Is Chapter 62 enough?
The autumn imperial examinations at Guangyuefu have successfully concluded.
More than 2,300 people took the exam, but only the top 120 were selected, divided into three lists: A, B, and C. An additional 20 people were added to the list.
There are also 160 people who have been ranked, but their names are not mentioned. They will only be admitted if there are problems with the candidates ahead of them.
The successful candidates were overjoyed, and the top ten agreed to pay a visit to the prefect, the education commissioner, and the chief examiner.
Besides their own initiative to visit, there were also the autumn examination banquets organized by the Ministry of Rites and the Examination Hall.
The aforementioned officials were certainly present, and three more successful candidates from the imperial examinations, led by the top scorer of the year, would also attend the banquet.
Accompanied by officials and teachers from the prefectural school.
As the guest of honor, Su Qing can simply go to the banquet.
Several other officials from the Ministry of Rites in the capital, including Lord Liang, were also among the main guests.
Next up is Qi Anping, the top scorer in this year's autumn imperial examination, from Shangkou County, Guangyue Prefecture.
He is only twenty-two years old this year, just one year older than Gu Congsi, who topped the provincial examination last time.
So young and promising, he had many dealings with officials in the capital.
The second-place winner in the autumn imperial examination is someone everyone is familiar with.
Hua Jingming, the young master of the Hua family of Guangyue Prefecture, is twenty-three years old this year, which is not considered old among the candidates.
Especially compared to the third place, this person is a scholar from Nanjiang County named Hui Rong. He is thirty-three years old this year and used to be a clerk in the yamen. He is a very steady person.
At the end of last year, he voluntarily resigned from his position to focus on preparing for the exam.
In his words, he felt confident that he would pass the imperial examination this time.
Although I had already prayed before.
However, at the autumn examination banquet, Qi, the first in line, along with the second and third, led the way in bowing to the examiners and other officials.
Su Qing didn't care about these formalities; everyone else simply followed her lead, taking their seats and enjoying the wine and the play.
The top three positions are closest to Su Qing.
Aside from Chief Qi, Hua Jingming was very familiar with Hui Rong and Su Qing, speaking with a familiar tone.
Su Qing spoke with a smile, and then specifically asked where Chief Qi was living now and how his family was doing.
When asked, everyone learned that he came from a poor family and had lost his relatives due to the war, so he had been studying at a private school in a certain place in Nanjiang County.
He returned to his hometown, Shangkou County, only after the war was completely over.
Su Qing was somewhat puzzled. How come she didn't know that Nanjiang County had such a talented person?
Lord Liang also sighed, "Given your family's situation, it must have been incredibly difficult for you to work and study at the same time."
Shangkou County was completely out of danger in less than two years, such a short preparation time.
Qi Anshou's talent is evident.
Unexpectedly, Qi, the top scholar, raised his head slightly, his eyes filled with admiration.
"To be honest, except for the beginning of the first year of Yongsheng, I have never stopped studying."
Yunxi, Lülan, and Luo Zhubu and Wu Husi, all from Nanjiang County, instantly understood what was going on.
The Qi family was lucky; they escaped to Nanjiang County early on.
Fortunately, Magistrate Su was in Nanjiang County, and he provided food and medicine, saving everyone's lives.
When the situation in the county improved, they provided subsidies for schools in various villages and regions.
These truly talented scholars were able to focus on their studies only because they received subsidies from the government.
Su Qing didn't know him because there were more than twenty private schools of all sizes in Nanjiang County.
There are many talented scholars, and she cannot know them all.
Nanjiang County enjoys a stable and peaceful life, which has naturally fostered many talented individuals.
Su Qing laughed instead: "It seems that was my oversight. If I had been more attentive, I could have known where the talents were in advance."
Qi Anshou waved his hand repeatedly.
He was filled with gratitude for Lord Su beyond words; he was already extremely fortunate to have caught the eye of the lord.
Fortunately, he topped the exam; otherwise, who knows when he would have been able to say these words.
Hua Jingming frowned as he looked at it, his expression clearly not quite right.
When Lord Liang and his men saw this, they assumed he had come in second place, and thus felt disappointed.
However, in the eyes of these officials...
A second-place finish in the autumn imperial examination is already quite good; the most important thing is that the Qi family's prestigious background dragged them down.
Given the Hua family's background, he is the one with a promising future.
As for Hui Rong, who came in third, she is older and her grades are not outstanding; we'll have to wait and see what the future holds.
Officials had a good idea of what would happen to the candidates after that.
After the banquet, all the acquaintances I was meant to make were made.
When Hua Jingming was finally able to get close to Su Qing, he said, "My lord, I just heard Lord Liang and the others say that you are planning to donate grain to Huizhou and other places?"
Su Qing looked at him and said, "Why are you being so polite?"
Hua Jingming laughed immediately, instantly returning to normal. He glanced at Chief Qi and Hui Rong, and said with a smile, "Alright, then I won't be polite."
“My father said that if the government intends to donate grain, the Hua family will also contribute. You just need to let us know.”
Su Qing raised an eyebrow.
so good?
It's not hard to guess why the Hua family is so enthusiastic.
Hua Jingming passed the imperial examination and achieved a good ranking.
He will be taking the imperial examination next year, and the Hua family is paving the way for him with money and supplies.
His future career path as an official will be smoother.
Since they were willing to spend money to buy fame, Su Qing didn't stand on ceremony and nodded, saying, "Alright, there's no rush for now. Let's wait for news from Huizhou and other places."
They don't need to rush to donate grain; rushing isn't a business.
Now that the news has been released, those places naturally have their own considerations.
Hua Jingming was aware of this as well, so he made conversation out of curiosity.
Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Su Qing for a while.
Su Qing was busy with his official duties, while he was also preparing for the imperial examination. Now that he had passed the examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination), the two were finally a little closer together.
After they finished speaking, Su Qing asked the three of them, "What are you going to do next? Continue preparing for the exam? Or submit your application to fill a vacancy?"
The candidates who passed the imperial examinations each had their own plans.
But what they all have in common is that they hold their celebration banquets at their own homes.
However, there are some differences. Those who are confident in themselves do not submit documents for the position of candidate for official post, but concentrate on preparing for the imperial examination.
If you lack confidence in yourself, submit your application for a candidate position.
In layman's terms, it means reporting the names of successful candidates to the local civil service office, which then forwards them to the Ministry of Personnel in the capital.
If a suitable official position becomes available, he can be assigned to a post.
In previous years, there were very few job vacancies in Shunchang State.
Not to mention those who passed the provincial examination, even those who passed the imperial examination found no suitable positions.
But after a few years of turmoil, a new emperor came to power.
There are quite a few vacant official positions.
If you submit your application now, you'll most likely get a spot; it just depends on the position's ranking.
For the top three candidates in the imperial examination, they would definitely have to compete fiercely.
So Su Qing's next words were the key: "Among this year's candidates, if there are any of good character who are willing to speak up for the people and also want to wait for an official position, please keep an eye out for them for me in private."
She spent so much money to organize the autumn examinations, so it's okay to let her recruit a group of talented people first, right?
Qi Anshou, Hua Jingming, and Hui Rong were all candidates, and they were among the top three in this year's exams. They had a lot of contact with other people and knew their personalities better.
Moreover, Su Qing trusts all three of them.
Even without mentioning Hua Jingming, the respect the other two showed for Su Qing was already evident.
As expected, all three readily agreed and avoided discussing the matter, secretly searching for suitable candidates.
After the autumn imperial examination banquet.
The three of them kept hosting banquets, and they would attend any banquet invited by any of their classmates.
Attending the banquet was one thing, but it also required studying poetry, songs, and prose, and testing one's character and personality.
This caused some worry among his classmates.
After a while, people who only wanted to eat and drink naturally stopped getting close.
Those who stayed were like-minded.
After they handed the list to Lord Su, some returned to their hometowns, while others held family banquets.
Before handing the list over to Lord Su, the three secretly competed, determined to select truly talented individuals.
They even waited to see which of their recommended talents the adults would choose.
Su Qing only found out by chance that they were secretly competing, but she was still clueless.
However, one name appeared in all three lists.
Wang He is thirty-nine years old this year. He ranked 102nd in the autumn examination. He felt that he had no hope of taking the provincial examination next year, and he was just going to participate in the examination as required.
So I submitted my application as a backup candidate well in advance.
He came from a poor family in his early years. He passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty-three and worked as a private tutor.
After failing the imperial examinations several times, he gave up on the idea.
However, since the teacher's income was unstable, one of the students' parents found him a job as a clerk in the county government.
He worked in all six departments of the government office, and did all sorts of dirty and hard work.
When the rebellion broke out, he was one of the few clerks and servants who did not flee.
This alone is enough for Chief Inspector Qi and Hui Rong to recommend him.
Hua Jingming also recommended Wang He because he was easy to talk to and would do whatever his superiors asked, making him a good fit to work under Su Qing.
In addition, he had done many jobs and was a seasoned official, so he could start working as soon as he was handed over.
Su Qing's lips twitched.
As expected of the Hua family, they really know how to exploit their subordinates.
Su Qing sent the official documents of Wang He and others to the Ministry of Personnel in the capital.
Then he wrote to Qi Neiguan, asking him to help arrange for Wang He and others to work in the Gaoqing Prefecture government office.
Once these people fail the imperial examination next year, they will be able to take up their posts.
Wang He and his colleagues were unaware that their official positions were basically secured, and they were currently visiting relatives and friends, hoping to find an opportunity.
Fortunately, he passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), which made life much different, and he no longer had to worry too much.
After these matters were settled, it was time for the chief examiner and others to return to the capital.
Su Qing and Wang Xuezheng personally delivered it.
After deliberating for a while, the official from Huizhou brought up the matter of donating grain, saying that he had written to Prefect Zhao of Huizhou and that a document would arrive soon, which he asked Prefect Su to review.
Su Qing readily agreed, saying she would read any letters they sent.
As for whether to donate or how to donate, that depends on their attitude.
Wang Xuezheng's lips twitched.
He hadn't forgotten the look on Prefect Zhao's face when he left.
The person who was waiting to see Su Qing make a fool of herself felt that she had thrown away the hot potato that was Guangyuefu.
Now they're coming to beg Lord Su for help; that's really interesting.
The officials in Huizhou were clearly aware of this, and seemed dissatisfied with Lord Zhao's reaction.
After the officials from the capital left, Guangyuefu returned to peace.
It wouldn't be accurate to say it was calm.
It's already September, and the grain harvest is almost complete in most areas.
Unlike other places, Guangyuefu also suffered from floods, but timely prevention and control measures prevented large-scale crop losses.
The dikes and ditches that were built have played a significant role.
In areas free from disasters, both grain production and arable land area have increased.
A stable environment, a peaceful life, and relatively honest officials.
These are all important reasons for the increase in grain production from arable land.
And their Guangyuefu possessed all three.
An official from Huizhou earnestly requested Su Qing's help.
It's clear that among all the prefectures in Shunchang Kingdom, only Guangle Prefecture has the resources to help other places.
By mid-September, the autumn tax statistics for this year from Guangyue Prefecture will be released.
Inside the study of the government office, Su Qing sat in the main seat.
Below are Registrar Luo, Constable Wu, Chief of the Six Departments, Wang Xuezheng, and others.
The topic of discussion is definitely the revenue of Guangyuefu this year.
In the third year of Yongsheng, local tax revenue amounted to 760,000 taels of silver.
In the fourth year of Yongsheng, it was converted into 890,000 taels of silver.
By this year, the total tax revenue of Guangyue Prefecture has reached 1.19 million taels.
This is how the taxes are collected.
It was a pleasant surprise for the locals.
One is that the amount of farmland has increased, and two is that various forms of commerce are also starting to take off.
Furthermore, the hidden landholdings of wealthy families in various regions have been largely eliminated.
But there are still many things that are giving the government a headache.
For the first two years, they were exempt from paying taxes to the imperial court.
There's no escaping it this year, no matter what you say.
No matter how eloquent Su Qing is, it's highly unlikely.
What?
You still have 160,000 soldiers stationed on the border?
You no longer need to support them; the imperial court will gradually take over.
Now that there is no need for war, military spending has plummeted, and preparations are underway in the capital. The Ministry of War will issue a document soon.
The Guangyuefu no longer needs to concern itself with military affairs.
Maintaining distance from the military is also for the good of local officials.
That's definitely not a problem.
The fact that the Ministry of War sent someone to replace General Yan without meeting with Su Qing's side gave us a clue.
In a place where the people are popular, the official is also in charge of the soldiers' expenses.
Too inappropriate.
Therefore, your Guangyue Prefecture should pay taxes to the imperial court.
There's no need to worry about the rest.
Yunxi complained, "Why didn't you say this when you used us before?"
Previously, the huge military expenditures all fell on their shoulders.
Now that expenses are gradually decreasing, I've taken over the work myself and then asked them for money.
To put it bluntly.
I just want money.
It's no wonder Yunxi had a bad impression of the imperial court.
Since he started following Sister Su, he has never seen the imperial court or the emperor in the capital exert any effort.
Sister Su always steps up when something happens.
The emperor went to seek any benefit he could.
If you can't be a good emperor, you can let Sister Su be the one!
Yunxi immediately covered her mouth.
Thankfully, I didn't say it.
He himself was terrified by this idea.
Su Qing looked at him, clearly asking what was wrong.
Yunxi quickly shook her head and stood obediently to the side.
Su Qing then turned to his subordinates and said, "It's good to hand over the military funds. The expenses are complicated. From now on, we can just focus on our own household."
Everyone nodded, and Wu Husi said, "The capital has been asking about the specific amount of tax revenue from our prefecture, and we don't know how much needs to be allocated."
Following the practice of earlier years.
Eighty to ninety percent of the county's tax revenue was handed over to the prefectural government, which then allocated another seventy to eighty percent to the capital.
This method can easily lead to insufficient local revenue and expenditure, forcing government offices to find alternative sources of income.
Local government-owned lands served as a good supplement, along with some additional revenue, which was used for the operation of government offices.
The situation has changed in recent years, and it varies from place to place, so it's not appropriate to discuss them together.
Therefore, the Ministry of Revenue in the capital had to review the accounts first before deciding how much to allocate from various regions.
Wu Husi's question is also everyone's question.
"How about we try to find some connections in the capital to reduce the number of transfers?" Wei Lisi suggested. "Even if we don't manage the military, the expenses of our Guangyue Prefecture are still considerable."
The head of the rites department also meant the same thing.
Furthermore, the prefect also needs to allocate grain to the Huizhou area, and this expenditure must also be included.
In short, they were all happy to have less military spending burden.
But they had no idea how much tax revenue the central government needed to levy.
A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind.
Their Guangyuefu seems a bit too conspicuous.
Sometimes doing a job too well can actually cause problems.
After the Guangyue Prefecture tax revenue report was submitted, everyone in the prefectural government was waiting for news from the capital.
Su Qing and his group naturally used their connections, with Eunuch Liang, Palace Attendant Qi, Gu Congsi, and others helping to gather information.
There was also a clerk from the Guangyue Prefecture who was gathering information.
Fortunately, this didn't trouble everyone for too long.
On September 19th, news arrived from the capital.
Just as Su Qing had predicted.
Guangyue Prefecture's tax revenue this year is 1.19 million taels.
The imperial court needs to conscript 1.07 million people.
The main goods were grain and silk, with the remainder sent to the capital in cash.
It was also stipulated that the goods must be delivered before October 20th.
Along with that came a rumor.
That was the news that prefects and governors from various regions would go to the capital to report on their duties at the end of the year.
This is not hard to guess; Shunchang Kingdom has not been doing well in recent years.
With the war finally over, Prince Wuyong was captured, and General Yan returned to the capital.
In the capital, there was no shortage of celebration.
No, there will definitely be celebrations.
Officials from all over the country came to the capital to report on their work, both to congratulate His Majesty on the New Year and to win the hearts of the people and demonstrate the power of the nation.
However, guessing and actually knowing are two different things.
Especially at the tax collection point, they learn about the year-end performance review notice.
This has caused sighs of dismay in various places.
Life was already tough enough, but we also had to pay taxes to the capital. If the amount paid was too low, what would happen to our performance review at the end of the year?
But there was nothing anyone could do.
How could one rebel with just an official document from the Emperor?
Besides.
Isn't there an even more unfortunate Guangyuefu?
Nearly 90% of tax revenue will be "robbed".
Even if you haggle, how much can you keep?
There's also talk of it in the capital.
Your weapons workshop is also selling farm tools, and sales are pretty good right now.
Furthermore, the medicinal herb trade in April and May each year is growing bigger and bigger.
Why can't the imperial court allocate more funds?
However, these arguments still sound somewhat far-fetched.
But they had another reason.
That was the disaster situation in the Huizhou area.
"The floods there are severe, and the imperial court must allocate grain. If Guangyue Prefecture doesn't pay taxes, where will the silver come from?" The eunuch who came to deliver the official document stared at Su Qing with extremely unfriendly eyes.
Su Qing still smiled and said, "If we allocate 90% directly, I'm afraid the government won't be able to sustain the medicinal herb trade until next year."
"Please allow me, Your Excellency, to speak further and we can discuss this further."
This was also the opinion of everyone in the Guangyuefu government office.
They want 90% of the tax revenue directly.
How are they supposed to live then?!
Unfortunately, no matter how the Guangyuefu tried to explain, the capital rejected their proposal outright.
If things are difficult in the local areas, does that mean the capital city is not?
Does Guangyuefu intend to resist taxes?
Merchants from the Huizhou area, upon hearing this, immediately relayed the message to Jiangnan: "Don't count on the Guangyue Prefecture. They don't need to support an army this year, but 90% of their tax revenue has to be sent to the capital, so they definitely won't have any surplus grain for us."
"The attitude of the capital is too urgent; I'm afraid Prefect Su has no way to deal with it."
"But there are advantages too. Once the imperial court collects this year's taxes, it will allocate funds to us."
Is this okay?
As long as there is disaster relief food, that's fine.
Su Qing said the same thing: "Since the imperial court wants to provide disaster relief, then let's hand it over. As long as the local people can eat the disaster relief grain, that's fine."
Of course, even so, we still need to try harder.
By early October, the tax revenue of 950,000 taels was to be settled and delivered around October 20th.
The requirement to pay 90% has been reduced to 80%.
Finally, 240,000 taels of silver were left for the Guangyue Prefecture government.
The eunuch who delivered the message strode away, and everyone in the Guangyue Prefecture government office turned green with rage.
I was happy just a while ago.
Their tax revenue increased this year.
I didn't expect the court to be so ruthless, yet the eunuch who came to carry out the order still had this attitude.
Clerk Luo and Registrar Wu were extremely disheartened.
During this period, they handled the most affairs, both big and small, within the government.
I never expected it to turn out like this.
Yunxi Lulan, who was standing beside Prefect Su, sighed.
The three of them actually knew all along.
Regardless of whether it was Eunuch Liang, Palace Attendant Qi, Gu Congsi, or the Ministry of Revenue official who came from Guangyuefu, they all secretly passed on the news.
Not to mention Guangyuefu, the situation was basically the same throughout Shunchang Kingdom.
They pay a lot of taxes, which is why they are under close scrutiny.
With the pretext of resisting taxes, anyone who didn't intend to rebel had to obediently pay up.
Even the eunuchs sent were not on good terms with Qi Neiguan and his men.
To prevent them from colluding with the court from within and without, thus causing the court to suffer losses.
That's why the eunuch was so arrogant.
"Your Majesty has mastered the art of balance."
After reading the letter, Su Qing casually burned it.
Just then, Prefect Zhao of Huizhou sent a letter, his words filled with earnestness.
It has only one meaning.
"I have heard that Prefect Su is willing to generously donate grain to Huizhou. I implore you to save the local people."
"You always say that officials should obey orders and love the people. This is a good opportunity for you to put your words into action."
If this happened before the imperial court collected 80% of the taxes.
Who among the officials of the Guangyue Prefecture did not consider this a plea?
But now everyone knows that the Guangyue Prefecture paid nearly a million taels of silver in taxes, and there's not much left in the treasury.
Send another letter.
What are they doing?
Su Qing's private study.
Both Luo, the registrar, and Wu, the head of the household affairs office, were furious.
Especially Clerk Luo, who was practically cursing: "What does he mean by this? Isn't he just trying to make a fool of us?"
“Previously, the officials from Huizhou begged him to write letters, but he refused.”
"It's because I feel embarrassed."
Wu Husi nodded: "Knowing there's nothing left, they still come asking for grain; it's intentional."
Why didn't you say so earlier? Now that the grain, cloth, and silver have all been transported to the capital, you're only sending this letter now.
It was a clear humiliation of them.
The Huizhou government office at this time.
Prefect Zhao was in high spirits. The kitchen had just served four dishes and eight bowls, along with some exquisitely prepared vegetables. After he had eaten them, some rare and delicious fruits were served.
The four young female entertainers in front of them had delicate faces and beautiful singing voices. They treated everyone to a meal and then sang for two or three officials.
Prefect Zhao sat in the main seat, with an official on each of his left and right sides.
The banquet today is small, and it's all "our own people".
The three of them were talking about the "generosity" of the Guangyuefu.
"They even donated grain to Huizhou. Are we lacking food and drink here?"
"It's ridiculous that I have to beg her for help."
The resentment in Prefect Zhao's heart vanished at this moment.
When Guangyuefu rose to fame and Su Qing became a household name.
He completely lost face.
What? A woman became a prefect and managed to support the entire army's logistics? What? She fought alongside General Yan to resist the rebels?
The imperial court's verdict on Prince Wuyong has not yet been handed down, and he remains imprisoned in the heavily guarded Nanjiang County.
What medicinal herbs, weapons, and farm tools?
I heard that he even made a trip to Gaoqing Prefecture and persuaded the officials who had originally rebelled to surrender to the court, which pleased the emperor greatly.
Let's just leave him out of it.
Whenever people see him, they will say, "He is the former prefect of Guangyue Prefecture."
"I really couldn't handle that mess, so I asked my in-laws for help and came to Huizhou."
"Unexpectedly, Huizhou is now suffering from floods, and he was completely unprepared."
How to prepare for floods?
How else can we defend against this?
Stockpiling food?
With grain prices so high in Shunchang, who has time to hoard grain?
Don't even mention Guangyuefu; who knows how they made their money?
Prefect Zhao was already dissatisfied with Su Qing and repeatedly tarnished her reputation in the Jiangnan region.
I thought we should keep to ourselves.
Unexpectedly, the flood in Huizhou gave her an opportunity to pretend to offer disaster relief and donate grain.
If you want to donate food for disaster relief, just send the food over directly.
What are you pretending for?
Do you expect him to write a letter to beg?
That means the gift wasn't given with enough sincerity.
Unfortunately, many powerful local families pressured him to write letters asking for favors.
They said that Prefect Su was kind-hearted, and that he wasn't just saying it; they told him to write a letter as soon as possible.
Should I ask Su Qing for help?
He might as well die!
When the imperial court was collecting taxes, someone gave Prefect Zhao a suggestion.
Prefect Zhao then spent money to inflate the tax revenue that Guangyue Prefecture should pay.
Unexpectedly, he pleased the emperor so much that the matter was actually settled.
"Eighty percent of that is tax. I wonder what they eat and drink."
"If you're not capable, don't try to show off."
After saying this, Prefect Zhao laughed heartily, and the two officials beside him also laughed out loud.
This counterattack was absolutely brilliant!
One of the singers looked up, her eyes filled with shock.
But he quickly lowered his head, and his sister reminded him not to look around.
After midnight, the banquet ended.
His sister knew what he wanted to say and said directly, "This happens all the time, don't tell outsiders."
The siblings kept their mouths shut.
The other two girls weren't so tight-lipped, and one day, after getting drunk, they told others about it.
The people of Huizhou, who were suffering from famine due to floods, were all deeply saddened upon hearing this.
The local government refused to allocate grain and also prevented other places from helping.
We don't know when the imperial court's disaster relief grain will arrive.
Is it even possible to continue living like this?
Will they even survive?!
October 9th.
The lifeless government office finally had some good news.
The Hua family of Fucheng is preparing to take the lead in procuring disaster relief grain, which will be sent to the Huizhou area in the name of Guangyuefu.
This matter was spearheaded by Hua Jingming, the young master of the Hua family, who came in second place in this year's autumn imperial examination.
The Hua family initially contributed 200,000 taels of silver to purchase grain.
This further indicates that it was a suggestion made by Su Qing, the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture.
He also called on other local gentry and wealthy families to donate grain, which would not only help the people and bring them peace, but also accumulate virtue for their descendants so that they could enjoy blessings in the next life.
"I thought this matter was over."
"Yes, the people in the Huizhou area have lost all hope."
"They are not waiting for the imperial court to provide disaster relief."
"Forget it, it'll be next year by the time the accounts are checked in Beijing."
"Prefect Su is still the kind-hearted one."
"She's always a woman of her word."
The Hua family's call for grain donations at this time was naturally at Su Qing's behest.
However, his family did not expect that they, as wealthy local gentry, were only supposed to play a supporting role, and the government should have paid for it.
Everyone knows what's going on with the government offices; they definitely don't have any spare money.
After a while, the Hua family ended up paying the lion's share.
This sum of money made Master Hua feel a little pained.
After much deliberation, I finally agreed.
My youngest son will be taking the provincial examination next year.
A good reputation is essential.
The Hua family hasn't produced any officials for many years; they need to make a name for themselves.
Furthermore, it would also allow the youngest son to fulfill his wish.
Befriend Prefect Su.
Master Hua pretended not to know Hua Jingming's thoughts.
If he can succeed.
The Hua family has more than one member in officialdom.
If it doesn't work out, consider it making friends.
Therefore, Su Qing was inevitably surprised when she saw the Hua family take out 200,000 taels of silver directly.
I thought I'd have to try to persuade them, but they surprised me with their impressive approach.
However, the other families in Guangyuefu were not able to produce much more.
Everyone knows what has happened in recent years.
With Prefect Su in charge, there were fewer opportunities to make easy money outside of official duties, so each family contributed three or five thousand.
When the Ye family of Jiangnan found out, they gave them 100,000 taels of silver and offered to help them find cheap grain.
They contributed money and effort to ensure that more disaster relief grain was transported to Huizhou and several nearby areas.
They are actively procuring grain.
Prefect Zhao of Huizhou was dumbfounded.
The officials of nearby prefectures, however, wished they could send messages by carrier pigeon overnight.
When the autumn tax was first collected, they were embarrassed to ask for it, thinking they would wait until Huizhou started.
After the imperial court took away the silver from the Guangyue Prefecture, they were even more embarrassed to write letters.
Most people knew about Prefect Zhao's sarcastic letter and secretly shook their heads at it.
Regardless, the Guangyuefu (a local music bureau) genuinely wanted to help.
In this world, you should be grateful if you have colleagues who are willing to help you.
I thought this was going to fall through.
Now it's all right.
They keep their word and never go back on their promises.
They're already raising money and supplies.
Countless letters pleading for help were delivered to Su Qing.
The disasters and refugees in various places came into the view of the government officials.
If you don't go out, you really won't know what's going on outside.
They were truly fortunate to be able to live in Guangyuefu.
Public fundraising and grain procurement are in full swing.
Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance in the capital, the emperor wore a cold expression.
"Is this an act of defiance against me?!"
"What a wonderful Guangyuefu!"
Eunuch Liang sighed and glanced at the memorial.
A famously upright Hanlin scholar submitted a memorial directly, stating that local areas were providing disaster relief, and the imperial court could not remain inactive.
If this continues, wouldn't it diminish the emperor's dignity?
The scholar found the satire amusing.
Little did he know that the Emperor not only reprimanded him in secret, but also developed a dislike for Prefect Su as well.
No, I feel even more disgusted.
"It's just disaster relief, right?"
"It's just silver, here you go."
"Is 300,000 taels of silver enough?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
