Chapter 252 It's all worth it

"Sell it to grain merchants?"

The Third Prince was full of suspicion, "But what is most lacking here now is food, not silver."

Whenever disaster strikes an area, the price of food always goes up sharply. If disasters occur one after another, there will be many people who cannot buy food even if they have a large sum of money.

Even the imperial court will have a headache about food issues at that time.

It is not a wise move to exchange grain for silver at this time.

"I am not trying to exchange grain for silver, but I am trying to exchange grain for food."

He Yanxiu explained, "The grain reserves of the imperial court are all fine grains, and the grain used for disaster relief this time is no exception. However, although the fine grains are good, the quantity is limited and is not enough to help so many disaster victims."

"So I thought, if we can exchange this refined grain for coarse grain through grain merchants, one pound of refined grain can be exchanged for three or four pounds of coarse grain, and we can help three or four times as many disaster victims as before."

After all, for the disaster victims, the most important thing is to be able to eat enough, let alone coarse grains, even if it is just grass roots and wild vegetables. As for whether the food is good or not, it is not within their consideration at all.

For them, it means they can rescue more disaster victims now.

"This is a good idea." The Third Prince nodded repeatedly, "It can help the people suffer less."

“Although this is a good idea, the court is worried that officials may embezzle the relief grain, so the control over relief grain is extremely strict. If the grain is transferred during the process, it will be suspected of embezzlement. Regardless of whether it is true embezzlement or not, the official will be reprimanded and fined. If there is a shortage of weight during the transfer, regardless of whether it is true embezzlement or other reasons, the official will be dismissed and investigated.

"If there were genuine acts of corruption, the officials involved would be beheaded and their families exiled, or even executed. It was a very serious crime. It was also because the imperial court had very strict control over the relief grain that most officials in charge of disaster relief were very cautious and followed the established relief grain transportation plan and route, not daring to make the slightest mistake."

"We are exchanging the relief grain for coarse grains now. Although this can help more victims, it is not logical and the process is not appropriate. In addition, there will inevitably be losses and damages in the exchange of grain, which will also leave many handles and faults for others to catch, especially the First and Second Princes. They will definitely not miss such a great opportunity.

"In general, if we want to accomplish this, the Third Prince and I will face tremendous pressure. This is not just talk."

After listening to He Yanxiu's words, the Third Prince was silent for a long time, and then he spoke, "But if we do this, we can save more victims. If we compare the flood relief situation in previous years with this year's relief situation, we can also see that the results this time are remarkable."

"No matter what, this is a good policy that can actually help the disaster victims. If we don't do this for fear of punishment, and the disaster victims cannot get help and starve, it is really inappropriate."

"Even if my elder brother and second brother want to use me as an excuse to gossip about me to the emperor, the emperor will know our sincere hearts and will not punish us."

"In short, this matter cannot be delayed and needs to be done as soon as possible. Cousin, you should do it according to this, exchange more coarse grains for disaster relief, set up tents to provide porridge, and be sure to help the victims as soon as possible."

"If I'm really held accountable for this, I'll take full responsibility!"

The Third Prince had a serious look on his face and spoke in a forceful voice, tolerant of no argument.

Seeing this, He Yanxiu pursed his lips.

My aunt taught the Third Prince very well.

Although the Third Prince is only fifteen years old at this time, he already has a sincere heart that is willing to do everything for the people.

Coming to supervise the disaster relief work, even if he did not do the matter of exchanging refined grains for coarse grains and just followed the normal procedures, for the Third Prince, this prince, it would have been a credit and a great honor. However, doing the matter of exchanging refined grains for coarse grains would have been a huge risk. If he was not careful, he would be slandered and framed.

The disadvantages are very clear, but the Third Prince still chose to do more for the people instead of caring about so-called glory and face.

This is the person who can truly be called a prince.

He was willing to assist the Third Prince, not only because the Third Prince was his cousin and they were related by blood, but more because he understood the Third Prince's character since they were in contact since childhood.

If such a person could ever inherit the throne, it would be a blessing for the country, the people, and the common people.

He Yanxiu nodded vigorously, "Since the Third Prince has made up his mind, I know what to do. You don't have to worry about this matter. I will do my best to help you."

"Thank you, cousin." The Third Prince bowed and said, "I would also like to thank you, cousin, on behalf of all the people in Hongzheng Prefecture and the surrounding counties who were affected by the disaster."

"With what Your Highness the Third Prince said, everything I do is worth it." He Yanxiu said.

Serious expression.

Su Yujin was riding in the same carriage and heard the entire conversation between the two men. She felt quite emotional.

I feel deeply moved by the Third Prince and He Yanxiu's love for the people, and even more so by their audacity.

It would be fine if it was just challenging the existing rules, but something that was not suitable to be disclosed was actually said so clearly in front of her.

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He really didn't treat her as an outsider! The carriage traveled for another day and night, and finally arrived at Hong Zheng Mansion.

As the area hardest hit by the flood, the Hung Kai Properties was in a state of devastation at this time.

The water still hasn't receded. The depth of the water in the entire prefecture varies. The shallowest part is up to the ankles, while the deepest part is enough for one to travel by boat.

Zheng Yakun, the prefect of Hongzheng Prefecture, had already received the news that the Third Prince and He Yanxiu were coming to supervise the disaster relief work, and he knelt down to greet them, "This subordinate greets the Third Prince and Lord He."

"The emperor is so gracious, His Majesty the Third Prince has come in person, and our Hongzheng Mansion is saved..."

Zheng Yakun was a man in his forties with a long beard. His official robe was disheveled and dirty, and he was not wearing boots. He only tucked a corner of his robe into his belt, and his trouser legs were rolled up high. His bare feet were covered in mud.

Only his face was washed quite clean at this time, his hair was combed smooth and shiny, and he wore a branch as a hairpin, trying hard to show the etiquette and dignity that he should have as a prefect.

Perhaps because he had been holding on for a long time and finally had external help, Zheng Yakun's sunken eye sockets were completely red, tears could not stop falling, and he was choked with sobs, as if he was about to fall to the ground and burst into tears at any time.

The Third Prince and He Yanxiu had already inquired about the situation of the officials here when they came. Zheng Yakun was born in a farming and reading family. He was very talented in his early years and ranked second in the imperial examination. He served as a Hanlin for many years and later served as an official in the local area. Because he was upright and dedicated to his work, he was promoted many times.

But because he was an upright person and dedicated to serving the people, he only achieved the position of prefect.

Tip: Hongzheng County is changed to Hongzheng Prefecture, please be informed.

Today, when I was typing, I suddenly felt something was not right. Nowadays, the population of a county is relatively large, but in ancient times, the population was relatively small. Because water conservancy was not as developed as it is today, small-scale floods were more common. If a county was affected by a disaster, the scale of the disaster was not large enough for a prince to go there. But if a prefecture, or even two prefectures around it were affected by the disaster, the area would be relatively large... (For reference, Henan was divided into eight prefectures in ancient times. If three prefectures were affected, the extent would be comparable to Huayuankou, which was enough for a prince to go there in person)

(End of this chapter)