The emperor was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, sitting on a dragon chair that symbolized the Nine-Five-Year Supreme Emperor, and listened to the officials reporting the disaster, with a serious look on his face.
"... Huizhou was the most severely affected. All the farmland near the gate was flooded, and houses were washed away. More than 200 people drowned just before they could escape, and dozens of people were missing. In that county of Huizhou,
The damage caused by the disaster was as high as tens of thousands of taels of silver."
"The rain in Yuzhou, which borders Huizhou, has stopped, but the disaster situation is also very serious. After the flood receded, many people were left without shelter and without food or clothing. Local officials in Yuzhou have organized local soldiers and people to start saving themselves, but Yuzhou
I have always been poor, and the government did not have any extra money, so the progress was very slow."
"Your Majesty, the people are waiting for the government to allocate funds for disaster relief."
"..."
Disaster relief!
Disaster relief!
Doesn’t he want to provide disaster relief?
He didn’t know that the people were displaced!
However, when the late emperor was still alive, he was extravagant, so that the treasury was empty, and the money registered in the Ministry of Household Affairs was only five million taels. It cost money to collect grain, to provide disaster relief, and to build dams.
Where did he get so much money?
The emperor slapped his palm on the armrest of the dragon chair and said angrily, "The imperial court allocates funds to strengthen the dike every year. It has only rained for a few days and the dike has been destroyed. Who took the money to strengthen the dike last year?"
An official stood up with a pale face and said, "Back to the Emperor, last year I was ordered to reinforce the dam."
"Give me a reasonable explanation!"
"..."
Very cold day.
The official was covered in cold sweat, "Your Majesty, the floods this year are too fast and severe, so..."
"That's enough! You still make these excuses for not doing your job well!"
The emperor said angrily, "Whoever comes, drag him out and kill him!"
"..."
The official's legs went weak, he collapsed on the ground and kept begging for mercy, "Your Majesty, have mercy on me, Your Majesty, please have mercy on me."
The Imperial Guards rushed in and dragged the official out.
The emperor was angry.
The ministers in the court did not dare to breathe for fear of endangering themselves.
In silence.
The emperor said solemnly, "According to what you all have said, what is the most important thing at the moment?"
No one spoke.
The prince in bright yellow court clothes stood up and said, "Back to my father, I think the most important thing now is to resettle the affected people first, and then strengthen the dam after the water level recedes."
"Um."
The emperor's expression softened a little, and he looked at the civil and military officials in the hall, "Is there anyone who has volunteered?"
"..."
King Jiang was afraid that the thankless task of building a dike would fall on him. With a flash of his eyes, he stood up and said, "My son is willing to share the worries of my father and go to the disaster area to provide relief."
It would be great to go to disaster relief.
Bringing money to act as a savior can also accumulate a good reputation among the people.
Building dams is different.
The official who was dragged out just now was one of his people. He was the imperial envoy who reinforced the embankment last year. After arriving at the place, the official also wanted to achieve some political achievements.
but……
The influence of local officials was intertwined, and the money allocated by the court was stripped layer by layer, leaving only a tiny bit used to strengthen the dam.
When the imperial envoy arrives at a place, the local officials will bribe him with good wine, good food, beautiful women, and money. The imperial envoy will either accept the bribe and collude with the local officials, or he will be directly assassinated.
so.
Building the dam will definitely be hindered.
The local officials and gentry colluded, and when they entered their territory, even a dragon had to be restrained. Moreover, building the dam did not happen overnight. It would take a year and a half to build it all the way along the Yangtze River.
After being here for such a long time, who knows what changes will happen in the capital.
Chu Yichen would not do this kind of thankless work that could cost him his life at any time.
"Are you going to provide disaster relief and resettle the people?"
"Yes!" Chu Yichen knelt down and said righteously, "I beg your father to grant me your permission!"
"OK."
The emperor agreed happily, "I'll leave the disaster relief to you."
"My son, I will definitely live up to my destiny."
The emperor nodded and asked again, "Repairing the dam is also an urgent matter. Who is willing to recommend himself to be the imperial envoy?"
"..."
Last year's imperial minister had already been beheaded.
Who dares to be this outstanding person?
The officials looked at each other, pretending to be quails that couldn't raise their heads.
The emperor suppressed his anger and said, "No one wants to go?"
"..."
The hall was deathly silent.
The emperor took a deep breath and finally looked at the prince, "Is the prince willing to go?"
The prince was stunned.
I never expected that the emperor would think of him.
Not to mention that he was in poor health and could not bear the fatigue of travelling, and Wanyi was pregnant with a child, so he did not have long to live. Now he just wanted to stay with Wanyi in the capital and watch her give birth to the child smoothly.
The prince was about to find a reason to refuse, when Chu Mohan suddenly stood up behind him.
"Father, the Emperor is graceful."
"explain."
"The Crown Prince and the Crown Prince love the people as much as their father. The dam was destroyed and the people suffered. The Crown Prince and the Crown Prince suffered as much as their father. It's just that the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince are weak and repairing the dam is a laborious and laborious task.
I'm afraid my heart is weak. I am brave and willing to go through this for my brother."
The prince was secretly shocked.
He glanced sideways at Chu Mohan.
Chu Mohan turned a blind eye.
"Okay! Okay!" Emperor Long Xin was delighted when someone was willing to take this job. "Then Prince Jing will be the imperial envoy, and the Ministry of Revenue will allocate one million taels of silver for the cost of repairing the dam this time."
The Minister of Hubu stood up and said, "I accept the decree."
That's how things settled.
Down towards the back.
After leaving the main hall, the prince grabbed Chu Mohan. He pulled Chu Mohan to a deserted place, stared at him and said, "Do you know how difficult it is to build the embankment? You are the imperial envoy, take the money with you.
You can bring up to two thousand guards in a local area, but local officials have soldiers and horses in their hands. Even if you are a prince, if you conflict with them when you get to the local area, you will only suffer a loss!"
"I know!"
"I know you're still acting stupid!"
"..."
Chu Mohan said in a deep voice, "This errand is indeed difficult to handle. If you are not careful, you will get burned and lose your life. But if it is done well, the people can be protected from floods for decades or even hundreds of years."
"you……"
"Brother Imperial!" Chu Mohan interrupted him, "If this happens, the people will remember my kindness, and the people's will in the future will be more beneficial to us."
"..."
"And I'm different from Chu Yichen. Chu Yichen didn't dare to go because Concubine Wan Gui gave birth to a son. I can go. There is an imperial brother in charge of the capital, so I feel relieved."
The prince was silent for a while and then smiled bitterly, "It seems you have already thought about it."
"yes."
"Okay!" The prince's eyes became sharp, "Then give it a try! Just move forward bravely. As long as the emperor lives for a day, you don't have to worry about someone stabbing you in the back."
Chu Mohan smiled and stretched out his fist, "Brothers, we are united."
The prince punched his fist.
"It's sharp enough to cut through gold!"
After the two of them finished speaking, Eunuch Su, who was beside the emperor, also left the hall.
"Your Highness Prince Jing, I have found you."
"Eunuch Su."
"Your Majesty has a decree to send Prince Jing to visit Qianqing Palace."