Chapter 108: King of Zhenbei
"That's a good idea." Zhao Yi thought for a moment, guessing that Shen Qingtan would have further actions. He said softly, "I will present your plan to the emperor tomorrow when I go to the palace on duty."
"What do you mean by my strategy?" Shen Qingtan pulled out the hairpin that held her hair together and glanced at the man: "I'm just a woman in the harem, how can I understand what's going on in the court?"
"So what if I'm a woman in the harem?" Zhao Yi watched her long black hair cascade down, accentuating her snow-white complexion and delicate lips. He unconsciously turned his gaze away, staring at the transparent jade hairpin in her hand. "Since ancient times, there have been countless stories of women being as brave as men. It's a waste of talent for you, Madam, to be confined to the harem just because you're a woman."
Shen Qingtan: “…”
"Local officials nowadays all regard themselves as local tyrants, colluding with local merchants to exploit the people. Furthermore, local officials tend to form cliques and protect one another, leaving ordinary people with nowhere to turn to for redress."
Zhao Yi returned to the main topic and whispered, "The fact that refugees have managed to escape famine and reach the capital shows that the situation in Guanzhou is very grim, perhaps even more severe than we imagined."
Shen Qingtan agreed with Zhao Yi's guess. The officials in Guanzhou had embezzled food, so they would definitely guard the city strictly and not allow the people to leave Guanzhou, for fear that the news would leak out and they would lose their heads.
The common people are simple and honest, and they are afraid of officials in their hearts. If there is still a glimmer of hope, how could they dare to risk their lives to escape from Guanzhou?
"I was thinking about this a while ago. When the refugees flee to the capital, the officials in Guanzhou will definitely try to deal with the aftermath and destroy the evidence on me. When the refugees' situation attracts the emperor's attention, he will send an imperial envoy to Guanzhou to investigate. Whoever they catch then will be a scapegoat."
Shen Qingtan said calmly: "If the emperor had not sent people to investigate, but instead asked the officials who borrowed grain to fill the gap, then the situation would be completely different."
"The Emperor only needs to send someone to secretly monitor the official in charge and see who he contacts after receiving the imperial edict. Once they've replenished the food supply, they'll undoubtedly think the matter is over and won't even consider a confession."
At this point, Shen Qingtan sneered: "Then we can arrest them one by one and interrogate them. Are you still worried that we won't be able to pry their mouths open?"
Zhao Yi watched her calmly and rationally setting up a trap for the corrupt official, and an idea suddenly came to his mind.
He had endured more than twenty years of illness, and fate had her marry him as compensation.
Shen Qingtan saw that he didn't say anything, but stared at her instead.
She couldn't help but cover her face with her hands, looked up and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with what I said?"
Zhao Yi shook his head: "You said it very well."
He spoke so seriously that Shen Qingtan felt a little embarrassed.
She subconsciously turned her face away to avoid his sight, and only then realized that Liu Yue had left the house quietly.
"It's late, let's go to bed quickly."
After Shen Qingtan said this, she turned her back to Zhao Yi, put the hairpin into the dressing box, took a comb to comb her hair, and then slowly walked to the bed.
I saw Zhao Yi sleeping on the inside of the bed, with the quilt covering his chest and his hands placed neatly on both sides.
Before, she went out for a drink with the Fourth Lady. After getting drunk, she occupied Zhao Yi's bed. She then discussed with Zhao Yi that she would sleep on the outside and he would sleep on the inside, so that she wouldn't push him off the bed due to her awkward sleeping posture.
At that time, Zhao Yi's expression became strange for a moment. He looked at her for a long time with an indescribable look, and finally agreed to her request.
In fact, she felt that he was frail and sickly, so she slept outside so that it would be easier for her to take care of him.
Shen Qingtan blew out the oil lamp, lifted up his quilt and lay down in it.
"I'll go to the city gate with Uncle Qin tomorrow to take a look at the situation."
She pulled the quilt over her chest, said this, and closed her eyes sleepily.
Zhao Yi hummed softly, and then he heard the sound of even and long breathing coming from beside him.
She has fallen asleep.
Zhao Yi: “…”
When the two of them had just gotten married, she slept very uneasily at night, tossing and turning several times before she could finally fall asleep.
Perhaps because they had become more familiar with each other, she became less and less guarded against him, and went to bed earlier and earlier, until now she fell asleep as soon as she touched the pillow.
——
The next day, after breakfast, Shen Qingtan took Jiang Mu and Tingxue to Qin's house.
She and Zhao Yi seemed to have formed an agreement that if she was going to a dangerous place, he would take Liu Yue away and leave Jiang Mu to protect her safety.
The carriage stopped at the gate of Qin's mansion. Tingxue went down to pass on the message and waited for about a quarter of an hour before Boss Qin came out of the mansion.
He did not get on the carriage, but stood at the curtains: "Tan'er, where are you going? I've harnessed the carriage and will follow behind your vehicle."
Shen Qingtan lifted the carriage curtain and said, "Uncle Qin, you are my elder. Please ride in the carriage with me. I have something to tell you."
Boss Qin hesitated: "This..."
Shen Qingtan said: "Tingxue is also in the carriage."
Boss Qin got on the carriage after hearing this.
"Tan'er, I've contacted several caravans and asked friends for help. Some of them have already left for Northern Qi. My wife also wrote to her brother, asking her nephew to go to Northern Qi again. My nephew has met Zhong Yuan, so he should be able to find him faster."
Boss Qin reported to Shen Qingtan the progress of his search, and then mentioned the matter of grain: "I received your letter yesterday and immediately ordered my men to collect the grain."
At this point, Boss Qin wondered, "We sell our grain to the people at our usual prices. If we pay 10% more for the grain, we'll have to raise the price when we sell it. We can't do business at a loss."
"Uncle Qin, we won't lose money." Shen Qingtan knew what Boss Qin was worried about. He wasn't just worried about losing money, but also worried about raising the price of the grain and causing controversy. She comforted him, "If the grain can't be sold, we can use it to make wine."
Boss Qin thought of the ancient wine-making recipes that Shen Qingtan had collected and the price of the wine he brewed, and his heart instantly settled.
The carriage slowly drove to the city gate. For safety reasons, Shen Qingtan did not let the coachman drive the carriage out of the city, but stopped it by the side of the city.
She got off the carriage wearing a veiled hat and looked towards the city gate. She saw a group of refugees gathered at the city gate. They were all pale and thin, dressed in tattered clothes, holding a broken porcelain bowl in their hands, begging passers-by.
She discovered that most of the refugees were young and middle-aged people, or young women and children.
Boss Qin frowned: "Today's refugees are twice as many as yesterday."
Shen Qingtan was about to ask Boss Qin about some things in Guanzhou.
At this time, several refugees wanted to enter the city, but the soldiers guarding the city gate stopped them. A conflict broke out between the two sides, and other beggars all flocked in, and the scene suddenly became chaotic.
Suddenly, the shrill cries of women and children were heard at the city gate. The sound was heartbreaking, full of helplessness and despair, and it made people's hearts tighten when they heard it.
Shen Qingtan's expression gradually became solemn, and he got into the carriage with Boss Qin.
"Uncle Qin, find a chance to distribute porridge at the city gate." Shen Qingtan thought of the women and children at the city gate. They were so thin that only skin and bones were left, and their heads looked particularly big.
She whispered, "They finally made it to the foot of the Imperial City, seeing a glimmer of hope in their desperate situation. We can't let their hopes be shattered and they starve to death at the city gate."
Boss Qin agreed, lifted the car window curtain and looked out, and saw a refugee rushing forward and bumping into the spear in the soldier's hand.
There was determination in his eyes, as if he wanted to use his death to attract the attention of the people in the imperial city, and then give them justice and a way to survive.
Boss Qin was deeply shocked by the tragic scene and said angrily, "The officials in Guanzhou have committed too many evils. I really wish the emperor would send a great killer like the King of Zhenbei to kill them all."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
