Here Was a Worthy Minister (5,000-Character Chapter)

"Everything I said is true. If you don't believe me, go to Linbei County and see for yourselves!"

Seeing that others didn't believe him, the person who had spoken became somewhat angry; he knew his own relatives well enough to know what they were like.

If someone were a complete liar, they wouldn't have been recruited as a yamen runner.

At this moment, others also remembered this matter.

Yes, in the past, when the prefect recruited yamen runners, he would secretly investigate for a while to find out what kind of person the person was and make sure that the person was of good character before recruiting him into the yamen.

Therefore, at this time, the people were no longer so afraid of the yamen runners when they saw them.

Everyone knows that these yamen runners are of decent character; if they were of bad character, they wouldn't be fit to be yamen runners.

If that's the case, it seems unlikely that the other party would deceive them.

Upon realizing this, the remaining people exchanged glances, a surge of excitement immediately flashing through their hearts.

If they could really earn 18 taels of silver from one acre of land, three or four acres would be enough for them.

With just three or four acres of land, it's perfectly enough to support the whole family.

But after thinking about it this way, some of the people calmed down. The land they were on didn't belong to them; it belonged to the government.

Many of these fields had previously been taken over by the local gentry, but after the prefect arrived, he took them back.

However, even so, the land still doesn't belong to them.

So if you want to get rich by farming, you have to see if they actually have land to give you.

However, the prefect seems to be quite good now, so perhaps if they help the prefect with farming in the future, they will be able to get more silver.

Some of the people muttered to themselves for a moment, then went back to their work.

There are supervisors watching from afar.

"Hey you, what are you doing sneaking around like that?"

Outside Pingjiang City, a group of people carrying packs looked at the Pingjiang City ahead, then retreated with a hint of awe.

But when he saw his family behind him, he hesitated again.

His appearance immediately caught the attention of the guards at the city gate.

Seeing the people acting suspiciously, the constable at the carriage door immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his knife and strode over, looking extremely vigilant.

"Sir, sir, spare my life..."

Upon seeing the approaching constables, the man's legs buckled and he immediately knelt down, his expression filled with fear.

"What are you doing standing here? Sneaking around like this?"

The constable looked at the other person, then glanced at the people behind them. Seeing that they were clearly a family, his expression relaxed slightly.

But then he asked.

He was stationed at the city gate and dared not neglect his duty.

"Sir, we fled from elsewhere, we have no other choice, please spare our lives!"

The man glanced at the family behind him, then began kowtowing repeatedly to them.

He only hoped that the other party would spare his life.

He heard that Linbei County in Jiangling Commandery seemed to be gathering refugees, so he came to check it out with a glimmer of hope.

Once he arrived here, he wondered whether he should cross Pingjiang City. At the south gate of Pingjiang City, the Wu River cuts off his path on both sides.

If we take a detour, who knows how far we'll have to go.

But what if they ask him for a pass if he wants to get in?

Leaving your place of origin without a travel permit will get you arrested.

So you don't have a travel permit.

Upon hearing this, the guards at the city gate frowned, realizing why the other party was so terrified.

"Yes..."

Upon hearing this, the man's voice gradually faded.

However, the constables did not show any anger on their faces. It seemed that their superiors did not punish such criminals much, having already taken in many refugees.

They have never paid much attention to their place of origin.

"Tell me where you're from, everything you've said."

Seeing this, the constable prepared to ask for more details so he could report the matter to his superior later.

Upon hearing this, the man quickly recounted what had happened, including everything he had witnessed along the way.

I hope the other party can consider these things and let me off the hook.

After hearing these words, the constable told his colleague to keep an eye on the men, then turned and ran back to Pingjiang City to report.

"In various parts of Huaiyun Commandery, refugees are gathering, and the government has yet to provide relief grain. I fear this may lead to a peasant uprising?"

Fang Weiyan had just drunk a bowl of medicinal soup and felt that he did indeed have a lot more strength.

Before Fang Weiyan could even check how much strength he had gained, his subordinates rushed in to report.

"Yes, that's what the people who fled to our Pingjiang City said."

Upon hearing this, the yamen runner who came to report immediately nodded.

Fang Weiyan frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Do you know approximately how many refugees there are?"

"I don't know, but there are probably at least tens of thousands of people. That's what the refugee said when he fled here. He said there was a huge, swarming mass of people, and some were so hungry on the road that they couldn't even walk."

Judging from this, it seems unlikely that these prefects will open the granaries and distribute grain.

In the final years of a dynasty, peasant rebellions and the abandonment of farmland were extremely frequent occurrences.

Fang Weiyan had read some history books, and he knew that such things were perfectly normal at the end of a dynasty.

Dynastic changes are sometimes accompanied by natural disasters and man-made calamities.

"If they won't provide disaster relief, then we will."

Fang Weiyan pondered for a moment, then spoke.

The population of Jiangling Commandery is too small, and Fang Weiyan just spent money to buy several million catties of grain from other places.

With so much food available, Fang Weiyan wasn't worried about having more disaster victims arriving.

Thinking of this, Fang Weiyan immediately summoned his men and ordered them to open the warehouse and take out some grain.

According to them, some refugees along the way were too weak to walk, so they needed to bring some food with them.

So that these refugees would have the strength to walk to Pingjiang City.

There was a lot of flour in the warehouse, Fang Weiyan planned to have someone bake flatbread with it and then take it over.

Baking them into flatbread makes them easy to carry on the road and also helps to stave off hunger.

Soon after Fang Weiyan gave the order, bags of flour were brought out of the warehouse.

Those with the best craftsmanship in the city were all gathered together to start making cakes.

The boats are already prepared on the riverbank; once the "return cakes" are made, they can be directly transported there by boat.

"Unauthorized disaster relief beyond the designated area might displease the Emperor; we must give him prior notice."

Fang Weiyan watched as bags of flour were kneaded and shaped, and after thinking for a moment, felt that this matter should be reported.

Given our current limited strength, it's best to keep a low profile to avoid arousing suspicion and causing trouble.

Once the Emperor's side is settled, then the governors of the other prefectures can be ignored.

Although his behavior might displease the prefects, Fang Weiyan wasn't familiar with them, and as long as the Emperor was alright, he didn't need to worry about his colleagues.

A moment later, a rich aroma began to fill the entire street.

Large flatbreads were baked, each with a hole pierced in the middle, so they could be strung together with a rope for easy carrying.

Everything was going smoothly here, Fang Weiyan glanced at it a few times before looking away.

But once the refugees arrive, there might not be enough houses in the city.

Just a few days ago, Fang Weiyan had inspected all the dilapidated houses and found that people were still living there.

With that thought in mind, Fang Weiyan immediately summoned the carpenters and instructed them to build some large sheds, the kind that were draft-proof on all sides.

Let the refugees have a place to sleep for now.

The houses that were damaged before have all been repaired now.

The carpenters, who were all free at the moment, immediately responded to the prefect's order.

After consulting with the adults about where to build the site, they hurriedly went to get busy.

Fang Weiyan felt that with a large number of people, the grains, numbering in the millions of kilograms, could easily withstand the strain.

However, we should pay attention to security. Let Lin Liyun expand the team again later.

Fang Weiyan was worried that the small number of yamen runners they had previously employed was insufficient.

With that thought in mind, Fang Weiyan called Lin Liyun over again and asked him to make some selections to expand the ranks of yamen runners.

Anyway, he's a big family with plenty of money. Even if he expands his workforce a bit, his money can still cover the costs for now.

After finishing these tasks, Fang Weiyan returned to the yamen to select some books.

Once all the academies in Pingjiang City are built, the children will be able to study there.

Fang Weiyan is currently selecting a book.

Fang Weiyan had to carefully select books, including introductory texts and books to be taught in class.

In addition, we will need to find teachers and make them understand what they are going to be teaching.

This is somewhat troublesome.

The next day.

The tens of thousands of pancakes that were hastily made were transported onto the ship and set off directly for the nearby county seat.

As Fang Weiyan instructed, when the refugees were found, these flatbreads should be distributed directly to them.

After doing all this, Fang Weiyan then had the Underworld Administration submit the report.

The main idea is to act first and inform later, saying things like they just learned of a famine in the area, that saving lives is urgent, and that they are afraid of a popular uprising.

Fang Weiyan has already allocated grain for disaster relief.

Anyway, after saying all this, I doubt the Emperor can find any fault with it.

After Fang Weiyan's report was submitted to the imperial court in Yanhuai City, the matter was discussed.

At this moment, Emperor Kaide unleashed a furious rage upon his ministers below.

Even at this point, not one of these ministers could offer any good advice.

He wanted these ministers to pool their money so that it could be used for disaster relief.

But by now, the ministers had pooled together only a few hundred taels of silver.

Even a few hundred taels of silver felt like a piece of their own flesh to these ministers.

What can you do with several hundred taels of silver?

Once the money is taken away, each layer will skim off a little, and by the time it reaches the common people, there will be nothing left.

"Dismiss the court!"

Emperor Kaide vented his anger, the ministers below knelt down and began to complain to each other.

Such a scene made it impossible for Emperor Kaide to punish the emperor further, so he had no choice but to adjourn the court.

When Emperor Kaide returned to the palace, the veins on his forehead were throbbing with anger.

Back in the palace, he wanted to see if there were any other valuable items.

If we sell some of it, we might be able to get some silver.

After looking around, the Imperial Study was completely empty. The brush holders that used to be on the dragon desk and the paintings and calligraphy on the walls had all been sold out.

I looked at the chair in front of me, and it had all been changed.

The palace today is truly dirt poor.

After Emperor Kaide sat down, he glanced at the booklet beside him.

He didn't even need to look at these brochures to know that it was probably those prefects coming to ask for money for disaster relief.

Even if you know it in your heart, you still have to look at it.

Emperor Kaide picked up the book in front of him and looked at it. Sure enough, the first item was a request for disaster relief funds.

They said the number of disaster victims was surging and hoped the imperial court could allocate funds immediately.

Emperor Kaide glanced at the names of the prefectures, then picked up the second booklet.

The second one is still the same.

This time it's even more outrageous, claiming that the grain in the granary caught fire, started by those unruly people looting the grain.

Upon seeing this booklet, Emperor Kaide angrily slammed it onto the table.

Although he hadn't been on the throne for long, the actions of his ministers had already filled him with suspicion and left him with little trust.

Upon seeing this, the thought immediately popped into my head: this guy is lying; the granary probably wasn't burned down by him.

The booklet on the dragon's desk was suddenly slapped, and the booklets around it began to fall to the ground.

At that moment, one of the booklets was also knocked over and fell to the ground.

The attendant carefully stepped forward, picked up the booklets from the ground, and arranged them neatly.

However, the next moment, Emperor Kaide noticed one of the booklets, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

After reaching out, he immediately took the booklet into his hands.

"The register from Pingjiang City..."

Upon seeing the booklet, Emperor Kaide perked up slightly and began to examine it carefully.

But after reading the contents, he was stunned.

"... I was deeply concerned for the people, and knowing that saving lives was of utmost urgency, I prioritized disaster relief without seeking prior approval. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

After carefully reading through the booklet, the last part was about Fang Weiyan's apology.

The Emperor Kaide, who had been pale, began to regain his rosy complexion.

After a moment, he burst into laughter, "Heaven has not forsaken my Jiang Kingdom!"

Compared to other ministers, what truly defines a loyal minister? Look at Fang Weiyan, he is a loyal minister!

Compared to other ministers, Fang Weiyan was truly a gift from heaven.

The other ministers also offered to provide disaster relief, but after a long time, nothing came of it.

The governors of the other prefectures also claimed to have no money or grain, and immediately asked for money and grain.

Fang Weiyan uttering a word, immediately began disaster relief efforts, and even after realizing he had overstepped his bounds, he apologized.

If the entire court were filled with such virtuous ministers, why would he need to worry about the destruction of the Jiang Kingdom?

"Father, what makes you so happy?"

Knowing that his father's condition had been deteriorating, he went to court on an empty stomach.

Jin'an walked in carrying a food box, but as soon as he got close, he heard his father's hearty laughter and couldn't help but wonder.

"I did not misjudge Fang Weiyan. He cares deeply for the people and is willing to be punished by me to prioritize disaster relief. Given his status, he shouldn't have needed to concern himself with the affairs of other prefectures, but he did it anyway."

"The number of refugees from other counties combined is at least tens of thousands. With such disaster relief efforts, this person would certainly not be capable of embezzlement."

At this moment, Emperor Kaide was becoming increasingly satisfied with Fang Weiyan.

Such a concern for the people is exactly the kind of person he's been looking for.

Furthermore, given that Fang Weiyan was so dedicated to disaster relief without relying on funds and provisions allocated by the imperial court, he figured it was even less likely that Fang Weiyan would engage in any corrupt activities.

After all, if it were any other official, they would have directly addressed the issue through disaster relief.

Jin'an was taken aback when she heard this, as she knew that famine had occurred in many counties.

We hadn't considered allocating grain from Pingjiang City before, partly because we felt they didn't have that much money.

Did you sell the box of jewelry you gave to them before?

Jin'an couldn't help but think of this matter.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with selling the jewelry. Her concern was that after Fang Weiyan took office, he would be unable to use his abilities due to a lack of funds and supplies.

"To have such a minister is a fortunate thing."

Jin'an spoke softly, then placed the food box on the table.

"Father's health is of utmost importance; please take your medicine first."

Princess Jin'an was also very happy.

I had met Fang Weiyan twice before, and my father already thought highly of him.

She didn't dislike Fang Weiyan Fang Weiyan, along with the things Fang Weiyan did for the Jiang Kingdom, made her like Fang Weiyan even more.

If this person continues to be like this, it wouldn't be a bad idea to marry him in the future.

Princess Jin'an murmured to herself.

"Yes, Heaven has been kind to me; it is at this time that such a virtuous minister has been sent to my Jiang Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Kaide couldn't help but sigh.

With Fang Weiyan's disaster relief efforts, he no longer needed to worry about a popular uprising.

To be honest, if a popular uprising were to break out, he was worried that Jiang Kingdom would not be able to hold out.

At this time, Princess Jin'an was too young, and he dared not abandon her.

Upon hearing this, Princess Jin'an gently opened the food box and took out the contents one by one.

The food box contained very simple items, mostly ordinary side dishes.

If you look closely, you can see that the side dishes on top don't seem very fresh.

With the national treasury already empty, even expenditures within the imperial palace have been significantly reduced.

Emperor Kaide seemed to have gotten used to it; in a great mood, his appetite had improved considerably.

In just a short while, they ate everything in the food box clean.

Princess Jin'an had someone tidy up, then gave a slight bow and turned to leave.

After Emperor Kaide finished his meal, he couldn't help but pick up the booklet next to him and look at it several times.

Finally, after regaining his senses, he wrote a document granting him a pardon.

However, there were no rewards; the national treasury was empty, and there was nothing to give as a reward.

After it was written, Emperor Kaide ordered it to be immediately sent to the Underworld Administration.