Chapter 181 The eldest prince returns to Beijing
In Jinzhou, the sun was high in the sky and the sky was distorted by the heat.
The cracked land opened its mouth wide, crying out the cruelty of the drought.
The fields should be full of golden wheat waves, but now they are barren and there is not a single grain of wheat to harvest.
Jun Yihuan had been in Jinzhou for a few days. He stared at the miserable scene for a long time and felt his heart was so heavy as if a heavy lead was pressing on it.
He had always lived a life of luxury in the palace, but the people of Jinzhou before him were all ragged, skinny and sallow, struggling hard under the torture of famine.
Jun Yihuan's young yet resolute face was tense at this moment, his brows were tightly locked together, and there was both worry and anger in his heart.
Jinzhou was originally one of the richest cities in the dynasty. However, when the drought first struck, some merchants in Jinzhou were blinded by greed and colluded with wealthy families and officials to hoard grain.
They spread rumors, created panic, and maintained tight control over the flow of food.
He even went so far as to prevent the normal import of grain from government offices in other places, causing the grain price in Jinzhou to remain high and the people to suffer terribly.
What is even more outrageous is that the food originally distributed to Jinzhou by my father for disaster relief was also embezzled by some greedy and shameless officials in Jinzhou to enrich themselves!
Jun Yihuan was wearing simple clothes, standing on this desolate land, without a trace of retreat or fear in his eyes.
Jinzhou must be thoroughly rectified to give the people justice.
"Your Highness, the epidemic is spreading among the refugees and the situation is critical!" The subordinate looked panicked and hurried over to report.
Jun Yihuan heard this, without any hesitation, he raised his head abruptly, his eyes were sharp, and although his voice was still a bit childish, it was loud.
"Call all doctors, build medical tents, remove all patients, and isolate them quickly."
"Set up checkpoints to limit the large-scale movement of people and prevent the disease from spreading to other towns." He spoke very quickly and every word was sonorous.
"Immediately post notices and send people to spread the word, so as to educate the public on how to prevent and respond to the epidemic."
"......"
Jun Yihuan gave orders one after another in an orderly manner.
The subordinate took the token from His Highness and hurriedly retreated to make arrangements.
Xiao Jingzhi, a doctor from the Ministry of Works, followed the eldest prince all the way. Seeing the eldest prince being so decisive, a hint of surprise first flashed in his eyes, and then a touch of admiration gradually emerged, as if he saw the shadow of His Majesty in the court in the eldest prince.
"Master Xiao, there are many records of droughts in history books, and the government has long had various measures to deal with droughts, but Jinzhou has become so serious now."
Jun Yihuan's face was solemn, and his tightly pursed lips revealed his inner anger.
Xiao Jingzhi's brows were also furrowed tightly, and his expression was also solemn, "Your Highness, do you think that the officials in Jinzhou are corrupt and incompetent?"
Jun Yihuan nodded without hesitation, his chin slightly raised, his eyes full of determination.
If the granaries had been opened in time or even if officials had organized merchants to provide relief to the victims, the current situation would not have been so serious. It can only be that the Jinzhou government was corrupt, with officials protecting each other.
"If the officials in Jinzhou do nothing, I will report this to the court immediately." Xiao Jingzhi said with a fist clasped.
"No, the two most important things in Jinzhou right now are to solve the famine and to solve the water problem."
Jun Yihuan raised his hand, waved it, and spoke seriously.
"Master Xiao, first use the name of this palace to put pressure on the governor and officials of Jinzhou, and try to get them to give out food. It would be best if those officials who are in collusion with the wealthy families in Jinzhou can take out more food from the wealthy families to help the people."
"As for the water source, we still have to send soldiers to dig deep wells and find the source of the water. However, these are not long-term solutions. This time, my father sent you here, and I think the most important thing is to build a canal to divert water to Jinzhou..."
Jun Yihuan put his hands behind his back and looked into the distance.
"If we hold officials accountable now, it will only make things more chaotic. The more scared they are, the more they will try to make amends."
Xiao Jingzhi listened to the eldest prince's comprehensive instructions and arrangements, and was filled with surprise. After being stunned for a moment, he came to his senses.
"Yes, I will do it right away." Xiao Jingzhi bowed quickly and turned to leave.
Jun Yihuan has been in Jinzhou for more than a month. Although the food supply is not abundant, it is enough to ensure that all the people can have a meal every day, thus avoiding the tragedy of fleeing famine and even cannibalism.
The epidemic has been brought under control to a certain extent and everything is moving in a good direction.
However, Jun Yihuan never expected that someone was secretly trying to assassinate him in many ways.
Some blatantly hired assassins to assassinate him, while others bribed his servants in an attempt to expose him to the source of the disease...
Jun Yihuan took advantage of the situation. Since Jinzhou had been completely blocked by him due to the drought, he deliberately did not send any news to the capital, causing the people behind him to mistakenly believe that he was infected with the disease and his life was in danger.
As expected, as he lured the enemy deeper step by step, the people behind him finally stopped hiding and brazenly sent people to Jinzhou to investigate his situation.
Jun Yihuan naturally pretended to be seriously ill.
The people behind the scenes became more and more rampant, and Jun Yihuan finally caught them. After much investigation, he found out that it was the Yan family who was behind it.
After that, Jun Yihuan secretly communicated with his own people in the capital, secretly collecting various evidences left by the Yan family in Jinzhou, and at the same time let the people in the capital monitor the Yan family's every move at all times.
Finally, in the third month that Jun Yihuan stayed in Jinzhou, he not only properly settled the people of Jinzhou, but also collected all the evidence of the Yan family's corruption, secret profiteering, and even assassination of him in Jinzhou.
Another month passed, and Jun Yihuan finally returned to the capital amid everyone's eager anticipation.
The atmosphere in the court was solemn and dignified.
Those old ministers who once judged Jun Yihuan's ability based on his age and were full of doubts and contempt for him, now had complicated expressions on their faces, whispering to each other, and constantly sighing at the formidable young people.
Some old officials were filled with disbelief, muttering to themselves, "It's really unexpected that the eldest prince is so capable!"
Some old ministers stroked their beards, nodded slightly, and showed admiration in their eyes.
General Wei was even more pleased, as he had watched the eldest prince grow up.
Jun Yihuan walked to the center of the court, his eyes calm and confident.
He respectfully presented a series of solid evidence, including that the Yan family and Jinzhou officials had formed a clique for personal gain and obstructed drought relief efforts.
"Father, I have fulfilled your mission. I have secured a chance of survival for the people of Jinzhou and uncovered the treacherous officials for the court!" Jun Yihuan's voice was firm, echoing throughout the court.
"good!"
Jun Zechen sat upright on the dragon throne, looking at Jun Yihuan with a proud look, his eyes full of satisfaction and praise.
Jun Yihuan would never let him and Yaoyao down.
After coming down from the court, Jun Yihuan headed straight towards Kunning Palace without even having time to change out of his court robes.
Along the way, he walked hurriedly, looked anxious, and his heart was full of concern for his mother.
When he came back, he heard that his mother was pregnant. He was stunned at first, then surprised and happy. But then he heard that because she was worried about his situation in Jinzhou, his mother had a miscarriage when she was more than a month pregnant.
Jun Yihuan was full of worry and self-blame.
At this moment, he was only thinking about seeing his mother as soon as possible. He couldn't wait to tell her that he had done it and asked her not to worry about him anymore.
When Jun Yihuan arrived at Kunning Palace, Su Jingyao was sitting upright on the couch with gentle and focused eyes, waiting for his arrival.
She is now almost five months pregnant, and her belly is very noticeable.
"Your son pays respects to your mother."
Jun Yihuan bowed respectfully, with a hint of excitement in his voice.
Su Jingyao carefully looked at her son whom she hadn't seen for several months. He had become much darker and thinner, but had grown a lot taller.
"Stars come here."
Su Jingyao was pregnant and inconvenient, so she could only stretch out her hand and call him softly.
Jun Yihuan hurried forward, and Su Jingyao held his hand tightly, her eyes full of concern: "Are you afraid of going to Jinzhou this time?"
Su Jingyao is indeed selfish, she wants to be the queen mother, so both Jun Zechen and Jun Yihuan are stepping stones for her to move up. She loves them, but she loves herself more.
The last time I had an argument with Jun Zechen, the conflict between the two of them was about Xingxing, but it wasn't about him either.
Jun Zechen hopes that Xingxing can become an even better emperor than him. Even if the journey is dangerous and Xingxing might be on the verge of death, it is what he should experience.
But Su Jingyao's idea is that Xingxing can go through the test of being an emperor, but it cannot be at the cost of his life. Not all wise rulers in history need to go through life and death.
Fortunately, Jun Zechen understands her, and Su Jingyao also understands Jun Zechen's persistence as an emperor, but understanding does not mean she accepts it.
If Xingxing is infected with the epidemic in Jinzhou, and Jinzhou does not have as good doctors and environment as the imperial palace, one accident may result in the loss of life. How can Su Jingyao accept this?
"Mother, I am the one who made you worry this time."
Jun Yihuan lowered his head, his voice full of guilt.
"It doesn't matter. As long as Xingxing comes back safely, Mother will be very happy and relieved."
Her son is growing up step by step according to her expectations, and one day the star will become a shining purple star.
"My Queen Mother, please do not be angry with my Father. I have no complaints about your arrangements. I am even very motivated. My ambition is no less than yours. I will grow up to be more powerful than you."
Jun Yihuan raised his head and looked at Su Jingyao firmly, his tone full of confidence and determination.
Su Jingyao looked at the high-spirited young boy in front of her, the smile on her face became brighter, and her eyes were full of pride.
He is worthy of being her son.
Jun Yihuan has always known the expectations of his father and mother. He never felt that this was oppression or a burden. Instead, he felt that it was a motivation to move forward.
I will just do better than they expect.
The dynasty has become prosperous under the governance of his father. Jun Yihuan firmly believes that things will be even better in his own hands in the future!