Chapter 78 79. Mutual Blame
"My dear ministers, do you have any good suggestions?" Hua Shunming kicked the ball back.
"Why don't we open the gates of every city and settle them in every rural area first, and then let them return home when the drought in the three northern provinces eases." Xiao Liwei didn't know who pushed him from behind, so he could only speak out of his mind.
As a result, when these words were spoken, many people covered their mouths and laughed.
“Sir Xiao, you military commanders always see things so simply.
If this person is settled down, even if the drought eases in the future, they will not want to go back. After all, this place is close to the emperor's feet. Who would be so stupid as to go back to that miserable place?
Besides, if the three northern provinces were left vacant, it would be detrimental to the country.”
"Besides these, their generals can't think of anything further. You should understand him."
"I guess Lord Xiao doesn't know how many refugees there are outside, so he said such a thing so lightly. Now the number of refugees outside is increasing. The prefect Xiao of Daocheng has already sent soldiers to guard there."
Xiao Liwei, "The emperor just asked everyone to give suggestions. I am just putting forward my personal opinion. I am not asking you to make a decision now. If you are not satisfied, you can tell me your own opinions and let me, a rough man, listen to them."
After saying this, he turned to look at his colleagues behind him, only to find that they were talking to each other and avoiding his gaze.
With a cold snort, Xiao Liwei simply moved to stand with these civil officials. He still had to guard against their sneak attacks from behind. As expected, it was better to stand with military generals, as at least they didn't have so many schemes.
"Li Wei is right. Since you have so many opinions, there must be better ideas. I am all ears." Hua Shunming smiled gently, but he made all the civil and military officials quiet down.
"Hey, Lord Zhou, didn't you just say that Lord Xiao's idea was not good? Then tell me what you think." Hua Shunming was annoyed by these officials the most. He had to name them every time they spoke. It was really a worry!
Zhou Shicong, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, did not expect that the fire would burn on his head. "Your Majesty, we are in a dilemma now. If we drive the refugees back to their original registered residence, there is a drought there, and going back will mean death.
But if we disperse them here and want to get them back later, that will be a huge project. I don’t have any perfect ideas right now. How about you ask the other departments?”
The other five ministers, "."
Hua Shunming, "..."
Civil and military officials, "..."
This guy is crazy. He actually dared to kick the question back in front of His Majesty.
The old prime minister couldn't help but burst out laughing, and quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth, "I'm getting old, and it's easy for me to lose my focus. I just thought of a joke."
"Humph," Hua Shunming swung his sleeves and walked to the long table. "If you don't come up with a thorough solution today, you all have to get out tomorrow and live and eat with the refugees. I think they will welcome you very much."
"Your Majesty," finally the old Prime Minister Liu Donglai stood up, "Now that the great mourning period has passed, should the imperial examination be held?"
Hua Shunming, "Old Prime Minister, we should be talking about the drought now. As for the imperial examination, we can talk about it later when we have time."
"Your Majesty, should we go back to our hometowns for the imperial examinations?" Liu Donglai's eyes sparkled, "Whether it's the examination for the scholar or the juren, these all require recommendations and signatures and seals from local officials.
As long as there is a candidate or a scholar in a family, they should be willing to return to their hometown for the benefit of the entire family."
Officials: "…" Bamboo shoots, lots of bamboo shoots.
Hua Shunming was delighted, but immediately felt depressed again, "What if I go back? It's drought everywhere, I'm just going back to die."
"Your Majesty, although we cannot open up wasteland for farming, some mountain springs and underground water can still guarantee the lives of these people. It's a pity that some people have firmly occupied these water sources for their own benefit. If everyone can share this water for daily use, I believe there will still be many people who are unwilling to leave their homes."
"Old man, what if the weather continues to be dry?"
"Your Majesty, I have another idea. Please come and take a look at this geomancy map. There is a road going southwards that connects the three northern provinces. If they go back, they can choose to settle down in this area and ask the local officials to issue a certificate. After the drought is over, they can be ordered to return home.
The money and food donated by you all can also be used as resettlement allowance for these refugees, helping them get through this difficult time and avoiding unrest."
These days, everyone has noticed the emperor's private actions. Not only is the emperor afraid, they are also worried.
This matter has been going on for so long, and if someone has ulterior motives to instigate it, there is a real possibility of a riot.
There is always a saying in this world that what you fear will come true.
"Your Majesty, there is urgent news outside." Le San ran in with staggering steps and instantly knelt down in front of Hua Shunming.
"pass!"
&
"Look, everything you worried about has come true. Now the gates of Daocheng have been breached, and all the refugees are pouring in. They are now rushing towards Shangjing."
After reading the memorial in his hand, Hua Shunming threw it in front of all the ministers.
"This, they want to rebel?" After reading the memorial, Kuang Yijun handed it directly to Zhou Shicong who was standing beside him.
"Isn't this all forced by you?" Xiao Liwei didn't dare to speak loudly, and whispered quietly, "If those people knew that you concealed the news for such a long time just to become the queen, I guess you would be the first to suffer."
Cao Xiangqian, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, secretly tugged at his sleeve and said, "These are all caused by the civil servants. We just need to be quiet and not get into trouble."
Unfortunately, just as he finished speaking, the anger was directed at him, "Lord Cao, you are the Minister of War, how can you tell me how to solve this problem?"
Cao Xiangqian said, "Your Majesty, didn't you all discuss this before? These refugees are rushing in just to find a way out. As long as you all go out and explain the situation clearly and settle the people down properly, this matter will be over."
"That's easy for you to say. If you have the guts, go to the Ministry of War." Xu Zhiwen received Kuang Yijun's gaze and immediately retorted.
Cao Xiangqian raised his hand to block the general who was about to speak behind him, "We in the military department only know how to march and fight, but we will not use our fists against our own people. Don't you scholars always say that you want to educate them? Now that such a great opportunity is in front of you, you should also quickly educate these refugees, wouldn't it be a win-win situation for everyone?"
"This matter cannot be calculated in this way. After all, if there is a riot, it must be the fault of you generals. Otherwise, wouldn't all the military expenditure every year be wasted?" Xu Zhiwen insisted on this point.
(End of this chapter)
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