"Certainly. His Majesty was planning to rebuild the Grand Temple, which is already half-completed, but the funds have dried up. This has greatly distressed His Majesty."
Every year, the Three Great Clans symbolically submit some silver from their fiefdoms to Emperor Jin, but the amount is pathetically small. Taxes collected from the lands of the capital city are also insufficient. The extensive royal family, along with many nobles from long-standing families, all rely on the national treasury for their stipends, but the treasury can barely collect taxes from the regions.
Therefore, many years ago, the royal family of Jin State was compelled to engage in trade and organize caravans. The Three Great Clans turned a blind eye to this. After all, as long as the Jin royal family existed, it needed to maintain its dignity. Otherwise, they, the Three Great Clans, would be the ones to lose face and become a laughingstock to the surrounding nations.
"Sir."
