Chapter 48 Returning to Jinzhou
By the end of September, Pei Wu had been in the Privy Council for several months and was gradually becoming familiar with its work.
The Privy Council, which was in charge of military affairs, was actually staffed by civil officials. Sometimes, when they were unsure about something, they would argue about it. Su Mu didn't appear often, but whenever there was an argument, he would be there immediately. He wouldn't argue; he would just watch the show, as if nothing concerned him.
On another occasion, several officials gathered at Ningyun Hall. After arguing, Song Pingzhang reported another matter, saying that a memorial had been sent from Jinzhou, reporting a severe drought in summer and autumn with not a drop of rain falling.
Song Pingzhang asked, "Should we send people to provide disaster relief?"
Chen Ling scoffed, "If we had to provide disaster relief every time there was a drought, the national treasury would have been emptied long ago."
Farmers rely on crops for a living, and summer and autumn are the peak growing seasons for crops. It is conceivable that Jinzhou had no harvest for half a year.
Pei Wu frowned slightly, just then Song Pingzhang called out to him: "You're also from Jinzhou, you speak."
Pei Wu stepped forward and said, "There has been a severe drought in summer and autumn, and Jinzhou is already suffering from drought. If we do not provide disaster relief, the gathering of refugees may lead to great chaos."
Song Pingzhang and Pei Wu shared the same idea, but clearly the others did not. They believed that disaster relief required money and food contributions, and Chen Ling was the first to disagree.
Moreover, Chen Ling said, "Droughts occur everywhere. Chief Minister Pei cannot show favoritism towards Jinzhou just because you are from Jinzhou, can he?"
Pei Wu turned his gaze to Chen Ling, his eyes sharp: "Minister Ji, please tell me, besides Jinzhou, where else is there drought?"
Farmers rely on the mountains and rivers for their livelihood, but every few years a severe drought will break out, killing tens of thousands of people. At that time, even the intervention of the imperial court is of no use.
Chen Ling was speechless after hearing his words, and after a moment she said, "Everyone else had to get through it on their own, but you, Jinzhou, are so precious."
Pei Wu, however, said, "Isn't Prime Minister Ji's statement just an impulsive act?"
Chen Ling could only retort to Pei Wu from another angle: "Let's not even talk about whether you should take care of it or not. How are you supposed to take care of it? If I let you take the grain to provide disaster relief, the grain will eventually run out. Don't blame me for not reminding you, Chief Pei, you are still too young. How could you possibly understand the ins and outs of this?"
The two were at loggerheads when Song Pingzhang quickly tried to smooth things over: "Commander Pei, please don't be anxious. We've already discussed the drought situation in Jinzhou. It's not urgent yet, so we can wait a bit longer."
It is said that the drought can be alleviated, but in reality, Jinzhou has experienced two seasons of drought since summer and autumn, and the disaster can be described as very serious.
The court ignored the summer drought, which dragged on until the autumn drought. Now autumn is almost over, and if winter comes, a large number of people will probably die.
During the stalemate, Su Mu chuckled lightly: "I'd like to ask, who does Commander Pei intend to send?"
This statement is like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples. Yes, no one wants to be given this kind of task. Even if you do it well, it's thankless work, and if you do it poorly, you'll be held accountable.
Just then, Pei Wu bowed and said, "Your subject requests to be transferred to the position of Prefect of Jinzhou."
If Su Mu's words only caused the atmosphere to freeze, then Pei Wu's words at this moment were like a thunderclap. Pei Wu is now serving in the Privy Council and is in the capital. Promotion is only a matter of time. Why bother getting involved in this mess?
He went to the prefecture and stayed there for several years. If the drought doesn't end, wouldn't he have to stay there indefinitely? How long would that take?
Song Pingzhang was the first to disagree: "Don't do anything reckless. Even if you're going, it shouldn't be you."
Su Mu raised an eyebrow: "Then who should it be?"
Chen Ling, always eager for a good show, said, "Since he wants to go, let him go."
The emperor glanced at the Empress Dowager beside him, then at Song Pingzhang, and finally said only, "I think this matter can be discussed in the long run."
No sooner had these words been spoken than the Empress Dowager said, "Since Minister Pei has requested to be transferred to Jinzhou, then we will grant your request."
Song Pingzhang wanted to stop it, but the Empress Dowager had spoken, and Pei Wu himself was willing. Song Pingzhang could only say, "I suggest that Pei Wu be given an imperial edict. If there is a disagreement, Pei Wu can make the decision. In addition, the Ministry of Revenue and the Three Departments shall each contribute 100,000 taels of silver and silk, and 100,000 taels of charcoal. Once the supplies are gathered, he can take up his post immediately."
Chen Zhe from the Ministry of Revenue immediately replied, "The Ministry of Revenue has no money; I cannot come up with it."
Chen Ling scoffed, "Allocating so much for just one drought is going to empty the national treasury."
Song Pingzhang argued his case forcefully, and in the end, the Ministry of Revenue and the Three Departments only provided 20,000 taels of silver and 50,000 taels of charcoal.
Song Pingzhang looked helplessly at Pei Wu, who thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Prime Minister Song."
Compared to having nothing, having even a little bit is already very good.
Pei Wu received the transfer order and immediately returned home, where he showed it to Jiang Ru.
Jiang Ru was surprised that he would be transferred back to Jinzhou out of the blue. She initially disagreed; he had finally established himself in the capital, and to be transferred to Jinzhou so suddenly seemed like a demotion.
Moreover, once he goes to Jinzhou, it's uncertain whether he'll be able to return to the capital. His home in the capital and his beverage shop are simply being abandoned.
But when she understood the reason for the transfer, Jiang Ru hesitated for a moment and asked Pei Wu, "But you wanted to go yourself?"
Pei Wu nodded: "Jinzhou is where I grew up. If the court is unwilling to take care of it, I will."
He knew this wasn't a good job, and after a pause, he said, "If you stay in the capital, you can continue living in this house. The money you earn from the beverage shop should be enough for you. If you can't make it work, then quit. Collecting rent from the fields can support you. When I return to the capital..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ru punched him. She was angry: "What do you mean by that? You're leaving me in Bianjing while you go back to Jinzhou? You're abandoning me?"
Pei Wu was taken aback, and quickly denied it: "I didn't mean that..."
Jiang Ru said indignantly, "I lived in Jinzhou for half a year, so it's like my second home. I'm not a coward."
Pei Wu knew, of course. He knew that Jiang Ru was very strong and could endure hardship, but going to disaster relief meant they would eat and live in very poor conditions, and there might even be danger, but Jiang Ru was not afraid of any of that.
Pei Wu underestimated Jiang Ru. Jiang Ru never needed his protection; she was never someone who could only live under Pei Wu's wing.
Pei Wu was stunned by her punch. He saw Jiang Ru get up and go back into the house in a huff. Thinking that Jiang Ru was angry, Pei Wu got up and chased after her to apologize. Just as he reached the door, Jiang Ru dragged a large wooden box out of the house. The box was full of silver.
Jiang Ru pointed to the wooden box: "Thanks to you, the beverage shop has been profitable for a long time. I've put all the money away, and I can use it to buy grain."
If the money she had saved were only for her and Pei Wu to use, it could last a very long time. But if it were used for disaster relief, it would be just a drop in the bucket. Nevertheless, Jiang Ru still took it out.
She said, "Anyway, you have a share in this shop. Use this money first, and you can earn it back later."
Jiang Ru asked again, "When are you leaving? If you are leaving, I can only entrust the beverage shop to Xia Xia and Xiao Zhu for temporary management, and I will also have to teach her how to manage money. I'm afraid I won't have time."
Although the situation was urgent, given the nature of the Ministry of Revenue and the Three Departments, raising funds would take a considerable amount of time, and it would be good if it could be completed within five days.
Pei Wu then said, "Let's try for three days."
“Three days is enough,” Jiang Ru said. “They are very smart. I only need to give them some instructions, and one day will be enough.”
The only downside is that Xia and Zhu didn't have much formal education. Jiang Ru taught them some things, but sometimes she was too busy to teach them much.
Jiang Ru thought that if they could come back one day, she would definitely teach them to read first.
The next day, both of them got busy. Jiang Ru took Xia and the others to the beverage shop, where she explained some important things to them and showed them the fields, also explaining the rent collection process.
Xia wasn't very confident: "What if I really can't figure it out?"
Jiang Ru: "Don't be afraid of making mistakes. I've entrusted everything to you. I won't blame you if you make a mistake." After thinking for a moment, Jiang Ru added, "If you're really unsure, just go to the Prime Minister's residence and ask Song Shu."
Song Shu was raised in a large family, so she naturally knew a lot. Although her ideas were sometimes bizarre, Jiang Ru still trusted her.
After arranging all this, Jiang Ru took Xia Xia and Xiao Zhu home. She still had to pack up the gold, silver, and bundles. Just as Jiang Ru finished packing, there was a knock on the door.
The visitor was Zheng Qiuhong, who was also from Jinzhou. The drought in Jinzhou had been suppressed, and even when it was brought up, it was pushed back. Zheng Qiuhong only learned about it today.
His salary was half that of Pei Wu's, and he didn't have many expenses, so he saved quite a bit.
He took out all the money today, and after Jiang Ru accepted it, he whispered and pleaded, "I also submitted a petition requesting a transfer, but I haven't heard back. If you return to Jinzhou, could you please visit my family?"
Pei Wu went to the Three Departments today, and Zheng Qiuhong didn't want to bother him, so he could only turn to Jiang Ru. Jiang Ru told him, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it for you."
Zheng Qiuhong bowed to her and said, "Thank you, Miss Jiang."
Besides Zheng Qiuhong, many other familiar officials also sent her silver and grain, which Jiang Ru accepted.
Among them, the Prime Minister's Mansion sent the most. Song Shu and her friends also contributed some. Before leaving, Song Shu held Jiang Ru's hand reluctantly: "Sister, I don't know when you will be back. Please don't forget me."
Jiang Ru had been seeing Song Shu frequently these past few months, and Song Shu often came to her drink shop. Jiang Ru gradually came to think that Song Shu was also a very nice girl, and now they were friends. Jiang Ru teased her, "You have so many sisters, don't forget me."
Song Shu gently patted her hand: "Of course I won't forget you."
Pei Wu had been urging the Three Departments and the Ministry of Revenue for several days, and the agreed-upon money and grain were finally handed over. In addition to him, some servants were also arranged for him to go to Jinzhou. After the long convoy was parked, Pei Wu checked it again before getting into the carriage.
They had already said everything they needed to say in the past few days. When they finally left, all the officials they knew were able to take up their posts, so not many people came to see them off. However, Song Shu still came without fail. Jiang Ru hugged her and waved to her, saying, "Let's go, wait for us to come back."
Song Shu waved to her with tears in her eyes, and two tears fell as she turned away. Jiang Ru had already realized that Song Shu was not like she had initially imagined; she was also a girl who would cry when a friend left.
But now, Jiang Ru has more important things to do.
She turned and got into the carriage, calling out to the outside, "Song Shu, you won't be pretty if you keep crying."
Song Shu raised her head, covered her eyes, and seemed to mutter something, but Jiang Ru couldn't hear her clearly.
The carriage gradually drove away. They had been in Bianjing for nearly a year, and now they were about to embark on their journey back to Jinzhou.
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Author's note: Updates will still be at 11 PM, occasionally 12 PM.
Regarding the second update, sometimes I can't finish writing it at night. What do you all think? Should I update it as soon as I finish (so the update time is unpredictable), or should I add it to the 11 PM update?
Of course, I might not be able to update twice every day, because sometimes I won't have time, but I can guarantee at least one update.
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