The big tent was divided into two parts, one side was where men were eating, and the other side was where women were eating.

Obviously, there were more men than women, and there were not enough tables and chairs, so they squatted on the ground and ate with big bowls.

According to the imperial court's instructions, as long as you work, both men and women will be provided with food, regardless of how much you work. Even children brought with them will be given food, or grain instead.

At least they can do some work, which is much better than setting up a big porridge stall for free. If the government understands this principle, it will not be stingy, because it is not their own after all.

Of course, the scale of work-for-relief was too large, and the government could not possibly hire cooks to cook for the workers.

Li Banghua walked into the mat tent and first looked at the big pot.

The pot contained porridge, thicker than gruel but thinner than dry rice. It was made by mixing rice with potatoes and sweet potatoes. With a little salt added, it was both rice and a dish.

It doesn't look good, and to put it bluntly, it looks like pig food, but in years of disaster, especially for people who have experienced famine, it is a delicacy.

Grass roots, tree bark, and even unknown weeds, anything that can fill the stomach, will be scrambled for during disasters.

There was enough food to eat, and the leftovers were distributed to the people in the evening. Because of this, the migrant workers were not in a hurry to eat, and they were still able to chat and laugh.

This kind of mental state is rarely seen in previous disaster years.

The cook, a stout woman who was also a migrant worker, looked at Li Banghua and asked in a gruff voice, "Didn't you bring a bowl?"

Li Banghua smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Ben, well, I've eaten, let me rest here for a while."

The woman didn't take it seriously. Just then, a migrant worker came by. She picked up a big spoon and served him rice, ignoring Li Banghua.

Li Banghua found an open space and sat down as if to rest, but he was listening to the discussions of the migrant workers.

"If we can complete the canal this year and bring in river water next year, we can irrigate the fields to ensure a harvest regardless of drought or flood!"

"I'm worried there'll be another severe drought next year. Look how much the river water has dropped." An old migrant worker shook his head, expressing pessimism. "If farming doesn't work out, I wouldn't be afraid if the government still offered me work and provided me with food."

The migrant worker next to him was silent for a moment. Looking at the children playing and frolicking nearby after finishing their meals, a look of worry flashed in his eyes. He said dully, "If it doesn't work, we'll go to Liaodong."

"That's what I thought, too," said a young migrant worker. "I heard that Liaodong is just a little cold in the winter, so you can grow crops there and you don't have to worry about the roads."

The old migrant worker gave a wry smile and said, "I'm old and really don't want to leave."

"If it were like this, with work and food, who would want to leave their hometown?" someone sighed. "For a year or two, the court could still withdraw grain and transfer it. But for much longer, I'm afraid it won't last."

Everyone fell silent. Although they didn't have to worry about food this year, even mountains of gold and silver could be depleted. Whether the imperial court could hold out was crucial to whether they could migrate and whether they could have food to eat.

"The court has already made arrangements, so there is no need to worry." Li Banghua suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

When everyone's attention shifted to him, Li Banghua smiled and said, "Everyone is worried about a disaster that will last for several years, but the court is preparing for a major disaster that will last for more than ten years."

"More than ten years?!"

This number obviously shocked everyone. After they were speechless, they looked at each other in disbelief.

Li Banghua bowed eastward and continued, "Your Majesty is wise. He anticipated the disaster and for the past two years, Shaanxi's taxes have not been sent to the capital, but have been stored locally. This alone is enough to sustain Shaanxi for another year or two."

"As you all must have seen, the trucks transporting grain from other places have been coming non-stop. There's more than enough for next year."

"Besides, the imperial court has also prepared various projects for work-for-relief. It would take several years, let alone a year, to complete them."

Li Banghua smiled confidently and said, "As for immigrating to Liaodong, that's also a solution. The court has instructed the local authorities to properly resettle them. This is all Ming territory, so wherever we go is home. Spreading our family is also a good thing."

Everyone had different expressions, some were happy, some were cheerful, and some were confused.

The old migrant worker bowed and asked hesitantly, "Excuse me, sir..."

Li Banghua smiled and waved his hand, then stood up and said, "What I said is all true. The government will issue an official document soon, so you can rest assured."

As he spoke, Li Banghua nodded with a smile, turned around and walked out of the tent, heading towards the officials who were waiting in the distance.

"He's a high-ranking official!" Someone discovered the clue and exclaimed in surprise.

"Really? Look at that respectful guy, isn't he the county magistrate?"

"Who's the county magistrate?" A man stood up from the corner of the tent, looked at everyone with disdain, and said, "He's the highest official in Shaanxi, Governor Li."

Humph, a bunch of country bumpkins who don't even know Lord Li. The expression on this person's face revealed his inner thoughts and also showed off his knowledge.

"Staying back home is just about getting by," the man continued, demonstrating his wisdom. "Going to Liaodong is about building up a family fortune. After a few years here, you'll become a moderately wealthy family over there, enjoying meat and wine every day."

That seems to be the truth!

Don't blame him for boasting; his vision is superior to ours. Just filling one's stomach seems rather pathetic; it's better for him to leave his hometown and explore the world.

Everyone's eyes flickered and everyone had different thoughts. Even the old migrant worker who was reluctant to leave his hometown was silent.

Li Banghua walked back to the officials and servants, first praising the county magistrate, then instructed, "The people are still not reassured. The government needs to increase its propaganda efforts, focusing on stabilizing people's hearts."

"Your Majesty has already begun making arrangements. Shaanxi Province has enough grain reserves to last for a year. The imperial court's work-for-relief program can be implemented for more than a decade, so there's no need to worry about having no work or food."

Li Banghua said solemnly, "All of this must be made known to the people. Furthermore, these measures to reassure the people should be included in the disaster relief experience and shared with the officials who come to learn from them."

The scale of the disaster and its duration were unprecedented in history. Relying on the officials' previous experience was bound to lead to mistakes and omissions.

Therefore, the emperor asked Shaanxi officials to write down their experiences so that officials from other provinces could learn from them. At the same time, the emperor ordered the Ministry of Personnel to dispatch selected officials, as well as officials from Henan, Shanxi and other provinces, to Shaanxi for on-site learning.

The major disaster is only in Shaanxi now, but it will spread from west to east next year or the year after. Shanxi, Henan, northern Zhili, and Shandong will all be affected, and the court and local governments will be under greater pressure.

The more thorough and comprehensive the preparations are, the more experience we have in dealing with major disasters and the more guaranteed social stability will be.

Even now, many officials are puzzled by the emperor's emphasis on this matter, and they are also not convinced by the disaster that has lasted for more than ten years.

But the emperor had already intimidated the officials with practical actions. Anyone who slacked off or did not take the emperor's words seriously would be sent home.

Even in Shaanxi Province, many incompetent officials have been dismissed in the past year.

The emperor was also generous in rewarding officials who governed well. The Shaanxi Governor Li Banghua was awarded the title of Prince's Guardian, and his wife was also promoted to a higher position with an imperial decree.

Rewards and punishments were clearly defined, and the emperor also wanted to ensure that officials took their work seriously.