Chapter 396: Chapter 396: The Reason Why the Retired Emperor Could Find You (Extra Update)

Tong Tiehu let out a bitter laugh upon hearing this, “In response to Your Highness, I know very little about my father.”

“Oh?” Yang Ye looked puzzled.

“I was sent away by my father when I was six years old, along with my mother. The woman who later followed my father into battle was my aunt.”

Yang Ye blinked his long eyelashes, an expression of surprise appearing on his handsome face.

“Later, when my father died, my aunt appeared here with the treasure. She sent someone to fetch me. Upon hearing news of my father’s death, my mother couldn’t bear it, and she passed away. I came to Anping Village at just ten years old.”

“My aunt… seemed to age more than ten years all of a sudden. Her energy and spirit seemed to have entirely vanished. She lives in the mountains and doesn’t see anyone. She only told me that my father was gone, nothing more.”

“Thus, Your Highness, I truly do not know about the things you are asking regarding my father.”

“I also do not know how the secret tunnel was built.”

Yang Ye “…”

“Is the relief effort her idea?” The head of the Valley asked.

“Yes, my aunt said that the treasures, taken from the people, should be used for them. She used the followers my father left behind to establish Tingfeng Pavilion. Whenever Daqi suffers a disaster, Tingfeng Pavilion will fund the relief effort,” Tong Tiehu replied.

The head of the Valley fell silent, stroking his beard, his expression somewhat melancholic.

“Actually, the reason the reigning Emperor was able to track down your Tong family was precisely because of your relief work.”

A mysterious force was always doing such good deeds, naturally, the reigning Emperor and Emperor Yongan would investigate.

Following one thread led them here.

Tong Tiehu “…”

Tong Sanlang “…”

He had complicated feelings.

Should he laugh or cry?

He originally intended to relieve the people’s suffering but ended up leading the Emperor here.

Look, that’s why the Emperor doesn’t interfere with the Tong family. Besides, whenever disasters occur, the Tong family will distribute silver. It’s convenient and easy.

“But the treasure is now gone,” Yang Wang said coldly.

“Your Highness, I genuinely have no idea about this,” Tong Tiehu said earnestly.

Qiao Xiaomai, who was sitting on the side, also had a complicated expression.

The treasure was in her space.

The court wanted to use the treasure for disaster relief. Oh gosh, what should she do!

How should she get rid of this ticking time bomb!

She frowned, asking, “Prince Wei, why is the National Treasury… so empty?”

How could the National Treasury be empty when the reigning Emperor and Emperor Yongan were so wise and heroic, managing Daqi so systematically?

“Simply put: income was too low. Daqi is expansive with both natural and man-made disasters recurring over the years. Floods, droughts, locust plagues, you name it, we’ve seen it all.” Speaking of this, Yang Ye suddenly lost his appetite.

He sighed, put down his chopsticks, and started sipping some fruit soup.

“Relief work aside, money also had to be allocated to build roads everywhere, and to support the armed forces. In short, places where money is needed are numerous. Yet, the tax collected is too little. Daqi isn’t like the previous dynasties, with all kinds of miscellaneous taxes. Daqi has fewer taxes, and on top of that, officials and aristocratic families are even exempted.”

“With the income being little and expenses being high, the Treasury ended up empty.”

Qiao Xiaomai made a sound of understanding.

Even the Tong family, being a minor official, managed to exempt a tenth of their tax.

If the smallest official could exempt a tenth, the higher-ranking officials and nobles could exempt even more.

Goes without saying, the Treasury will end up empty.

She pursed her lips, feeling that the vast treasure house in her space seemed more like a ticking time bomb.

The people were suffering, and she had stored this batch of treasure away.

Sigh!

How should she get rid of it?