Central Plains—it’s our Great Duan’s grain hub. If something happens there, the foundation of the Empire will be shaken!”
She asked anxiously, “Beloved ministers, what countermeasures do you suggest?”
Minister of Works, Sima Lang, said nervously, “Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to immediately order disaster relief in the affected areas. If anything goes wrong with ten million victims, it could lead to widespread unrest!”
“And we must swiftly repair the broken dikes to stop the floodwaters, or more people will drown!”
Ye Qinghuan furrowed her brows, “Yes! But just these two actions alone will cost astronomical sums!”
Minister of Revenue, Qi Yongzhi, stepped forward and said, “Providing relief for ten million victims—even a few million taels of silver would only last ten days at best.”
“The cost to rebuild the riverbanks is even more shocking—at least tens of millions! But the current treasury holds less than 500,000 taels in silver. After deducting palace expenses and military funding, we can only spare about 200,000.”
Ye Qinghuan was stunned, “Only 200,000 taels? Why is the national treasury in such a poor state?”
Qi Yongzhi gave a bitter smile, “Your Majesty, the treasury has been running deficits since the former Emperor’s reign. In the early days of your rule, we barely balanced the books by cutting spending and increasing income. But recent military efforts against the Qiang tribes depleted a huge sum. What we have now is already quite good.”
Ye Qinghuan was furious, “You are the Minister of Revenue! I want solutions, not excuses!”
“Your Majesty, I am powerless! Even if you kill me, the Ministry of Revenue cannot produce that much silver!”
Qi Yongzhi knelt down to plead guilty.
“And the rest of you? Do the Six Ministries not have any solutions?”
Ye Qinghuan looked around at the powerful nobles from the six great families. All of them looked troubled and sighed.
Even the most capable of them, Grand Councilor Elder Xu, was currently at the northern front supervising the war.
“Is Heaven trying to destroy our Great Duan Empire?” Ye Qinghuan collapsed weakly onto her throne, despair on her face.
“No money. The people will rebel if they can’t eat. The flood continues. We won’t even be able to collect taxes… The entire economy will collapse…”
Suddenly, she turned to Lin Ming, who had been silently standing to the side. Her gaze sharpened.
“Duke Commander, everyone is panicking, yet you remain so calm. Do you already have a solution?”
Lin Ming hadn’t expected to be called out while slacking off in the back. He cleared his throat and braced himself, “Ahem! I wouldn’t say I have a full plan, but… I do have some ideas.”
Ye Qinghuan’s eyes lit up as if she had grabbed a life-saving rope.
“Quickly speak! Say whatever you need to, even if it’s unconventional or outrageous!”
Things were already desperate—she had no interest in formalities anymore.
“If the court has no money, then let the local governments handle the disaster relief. The wealthier nearby provinces can transport grain to the disaster zones. The court can repay them later by reducing their tax burdens.”
“Also, mobilize local troops to repair the riverbanks and limit the damage while waiting for central funding.”
“Lastly, call on local landlords to donate money, food, and open up empty houses. The court should appeal to their sense of morality and duty. This way, we can first ensure the survival of the ten million victims.”
Lin Ming added seriously, “However, this must be led by a highly respected imperial envoy appointed by the court, with full authority to handle the situation. Only then can the local troops and resources be effectively mobilized.”
“And convincing those stingy tycoons to part with their silver is no easy task. The envoy must be skilled in both diplomacy and force.”
Ye Qinghuan’s face finally brightened, as though clouds had parted to reveal the moon.
“You’re absolutely right!”
“Who would’ve thought Duke Commander, known for never stepping out of his mansion, would understand state affairs so thoroughly? I believe you’re the perfect candidate for this envoy! Will you accept this important duty?”
Lin Ming shivered, “Ah? Your Majesty, I don’t—”
“Very well! Since Duke Commander is willing to accept this duty, I hereby appoint you as Imperial Envoy with full authority! Represent the court and act as the situation demands.”