The drought in Yunzhou is still severe, but fortunately, with the help of several surrounding cities, these people were successfully taken in.
Yunzhou cannot be left unguarded; it is impossible for them, with only a few dozen Imperial Guards, to defend the city. Meanwhile, the garrison troops of the surrounding prefectures are busy settling disaster victims and are unable to spare any more attention.
The court was in an uproar over this matter, and some suggested that the Prince of Yan send a contingent of troops there to prevent neighboring countries from taking advantage of the situation to launch a war and launch a surprise attack when they were unprepared.
"The Prince of Yan has rich combat experience and a strong army. It would be most convenient to have him send a group of troops there!"
"But now Yunzhou City has no food or water. With so many troops entering the city, where will the provisions come from? Just the relief of those disaster victims has already cost several surrounding cities a lot of money!"
"Then reduce or exempt taxes for these states for the next three years, with these states providing funds and grain for disaster relief, while the imperial court will be responsible for the Prince of Yan's provisions."
......
Yuwen Wuji was getting a headache from all the noise, but he also knew that hesitation would only lead to more harm.
But the Prince of Yan... he really didn't dare to use him.
Asking him to send troops to defend Yunzhou City is no different from simply handing Yunzhou City over to the Prince of Yan.
"Your Majesty, I believe that we can allow Prince Yong to lead his troops to garrison Yunzhou City. Prince Yong's fiefdom, Xuzhou, is located above Yunzhou, and the two are not far apart. Yunzhou is affected by the drought, and Xuzhou is also the most affected. If we can allow Prince Yong to lead his troops to garrison the city, and the court can allocate a batch of grain there, it should be able to reduce the impact on Xuzhou."
Upon hearing this, the crown prince couldn't help but grit his teeth.
His good younger brother has already left the capital, but there are still people in the court who remember him.
If he were to lead troops to garrison Yunzhou City, his Xuzhou would receive grain and provisions allocated by the imperial court, and would also be exempt from taxes for the next three years.
Furthermore, Yunzhou City will be in a period of development for the next few years, and with his troops stationed there, he will have a say in the affairs of Yunzhou. Perhaps in two years, his father will directly grant him Yunzhou as his fiefdom.
That won't do!
Yuwen Tong immediately stepped forward, looking heartbroken, and said, "Your subject is willing to share your father's worries!"
Yuwen Wuji looked at his eldest son, whom he had asked to handle the Cui family's affairs some time ago, and the son had handled them quite well.
Imagine if the Crown Prince himself went to the disaster area; he could appease the people's hearts as much as possible.
Especially recently, there have been rumors circulating in the capital that he has angered the heavens, which is why he sent down a drought as a warning to the world.
This utter nonsense must have been spread by the Prince of Yan!
"Very well, since that's the case, then let the Crown Prince dispatch 10,000 Flying Tiger Army soldiers to garrison Yunzhou City and comfort the refugees."
After the rules were set, everyone withdrew. The Crown Prince was summoned privately by the Emperor and given a few words of instruction.
"As a representative of the royal family, you must remember to love your people like your own children, avoid arrogance and impetuosity, and never be overbearing or damage the reputation of the royal family."
The crown prince listened to a few words of instruction and was deeply moved.
This was the first time he had handled such a major national affair. If he did it well, his reputation among the people would soar. So what if he had a disgraced concubine as his mother? What did that have to do with him?
Thinking of his mother, he bit his lower lip and said, "Father, rumors are spreading among the people, which is bad for your reputation. I think that since Mother has done something wrong, she should be made to atone for her sins."
Yuwen Wuji's cold gaze swept over the Crown Prince, but he did not interrupt him.
The Crown Prince swallowed hard and continued, "Your subject believes that the murder of the Queen Mother is the greatest source of anger towards Heaven. Previously, the petition from the people of Chenliu asked Mother to kneel before the grave of the Empress and her stepmother to atone for her sins. Father Emperor did not agree because of his more than ten years of friendship with Mother. But now, Heaven is enraged. Why don't you obey the will of the people?"
Yuwen Wuji lowered his eyes, walked up to the Crown Prince, and patted him on the shoulder.
"You are a sensible and good child. I also have a squad of Imperial Guards in Yunzhou City that obeys your orders."
The crown prince was overjoyed and quickly bowed and withdrew.
Soon, the people of the Imperial Observatory deduced the celestial secrets and said: The great disaster in Yunzhou this year is because the guilty concubine Gao murdered the Queen Mother, which angered Heaven and caused a drought.
The Emperor also issued an edict of self-reproach, stating that he had misjudged people, been deceived by his wife for over a decade, and had even been poisoned by her, harming the imperial heir. He had initially intended to imprison her and have her die, out of consideration for their years of marriage and to spare her public humiliation. However, the calamity that has befallen him has caused him immense grief and remorse. Therefore, he ordered the guilty Consort Gao to kneel before the Empress's grave for an extended period, repenting for her transgressions.
The Emperor himself will enter Huangjue Temple to observe a vegetarian diet and chant Buddhist scriptures for forty-nine days, to pray for the souls of the deceased people of Yunzhou and to pray for the living.
During this period, state affairs were handled by cabinet ministers.
After the "Edict of Self-Reproach" was issued, those who had previously criticized the emperor's incompetence fell silent.
Look at their earnest words and sincere attitude of admitting their mistakes. Which emperor could lower himself like this?
That's the emperor! He's already apologized like that, what can ordinary people do besides say "Your Majesty is so kind"?
At the same time, Cao Zhi sniffed.
He never imagined that his years of hard study would lead him to write the Emperor's "Edict of Self-Reproach".
He was so ashamed to face his good friends!
While others charged into battle, I stayed behind, writing for the emperor...
This must be covered up! Covered up! This is his dark history!
Also, I've already planned to propose to the Shen family, and I've even found a matchmaker. I absolutely mustn't let Shen Qingyu know, or the Shen family might not allow me to enter their home!
After leaving the yamen, Cao Zhi returned to his residence and bumped into Shen Qingque, who was also in the Hanlin Academy.
The two exchanged greetings, and Shen Qingque suddenly said, "Brother Cao's writing is outstanding. His article is so moving that one can feel his sincerity leaping off the page, which makes one feel boundless affection for him."
Cao Zhi: "......"
He scratched his head, somewhat puzzled as to what Shen Qingque meant by those words.
Is it irony, or a reminder?
"Could it be that I wrote too well?"
Seeing that he didn't understand him, Shen Qingque asked directly, "Brother Cao, are you determined to become the emperor?"
Cao Zhi looked into Shen Qingque's eyes. Although the other man was a head shorter than him, his aura was sharp, like a sword about to be drawn.
In that instant, Cao Zhi thought to himself, "He truly lives up to his reputation as my future brother-in-law; he's amazing!"
But thinking about his words again, he was the undisputed son-in-law of Prince Xuan, destined not to be valued by the Emperor. A family like the Shen's would never become a prominent one.
"I just want to do my job well."
He truthfully expressed his thoughts.
Unlike other students who studied diligently for decades, he didn't crave fame or fortune. He studied from a young age, but his teacher said that studying was for understanding principles, not a tool to achieve one's goals.
He reads books without seeming to have many goals.
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