"I believe that all disaster victims should be treated equally and without discrimination. If there is no food, we should try our best to collect it from the surrounding areas. If there is still no food in the surrounding areas, we can expand the scope of collection until we have enough. Moreover, everyone in the camp should be frugal and not wasteful. We are here to provide disaster relief, not to enjoy ourselves."
An Chaoli's words were directed at Lord Liu's faction.
The Emperor appointed Lord Liu and Lord An to assist in disaster relief, but the two officials had a strained relationship and found it difficult to reach a consensus. Lord Liu was accustomed to extravagance; even at the camp, he would have his maids bring him large amounts of fish and meat every day, which was far too much for one person to eat, resulting in enormous waste most of the time. An Chaoli had many complaints about this.
"Hmph! Lord An is meddling too much, even wanting to control what I eat? If we treat every disaster victim fairly according to Lord An's logic, the camp's food will only last for two more days. But if we follow my method, the camp's food can last for five days. Five days also provides ample time to gather the next batch of food. Lord An only knows how to benevolent, but now is not the time to talk about benevolence. We should be saving as many as we can."
Neither of the two adults was willing to give in, and they argued fiercely, each holding their own opinion.
Yi Chenli's face was cold and irritated as he watched the two arguing incessantly.
Normally, Yi Chenli was always self-willed and had no patience to get entangled with these two. But now, he restrained his temper and suddenly spoke up: "Enough!"
Two words that weren't particularly harsh, yet they unexpectedly made the two people arguing stop at the same time.
"The relief porridge will be distributed daily as usual, and the people should not be discriminated against. As for the people in the camp, we will eat what the people eat, and no one should be given special treatment." Yi Chenli made a decisive decision.
Lord Liu complained, "Why should I eat the same food as those lowly commoners? If the porridge is still distributed, what will happen after two days? What if the disaster relief is not handled well and the Emperor blames us?"
Lord Liu spoke with conviction, saying that the sixth prince was more difficult to deal with than he had imagined. That day in court, the prince had humbly said that he would listen to the two officials, but in practice, Lord Liu's advice was completely ignored, which had already made him very dissatisfied.
Yi Chenli's cold gaze swept over Lord Liu. Although the person in front of him was just a young man, it was enough to make Lord Liu feel a powerful sense of oppression, inexplicably sending chills down his spine. Lord Liu did not dare to meet Yi Chenli's eyes for too long.
"If Lord Liu is dissatisfied with my decision, he is free to pack his bags and return to the capital. I will personally petition the Emperor to explain the situation. If the disaster relief is not handled well, I will bear all the blame and will not implicate anyone else."
Yi Chenli's words left no room for negotiation.
Even though Lord Liu was unwilling, he could only bite the bullet and reply, "This old minister will not return to the capital. This old minister will not seek special treatment and will eat the same food as the disaster victims."
"That's good."
Lord Liu felt frustrated and took his leave after saying goodbye. He had originally intended to teach the Sixth Prince a lesson on behalf of the Fifth Prince, but it was clear that he was no match for the Sixth Prince.
After Lord Liu left, only Yi Chenli and An Chaoli remained in the main camp.
During these days of disaster relief, An Chaoli had witnessed everything Yi Chenli had done. This young man was far more outstanding and decisive than he had imagined. He was neither arrogant nor servile, and showed no fear in the face of such a heavy responsibility.
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