Taking a deep breath, the Emperor asked for the third time, "Today, which of my ministers is willing to go to the Northwest to provide disaster relief?"

"Your subject is willing to go." Pei Xuan, one of the officials, stepped forward and knelt down, volunteering for the mission. He had naturally heard the whispers around him; he hadn't stepped forward before because he wanted to hear what their motivations were.

The Emperor was immediately delighted and granted permission: "Very good, there is still someone who considers the big picture."

He first praised Pei Xuan, then quickly arranged related matters: "Minister Pei, I will immediately notify the Ministry of Revenue to allocate disaster relief funds. I will also arrange the grain and other necessities for you. Once you arrive, focus on disaster relief first, and then we can discuss other matters."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will depart immediately." Pei Xuan said, bowing deeply to the Emperor to show his loyalty.

The Emperor was very pleased to see this and immediately praised it, saying, "Excellent!"

After the court session, Pei Xuan immediately went home to pack his bags and prepare to go to the Northwest for disaster relief. However, it was almost noon and the Ministry of Revenue had not made any move and still had not allocated any funds.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; how can we provide disaster relief without money?

Pei Xuan frowned and paced around the room twice. He realized this wasn't a solution and he had to go to the Ministry of Revenue. So he mounted his horse and rode off to see what was going on. This was a matter of life and death, and the Ministry of Revenue had dragged it out until now without taking any action? They should be severely punished for dereliction of duty.

After the others arrived, they found the Ministry of Revenue unusually empty. He checked several times to make sure he hadn't gone to the wrong place, and only after confirming that there were no people inside did he suspiciously walk in.

Having finally found the Minister of Revenue, who was currently dealing with a mountain of official documents, Pei Xuan went around to the back of the table, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Minister, when will you allocate the disaster relief funds for me? This is a matter of life and death, and you can't keep delaying like this."

Although Pei Xuan felt that the Ministry of Revenue was inefficient, he still spoke politely, after all, he needed money from them.

To everyone's surprise, the Minister of Revenue did not show much emotion after hearing this. He raised his head, cracked his neck, and said, "Lord Pei, please go back and wait a little longer."

He bowed to Pei Xuan, which was quite polite, and then buried his head in his official documents again.

Although Pei Xuan was somewhat displeased, he returned to the Pei residence and waited patiently after hearing him say to wait a little longer.

He thought the money would arrive soon, but he waited until evening, and no one came to his door.

He hadn't received a single coin from the Ministry of Revenue by the time it was completely dark outside. His face darkened, and he wanted to confront the Minister of Revenue, only to find that the minister had already fled. He was so angry he almost twisted his nose.

Pei Xuan was both angry and annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. He could only meet with the emperor late at night and ask him to make a decision.

"Your Majesty," Pei Xuan said, his face full of indignation, "I intended to set off immediately after returning from court, but the silver has been delayed for a long time. I went to the Ministry of Revenue twice to inquire. The first time, the Minister of Revenue told me to go home and wait. I waited until dark, and when I went back, the Minister had already run away." After all, the disaster was urgent and could not wait. He could wait, but how could the suffering people afford to wait? They were short of food and clothing and needed the court's help, but the Ministry of Revenue had pulled this stunt.

"Is this really true?" The Emperor was furious upon hearing this, slamming his fist on the table and immediately sending someone to find the Minister of Revenue.

He finally found someone willing to go to the Northwest for disaster relief, but unexpectedly, there was a problem with the money. How could he not be upset?

The Minister of Revenue did not actually run away; he simply went home for dinner and rest as usual. Upon entering the palace and seeing the Emperor, he immediately knelt down to report.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this old minister has been wronged!" He spoke with such sincerity that even the emperor could no longer discern who was truly wronged.

The Emperor glanced at him and asked calmly, "I haven't even said what it is yet and you're already crying foul? Can I say you're trying too hard to cover up your grievances? But if you say you're wronged, then let me ask you, what is your basis for this grievance? Why didn't you allocate the funds to Lord Pei?"

"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to give Lord Pei money. I am also heartbroken by the floods in the Northwest. It's just that the national treasury is empty, with hardly any left. How can I possibly come up with any money?" The Minister of Revenue said, wiping away tears from the corner of his eyes.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Why is this? This year is another bumper harvest in Jiangnan, and all the taxes have been paid in full. How come the national treasury can't even come up with some money for disaster relief?"

"Your Majesty, it is true that there has been a bumper harvest in Jiangnan, and all the taxes have been collected. However, all the civil and military officials have come to the Ministry of Revenue to borrow money, but no one is repaying it at all," the Minister of Revenue said, becoming more and more agitated. He coughed heavily a few times before finishing. "This old minister is willing but unable to do so. I urge them to repay the money every day, but no one is willing to pay attention to me. Those who are perfunctory will not even see me and will just hand me an official document."

Pei Xuan was also moved when he heard this. He remembered that he had indeed seen the Minister of Revenue surrounded by mountains of official documents, but he did not expect it to be for this reason. He suddenly wondered if he had been too reckless.

The emperor couldn't help but sigh and rub his forehead. He, the ruler of a country, couldn't even come up with the money for disaster relief. If word got out, wouldn't he be called a foolish ruler?

"Alright, I understand. You may both leave." His Majesty waved his hand impatiently, signaling the two men to leave.

Upon seeing this, Lord Pei and the Minister of Revenue exchanged a glance, then quickly kowtowed and left the palace: "Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave."

The two said the same thing in unison, and then hurriedly left.

At the entrance of the Golden Hall, Pei Xuan called out to the Minister of Revenue.

"Your Excellency, I am truly sorry for what happened today. I am also concerned about the disaster victims, and I had no choice but to come to His Majesty for help. Please do not blame me." Pei Xuan cupped his hands and said these words.

"Lord Pei, you flatter me. Of course I also want to solve the problem, but I am just a lowly official with little influence. Now that His Majesty is upholding justice, I believe we can raise the money soon." The Minister of Revenue waved his hands repeatedly. He was naturally very grateful to Pei Xuan. After all, for a minor official like him to see the Emperor, he had to ask for permission from all levels of government, which was why he had accumulated so much debt.

Inside the Golden Palace, His Majesty paced back and forth, carefully considering whether there was any good solution. He continued thinking until late at night before the lights in the Golden Palace were extinguished. It is unknown whether His Majesty has come up with a solution.