Donations

The topic of discussion at this small assembly was "snow disaster," as temperatures have plummeted since the beginning of winter.

Families who were barely making ends meet before were forced to spend more money on supplies such as charcoal and cotton clothing due to the cold wave.

But for poor farming families, their annual income is so meager that they have to carefully budget their food, clothing, and daily necessities.

Spending money on charcoal and new cotton-padded clothes meant there was no money left to buy rice.

Many impoverished people did not survive the winter, and countless lives were lost due to hunger and cold.

The imperial court received a series of memorials from local governments, which described the devastation as "not a single household was left in ten villages."

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"Your Majesty, you can have the Ministry of Revenue allocate funds and grain for disaster relief. The people are short of food and clothing and cannot survive the winter. They will inevitably become refugees and wreak havoc in various prefectures."

"Those who have been robbed by refugees will also become refugees themselves. If the disaster cannot be quelled as soon as possible, it may lead to a major catastrophe."

Before Emperor Yongxing could speak, the Ministry of Revenue hurriedly stepped forward and loudly proclaimed:

"Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty, and we truly cannot provide any extra money or grain for disaster relief. Please reconsider, Your Majesty."

Every year, disaster relief efforts were a turmoil that threatened his Ministry of Revenue.

Sure enough, the Ministry of Revenue quickly stepped forward to add insult to injury:

"Your Majesty, I wish to impeach the Ministry of Revenue for abusing his power for personal gain, embezzling public funds, and bending the law, as well as for colluding with his cronies to drain the nation's coffers."

The Ministry of Revenue knelt down and loudly proclaimed, "Your subject begs to retire!"

Emperor Yongxing's lips twitched violently as he looked down at his ministers with a blank expression.

Party strife!

Even today, factional strife continues!

It was you scholars, who only know how to fight amongst yourselves, who, in league with the late emperor, brought such calamity upon the people of Great Feng, causing them unbearable suffering. Emperor Yongxing clenched his hands, which were tucked into his sleeves, and smiled gently:

"As I said yesterday, the disaster is severe. The entire court should be of one mind, discussing countermeasures together. My dear ministers, please calm down."

The Minister of Ministry of Revenue and others immediately ceased their activities.

Emperor Yongxing nodded in satisfaction and asked loudly, "How are the reserves in the various local granaries?"

The Ministry of Revenue said, "The granaries have already been opened for disaster relief. However, during the autumn harvest, the court fought a battle with the Witchcraft Cult, which severely weakened the court. The grain supplies were requisitioned from various regions that day. Therefore, the granaries in various places are not fully stocked."

Emperor Yongxing thought for a moment and then asked, "What about the official granaries?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the officials in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment. Liu Hong, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, you must not. If you want to stabilize the situation in various regions and allow clerks and officials to perform their duties normally, the government granaries must not be touched."

Charitable granaries were specifically used for disaster relief during famine years.

The official granary was used to pay the salaries of officials.

If the government depletes the official granaries and is unable to pay salaries, then true chaos will ensue.

Emperor Yongxing's face darkened. "What good plan does Minister Liu have?"

Liu Hong pondered for a moment and said, "The northern barbarians still owe the court countless furs, salt, and iron ore. Your Majesty can send envoys to the northern border to demand these."

Emperor Yongxing's eyes lit up, and the officials below began to murmur amongst themselves. Then, Chief Minister Wang stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"This is unacceptable!"

The gentlemen immediately retorted:

Why not?

"I think Lord Liu's plan is brilliant."

"Yes, the demon barbarians have herds of cattle and sheep, and countless pelts, which are perfect for keeping warm and solving the court's urgent problem."

Chief Minister Wang patiently waited for everyone to finish speaking before continuing:

"The oath was drafted that day, with Xu Xinnian, a junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy, as my personal supervisor. It is written in black and white that the furs, cattle, sheep, and other items given to the Great Feng by the barbarians would be provided three years later."

"The war has only been over for two months, and the demon barbarians are in dire need of rebuilding and are facing a shortage of supplies. Now is the time to make them fulfill their contract."

Chief Minister Wang did not continue, but the officials understood.

This is forcing the demons and barbarians to turn against the Great Feng.

Emperor Yongxing, somewhat irritated, asked, "What good plan does the Grand Secretary have?"

The Prime Minister sighed inwardly. Even without turning around, he could feel the intense gazes fixed on him from behind.

As the Grand Secretary, there were some things he couldn't avoid, so he said in a deep voice:

"Although the national treasury is empty, wealthy merchants abound throughout the capital and even the Central Plains. Your Majesty can call upon righteous men from all over the land to donate."

The arrival of these men caused a sinking feeling in their hearts.

In fact, rumors had been circulating in the capital for several days that His Majesty intended to solicit donations to fill the empty treasury and that he would have to cut flesh from their own pockets.

Emperor Yongxing had been waiting for this moment, and he laughed:

"This method is excellent. What does Your Excellency think we should do to mobilize them?"

The Grand Secretary said, "It is up to all of you to take the lead in donating money. I am willing to donate half of my personal wealth to help the disaster victims."

These words caused an uproar among the officials in the hall.

Several members of the Wang faction and the former Wei faction immediately responded, stating that they would donate half of their family wealth to replenish the national treasury, just like Chief Minister Wang.

But many other ministers opposed the idea.

"Your Majesty, this is unacceptable."

"We are penniless and barely make ends meet; how could we possibly have any wealth?"

"Merchants are driven by profit; asking them to donate is like cutting off a piece of their own flesh—it will surely cause an uproar."

"The national treasury is empty, and this must not be publicized. If the witchcraft cult finds out, there may be war. At the same time, the people should also know that the court is outwardly strong but inwardly weak, which will lead to displaced people becoming bandits and causing endless trouble."

Upon hearing that the emperor was calling for donations, Chief Minister Wang took the lead by donating half of his personal wealth, which elicited a great response from the other officials, who all stood in unison.

Even though they are usually at odds.

Emperor Yongxing raised his hand to quell the commotion among his ministers.

This is the Imperial Study, not the Palace of Supreme Harmony; there are no eunuchs wielding whips and shouting orders here.

After the officials quieted down, he looked at the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and said:

"Lord Chancellor, what are your thoughts?"

The people present were all core figures in their respective parties; if you could win them over, you could win over most of the parties.

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is currently the leader and sole authority of the Qi faction. If he agrees, the Qi faction can be taken over, or at least the majority of them.

"Your Majesty!" The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward and cried out in a mournful voice:

"I have served as an official for twenty years, working diligently and conscientiously, remaining incorruptible. In the sweltering heat of summer, there was no ice; in the bitter cold, there was no charcoal. I barely managed to make ends meet."

As he spoke, he shook his hand, causing his wide sleeve to slip down, revealing a pair of hands covered in chilblains.

"I am willing to serve the court with my life, even unto death. But I pity my wife and children and do not wish for them to freeze to death in the streets. If Your Majesty insists, I beg to retire."

The old fox. Emperor Yongxing's head throbbed with pain, and he quickly waved his hand:

"It doesn't have to be this bad, it doesn't have to be this bad."

If that were the case, he would become a greedy emperor who forced officials to donate money, causing ministers to resign, and his reputation would be ruined, which would be recorded in the history books.

Well, he's not much better than the late emperor.

Emperor Yongxing believed that such a scholar would definitely write it this way.

Because they were the ones being forced to donate.

Emperor Yongxing then asked other ministers, but encountered different kinds of rebuffs.

They either complain about being poor or beg for their life savings.

The young emperor's face grew increasingly grim; caught in a dilemma, he finally slammed his fist on the table.

"This won't do, that won't do, what use are you to the court? I need a foolproof plan within three days. If you can't come up with one, you're all fired!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

All the officials knelt down.

The small court assembly ended prematurely due to Emperor Yongxing's outburst of rage.

Wang, the chief minister, straightened his official hat, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and walked side by side with Liu Hong, Wei Yuan's successor, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and the leader of the Nightwatchers, on the wide road paved with bluestone slabs.

The Meridian Gate is just ahead.

In the distance, guards stood watch, and imperial guards patrolled. The Grand Secretary's gaze followed the imperial guards listlessly for a moment before he withdrew his gaze and slowly said:

"Your Majesty has exposed your weakness for fame too obviously. How can you fight against these old foxes?"

"Your Majesty is still too young."

"They have the ambition to build a strong nation, but their abilities are lacking." Liu Hong made no attempt to hide his disdain.

The chief minister gasped, his nose turning red from the cold, and said calmly:

"His methods are immature, and his cunning isn't deep enough; these are things he can learn. Even the Fourth Prince wouldn't be much better."

Liu Hong blurted out, "It's a pity that Princess Huaiqing is a woman."

Grand Secretary Wang sneered, "The idea of Erlang submitting a memorial proposing that the court appeal for donations was suggested by Prince Huaiqing himself. Do you think I don't know that?"

Liu Hong replied frankly, "Your Excellency has exceptional insight."

"She did have some foresight by not asking merchants to donate separately, but by having His Majesty mobilize all officials to set an example by donating."

The chief minister snorted, his face turning cold.

"Tell Huaiqing that if he wants to try his own methods in the future, he shouldn't use my future son-in-law as a pawn. His Majesty is destined to lose face because of this, and then he will inevitably take his anger out on Erlang."

Liu Hong remained silent.

The two walked side by side for a while, and then the Grand Secretary Wang calmed down and said calmly:

"The imperial treasury is empty, and the Ministry of Revenue is struggling to survive. The reason Your Majesty hasn't touched those funds and grain is to guard against the rebellion in Yunzhou."

Liu Hong said in a deep voice:

"But if the disaster is allowed to spread and the number of displaced people increases, causing chaos in various places, this is also something the rebels would like to see. Misappropriating military funds is exactly what the rebels want. If they don't misappropriate them, the rebels will still be happy to see it happen."

"Although I have never dealt with Xu Pingfeng, I know that he is a man of exceptional skill, one that sends chills down my spine."

If soldiers cannot be paid during a war, the army will mutini.

However, if the disaster situation is ignored and the rate of increase in the number of displaced people is not curbed, the situation will become increasingly chaotic, and the consequences of a fire in one's own backyard will be just as terrible.

"His Highness Huaiqing had no choice but to accept this," Liu Hong sighed. "We thought that after the late emperor's passing, the court would usher in a new era, but who knew it would be such a mess."

The chief minister gazed into the distance, seemingly moved.

After a while, he said in a deep voice:

"If this plan works, it can indeed solve the immediate problem. But she overlooked a crucial point. To get these old foxes and officials at all levels to willingly open their wallets, she needed someone to keep things under control."

"Looking at the court as a whole, the Censor is one, the late Emperor is one, Wei Yuan and I together are one, and Xu Qi'an is one."

"The Supervisor doesn't concern himself with court affairs. The late Emperor and Wei Yuan are both long gone. Xu Qi'an is wandering the martial world. I asked Erlang about him a while ago, but I haven't heard from him yet."

Liu Hong was startled. It turned out that Chief Minister Wang had already seen through and thoroughly understood this plan. He had been secretly investigating and analyzing it without anyone noticing.

Jingxiu Palace.

Emperor Yongxing arrived in a grand palanquin and, surrounded by eunuchs, entered Jingxiu Palace.

He paused in the courtyard, took a deep breath, and pinched the bridge of his nose to ease his serious and heavy expression.

A slight smile appeared on his lips. He then crossed the courtyard, stepped over the threshold, and saw his mother and younger sister who had been waiting for him for a long time.

Consort Chen, who had instructed the palace maids to reheat the dishes several times, gently reprimanded:

"Your Majesty, although you are in the prime of your life, you must take care of your health and not overwork yourself."

"Mother, don't worry. Lingbao Temple has plenty of nourishing and restorative elixirs." Lin'an waved her little hand, her face beaming with smiles.

"Brother Emperor, come and have your meal."

Emperor Yongxing smiled, dispelling the gloom in the court, and began his meal with the help of palace maids.

He ate a few bites, then chatted with his mother and younger sister about everyday matters.

"A few days ago, I heard from Zhi'er that a young girl came to the Imperial Study. She was from the residence of the Grand Secretary Wang. Chang Kang accidentally offended her and ended up getting beaten up."

"The child avenged his cousin, but he too got beaten up and covered in bumps."

"Zhi'er" is the third son of Emperor Yongxing, and he is ten years old this year.

Chang Kang was the second son of Liu Ge from Lin'an.

Upon hearing that her grandson had been beaten, Consort Chen's expression changed drastically, her eyebrows furrowing. "How could I not know about this?"

"I suppressed it."

Why?

Consort Chen asked suspiciously, unable to understand her son's actions.

Emperor Yongxing gave a wry smile, "That's Xu Qi'an's younger sister. Fortunately, she was sent out of the palace that very day, and she didn't get to study."

Consort Chen immediately fell silent.

Little did they know, the Grand Tutor had escaped a calamity.

After eating for a while, Consort Chen noticed that Emperor Yongxing remained sullen and said softly:

"Your Majesty, is there something troubling the court?"

Emperor Yongxing hesitated for a moment, then sighed helplessly:

"The national treasury is empty, and with the recent war, the grain reserves in various regions are insufficient to provide relief to the disaster victims. As a result, refugees have sprung up everywhere and turned into bandits."

"My empire is in utter ruin."

He also recounted the setbacks he encountered in raising funds.

Emperor Yongxing rubbed his temples. "Only after sitting in this position do I realize how difficult it is. Everyone in the court is an enemy."

Although he had only recently ascended the throne, he already felt numerous obstacles and a sense of powerlessness as to why his decrees were not under his control.

This is something I couldn't experience firsthand when I was the crown prince.

The atmosphere at the table suddenly became heavy.

Emperor Yongxing hurriedly said, "Don't think about these distressing things, Mother. Your son toasts you."

After finishing his drinks, Emperor Yongxing tried to lighten the mood by bringing up some lighthearted topics to make Consort Chen laugh and make the family banquet more relaxed.

Lin'an looked at his brother silently, feeling somewhat sad.

She used to feel uncomfortable with her brother, the Crown Prince, who was obsessed with inheriting the throne.

But as time has passed and she has experienced so much, she has matured a lot.

The Crown Prince's deep obsession with the throne stems not only from his own desire for it, but also largely from his mother and daughter.

Her mother was suppressed by the Empress and could not raise her head. She was also often bullied by Huaiqing. In addition, the Fourth Prince had Wei Yuan backing him up in the court.

The Crown Prince just wanted to prove himself, to make his mother stand tall in front of the Empress, and to let her show off her power in front of Huaiqing.

After lunch, Lin'an went to Dexinyuan under the pretext of taking a walk to digest her food.

As soon as we entered Huaiqing's territory, we saw a handsome and tall young official come out.

His eyes were like stars, his lips were red and his teeth were white, and his facial features had become much more defined, making him appear more masculine.

"Your Highness, this humble subject greets you."

Xu Xinnian stopped and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

What are you doing here, Lord Xu?

Lin'an's alluring peach blossom eyes darted around, sizing her up and down.

Xu Xinnian said, "I have come to discuss scholarship with His Highness Huaiqing."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "By the way, has my elder brother sent any letters to His Highness recently?"

Upon hearing this, Lin'an felt a deep resentment and let out a soft snort:

"I don't know who your elder brother is. Don't block my way."

Her skirt fluttered as she brushed past Xu Xinnian.

That scoundrel has been gone from the capital for over a month without a word; he clearly doesn't care about her at all.

They went straight to the inner courtyard, and led by a palace maid, they arrived at the inner hall, where they saw Huaiqing sitting behind a table drinking tea.

"I just ran into Xu Cijiu outside. What's he doing here?"

Lin'an asked.

Generally speaking, those who are invited into the princess's residence are people with extraordinary relationships.

Leaving aside the women, the men were basically all confidants.

But Lin'an knew that Xu Xinnian was the future son-in-law of the Wang family, and that the Grand Secretary Wang was her emperor brother's man.

"Discussing academic matters."

Huaiqing gave a perfunctory reply, then asked, "What brings you here again?"

She wasn't very welcoming to Lin'an. This little girl chattered like a sparrow; if you weren't careful, she'd fly over and peck you in the face.

Although their combat strength is still as weak as ever, Emperor Yongxing is now on the throne.

Huaiqing would be somewhat wary.

Despite his Qi Ingestion at the defeat at Lin'an, he never complained to Emperor Yongxing.

Lin'an came to the table, lifted her skirt and sat down, saying:

"Huaiqing, you have so many ideas. I have a question for you."

Huaiqing nodded coolly.

Lin'an recounted the donation, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

"What methods do you have to get those old foxes to pay for it themselves?"

Huaiqing said calmly, "If someone tries to steal your family's wealth, will you give it to them or not?"

Lin'an thought for a moment and said, "That depends on who it is. If that dog of a servant asks me for money, I will give it to him."

Huaiqing took a sip of tea. "Therefore, it won't work if it's not someone close to you. Of course, you can't get money from your emperor brother who's asking for it."

Lin'an thought it made sense and tentatively asked, "Coercion?"

Huaiqing shook his head:

"This is the best way, and also the most foolish way. It's foolish because His Majesty cannot do it; otherwise, there will be widespread condemnation from the court and the public, and it will inevitably encounter a huge backlash."

"But some people can do it, while the courtiers are helpless."

Lin'an's eyes lit up. "Who?"

Huaiqing was once again disappointed by his younger sister's intelligence; engaging in witty banter with her was simply too boring.

What do you think of the Supervisor?

"Is that okay?"

"What if it were the Great Feng's foremost warrior, the Prince of Zhenbei?"

"Is that okay?"

"So who is the number one warrior in the Great Feng right now?"

Lin'an finally understood, and with a sudden realization, she slapped the table with her little hand:

You're calling me a lackey!

Her face immediately fell, and she said disappointedly, "But he's not in the capital."

P. S.: I'll continue writing the next chapter. I suggest reading it tomorrow.