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The next day, all officials of the sixth rank and above gathered inside Tai Hall.
Before dawn, the court ministers set out from their homes, donning their robes and caps for this monthly grand assembly. They streamed into Tai Hall in an orderly fashion, separating into civil and military ranks as they took their positions according to their status. Although there were many people, the atmosphere remained organized; those who could enter were the elite of the Da Qian Dynasty.
The only exceptions were the Crown Prince and Xu Lie, who stood at the forefront of the officials, positioned to the right of the third rank. The Crown Prince had a gentle demeanor and was exceptionally handsome. He appeared modest, actively seeking advice from the Chancellor on governance strategies, to which the Chancellor generously shared his insights. In the eyes of the officials, the Crown Prince embodied the qualities of a wise ruler.
Once he finished his inquiries, the Crown Prince turned to Xu Lie with a friendly demeanor: "Second Brother, do you have any questions for the Chancellor as well?"
The Chancellor was busy with state affairs and had no time to spare. He dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the Da Qian court, making significant contributions. Even for someone like me, I could only ask questions during these grand assemblies; opportunities like this are rare.
This flattery was well-received by the Chancellor, whose face lit up with delight as if he were blooming like a daisy. Xu Lie looked at the Crown Prince as if he were a fool; clearly, the Crown Prince's skills were somewhat lacking. Did he really think Xu Lie couldn't see through such obvious flattery? It was nothing more than a veiled jab at him, suggesting that this Second Prince was unlearned and merely served to highlight the Crown Prince's humility in seeking advice.
If it had been the previous Second Prince, he might have fallen for such tricks. But now standing before the Crown Prince was Xu Lie, who paid no mind to him and instead turned to the smiling Chancellor: "How much money is left in the National Treasury?"
Both the Crown Prince and the Chancellor froze momentarily, resembling someone who suddenly choked on their food—caught in an awkward situation where they couldn't swallow or spit it out. The Crown Prince felt purely embarrassed because Xu Lie had ignored him. The Chancellor felt awkward because he had been asked about something that required daily financial management.
Even though he was the Chancellor of Da Qian, he could not access real-time data from the National Treasury's accounts managed by the Ministry of Revenue. If this question had been posed five days ago, he could have answered immediately since he had checked the accounts then; but now, he truly couldn't provide an answer.
Earlier, the Crown Prince had praised him profusely while also lamenting his burdensome duties for state affairs. Now that Xu Lie asked about the National Treasury's status and if he couldn't answer, it would make him look contradictory and foolish!
The old fox was indeed an old fox; any hint of embarrassment flashed across the Chancellor's face before it quickly transformed into a calm demeanor as if everything was under control: "What aspect is Second Prince inquiring about?"
Is it the Da Qian Copper Coin? The Da Qian Official Silver? Or the fabric and grain stored as Da Qian Tax Revenue?
The Chancellor, with his keen insight, noticed that when Xu Lie asked about the amount of cash, he cleverly shifted the concept. Why couldn't the fabric and grain from tax revenue be counted as money? He wasn't sure about the exact amount of copper coins, but since Da Qian had been free from disasters lately, the total amount of grain wouldn't change much. He felt confident in his answer.
Xu Lie didn't want to beat around the bush with the old fox: "Copper coins and silver."
This left the Chancellor at a loss for words. Something felt off about the Second Prince today compared to usual. However, in front of officials and the Crown Prince, he didn't want to falter: "Ahem, according to what I've heard from the Old Man, five days ago, the National Treasury should have around twenty thousand taels of Official Silver and forty thousand coins (one coin equals one thousand wen)."
Only then did Xu Lie nod in satisfaction: "That’s acceptable, barely enough."
What does that mean? Barely enough? Enough for whom? Are you planning to touch all of the National Treasury?
This time, not only were the Crown Prince and Chancellor confused, but even the Grand Tutor nearby was equally baffled, filled with questions. All eyes turned to the notoriously outrageous Second Prince.
The Crown Prince was the first to lose his composure: "Are you saying you want to touch the National Treasury?"
Xu Lie merely grunted in response, too lazy to elaborate further.
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