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It was not without difficulty that the chatter of those below had subsided, and the truly influential Ministers stepped forward. Representing the civil service faction, Zhang Ming complained about the lack of funding, which was the biggest issue faced by Zheng Country at the time.

Zheng Country had just suffered a defeat to the Shireck Empire, ceded Dongwan Island, and paid a considerable sum in reparations. The national treasury was now depleted, and there was no substantial amount of money left for the procurement of military supplies.

Zheng Tong had taken it upon himself to purchase weapons from Shireck, which had all but drained the remaining funds in the treasury.

At this point, what was keeping Zheng Country afloat was almost solely the tax revenue from the coastal cities.