Chapter 73 74. Entering the Mountain
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" This time, to Hua Shunming's surprise, it was the old Prime Minister Liu Donglai who spoke.
"Old Prime Minister, are you going to plead for him too?"
"No, I think this crime should not be borne by Lord Kuang alone."
"oh?"
"Lord Kuang may have his own ideas. Given his status, even if his daughter enters the palace, she will definitely be given a high rank."
"So you're saying that all the other officials who were going to participate in the draft were involved?"
Many people who were kneeling on the ground were trembling and shouting that they were wronged.
"Your Majesty, I think the biggest fault in this matter lies with Your Majesty."
"Bold," Le San's sharp voice sounded particularly impatient.
"Le San, please step aside. I want to hear why I am to blame for this." Hua Shunming sneered, "Shouldn't you be worrying about the lives of the refugees who were turned away? Instead, you are blaming each other. I want to hear what they have to say."
"Your Majesty, do you still remember what you said a year ago?" Liu Donglai asked.
"A year ago?" Hua Shunming frowned. "I said a lot throughout the year. Who can remember it so clearly? Do you want me to call the recorder?"
"You said at the time that the first one who gave birth to a prince for His Majesty would be crowned as the Queen. Does His Majesty still remember that?"
Hua Shunming glanced at Le San beside him and saw him nodding slightly. "It seems that there is such a thing, but it was just a joke at the time. I have already forgotten about it."
"Your Majesty, since ancient times, kings never joke. Even if Your Majesty said something unintentionally, many people would take it seriously." Liu Donglai closed his eyes and joked, which was really ridiculous.
Hua Shunming couldn't help feeling a little guilty. Although he himself had forgotten whether he had said this or not, Le San was his personal eunuch and he had already nodded, so this matter must be true.
"We had already advised His Majesty at that time that establishing a queen as soon as possible was the foundation of the country." Liu Donglai now didn't want to recall the scene of a group of old ministers kneeling on the ground and willing to surrender. At that time, the new emperor was full of vigor and vitality and would not listen to their opinions at all.
"It's just a position of empress, you shouldn't joke with the lives of the people of the world." Hua Shunming was naturally unwilling to admit his fault. He pointed at the officials kneeling on the ground and said, "You guys are too greedy. Not only do you want to be high officials, you also want to be my elders. What do you think of me?"
"Your Majesty, the people outside Daocheng are still waiting for your order. Do you want to let them into the city or find a way to send them back to their hometown?" Thinking of the people who were still suffering outside, Liu Donglai didn't want to dwell on whose fault it was. It would be a blessing for those people if the problem could be resolved as soon as possible.
Hua Shunming pointed his finger at the officials below, and finally pointed directly at Kuang Yijun, "Kuang Yijun, I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself from your crime and make meritorious contributions. I'll give you five days to properly settle the people outside the city gate. Otherwise, you don't have to wear this official hat, and you have to go to the city gate and guard it."
"Your Majesty, I can't do it." Kuang Yijun groaned in his heart. Now that the national treasury was empty, how could he think of a solution? Anyway, the crime would fall on his head sooner or later, so why should he carry this mess on his shoulders?
"Do you want to disobey the order?" Hua Shunming said coldly.
"Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty now, and we simply cannot come up with enough money to resettle the people. In addition, the harvests in the past few years have been bad, and there is not much grain in the warehouses across the country. There is simply no way to rescue so many people." This was another reason they tried hard to conceal.
"Why is there no money in the national treasury?" Hua Shunming didn't remember any major expenses during the years of mourning.
"Originally, there were more than one million official silver coins in the national treasury. If it weren't for the emergency at the border a few days ago, you would have transferred it to them." And most of it was taken away without any hesitation. Now, what's left is only enough for short-term expenses.
"You dogs and slaves," Hua Shunming was so angry that he jumped up and down, "I feed you with so much salary every year, but when something happens, you don't have any ideas. What's the use of you?"
All the officials knelt down tightly, and no one wanted to show their heads at this time.
At the same time, they were all thinking in their hearts that the old saint had left some private treasuries for them, so instead of putting the money into your own pockets, you should give some to the national treasury.
Hua Shunming obviously also thought of those private vaults, but those were the private assets of the royal family, so they would definitely not take them out.
"No matter how hard you rack your brains today, you have to come up with a solution for me, or else I'll have to find someone who can solve it."
After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and left with the palace maids and eunuchs, leaving everyone kneeling on the ground.
All officials: "..." This saint is still as willful as ever. What should they do?
&
Baini'ao made a decision when he woke up the next day. Now it was up to each village and family to decide for themselves. If they were willing to go to the lake that Gu Yuanyu mentioned, they should prepare quickly.
If you don't want to leave, you can ask some people to go with you to fetch water.
Most people are still worried about the wild animals in the mountains and refuse to go into the mountains.
Gu Dashi also frowned, "Anyway, I don't want to go. If your second brother and the youngest brother come back, they won't be able to find us."
"It's not like we don't have people here. If they come out, someone will definitely tell them where we are going." Li Cuicui directly exposed him, "You only hurt your hand, not your foot. What can walking a little bit do to you?
You old man, stop causing trouble all day long. You didn't follow us to escape the famine before. If we hadn't forced you, your grave might be covered with grass by now.
Bah, that's not right, no one will even build a grave for you, your body will probably just be left exposed in the wilderness."
Gu Dashi was angry but dared not speak, muttering, "I'm already so old, why don't you give me some leniency? Why are you saying such harsh words? Are you trying to curse me?"
Li Cuicui snorted, "You have to do the work. I'm telling you, we can't let our descendants be dragged down by you alone. Hurry up and pack your things. I'm here and I will definitely not let them leave anyone behind to take care of you."
Gu Dashi looked up at his descendants and found that they were either looking around or counting ants with their heads down. All of them were subdued by the old woman, and no one resisted for him.
“Alas,” Gu Dashi said with a worried tone, “But in this deep forest, if we encounter other ferocious beasts, we, old and young, won’t be able to outrun them. Aren’t they asking us to go in and deliver food to them?
Old Seven, although you didn't encounter any of them when you came out, you walked in the deep mountains for a few days and didn't hear any other noises?"
Gu Wenheng, "Dad, regardless of whether there is any movement or not, shouldn't we go in? Won't they come out?"
(End of this chapter)
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