Thirty million taels of silver.
Yun Shu's casual tone had left Minister Yan fuming. He opened his mouth to retort, but Yun Shu gave him no chance.
In front of everyone, she turned smoothly and looked toward the dragon throne.
"Father Emperor, there should be no issue. It is only thirty million taels. A mere fraction from this year's commercial tax revenue would more than suffice to make up for that shortfall."
"What did you say?"
A mere fraction could yield thirty million taels?
Was this some kind of joke?
The total annual income of the imperial treasury barely exceeded fifty million taels, and that was across all revenue streams. The commercial tax alone could account for that much?
"Here is the record Your Daughter has compiled of the commercial tax revenues from each province," Yun Shu said evenly, lifting a folded memorial with both hands. "I ask that Father Emperor review it."
"Bring it to Us at once."
Emperor Xuanwu, seated at the top of the court, could no longer contain himself.
It was not that he lacked composure, but rather that the long drought of silver had worn even his imperial patience thin.
Governing a nation was no easy task. Minister Yan had been wailing before him day after day about the empty coffers. Did the Emperor not feel pressure?
As the Son of Heaven, his burden was ten, even a hundred times heavier than that of his ministers. Every reform, every new policy, required silver. Without funds, they were but dreams written in water.
And this child, ever since taking on the task of auditing the accounts, had kept everything close to her chest, revealing not a single figure.
He had been truly worried. What if the merchants had falsified their ledgers? What if all those books delivered to the palace were bloated and deceptive, only to result in a pitiful amount of tax when tallied?
Never had he imagined that this quiet, tight-lipped daughter of his had been holding back such an astonishing surprise.
With urgency, he took the memorial from Li Dehai. From the very first province, his smile began to rise, and by the time he reached the final total, he could no longer contain his joy. His voice rang loud across the great hall.
"Excellent! Truly worthy of being Our Crown Princess. You have resolved one of the greatest burdens upon our Tian Sheng Dynasty!"
"...Your Majesty."
Minister Yan, seeing the Emperor beaming, could no longer hold his curiosity. He stepped forward.
"Might Your Majesty allow this subject to see the total revenue?"
"Take a look yourself!"
Emperor Xuanwu motioned for Li Dehai to hand the memorial to Minister Yan and said, with bright satisfaction, "You. All you do is fixate on the few coins left in the treasury and then come to Us crying poverty. What use is there in constant lamentation? Does money come from mere frugality?
You ought to learn from the Crown Princess. If there is no silver, then one must find a way to earn it. Only then can the national treasury truly be replenished."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Minister Yan forced out a dry laugh, but in his heart, he still harbored a trace of disdain.
Until he opened the memorial.
At the first set of figures, his hand trembled.
The second set made his fingers twitch. The third left his brow soaked in cold sweat.
And when he reached the final total—
With a dull thud, the memorial slipped from his hands and hit the floor.
Yun Shu arched an eyebrow and turned slowly, hands tucked into her sleeves. She stared at her memorial lying on the floor and remarked coolly, her tone laced with irony.
"Minister Yan, it seems your conduct grows bolder by the day. You used to only submit impeachment memorials against This Princess. But now you throw This Princess's documents onto the floor before the entire court?"
"No, no! This old subject dares not!"
Pulled back to his senses by Yun Shu's remark, Minister Yan hurriedly bent down, picked up the memorial, and—contrary to his usual combative stance—began to dust off nonexistent dirt with his sleeve.
"This old subject was simply too astonished. Who would have thought that Her Highness the Crown Princess was so capable? Commercial tax… what a splendid invention indeed!"
From the side, the Eldest Prince's faction, still hoping Minister Yan would stand his ground, could only gape in disbelief.
If you've been taken hostage, Minister Yan, blink once.
Why the sudden, seamless change of face?
Do you not realize how utterly ridiculous and foolish your previous resistance now appears?
How much did Her Highness pay you?
General Wei Yuan, refusing to believe it, reached out and took the memorial from Minister Yan.
"Is it not just commercial tax? Look at you, acting like you've never—"
The rest of that sentence died in his throat the moment his eyes landed on the numbers.
"What were you saying?" Minister Yan sneered. "Why not finish?"
"I was saying... look at how calm you are!"
General Wei Yuan swallowed hard.
"With your miserly temperament, I honestly expected you to faint from joy. I am truly impressed."
The Eldest Prince, still waiting for a turnaround: "..."
General Wei Yuan, who had just gifted the opposing side another point: "..."
It was not that he lacked resolve.
It was simply that the other side had too much firepower.
He had been on countless campaigns. There were at least a dozen occasions where lack of military funds had nearly brought disaster. A man who had known the sting of poverty—how could he possibly remain composed in the face of such wealth?
If he had not already pledged allegiance to the Eldest Prince, he too might have gone to hug the golden thigh of the Crown Princess.
Without a word, he returned the memorial to Minister Yan and quietly retreated to his post.
Minister Yan, satisfied by his retreat, scoffed and refrained from squabbling with the brute.
Instead, he turned back with a radiant smile blooming on his face like a late autumn chrysanthemum.
"With this one hundred eighty million taels of commercial tax revenue, the treasury's deficit can indeed be mended with ease. No wonder Her Highness showed no concern earlier. This old subject was clearly overthinking."
"As long as you understand."
From atop the dragon throne, Emperor Xuanwu took in everything—the minister's transformation, General Wei Yuan's stunned retreat, and the collective gasp of the court when the astronomical figure was announced.
Though emperors often concealed their emotions before the court, today, pride was written plain upon his face.
"Our Crown Princess is far more capable than any of you had imagined."
"Your Majesty speaks true!"
With one hundred eighty million taels backing her, Minister Yan now looked at Yun Shu with nothing but admiration.
No matter how effusive the Emperor's praise, he echoed each word with eager enthusiasm.
Even after court was dismissed, when Yun Shu called out to him, he turned to her with such uncharacteristic warmth that it left her slightly stunned.
"Does Her Highness have further instructions? If it concerns commercial tax, the Ministry of Revenue shall exert every effort!"
Yun Shu: "..."
This was going to take some getting used to.
She really did prefer Minister Yan when he was that arrogant, combative fool of old.
===
"Hug the golden thigh" refers to someone clinging to a powerful or influential figure to gain benefits, protection, or status—usually because that person is rich, well-connected, or in a strong position.
"Thigh" (大腿) symbolizes strength/support (like how legs support the body).
"Golden" implies wealth, nobility, or extreme value.
There's no direct one-to-one idiom in English, but similar phrases include:
"Latch onto someone influential"
"Ride someone's coattails"
"Curry favor with the powerful"
"Suck up to the big shots" (less polite)
"Back the winning horse" (strategic alignment)
"...he too might have gone to hug the golden thigh of the Crown Princess." can also be write with
"...he would have aligned himself with Her Royal Highness without hesitation, seeking the shelter of her growing influence."
But because I want to keep the 'Hug the golden thigh' so I write like that. Just for information..