Xuzhou, outside the prefectural government office.
He Wenqin stood on the street, stopped a passerby, and asked with a smile:
"Young man, I want to ask, since the flood in Xuzhou, what have the Xuzhou officials done? Distributing food? Relocating the victims? Giving out porridge?"
The young man had also gone to the post house to cause trouble yesterday. When he saw He Wenqin questioning him, he felt a little guilty, but he still told the truth:
"I don't know what the officials have done, I only know that tens of thousands of people have poured into Xuzhou City!
Sir, just look around and you will see that there are one or two people in tattered clothes and starving in every corner.
They are not beggars, they are fellow villagers who have come to seek refuge!"
As the young man spoke, his tone couldn't help but become a little reproachful!
Perhaps he realized that what he said was a bit too much. The person in front of him was the imperial envoy sent by the emperor, who was even more powerful than their prefect!
If this person and the prefect are protecting each other, then what I said would be treasonous!
His face turned pale and he said goodbye in a hurry and left.
After hearing what the man said, He Wenqin looked towards the wall not far away.
There was a thinly dressed man leaning against the wall. He waved to the man and asked:
"Brother, when and where did you come to Xuzhou City?"
The man rubbed his black hands, and his eyes were unconsciously evasive.
But he still forced a stiff smile on his face, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Their homes were destroyed and they were displaced.
But when he met the court officials, he was so humble that he didn't dare to reveal even a little bit!
He cleared his throat and whispered:
"I came from Tongshan County more than two months ago."
He Wenqin felt pity for him when he saw him like this, and hurriedly comforted him:
"Brother, don't be afraid.
I came here this time in compliance with the order of our Emperor, specifically to investigate this matter.
Could you please tell me about the situation in Tongshan County?"
When the man heard this, he became a little bolder. After a moment's hesitation, he whispered:
“In reply to your Excellency, Tongshan County is located at a low altitude, and the dike should have been built long ago!
More than two months ago, during the summer, the dam collapsed completely due to continuous rain for several days.
Several villages in the county were washed away, and even the county seat was flooded to the depths of a foot!"
He Wenqin asked again, "After the flood, what can the county magistrate do?"
As soon as he finished speaking, an old man in his sixties came over with a cane and continued:
"Sir, now that things have come to this, it's too easy to hold the officials accountable!
But the weather is about to get colder, and those villagers who came here to seek refuge still have no place to stay. How will they survive the winter?
He Wenqin nodded and said:
"Old man, you are thoughtful. I will resolve this matter as soon as possible!"
His humble and kind attitude made people on the street respect him more.
Even the common people who went to the gate of the post station to cause trouble yesterday had changed their opinion of the imperial envoy.
More than a dozen people surrounded He Wenqin and started talking at once.
When Jia Wensheng arrived outside the prefectural government office, he saw this scene!
His heart sank. Those unruly people were so talkative!
He hurried over and said with a smile:
"I didn't know Lord He had arrived. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please come in!"
As soon as Jia Wensheng appeared, the people who were talking around him immediately fell silent!
After they knelt down and kowtowed, they left in a hurry.
He Wenqin saw this and the smile on his face faded a little. He said in a cold tone:
"Master Jia, please!"
When the two entered the yamen court, He Wenqin sat directly in the upper seat and asked:
"Sir Jia, as the governor of Xuzhou, why didn't you report this disaster to the court immediately?
What are you hiding?
Counties like Tongshan County are suffering from severe flooding. Have you set up porridge stalls, opened granaries to distribute grain, provided relief to the victims, built camps, and repaired levees?
Seeing this, Jia Wensheng knelt down and cried:
"Your Excellency, the Imperial Envoy, please understand!
This area of Xuzhou is flooded every year and the harvest is extremely poor!
The annual land tax was not much to begin with. After being handed over to the Ministry of Revenue, the little remaining money was used to repair flooded government offices and temples in various places, reward subordinates, and receive passing officials!
Xuzhou is a transportation hub, and many bandits want to target passing merchants.
Naturally, suppressing bandits requires a lot of manpower and financial resources!
Speaking of which, what worries me most is the rice in the government warehouse. Now...
The lower official is guilty! "
He Wenqin frowned and asked:
"What does this mean, Master Jia?
There is grain in the government warehouse? Why don’t you release it for disaster relief?!”
He Wenqin sighed:
"Sir, I can only blame God for the great disaster that has befallen Xuzhou!
The tens of thousands of dan of rice in our government granary could have allowed us to survive the disaster safely!
Because of the abundant rain and the moisture after irrigation, all the rice became moldy!
How could we dare to feed the people with rice like that?
The adults asked, what about the porridge stall?
We in Xuzhou have been giving out free porridge for over a month! We are using the last bit of tax money!
In Xuzhou, we really are crying out to heaven and earth for help, but no one is responding!"
He wiped away a tear and continued:
"Your Excellency, I am sorry to have asked this humble official to wait, and the people of Xuzhou to wait too!"
He Wenqin heard this, his eyes narrowed, and asked:
“Are there records of the use of silver by the county branches, the receptions received by officials, and the suppression of bandits, etc.?
Please bring the account book, Mr. Jia!
I would also like to ask, has the Xuzhou porridge stall been open for more than a month?
As far as I know, this porridge stall on Fuqian Street has only been open for ten days, right?"
Jia Wensheng said sincerely:
"Xuzhou was hit by a flood, and I have been busy all day providing disaster relief and comforting the people. Once the account books are sorted out, I will submit them to you, Your Excellency.
The first porridge stall in Xuzhou was in the City God Temple. I have handed it over to Xuzhou Tongzhi, Master Fu Tong, to personally handle it. There will be no mistakes!
Fu Tong?
When He Wenqin heard this, he was puzzled and asked:
“People are saying that the porridge stall at the City God Temple was built by Master Fu Tong himself by selling his house and land!
How come, when you say it, it becomes like you, the Xuzhou prefect, ordered it to be opened?"
But Jia Wensheng said righteously:
“How do you say that?
Lord Fu Tong also received my order and went to the accounting office to approve the money before he opened the porridge stall.
This must be a misunderstanding among the people. If you don't believe it, you can summon Master Fu Tong and ask him to tell you whether it's true or not.
Jia Wensheng nodded and said, "As you said, let Fu Tong come in!"
Master Huang immediately went out and asked someone to pass the message!
But He Wenqin asked again:
"Are you going to leave the sick victims in the city to fend for themselves?
It's an epidemic, but it's not unpreventable. I heard there are women expecting babies inside?"
Jia Wensheng immediately explained:
"I'm only trying to protect more people from being infected! If the county lady were still here, how great it would be!"
He Wenqin raised his head slightly, and there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.
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