Ye Qing'an lowered her gaze and replied with calm composure, "Yes."
The smile froze instantly on Minister Yan's face.
He was in such shock he nearly called for someone to pinch his philtrum to make sure he was still conscious.
He should have known something was off. If this matter were truly so promising, why would His Majesty, Ye Qing'an, and the Crown Princess go to such lengths? Why the elaborate unveiling, bringing everyone along just to see a demonstration, only to slowly reveal the benefits?
So in the end, before they even knew if the project could earn ten million in a year, they would first need to spend seventy million?
Minister Yan clutched at his chest and took two deep breaths to calm himself. He was just about to speak when Emperor Xuanwu finished reading the memorial and suddenly closed it with a decisive nod.
"Not bad. This railway… it is indeed worth constructing."
"Your Majesty!"
Minister Yan's eyes widened in disbelief. He had just opened his mouth to argue the massive sum of seventy million taels when, from afar, a guard came sprinting toward the gathering.
"Your Majesty, urgent dispatch from the Grand General of Weihai. Eight hundred li in haste!"
The Grand General of Weihai… that would be the heir of Marquis Wu'an. A report from Wa Kingdom?
An eight-hundred-li emergency report could only mean something of grave importance—far more so than laying railway tracks.
No matter how much his heart ached for the seventy million taels, Minister Yan could only swallow his protest and remain silent, waiting for the guard to arrive.
The guard dropped to one knee and delivered the news in a clear voice.
"Your Majesty, urgent military report from the Grand General of Weihai. In the battle against Wa Kingdom, our forces achieved overwhelming victory. As of now, the Wa Kingdom has been destroyed. Over one million Wa islanders have been seized and put to work in the mines by the Grand General.
We have already uncovered three large silver mines and one massive gold mine."
"Well done!"
Emperor Xuanwu's face lit with joy.
Even Minister Yan, who had been moments from collapsing from the strain of the projected budget, felt as if he had experienced a miraculous recovery. He looked invigorated, his spirits lifted, every part of him suddenly feeling fine.
He even seemed more excited than Emperor Xuanwu himself.
"How is the mining progressing? Have they begun extracting the ore?"
"Well…" The guard hesitated, glancing at Emperor Xuanwu. Seeing no sign of disapproval, he lowered his gaze and replied.
"When I departed, the mines had only just been discovered. How much has been extracted thus far, I do not know."
So, they did not know yet.
Minister Yan looked slightly disappointed, but then a thought struck him. He turned sharply toward Yun Shu, eyes burning with interest.
"This minister recalls, it was the Crown Princess who dreamt of an immortal revealing the locations of Wa Kingdom's mineral veins. Now that these gold and silver mines have been confirmed, may I ask if Your Highness recalls—did the immortal perhaps mention just how much gold and silver lies beneath those lands?"
"Minister Yan is quite the jester," Yun Shu replied, chuckling with a trace of exasperation. "Dreaming about the existence of the mines was already fortuitous enough. How could the dream possibly have included detailed amounts?"
"Your Highness speaks the truth…"
Still, what a pity.
If they had the exact numbers, they could begin expanding the national treasury with confidence.
While Minister Yan continued to rejoice in the discovery of the gold and silver mines, the booming voice of Grand General Wei Yuan suddenly cut through the air.
"These gold and silver veins appeared at the perfect time! We need an enormous sum to build railways and locomotives. Now the heavens have gifted us large mineral deposits. Is this not a sign that even the heavens wish to see our railway completed?"
Minister Yan said nothing.
The matter of seventy million taels had been brought up again.
Meanwhile, Emperor Xuanwu, in high spirits, accepted the formal battle report from the guard and unfolded it.
The contents were much the same as what the guard had already relayed, though written in more detailed terms by the hand of the heir to Marquis Wu'an.
At the very end of the memorial, he had added an extra question: what should be done with the over one million Wa islanders once the mining was complete?
A reasonable question. After all, what should be done with the people of a conquered nation?
Naturally, those willing to surrender would be absorbed into Tian Sheng as subjects. Those who refused—depending on the situation—would either be executed or sent elsewhere to labor. There was no need for debate.
Although his young daughter had always declared that the Wa people were nothing good, and that their kingdom should be wiped out entirely…
But to truly annihilate the populace as well? That would be an act of cruelty fit only for a tyrant.
Emperor Xuanwu closed the memorial, casually deciding he would respond with a letter once he returned to the imperial study.
Just as he moved to set the report aside, a light screen suddenly materialized before him.
[Simulation Life Selection System at your service.]
[Please choose your next course of action:
A. Instruct Cen Shifeng to absorb all willing Wa islanders as citizens of Tian Sheng. Those who resist shall be punished or executed as appropriate.
B. Expel all Wa people. They are forbidden from entering Tian Sheng territory again.
C. Exterminate them all.]
Exterminate. Them. All.
The Simulation Life Selection System had actually offered such a choice.
Emperor Xuanwu took a deep breath. He knew the system never appeared without cause. For it to present such a drastic option… the implications were unsettling.
Over one million lives. Why?
Unable to understand, he cautiously selected the first option.
[You chose A. The majority of Wa islanders surrendered and were absorbed as subjects of Tian Sheng. However, despite their assimilation, the flaws carved into their bones and flowing in their blood could not be erased. Though they appeared submissive at first, in the years to follow, their presence led to countless incidents that destabilized Tian Sheng society. While some incidents were minor, their perverse nature left lasting damage.]
Emperor Xuanwu frowned.
He understood the words… until the last line.
Perverse?
He pondered it for a moment, then shook his head.
Never mind what that meant. All he needed to know was that Tian Sheng must not take these people in.
He moved on to the second choice.
[You chose B. The Wa people, though defeated, had once learned much from Tian Sheng and were not without strength. After being driven from Tian Sheng territory, they spent a year seeking a new land. Eventually, they discovered a vast region and conquered it, enslaving its native people and establishing a new Great Wa Empire.]