Chapter 48: Dare to covet disaster relief grain?

You know, the food that was supposed to be used for emergency relief ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials in Hedong Province.

Zhu Jun pondered for a moment, and then asked other refugees for details. The answers he received were similar: they all left their hometowns because they could not survive there, and wanted to go to Chang'an to file a complaint.

"Sir!" A guard came hurriedly.

"Go, open the granary and provide relief to these suffering people!" Zhu Jun ordered in a firm tone.

"I will go back right away and write a letter to Your Majesty personally, reporting the disaster in Jingyang truthfully!" The guard took the order and left in a hurry.

Zhu Jun also hurried back to his mansion, feeling heavy-hearted along the way.

A few days later, in Ganlu Hall of the Imperial Palace.

Li Shimin's face was like frost in winter, full of anger, and he was obviously furious. He clenched his fists, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, obviously hating those corrupt officials.

At this time, the maidservant beside him served carefully, with worry in her eyes. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't dare to disturb the angry emperor at this time.

Her earlobes trembled slightly, revealing her inner nervousness. Her upright breasts rose and fell slowly with her gentle breathing, looking very seductive. However, at this moment, Emperor Li Shimin had no intention of appreciating these.

"Pass the order down. Throw all these gold-eating and silver-consuming parasites into jail. When I return to Chang'an, I will personally take care of their final resting place!" Li Shimin was furious, and there was a knife's edge in his voice.

Even if we chop those guys into minced meat, it would be hard to get rid of the hatred in our hearts. Before he finished speaking, the ministers in Ganlu Palace exchanged glances with each other, as if to say: Now we are going to have a good show.

Suddenly, Du Ruhui hurriedly stepped out of the queue and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

"Oh? Do you also want to taste prison food?" Li Shimin's eyes flashed coldly.

Du Ruhui's heart tightened, and he waved his hands quickly: "How dare I associate with corrupt officials! But the situation is different now. The situation in Hedong Road is unstable. If we catch all these officials in one fell swoop, I am afraid it will cause greater unrest."

Li Shimin sneered: "Turbulence? Can it be worse than it is now?"

"Your Majesty, their deaths are not a pity, but if we rush to execute them, other officials may become desperate and destroy evidence and escape," Du Ruhui said in a firm tone.

Someone nearby was whispering, seeming to agree with Du Ruhui's words. Li Shimin waved his hand impatiently: "Then what do you think should be done?"

"Keep your troops in place for now and wait and see what happens," Du Ruhui suggested.

"We must first confuse those officials and deliver relief to the people!" Du Ruhui slapped his thigh, as lively as a storyteller on stage.
"I have an idea. The court is very idle now. Many soldiers are bored. The monthly expenses for food, equipment and horses are huge.

Why not pick some unused ones, let them go home to raise their children, and use the money saved to help those poor people in Hedong Road? "

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shimin's face suddenly became as gloomy as a rainy day. The Tang Dynasty was won by these soldiers with their lives. Now that the world is peaceful, they are going to pack up and leave just because of a disaster?

Isn't this like the birds are all gone, the good bows are put away; the cunning rabbit is dead, the running dog is cooked?
Just when Li Shimin was in a state of panic, Fang Xuanling stepped forward and said in a gentle tone, "Your Majesty, the plan to build a temporary palace has only just begun. You might as well transfer the funds to the Ministry of Revenue and use them for the designated purpose. This is the most urgent task."

"Your Majesty..." Other ministers also stepped out one after another, expressing their willingness to donate money to help. Li Shimin looked at the scene in front of him, and he couldn't tell what he felt in his heart. He, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, actually had to bow down for a few pieces of rice.

How does the saying go? A hero without money is in tears! Even if he is the emperor, without money, he is still a hero with weak spirit and his ambitions are hard to achieve.

"Your Majesty!" A gentle call brought Li Shimin back to his senses. He saw a female official with autumn water in her eyes, light steps, and a waist as slender as a willow swaying in the wind, which made people couldn't help but feel pity for her.

She bowed lightly, her lips parted slightly, and her voice was gentle: "The innocent hearts of the ministers are a blessing to our Tang Dynasty.

Your Majesty is wise and will surely make the most appropriate decision. "These words were like a spring breeze and rain, and the burden on Li Shimin's heart seemed to be lightened a little.

"I, Old Cheng, have no knowledge, and cannot compare to those sour scholars, but I know very well that when a person is hungry, he will be very angry, and when he is very angry, he will do anything!"

As Cheng Yaojin spoke, he patted his chest. His heroic look made people laugh.

"Some troubles can be avoided temporarily but not forever. Isn't this an obvious truth?" He waved his hand as if to drive away some unhappiness.

"Today we have emptied our family's resources, sent the soldiers home, and temporarily stopped building the palace towers, but isn't this just a temporary solution?"

His voice was loud and every word was sonorous.

"If a natural disaster really happens in the future, will we still let those ministers sell all the things in their homes? How far can the Tang Dynasty go like this?" His eyes were firm, as if he had seen the core of the problem.

"If we want to solve the problem, we have to start from the root and prevent these bad things from happening again." Cheng Yaojin said as he staggered out.

Cheng Yaojin was a notoriously rough man who could not read or write and even wrote his own name crookedly.

But at this moment, he actually said such profound words that stunned everyone around him.

Even Li Shimin couldn't help but look at him differently. Yes, it is not easy to eradicate these problems. But there is always a way, that is to enrich the national treasury and ensure that the people can have enough food and clothing.

Even if natural disasters occur, there will be enough financial and material resources to provide relief. Those corrupt officials are the pests of the Tang Dynasty and the stumbling blocks to the country.

"Humph, if you say that it is these few people who are hindering the development of the Tang Dynasty, you are totally wrong!" Li Shimin said as he walked and shook his head, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Cheng Yaojin followed closely behind him and said smugly: "Your Majesty is wise. The root of this problem is the word 'poverty'!"

"Oh? Zhijie, this kind of insight is not like your usual style." Li Shimin glanced at him with a smile on his lips.

Cheng Yaojin touched his belly and laughed, "Your Majesty, this is what Mr. Xu said. That night, I was dazed and heard him talking to himself. He said that the key to the problem is poverty."

"Xu Luo?" Li Shimin was stunned, then he slapped his forehead, "Yes, how could I forget about him? The great sage outside the city may have a solution."

The next day, Li Shimin changed into plain clothes and walked on the bustling streets of Chang'an City with Changsun Wuji, Cheng Yaojin and others.
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(End of this chapter)