Tang Dai glanced at Fang Li as if he were a fool, then turned and walked towards Bai Lin's side.
"Oh, Tang Dynasty, don't go!"
Bai Lin and Yang Fan stood to one side, watching quietly. When Tang Dai and Fang Li arrived, they noticed Yang Fan seemed distracted, so Fang Li teased him.
"Yang Fan, you haven't been tricked by your daughter again, have you?"
"Even if you get scammed, I won't get scammed."
Yang Fan glanced at Fang Li and said emotionlessly.
"Guess why His Majesty hasn't arrived yet today?"
After Fang Li finished speaking, no one paid any attention to him. Bai Lin then spoke directly.
"Little Princess"
Fang Li understood upon hearing Bai Lin's words. He nodded, "Indeed, only the little princess can change His Majesty."
"His Majesty has arrived!"
As Sanhezi shouted in a high-pitched voice, the civil and military officials knelt down.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"
Qin Jue walked to the dragon throne and sat down. Then he picked up Xiao Xi'er and sat her down next to him.
"Rise."
After hearing Qin Jue tell him to rise, he stood up.
Fang Li secretly glanced at where Qin Jue was sitting and, sure enough, saw Qin Ruoxi. He immediately looked away after seeing her.
Below, many civil and military officials, like Fang Li, secretly glanced at Qin Jue and Qin Ruoxi on the dragon throne.
To everyone's surprise, Qin Jue had doted on Qin Ruoxi for the past eight years, and this affection was plain for all to see. Therefore, it was said both inside and outside the palace that it was better to upset the princess than to anger the prince.
"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."
After everyone was in position, Sanhezi shouted.
"Your subject has a memorial to present."
Yang Fan walked out holding the ceremonial tablet and spoke to Qin Jue.
Granted
"Your Majesty, the number of people starving to death has been increasing recently, and the number of people freezing to death has also begun to rise."
Upon hearing Yang Fan's words, Qin Ruoxi's brows furrowed tightly.
"The situation is even more severe in the north, where there was just a locust plague this year, leading to even greater food shortages."
"In the north, three prefects and seven county magistrates reported that there was a shortage of cotton-padded clothing and food."
"Father, what is a locust plague?"
Upon hearing Xiao Xi'er's words, Qin Jue didn't immediately reply, but instead glanced at Yang Fan and said...
"It's a pest infestation that eats up the crops that farmers have worked so hard to grow."
"ah?"
Little Xi'er looked shocked. "Then, Daddy, what about those people who have no food and no clothes?"
"What does Xi'er suggest we do?"
Qin Jue looked at Xiao Xi'er with a hint of probing and asked...
"I think we can use the jewelry and money to buy food and clothes."
No sooner had Qin Ruoxi finished speaking than a minister stepped forward and raised a question about her words.
"Princess, let's not even talk about how expensive food and winter clothing are right now; we don't even have enough money. The national treasury can't possibly use all its funds for relief."
Hearing this, Xiao Xi lowered her head. This time, Qin Jue saw Xiao Xi frowning and looking unhappy with her head down, but he didn't speak up for her. Instead, he quietly watched her and waited patiently.
A little while later, Xiao Xi raised her head, her eyes sparkling.
"I remember now."
"Sister Yan'er said before that landlords and rich people are very wealthy and have a lot of everything. If that's the case, then they must have a lot of food and clothing too."
Then Fang Zixu also mentioned that the servants' old clothes should be disposed of.
"In that case, we can go to the landlord's place to buy grain and clothes."
"Since the servants' clothes need to be disposed of, they can be donated without any money."
Xiao Xi'er spoke each word carefully, her face serious, "Grand Tutor Situ once said, 'The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen.'"
"I think everyone will donate something. What we don't need might be life-saving for them."
"Like before, there was a little girl who stopped a carriage, just wanting money to get a doctor for her father. But money wasn't particularly important to her father."
After listening to Xiao Xi'er's explanation, Qin Jue nodded, indicating his agreement and satisfaction.
At this point, someone else stepped forward and voiced their opinion on the issue.
"Princess, I think this method is good, but there is a shortage of food and winter clothing. All the shops are raising prices on the spot, so it's impossible to buy them, or you have to pay exorbitant prices."
No sooner had the minister finished speaking than Qin Ruoxi blurted out, "What does 'raising prices on the spot' mean?"
This stunned not only the minister who had spoken, but also Qin Jue and the other ministers.
After all, the ministers had shown their approval when they heard Qin Ruoxi's opinion, but when they heard Qin Ruoxi's question about 'raising prices on the spot,' they were completely dumbfounded.
Everyone had only one question in their mind: 'Could the princess be illiterate? No way, isn't she studying at the palace school?'
Ultimately, the Tang Dynasty came to the rescue: "Princess, this 'price gouging' means that something was initially very cheap, but later became very expensive for various reasons."
Qin Ruoxi nodded after listening, "So, is it because people starved and froze to death that things that were cheap before have become expensive?"
"The princess is clever"
Fang Li stepped forward and flattered Qin Ruoxi.
This left Qin Ruoxi still confused. After about seven minutes, Qin Ruoxi suddenly looked up at Qin Jue, then at the ministers below.
"We can have Daddy write the plaque."
"What does 'princess' mean?"
Qin Jue thought for a moment and realized the reason. He reached out and patted Xiao Xi'er's head, nodding.
“Every year, my father and I go back to the fair on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. I learned from my father that every year, the winners receive a plaque personally written by him, and there are also certain benefits afterwards.”
Since everyone likes that plaque, we can do it this time too.
They can choose to donate it for free, or they can choose to sell it at the original low price.
Or sell them for a lower price and give different plaques to different people as a form of commendation.
"You can also give some benefits later."
After hearing what Xiao Xi'er said, everyone understood what Qin Ruoxi meant and nodded in agreement.
Do you all agree with what the princess said?
Qin Jue sat on the dragon throne, his back to the throne, looking down at the ministers below.
"We have no objection; do we agree?"
All the ministers knelt down, indicating their agreement with Qin Ruoxi's method.
Xiao Xi'er stood up. "Daddy, I had Sister Chunhe and Sister Xiaju pack my things yesterday. I want to be the first to donate them."
"Okay, Xi'er will donate first."
Qin Jue patted Xiao Xi'er's head. "Since the princess has taken the lead, let's start from today. It's voluntary."
When people heard "voluntary," it was as if they were hearing, "Everyone must donate," or "Even my princess donated, why aren't you? Everyone must donate."
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