Chapter 557: Dirty Trick
Refugees are not labor force. Only those who can be tied to the fields obediently are assets.
Refugees with nothing will only be a burden to the government and a source of unrest.
As the drought intensified, the collection of grain taxes was gradually carried out. Sporadic starving people appeared in various parts of Hezhong County, fleeing from the countryside and mountains to Hezhong Prefecture.
Hezhong Prefecture was not as wealthy as they had imagined, and many local people in the prefecture were begging on the streets.
The governor of Hezhong County ordered the city gates to be closed and refugees were not allowed to enter the city. At the same time, he wrote a memorial to the capital to request disaster relief resources.
The situation in the counties below is no better than that in Hezhong Prefecture.
Population is also a major factor in the evaluation of officials. In addition, the magistrate of Pingyang County was desperate and not only did not keep the refugees, but also led them to Wudu County.
Other county magistrates did not dare to allow refugees to leave the county at will.
However, if we want to provide disaster relief, we also need to store grain. The county’s grain reserves are not enough, so we must get grain from the state to provide disaster relief.
So, one after another documents requesting the governor to approve grain were delivered to the desk of the governor of Hezhong County.
Li Mingde's heart was pounding. "Sir Governor, there are more and more hungry people outside the city. If we don't distribute porridge and food, I'm afraid there will be civil unrest."
The governor of Hezhong County glanced at Li Mingde calmly and said, "If there is no food coming from the capital, how can we provide disaster relief?"
The governor of Hezhong County looked like he had no money and didn't care about the matter at all.
Li Mingde had no choice but to be pulled over by the Tongpan as soon as he left the governor's mansion.
"Don't worry about him, bring your men with me, and we'll go and distribute the grain!"
Every state and county has a granary.
The key to Hezhong County's Changping Warehouse is in the hands of Wu Tongpan.
Li Mingde, along with a group of yamen officials, followed Judge Wu and headed straight to the Changping Warehouse.
Although the key was in the hands of Pan Wu, the people in charge of guarding the granary were the governor's men.
Wu Tongpan shouted angrily: "Get out of my way! Anyone who dares to stop us from providing disaster relief will be arrested!"
A group of yamen runners rushed over and quickly opened the warehouses everywhere.
Li Mingde followed Pan Wu into one of the warehouses and found that there were only spices but no food stored inside.
Wu Tongpan: "Sell all these spices and exchange them for food."
They went to several other warehouses and found that the outside of those warehouses were filled with stale grain, but the inside was filled with sand!
Wu Tongpan's head was buzzing. What a damn governor! He resold the government grain and wanted him to take the blame!
If this matter were to be exposed, neither of them would benefit.
But the imperial court was not foolish. Even if it needed disaster relief, it would take into account the local grain reserves in Hezhong County, rather than just providing as much as Hezhong County asked for.
Li Mingde lowered his head, waiting to see what choice Judge Wu would make in the end.
After half an incense stick of time, Wu Tongpan said: "Take the old grain as well to provide disaster relief."
And then nothing happened.
It was as if the sand did not exist, and the reselling of government grain did not occur.
Li Mingde sighed secretly in his heart. The only clean stream in the officialdom of Hezhong County was just like this.
There are more and more hungry people outside the city, and these old grains are just a drop in the bucket.
Many of the counties under it could no longer hold on and had to open the floodgates and no longer restrict the movements of these hungry people.
When the people from various counties heard that Hezhong Prefecture was providing disaster relief, they took their elderly and children with them, begged along the streets, and headed to the provincial capital.
Along the way, many people starved to death and their bodies were eaten by wild dogs.
There were more and more believers in the evil god, and many people went hungry and prayed to the evil god for protection.
However, the closer they got to the provincial capital, the more news they received. Compared to believing in those evil gods, it seemed more reliable to seek refuge in Shuozhou.
"I heard that Shuozhou Prefecture was occupied by Duke Yun."
"That was so long ago! I know that in Shuozhou, all the land belongs to the government."
"Alas, their lives will be even more difficult!"
"You are wrong! The government provides farmland, good seeds, and oxen, including grain tax, and only collects 40% a year!"
The people around turned their heads and asked: "Is this true? Do you want to sign a contract to sell yourself?"
"No. But we have to transfer our household registration there, and we have to rent the land for at least ten years."
A man licked his lips and said, "Refugees are also OK?"
"I heard that refugees are also fine. Didn't Yunzhou just finish the war? They are short of people right now, so they offer such tempting conditions. I'm not sure if such a good policy will still be available when there is no shortage of people."
Everyone was a little excited.
"Let me think about it again. If we sign for ten years, wouldn't it be like taking root in Shuozhou?"
The reason why refugees are not welcomed is that they find it hard to leave their homeland.
When famine occurred, they fled to other places to survive.
When the famine is over, they will return to their hometown.
This is equivalent to transferring the pressure of disaster relief to other counties and returning to local construction when the victims can create value.
Which county magistrate would be willing to do that?
The condition proposed by Shuozhou that the contract must be signed for at least ten years was also to prevent the refugees from abandoning the reclaimed land and running away after a famine.
The refugees outside the city were in a state of panic.
If you can have a meal in your hometown, who would be willing to leave?
People are looked down upon when they leave their hometown. People in Shuozhou say it sounds good, but who knows the real situation?
In the city, the decree from Kyoto also arrived.
The young emperor ordered Hezhong County to immediately begin disaster relief work and to ensure that civil unrest like the last time would not happen again!
In response to this, the young emperor specially allocated a large amount of relief grain, which was about to arrive in Hezhong County via the canal.
The governor and the judge took a look at the amount of relief grain, looked at each other, and then turned their heads away silently.
After a long time, Wu Tongpan couldn't hold back his anger and said, "This relief grain may seem like a lot, but only 70% of it will remain in our hands. If we make up for the shortfall, this relief grain will probably not be enough."
Speaking of this, Pan Wu was filled with anger.
He didn't get anything done, but still had to take the blame. The key was that he couldn't let this matter get out to anyone, otherwise his official career would be over.
It's really frustrating!
The governor stroked his beard, with a gleam in his eyes: "Let's first give out porridge to stabilize these hungry people. Then we can find a way to lead them to Shuozhou."
"Gu Nanxi is not a fool. Can she accept these starving people?"
The governor sneered: "She has to accept it even if she doesn't want to! Isn't her reputation for serving the country and the people? Why doesn't she care about the hungry people?"
Judge Wu thought more deeply: "There are at least 40,000 to 50,000 refugees in Hezhong County! If so many refugees go to Shuozhou and are really stabilized by Gu Nanxi, this will mean tens of thousands of troops! If the government investigates..."
Governor: "Even if we want to stabilize these refugees, it will take until next year. What we need to consider now is whether we can get through this hurdle. Are you going to do it or not?"
Wu Tongpan was still hesitant. Seeing this, the governor whispered something in his ear.
Judge Wu stroked his beard, his eyes becoming brighter and brighter: "Fuck!"
(End of this chapter)
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