I Have a Condition

Princess Jade Hayes said, "Education is the foundation of a nation. How can we just let it go? If establishing Clearwater Academies is difficult now, once we push through, the kingdom will grow stronger. But if we don't do it, then ten or twenty years from now, Qin will still be a weak country."

Quentin Qian snorted softly and said, "I don't believe that building these academies will make the country stronger. Those commoners ought to be kept ignorant and foolish—use the whip on them, drive them like livestock, then toss them a bowl of rice. If they're half-starved and scrambling for survival, they'll never think of rebelling. Chancellor Evans, you're still too young, too idealistic."

Princess Jade Hayes scoffed at Quentin Qian's words, unmoved. All that talk about ruling by keeping the people ignorant was utter nonsense.

Just wait until the Western powers roll in with their rifles and cannons—those shortsighted fools will be left crying over a lost nation and a ruined people!

For now, Princess Jade Hayes had no time to argue with Quentin Qian. What really troubled her was the empty national treasury.

She rubbed her brow and told the treasury official, "Go urge the local tax collectors again. They must deliver the first half of the year's taxes as soon as possible."

The official looked troubled and said, "Chancellor Evans, it's not that I haven't tried. I've pleaded and pressed, but every region has its own excuse—bad harvests, floods, you name it. The bottom line is, no money. And the court can't audit their books; they've already made the accounts look flawless, so there's no way to find any problems."

Princess Jade Hayes sighed. The situation in the provinces couldn't be solved overnight, and those taxes weren't coming in any time soon.

She didn't make things difficult for the official and simply dismissed him.

Quentin Qian watched nearby, practically gloating. He deliberately said, "Chancellor Evans, maybe you should just let it go. Why fuss over these academies? It's a waste of effort and money, all just to show off before the King for a moment's glory. It's not worth it. You should give up."

Princess Jade Hayes looked at Quentin Qian, knowing full well he was trying to provoke her on purpose.

Her expression remained calm, unfazed by Quentin Qian’s needling. She replied, "My mind is made up, Lord Qian. There's no need to say more—the Clearwater Academies will be built. As for the shortage of silver, I’ll find a solution."

Quentin Qian shook his head and sneered, "Chancellor Evans, don’t blame me for speaking my mind. I’ve been around a lot longer than you—I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Now, where are you going to find over three million taels of silver? Even if you raised taxes, the commoners couldn’t cough up that much. Silver doesn’t just fall from the sky, does it?"

He looked at Princess Jade Hayes, smiling slyly. "But I get it—Chancellor Evans made a big promise in front of the King, and this is your first big job since taking office. The whole kingdom knows you’re supposed to build these academies. If you fail now, people will question your ability. After all, you’re a woman, and no one out there believes a woman can do this. So now you’re stuck—there’s no turning back, right?"

"Lord Qian, you’ve been circling around for ages—just say what you mean." Princess Jade Hayes rubbed her brow, looking at Quentin Qian.

Quentin Qian chuckled. "Chancellor Evans, you really are clever and straightforward! So I’ll get to the point—about the silver, I can help you solve it. But, I have one condition..."