This year's autumn tax revenue was eight times that of previous years. Adding in the summer tax, Zhao State collected the tax revenue of the past fourteen years this year.
With money and food in the treasury, the emperor was more confident than ever.
If it weren't for the fact that the strength of the army's defenses could not be changed overnight, he even thought that he would be able to defeat Qi soon, or in other words, become as powerful as Qi.
He still showed great trust in Gu Fenglin, and he would try his best to support any opinions put forward by Gu Fenglin, even if they were opposed by the courtiers.
However this is just an appearance.
In the winter of this year, General Meng Wu held on to the defense line with an indomitable spirit. At the same time, he himself was seriously injured and on the verge of death.
The news was sealed very well, and the Qi State did not know that General Meng Wu was seriously injured and was about to die, and finally had the intention to negotiate peace.
The news spread back to Lanjing, and many people, including the reformists, expressed support for peace negotiations.
They were very afraid that if they did not seize this opportunity, they would be driven in by the Qi people and the country would be destroyed in one fell swoop.
The emperor was also moved. A thousand pieces of gold are rare, but a general is hard to find.
The biggest problem of Zhao State now is that it does not have outstanding generals and generals. If General Meng Wu is about to die, who can still guard the country?
In the past, there was no money in the treasury and there was no hope. We would fight when it was time to fight.
Now that he saw hope, he wanted to hold on to this hope and never let go.
So he also wanted to negotiate peace.
But before that, Gu Fenglin's opinion is a very critical factor.
Gu Fenglin did not express any opinions throughout this whole matter, but remained silent, which seemed very unusual.
The emperor thought about it and decided to hold a small Beginning of Winter Banquet and invite Mu Yunhan and Gu Fenglin to the palace for a drink and to reconcile their feelings.
Generally speaking, the climate this year was as Gu Fenglin had predicted earlier, with good weather and good weather. It was cold when it should be cold, hot when it should be hot. It rained and snowed when it should, and it did.
It rained lightly on the day of Beginning of Winter and was a bit cold.
According to the arrangement, Mu Yunhan and Gu Fenglin separated at the palace gate. He went to see the emperor, and she went to see the queen mother, and then they met for dinner.
Mu Yunhan has not been to the palace for a long time, and the palace people still treat her with the same closeness and concern.
Queen Mother Shen was surrounded by people, including Queen Zou and the emperor's eldest son, the pregnant concubine, and the two beauties newly conferred by the emperor.
There are even Princess Huaichang and Princess Huaixing.
Princess Huaixing was brought back to the palace just two days ago. Before that, she had been leading Buddhist practices in the temple to pray for the late emperor.
Suffering can change many things. Today's Princess Huaixing is no longer the domineering person she used to be. She sits next to Princess Huaichang with her head lowered, as well-behaved as an innocent bird.
Mu Yunhan smiled and saluted, and Queen Mother Shen enthusiastically asked her to sit next to her: "I haven't seen you in some days, why don't you come?"
Mu Yunhan smiled and said, "It's just that I'm busy, and there are a lot of things at home."
She glanced at Princess Huaichang and said deliberately disgustedly: "After all, Her Royal Highness Princess Huaichang will get married next spring. There are many things in the palace that are not ready. Everyone is very anxious. My wife is young, so she has to run more errands and do more chores.
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When Princess Huaichang saw Mu Yunhan for the first time after that incident, she felt helpless instead of not hating him.
But she was so shameless. After hearing what Mu Yunhan said, she actually smiled coyly: "Sister Mu is disgusting, how can you make fun of others like this."