Under the leadership of Changsun Dechong, the victims were filled with gratitude to His Majesty and had a bright vision for the future. They were full of enthusiasm and energy, determined to contribute to His Majesty and the country.
As time went by, the construction work in the three cities gradually got on track and progressed smoothly.
At the same time, many nobles and officials who had fled Wei during the disaster felt a strong desire to return after learning about the current stable situation in Wei.
They were once wealthy and powerful people in the State of Wei, but they could not get the respect and attention they deserved in other countries. Although they were still rich in foreign countries, their status was much lower than before. They used to be able to lord it over the State of Wei, but now they would even be oppressed and discriminated against by some minor officials in other countries.
After suffering unfair treatment from other countries, they increasingly missed the privileged life they enjoyed in Wei. Upon learning that Wei had successfully quelled the discontent of the victims and that domestic stability had returned, they began to plan a return to Wei, hoping to regain their former noble life.
However, they were unaware that the situation in Wei had undergone a profound transformation. The vacuum left by their departure had already been filled by others. Whether in business or politics, the vacant positions were quickly taken up by others after their departure.
The former powerful people had lost their former glory and status the moment they decided to leave Wei. Now that Wei had enough food to get through the current difficulties, they were no longer needed.
Meanwhile, those once-scorned minor nobles and children of humble origins bravely stepped forward in the face of national crisis. Their loyalty and courage earned the recognition of Prime Minister Qin Hui and other powerful officials. With the support of Qin Hui and others, these once marginalized figures gradually rose to become the new backbone of the Wei state.
Nobles and officials in other cities managed to regain their positions through various interpersonal connections. However, in the imperial capital of Kaifeng, the situation was completely different. The various positions within Kaifeng were occupied by those loyal to Wei. The nobles and officials who had fled, oppressed by Qin Hui and his followers, were unable to regain their status and power in Wei. Instead, these nobles and officials tried every possible means to please Qin Hui and his followers.
The nobles and officials who had fled saw that Wei was gradually recovering its strength. They, however, had lost power and status, and they were filled with resentment and fear. However, they knew that to regain their former glory, they had to regain the favor of Qin Hui and others. Therefore, these nobles and officials, having lost their status, humbled themselves and did their utmost to curry favor with Qin Hui and others.
Some of them used their former connections and resources to collect precious treasures, trying to win the hearts of Qin Hui and others through material gifts.
Others, willing to sacrifice their dignity, personally visited Qin Hui and her companions, humbly begging for their forgiveness and acceptance. Some even began offering advice, attempting to regain their trust and position by demonstrating their wisdom and talent.
However, the efforts of these nobles and officials were in vain. None of Qin Hui and his companions accepted their offers of favors. When Wei was in trouble, these people did not think of helping it overcome its difficulties; instead of seeking a way out for the victims, they took their families and property and fled to other countries. Now that Wei had stabilized, they wanted to return. How could such a wonderful thing be possible in the world?
Qin Hui and the others, deep down, could never forgive their betrayal and escape. They knew full well that the reason these nobles and officials were so servile and fawning over them was because they had lost power and status. Therefore, Qin Hui and the others remained vigilant and alert, preventing them from continuing to gain power and status, otherwise, if a major disaster occurred in the future, these people would still betray them.
The fate of these nobles and officials in Kaifeng City was as uncertain as duckweed. In order to regain their status, they tried every means to please Qin Hui and others, but as time went on, they found that this road seemed to be getting narrower and narrower, and in the end they might end up with nothing.
Despair and anger quietly grew in their hearts. Those nobles and officials who failed to regain their status from Qin Hui and others decided to take more drastic actions.
They secretly colluded and planned an unprecedented coup d'état. On a stormy night, these nobles and officials gathered at the palace gates, clamoring for His Majesty Chu Fan to immediately grant them official positions and status. They were nobles and officials of Wei, and they had once served the state. Wei could not treat them this way. The emperor must redress their long-standing losses and injustices. Their voices echoed through the night sky with a force and determination that could not be ignored.
However, when Chu Fan first heard about someone forcing him to abdicate, he was still happy for a long time, thinking that Chang Sun Dechong and others had finally given up and were forcing him to abdicate. Just when Chu Fan was happily thinking about whether he would buy a Little Mi Suqi when he returned to Blue Star and had money, the system voice did not sound.
Chu Fan was stunned for a moment, then called out to the eunuch beside him and asked, "Little Li, what happened outside? Who is making a noise outside the palace?"
Little Li replied, "Your Majesty, outside are a group of nobles and officials led by the Lu family. They ask Your Majesty to restore their power and official positions."
Chu Fan was momentarily puzzled. If these people were from the State of Wei, why had his system mission not yet been completed? Then Chu Fan noticed that Xiao Lizi and the other eunuchs and palace maids around him seemed hostile to these nobles and officials. Were there any special circumstances surrounding these nobles and officials?
Chu Fan asked, "Little Leo, judging from your expressions, it seems like you have a feud with those people outside? Can you tell me the details?"
Little Li Zi replied indignantly, "Your Majesty, the Lü family was once the Marquis of Huaizhun in the State of Wei, and their grain merchants were the largest in the State of Wei. However, after the flood in the Nine Provinces of Hedong, when they learned that there were millions of victims, not only did they not provide food relief, but they sold all the grain at an inflated price."
When they thought Wei was unable to provide disaster relief, they worried that the victims would rob them of their wealth and that Your Majesty would force them to donate their property to help the victims. So, they took all their wealth and fled to Qin with their families.
Chu Fan finally understood why the system mission hadn't been completed—those who had fled Wei no longer belonged to the country. Therefore, even if outsiders forced him to abdicate, he wouldn't be able to complete the system mission.
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