Shen Huaixu nodded, stepped forward, and said sincerely, "Thank you all for your generosity. I thank you on behalf of the people." His voice carried a hint of relief, relieved that the people were saved, but even more so, it reflected his disappointment with these officials.
Because these officials don't care about the lives of ordinary people at all; all they care about is profit and money!
They don't care about anything that doesn't involve their lives.
If Shen Jintang hadn't suddenly pulled this stunt today, which had stunned them, he probably wouldn't even have been able to get this little bit of food!
But now is not the time to settle scores with them; the most important thing is to get the food first.
With this in mind, Shen Huaixu went out to count the grain and arrange its subsequent distribution.
However, in everyone's eyes, Shen Huaixu's behavior was simply a case of getting a good deal and then acting innocent!
The crowd was very dissatisfied with this, but even though they were unwilling, they were helpless. After all, compared to life, these material possessions were nothing.
So they had no choice but to stay obediently in the hall and wait for the grain to be delivered.
The hall was silent, save for the rapid breathing of the crowd, which seemed to express their helplessness and fear.
The sun slowly sank below the horizon, turning the sky a deep orange-red.
The moon rose quietly, casting a soft, silvery light.
One cartload of grain or money after another was transported to the government office. Shen Jintang had the amount carefully calculated before letting people leave one by one.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, only Shen Jintang and Shen Huaixu remained in the hall.
Shen Huaixu pulled Shen Jintang close, his voice low and serious: "You killed someone so brazenly, aren't you afraid they'll report you to the imperial court?"
"Even if you hold the sword bestowed upon you by the late emperor, you cannot kill people at will. If this is reported to the court, you will lose your head!"
This was Shen Huaixu's biggest worry. He had sensed something was wrong when Shen Jintang killed someone, but the atmosphere was tense at the time, so he couldn't ask too many questions.
Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang smiled slightly, then found a comfortable spot to sit down, tilted her head slightly to look at Shen Huaixu, and said in a calm and firm tone: "Cousin, do you think I would act so recklessly?"
Won't.
However, Shen Huaixu couldn't figure out what Shen Jintang was up to, so he could only frown and stare intently at her, waiting for her explanation.
Shen Jintang curled her lips and slowly said, "I arrived in Yanzhou so many days later than you, and it wasn't a waste of time. These past few days, I've led my men from the west all the way to the east, taking such a long detour, just to investigate the situation in Yanzhou."
“Right now, the entire Yanzhou region has been sealed off by me, and no news can get out at all.”
Her words carried an undeniable firmness, leaving no room for doubt about their truthfulness.
Shen Huaixu was slightly taken aback, then realized what he meant, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "When did you do that?"
Although he knew that Shen Jintang was quite capable, he was still surprised that he could do so in such a short time.
Shen Jintang casually poured himself a cup of tea, but didn't drink it. He just held it in his hand and played with it, saying indifferently, "You mean to blockade Yanzhou?"
“Yes.” Shen Huaixu nodded. Yanzhou was too big. To completely control it, you would need an army. Where did Shen Jintang find an army?
"Use what you have on hand!"
Looking at his indifferent eyes reflected in the tea, Shen Jintang smiled and said, "A liter of rice can make someone my eyes and ears. How many people in Yanzhou City are starving to death? It's just a matter of keeping an eye on the movements of a few officials. There are plenty of people who exchange information for food."
"As for the imperial court, you know that I've been in the court for so long. If I don't even have a little bit of my own power, then wouldn't I have wasted my time?"
Even if someone wanted to file a complaint, the news would never reach the emperor's ears.
Shen Jintang has arranged for people to stop everything.
After listening, Shen Huaixu remained silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He already had some understanding of Shen Jintang's methods and abilities before this, but such a bold move still made him somewhat worried.
He sighed and said, "What you're doing is too risky. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Shen Jintang's blockade of Yanzhou and interception of information, while ostensibly to avoid trouble, was, in reality, a deception of his superiors and subordinates.
That's a crime of deceiving the emperor!
He didn't believe Shen Jintang hadn't thought of this.
But Shen Jintang's expression remained unchanged. He simply said, "I know the risks, but some things have to be done. These officials oppress the people and line their own pockets. If I don't take strong measures, they will continue to act recklessly, and the people will continue to suffer. More importantly, as long as the refugees in Yanzhou continue to arrive, I will stay here."
"Even if it's just so I can get back to Kyoto sooner, I have to get this sorted out."
Her eyes turned slightly cold, as if she had thought of something unpleasant.
"As for the rest..." She paused for a moment, then continued, "Cousin, after Grand Tutor Shen died, you were in charge of everything in the Shen family. I know you also have some influence in the court. I need you to write a letter for me and cover things up for me."
That was her real purpose.
Otherwise, given her temperament, how could she possibly talk to Shen Huaixu so much?
Shen Huaixu was stunned for a moment, somewhat unable to react: "You want me to help you repair the letter and cover it up?"
Repairing the letter to cover it up...
Upon hearing this, he became furious.
It wasn't enough for her to take the risk alone; now she's dragging him and the entire Shen family into it.
“Shen Jintang, how are you any different from the Crown Prince and those corrupt officials? You all use any means to achieve your own goals and abuse your power to oppress others.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang's eyes instantly turned cold. She narrowed her eyes slightly, looked at Shen Huaixu coldly, and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
“Cousin, those words are truly hurtful. I am doing this to save the people, while the Crown Prince and those corrupt officials are doing it for personal gain. Do you think there is any comparison between the two?”
Her words struck Shen Huaixu like sharp arrows, leaving him speechless for a moment.
But he still felt something was wrong. They were doing a good thing, so why did they have to use such dishonorable methods?
He doesn't reject underhanded methods, but he can't accept using them to do good. Even if his intentions are good, it would be unfair if people exposed his dishonorable methods and used them as an excuse to criticize him.
“Methods are methods, regardless of the purpose. Your actions of killing, blocking information, and manipulating things in secret have violated the rules of the imperial court. If this is exposed, you will die a hundred times over!”
His voice was very firm, and he absolutely disagreed with Shen Jintang's approach.
If she does well, that's fine; at most, she won't be rewarded or punished. But if she does poorly, these officials can easily shift all the blame onto her, and she won't even know how she died!
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