Lin Zhining was greatly surprised and said, "Brother, how dare Chu Huaigui and Wan Jingchen? The Censorate in the capital is not just for show. Don't the censors often expose the corruption of officials in the court?"

Xu Di sneered, "The Censorate is only making a fuss about some obvious things. Can they even investigate cases like this, which require digging into the root of corruption? Can they even conduct any visits? They're all just empty talkers."

Xu Di was furious with those censors who wouldn't let him go. The disaster-stricken people were displaced and desperately needed money and food to help them. Instead, these censors were busy finding fault with this official's wives and concubines or that official's improper behavior. For example, when Xu Di rushed across the sea to Liaodong last time, someone was still impeaching him in court. Not only was Xu Di annoyed, but Emperor Liang Cheng was also troubled. But these were the censors; they had that power. As a wise ruler, if he didn't keep the channels of communication open in court, he would only be criticized as a foolish ruler.

Zheng Boyuan and Lin Zhining burst out laughing. After they had finished laughing, Zheng Boyuan said, "My father and I have suffered so much because of these censors, both openly and secretly. We live under their watchful eyes every day. A single action can make a big fuss about us."

Lin Zhining said with a smile, "Only mediocre people don't attract jealousy. Eldest brother and third uncle are outstanding individuals. They are just envious and jealous of you."

Xu Di thought of the faces of those people in the court and sighed helplessly, saying, "It must be envy, jealousy, and hatred. These people can't stand seeing others do well."

Zheng Boyuan said with deep feeling, "I have the right to speak on this. When we lead troops in the field, life is already tough. When foreign enemies come, we have to risk our lives. If we win a battle, these people don't say anything. But if we lose a battle, look at these people, they jump around and wish they could press you into a mud pit and stomp on you a few times."

The three of them talked until the third watch of the night. The next morning, the cook in charge of cooking at the government office came to Zheng Boyuan and said that someone had sneaked into the grain storage area in the middle of the night. The cook shouted at him twice and the person ran away. He didn't know what the person had done. When the cook went to check in the morning, he couldn't figure out what had happened.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Boyuan dared not be careless and quickly sent people to check each of the sacks containing grain. They found three sacks, all of which were wet.

It's only because the weather has been damp and cloudy these past few days that the water on these burlap sacks, which are filled with grain, has dried so quickly.

The three sacks were carried to the backyard of the government office. They found an empty room and emptied out all the grain. After Bai Zhu and an old doctor carefully examined the sacks, they said that the water on them was water boiled with Gelsemium elegans. People who drank water boiled with Gelsemium elegans would suffer unbearable abdominal pain, and many of them died from the pain.

There was probably some panic last night, and only these three sacks contained the poisonous herb. If there had been more, I doubt anyone eating at the government office would have escaped.

Bai Shu reported the matter to Xu Di, Wu Muyue, Xu Di, and Chen Yuyuan in the backyard. Xu Bai, upon hearing this, exclaimed in surprise, "Are they desperate? Are they using the lives of these common people to vent their anger, or what are they planning to do?"

Chen Yuyuan kept a sullen face and didn't say anything, just kept staring at Wu Muyue. Wu Muyue looked at Chen Yuyuan's expression and said calmly, "The purpose of doing this is actually to create a disturbance, and then they will take advantage of the chaos to do some things. As for the old woman locked up in the backyard, it's probably not that Chu Huaigui didn't want to rescue her, but that he had neither the manpower nor the opportunity."

Xu Yao was a little confused and asked, "Since you know there's a problem, why not just arrest them?"

Xu Di gave a wry smile and said, "Don't I want to arrest him? I don't have the authority. The crimes Chu Huaigui has committed require the court to send someone. When I left Dengzhou, I submitted a secret memorial requesting His Majesty to send someone to arrest him. However, although the water has receded around Miaozhou, the roads and bridges have been destroyed. It will be very difficult to get someone to come over."

Xu Bai sighed, thinking about the actual situation in Miaozhou, and said, "We have actually lost contact with the outside world, but there are still boats belonging to the Ma family of the Caobang on the Miao River, so we can't say we've lost contact. Brother, can't we send someone to come over by boat from the Miao River?"

Xu Di shook his head and said, "At first, it was because the water level on the Miao River was relatively high. Although the current was a bit rapid, the boats on the banks of the channel were all modified and had great kinetic energy. Now the water has receded a lot, and the water level in many places is too low, making it difficult for boats to navigate. Ordinary boats are not suitable either. So now, it's not so easy to travel on the Miao River."

Zheng Boyuan stood up, gritted his teeth, and said, "Since we're all waiting anyway, I'll gather the men and take them outside the city to repair the post road properly."

Xu Di also stood up and said, "That is one way, but you can't do it yourself. Go next door and find Lord Feng. The two of you go together to find Chu Huaigui and ask him to gather people to do it."

Zheng Boyuan looked at Xu Di with a puzzled expression. Xu Di snorted twice and said, "Let's find something for your Lord Chu to do, so he won't be looking for trouble all the time."

Zheng Boyuan was not very convinced that Chu Huaigui could take the lead in doing this. Xu Di explained, "Chu Huaigui is actually quite scared right now. He probably knows that he has been exposed. At this time, in order to keep you calm, he can only pretend to be nonchalant. I estimate that if you go and tell him, he will take action."

Zheng Boyuan thought about it and agreed. If there were no opportunities in the city, then they should look for opportunities outside the city. Moreover, Chu Huaigui was the one who most wanted to make contact with the outside world. The Cao Gang had actually helped Chu Huaigui send a messenger, but unfortunately, that person was intercepted by Xu Di halfway and was still being held in the cabin of the Ma family of the Cao Gang.

Zheng Boyuan got up and went next door. Feng Shaoli, upon hearing Zheng Boyuan's analysis, naturally agreed without hesitation, and the two of them went to the Chu family together.

Around lunchtime, Zheng Boyuan returned and said while eating, "Chu Huaigui agreed and said he would go to the government office this afternoon. Not only the government office, but several inns in the city have been requisitioned by the government office to accommodate disaster victims. Chu Huaigui said he would recruit laborers from these disaster victims to repair roads outside the city."

Lin Zhining asked, "What about the compensation? It can't be working for free, can it?"

Zheng Boyuan said with a smile, "He said that there is still some silver in the government office's account. He wants to take it out first. In addition to providing lunch, those who go to repair the road every day will also be given thirty coins. However, the government office is out of grain and wants us to help requisition some more grain."

Xu Yao laughed and said, "Your Lord Chu is really good at scheming. Whether or not to use that silver in the end is up to you two. He sent you and Lord Feng to requisition grain. I bet you can't buy grain in Miaozhou City even if you have money now. I think he's eyeing the grain we captured."

Xu Di frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Boyuan, it's not just about building roads outside the city, but also about epidemic prevention in the city and some villages outside the city. This is very important and must be done well."

Zheng Boyuan nodded and said, "I've discussed this issue with Feng Shaoli. At the latest, we'll start organizing people to clean the streets by tomorrow, spread quicklime in some places, and we'll also boil the anti-epidemic medicine that my fourth sister and brother-in-law brought into a decoction so that people in the city can come and get it."