Another Victory for Master Huang

Because the hinterland is where grain is stored, this resulted in the Yan Country having almost no food available after the disaster.

The entire country was plunged into chaos, and when the True Dragon learned of the disaster in his heartland, he seemed to have lost his soul.

"My people, my kingdom..."

The Great Yan True Dragon looked at the obsequious officials below, a secret report from the Imperial Guard in his hand.

"Why did you lie about the probability? This has caused such a great calamity for the country and its people. How many of your entire families can you possibly have to be executed?"

The True Dragon held a gleaming sword in its hand, glaring angrily at its ministers like a real dragon.

Presis had previously told Master Huang that the data reported by the small animals of Yan Country to the boss was falsified; the calculated probability was 25%, but the reported probability was only 15%.

This led the True Dragon to make the wrong judgment; even if there was a 25% chance of being despised, he still had to relocate.

However, the local powerful families were unwilling to accept this, as it would be tantamount to uprooting their own businesses.

This is the cannibalistic reality of the feudal system; even the most enlightened rulers at the top must submit to it.

Utopia is a system of centralized power, which is fundamentally different from feudalism.

Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, but if the people at the very top don't make mistakes, the former is still superior.

Master Huang is indeed a dictator, but he does it very well and is not subject to any restrictions.

While the current True Dragon may be a bit dim-witted, his intentions were good, and his implementation was quite good, but he was ultimately hampered by this system.

But he himself was forced to depend on this system.

After venting his anger, the True Dragon glanced at his crown prince, hoping the latter could offer some advice.

Yanwu stood up and said, "Father, the most urgent task now is to provide disaster relief as soon as possible. Even if we have to send troops to punish the perpetrators, we must ensure that the disaster victims have enough to eat. The national treasury is currently empty."

However, the capital still has some grain reserves. Although the Catastrophe struck our major industrial city, Great Wilderness City was not greatly affected."

True Dragon nodded, "But unfortunately, the grain we received last year was stored in the disaster-stricken areas, so it has long been contaminated. The summer grain is not yet ready for harvest, and the grain reserves of Great Wilderness City probably cannot supply so many people."

A major industrial city, a densely populated area; just one of them is enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.

As a result, they all suffered misfortune this time.

"The suffering of the common people is my fault." After sighing in his heart, the True Dragon made a momentous decision.

Disaster relief is also a very lucrative business. If I were still in the capital and hadn't planted my informants at the grassroots level, I don't know how many more people would starve to death among these good-for-nothings.

However, communication in the disaster-stricken areas is almost completely cut off, and information can only be transmitted through the oldest and most primitive form of mail.

Although countless extraordinary individuals may be able to travel a thousand miles a day, how could their speed possibly match that of an electrical signal?

"Yanwu, for the next six months you will serve as regent. I will personally go to the front lines of the disaster..."

Upon hearing that the True Dragon wanted to go to the disaster relief front, a large number of the ministers immediately knelt down.

They were unaware of the letter between their superior and Master Huang, so they assumed it was just another formality.

Try to persuade him and leave behind a reputation for wisdom and might; True Dragon cannot leave Baizao.

Moreover, this generation's True Dragon is not known for its martial prowess; if it were to die on the way, they would have a hard time explaining themselves.

Who knows, it might have turned into a nine-generation elimination game, but I didn't expect the True Dragon to be serious this time.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

The True Dragon, sitting on his throne, was almost laughing with anger. If it weren't for the fact that the country's current operations still depended on these incompetent officials, he would have wanted to arrest them all and send them to the disaster relief front.

"My mind is made up; there's no need to discuss this further."

At this moment, a minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe this matter needs further consideration. To put it bluntly, although your presence may stabilize public sentiment, it will not change the fact that there is not enough food. What the people need is actual food, not spiritual sustenance."

"So even if you go to the disaster area, it won't change the situation of hunger. On the contrary, it will damage the royal dignity and you may even be coerced by rioters. If something really happens to you, the resulting turmoil will be far greater than these few Catastrophe."

Seeing that the minister who stepped forward made sense, the other ministers also stood up to second his opinion.

But the True Dragon's mind was made up, and no one could change his mind.

"Don't think I don't know what tricks you're up to. You've probably already made arrangements with the powerful families to make a killing in this disaster. I've seen right through you."

True Dragon didn't reveal his true thoughts; on the surface, he continued to offer reassurance, but in reality, he had already prepared vehicles.

"I will take care of the food problem; you don't need to worry about that."

The ministers looked at each other, especially the officials in charge of the grain department, who were particularly puzzled.

Could it be that our emperor has a secret granary?

Could it be that you're looking for help from that person?

However, many quick-thinking officials immediately understood and stepped forward to submit a joint memorial:

"Your Majesty, we can use the resources of Utopia to help you overcome this crisis. The millet and the evening gospel have been given to the king of this country, resulting in such a great loss for us. We have every right to demand compensation, or rather, a dowry."

The True Dragon suddenly burst out laughing, his anger burning so fiercely he wanted to incinerate the smug "great genius" below.

"Haven't you understood one thing after being officials for so long?"

"Do you really think trade between nations is so easy? What do Shu and Xi have to do with us? Have you forgotten the suppression we've inflicted on them all these years?"

"It's a favor that these two people are willing to help us; it's their right not to."

The True Dragon was practically laughing in anger. How could there be such stupid people in his court? Could they have bought their way into office?

But one official still held onto hope. "From what I understand, the government has already prepared shops in the Great Wilderness City to provide relief to the disaster victims. Surely, some of these shops belong to Utopia..."

With a bang, True Dragon hurled his sword with his right hand, the blade piercing the official's chest like a spear.

The latter died on the spot, without uttering a single sound.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

True Dragon looked at the corpse on the ground; this person seemed to be a representative of a certain powerful family in the disaster-stricken area.

He was an official who was recommended for his filial piety and integrity in the local area.

It's extremely misleading; it's basically just a mouthpiece.

Since when did these kinds of people start bossing me around? Or do these powerful families think they can seize my power?

The True Dragon stepped down from its throne, its dragon eyes filled with both anger and composure.

"My esteemed ministers, do you have any further questions?"

The gradually cooling corpses on the ground emitted a nauseating stench of blood.

The imperial guards beside the True Dragon were already on high alert, ready to execute any "traitors" on the spot at a single command.

Chapter 390: Master Huang's Another Victory

True Dragon's vision was far broader than that of most officials; he understood that Shu and Xi could never stand on the side of the imperial court.

You're already being kind by not stabbing yourself in the back; how could you possibly help me?

However, the common people need to be fed, and the lord of Utopia had already reminded them of everything that needed to be mentioned.

Huang Cao has already been very kind; there's no need to offer any more help.

But for the sake of the starving people of dawn, the True Dragon was willing to swallow his pride and beg.

The fault, in a literal sense, lies with the True Dragon himself in this disaster.

Ignoring the well-intentioned advice of others and causing the common people to suffer hardships they should not have had to endure, I have no face to face my ancestors.

So on the third day after the disaster, the True Dragon sent a message to Utopia requesting assistance, which included his trust in the Huang Cao.

After all, Huang Cao has a pretty good reputation internationally and has never unilaterally broken a treaty with any country, although it has never done anything immoral to nobles of any country in the past.

However, this only applied to nobles, and even kind-hearted women like Shu married this man, so his character is trustworthy.

Otherwise, this man wouldn't have told Yan Country about the impending disaster.

As for the price paid...

True Dragon ordered his men to pack their belongings and left his palace in the capital of Great Yan the day after the letter was sent.

On the palace was a plaque with a humble saying written in a flamboyant style, "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world."

Although the True Dragon, as the highest feudal noble, should theoretically stand on his own class, maintaining his rule was also something he was supposed to do.

When people are gone, their social class will also cease to exist.

What's the point of playing this game?

On his journey to the disaster-stricken area, True Dragon received a reply from Huang Cao:

I want a piece of wasteland north of Great Wilderness City. This land was once occupied by Demons. I have already sent you the exact area.

Now that we know that the Power of Abundance can purify Demons, this land can naturally become a springboard for Utopia to establish itself in Yan Country.

The True Dragon was unaware whether Utopia possessed the technology to combat Demons.

However, in urgent situations, one must act expediently, even if the amount of food provided by the other party through the transaction is insufficient to feed all the disaster victims.

The area designated by Master Huang wasn't large, but it certainly wasn't something to be ignored.

It has been a wasteland for thousands of years, and it remains undeveloped even now.

So theoretically it's still acceptable, although the True Dragon can now foresee just how bad his reputation will be in future generations.

What could historians write? The famine wouldn't affect them.

What use is a history book, no matter how tragic, to people suffering from famine? It would be better to just give them the paper to fill their stomachs.

The purpose of history books is to warn future generations.

The grain obtained by exchanging land can at least ensure that the people do not starve, and it can also give the Yan Country a lot of buffer space.

So let them criticize; at least most of the country has been preserved.

News of the disaster that befell the Great Yan quickly spread to various countries. The Ursus Nobles also wanted to join in the fun, but were soon vetoed by the True Dragon.

Utopia and Ursus, these two "rabble," have worlds apart reputations on the international stage.

They both start with black, so why is there such a big difference?

Having received a clear answer, Huang Cao stopped dawdling; he knew that True Dragon had already prepared for the worst.

The infiltration of Utopia was inevitable, but this wave of Yan Country is truly no one's fault but theirs.

The Huang Cao has done its utmost; as for how long it can resist, that depends on its own abilities.

The grain arrived quickly thanks to his wife's painting, and Huang Cao was very thoughtful, providing only finely ground grain.

The main reason was that the Yan Country's True Dragon hadn't disgusted him; at least he still cared about the common people. He felt the deal shouldn't end in an unpleasant way for either side.

"Have the Imperial Guards been brought out?" True Dragon asked his soldiers from the carriage.

"Your Majesty, the eight battalions of Imperial Guards have reached their designated locations. The rest remain in the capital to protect the Crown Prince and await Your Majesty's orders."

The head coach of the advance team knelt on one knee and spoke respectfully.

True Dragon looked up at the forest rushing past outside the car; they would reach the disaster area in just one more day.

Catastrophe are fair, but fate is never fair.

The former ruthlessly ravages everyone, while the latter can give some people the ability to resist Catastrophe.

The reason why the local powerful families colluded to falsify data was simply because the profits generated by these industrial hubs every day were far too enormous.

This was enough to make local powerful families risk their lives to take a gamble.

Even if there's only a 20% or so chance of losing your life...

This was a huge gamble, but as everyone knows now, it's clear they made the wrong bet.

The tug-of-war between local and central authorities has been ongoing for thousands of years and has remained unchanged.

The area affected by this disaster is the very place that has always been a headache for True Dragon.

Now, the assets of this group have been completely reshuffled.

Even if a lot of wealth is transported out using a fleet of vehicles, what good is that money?

What is this amount of money compared to the national treasury?

It's nothing more than having some capital to start over. While that's enough to make one stand out from the crowd, it's still not enough compared to the central government.