I, the queen and the father, start with a deer as a horse

Chapter 261

Hearing this, Wu Mingkong frowned slightly and fell silent.

After a while.

She looked at Qin Xingyan with her cold eyes, and said expressionlessly, "Tell me and listen."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Qin Xingyan responded with a solemn expression on his vicissitudes face, and said in a deep voice:
"If the court wants to take care of the disaster victims and the war, it must have enough money, but since last winter, most of the money in the treasury has been invested in the production of firearms. Even if the business tax is raised, there is not much surplus."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Empress.

"Stop talking about irrelevant nonsense, tell me, what are your plans?"

Hearing this, Qin Xingyan said solemnly: "I plan to mobilize rich merchants and gentry from all over the world to buy the affected fields with money and grain."

The voice fell.

Minister of Rites, Du Chen'an, and Minister of Industry, Zhao Zizheng, immediately understood what Qin Xingyan was thinking, and they stared at each other with strange eyes.

Wu Mingkong frowned, and asked: "You mean, let the farmers sell the affected fields in exchange for grain, and the imperial court's grain will not be left untouched?"

Qin Xingyan replied: "It's not that there is no relief for a stone of grain. For those tenants without land, the imperial court still has to open warehouses to release grain, and for those farmers who have land, if they sell their land and get grain, they no longer need the imperial court's relief.

Although these peasant households have lost their land, they can still survive next year by renting the land from big families.”

Not finished yet.

Zhao Zizheng on the side couldn't help interrupting him:
"Qin Shangshu has been in charge of the household department for many years, so he should not know that in such a disaster year, wealthy businessmen and gentry will try their best to annex land!
In previous years, it took 50 taels of silver to buy an acre of land, but in floods, 20 taels of silver could buy an acre of land, and in prefectures and counties that were severely affected, you could buy it for [-] taels of silver!
The people got silver in exchange for food, and they could indeed survive this winter, but what about next year?
There are fields, and the people live so hard. Without land, they can only be tenants of those rich merchants. At that time, they may live worse than pigs and dogs.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Huizhou lost their fields due to a flood, and they will inevitably feel angry in the coming year. At that time, if a civil uprising is triggered, will Qin Shangshu be able to bear the responsibility? "

As he spoke, Zhao Zizheng couldn't help showing an angry face, showing undisguised contempt for Qin Xingyan, a moth who always wanted to search for people's fat and people's anointing.

Hearing this, Qin Xingyan glared at Zhao Zizheng, with an angry look on his face, and said coldly:
"This official has another way, which is to search and execute all the culprits who caused the flood, and use the money obtained to help the victims!"

Zhao Zizheng didn't hesitate at all, and said tit for tat:
"The Ministry of Industry is indeed to blame for the flood in the Beiliu River. However, our Ministry of Industry is a Qingshui yamen. Even if we ransacked all the officials' homes and interrogated them, the money we found would not be comparable to that of a member of the household department, Wailang."

In the face of such cynicism.

Qin Xingyan opened his mouth and was about to fight back.

Before she had time to speak, she heard the little empress shout angrily.

"enough!"

Hearing the empress' voice, the two of them dared not speak any more for an instant, and lowered their heads.

Wu Mingkong looked at the two of them with cold eyes, suppressing his anger and said: "At this very moment, hundreds of thousands of people in Huizhou are suffering, and the frontline soldiers are about to run out of food!
The two of you are still here, digging through old accounts and criticizing each other!If it weren't for the fact that the imperial court has no one available for the time being, I wish I could chop off your heads immediately! "

This is extremely harsh.

Even Qin Xingyan, who is a core member of the Fang Party, couldn't help trembling in his heart, knelt on the ground in a hurry, and apologized: "I'm guilty of death!"

aside.

Zhao Zizheng also knelt on the ground, and followed closely: "I am guilty of death!"

Wu Mingkong glanced at the two of them, took a deep breath, and tried his best to calm down his emotions.

After a while.

She looked at Qin Xingyan and said expressionlessly: "Just now Zhao Zizheng said that in previous years, one mu of land could be sold for 50 taels, but in floods, it can only be sold for 20 taels. Is it true?"

Qin Xingyan hesitated for a moment, and replied: "Return to Your Majesty, it is true."

Wu Mingkong said: "If the government forces all the affected fields, the purchase price should not be lower than 40 taels, is it feasible?"

"This"

Qin Xingyan hesitated and said:
"The war between the imperial court and Yan and Zhou has not yet ended, and merchants' business is not easy.

If they have spare money, they would rather keep it in the house than take it out. Unless the price of the land is low enough, not many people will be willing to buy it. "

The voice fell.

Zhao Zizheng's eyes burst into anger, and he glared at Qin Xingyan, wanting to say something, but thinking of the empress' scolding before, he forcibly endured it.

at this time.

Qin Xingyan continued: "Forgive me bluntly, the Beiliu River broke its embankment, and the imperial court has been fighting for years, even the rich merchants' families don't have much food left.

If forceful methods are used to force them to buy land at high prices, it is equivalent to forcing them to provide disaster relief. In this way, the court will definitely fall into turmoil.

Therefore, the rich can only buy land at a low price, and they will be willing to hand over the money and grain if they are profitable.

As for the people of Huizhou...

They got food, they can survive this cold winter, and they won't make trouble. Only when they find that there is no land and it is difficult to make ends meet next year, will they feel angry.

At that time, the imperial court has overcome the difficulties and can give some compensation to the people who sell the land. "

These words are well-founded and convincing.

but.

Zhao Zizheng's expression was even more angry.

Not to mention him, even Du Chen'an's expression became a little strange.

Wu Mingkong noticed the expressions of the two, and immediately realized that the situation was by no means what Qin Xingyan said.

So, he asked, "According to what you said, let the common people sell their fields at a low price, is there any benefit but no harm?"

Hearing this, Qin Xingyan said in a hurry:
"Returning to Your Majesty, that's not the case, even if the minister is eloquent, it can't change the fact that the people have sold the land cheaply.

Losing the land they depend on for a year or two may be able to maintain their livelihood, but over time, it will definitely cause great troubles.

However, until now, without affecting the battle ahead, this is the only way I can think of, and in the end it is just a stopgap measure."

The voice fell.

Du Chen'an on the side couldn't help but said: "Qin Shangshu's plan is indeed feasible, but the people in Yongzhou will have to suffer for a long time."

Zhao Zizheng lowered his voice, and said coldly: "It's not just suffering for a while, it's like falling into a place of eternal doom."

Qin Xingyan looked at Zhao Zizheng, snorted coldly, but didn't answer.

Wu Mingkong's deep gaze scanned the three of them, and he realized it immediately.

The essence of this method is to search for the people's fat and people's anointing from the people.

Use their fields, and weather the storm.

As for what happens next, it is expected that no one will care.

In a small Huizhou, the total number of people is only a few hundred thousand.

Even if he really falls into a place of eternal doom, what kind of storm can be caused.

It is nothing more than to make the court bear more infamy.

long silence.

Wu Mingkong looked at the three of them, opened his mouth slowly, and asked, "Besides this, is there any other way?"

Qin Xingyan and Du Chen'an looked at each other and fell silent.

Zhao Zizheng hesitated for a while, then said in a deep voice, "If you don't want to suffer the common people, there is only one way to do it."

Wu Mingkong looked at him, and said lightly, "Let's listen."

Zhao Zizheng said in a deep voice: "Negotiate peace with Zhou Guo! Accumulate strength and fight again in the coming year!"

As soon as this word comes out.

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Whether it was Du Chen'an and Qin Xingyan from the Fang Party, or Zhao Zizheng and Lin Wan'er from the Royal Party, they all fell silent, waiting quietly for the Empress to express her position.

There was silence for a while.

In the end, it was Du Chen'an who stood up and broke the silence.

"In the battle with Zhou, the imperial court has the upper hand, and when a new batch of firearms is produced, it won't take long to drive straight in and destroy Zhou!
At that time, the state of Zhou will be merged into my territory, and the strength of the imperial court will be greatly improved!

Your Majesty and Fang Xiang have laid the foundation for their hegemony to unify the world. If such a grand plan of hegemony can be realized, it will be nothing to suffer for the people of Huizhou. "

Zhao Zizheng hesitated for a moment, and retorted:
"The imperial court did have the upper hand, but even the invincible General Bai was stopped by the Huben Army outside Lingbei Road because of lack of firearms.

If Zhou Guo has been in a stalemate with the imperial court, Yan Guo and Wu Guo may take the opportunity to attack, and then the imperial court will fall into a situation of enemies on three sides!

Furthermore, everyone knows the truth of the death of the lips and the coldness of the teeth. If the victory cannot be won in a short period of time, the countries will never allow the court to destroy Zhou! "

Qin Xingyan snorted coldly when he heard this, and raised his voice: "These are just your speculations! No one knows the truth!

Even if it is true as you said, the countries will not sit idly by, and the court is nothing more than producing more firearms!
As long as there is Fang Xiang sitting in charge!No matter how many enemies there are, they are just ants!As strong as the Yan State, sending 30 troops, not all of them were defeated by Fang Xiang! "

Zhao Zizheng looked at Qin Xingyan with an incomparably solemn expression, and asked in a deep voice, "What about the hundreds of thousands of people in Huizhou?"

Qin Xingyan was silent for a while, and said solemnly: "Compared with the grand ambitions of His Majesty and Fang Xiang, what are hundreds of thousands of people?"

"Your Majesty and Fang Xiang pretend in their hearts that there are ten thousand states and nine directions, not a small state with hundreds of thousands of people!"

Speaking of this, he paused, raised his voice and said:
"The old man knows that you care about your reputation and don't want to leave a bad name in the history!"

"No matter how hard it is for the common people, insulting the official will bear it! It has nothing to do with you!"

The voice fell.

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, there was deathly silence.

Du Chen'an looked at Qin Xingyan who was on the side, and sighed in his heart.

he knows.

Qin Xingyan tried his best to sell the people's fields this time, not for his own self-interest, but for Fang Xiang's grand plan and hegemony!
after all.

Things like annexing land have been felony since ancient times!
In the future, if this matter gets out, he, the Minister of the Household Department, will definitely be cast aside by others and will be left with a bad reputation for thousands of years.

the other side.

Zhao Zizheng also knew it in his heart.

Qin Xingyan didn't get much benefit from this flood.

Hearing the argument of "suffering people", although he was annoyed in his heart, he did not refute it.

Wu Mingkong, on the other hand, stood there with no expression on his delicate face, lost in thought.

At this stage of the war, it is time to negotiate a peace.

but.

She had already made up her mind not to negotiate peace with Zhou Guo unless it was absolutely necessary.

Now, a sudden flood disrupted her original plan.

On one side is the destruction of the state of Zhou.

On the one hand, it is to save the people.

Wu Mingkong fell into a deep entanglement.

Think for a long time.

A thought suddenly popped up in her mind.

"If Fang Xiu, how would he choose?"

According to her understanding of Fang Xiu.

There is a high probability that he will choose to suffer from the common people, right?

After all, as he once said, big things happen without small details.

Compared to the destruction of Zhou State and its inclusion in Dagan's territory, the hundreds of thousands of people in a state are really nothing.

Thinking of this.

Wu Mingkong looked at Qin Xingyan, and said slowly: "I decide"

As soon as the three words were uttered, they instantly attracted the attention of the three important ministers.

All three of them stared at Wu Mingkong with wide eyes, waiting anxiously.

Wu Mingkong looked at them, and for some reason, the faces of those beggars he saw at the Salesian Bureau suddenly appeared in his mind.

Once it is decided to suffer the common people, there will be hundreds of thousands more people living in poverty in Huizhou in a few years.

There will be quite a few of them, and their lives are not as good as those beggars from the Salesian Bureau!
Think of that face full of chilblains.

When the words came to my lips, I couldn't spit them out.

"call--"

Wu Mingkong took a deep breath, trying to calm down his emotions.

After a while, he said slowly: "Let the government in Huizhou open warehouses to release grain to help the people, whether to allow wealthy businessmen to buy local fields, and then make a decision in three days!"

Hearing this, the three of them were startled.

"I just said it, didn't you hear it?"

Wu Mingkong frowned, and said calmly.

Seeing this, the three hurriedly saluted: "I obey the order!"

In a few words, this matter was postponed.

after that.

Zhao Zizheng and Qin Xingyan began to argue about how to rebuild the dam again.

The matter of the flood is almost discussed.

The three important ministers saluted again and retired in unison.

after they leave.

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Wu Mingkong was the only one left standing there quietly.

A gust of cool wind hit her, making her feel a chill in her heart.

stood for a moment.

She returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and wrote a letter.

The matters discussed today are simplified and written down.

"Urgently send this letter to Wochuan Mansion within [-] miles, and hand it over to Fang Xiu!"

Wu Mingkong folded the letter and handed it to Lin Wan'er beside him.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Lin Wan'er responded, not daring to delay, took the letter and left quickly.

a day later.

Lying River House.

Fang Xiu, who was listening to the music, received a letter from the little empress.

After browsing through it carefully, his expression also became serious, and he fell into deep thought.

I do not know how long it has been.

The little lady on the stage has already called her curtain call.

He just returned from the state of thinking, looked at the guard, and ordered: "Go get the pen, ink, paper and inkstone."

"Yes!"

After a while, the guard brought the pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

Fang Xiu picked up a pen and wrote a letter.

That's the beginning.

"The way to be a king is to save the people first. If you hurt the people to serve yourself, it is like cutting your thighs to eat your belly. If you are full, you will die."

(End of this chapter)