The flames in the brazier gradually weakened, leaving only scarlet embers, occasionally bursting with one or two sparks.
Inside the council hall, the waves of allegiance had not yet subsided, and the smell of burning wood still permeated the air.
Shin's sneer faded, replaced by a gentle smile.
Looking at the ministers kneeling on the ground, their faces showing relief after surviving a catastrophe, Shin said, "Rise, all of you are the pillars of the Land of Fire. There is no need for such a grand bow."
His voice was not loud, but it instantly quieted the restless crowd.
"Thank you, my lord!"
Tanaka Shigeru and the others tremblingly stood up, their backs still slightly bent, not daring to look Shin directly in the eye.
That burning brazier had also left an indelible mark in their hearts.
Shin did not return to the main seat, but instead paced to the center of the council hall, standing with his hands behind his back.
Then he sighed deeply.
This sigh was very light, but it instantly made the hearts of the ministers present, which had just settled, jump back into their throats.
Shin's tone carried a hint of sorrow.
"My few good-for-nothing elder brothers almost emptied the national treasury for a false reputation."
"Stabilizing internal strife, appeasing the territories, and rebuilding the capital will be another astronomical expense."
He paused, sweeping his gaze over everyone.
"Just yesterday, Tanaka Shigeru even cried to me, saying that the national treasury is now cleaner than his hair."
Tanaka Shigeru shivered, almost kneeling down again, and quickly explained, "I... I was just making a comparison! I deserve to die!"
"No, you are right."
Shin waved his hand, signaling him not to be nervous, but the worry on his face deepened.
"Now, the war is about to end, tens of thousands of soldiers are waiting for pensions, displaced civilians are waiting to be resettled, everything is in ruins awaiting reconstruction, and money is needed everywhere."
"These past few days, I haven't been able to sleep well due to the issue of money."
His words were full of helplessness.
The ministers looked at each other.
Isn't he just asking for money!
But then again, although this Daimyo's methods are heaven-defying, he inherited a tattered mess.
And every person present had, more or less, contributed to this mess.
As the Minister of Finance, Tanaka Shigeru was most aware of the national treasury's predicament. He gritted his teeth and was the first to step forward.
He knelt down again. "My lord is concerned for the country, how can we stand by and do nothing!"
"I, Tanaka Shigeru, am willing to share my lord's worries and donate seventy percent of my family property to replenish the national treasury!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was astonished.
Seventy percent!
That was the Tanaka family's accumulation of over a hundred years!
Had this old fellow gone mad?
However, very quickly, the ministers all reacted.
This was not madness, this was showing loyalty!
This was using money to buy his own life, to buy the future of his family!
That fire just now burned away the evidence of their crimes.
Now, it was time to present their pledge of allegiance!
"I, Masashi Ito, am willing to donate seventy percent of my family property to share your worries, my lord!"
"I, Kawachi Mori, am willing to donate all future ten-year earnings from the three iron mines within my territory!"
"I..."
For a time, the council hall was filled with one after another, all voices of voluntary donations.
It was as if this was an auction of loyalty. Whoever shouted slowly, whoever shouted less, was disrespectful to the Daimyo.
Kiyotsuki Saki stood in the corner, watching this absurd yet real scene, her heart stirred.
A fire, a few words, and these stingy old foxes were willing to empty their family fortunes.
Such methods were simply appalling.
Shin listened quietly, the worry on his face dissipating somewhat, but his brow was still slightly furrowed.
In his heart, however, he was sneering.
A bunch of fools.
Did I need your money in this way?
If I wanted to, a single thought could turn all your wealth, along with your lives, into nothingness.
A thought flashed through his mind, and Shin raised his hand to press down. "Good, I appreciate your intentions, everyone."
He sighed deeply, his expression becoming somewhat complex.
"State affairs are difficult, and I should not have asked you all to spend so much. But... alas, at present, this is the only way."
"It's just that..."
"Having money alone is not enough."
Everyone's hearts sank again.
There's more?
Shin paced two steps, then slowly said, "After this battle, I found that many positions in the court are overstaffed and inefficient."
"Even more so, some people hold multiple positions, occupying them but unable to get things done."
"If this continues, the country will cease to be a country."
He stopped, his gaze falling on several old ministers who held real power.
"I plan to streamline the court."
"Eliminate some useless departments, merge some redundant positions, and promote some capable young people."
"You are all pillars of the nation, experienced and knowledgeable, and you must deeply understand this."
"How about you all help me compile a list?"
"See which people under your respective commands are old and should retire, and which positions do not actually need so many people."
As soon as these words were spoken, it made them even more agitated than asking them to donate money just now.
Donating money was merely cutting off a piece of flesh.
This was about extracting their tendons and breaking their bones!
Those positions, those people, were the foundation and wings they had built over decades!
Asking them to cut their own people?
Whoever started it would lose support!
This was even more unbearable than killing them!
Inside the council hall, silence fell once again.
Everyone lowered their heads, no one daring to be the first to speak out.
The atmosphere solidified once more.
Shin's lips curved into a smile, which then vanished in an instant.
He knew the time was right.
The carrot was about to make its appearance.
He suddenly let out a hearty laugh, breaking the silence. "Haha, look how scared you all are."
"Could I really make you cut off your own arms?"
Shin walked in front of Tanaka Shigeru, personally helped him up, and patted him on the shoulder, his demeanor intimate.
"Your efforts for the country today, I have seen and taken to heart."
"You are my meritorious subjects. I am too busy rewarding merits, so how could I punish transgressions?"
He looked around at everyone and said loudly, "The matter of the list is not urgent. But there is one thing that must be done now."
"I have decided to use the national treasury and the funds donated by you all to launch the Land of Fire's Three-Year Revitalization Plan!"
"The first step is to rebuild the towns destroyed in the war, repair the roads, and dredge the rivers!"
"Within this, there are countless business opportunities, countless benefits!"
Shin's voice was full of encouragement.
"And these projects, I will not entrust to outsiders."
"I will prioritize them to my most trusted subjects, to those of you standing here today, who are willing to overcome difficulties with the Land of Fire!"
"What you have lost, I will make you earn back a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"
"I not only want to make the Land of Fire prosperous and strong, but I also want my meritorious subjects to become the wealthiest and most noble people on this land!"
As his words fell.
The council hall was silent.
Immediately, all the ministers' breathing quickened, and their eyes turned red.
The way they looked at Shin was filled with fanaticism!
This Daimyo first shattered their spines with thunderous methods, then burned away their worries with a fire, then took away their money bags and power.
Finally, he personally drew for them a pie so large it exceeded imagination!
A pull, a blow, then a sweet date.
This way of kingship!
It was truly divine.
The ministers were completely convinced!
"We are willing to go through fire and water for my lord, without hesitation!"
"For my lord, through fire and water, without hesitation!"
The ministers knelt from the bottom of their hearts.
The roar of allegiance, like a mountain and a tsunami, almost lifted the roof of the council hall.
Shin watched with satisfaction.
Fear and greed are the two most useful reins in this world.
Now, he had them firmly in his grasp.