Yuan Yunzhong sent people back to the Capital City to gather information while dispatching others to negotiate with the wealthy households in Wanping, Daxing, and Fang County about borrowing grain.
The gentry of the Three Counties were very cooperative, all coming to the temporary council hall at the foot of Shijingshan.
Lord Bai excused himself due to ill health and did not attend.
Yuan Yunzhong and Lord Xiang together received these gentry.
After a round of pleasantries, just as they were about to seat themselves according to rank, a clamor erupted from outside, accompanied by loud shouts: "We’d rather die than be exiled to the Nine Borders!"
"The Nine Borders are thousands of miles away; it’s better to have a full meal and die at the foot of Shijingshan than to die on the road to exile. At least here, at the Foot of the Imperial City, the feng shui is good, and after death, one might be reborn into the Capital City, warm and well-fed!"
"We want to eat! We want to live!"
That day in the shelter, although Lord Xiang had given Yuan Yunzhong a suggestion, Yuan Yunzhong felt the matter was of great significance and had not decided to hastily disperse all fifty thousand people to the Nine Borders, yet somehow the news had suddenly leaked out. Not only had it sparked civil unrest, but it also coincided precisely with Yuan Yunzhong’s request to borrow grain from the gentry of the Three Counties.
Yuan Yunzhong’s expression turned cold, while Lord Xiang, with a smile, bowed to the council hall’s attendees and said, "Excuse me, excuse me, I shall go see what’s happening outside?"
"Since they’ve chosen this moment to cause trouble, they surely won’t stop until they see me." Yuan Yunzhong stopped Lord Xiang, speaking sternly, "Let’s go out together and have a look!"
Lord Xiang frowned.
There are certain protocols for officials, and matters not yet decided by the superiors must under no circumstances be discussed publicly.
He believed neither he nor anyone around him would do such a thing, yet the news had still spread, casting suspicion on everyone present in the shelter at that time.
What he most wanted to do now was not to calm the refugees but to catch the person spreading rumors.
But before that, he needed to find a way to convince Yuan Yunzhong that he was not the one behind the mischief.
He followed Yuan Yunzhong out of the council hall.
The council hall erupted into a frenzy behind him, filled with the buzzing discussions of the gentry.
The gentry of the counties near the Capital City watched the Imperial Court closely. Yuan Yunzhong had not secured the grain, which made many people doubt whether his actions were in line with the emperor’s wishes. If he couldn’t pacify the refugees, it was likely they would not be able to borrow the grain today.
Colonels drew their swords, firmly restraining the shabbily dressed refugees, keeping them from breaking into the council hall. But the constant surge of new refugees made the colonels’ defense seem as fragile as a dyke about to be breached at any moment.
Lord Xiang had never seen such a scene before.
His face turned pale, and regret surged within him.
He thought the refugees were just refugees, and in troubled times, severe laws should be applied. He should have supported Lord Bai in eradicating them.
Yuan Yunzhong asked a guard, "Have all of Old Zhao’s people been found?"
The guard replied, "We’ve found seven, but five are still missing."
It must have been those people who incited the refugees to riot.
With time so pressing and the Shang Twelfth Armies known for their bureaucratic efficiency, the current situation was not surprising.
Yuan Yunzhong pondered whether to impeach the Five Armies Governor’s Palace. Then, a refugee broke through the colonels’ defense, crying, "Great Master in Heaven, please save our children; they haven’t had a drop of water for three days!"
The Colonel hurriedly expelled him back into the crowd. But then others in the crowd began to weep, "Great Master in Heaven, please have mercy, grant us a bowl of porridge to drink!"
"What’s going on?!" Yuan Yunzhong’s face darkened, and a fierce look flashed across his brow.
The County Magistrate of Wanping County had died for his post. These past few days, he had ordered the Chief Accountant to act on behalf of the County Magistrate, setting up porridge sheds with the government officials in various places.
It certainly wasn’t satisfying, but it was enough to sustain life.
A Colonel stuttered, "We don’t have enough grain; sometimes, all we can serve is rice water."
He feared even that rice water was diluted.
Yuan Yunzhong’s brows raised sharply, like a sword drawn from its sheath. He loudly said to the restless refugees, "I am sent by the Emperor to pacify you. The Imperial Court has been distributing porridge, and I am unaware of what has happened. Don’t worry, speak one by one."
The crowd immediately calmed down.
Yuan Yunzhong called out, "Where is the Chief Accountant of Wanping County?"
An official immediately stepped forward.
Yuan Yunzhong said to the refugees, "If you have issues, speak to this Master Accountant here. Form a line, one by one. We will first record everything and deal with matters based on urgency."
A throng of refugees surged towards the Master Accountant.
The Master Accountant jumped in fear, his voice trembling, "Are you not listening to Lord Yuan? Lord Yuan said to come one by one."
The astute Colonel maintained order.
The Chief Accountant quickly had government officials set up tables to allow the clerks of the County Yamen to take down the refugees’ complaints.
He then ran up to Yuan Yunzhong, a wry smile on his face, "Great Master, it’s not that we are inactive, but when we opened those two warehouses, there were no grains inside."
Yuan Yunzhong was astounded.
He of course knew of the various corrupt practices in the government, but being so close to the Capital City, at the foot of the Emperor, there should have been some restraint.
The Chief Accountant spoke helplessly, "Both warehouses had just a shallow layer of old grain on the surface, and underneath all was straw. Nothing seemed amiss on the account books. The Official in charge of the warehouses has already died in this refugee riot, even if we wish to question someone, we would not get any clear answers."
As he spoke, his old face flushed, "I had thought that since the man was dead and you had sent someone to the Capital City for more grain, I could hold on for at most one day. I could thus preserve the reputations of my two colleagues and muddle through this situation."
What he didn’t expect was that when the grains did not come, he tried to secure some privately and cooked a porridge of clear water. That’s when these refugees rioted.
Yuan Yunzhong could not even muster anger anymore.
He recalled what his maternal grandfather had said, "Only Hanlin scholars are to enter the cabinet," and yet these former cabinet elders might not even be able to recognize quinoa.
His urgent task was to resolve the food issue.
He asked the Chief Accountant, "Is there still a way to secure grain?"
The Chief Accountant shook his head, "I have borrowed all I could."
Yuan Yunzhong thought for a moment, and then loudly promised the refugees, "Rest assured, the Imperial Court’s grain will arrive tomorrow morning."
The refugees cheered.
Lord Xiang voiced his concern, "If it doesn’t arrive..."
Yuan Yunzhong interrupted Lord Xiang, "I will enter the Capital City overnight."
That was the only option left now!
Yuan Yunzhong said, "I will ask Lord Xiang to thoroughly investigate who spread the rumor about the warehouse."
Lord Xiang promptly agreed.
Without clear findings, he would not be able to extricate himself from the situation either.
Yuan Yunzhong returned to the council hall, and Lord Bai was there, unknown when he had arrived, chatting and laughing pearl-like with the gentry from the Three Counties. Seeing Yuan Yunzhong come in, he even posed as if concerned about a junior, "Is everything outside taken care of?"
He also said to the gentry, "Don’t look at Lord Yuan’s young age, his rank is indeed high. He and my cousin Wang Zi share the same scholarly title. You all should know Wang Zi, the Minister of Honglu Temple, the youngest of the Minor Nine Officials."
All the gentry applauded.
However, Yuan Yunzhong had no intention of entangling with this old fox and went straight to the point. "I need to return to the Capital City to see the Emperor; I leave this place in your hands, Lord Bai."
Everyone in the council hall was stunned.
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