"Cao Dongsheng, this time we have to keep it secret, top secret!" Zhao Huan walked out of the Zichen Hall.
Cao Dongsheng was shocked: "Your Majesty, what's the matter? Even if you chop off my head, I won't say a word."
Zhao Huan said mysteriously, "We must not let Lian'er know about this trip to Haizhou."
Unexpectedly, Cao Dongsheng looked embarrassed: "Your Majesty, this, Your Majesty."
Zhao Huan wanted to bang his head against the pillar: "Did you fucking tell anyone?"
"Your Majesty, didn't you say last time that it was right to bring Empress Nangong with you? You should always take her with you when you leave the palace from now on."
Zhao Huan turned behind him and said, "When did I say that? And I haven't contacted you about that last time you snitched. You're snitching again this time, I'll kick you to death!"
"Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me!" Cao Dongsheng ran and dodged.
"Your Majesty, I'm here!" Nangong Lian'er's clear voice rang out from afar, and she came running over, "Your Majesty, I came here as soon as you came to court. I heard that you were going to Haizhou again? Take me with you! Take me with you!"
Zhao Huan was still furious: "Cao Dongsheng! Come here, I'll kick you to death!"
Nangong Lian'er grabbed him and said, "Your Majesty, why did you kick him?"
Zhao Huan pointed at him and said, "This old man won't let you go no matter what. He said that this time we should call Linghu Yunlong and the three of us should sneak out of the palace quietly. We must not let Empress Nangong know. How can Empress Nangong, a woman, follow us out in the open?"
Cao Dongsheng wanted to cry but had no tears: "I..."
Nangong Lian'er was furious. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Cao Dongsheng! Tell me, why didn't you let me go with you? Your Majesty, kick him to death!"
"My lady, I don't have any..."
Zhao Huan was filled with righteous indignation. "How dare you be so stubborn? Let me tell you, Cao Dongsheng, how could I leave the palace incognito without Empress Nangong by my side? Your Dongpo pork is gone. Forget about having a bite from the imperial chef again!"
"Dongpo pork?" Nangong Lian'er asked curiously.
Zhao Huan nodded. "His favorite dish is Dongpo pork. I even gave him a bowl yesterday."
Nangong Lian'er didn't think about the fact that he was the one who told her that the emperor was leaving the palace incognito. She then pointed at Cao Dongsheng and said, "Eunuch Cao, this time when you leave the palace, you can only sleep in the stables, and you can't eat at the same table with us!"
Zhao Huan hurriedly grabbed her and said, "Hey, Lian'er. This is your fault. Even though that bastard Cao Dongsheng didn't let you go, it was for your own good. He was afraid that a delicate lady like you would suffer with us outside, so he didn't want you to go."
Nangong Lian'er finally calmed down: "Really?"
Zhao Huan secretly winked at Cao Dongsheng, who hurriedly knelt down and said, "Yes, I am worried about you. There is a famine in Haizhou, and I am afraid that you will suffer if you go there. This is..."
Nangong Lian'er was immediately happy: "Get up, Eunuch Cao, remember, I used to travel around the world, so this little hardship is nothing."
"Yes, yes, this slave deserves to die!"
Zhao Huan called Linghu Yunlong, the martial arts master, to stay by his side to protect him. The four of them left the palace and headed towards Haizhou.
This time, the four of them didn't linger. Instead, they got a carriage. Cao Dongsheng served as the groom, and the carriage carried Zhao Huan and Nangong Lian'er. Linghu Yunlong rode alone on horseback to escort them.
Riding in a horse-drawn carriage was like driving a car with a flat tire; the bumpy ride over the gravel and potholes in the road was a real euphoria for Zhao Huan. Without shock absorption, the carriage wasn't comfortable at all.
When they arrived in Pizhou, Zhao Huan and his companions discovered that countless refugees had poured in. Zhao Huan was secretly alarmed. Even in Pizhou, so far away from Langya County, refugees had arrived, proving that the situation in Langya County was not optimistic.
The four of them took a short break in Pizhou City at Yuesheng Inn, considered the best inn in Pizhou. Cao Dongsheng spent three taels of silver to find a good room for Zhao Huan.
In the evening, the four of them sat around the table and ordered a table full of dishes and a pot of wine.
Zhao Huan picked up his wine glass and said, "If we go further east, we might not be able to drink anymore. Come, let's drink as much as we can tonight."
The closer we got to the disaster area, the more difficult it became to get food, let alone alcohol.
This drought in Langya County was unlike any other; it was a combination of natural disaster and man-made calamity. The previous county magistrate and the former governor of Haizhou had exploited the local population with disregard for their own well-being. Food shortages plagued Langya County, rich and poor alike. However, the wealthy families had already fled the area.
"I heard that the government opened a porridge stall this morning, but with more and more victims gathering, I'm afraid the stall won't be open for a few days." said an elderly diner at the table next to him.
Another middle-aged man nodded and said, "Our prefecture and county officials are quite good. I heard that disaster relief grain is coming soon. I wonder if there will be any in Pizhou?"
"The disaster relief grain allocated by the court is not enough for the corrupt officials to embezzle. I heard that Langya County did not get a single grain of rice." said the old diner.
The middle-aged man was shocked. "How is that possible? Langya County was the worst hit by the disaster. If there were no relief grain, people would starve to death!"
The old diner said, "I don't know about that. I heard it from the victims. Maybe the relief food has already arrived by now."
Several disaster victims stood outside the door, holding broken bowls and watching the food on the tables. As the number of disaster victims continued to increase, Pizhou was almost unable to bear it.
Zhao Huan took a few bites and said, "Shopkeeper!"
The shopkeeper came forward hurriedly and said, "Sir, do you need any instructions?"
Zhao Huan pointed at the dozen or so disaster victims at the door and said, "Give each of them a bowl of rice porridge, and I'll take the blame."
The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment: "Sir, you are from another place, right? This city is full of disaster victims. How many people can you save?"
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