Chapter 57

The weather was rather gloomy today, with dark, gray clouds covering the entire Jiangbei Province. The wind whipped the flags on the city walls, and Yuan Qiong stood on a high place, her slender fox eyes as dark as the clouds, her single bun slightly disheveled by the wind.

She looked at Hong Xin: "I remember you said that the prefect had made a deal with Fengyunxu two years ago?"

"Yes. Young lady, do you perhaps wish to visit the Prefect? ​​Or perhaps you'd like to go to jail again?" Hong Xin teased with a smile. To her surprise, Yuan Qiong didn't deny it, but nodded directly: "I am going to the Prefect's residence."

She turned her head and looked down at the dense, lifeless refugee camp below, as if trying to imprint this tragic scene into her mind and heart. Then, without hesitation, she turned and descended the city wall.

Speaking softly in her own voice, she said, “They are my people, and I am their master. They are in dire straits, millions are suffering. I have seen it all, how can I stand idly by? If I cannot save them, who will? Heaven and earth are cruel, bringing disaster upon us. What have the people done to deserve this calamity?”

Hong Xin watched her retreating figure, neither stopping her nor following her.

Is the prefect someone anyone can just meet? She's just a young woman; she couldn't even get through the gates of the prefect's residence, let alone see the prefect.

Even if you are lucky enough to run into the prefect at the gate, based on the experience from last time, you will most likely be driven away or imprisoned!

Hong Xin smiled in a good mood, thinking to herself, "If I save the young lady again, will she fall in love with me?"

In fact, Hung Sin underestimated Yuen King. Having grown up at the very heart of power politics, she naturally knew how to achieve the best results.

Her previous foolish mistake stemmed partly from being too agitated and impulsive after being provoked by Lin Qiang, and partly from failing to properly assess her current situation. Now, having fully grasped her circumstances, she naturally wouldn't repeat such a basic error.

So when she came down from the city wall, she did not go to the prefect's mansion, but went directly to the center of the market.

She rented a chair for five coins and three taels of silver, and found three vendors with the loudest voices to stand in a circle around the chair in the center of the street.

Then, with his hands clasped together and his posture dignified, he stood high on the chair and said softly:

"Since ancient times, one person tills the land while three people eat, yet still go hungry."

Today, among millions of households, not a single hoe or plow is found.

The three vendors were taken aback, somewhat unable to understand what she was saying. But having received their money, they dutifully shouted out her exact words at the top of their lungs:

“My granaries are empty, and my fields are ravaged by locusts.”

"If Heaven does not rain down millet, how can the common people survive?"

The first to react were the scholars in the neighborhood. "My granaries are empty, my fields are ravaged by locusts. Heaven will not rain down millet; how can the people survive?"

Who is speaking out for the refugees in Shandong and Jiangbei?

The rest of the crowd, those who were literate enough to understand poetry, all gathered around. Those who didn't understand began asking those around them what the words meant.

"Heaven and earth are unkind, bringing calamity to the north of Great Yan. We are all citizens of Great Yan, how can we sit idly by? Yesterday, there was a disaster in Shandong, but it did not affect us, so we turned a blind eye. Today, there is a disaster north of the Yangtze River, but it has not affected us, and we still turn a blind eye. What if we are in trouble tomorrow? Will others also turn a blind eye?"

As more and more people gathered, many of them looked at the beautiful woman standing tall and began to whisper among themselves.

"Gentlemen in the provincial capital, after the city gates were placed under martial law, you must have all seen the people outside the city gates, ravaged by the famine and barely recognizable as human beings. Did you feel any pity? Did you feel any compassion? Now, the number of refugees outside the city is increasing, and their numbers are growing larger. Have you not felt even a little bit of worry?"

"What are you worried about?!" someone shouted. "What do we care about the refugees outside the city?!"

Some far-sighted scholars probably already understood what Yuan Qiong was talking about, and their gazes toward her unconsciously carried a hint of admiration!

"Let me ask you all, if the refugees outside the city gates are driven to the brink of desperation and, relying on their numbers, storm into the city, can the defenders of Jiangbei hold it?"

"If the city gates cannot be defended, what if the refugees who have entered the city swarm in and rob you of your food and belongings, or harm you?!"

Of course!

Many people shudder involuntarily when they recall the ferocious way refugees snatch food.

Meanwhile, more and more people gathered on the street...

"I believe that the people of our Jiangbei provincial capital are all kind-hearted. In order for the refugees outside the city to survive, and in order to protect our homes, I propose that all the people of Jiangbei provincial capital jointly write a petition, requesting the prefect to open the granaries and distribute grain to relieve the disaster victims outside the city!"

"good!!!"

Among the crowd, a scholar dressed in a round-necked Confucian robe was the first to excitedly cheer, his gaze towards Yuan Qiong revealing a hint of admiration.

As the ancients said: "Cultivate your mind, regulate your family, govern your state, and bring peace to the world!"

This woman is courageous and resourceful, saying what many ambitious people have wanted to say but haven't, and wanting to do but haven't! How can they, as well-read and learned men, be outdone!

"I humbly request to draft this joint petition first!"

Count me in!

"Me too!"

Once there's a first, there's a second, a third, a fourth... Those who understand the greater good write for the greater good, those who seek only personal gain write to avoid being bothered by refugees, and those who are clueless simply follow the crowd. Before long, a long, rambling petition with thousands of signatures, a jumble of nonsensical scribbles, is ready, and people keep pouring in...

Yuan Qiong, holding the petition and followed by a group of people, headed towards the prefect's residence.

This journey to the prefectural governor's office was not for fame, fortune, power, or for himself.

This time, she wasn't alone, but represented thousands. One person's words are as light as a feather, but ten thousand people's words are as heavy as Mount Tai! She refused to believe that the prefect could arrest her so easily this time!

"Your Excellency, Prefect! There are so many people outside the gate!" The guard at the Prefect's residence rushed in, panting heavily. "Huff, huff, huff... You'd better go and see!"

"What's the matter that you're in such a panic?!" Magistrate Ling frowned and scolded, then strode outside.

The moment the gate opened, his pupils contracted. Thousands of people sat cross-legged in front of his mansion, their dark mass stretching all the way out of the alley, completely blocking the road. The scene was truly spectacular!

He looked closely and saw that the person at the head of the group was none other than the deceased Empress, the eldest daughter of the Yuan family! Instantly, a throbbing pain shot through his temples!

Oh my goodness, what kind of trouble is this now?! None of those surnamed Yuan are any good people!

"What are you all doing? Why are you blocking the gates of this prefecture?"

He deliberately averted his gaze, avoiding looking at Yuan Qiong. But how could Yuan Qiong let him have his way?!

She stood up, and with a quick flick of her inner strength, spread the long petition across the heads of the dense crowd: "Your Excellency, this is a petition from the people of Jiangbei Province. We beg Your Excellency to show compassion to the people outside the city and open the granaries to provide disaster relief!"

What?! Releasing grain?! Are you kidding me?!

"This... the imperial court has not issued any disaster relief documents, so I dare not make a decision on my own!" Prefect Ling composed himself, adopting a concerned and patriotic demeanor, and spoke sincerely: "Moreover, the harvests of the past two years have been poor, and the provincial granaries have little surplus grain. If it is used to provide disaster relief, what if the people of the provincial capital need something in return..."

The words, which left some people wanting more, swayed some of them.

Yes! They're running low on food too! What if they give it to the disaster victims and they don't have enough to eat?

"In the thirty-eighth year of the Youzheng reign, the total surplus grain in Jiangbei Province was 35 million shi, of which 10 million shi were handed over to the national treasury, and the remainder was stored in the granaries in the provincial capital. In the first year of the Chengde reign, the surplus grain in Jiangbei Province was 40 million shi, of which 10 million shi were handed over to the national treasury, and the remainder was stored in the granaries in the provincial capital. In the second year of the Chengde reign, the surplus grain in Jiangbei Province was 31 million shi, of which 10 million shi were handed over to the national treasury, and the remainder was stored in the granaries in the provincial capital."

At this point, Yuan Qiong gritted her teeth. This was only what she knew about the past few years; the rest of the time must have been much longer! The grain stored in a single provincial capital was more than that of the imperial court—how ironic! What was even more ironic was that she knew all about these things, yet she had no way to do anything about these people, because they were the protégés of her grandfather, the prime minister!

"If there is no grain to provide disaster relief, could the Prefect please explain where all the collected grain went?!"

“You…” Prefect Ling panicked, wanting to refute her lies, but dared not.

So, the Empress knew all of this!

"Prefect Ling refuses to open the granaries and distribute grain. What are your true intentions? Have you embezzled all that grain by exchanging it for gold and silver?!"

The sharp questions made the faces of the people present change; no one wanted the grain they had worked so hard to hand over to end up in the pockets of corrupt officials!

"You...you're making false accusations!"

"Then you should take out the grain and distribute it for disaster relief! Prove you haven't embezzled it!" Yuan Qiong glared at him fiercely, as if she wanted to tear a piece of flesh from his body: "If you refuse to open the granaries and distribute grain today, we will replace this petition of ten thousand people with a petition written in blood by ten thousand people and submit it to the court. Let's see how His Majesty and the Prime Minister punish you for this crime of embezzlement!"

"So? Is the Prefect going to throw me in jail like last time?!" Yuan Qiong's words were clearly threatening, her slender fox eyes as cold as ice: "Prefect Ling, do you dare?!"

Do you dare?

With a dense, dark mass of thousands of eyes staring at him from behind, how could he dare to do anything!

"You, you're rebelling! Believe me or not, I'll arrest you and charge you with treason!" Yuan Qiong scoffed at Prefect Ling's outwardly strong but inwardly weak words. She chuckled lightly: "Treason? Who does Prefect intend to hand me over to? The Emperor? The Prime Minister? Or Prince Cheng?"

Does anyone believe she plotted a rebellion?

Does anyone believe that?!

Prefect Ling broke out in a cold sweat, regretting his earlier decision to release Yuan Qiong. Weren't the people from Fengyunxu supposed to handle it? Is this how they dealt with him?!

His expression shifted several times before Magistrate Ling finally relented: "Well, young lady, there are too many people around here. Shall we go inside the manor to discuss this further?"

Immediately someone behind said, "Young lady, don't listen to him! Don't go in with him!"

"Yes! We absolutely mustn't go in!"

"Don't go in! It's dangerous!"

Yuan Qiong turned around, her fox-like eyes filled with warmth, and said with a smile, "As long as you are here, I am not afraid."

That one sentence gave the people outside immense courage. This young woman trusted them so much; they certainly wouldn't let her down!

"Don't worry, young lady! We'll stay right outside the prefect's residence and won't go anywhere! If the prefect dares to touch you, just shout and we'll rush in immediately!"

"Yes, yes, we'll stay here and wait until you come out, young lady!"

Yuan Qiong smiled and nodded to them.

She had only used them to threaten the prefect and bolster her own power. She hadn't expected them to treat her with such sincerity. At this moment, Yuan Qiong truly understood how naive the common people were, how easily they were swayed, and how endearingly foolish they were.