Done! Your Majesty is going to prostitute me for free!

Chapter 21 Li Dexian’s Thoughts

"Two hundred thousand taels of silver!" Emperor Jingjiang slammed the dragon throne and roared with an angry face, "Are you trying to force me to take it from that small treasury?!"

Chen Shuguang knelt down with a plop and begged: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Household Affairs can only spare one hundred thousand taels at present. If your Majesty can spare one more point, then the people in the disaster area will suffer less!"

"The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are the granaries of our Jingjiang Kingdom!" Chen Shuguang raised his face full of vicissitudes of life and looked at Emperor Jingjiang. "If the disaster relief is not timely, I am afraid it will affect next year's harvest and even cause turmoil in large areas of our Jingjiang Kingdom. To You know, there are still remnants of the Haiyun Kingdom hidden in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River!"

"I hope your Majesty will make a decision soon to stabilize our country!" All the ministers knelt down in unison, their voices sonorous and powerful.

Emperor Jingjiang shook his robe and spoke in a high-pitched and tragic voice: "I have already felt the patriotism of all my dear friends. In this case, it is up to you to raise funds. Now that the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are experiencing a major disaster, the national treasury is indeed I'm nervous and don't have much money left. Then, it's up to the ministers to raise funds to tide over this difficulty together. It can be regarded as a concerted effort to protect our country, Jingjiang."

He took a deep breath and said slowly: "Now, I have donated 10,000 taels of silver as an example. Tomorrow morning, we will express our stance one by one to see how much money our ministers in Jingjiang Kingdom can give in total!"

As soon as Emperor Jingjiang finished speaking, the main hall of Qianqing Palace fell into silence. The ministers looked at each other, confusion written on their faces. This is how the same thing? Will the disaster in the imperial court really affect them? How can there be such a thing in the world?

Usually, this kind of decision would only affect the emperor's treasury. When will it be their turn to suffer the consequences of their own treasury? Countless questions arose in the minds of several ministers.

Silence spread in the hall, as if time had stopped. Finally, the wily Bai Yongyuan broke the silence. He took a deep breath and said slowly: "Your Majesty, the top priority right now is to raise money for the people in the disaster area. Whether it is 50,000 taels or 100,000 taels, the sooner the better. Why not use the existing 100,000 taels from the Ministry of Household Affairs first?" Allocate it to the disaster area, and we will discuss the fundraising later... After all, we are pressed for time."

However, facing Bai Yongyuan's proposal, Emperor Jingjiang shook his head, with a strange smile on his lips: "Don't rush, don't rush, everything is under control."

As soon as these words came out, there was another uproar in the hall. The ministers were extremely anxious, and there was an ominous premonition in their hearts. What happened to Emperor Jingjiang? Why is his approach completely different from the past, with no regard for the life and death of the people in the disaster area!

During the last flood in the middle reaches, Emperor Jingjiang decisively allocated funds for disaster relief. Why has he become hesitant now and ignores the suffering of the people! What the hell does this happen?

So, Chen Shuguang stepped forward again. His eyes were firm and sincere, and he looked directly at Emperor Jingjiang: "Your Majesty, if the amount of silver for disaster relief reaches one minute every night, an innocent person will suffer a more serious disaster. Time waits for no one! Please give me more Your Majesty will rule as soon as possible to avoid disaster for the people!"

His voice echoed in the solemn hall, causing a resonance. All the ministers echoed in unison: "Your Majesty, please rule as soon as possible!" Their voices were full of eagerness and expectation.

However, Emperor Jingjiang frowned slightly, and a trace of impatience flashed in his eyes. He slowly glanced at the ministers, with unquestionable majesty in his tone: "Apart from the disaster in the Yangtze River, is there nothing else to do in this huge country of Jingjiang? Hurry up and do it!"

Emperor Jingjiang's voice echoed in the hall, carrying an irresistible power. The ministers looked at each other helplessly and could only silently exit the hall. Their footsteps echoed in the long corridor, so dull.

Although the palace at this time was magnificent and magnificent, it seemed to be shrouded in an invisible haze at this moment. The brilliant light also seemed a little dim, as if suppressed by the heavy atmosphere.

……

Back at the public office, several ministers sat around the study, looking confused. They exchanged looks but couldn't say a word. Emperor Jingjiang's decision today made them very puzzled.

Our emperor is a typical person who loves his people like his own son, and cannot stand for a moment the suffering of the people.

But I don’t know why, but today, there seems to be some...

Indifferent?

Or is it... a complete plan?

This attitude is really strange.

Although the national treasury is empty, with only one hundred thousand taels, which is not enough to save all the victims, if it is deployed as soon as possible, more can definitely be saved!

Just because you don’t have enough money, you can’t give up completely!

Bai Yongyuan frowned and sighed, and was the first to break the silence and said: "Colleagues, do you feel that this matter today is strange! Although His Majesty has repeatedly said that we, the civil and military officials, should raise funds, there is always a kind of confidence, it seems... Don’t you want to provide emergency relief?”

Chen Shuguang nodded and said: "Yes, in the past, when encountering disasters, His Majesty would allocate funds immediately. When the money was not enough, he would directly use his own small treasury. But I don't know why, this time, he completely ignored the suffering of the people. It’s really puzzling!”

"Yes, and he sounded a little impatient," Bai Yongyuan continued: "Later, he asked if there was anything else besides the Yangtze River disaster. It was as if the disaster was insignificant to him and other things were more urgent."

"What's going on?" A minister frowned and seemed to be talking to himself.

But after hearing this, many ministers looked at each other, not knowing what to answer. There was an uneasy feeling in their hearts, as if something was about to happen, but they couldn't tell what it was. The atmosphere in the study became heavier and heavier, and so did everyone's moods. They couldn't help but think of the time they spent with His Majesty in the past, and they couldn't help but feel a little worried in their hearts.

Bai Yongyuan looked at the night outside the window and thought to himself: What on earth is Emperor Jingjiang thinking? Why is he so unusual today? Is it really because the national treasury is too empty to allocate funds for disaster relief?

However, he knew that things were not that simple. As an important minister of the country, he must find ways to find out the true intentions of Emperor Jingjiang to prevent the people from suffering. He is fully aware that he shoulders a great responsibility and must do his best to solve the problems at hand.

The night is getting darker and the lights in the study are getting dimmer. However, the thoughts of the ministers became clearer and clearer, and they understood that they must take action to deal with the uncertainty before them. Although they felt a little uneasy, they still firmly chose to move forward. Because they know very well that as important ministers of the country, how can they not worry about the well-being of the people.

……

Deep in the palace, Emperor Jingjiang sat alone on the dragon chair, his eyes deep. There was an indescribable calmness in his eyes, as if he was thinking about something important. He knew that his decision had confused the ministers and worried the people who were looking forward to the court's rescue. However, there are some things that they cannot understand.

Emperor Jingjiang was depressed deep in his heart. The treasury was now empty and the country's economic situation had reached a precarious stage. If he wasn't really helpless, why wouldn't he want to immediately allocate funds for disaster relief? However, he knew that disaster relief was only a temporary solution. To truly solve the flooding problem, we must start from the fundamentals. The funds and manpower required for this were far beyond the capabilities of the court.

He thought of the late emperor's instructions again: "The stability of a country lies not only in the immediate comfort, but also in the long-term development." The late emperor's voice seemed to ring in his ears. Emperor Jingjiang understood that the late emperor wanted him to consider the problem from a long-term perspective. Today's flood problem is a difficult problem that long-term national development must face. Emperor Jingjiang decided to wait until his ministers could raise enough funds before taking action. He believes that his decision is correct. But while waiting, he couldn't help but worry about the well-being of the people affected by the disaster. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes showed deep worry.

He knew that his decision might cause some people to suffer, but he knew better that only in this way could he pave the way for the long-term development of the country. His heart was full of contradictions and struggles, but he firmly believed that his decision was correct.

Outside the main hall, night has fallen. The splendor of the palace was even more dazzling in the night, but Emperor Jingjiang's heart was not at all relaxed. He stared out the window at the night, thinking a lot. He knew that every decision he made was related to the fate of countless people, and he could not be slack or careless in the slightest.

Time passed slowly, and Emperor Jingjiang's mood became heavier and heavier. But he knew he had to persevere. He will use his wisdom and courage to lead this country out of difficulties and towards a brighter future. He firmly believes that as long as all officials work together, they will be able to overcome this difficulty.

He even believed that Lin Xiaofeng’s land thunder would never let him down!

……

On the other side, Li Dexian was frowning at this moment, with a trace of confusion in his eyes.

Looking at the mud spots on the delicate boots, Li Dexian couldn't help but frown.

The difference between the appearance of the capital and what he imagined was huge!

In his imagination, the capital would be a prosperous and magnificent place, full of opportunities and possibilities. However, now he felt disappointed and confused, as if he was in a completely strange world.

Wang Jingwen looked at Li Dexian's expression and couldn't help feeling helpless. He knew that the prince knew nothing about the world outside the palace, and he even lacked understanding of the sufferings of the people. However, this is also one of the purposes of his leaving the palace this time, to let the prince see the true face of this country with his own eyes.

"Your Highness, this is just a corner of the outer city. The real capital city has to go further in." Wang Jingwen said softly, "Most people gather here because the rent here is relatively cheap and it is close to the market."

Li Dexian didn't speak, just nodded silently. He looked up and saw that the houses on both sides of the street were dilapidated and the walls were covered with stains and dust. Some houses don't even have windows and can only be covered with boards or cloth. As for the houses with windows, most of them were damaged and smelled bad.

Most of the pedestrians on the street were ragged people, pushing dilapidated wooden carts or carrying heavy burdens, struggling to walk on the muddy road. Children were playing on the roadside, and their laughter was clear, but it could not hide the dilapidated atmosphere of the city.

Because as long as you get a little closer, you can see the dirt on the children's faces and the mud on their bodies.

The reason why he is happy is just because young people don’t know what it feels like to be sad!

The faces of adults are busy and dull.

Li Dexian's brows furrowed, and he felt an unprecedented heaviness weighing on his heart. He remembered that the Taifu in the palace once told him that the common people lacked good education and cultivation without the enlightenment of saints.

Because of this, their manners, speech, and behavior are relatively vulgar. However, he found that the reality was worse than what Taifu had described. Although these people live in the same capital, they seem to be in two different worlds.

Just as Li Dexian was deep in thought, a sudden burst of screams broke the tranquility around him. He turned around and saw a group of ragged refugees surrounding an old man lying on the ground. They called the old man's name anxiously, trying to wake him up. However, the old man remained motionless, apparently without the breath of life.

An indescribable sadness suddenly surged in Li Dexian's chest. He walked forward quickly and saw that the old man's face was full of wrinkles and dirt, and his hands were holding an old crutch tightly. There was a hint of despair and reluctance in his eyes, as if he was nostalgic for the world he once lived in.

The surrounding refugees were crying. They gathered around the old man, caressing his body, trying to retain the last bit of warmth from him with their own body heat. Li Dexian stood aside and watched all this silently. He was deeply shocked.

Wang Jingwen also rushed over. Looking at the scene in front of him, his eyes showed a trace of sadness and helplessness. He knows that tragedies like this happen every day in this city, but nothing can be changed.

"Let's go." Wang Jingwen said softly, "We still have a long way to go."

Li Dexian nodded, but couldn't take his eyes away from the old man's face. He turned around silently and continued to follow Wang Jingwen. He knows that his mission is not over yet, and he still needs to continue to understand the true face of this country.

Li Dexian stood there, with a trace of confusion beginning to fill his eyes, like the mist in autumn, faint, but with a little confusion.

There was a deep surprise on his face, as if he had seen a wonder in the world.

The Tutor in the palace once described to him the world outside the capital. It was a place full of chaos and disorder. The people, without the teachings of the saints, were as ignorant as wild beasts.

The Taifu once warned him that the outside world was full of malice, and only reading could protect him.

However, what he saw with his own eyes was completely different from the Taifu's description.

　I drank too much. If something is wrong, I will correct it when I wake up tomorrow.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)