Chapter 207 Petition for Disaster Relief

The eunuch sent by His Majesty bowed and reported with a bit of solemnity in his voice: "Reporting to the Queen Mother, according to the observation of the Sitian Observatory, this earthquake should have originated from the northern Hebei region."

When these words came out, Minglan and the Queen Mother's hearts sank. Outside the window, the rainstorm was still raging, and there was no sign of stopping. If the Hedong region was hit by an earthquake again, the situation would be even more critical. At this moment, the Queen Mother could no longer care about the grudges with the Emperor, and went straight to the Emperor's Purple Palace to discuss countermeasures with the Emperor.

When they arrived at the Purple Palace, the Empress was already waiting there. The two were worried about the frequent extreme astronomical phenomena this year.

Hearing that the Queen Mother had arrived, the Emperor and the Empress quickly exchanged glances, fearing that the visitor was not friendly, and then hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. The emperor and the empress came forward and supported the queen mother on the left and right. The emperor asked with concern: "Why did you come here in the heavy rain?"

Minglan took a step back with interest. The queen mother, supported by the emperor and the empress, slowly sat on the seat of honor and looked at the emperor with a serious look: "I miss your majesty, so I came here to visit you. I just heard from the eunuch that the earthquake may also affect Hedong. Does your majesty have any countermeasures?"

The emperor secretly guessed the queen mother's intention and did not answer for a while. On the surface, he remained calm. He pretended to look at the heavy rain outside the palace with concern, but actually glanced at Minglan, who nodded to him imperceptibly.

So the emperor turned around and answered the queen mother respectfully, "Mother, I am also worried about this matter. I have ordered people to summon the prime minister and other important ministers and officials from the six ministries to discuss this matter."

The queen mother nodded slightly, approving the emperor's approach, "That's very good. This matter concerns the safety of the country. We must make a decision quickly and not delay it."

The emperor and the queen mother discussed in the palace, and ministers arrived one after another to discuss emergency strategies for disaster relief.

The court should act quickly and organize a strong rescue force, including elite troops and local officials, to rush to the disaster area and do their best to rescue the people. At the same time, the warehouses should be opened to release grain... For the areas that were particularly affected by the disaster, taxes should be exempted decisively to reduce the burden on the people.

The public security management in the disaster area should also be strengthened to prevent illegal acts such as looting; a policy of relocation should be introduced to avoid personnel unrest; after the flood and earthquake, there may be plague, and doctors should be recruited from all over the country to go to the disaster area to treat the injured to prevent the occurrence of secondary disasters such as plague; strengthen the health and epidemic prevention work in the disaster area...

During the discussion, the question of how to comfort the disaster victims became a difficult point.

A minister once again proposed that the emperor should issue a sin edict to review his own mistakes and pray for God's forgiveness. However, this proposal caused a stir in the emperor's heart. The new policy was being steadily implemented and the results were beginning to show. If he admitted that he had made mistakes in his administration at this time and was punished by God, then the new policy might be in vain.

Gu Tingye understood the emperor's concerns and did not want the implementation of the new policy to be interrupted, so he suggested, "There is another way. Please ask people who obey the will of heaven to go to the disaster area to provide disaster relief and appease the people's emotions."

As soon as Gu Tingye said this, a minister immediately retorted, "Your Majesty, your body is worth thousands of gold and cannot sit in the hall. Your Majesty must not be in danger!"

Then, another minister proposed a compromise plan, suggesting that a person of noble status in the royal family go to the disaster area instead of the emperor to show the court's attention and care for the disaster.

"Your Majesty doesn't have to go. People of the royal family and those with a high status and position can also go."

At this time, eyes fell on Prince Huan. Prince Huan was a candidate for the crown prince. If he went on behalf of the emperor, it would also appease the hearts of the disaster victims.

However, some ministers raised objections, believing that although Prince Huan was of noble status, he was not the crown prince, and his prestige among the people was still insufficient. If the people mistakenly thought that the royal family was perfunctory, it might be counterproductive.

Just as the ministers in the hall were arguing endlessly, Minglan stood up resolutely and asked the emperor for permission, "I am willing to go on behalf of the emperor to provide disaster relief to comfort the people!" As

soon as these words came out, the hall was instantly silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on Minglan.

The queen mother was extremely anxious when she heard this. The dangers in the disaster area were unpredictable. How could she let Minglan take risks? So, the Queen Mother angrily shouted: "Minglan, how can such a big thing be a joke? You should leave immediately and don't make a fuss!"

However, Minglan looked back at the Queen Mother with a firm look, gave her a soothing smile, and then continued: "I am the "Princess Protector of the Country" personally appointed by the late emperor. When the country is in danger, I should stand up and take on my responsibilities. Moreover, because of the previous rumors, I still have some prestige among the people. This time, sending me to provide disaster relief and comfort the victims will surely be more effective in calming the people and stabilizing the situation."

After speaking, Minglan knelt deeply on the ground to show her determination. Seeing this, the Queen Mother, although she was very reluctant, could only hold the armrests of the chair tightly, close her eyes and sigh. Gu Tingye stood aside, his eyes fixed on Minglan, his eyes full of admiration and respect. The emperor stared at Minglan deeply, then nodded in agreement, his tone revealing his trust and confidence in Minglan.

"Okay! Then let Princess Minglan, the Protector of the Country, go on this trip on my behalf!" As soon as the emperor said this, all the ministers secretly calculated in their hearts, and finally had to admit that Princess Minglan, the Protector of the Country, was indeed the best candidate for this disaster relief. The emperor looked around

and said, "If you have no objection, then the disaster relief matters will be fully entrusted to Princess Minglan, and all officials must obey the princess's orders. The princess can act on behalf of the emperor in disaster relief."

All the ministers had no objection, and Minglan accepted the order and thanked him.

"Minglan," the emperor spoke again, "you can also choose suitable officials to accompany you to the disaster area to help you complete the task of disaster relief." This statement is both an affirmation of Minglan's ability and a delegation of power to Minglan. Minglan accepted the order.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go with the princess to the disaster relief!"

Qi Heng was originally standing beside the emperor. Hearing the emperor's words, he could no longer hold back and immediately knelt down to ask for permission.

Minglan's heart tightened. She had prepared for the worst when she went there this time. She didn't want Qi Heng to go with her and take risks. "Your Majesty, I have a brave suggestion that this disaster relief mission is arduous and dangerous. To be on the safe side, we should select officials who have many descendants and no worries about future lives to accompany us. As the only son in the family, Mr. Qi has heavy responsibilities and should not be included in this trip." Minglan spoke earnestly, trying to dissuade Qi Heng.

The emperor was silent for a moment after hearing what Minglan said, and felt that what Minglan said made sense. "I am very pleased that the princess has taken all the precautions. In this case, I will do as the princess wishes."

Then, the emperor turned to Qi Heng and said gently, "Mr. Qi, I know that you are deeply committed to serving the country. However, as the only son in the family, you have a heavy responsibility. This time you will stay in the capital, sit in the rear, prepare food and supplies for the princess, and ensure that the disaster relief is carried out smoothly, which is also a contribution to the country."