Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

"Now our army is growing larger and larger, and the number of people and horses we need to feed is not small, especially since Your Majesty previously allowed me to get military pay for nothing... The promised military pay was not low, Your Majesty... the treasury is in dire need."

"You don't have money to go find Shen Qingci? She was just here and you didn't say anything."

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue is also short of funds. You just exempted so many taxes, but the Jiangnan region and other areas are not paying their share. It's all going out and no coming in..."

"Alright, alright, I'll figure something out. How much more do we need?"

Chen Shao's biggest regret now is that he gave the "Enduring Hardship and Gaining Courage" skill to the aluminum cloth.

This kid has been slacking off since he went out.

It's not generating revenue for itself anymore.

I wonder what it was licking!

I'll have to give him a good talking-to when he gets back.

"Having five million might solve our immediate problem..."

"Didn't they just raid the homes of several ministers?"

"Your Majesty, even after deducting these, we still need five million!"

"Is the gap really that large?"

Chen Shao was stunned. Since ascending the throne, all he had done was fight wars and confiscate property.

I really don't care about other things.

"Your Majesty, let me do the math. If each person is given two catties of rations, then for 200,000 people, that's 12 million catties a month. The army pays two taels, and the cavalry pays three taels, which is 600,000 taels. Then there's horse feed, hay, and all sorts of other expenses..."

"Stop, stop, stop, I know, I know."

Chen Shao quickly waved his hand.

......

After Qi An took his leave, Chen Shao suddenly turned to Eunuch Wei and asked:

"By the way, what has the Empress Dowager been busy with lately?"

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager feels that the palace is too oppressive, and it seems...it seems that she has become a nun."

Huh? Chen Shao's eyes lit up.

Good, good, the entry for "becoming a monk" is finally useful.

"Has the Empress Dowager donated all her wealth?"

"I haven't heard of that."

Chen Shao's smile froze instantly.

When a person becomes a monk, they must return to secular life.

The Empress Dowager has amassed quite a fortune over the years.

"Prepare the carriage, I'm going to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."

A moment later, Chen Shao, led by Eunuch Wei, arrived at the front of Kunning Palace.

"Didn't you say the Empress Dowager had become a nun? Why is she in the palace again?"

Eunuch Wei wore a bitter expression:

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager had already moved outside the palace to live in seclusion, but just now, she sent back an imperial edict."

"They said...they'd temporarily return to secular life for a day and wait for His Majesty at Kunning Palace."

Chen Shao asked in surprise, "Return to secular life for a day?"

Eunuch Wei whispered:

"The Empress Dowager said that Buddha is merciful and will not care about one or two days, or even five, six, seven or eight days. Besides, she is practicing with her hair still intact, so she cannot be considered a formal nun."

Chen Shao felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Go in."

Throughout the journey, Chen Shao's mind was filled with thoughts of how to win over the rich woman.

The main problem is that I was too ruthless in my actions the first two times, and I don't know how much more difficult it will be this time.

How can we get the Empress Dowager to pay for it?

Open robbery is impractical; if word got out, the royal family's reputation would be completely ruined.

It has to be something she does willingly.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Kunning Palace, Chen Shao dismissed his attendants, straightened his clothes, and stepped inside.

The hall was much simpler than before, with only a lamp, a few scriptures, a futon, an incense table, and a bed.

The Empress Dowager was sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, wearing a loose Taoist robe, but it still couldn't hide her extremely voluptuous figure.

Even just looking at her from behind, she is a woman of unparalleled beauty.

Hearing the footsteps, she guessed who it was.

No one in the palace dared to appear behind her without prior notice.

The Empress Dowager didn't even lift her eyelids, and gave a soft hum:

"Oh, isn't this the busy man? What brings you to pay your respects to me today?"

She spoke in a sarcastic and unfriendly tone, showing absolutely no grace or dignity befitting an empress.

Instead, it's more like the melancholy of a young wife confined to her chambers.

Chen Shao put on a smile and bowed respectfully:

"I heard that the Empress Dowager has been practicing seclusion recently, and I was afraid of disturbing your spiritual practice, so I didn't dare to come often. Today I really missed you, so I came to see you."

"You're being so glib today, are you up to no good?"

Chen Shao was exposed on the spot, but he remained unfazed:

"Your Majesty, you have truly wronged me."

He took two steps forward, studied the Empress Dowager for a moment, and clicked his tongue:

"I haven't seen you for several days, and you look so young again."

The Empress Dowager rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't give me that crap. Do you think I'm still a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, so easily fooled?"

"The Empress Dowager is exactly like that. Her eyebrows, her appearance, her skin—what's the difference between her and a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl?"

"Hmph, silver tongue."

"The Empress Dowager is now practicing Buddhism with her hair still intact, and she really does resemble Guanyin Bodhisattva. If the palace maids outside saw her, they wouldn't dare to approach her, for fear of offending the fairy."

The Empress Dowager's lips unconsciously curved into a smile, which she then forcefully suppressed.

"You're a grown man, all you do is spout sweet talk. Can't you be more practical?"

Chen Shao said solemnly:

"Every word I have spoken is true. If even one word is false, may I..."

"Alright, alright."

The Empress Dowager quickly interrupted him:

"I didn't make any solemn oath."

She glanced at Chen Shao, her tone half reproachful and half resentful:

"Unfortunately, some people are all talk and no action; they don't even understand the saying, 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for they will soon be bare.'"

Chen Shao could easily understand what was meant.

But can we just do this recklessly?

Chen Yuan's body is barely cold...

Chen Shao sighed softly, and was about to speak when he heard the Empress Dowager say:

"I've heard that someone has been enduring hardship and biding their time all day, and has already mastered the art. I wonder what they're doing."

"Commander Bai said that some people can even reincarnate. Sigh, I wonder if it's true or not. Is there really such a strange thing in the world?"

Chen Shao nearly choked to death.

However, he quickly regained his composure and sighed:

"It seems the Empress Dowager has some reservations about me, but does she know what I've been doing these days?"

"What are you doing? All I know is that the little Taoist boy has been eaten by someone."

"..."

Chen Shao's tone turned serious:

"Your Majesty, it is not that I do not understand plumpness, but that this is not the time for the Great Yan to talk about romance."

"The Northern Barbarians need no further introduction. Two hundred thousand iron cavalry, four times the number last time. Chen Yue's warships are heading straight for the capital, and Li Bozhao's iron hawks have already entered the border of Hedong. Empress Dowager, I have the skill of turning the wheel, but I have no heart for romance."

"Besides, surely the Empress Dowager doesn't think they're in such a hurry for this worthless throne?"

"Otherwise what? What else could it be for if not the throne?"

Chen Shao shook his head and smiled bitterly:

"What's so great about this throne? Whoever sits here will be the first to challenge Helian Yunni. Do they even have the guts?"

"The chaos in the world is all because of you, Empress Dowager!"

"This Empress???" The Empress Dowager pointed to herself in disbelief.

"The Empress Dowager's beauty is known throughout the land. She is truly the most beautiful woman in the world. Shen Qingci and Helian Yunni are nothing compared to her."

"Before Chen Yue raised his army, he even boasted that he would make the Empress Dowager his slave."

"Not to mention men, even Helian Yunni coveted the Empress Dowager's beauty."

The Empress Dowager was completely stunned and subconsciously touched her face.

"It seems... that's actually possible!"

She immediately flew into a rage.

"Helian Yunni is just a barbarian, and they have more cavalry. But Chen Yue, a mere servant girl, dares to presume to look up to the emperor?"

Was she raised by a maid?

Should we say Helian Yunni?

Chen Shao thought for a moment before he suddenly realized.

It seems that Chen Yue was born to a maid, and it was only through a series of questionable actions that he finally gained complete control of the power, which is not wrong.

He suddenly remembered what he had said to Wu Xingyun.

"Yes, Empress Dowager, the peaceful life you perceive is actually all thanks to me bearing heavy burdens."