"Hmm! I remember! But what does it have to do with that?" Liu Hong nodded, then asked curiously.
"When you bestowed the rice upon me, you clearly said it would be two shi (a unit of dry measure), but it's all gone in just a short time! I only found out this morning when I asked my wife that the rice wasn't even enough for two shi!"
After Cao Song finished speaking, his eyebrows twitched. Liu Jian, who was standing next to him, understood and quickly stood up, saying loudly, "The Grand Minister of Agriculture is right. The rice I received is also like that!"
"The same goes for me!"
As Cao Song and Liu Mian stepped forward, several officials behind them also stood up.
"Ahem~ This matter certainly needs to be investigated thoroughly!"
Even Chen Fan, who was at the head of all the officials, coughed twice to show his attitude, because he was almost out of rice.
"I agree!"
"minister...."
Seeing this, the other officials seemed to understand as well, and they all stood up and attacked Lü Qiang, making Lü Qiang seem as if he had incurred the wrath of the crowd.
Then Cao Song angrily looked at Lü Qiang and demanded, "Attendant Lü, please explain yourself. Did you embezzle the extra rice?"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I... I really didn't!"
Lu Qiang was quite frightened by this scene. He felt that even Wang Fu and others back then had never faced such a simultaneous attack from so many ministers. How had he incurred the wrath of the masses?
Before Liu Hong could speak, Cao Song hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I think it's enough to have an investigation. If Attendant Lü didn't embezzle any, then the weights and measures are a bit inaccurate. Just make up the difference for us!"
"Yes, yes, yes! The Grand Minister of Agriculture is right. Attendant Lü doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing. It's good that he's been replaced, it's good that he's been replaced!"
The other officials chimed in with their agreement.
Looking at Cao Song and the others, Liu Hong couldn't help but find it amusing. He realized that Cao Song's family had run out of rice and was too embarrassed to ask him for some directly, so he was planning to trick Lü Qiang.
Then Liu Hong looked at Lü Qiang and smiled, "You can get up now!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Realizing that the emperor did not seem to intend to punish him, he stood up as if he had been granted a pardon.
"How much rice does the Imperial Household Department have left?"
"Your Majesty, the magistrate of Fuchun County just sent another batch a few days ago, more than fifty shi!"
Liu Hong nodded and said with a smile, "Take out thirty shi (a unit of dry measure) and distribute them to you all!"
"promise!"
"Your Majesty, we thank you for your generous gift!"
The civil and military officials thanked Liu Hong with a mixture of joy and lingering fear, and their gazes toward Cao Song also changed somewhat.
They were delighted to have rice to eat again, but also worried because their attack on Lü Qiang earlier clearly showed signs of collusion, and they feared that it might displease the emperor.
Surprisingly, the emperor was not displeased at all; on the contrary, he generously rewarded the emperor again.
They looked at Cao Song, the instigator who had turned the grand court assembly into a massive begging scene, and understood how much the emperor favored and valued the Grand Minister of Agriculture.
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