Chapter 142: Imperial Court Movements, Flood Recedes...

The past few years have been tough, especially this year, which has been particularly difficult due to a series of natural disasters that have left no room for respite.

In less than half a month, the five prefectures south of the Yang River were all turned into a vast expanse of water. Not to mention the need to send out manpower, the Dayong Dynasty had no shortage of people, yet they all reached out to the court for money and grain.

Money and provisions?

The Minister of Revenue can pull out the account books and tell you clearly that the national treasury only has a few hundred thousand taels left. Using that money to raise grain is not enough to feed even the people of just one prefecture, let alone five!

You asked if we could use next year's expenses? I'm sorry, the autumn harvest hasn't even started yet and we've already suffered a disaster. The area south of the Yang River is a major production area for grain and cash crops. If we can't collect grain taxes this year, we might not be able to next year either.

Five prefectures were affected by the floods. The imperial court couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could it? Putting aside everything else, Yingzhou Prefecture was the foundation of the imperial family. Could the emperor really ignore the ancestral temples and ancestors?

But what if the national treasury really can't come up with any money?

The answer points directly to the imperial treasury, or rather, His Majesty's private treasury.

Inside the magnificent palace, all the civil and military officials were completely silent, not daring to utter a sound, while the one sitting at the head of the table had a face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

Before Emperor Chengtai, a mountain of memorials pleaded for manpower and disaster relief funds. She rubbed her forehead in exasperation, feeling as if her head had been split in two.

So many things have happened this year that she even suspects that some ancestor buried the body in the wrong location, or that the dragon vein has encountered some kind of problem.

The national treasury is empty, fine, now the whole world is eyeing her purse, does that mean she's suddenly rich?

Indeed, there were. Last time, when they raided Xu Pin's hideout, they seized a lot of silver and land. There was also the offering from Yinzhou Prefecture the time before last, which was said to be a selfless donation from a local tycoon.

But Emperor Chengtai intended to keep this money for the construction and maintenance of the Longevity Palace. How could he possibly give it away? The creatures below were all greedy and insatiable. Could she possibly take it back after giving it away?

Emperor Chengtai couldn't ignore his clan and ancestral lands, but he also couldn't bear to see his own pockets empty.

She seemed helpless, waving her hand wearily, "We'll discuss this later."

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. Even though His Majesty was being stingy and his methods of extorting money were not honorable, they had their doubts but dared not speak out for their own safety, lest they become the next Zong Xiang or Xu Xiang.

The new Minister of Personnel, Gao Xiang, kept her eyes downcast, appearing every inch the wise and virtuous minister. She bent her knees slightly as she was about to kneel down to pay her respects to Emperor Chengtai, and the entire Ministry of Personnel behind her also began to kneel down in unison.

The other five ministers lowered their eyes, some with contempt, some with indifference, and some with calm indifference. The position of Grand Secretary was still undecided, and they were all waiting for an opportunity—a turning point that would not offend the Emperor but would benefit their own side.

Just when the court officials thought the grand court assembly was over...

Unexpectedly, a guard rushed into the hall, knelt on the ground, and said in a sorrowful tone: "Your Majesty, the virtuous prince who was stationed in Yingzhou Prefecture has unfortunately died in the flood. The deposed... commoner Chen Jue was hit by a collapsing roof beam, and his fate is unknown."

Upon hearing this devastating news, Emperor Chengtai's face turned deathly pale. He felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and his body swayed slightly, almost losing his balance.

One was her aunt who had raised her, and the other was her own daughter whom she had personally raised. How could she bear it when they both suffered accidents today?

Xu Qiu quickly helped her to her feet, his face full of worry, "Your Majesty..."

Ning Yuanzhi's expression turned serious, and a surge of emotions welled up inside her, all telling her that the time had come.

She stepped forward without delay, her voice firm and resolute: "Your Majesty, I earnestly request that you issue an edict for disaster relief to comfort the spirit of the virtuous king in heaven."

The other five ministers, who had just taken a step, froze, cursing inwardly: "No wonder they're like weasels stealing chickens, so quick and efficient!"

Having lost their initiative, they could only follow behind and second the motion: "Your Majesty, we humbly request that Your Majesty issue an edict to provide disaster relief, to comfort the spirit of the virtuous king in heaven, and to save the millions of people suffering from the disaster."

Emperor Chengtai's back hunched slightly as he staggered to his seat, looking around the room like a weary and sorrowful old man.

After a long silence, she finally relented, "Order the Hanlin Academy to draft an edict to procure grain, dispatch more soldiers, and go to provide disaster relief. The funds shall be drawn from my private treasury, and an imperial edict shall be issued..." Her cloudy eyes swept across the room, finally skipping over Ning Yuanzhi and landing on one person, "I hereby appoint Han Bingyue, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, as the Governor-General, in charge of disaster relief across the five continents; and Lu You, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, as the Deputy Governor-General, to assist the Governor-General in disaster relief."

Han Bingyue stepped forward from behind and kowtowed to express his gratitude for the Emperor's grace.

Ning Yuanzhi's efforts were in vain. The other five ministers, who should have been gloating, couldn't feel happy at all. Their gloomy gazes fell on the figure in front of them. His Majesty valued this Han Bingyue too much.

Even a lowly fifth-rank official is more favored than them.

Once we return to Beijing after disaster relief and are gilded, will we be able to compete with them?

After Lu You returned to the capital from Zhangzhou Prefecture, he was reinstated to his original position, but there was no place for her in the Ministry of Rites, so he was transferred to the Ministry of Works. She quickly stepped forward, one step behind Han Bingyue, and kowtowed to express her gratitude. When the Emperor appointed her as the Deputy Governor for Disaster Relief, she showed no unusual expression.

The current dynasty has never appointed a deputy governor. And since both are of the fifth rank, the chief governor is a civil official with no experience in disaster relief, and no one with experience and achievements is chosen. It is obvious to everyone that this job is left to the deputy governor, and the achievements are accumulated by the chief governor.

But Lu You had no complaints whatsoever. She wanted to uphold her teacher's last wish and be a good official who did good deeds for the people. It didn't matter whether she was a high-ranking official, had many merits or achievements, or even whether the deeds were hers or not.

The teacher lived too short a life and had many unfulfilled regrets. Lu You hopes to make up for all her regrets at the same time.

Eliminate the treacherous officials, liberate the people, and restore peace and tranquility to the world.

...

Looking back at Fengxian, after half a month, all the basic facilities were completed, and the floating corpses below were all retrieved. After the memorial service and burial, the women and villagers finally emerged from their grief.

Fearing an outbreak of disease, Zhang Ting specifically ordered that all corpses, whether of people or animals, must be buried in deep pits, scattering wood ash over them, and avoiding water sources by three hundred paces.

A few days later, the weather was fine, the floodwaters receded, and little by little the ground covered in red mud was revealed.

The county residents cheered and spread the news, knowing they would soon be able to return to their homes.

A smile appeared on Zhang Ting's face. He then summoned the county magistrate, county lieutenant, and county registrar to discuss the reconstruction plan for Fengxian. Well... in this remote and impoverished county with little rainfall, the county magistrate, county lieutenant, and county registrar had never been exposed to this kind of knowledge before and were mainly following Zhang Ting's instructions.

First, a search must be conducted at the original site of the county town to determine if any corpses remain. If any are found, they must be buried in a deep pit and then covered with wood ash and lime. Next, the original buildings, having been flooded, may collapse, so potential hazards need to be investigated. All the original streets and residences must be disinfected by fumigation with Atractylodes lancea, and then the walls must be washed with lime water and wood ash water. Upon returning to the original residences, water must not be drawn directly from the river again; Zhang Ting plans to organize the digging of new wells…

Hearing all this, the county magistrate, the county lieutenant, and the county registrar nodded repeatedly and silently memorized it. Although they didn't understand it, they were sure that Lord Zhang was right!

Finally, Zhang Ting approved an incentive policy: "Any old house that needs to be rebuilt can exchange its labor for timber in the warehouse. I will also have people start firing the tile kiln and brick kiln on a chosen day, so that they can be used for exchange." The timber that the idle young and strong men brought over some time ago will now have a place to go, won't it?

Those who have no house to live in or want to live in a new house should be encouraged to work hard for her, right? The reconstruction of Fengxian is just around the corner.

Exchange? That's an unfamiliar term.

In the past, if we needed to do something, wouldn't it have been easier to just conscript some laborers? How come we can exchange these good things for free with just a little labor?

The three looked at each other, their minds blank as if tangled in a ball of yarn, unable to react for a long time. When they came to their senses, they were overjoyed. This was an incredible stroke of good news!

The group of people happily thanked Zhang Ting for his kindness on behalf of the people of the county. Then the county magistrate encountered a problem: "Sir, we don't have any brick or tile kilns in Fengxian... and we've never heard of anyone who knows how to do this kind of work." The elderly folks all live in mud houses, and some of them have never even seen bricks or tiles in their entire lives.

Not to mention the residential houses, even the road leading to the official residence and county government office... was a dirt road, and in the summer, it was covered in dust.

There's nothing we can do, Fengxian is poor.

The villagers go to other places to make a living and want to learn a skill, but the people there are unwilling to teach their livelihood to others.

The adults' idea is good. Let's not talk about the timber; we have plenty of it in our own mountains. But what about the bricks and tiles?

The county magistrate looked at their county's official, whose clothes were torn in many places, revealing glimpses of the white undergarment underneath, which had been ripped by branches from the mountains. Even so, the official's noble and extraordinary demeanor could not be concealed.

The county magistrate lowered his head in shame. Fengxian was really too poor. They had finally welcomed such a good official, but he was not eating or living well, and his clothes were tattered. Now the official had come up with a way to benefit the people, but Fengxian could not implement it.

The county clerk and the county constable also lowered their heads in shame, saying, "Sir, our Fengxian is really too poor, and we've wronged you."

Zhang Ting paused slightly, then smiled and said, "I naturally knew about the local situation before I came here." She stood up and came to the three of them. "You don't need to worry. I came here to change this place, so that the people of Fengxian can have neat and comfortable clothes to wear, clean and sweet rice to eat, and dry and sturdy houses to live in."

“I have a plan for this,” she said, her smile widening as she extended her hand to the three men. “Would you all be willing to join Zhang Ting in reshaping the lives of ordinary people and creating an unprecedented era of prosperity for Fengxian?”

The three stared at her in a daze, an indescribable tremor rising in their hearts. The person standing before them was like a deity enshrined in a temple, radiating an inviolable brilliance, pure and flawless, protecting all things, her voice as clear as gold and jade, making them tremble with excitement whenever they stood in front of her.

Their hands trembled as they reached out, unable to contain the surging excitement in their hearts. "We will obey your commands, sir! We swear to follow you to the death!"

Even years later, when the three women held high positions, they would always remember that it was in this humble little cave that they met the god they had pursued their entire lives.