Chapter 585 Disguise
Lu Yuanbin wanted to shift the blame to Yun Yichen and use this opportunity to get everyone to side with him.
However, what Lu Yuanbin didn't expect was that his criticism not only didn't turn against Yun Yichen, but instead fell on himself.
"If Your Highness is tired from the journey, I can ask the local officials to help arrange accommodation for you."
The speaker was none other than Vice Minister Geng of the Ministry of Works. He had been thoroughly annoyed by Lu Yuanbin all the way, as he did nothing of any importance except chatter and slow down their journey.
Just as the other party said, his status as a prince meant that he couldn't be spoken to, couldn't be scolded, and if he wanted to beat him up, he would have to consider whether his father might accidentally chop off his own head.
How dare a mere poet from the Ministry of Works speak to him like that? Lu Yuanbin felt that these past few days had been the most unlucky he had experienced in the past ten years.
"My affairs are none of Lord Geng's concern."
Lu Yuanbin said this and then waved his hand, simply telling someone to stay with him and go rest.
Under He Biyou's guidance, Yun Yichen toured almost the entire refugee resettlement site.
After reviewing these arrangements, Yun Yichen felt that even if he didn't come, He Biyou could still handle things very well.
But being able to do it well and being willing to do it are two different things.
Let's start by talking about why we need to look for this place. It's spacious and there aren't any buildings around it.
Even if a second aftershock occurs in such a place, there will be no further casualties. And the four food distribution points he designed, though not far apart, would allow everyone to quickly have hot porridge.
"I am a little tired today, so let's stop here for now. Lord He, your quick thinking has helped you handle everything so quickly. I will certainly report back to His Majesty truthfully when I return."
Yun Yichen usually wouldn't talk to anyone this much, but today he not only talked to He Biyou, but he even seemed to be quite sincere about it.
Why let his words make you feel so elated? To put it bluntly, the hardest thing for a local official is not to show up in front of the emperor, which means that their promotion depends heavily on internal assessments.
Now, Yu Yicheng is not only the son-in-law of the Minister of Personnel, but also a favorite of the emperor. If he can put in a good word for me, I might be able to get a position as an official in the capital before I return to my hometown.
"Then I thank you in advance, Your Excellency."
He Biyou was secretly overjoyed, as if Yun Yichen's words had already given him an order to be transferred back to the capital.
Upon returning to the accommodations arranged by He Biyou, Yun Yichen outwardly appeared to fall asleep immediately.
But in reality, after everyone left, Yun Yichen quietly slipped out of the resettlement point.
Today's events were too perfect. Yun Yichen admitted that even he himself might not have been able to arrange things so well under those circumstances. Yet He Biyou hadn't escaped any of the issues.
If someone does something too perfectly, it's either because that person is truly capable, or it's because everything they do is merely to appease the eyes of those people.
He Biyou is clearly the latter type. He came up with so many ideas and arranged things so perfectly, all for one purpose: to fool these so-called imperial envoys and get the grain funds allocated by the emperor into his own pocket as soon as possible.
Suzhou has enjoyed a bumper harvest for many years, and the annual grain taxes have been paid in full.
But He Biyou not only refused to let the refugees outside the city flood into Suzhou, he also had no intention of caring about the people inside Suzhou.
Why would someone so clever do something that would cause such a loss for a small gain? Yet, he did it anyway, and Yun Yichen had a vague idea of why.
As darkness fell, the night in Suzhou grew increasingly eerie.
Because there were no houses, the entire city was plunged into darkness, and if it weren't for the moonlight, the road would probably be completely invisible.
Following the path He Biyou had led him through, Yun Yichen retraced his steps and, after gaining a general understanding of the terrain, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he immediately guessed a location.
"Brothers, get your spirits up!"
A man dressed as a soldier spoke solemnly to several guards while glancing into the warehouse. Finding nothing amiss, he then took out a lock and locked the warehouse door.
Hearing the commotion, Yun Yichen quickly hid in a dark place. And by sheer coincidence, he happened to see the items stored in the warehouse.
No, I shouldn't say what was inside, because the entire warehouse was completely empty except for a few boxes at the very back.
Suzhou, such a rich and prosperous place with important warehouses, is completely empty. Who would believe it if word got out?
"As expected, a clean prefect for three years can amass 100,000 taels of silver." Yun Yichen had thought that those people could still be salvaged, but now it seems that they have rotted to the core.
If such a person continues to remain in the court, how many people will suffer?
Yun Yichen did not publicize the matter of the warehouse, but quietly retreated back to his room.
They haven't even won the grain yet, and the reinforcements are still on their way. Apart from a few civil officials and two pampered princes, none of them have the ability to resist.
So for the next few days, Yun Yichen did nothing but let He Biyou take him on aimless walks, without offering any constructive suggestions.
Not only that, but wherever they went, Yun Yichen showered He Biyou with all sorts of praise, making He Biyou feel quite elated.
"These past few days I've seen you and the Grand Secretary getting very close. Have you perhaps forgotten that the other is none other than the most impartial and ruthless Yama of our Great Zhou Dynasty?"
The speaker was none other than Magistrate Shan, the prefect of Suzhou.
"The so-called Ghost-Faced Yama is nothing but a name without substance. He's just a greenhorn. Do you really believe those rumors?"
He Biyou clearly didn't take the reasons to heart. If at the beginning he was worried that Yun Yichen might cause him trouble.
But today, why not have nothing to worry about?
Because, early this morning, he gave the "gift" he had prepared to Yun Yichen, and Yun Yichen not only did not refuse it, but gladly accepted it.
Those watching couldn't possibly be unaware of what the so-called gift was. The fact that Yun Yichen accepted it directly is enough to prove that Yun Yichen, an official with a reputation for integrity, is not so clean after all.
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