Chapter 626

As Xiao Yin's words fell, the Hall of Nurturing Heart fell into silence; everyone stared at Xiao Yin in disbelief.

It felt as if Xiao Yin were talking in his sleep—maintaining an army of over a hundred thousand, such huge military expenses, and he claims he will pay for this war out of his own pocket?

Bai Xiaosheng used to be the sect master of the Bai Xiao Sect; he had gathered plenty of news about Xiao Yin in daily life, yet he could never find out where Xiao Yin got so much silver.

Even if Xiao Yin had married the granddaughter of the Du family patriarch and received Gu Jiu Ling's astronomical dowry, it still wouldn't be enough to support such a large force.

Bai Xiaosheng coughed, glanced cautiously at Xiao Yin, and whispered, "Imperial Uncle, you must be joking, right?"

"I'm not joking, Ling Feng!"

Ling Feng, who was guarding outside the Hall of Nurturing Heart, led people in carrying lacquered wooden boxes one by one into the hall.

The senior officials inside the Hall of Nurturing Heart were left dumbfounded by Xiao Yin's move.

After the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, the entire Hall of Nurturing Heart was packed full with densely stacked boxes.

After the previous palace coup, the former Crown Prince Xiao Ting died in the palace, Emperor Longqing was placed under house arrest in the sleeping palace, and the entire palace complex came under Xiao Yin's control.

These boxes were all hidden by Xiao Yin early on in the palace; now they fill the Hall of Nurturing Heart to the brim, leaving the civil officials discussing state affairs hardly any room to stand.

Everyone's faces showed bewildered uncertainty, not knowing what Prince Rui was up to this time.

Only after the last box was carried in did Xiao Yin wave his hand, signaling those people to retreat.

He personally walked to the box placed before Bai Xiaosheng, his waist-worn Longquan sword suddenly unsheathed, and he pried open the box's lid.

With a thud, the heavy wooden lid, due to the excessive force of Xiao Yin's Longquan sword, fell entirely onto the bluestone floor engraved with dragon patterns.

Then light burst from the box, dazzling everyone's eyes—it was a box full of silver ingots.

Xiao Yin opened another box; this one contained not silver ingots but a box full of gold ingots.

He then opened several more boxes in succession, each filled with precious southern pearls.

Xiao Yin glanced lightly at Bai Xiaosheng: "Is this enough for military expenses?"

Bai Xiaosheng felt his brain couldn't keep up for a moment; after a long while he murmured, "Enough… enough!"

Xiao Yin turned his body and, looking at the bewildered civil officials, said slowly, "What do you all think?"

"Minister Wang?"

Vice Minister of Revenue Wang was speechless, wondering when Prince Rui had hidden so much silver, and whether it was hidden in the palace.

This isn't just enough—it's more than enough, to the point of excess.

It's as if one person had hidden the entire treasury of Southern Qi—nothing excessive about it.

What the heck has this guy been doing over the past nine years, and where did he get all this silver?

Bai Xiaosheng bent over, pretending not to care, and picked up a silver ingot that Xiao Yin had moved.

It bore no mark of any money shop, no clan insignia, and was completely different from the silver in the state treasury.

The silver in the state treasury all bears the seal of the Imperial Mint, and each piece is noticeably larger than this one.

Looking at it now, it seems as if Xiao Yin had discovered a whole silver mine and privately cast these ingots.

Even if Xiao Yin had privately minted money, storing such a quantity of silver ingots in the palace would inevitably leave some trace.

Thinking this, Bai Xiaosheng felt a growing chill down his spine.

What's most terrifying in this world isn't having many rumors and evidence uncovered, but having absolutely no information at all.

The fact that Xiao Yin could privately hoard so much money, hidden in the palace, and as the sect master of the Bai Xiao Sect leave no trace, shows that his true strength is not what they imagined.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the Hall of Nurturing Heart grew eerily strange; everyone stared fixedly at the room full of gold, silver, and jewels, feeling as if they were sitting on mountains of gold and silver.

Xiao Yin looked at the already-terrified Minister Wang and smiled faintly: "Minister Wang, if you send this silver to the Revenue Ministry to fill the state treasury, will it be enough for military expenses?"

Minister Wang finally caught his breath and hurriedly said, "This amount of silver is more than enough to prepare provisions for the army before deployment; please rest assured, Prince Rui. I will immediately organize the gathering of military rations from across the nation and send them to the front lines."

Xiao Yin knew that Vice Minister of Revenue Wang was at least a competent official; his expression turned solemn, he nodded to Wang, and then turned his gaze to the others.

Those people now dared not utter another word; the army, including its provisions, had already been readied by Xiao Yin, and if they dared to obstruct this northern expedition again, they would likely be dragged out and beheaded to serve as a warning.

Xiao Yin returned to the Prince Rui's mansion; it was already deep into the night.

The Regent Prince's edict had already reached the Prince Rui's mansion: this time the Eight Great Clans rebelled in Yingzhou, raised troops, and captured several cities in succession.

Xiao Yin personally assumed the post of Grand Commander of the Armed Forces, leading the newly reconstituted Azure Dragon Army and other troops, totaling roughly two hundred thousand, and will set out from the capital Shang Jing in three days, marching straight toward Yingzhou.

In these short three days, Xiao Yin must personally select deputy commanders, deploy the troops, plan the marching routes, and attend to every detail.

He first made a trip back to the Prince Rui's mansion; unexpectedly, upon entering the inner court, he saw that Gu Jiu Ling's courtyard was brightly lit.

Servant girls came and went, busily doing something.

Xiao Yin was startled by the scene and hurriedly strode inside.

The bustling servant girls and maids, seeing the Prince enter, all dropped to their knees.

Xiao Yin frowned slightly, wondering what Gu Jiu Ling was up to again.

He pushed open the main hall's door and saw Jiu Yue and Yun Duo, with a few servant girls, organizing bundles; from the inner chambers came the sound of clinking, though he didn't know what Gu Jiu Ling was doing.

Xiao Yin lifted the bead curtain and entered, only to see Gu Jiu Ling bent over, her rear raised, lying beside the bed and pulling out all her personal belongings.

From Xiao Yin's angle, Gu Jiu Ling looked like a little hamster, stuffing her everyday accumulations into a bundle with rustling sounds, as if moving house.

He couldn't help but curl the corner of his mouth into a fond smile, walked over, bent down beside her, and said, "Princess Consort, what are you doing?"

Gu Jiu Ling was earnestly packing her things, unaware when Xiao Yin had returned; upon hearing his voice from beside her, she jumped in fright.

"My lord, you've returned?"

Gu Jiu Ling hurriedly straightened up, but having lain prone for too long, she staggered slightly, and Xiao Yin steadied her arm.

Xiao Yin looked at the bundles Gu Jiu Ling had laid out—handfuls of banknotes, some sachets holding medicinal pills, even those concealed weapons—and wondered where Zuo Feichen had gotten them for her.

A smile crept into Xiao Yin's eyes as he hooked his finger onto the bundle holding Gu Jiu Ling's gold, silver, and valuables, raising an eyebrow: "Princess Consort, where are you taking this?"

"Never mind; I'm setting out on this campaign, unsure when I'll return—you may stay a few days at the villa in the suburbs."

"Stay away from the rights and wrongs of Shang Jing; I will garrison the villa with heavy troops to ensure your safety…"

Xiao Yin's nagging words were cut off by Gu Jiu Ling's laugh.

「Prince, I will go with you to Yingzhou! 」

Xiao Yin's expression froze there, and he said in a deep voice: 「Impossible! War is perilous! What are you, a woman, doing coming with me to Yingzhou? Too dangerous! You cannot go! 」