They're just looking for something to eat; they'd be very grateful if they could have a bite to eat.
Unfortunately, some officials just don't want to.
With this in mind, Zhu Yunwen had only one thought: when faced with these inactive officials, there was only one word to say: kill.
Zhu Yunwen looked back at the county town and said:
"How much grain is stored in the county government office?"
The county magistrate hurriedly replied:
"Your Highness, the food reserves are absolutely sufficient."
Zhu Yunwen said:
"Since there is sufficient food, allocate a large amount to provide relief to more disaster victims. There must be no mistake!"
The county magistrate hurriedly bowed and said, "Your subject understands!"
Zhu Yutong also said:
"If the disaster relief work is done well, you will definitely receive credit for your performance in the Ministry of Personnel's assessment."
Upon hearing this, the county magistrate immediately became excited and quickly said:
"It is my duty, how dare I claim credit?"
They say they don't care, but actually they care a lot.
Zhu Yunwen believed that with the pressure he exerted and the fact that the matter was profitable, the county magistrate would definitely carry it out properly.
Sure enough, when Zhu Yunwen was about to leave Qingshui County, he found that the town gate was not only open, but also had a notice posted on it.
The announcement stated that all displaced disaster victims should go to the county government office in Qingshui County to drink porridge free of charge, with plenty to eat. They would be provided with two meals a day until the disaster was over.
Moreover, many officers and soldiers from the county government rode horses directly out of the city to search for nearby disaster victims and provide them with precise relief.
They were taken to the county government office and settled in.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Yunwen finally smiled.
As it turns out, a combination of kindness and strictness is an absolutely effective approach.
Especially for these officials!
However, this matter is not over yet, because there are several other counties in the surrounding area!
After all, Qingshui County alone can only provide relief to a portion of the disaster victims, and not all the disaster victims from other areas are heading to Qingshui County.
In the other counties in different directions, there are probably even more disaster victims.
Zhu Yunwen, without stopping, headed towards the next county town.
Their horses are all top-quality; a good horse can easily travel hundreds of miles a day.
The distance between county towns is usually around 100 to 200 li.
So in half a day, Zhu Yuntong and his group arrived at a county closer to the disaster area, called Xiahe County.
As the name suggests, Xiahe County has a small river, but it has also been affected by drought, and the river water is not as plentiful as before.
Along the river, Zhu Yunwen and his companions saw many disaster victims.
These disaster victims continued to drift along the river to other places, which shows that Xiaohe County did not provide much relief to the victims.
When Zhu Yunwen arrived in Xiahe County, it was already dark.
To his surprise, this county town did not close its gates like Qingshui County.
Although the disaster victims entered the city, they still begged along the streets.
When Zhu Yunwen passed by the county government office, he noticed that cooking stoves had been set up in front of the office.
I just didn't cook porridge.
Perhaps because it was nighttime, Zhu Yunwen found an inn to stay at.
The next morning, when he went outside the county government office, he saw that many disaster victims had gathered there.
Meanwhile, the stoves and pots in front of the county government office were all lit, with porridge cooking inside.
A look of satisfaction appeared on Zhu Yunwen's face.
Zhao Qingzhu, who was standing nearby, also said:
"It seems that the magistrate of Xiahe County does know something and knows how to help the disaster victims."
Zhu Yunwen nodded in agreement and said:
"Finally, there's one that hasn't let me down."
However, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard whispered to Zhu Yunwen:
"Your Highness, I believe you can look at it a little longer; perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised."
Zhu Yunwen frowned and said:
What does this mean?
The commander of the Imperial Guard said:
"Your Highness may not have witnessed the complexities of officialdom, but as a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I have seen far too much. Your Highness, do not be deceived by appearances."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen realized what the centurion was trying to say, so he narrowed his eyes, glanced at a teahouse nearby, and went inside, saying:
"Let's eat something here first and see what tricks this county government is up to."
After entering the teahouse, everyone ordered some food and began to eat slowly.
Time passed by, and it took about half an hour for Zhu Yunwen and the others to finish eating and drinking.
However, even after so much time has passed, the porridge in front of the county government office is still cooking, and the disaster victims around it are still waiting with their bowls in hand, but so far no one has been able to drink a single sip of hot porridge.
Even the simple-minded Zhao Qingzhu noticed something amiss and asked in confusion:
"What kind of porridge is this? It was cooked when we arrived, and it's still cooking now? More than half an hour has passed, and the porridge must be cooked into mush by now?"
Zhu Yunwen took a deep breath and said:
"What a show of vanity! They cook porridge like this, making it look like they're providing disaster relief, but not a single bite ends up in the mouths of the victims. Who are they trying to impress?"
The Imperial Guard commander standing nearby said:
"It's probably all for your benefit, Your Highness. News of your visit to Qingshui County yesterday has probably spread. So the magistrate of Xiahe County is just going through the motions to appease you."
Perhaps these people are only able to drink the porridge that's almost overcooked because of your arrival; if you leave, the porridge will probably become something they can only look at but can't drink.
Zhu Yunwen clenched his fists, snorted, stood up, and walked towards the county government office.
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