After Zhao Mingyue finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, but then a commotion broke out as everyone began to whisper among themselves.
“Natural disasters are frequent inland. We were just fleeing from disaster when we were tricked into coming here to mine. We don’t know what it will be like when we go back.”
“I’m all alone at home now, and I’d be all alone if I went back. This place can provide three meals a day, and if they give me my monthly salary, I might as well stay.”
“I have family at home, and I want to go back and see them. I don’t want to mine anymore; my body will break down if I keep doing this.”
"It's good that we have three meals a day and money to receive, but I don't know if this is true or not. Are they trying to deceive us? I think if the court conscripts laborers, the situation won't be much better. Now that General Zhao has made a promise, perhaps staying is a good choice."
After a long discussion, 20% of the people said they wanted to leave and didn't want to continue mining, while only 10% said they could still handle it and wanted to earn some money before leaving.
Those who were willing to stay thought that although the Great Jin Dynasty was plagued by natural disasters, the emperor was a capable man who had never mistreated the people during his more than twenty years on the throne. On the contrary, he had always worked diligently to provide disaster relief and try his best to resettle the victims.
Although years of natural disasters have emptied the national treasury, there are silver mines on this island. As long as the silver mines are mined, there will be no shortage of silver. With silver, they can naturally be paid wages. I believe His Majesty will not treat them unfairly.
This General Zhao didn't seem like a cunning or treacherous person; fortune favors the bold, and they were willing to take the gamble.
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