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Indeed, it was the purpose, Xiao Yao's mind echoed this phrase. However, "But there are many ordinary officials' daughters in the capital, why..."
"Why did they specifically target the Xiao Family, right?" He Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
He Yu put down what he was holding and looked at Xiao Yao with a half-smile, "What if I am here for money?"
"What?" Xiao Yao felt she must have misheard, "Can you say that again? For what?"
"For, money." He Yu pronounced each word very clearly.
"...For what?" This reason might hold for others, but "You are a prince; do you also lack money?"
"Does a prince not lack money?" He Yu found it amusing. Xiao Yao blushed but still did not understand, "The prince is favored by the emperor; surely the rewards would not be few. How could..." How could he lack money? Xiao Yao truly could not comprehend this reasoning.
Upon hearing this, He Yu's smile turned somewhat mocking. He snorted coldly before saying, "If I said it was the court that lacked silver, would you believe it?"
"What?!" Xiao Yao was thoroughly shocked by He Yu's words, her face filled with disbelief. "How could that be? How could the court possibly lack silver? With such large tax revenues every year, hasn't it all gone into the national treasury?"
"Tax revenue? National treasury?" He Yu sneered, showing no hint of emotion in front of Xiao Yao, perhaps feeling there was no need to hide it at all. "Do you know how much of the country's tax revenue actually makes it into the treasury?"
"..." Xiao Yao thought for a moment and finally shook her head honestly. "I don't know the specifics, but from local to court, it must go through at least three or four levels, right?"
"Three or four levels is on the low side." He Yu shook his head. "Each level of taxation gets siphoned off and concealed by local officials. After going through so many layers of exploitation, what actually enters the treasury is likely less than fifty percent of what was originally collected."
These thoughts from He Yu were something Xiao Yao had never considered before. She had never known she would come into contact with these so-called national affairs. Without waiting for Xiao Yao's response, He Yu continued on his own, "The current Sovereign's foundation stands on the legacy of the Great Ancestor Taizong Predecessor Emperor, naturally leading to a prosperous era. The emperor enjoys going out to seek antiques and paintings, and given his good reputation, that little bit of silver in the treasury is probably not enough for him to spend on himself." After saying this, only a bitter smile and deep helplessness remained on He Yu's face.
How could a prince who only knows how to indulge in pleasures speak such profound words? Xiao Yao felt somewhat bewildered. Were all the young masters in the capital such skilled actors, pretending to be foolish while hiding their true abilities? Indeed, this kind of scheming was a catalyst for early maturity...
Xiao Yao shook her head, "But... our family's wealth is merely a drop in the bucket for the national treasury..."
"You are mistaken," He Yu interrupted Xiao Yao, "I want to marry you not to use the Xiao Family's money to fill the national treasury. In the capital, money and power are traded among officials. Just by seizing one prominent minister's household, it would probably be enough to sustain the national treasury for three to five years."
"Then you..."
"Do you remember that your father, the master of the Xiao Family, once donated silver to the government for road construction?" He Yu asked.
Xiao Yao thought for a moment, "Oh, I think there was such a thing. It was before my serious illness; I don't really remember. I only heard my mother say that because my elder brother was going to the capital for exams, in order to do good deeds and accumulate virtue, and also to pray for my elder brother's success, my father donated money to repair a road from the north leading to Nanping. However, that was already over half a year ago. Why? Is there a problem?"
For a businessman to give back to his hometown by funding road construction was not unusual in Xiao Yao's understanding. She even recalled, "Oh right, a few months ago there was an attack on the barbarians, and they were conscripting soldiers here. But many people from our area have gone out to do business. We couldn't recruit that many soldiers, so Liu Qingshan's mission couldn't be completed. Later, my father joined forces with the Nanping Chamber of Commerce and donated quite a bit of money and supplies to resolve it."
"The problem lies here," He Yu said with a bitter smile. "Don't you know that ordinary wealthy households donating money and supplies is a major taboo?"
"What do you mean?" Xiao Yao asked in confusion. "Aren't you short on funds in court? If we donate money, although it doesn't solve the immediate crisis, at least it's better than nothing, right? Why is it considered a major taboo?"
"In a country and a court, if military salaries and supplies during wartime still require ordinary citizens to contribute money, then what face does the royal family have left? Where is the dignity of a great nation?" He Yu's voice was not loud, but it made Xiao Yao's face grow increasingly pale.
"We..." Xiao Yao recalled a story she had read in her previous life about Shen Wansan. Didn't he help Zhu Yuanzhang build Nanjing and reward his troops, which led Zhu Yuanzhang to harbor murderous intentions against him? If it weren't for Empress Ma's later persuasion, Shen Wansan would have likely met an early demise. Even so, he couldn't escape his eventual fate of exile.
Thinking of this made Xiao Yao feel utterly lost. She unconsciously grasped He Yu's sleeve tightly. "What should we do?" Her voice began to tremble with tears as she clutched He Yu's sleeve tightly; her knuckles turned white and shook. She looked at He Yu with pleading eyes that made him unable to bear it. Xiao Yao said sorrowfully, "You have a way out of this, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come here, would you?"
He Yu hesitated for a moment as he met Xiao Yao's pleading gaze before letting out a long sigh. "Yes, now you can only marry me to escape."
Xiao Yao's eyes brightened for a moment, but then she hesitated. Biting her lip, she finally said, "Is there really no other way?"
"I don't want to force you," He Yu said helplessly as he looked at her. "Now that Liu Qingshan has been demoted, and Liu Qingshan is a distant relative of the Liu Family in the capital, the juicy opportunity has slipped away. Do you think the Liu Family will let you go? If this matter gets out, no one will be able to protect you."
"But marrying you..."
"If you marry me, then you will be part of my He Family. Moreover, once Xiao Moxian arrives in the capital, this matter would be considered a legitimate official donation of military funds. In that case, it would be justified," He Yu explained.
However, once Xiao Mo Yi takes office, wouldn't it have the same effect if she didn't marry him? Xiao Yao still didn't understand.
He Yu smiled knowingly and continued, "Do you really think your Elder Brother can protect the Xiao Family in such a complicated place like the capital, especially being new to it?"
Indeed, she feared that he might not even be able to protect himself.
Xiao Yao lowered her head in silence. He Yu had nothing more to say; at this point, he didn't need to add fuel to the fire.
After a long silence, Xiao Yao finally lifted her head, her expression having changed. She took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I agree. I will marry you."
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