Chapter 123 Reaching Out Will Get You Cut Off

"Sister Yuan, I came to tell you some good news."

"Hmm, have your master and master finally been merciful enough to lower their noble heads and see how the masses are struggling?" Yuan Hongqu said irritably.

She felt that she was probably influenced by Daiyu. She hadn't witnessed the tragedy in Xicheng firsthand, but she felt a deep sense of empathy for it.

In the past, she wasn't the type to stay out of things that didn't concern her, but she wasn't one to meddle in others' business either.

Even though there's no longer that much media coverage, she feels she needs to do her part and fulfill her responsibility regarding the snow disaster in Xicheng.

She initially approached the Rongguo Mansion because she didn't want the Lin family to take the limelight in this matter. However, while the Rongguo Mansion made a grand show of it, they proved useless when it came to actually getting things done, leaving the Lin family to handle it themselves in the end.

The servants who went to the west city brought news that the Lin family was in the first wave to go to the disaster area, followed by the Prince Xian's Mansion, and then the Prince Zhong's Mansion, which was not well prepared.

Meanwhile, the Four Kings and Eight Dukes remained silent for a long time.

"Sister Yuan, His Majesty has read the Second Master's memorial and has now appointed him as the disaster relief envoy to coordinate and direct the disaster relief efforts in the western city."

"That's great. With the lives of the people of Xicheng saved, your second master has been promoted one rank. We should be congratulating you."

They've appointed a disaster relief envoy, but what about the rest? What about the supplies? How are the disaster victims in the western part of the city being resettled? Are the collapsed houses to be rebuilt or repaired? And... so many people have died, how are they going to handle the aftermath? Haven't they learned any lessons?

Wang Xifeng knew that this wasn't what Yuan Hongqu wanted to know, and quickly said...

“Sister, I know you are kind-hearted and can’t bear to see those disaster victims suffer, but there has to be a procedure for everything. Without orders from above, the Second Master wouldn’t dare to act rashly.”

"After the Second Master received his assignment, he first sent Second Master Lian to the West City with the grain and other supplies prepared by the family. Other matters will have to be discussed later."

Yuan Hongqu sneered.

"Then you can take your time to discuss it. If you discuss it for three to five days, the snow will melt, and it will be much easier to go in then."

"Sister Yuan!" Wang Xifeng couldn't help but get anxious when she saw that Yuan Hongqu was very angry today and kept being sarcastic.

"This place is different from where we used to live!"

"Yes, so Second Madam Lian should not tread on such humble ground. Our temple is too small to accommodate the matriarch of the Rongguo Mansion."

"Oh dear, sister, can't you speak properly?" Wang Xifeng said anxiously. "Lian Er has left the inner city and is still far from the west city, but he can't get in! The carriage got stuck in the snow when it got there. Didn't your family already take the things in? Sister Yuan, can you teach us a way? With so many things, we won't be able to get to the west city by nightfall if we just carry them on our shoulders and by hand."

"Why don't you clear the snow first? Just have someone clear a path ahead. In the past, when we fought wars, we built roads through mountains and bridges over rivers. You think a little snow can stop you? Besides, we've already cleared a path for you. Just spread it out to both sides, and the carriages will be able to get in," Yuan Hongqu teased.

"Sister Yuan, please stop joking." Wang Xifeng said helplessly.

"You think they didn't try? They did, but the snow underneath was frozen too solid, and there weren't enough tools to dig it up. If they used fire to melt the snow, the charcoal used for disaster relief in Xicheng probably wouldn't be enough. The Lin family's snow removal team went directly across the snow surface; I heard from others that it was like using a wheeled cart pulled by mules and oxen..."

"What do you mean a cart without wheels? That's a snow sled!" Yuan Hongqu rolled her eyes at Wang Xifeng. "Do you really not even have this much common sense? These things are rare in the capital, but didn't the headman from your estate who came from the Northeast last month to deliver the rent all use a snow sled?"

Wang Xifeng said awkwardly, "I really can't remember right now."

"The Lu family carpentry shop in the south of the city is still making snow sleds. They made some for our family. You should have someone order some quickly, or they'll run out of wood. If they really can't order any, like people say, we can dismantle the cart and use the planks as a makeshift solution."

"Thank you, sister. I'll go arrange it right away." Wang Xifeng said, turning to leave.

"By the way, what methods did you two masters use for disaster relief?"

“Currently, donations are being raised in the imperial court. I heard that His Majesty has also allocated silver from the Imperial Treasury, and the ladies of the various palaces have also sent silver.” Wang Xifeng thought for a moment.

"Make sure the Second Master keeps the amount of each benefactor's donation confidential, and only announces the total amount of funds received the previous day each day. Don't use how much someone donated as a topic of conversation," Yuan Hongqu reminded him.

“Sister Yuan, you don’t understand. In officialdom, if a subordinate donates more than his superior, he might be resented and retaliated against. How could they dare to rashly give more money than their superior?” Wang Xifeng was well aware of these things.

"That's why we asked the Second Master to keep it a secret, but the specific amounts must be reported to the Emperor! This way, none of them will know how much others donated, so how can they incite jealousy? They can only guess. If they donate too little, they won't get the Emperor's favor; if they donate too much, they might arouse suspicion from their superiors. But which is more important, the Emperor's favor or the suspicion from their superiors? They can only donate more, not less. However, after receiving the donation, a receipt must be issued to the donor, and the accounts must be kept clear. Although the Second Master is in charge of this matter, the Emperor probably won't let him manage all of this alone, right?"

Wang Xifeng nodded, "His Majesty also appointed two officials from the Ministry of Revenue and two accountants from the Imperial Household Department to assist him."

"This is about mutual oversight. Your family might not touch this money, but the people below could be a different story. You must remind the Second Master not to be soft-hearted. Anyone who tries to take the disaster relief money must be dealt with severely and without mercy. There are tens of thousands of households in the western city. Even if he uses harsh punishments and offends the wrong people, the Emperor will only praise him. This is a golden opportunity for your family. Now that you've secured it, don't waste it."

Yuan Hongqu couldn't help but remind her of a few more things.

"You have the matriarch of your family to keep things in check, so she must know all this. It just depends on how she explains it to your second master."

"Sister Yuan, thank you for telling me all this." Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Sister Yuan believed that her family wouldn't be tempted by the disaster relief money, but unfortunately, they were family members who started having designs on it before even seeing it.

Since the imperial decree came down today, and the Second Master was appointed as the disaster relief envoy, Master Zhen from the East Mansion came over. When he couldn't see the Second Master, he went to whisper with the First Master.

The master was muddle-headed; after being instigated by Jia Zhen, he suddenly felt that his family's chance to prosper had arrived.