Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2700 Still Vigorous in Old Age 84.0
Shen Cha's illness, which went through ups and downs for more than half a month, has finally been completely cured.

Seeing her radiant appearance, Jin Miaomiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. No one could have imagined that this relapse of her old illness would last for so long.

After inquiring with Jin Miaomiao and confirming that with proper care, this situation would not easily recur, Shen Haolin finally felt relieved.

Although he knew very well that the root of Shen Cha's illness was not easy to completely eradicate, he would be satisfied as long as it didn't flare up frequently, as long as it wasn't so frightening when it did, and as long as it got better each time.

The other people, especially the elders, shared the same thoughts as Shen Haolin. When they heard Jin Miaomiao say that Shen Cha needed to take good care of herself in the next two or three months, they dug out their treasured items and moved them all to the Duke's Mansion.

Although Third Grandfather and Chu Han didn't have any tonics to give, one was a renowned physician and the other was the wealthy young master of the Jing Prince's Mansion. The two of them huddled together and whispered for a while. Third Grandfather gave a very special prescription. Given Shen Cha's current condition, if she could take it for more than a year, her health would be much better than it is now. However, the ingredients and medicinal herbs required were not common, and many of them were even unknown to Jin Miaomiao.

However, none of this could stump Chu Han. He rewrote a copy and handed it to his subordinates, instructing them to deliver it to Prince Jing by express courier. Prince Jing would then send people to search for it and send it back to the border once it was found.

"Don't worry, although they are not common, they are not very rare either. I have seen most of them and know where they are. You don't need to worry, you will definitely be able to find them."

Seeing Jin Miaomiao's pleading expression, Chu Han smiled and comforted her, saying that he would save a portion for her when the items were returned.

Jin Miaomiao was overjoyed. After thanking Chu Han, she jumped for joy.

During the time Shen Cha was recuperating, nothing particularly noteworthy happened, whether at the border, in Xijing City, or in the two neighboring countries of Liao and Jin. The only major event was disaster relief.

In their daily greetings, the Yelü brothers mentioned that a blizzard had lasted for a whole month in the Liao Kingdom, covering a very wide area and causing varying degrees of damage to almost all the prefectures and towns. They were currently very busy with disaster relief.

Similarly, Hei Lu'er, Apiao, and Arou also sent back news that the blizzard in Jin Kingdom was just like that in Liao Kingdom, lasting for a whole month. Yiqing Prefecture was the most severely affected place in Jin Kingdom. Half of the city was burned down by the war, and the other half of the city did not escape the disaster this time either. The entire Yiqing Prefecture is now facing the situation of reconstruction.

"Is it that serious?" Hearing Shen Cha's words, Eagle Leopard and Falcon were somewhat incredulous. "Their house is that fragile?"

“It’s not that it’s fragile. When Wanyan Qingmu besieged the city before, half of it was already burned down, leaving only ruins. If it weren’t for this snow, the reconstruction wouldn’t have stopped. Now, with this blizzard, even the remaining half of the city is in grave danger,” Shen Cha sighed. “Old Hei said that this makes the already struggling families even worse off. If we attack now, they can surrender without any trouble.” Of course, everyone knew that Hei Lu’er was just saying this casually, and they couldn’t actually attack, because the road from the border to Jianglin City of Jin Kingdom was blocked by heavy snow. Both sides were racing against time to clear the snow and reopen the road.

After all, this road was not only the only way for the border to invade the Jin Kingdom, but also the only way for trade between the two cities. Due to the blizzard, goods from the border could not be delivered to Jianglin City, and goods from Jianglin City could not be delivered to the border. Fortunately, the weather was cold, so the food that needed to be preserved would not spoil for the time being, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

The overall situation in Daxia was much better than that in Liao and Jin. According to the secret letter from Song Jue sent back by Dai Yi and Mei Zhu, most places were not affected by the blizzard. Although there were some road closures, they were not very serious, as they did not last long and were all within a controllable range.

A small number of houses in Xijing City were damaged due to the heavy snow, and some even collapsed. Song Jue proposed that all the costs of repairing the houses, including materials and labor, should be borne by the Ministry of Revenue. The Cabinet, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue all reached a consensus and agreed that the national treasury should bear the cost.

Moreover, some people faced the predicament of having nowhere to go because their houses collapsed. The Jingzhao Prefecture requisitioned several inns to accommodate them, and this part of the money was jointly borne by the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Ministry of Revenue.

"This time, those tightwads in the Ministry of Revenue were surprisingly easy to talk to," Xue Ruitian and Bai Meng said, expressing some surprise at the outcome. "We really didn't expect them to be so accommodating."

“Because the damaged houses are not only the homes of ordinary people, but also the homes of some minor officials and clerks.” Shen Cha smiled. “If they want to take advantage of this, they have no choice but to agree to this proposal. Brother Xiao Jue also saw this point, which is why he brought it up at the court meeting.”

“Although the officials in the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Capital Prefecture won’t have this problem—if their houses collapse, they will repair them themselves even if the national treasury doesn’t provide funds—if this proposal is approved, won’t they save money?” Shen Haolin shook his head helplessly. “So, the miser is still the miser, he hasn’t changed at all.”

Although the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works were suspected of profiting from the situation, the proposal was passed. The majority of beneficiaries were ordinary people, which was enough. After all, the cost of repairing houses was a large sum of money for ordinary people, and not all families could afford it. Many families might choose not to repair the houses and to repair them later.

"Brother Xiaojue's suggestion is truly a lifesaver for the people. It is one of the most meaningful things he has done since he ascended the throne. Now, if he sneaks out of the palace again, he will probably hear a lot of praise from the people."

“Hmm!” Bai Meng nodded. “When I get back, I’ll go listen to what the people think of him. But one thing is for sure: if he really hears these praises, he’ll be so proud of himself that he’ll be wagging his tail high.”

“Not only will he be smug, but if he is stopped from leaving the palace again, he will definitely use this as an excuse. At that time, no one will have any excuse to stop him.” Shen Cha shook her head helplessly. “This can be considered the greatest reward he has received.”