"Young General Liang, I beg a favor of you..."
Before Liang Xiao could enter the underground secret chamber, he encountered Wang Canghai, escorted by shadow guards.
"Prime Minister, speak freely!" Liang Xiao regarded Wang Canghai with curiosity.
Wang Canghai's face was pale, his eyes red and swollen, as if he had been weeping.
Wang Canghai sighed, "When I see the gold later, if I faint, Young General Liang, please support me..."
Liang Xiao: ...
What else could Liang Xiao say? He readily agreed, leaving the shadow guards to continue guarding the entrance, and followed Wang Canghai to the underground warehouse.
Upon entering the warehouse and gazing at the mountains of gold, Wang Canghai's legs buckled, and he nearly fell. Liang Xiao caught him.
"Heaven bless Da Qian, heaven bless our Emperor!"
In an instant, Wang Canghai's old tears flowed, and he repeatedly expressed his astonishment.
He had heard that over four million catties of gold had been found, and he hadn't dared to believe it, even thinking a million catties would be a blessing!
Yet, the reality lay before him. The first batch alone amounted to over a million catties, more than ten million taels, and all of it was exceptionally fine gold brick!
As a veteran of three dynasties, he had seen his share of storms.
But... there was simply too much gold here.
"Brother!"
Xiao Qing could no longer restrain herself and reached out, taking Liang Xiao's hand.
"Your Majesty..." Liang Xiao said with a dry laugh.
Xiao Qing said softly, "The three ministers present are all among the Four Great Auxiliaries. Brother need not be formal; let it be as it is in private..."
Despite her words, if Lü Yi and Wang Canghai were not present, Xiao Qing would have rushed into Liang Xiao's arms and wept!
Liang Xiao glanced at Lü Yi, then at Wang Canghai, whom he was supporting.
Lü Yi took Wang Canghai from Liang Xiao's grasp and supported him. Both nodded to Liang Xiao, their eyes seeming to convey, "We understand."
Liang Xiao's old face flushed, and he chuckled. No longer feigning formality, he said, "Little Shuangzi didn't cry, that's not easy!"
Everyone: ???
With treasure within sight and grand ambitions within reach, this was his first thought upon meeting?
Xiao Qing's gaze was filled with a hint of reproach, and she pouted, "I've already cried, I don't want to cry for you to see..."
"You're afraid Brother would worry, aren't you?" Liang Xiao curled his lip.
Xiao Qing's heart fluttered wildly, and she lowered her head, unable to respond.
Lü Yi and Wang Canghai watched, both astonished.
The Emperor, who had studied the art of rulership since childhood and was skilled at concealing his emotions, had become so demure in front of Liang Xiao, like a young girl...
This was not a good omen, especially since Xiao Qing was the only one left of the royal family!
More accurately, she was Princess Ning Shuang, Xiao Shuang, who had taken the place of her deceased imperial brother, Xiao Qing...
Even with Liang Xiao's utmost loyalty to Xiao Qing, the two old ministers had to consider this matter cautiously.
This was why they had always harbored reservations about Xiao Qing revealing her identity to Liang Xiao.
They simply could not afford to lose!
Liang Xiao was only nineteen. In their eyes, this was an age where character and morals were still unstable. He was, after all, still a youth.
What if he turned traitor in the future?
Unlike the worries of the two Grand Auxiliaries, Ning Xuejun merely watched Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing with a smile, tears glistening in her eyes.
The two old ministers were even more surprised.
Even the once ruthless commander of the shadow guards, Xiao Qing's right-hand man, and the late Emperor's safeguard for Xiao Qing, could not maintain composure on this matter?
The more this was the case, the more the two dared not act rashly. After all, they were responsible for the military and state affairs of Da Qian and deeply understood the principles of rise and fall.
However, the joy brought by the gold still dispelled their concerns.
In the current situation, they should be happy. At least Liang Xiao's performance was that of an unprecedentedly loyal and capable minister!
The prevention of smallpox alone was enough to immortalize him, to be renowned for eternity, and to be deified and enshrined centuries later!
Under the watchful eyes of the three Grand Auxiliaries, Xiao Qing, arm in arm with Liang Xiao, happily gazed at the gold.
"Whether it was Christia's献 the treasure map, or the treasure hunt, Brother's contributions are immense! You should be richly rewarded! One million taels of gold, is that enough?"
At this moment, Xiao Qing was like a nouveau riche, grandly pointing at the gold, acting extremely magnanimous.
One million taels of gold was ten million taels of silver, approximately one-fortieth of the entire treasure!
However, the three Grand Auxiliaries were not overly surprised, as Xiao Qing had already discussed this with Wang Canghai.
Without Liang Xiao, when would these treasures ever be obtained?
Liang Xiao's expression remained unchanged, and he said softly, "Little Shuangzi, you can't be so extravagant with money. This wealth should be used to repurchase land and develop the nation. If I were to suddenly possess such astonishing wealth, my political opponents would surely impeach me. It's better to keep it in this underground warehouse guarded by shadow guards than to hide it at home."
"Little Shuangzi knew Brother would say this!" Xiao Qing said with a pained expression.
Lü Yi and Wang Canghai's eyes nearly popped out!
The Emperor, referring to herself as Little Shuangzi in front of Liang Xiao?
It was over, this child had completely fallen!
"Your Majesty, mind your image..." Lü Yi couldn't help but remind her.
Xiao Qing's small face flushed, and she said softly, "He is my elder brother. I don't want him to be constrained. Just call me Little Shuangzi!"
Wang Canghai smiled and said, "This is good. Your Majesty finally has a true friend of the same age."
Since even Wang Canghai could accept it, Lü Yi naturally had nothing more to say.
Besides the two shadow guard commanders, if one had to compare who was more reliable between Lü Yi and Wang Canghai, it had to be Wang Canghai. He was truly inferior to him in that regard.
After all, Wang Canghai was a true veteran of three dynasties. His experiences were similar to Lü Yi's. His family had been impoverished in his youth and had received great favor from Emperor Zhao, Xiao Qing's grandfather. His ability and loyalty were no less than Zhuo Zifang's...
Liang Xiao also felt a bit embarrassed, as both Wang Canghai and Lü Yi were legitimate civil and military officials.
"But Brother's merits are immense, and he has made so many great achievements, he must be rewarded properly!"
Xiao Qing had already devised a plan and said with a smile, "How about this! I will secretly reward Brother with one hundred thousand taels of gold. All expenses for Brother's Qingtian Guard, and any beneficial workshops he wishes to establish in the future, such as a printing factory, will be borne by Little Shuangzi!"
Liang Xiao smiled and agreed, "Little Shuangzi is truly clever!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Canghai and Lü Yi praised in unison.
Such an arrangement was more suitable and reasonable than giving money directly.
However, they could not have foreseen how terrifyingly money-consuming Liang Xiao's envisioned blueprint would be. Only Liang Xiao himself could afford it!
Upon receiving Liang Xiao's praise, Xiao Qing's eyes narrowed into slits, and cute dimples appeared on her face as she smiled.
"This gold certainly cannot be released into the market all at once. Then, Brother, besides repurchasing land, where else do you think it should be spent?"
There was very little gold in the land of Da Qian. From the treasure found, it was evident that it was due to the plundering by the army of the ancient Xiongnu King, Hrov, in this region.
Historical records show that Yanzhou was indeed the commercial center of the Great Zhou Dynasty, concentrating the entire country's gold and silver.
The influx of a large amount of gold into the market would not only depress the price of gold but also potentially disrupt Da Qian's existing economic system. Xiao Qing had to handle it with caution.