Chapter 370: Volume One, Chapter 370 The Strategy of Subduing an Enemy

Volume One, Chapter 370 The Strategy of Subduing an Enemy's Forces Without Fighting

"Mother, trust me. I've been working with the Empress for so long; I understand her temperament well and won't let us be at a loss. I'm only afraid we might miss the chance, and then our family will regret it deeply," Kang Shufei said in a low voice.

Seeing her daughter's earnest expression, Madam Kang felt a flutter in her heart, thought for a moment, and said, "Then you should explain it to me in detail; otherwise, how am I supposed to tell your father when I go back?"

Kang Shufei shook her head, "It's not that I won't tell you in detail, but I still don't know what the Empress intends to do. What I do know is that the Empress is currently short of something and will surely look for ways to raise funds. Yet the Empress is generous and will certainly not let anyone suffer a loss; moreover, this is a one‑time fundraising, so the Empress will be very magnanimous and offer concessions. Mother, the chance, once missed, won't come again. Think of the Empress's brocade, think of the printed hemp cloth."

Madam Kang's spirit tightened; indeed, the Empress's tactics were hard to anticipate, and she nodded, "Very well, I'll go back and tell your father, but I can't guarantee that he will agree."

"Mother, tell Father that everything the Empress does has His Majesty's full support; with that statement, Father will certainly agree," Kang Shufei said with a smile.

Madam Kang looked at her daughter, half laughing, half crying, "This is no small matter; if anything goes wrong, our whole family will be left to starve."

Kang Shufei laughed, "The Empress won't let us starve."

Madam Kang truly didn't know what to say; her daughter's trust in the Empress was almost irrational.

She sighed lightly, "I'll convey what you said to your father, but mother still hopes you remember, no matter when, always keep a way out for yourself."

"I understand, Mother, don't worry," Kang Shufei replied with a smile, but in her heart she thought otherwise; the Empress had treated her so well, and she would surely repay it wholeheartedly.

She only said it offhand to ease her mother's worries.

Madam Kang stood to leave; she couldn't linger in the palace any longer. Before departing, she sighed and looked at her daughter, "Take good care of yourself; I'll be waiting for the day you leave the palace."

"Alright," Kang Shufei saw her mother out, holding back tears, and waved with a smile.

After returning to the residence, Madam Kang kept pondering the palace affairs; the more she thought, the less reliable they seemed. She waited until nightfall for her husband to return, then hurried to the study to find someone.

Madam Kang told her husband about today's matters, and Official Kang was stunned for a while, unable to recover.

"Sir?" Madam Kang looked at her husband and gently nudged him.

Official Kang snapped back to his senses and immediately said, "The marriage is fine. Today His Majesty summoned me and hinted at this matter, though he didn't state it outright; it turns out you were brought into the palace. Lord Yong'an was indeed of little use before, but now he's performing well. As long as the Empress remains, Lord Yong'an will be as steady as a mountain, so the marriage can proceed."

Back then, when he pledged allegiance to His Majesty, his wholehearted loyalty was indeed rewarded; he was extremely satisfied.

Now, who doesn't know that His Majesty holds the Empress in special regard; marrying into the Empress's family is a great boon.

"And what about the other matter?" Madam Kang asked anxiously, "Do we really have to have the daughter bring out the entire family fortune?"

Official Kang looked at his wife, "Take it! The Empress is no ordinary woman; every deed she does is astonishing. The daughter has followed the Empress so long, so she surely knows and trusts her. If she says so, we should do it. What is this called? A timely aid! Not only will the Empress appreciate it, His Majesty will also be pleased—a double‑win. Why not? Moreover, what's taken out is only the household's saved silver; if that runs out, we still have income from our shops and lands."

Madam Kang remained worried, "You saw how His Majesty handled the Song family's settlement this time; I'm concerned that our family's lands might also not be…"

"…might not be secure."

Official Kang sneered at the remark, "His Majesty's iron fist shows no mercy; not just our family, I doubt any household could hold on. Who can withstand the Emperor's cannons? The military industry bureau works day and night, and I've heard the ammunition they've produced fills the warehouses."

Madam Kang's face changed, "Then we should spend lavishly to avoid disaster."

【7】 We can't be like the Song family, losing both status and face.

We can't end up like the Song family, with both their inner and outer reputation gone.

Official Kang nodded slightly, "The current situation outweighs individuals. We originally supported His Majesty with clear banners; now His Majesty has raised his banner to victory, so we cannot retreat and must keep up."

"Sir, what do you mean?"

"I intend to discuss with the clan head about handing over any of the Kang family's lands that exceed legal limits to His Majesty."

Madam Kang was stunned, "Sir… is this too…"

"Hmph, to earn His Majesty's trust, you can't be hesitant. Madam, look at His Majesty's stance: voluntarily handing over is still handing over; if we don't, eventually Xiao Shen will bring troops to our door demanding it, right? By paving this way for His Majesty now, we achieve the first merit!"

Madam Kang, after hearing her husband's words, thought he was right but felt the loss would be great. She finally sighed, "I, as a woman, don't understand these things, but since you've made the decision, Sir, I will follow you. Our family, no matter what, must advance and retreat together."

Official Kang held his wife's hand, "Rest assured, it won't turn bad. Ah, the Empress told Hua Lu about this kinship; perhaps she wasn't forcing me to choose."

Madam Kang was startled, "What?"

Official Kang looked at his wife, "I heard the cannons have something to do with the Empress."

Madam Kang didn't know what to say anymore, "Is it true? How can I not believe it?"

"It does make sense; the Empress was once Princess Consort Qi, a divorced woman. If she had no exceptional qualities, how could His Majesty value her so much? Now he's even willing to disperse the entire harem for her, which shows the Empress's great utility. His Majesty wants to secure the Empress's heart, hence this decision."

Madam Kang subconsciously nodded, "If that's truly the case, then… Sir's decision is correct."

If that's indeed so, the Empress's scheming is truly profound.

The daughter leaving the palace to marry is fine; she's truly no match for the Empress.

Rong Luoge is not a private discussion between the Kang couple about her; she is currently preparing business council matters and has decided to act together with Han Xinglan.

Han Xinglan will, after the court session begins, issue an imperial decree ordering each noble family to re‑measure their lands, which essentially means making them take land in and then give it back.

In this situation, she needs to coordinate with His Majesty, so she must openly raise funds, showing these families that His Majesty is not short of money and has confidence for war!

The two will act in tandem, and perhaps they can subdue an enemy's forces without fighting.

Whenever war breaks out, the common folk suffer the most; if possible, avoid war.

How can we make it look grandiose?