Chapter 223 Speculation
Jiang Huan paused slightly, clearly hearing the anger and anxiety churning within Huo Lin's heart.
[A bunch of idiots, all they know is to shout for war!]
"The refugees are also my subjects. Starving and freezing, who wouldn't want to live?"
Kill them all? Can we kill them all? If we kill them all, who will farm the land? Who will pay the taxes?
[And then there's the aftermath of the floods in Jiangnan. After the money was allocated, it was skimmed off at each level, leaving the common people with hardly any money left.]
These parasites! I wish I could...
Huo Lin's inner thoughts were filled with violence and a deep sense of powerlessness, like a wild beast trapped in a cage with no way out.
Jiang Huan's heart sank slightly.
She knew that Huo Lin was under immense pressure, with issues such as resettling displaced people and official corruption being particularly difficult to resolve.
The ministers in the court were either incompetent and power-hungry, or only interested in factional infighting; very few could truly share his burdens.
Although she had secretly helped him before, she was always careful, afraid of revealing too much and arousing his suspicion.
But at this moment, listening to the barely contained anger and deep-seated worries in his heart, and seeing his increasingly thin figure, Jiang Huan's concerns suddenly became insignificant.
This can't go on.
Since you chose him, since you love him, you can't just stand by and watch him be crushed by these lousy things and driven to his death by these parasites!
I don't care about being exposed or suspected anymore.
Even if it means burning our bridges, we must help him share the burden.
An unprecedentedly firm idea took shape in Jiang Huan's mind. She took a deep breath and reached out to push open the door to the Imperial Study.
The moment Huo Lin raised his eyes, that chill vanished without a trace.
His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, but the weariness in his eyes remained profound.
What brings you here?
"Come and see the Emperor." Jiang Huan walked forward with a smile and naturally took his arm. "No matter how busy you are, you have to rest. Even the biggest things need a break to clear your mind."
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the scattered memorials on the ground.
"I wonder what troubles Your Majesty?"
As Huo Lin was pulled along, his tense nerves softened slightly, but the worry between his brows did not dissipate.
"It's still those same old problems about resettling displaced people and bureaucratic corruption. A bunch of good-for-nothings who can't offer a single useful suggestion."
"Then..." Jiang Huan looked at Huo Lin, her eyes clear, "Your Majesty, could you tell me exactly where the difficulty lies? Perhaps I can help think of a solution?"
Huo Lin looked at her with some surprise.
[She wants to help?]
However, she has helped me before, always with remarkable intelligence and efficiency. Perhaps she will have a solution this time as well.
"There are many difficulties." Huo Lin's voice was low. "Several northern states have suffered from drought, resulting in no harvest. Floods of refugees are heading towards the capital. The number of people is huge, and there is a severe shortage of resettlement sites, food, and medicine. Local officials are either shirking their responsibilities or helpless. What's even more hateful is that some powerful and wicked people are taking advantage of the situation to seize the land of the refugees at low prices and even forcibly abduct people to be enslaved."
The more he spoke, the more his brows furrowed, and the heavier his tone became.
"The disaster relief funds allocated by the court are siphoned off at every level, and less than one-tenth actually reaches the hands of the displaced people. The imperial envoys I sent to inspect the area have either been bribed or obstructed by local forces, making it difficult for them to accomplish anything. Now the displaced people are gathered outside several major cities, suffering from hunger and cold, and their complaints are widespread. If we are not careful, it could become a prairie fire."
Jiang Huan listened quietly, her mind racing as she considered a solution.
It was indeed worse than he had imagined. Natural disasters, man-made calamities, and rampant corruption among officials—no wonder he was so overwhelmed with problems.
Thinking of some recorded cases she had read in modern books, Jiang Huan took a deep breath.
“Your Majesty,” she said in a clear and steady voice, “I believe that the most urgent task is to implement work relief.”
Huo Lin was slightly taken aback: "Work relief instead of economic relief?"
"right."
Jiang Huan nodded and explained clearly and logically.
"Instead of letting the refugees idle away their time and gather to cause trouble, it would be better to organize them to build water conservancy projects, fortify city walls, and repair official roads. The court would provide them with basic food and lodging and meager wages, which would not only give them a way to survive and prevent them from starving to death, but also give them something to do, stabilize the people's hearts, and enable them to contribute to local development."
She paused, then emphasized, "At the same time, we must thoroughly investigate corruption. We can send trusted censors or close ministers, armed with imperial swords, to conduct undercover investigations to thoroughly investigate the whereabouts of disaster relief funds and grain, severely punish corrupt officials and powerful figures who exploit the displaced people, and make an example of them to deter others. We will show absolutely no leniency."
"Furthermore, we can encourage displaced people to return to their hometowns and resume farming. The imperial court can provide seeds and farming tools, reduce or exempt taxes in disaster-stricken areas, and even provide certain subsidies for returning home, so that they can see hope for rebuilding their homes."
“For the elderly, weak, women and children who are really unable to return to their hometowns, temporary shelters can be set up outside the city, managed by the government, and basic food rations can be distributed. Charitable organizations or wealthy households in the city can provide assistance.”
"In addition, we must crack down hard on the powerful and wicked gentry who take advantage of the situation to seize land and forcibly abduct people. We must not only recover the land and return the refugees, but also impose heavy penalties, even confiscate their property and exile them, as a warning to others. Only by cutting off the roots of these parasites can we allow the refugees to truly return home and rebuild their homes."
Jiang Huan had a clear mind and offered suggestions one by one without hesitation.
With a firm tone and bright eyes, she spoke without reservation about what she knew and thought, combined with the actual situation of this era.
As Huo Lin listened, the surprise in his eyes grew stronger and stronger, eventually turning into deep shock.
So specific, so targeted.
Being a concubine is truly beneath her; she should be shining brightly in the imperial court!
Huo Lin's heart was filled with disbelief and astonishment as he scrutinized Jiang Huan with sharp eyes, as if he were truly getting to know her for the first time.
Jiang Huan met his gaze without flinching, her expression one of openness and determination.
Guess all you want, doubt all you want, it doesn't matter.
So be it, she's a reincarnation of Zhuge Liang. That's just how smart she is; she's laid her cards on the table.
As long as it can help him, as long as it can lighten his burden, that's enough.
at the same time.
He Ling carried the elegant brocade gift box back to her side hall.
She hastily dismissed the palace maids, closed the palace doors, and placed the gift box on the table.
What gift would the Empress give her?
I can't wait!
She took a deep breath, and with immense excitement, untied the ribbon on the brocade, then gently lifted the lid of the box.
The contents of the box were revealed, and He Ling's smile instantly froze.
Her eyes widened suddenly, her pupils contracted sharply, as if she had seen something utterly unbelievable.
Inside the box, a Chinese knot woven from bright red rope lay quietly.
He Ling's mind went blank, as if she had been struck by lightning.
How is this possible? This is ancient times! Aren't Chinese knots a modern invention?
Why would Your Highness do this? Could it be that Your Highness...
"Also a time traveler?"
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