The Emperor spent an hour in Changning Palace, chatting with the Empress Dowager about Xiao Zhen, the Military Armament Department, the deserted Concubine in the Cold Palace, and also Ling Hua and Yan Qing, who were far away in Jiangnan, managing the Grain Transport Service.
Speaking of Ling Hua's report, she firmly demanded that Green Forest cough up two million taels of silver. The Emperor praised her highly and said Ling Hua truly was as competent as any man. If she weren't a woman, would he have let her be just the Helmsman of the Jiangnan Grain Transport Service? With her ability, becoming a marquis and even a chancellor were possible.
Without spending a single soldier or piece of equipment, she made Green Forest submit and compensate two million taels of silver, equivalent to the annual surplus revenue of the imperial treasury.
