Just as Qin Yu was about to ask what was going on, Liu Caiqing whispered, "Your Majesty, please come with me to the secret passage."
Seeing this, Qin Yu did not hesitate and followed Liu Caiqing into the secret passage.
Once inside the secret passage, Liu Caiqing stopped, as Zhang Tang had been waiting there for quite some time.
Upon seeing Qin Yu arrive, his eyes lit up, and he quickly came to greet him.
"This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"Rise."
After Qin Yu said something suspicious, Zhang Tang straightened up.
What are you doing here?
"After the court session, this old minister secretly returned and came here through a secret passage, all to request an audience with His Majesty," Zhang Tang said hoarsely, his old face showing emotion.
A pair of aged eyes stared intently at Qin Yu, and he said with heartfelt gratitude, "Your Majesty! Thank you for giving this old minister a chance to return to service. I thank Your Majesty."
After Zhang Tang finished speaking, he prepared to kneel down and kowtow to Qin Yu.
"You're too kind, Duke Zhuguo."
Qin Yu quickly helped Zhang Tang up and said gently, "The Duke of Zhuguo is a pillar of our Great Xia. How could I abandon you?"
Upon hearing these words, Zhang Tang was overjoyed and quickly replied, "This old minister thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace."
Seeing Zhang Tang's relieved expression, Qin Yu couldn't help but sigh. After a moment of silence, he said with a solemn expression, "This disaster relief is of utmost importance. The Duke of Zhuguo must make thorough preparations. I do not want any mishaps to occur."
Upon hearing Qin Yu mention this matter, Zhang Tang's expression immediately turned serious, and he solemnly assured him, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, this old minister will do his utmost to ensure the success of the disaster relief efforts."
Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction, and then pulled Zhang Tang aside to discuss the disaster relief matters in detail.
Most of these were things Zhang Tang had mentioned in court. In private, the two of them no longer held back and began to talk about truly critical matters.
"Your Majesty, this old minister believes that the biggest problem we may face in this disaster relief effort is not those treacherous and corrupt officials."
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow: "Isn't this the biggest problem?"
Zhang Tang took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and then squinted and said, "Those treacherous officials and corrupt bureaucrats are easy to deal with. With the Imperial Sword in hand, we can just kill them all. The most dangerous ones, in my opinion, are those powerful families that have deep roots in the three southwestern prefectures."
As soon as Zhang Tang finished speaking, Qin Yu also fell into deep thought.
This is indeed a difficult problem.
Those powerful families, whether open or covert, wield immense influence, and a single move can have far-reaching consequences.
The fact that imperial power did not extend to the county level was a problem that plagued rulers throughout history!
These powerful and influential families, deeply entrenched in their networks, were the true rulers of the region!
If not handled carefully, it could lead to unpredictable chaos.
Qin Yu frowned and asked, "Pillar of State, why don't you tell me in detail?"
Zhang Tang nodded and explained, "The powerful families in the three southwestern prefectures are led by the four great families of Zhou, Huang, Liu and Li. Their power is extremely great. In fact, most of the money and grain for disaster relief ends up in their pockets. Moreover, as far as I know, the reason why so many people died in this drought in the three southwestern prefectures is also largely due to human error."
"oh?"
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow, puzzled, and asked, "Could it be related to these four great families?"
"The relationship was incredibly deep. After the disaster, the four major families took the opportunity to inflate grain prices and arbitrarily seized farmland from the people at low prices, causing them to lose all hope and become refugees. Countless people starved to death!"
Bang!
Qin Yu slammed his hand on the table, his face extremely ugly, and said, "These beasts are simply outrageous!"
"These four great families have all pledged allegiance to Sima Lie's henchmen, secretly funding his military expenses to an unknown extent. As a result, the local government has turned a blind eye, not only daring not to intervene but also joining them in profiting from the national disaster?"
Zhang Tang's old face was solemn, and he reported in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu's expression grew even more gloomy.
Zhang Tang continued, "Your Majesty, these four powerful families are the most dangerous. If we don't uproot these deeply entrenched parasites, no matter how much money the court spends, we won't be able to save the people in the disaster area!"
"hateful."
Qin Yu clenched his fists.
He knew very well that Zhang Tang was right.
Qin Yu wished he could just have them all killed.
However, he also knew that this matter should not be rushed, otherwise it would cause unexpected trouble.
After calming down, Qin Yu said to Zhang Tang, "I understand this matter. However, since Sima Lie is behind the four great families, we must act carefully, otherwise all our previous efforts will be in vain."
"The journey to the three southwestern prefectures is long and arduous. You may set off first, Duke of the Pillar State. I will find a way."
Regardless, disaster relief really cannot be delayed any longer.
Every second that is delayed means more innocent people will die.
"yes!"
Zhang Tang responded.
The two then talked for a long time before their discussion came to an end.
After Zhang Tang left through the secret passage, Qin Yu got up and went outside. Liu Caiqing was still waiting at the door.
"I must return to the palace, otherwise I will arouse suspicion," Qin Yu said with a faint smile.
Liu Caiqing nodded, but then she suddenly remembered something and whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, I have prepared another aphrodisiac for you, so don't forget to bring it with you."
"Hehuan San?"
Qin Yu was slightly taken aback, then accepted the box handed to him by Liu Caiqing.
He opened the wooden box and a familiar fragrance of elixir wafted out. Just smelling it made him feel incredibly clear-headed.
Qin Yu smiled slightly, took a sniff, and then put the box away.
"Alright, I'll take it."
Qin Yu put away the aphrodisiac powder before leaving.
Actually, this is not a love potion at all.
It's actually a stimulant.
The reason it's called "Hehuan San" (合欢散) is simply to deceive people.
However, with this thing, he could also go back and forth with that enchanting beauty Sima Jing for a few rounds in a short period of time and gain some advantage over her.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, at the Prime Minister's residence.
Sima Lie received information about Qin Yu from Yu Zhu.
Seeing all these things, he couldn't help but feel contempt.
This foolish ruler really knows nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun.
He glanced at the intelligence report sent by Sima Jing, and his expression instantly turned cold.
The things that Sima Jing sends each time are not even as valuable as jade beads!
"Someone come here!"
Sima Lie tapped the table and called out to the steward.
Soon, the old butler pushed open the door and came in, saying respectfully, "Master."
"Go and send a message to Sima Jing, and have her investigate what she's been up to lately. Why is it that even Zhao Lan and Liu Caiqing are able to win the emperor's favor more than she is now? If this continues, I won't tolerate it any longer!"
Sima Lie looked gloomy and said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing Sima Lie's instructions, the old steward immediately accepted the order and withdrew.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com