Chapter 76 The Big Fool
"Who are you! How dare you disturb His Majesty's presence, attempt to assassinate the princess, and seriously injure the prince! Speak! Who sent you!"
Eunuch Hong sternly questioned the refugees kneeling below.
"Your Majesty, please have mercy! We had no intention of assassinating you; we only wanted to find a way to survive!"
Eunuch Hong immediately said, "If you didn't want to assassinate her, why did you go straight to the princess and surround her? The Sixth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince are both seriously injured and unconscious because of you, and you still dare to say it wasn't an assassination attempt!"
These refugees' target is too obvious!
He rushed towards Qin Jinzhi almost the instant he saw her!
They did not rush towards the stands.
The old man who had just been rescued by Qin Jinzhi quickly said, "We did not intend to assassinate the princess. We just felt that the person dressed in the most magnificent clothes should be the most noble, which is why we appealed to the princess for justice!"
Almost all the young people present were dressed in light, casual Hu clothing, and the nobles who were not participating were also dressed in dark, light robes. The emperor and empress were in the farthest stands, while only Qin Jinzhi was dressed in gorgeous clothes as if she were attending some grand palace banquet.
However, none of the people attending the polo match felt anything was amiss.
Qin Jinzhi was always extravagant, and she always wore the most precious materials.
She wore only the most precious jewelry.
So, according to these refugees, using fine clothes to categorize people isn't wrong!
The emperor raised an eyebrow without changing his expression. "That little bastard still has some conscience."
He prevented the group of refugees from rushing directly in front of him and the Empress.
That's right, Qin Jinzhi deliberately dressed so conspicuously today.
As for why they felt that way, it was naturally because the person who led them here had given them a hint beforehand.
If only the emperor were present, Qin Jinzhi wouldn't care and would simply dump the refugees on him.
But we still have the Empress Dowager.
However, Qin Jinzhi was also worried that if there were too many people and things got out of control, the elderly couple might get hurt.
Another middle-aged man, kneeling on the ground, mustered his courage and said:
"My lord, we commoners are all disaster victims from Jiangnan!"
Floods have struck Jiangnan, leaving people homeless and destitute, and no one in Jiangnan cares about us!
We were truly desperate and had no other way to survive. We heard that a high-ranking and powerful figure was hosting a banquet at the horse farm today, so we thought we'd break in and find a way for us ordinary folks to live!
Upon hearing this, the emperor flew into a rage. "There's been a flood in Jiangnan, why hasn't anyone reported it? If the refugees hadn't already arrived in the capital, how long would I have been kept in the dark!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
All the accompanying officials knelt down.
Concealing the extent of a disaster is a serious crime!
"Why are they all mute! Not a single local official in the sixteen prefectures of Jiangnan has reported the disaster situation! That's really good!"
Qin Jinzhi casually walked to Pei Jinnian's side and whispered, "Now, go over there and kneel down!"
Pei Jinnian hadn't recovered from the shock of the horse when he heard Qin Jinzhi's words. He paused for a moment, then subconsciously listened to her.
Only after the man knelt down did he remember to ask Qin Jinzhi why he was kneeling.
The emperor was taken aback when he saw Pei Jinnian suddenly walk over and kneel before him. "Young master Pei, what are you doing?"
Pei Jinnian's mind was racing; he had no idea what he was supposed to do!
He looked at Qin Jinzhi, but Qin Jinzhi showed no intention of helping him out.
He simply raised his chin at the refugees and tapped his own head with his fingertip.
Pei Jinnian slowly raised his hand in a salute. “Your Majesty, the disaster in Jiangnan is so severe, yet no officials have reported it. Someone must have intercepted the disaster information. It cannot be ruled out that some local officials are colluding with high-ranking officials in the capital. I am willing to go south on Your Majesty’s behalf to investigate the true extent of the disaster!”
Did his gaze linger on Qin Jinzhi, implying that?
Qin Jinzhi insisted that he attend the polo match today. Could this influx of vagrants be something she deliberately arranged?
She said she would promote him to the position of Prefect of Kyoto and send him south to investigate the disaster situation, which would be a great achievement no matter what.
His succession as governor of Kyoto will then be even more legitimate!
Qin Jinzhi was actually paving the way for him!
Pei Jinnian was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
Qin Jinzhi didn't know what Pei Jinnian was thinking, but judging from his reaction, she was quite satisfied.
After all this time, Pei Jinnian has acted like a complete fool.
Knowing nothing and understanding nothing, she was starting to suspect that Pei Jinnian had secretly arranged for someone to embellish the title of "the prodigy of the Pei family."
The big fool remained silent, deeply moved.
Du Zhong, who was standing to the side, narrowed his eyes and immediately said, "Your Majesty, this is not appropriate! Pei Jinnian has no official position or post, and it is unreasonable for him to go south. It would be better if this old minister went south in Your Majesty's place and investigated this matter thoroughly!"
Qin Jinzhi suddenly approached Du Zhong, looked him up and down, and asked, "Minister Du, can you ride a horse?"
Du Zhong's well-reasoned explanation was abruptly disrupted by Qin Jinzhi.
"This old minister is too old to ride a horse."
Qin Jinzhi suddenly smiled, "Pei Jinnian is capable, didn't you just see it? Although he's not very good at polo, his horsemanship is quite good."
Du Zhong frowned and said, "Why is the princess bringing this up? We are discussing the disaster situation right now, so please don't be silly!"
Qin Jinzhi clicked her tongue. "Since Minister Du is old, he must need to travel by carriage. It takes at least a month to travel from the capital to Jiangnan by carriage. It will take another month for you to come back from investigating the disaster. In two months, how many people will die? Please, Minister Du, don't be ridiculous."
Although it was somewhat inappropriate, many officials secretly buried their faces in shame.
Minister Du, at his advanced age, is being accused of fooling around. Isn't Princess Jinzhi implying that Minister Du is disrespectful to his elders?
Du Zhong never expected Qin Jinzhi to be so despicable. "You!"
Before he could speak, Pei Jinnian said, "Your Majesty, I am strong and healthy. Traveling day and night, I can arrive in as little as seven days from the capital by fast horse, and the round trip will take at least half a month. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to travel south in Your Majesty's stead!"
No wonder Qin Jinzhi insisted on having him play.
Qin Jinzhi has planned every single step perfectly!
"Your Majesty! No!"
The emperor, however, said, "I think Jin Nian's suggestion is feasible! It's precisely because he holds no official position that I feel at ease!"
Given the severity of the floods in Jiangnan, it's no doubt that local officials colluded with high-ranking officials in the central government.
The power dynamics among officials in the court are complex and intertwined; no matter who is sent to the door, there is a possibility that they will collude with the corrupt officials!
However, Pei Jinnian was different. He had no official position, but he was engaged to Princess Jinzhi.
The fact that Grand Tutor Pei personally visited the Prince of Zhenbei's birthday banquet already indicated that the Pei family recognized the marriage relationship with the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion.
Princess Jinzhi was raised by the Emperor and Empress since childhood. After their marriage, Pei Jinnian could even call His Majesty "Grandfather" along with Qin Jinzhi.
Strictly speaking, Pei Jinnian could actually be considered one of His Majesty's men!
Moreover, Pei Jinnian was being groomed by the Pei family to be the next head of the family, so entering the imperial court was inevitable.
His Majesty's affection for Princess Jinzhi is so great that it's hard to say he's not actually helping Pei Jinnian gain entry into the court!
"Pei Jinnian, receive the imperial decree!"
I hereby appoint you as the Pacification Commissioner of Jiangnan, to investigate the disaster situation on my behalf.
It can mobilize all local officials in Jiangnan, and if the disaster is confirmed, it can order the sixteen prefectures to cooperate in disaster relief.
They have the right to act first and report later!
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