Chapter 70 Lest You Miss the Opportunity
"I think that Second Brother should recruit Mr. Han as soon as possible, so as not to miss the opportunity." She advised earnestly.

Li Shimin had actually had this idea in mind, and he just nodded silently after hearing it. Once the sweet potato and refined salt issues were settled, it was time to take action.

As they were talking, an eunuch rushed in and reported loudly: "Your Majesty, Queen, Duke Qi wants to see you!"

"Oh? The auxiliary engine is back? Where is he?" Li Shimin jumped up, looking excited.

"The Duke of Qi is already waiting outside Ganlu Palace," the eunuch replied.

"Come on, follow me to see him!" Li Shimin took a step forward impatiently.

At this moment, before everyone could react, his figure had disappeared at the entrance of the hall.

As for the female character mentioned by Empress Changsun, her eyes were rolling, her lips were smiling, her figure was graceful, as if every inch of her skin was telling of temptation. However, Li Shimin did not pay attention to all this, and in his heart, there was only the figure of Empress Changsun.

His Majesty Li II took a big step and walked out of the hall like the wind. At this moment, a funny scene took place. A naughty palace cat suddenly jumped out from the side, startling the palace maid next to it, causing everyone to laugh. Zhangsun Wuji was standing respectfully outside the Ganlu Palace, waiting for a long time.

"Assistant, you've made me so worried!" His Majesty Li II held Changsun Wuji's hand tightly, frowning, his eyes wandering up and down his body. Changsun Wuji's eyes flickered, as if hiding a trace of tears. His thin face, protruding nose and frowning brows all showed the hardships he had experienced.

"I haven't seen you for a month. You've lost so much weight that it hurts me." His Majesty Li II sighed with deep emotion, revealing a hint of concern in his tone. Changsun Wuji's ears turned slightly red, his chest rose and fell slightly, he tried hard to hold back his tears, but a tenacious smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Your Majesty, I have survived a life-threatening situation this time and have recovered 150,000 coins, 50,000 pieces of silk, and 100,000 dan of grain from corrupt officials." Changsun Wuji took out a list from his sleeve and handed it to His Majesty Li Er. His once fair hands were now a little rough, but still steady.

The list detailed the bribers and the amount. After reading it, Li Shimin's face twitched slightly, full of hatred. He clenched his teeth, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, as if he wanted to see through the ugly faces of those corrupt officials.

At this time, a light breeze blew through Changsun Wuji's hair, and the black hair that fell like a waterfall danced in the wind, making him look even thinner. He stood straight with a firm look in his eyes, as if telling His Majesty Li Er that even if the road ahead was difficult, he would faithfully fulfill his mission.

Li Shimin's eyes widened, his face full of anger, and he threw the list of corruption in his hand to the ground like a hot potato. "Good fellow, a small official can take out 30,000 coins from his pocket! And that fifth-rank official actually has 20,000 coins!" He was so angry that his beard was shaking, "My life is tight, but these people are so rich, they deserve to be killed!"

"Pah!" With a roar, the list fell heavily to the ground. Changsun Wuji shook his head slightly, walked forward steadily, bent down and picked up the paper on the ground. "Your Majesty, these corrupt officials are indeed hateful, but now is not the time to deal with them." He said firmly, his eyes were sharp, "The disaster is urgent, Your Majesty should send a trusted minister to Hedong Road to provide disaster relief in person."

After hearing this, Li Shimin's anger subsided a little and he nodded: "Well, Fu Ji, you went to Hedong Road this time and saw the disaster with your own eyes. What was it like? Tell me in detail."

Changsun Wuji's expression gradually became solemn, and there was even a trace of panic in his eyes. "Your Majesty, people often say that water and fire are merciless, and natural disasters are even more cruel. Although I have heard of it for a long time, this is the first time I have seen it with my own eyes!" He said in a heavy tone, "The scene of thousands of miles of barren land is no joke. The victims ate Guanyin soil, tree bark, and wild vegetables. Everything that can be eaten has been eaten up." At this time, the female character next to him stepped out lightly, her eyes were filled with sorrow, her lips slightly opened, and her voice was soft: "Your Majesty, Lord Changsun, since the disaster is so serious, we should act as soon as possible to save the people from the dire straits." She had a slender neck and jade-like skin. Every move she made was full of indescribable temptation, which shocked everyone present.

"If you go to Linyang City, you will definitely see a sad scene. The people are as thin as bamboo poles and can't even speak clearly." Changsun Wuji said in a heavy tone, as if the tragic situation of Linyang City was right in front of him. "I also heard that in some places in Hedong Road, there was even a tragedy of cannibalism."

His face became increasingly gloomy, as if covered with dark clouds. It was obvious that the severity of the disaster had shocked him. It was no exaggeration to say that the scene was like hell on earth.

When Li Shimin heard this, as the ruler of a country, he was shocked. "Fuji, are those corrupt officials really so stingy and have no sympathy for the victims?"

After a while, Li Shimin gritted his teeth and squeezed out a question from between his teeth.

Zhang Sun Wuji smiled bitterly and shook his head helplessly: "Your Majesty, those corrupt officials did use the relief money and grain from the imperial court when the disaster first occurred. However, they replaced the fine grains with rice bran for the victims to eat. But who would have thought that in the end even the rice bran would become a luxury item."

Li Shimin was shocked and his face became uglier: "They can't afford it, so they just take it for granted that they put the relief money into their own pockets, deducting it layer by layer, from each state to each county, and from each county to each village!"

At this time, a trace of sympathy flashed in the eyes of the female character Liu Ruyan, who was standing next to her. She gently stroked her chest and sighed. Her jade-like skin looked even more attractive in the sun. Her eyes seemed to be praying for God's mercy for the people affected by the disaster.

"If this continues, even if there are mountains of gold and silver, they will be eaten up by these corrupt officials." Li Shimin said angrily, with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "No matter how full the national treasury is, it can't withstand their endless demands!"

Zhangsun Wuji nodded while listening, and interrupted, "Indeed, without getting rid of corrupt officials, there will be no disaster relief." He paused, a gleam in his eyes, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, Mr. Han's sweet potato strategy is just the right time to use it. This may solve the urgent needs of our Tang Dynasty and lay a solid foundation for our future. Food is the first necessity of the people. Only when the people have food in their stomachs can our Tang Dynasty be truly strong."

After hearing this, Li Shimin's face became more solemn. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Well, it's time."

Suddenly, he changed the subject and asked in a somewhat joking tone: "Fuji, have you paid off all your romantic debts?"

Zhang Sun Wuji was stunned, his face full of astonishment, and he stammered, "Your Majesty, how did you know this?"

Li Shimin looked at Zhangsun Wuji's expression and couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Hahaha, it seems that Xu Luo's divination is ridiculously accurate again."

(End of this chapter)