My brother Ying Zheng, who dares to kill me?.

Chapter 1133: Food security starts with me! If Guanzhong is in chaos, then Daqin will be in chaos!

May 3rd, the seventeenth year of Qin Shi Huangdi’s reign.

It was already summer, and although the night breeze was still cool, the midday sun was already quite scorching, and people were sweating profusely.

Several more eunuchs were added to clean the imperial study in Xianyang Palace, and there were also assistant ministers constantly going in and out of the imperial study, taking back the ice cubes brought by the eunuchs and putting them into the ice jar, so that the emperor and his ministers of the Qin Dynasty could have a clean, tidy, cool and pleasant environment for thinking.

The Qin emperors and ministers were accustomed to this.

"Your Majesty," Han Cang said in a tired voice, "Spring plowing has been completed in all parts of Daqin, and pigs have been distributed to all counties and villages."

"I have already sent out orders to all local pig farms to seize the opportunity of abundant grass and water to recruit the people to reserve fodder in preparation for disasters."

Lü Buwei also saluted and said, "Your Majesty, I have issued orders to all counties and towns."

"Except for forging armor and weapons, building water conservancy ditches, harvesting pig grass and trees, and transporting grain and grass, all localities are prohibited from imposing corvée labor."

"Except for hunters, hunting in the mountains is prohibited all year round to preserve the wild animals in the mountains."

"It is widely known that the people of Qin should save food and pick wild vegetables in preparation for natural disasters!"

One after another, the court officials, looking tired and haggard, submitted their reports, and all of them highlighted one theme.

Tighten your belt and live frugally!
They not only need to save food, but also raise wild animals in the mountains and forests, protect trees whose bark is edible, and save everything that is edible in extreme environments!
Ying Zheng could not hide his fatigue and nodded slightly: "I am well aware of the difficulties that our Great Qin is facing these years."

"From today on, the palace's food expenses will be reduced by 30%, and I will only have four dishes per meal."

Lu Buwei immediately became anxious: "No!"

"Your Majesty is the King of Qin. There are rules and regulations for food and drink. How can you..."

However, before Lü Buwei could finish his words, Ying Zheng raised his hand to interrupt him, saying, "Not only do I do this, I also hope that all of you, my dear ministers, will do the same, and I also hope that all officials in all places will do the same!"

"In the past, Duke Ai said: I don't have clothes, but I will share my clothes with you."

"Daqin is in a difficult situation now. We, the whole country, must work together to overcome this difficult time!"

"As the King of Qin, I should be the first for the Great Qin."

"Only in this way can we store food and grass for emergencies!"

Sending 1.3 million troops to fight was an unprecedented and terrifying feat!
People may only remember that Ying Chengjiao led an unprecedentedly powerful force to invade the enemy country, but they don’t know what kind of support the rear needs to provide for these 1.3 million soldiers.

Even with the help of many techniques to help farmers, such as the curved plow and the technique of treating manure with golden juice, the Qin Dynasty's financial revenue and expenditure and grain reserves were already shaky.

But this year, the Qin Dynasty has to face not only the huge consumption of supporting 1.3 million troops to go to war, but also the reduction in grain production predicted by Ying Chengjiao!

Ying Zheng didn't know how much grain Daqin could harvest this year, nor did he know what form the natural disaster would take. Ying Zheng only knew that Ying Chengjiao had said that the people would suffer from a great famine this year!

Although it was impossible for Ying Zheng himself to save enough food for the entire Qin Dynasty, if Ying Zheng reduced food consumption, then all officials of the Qin Dynasty would dare not not reduce consumption. Hundreds of thousands of high-income people and their families saving food would eventually save the Qin Dynasty a few days of food rations.

These grains may play a miraculous role at a critical moment, or they may be of no help. But when the people of Qin are hungry, the Qin monarch and his ministers saving food together can at least slightly reduce the conflicts between the people and the court.

Lü Buwei's eyes showed reluctance, but in the end he could only bow and say: "My king, please be merciful!"

Ying Zheng shook his head and asked, "It is already May, and the seventeenth year is already halfway through. Do you have any guesses about the disasters of this year?"

After these words were spoken, many court officials raised their heads to look at Ying Le, only to see that Ying Le was also staring with his big eyes, with an innocent look on his face.

What? You ask me if I have any guesses about the disasters this year? Forecasting natural disasters and other major events should be judged by Lord Chang'an. I am just a small Fengchang, what qualifications do I have to comment!
Ying Le remained silent, so Han Cang, who was in charge of agriculture, could only take the initiative to speak: "Although there is no severe drought in Guanzhong this year, there is very little rain, which will definitely lead to a decrease in grain production in Guanzhong."

"Chang'an Jun also predicted that there would be a severe drought in Dai this year. According to Yang Wengzi's report, there has been no rain in Dai since the beginning of spring."

"Therefore, I believe that the possibility of a reduction in grain production in Great Qin this year due to a severe drought is the greatest!"

Lü Buwei frowned slightly and said, "I have also wondered whether this year's disaster was caused by a severe drought."

"However, according to reports from local officials, although the northern counties such as Guanzhong, the former Zhao, and Dukang are all experiencing drought, the former Han, the former Wei, the former Qi, and the former Chu are not experiencing drought, which can be said to be a favorable weather and good harvest."

"If the Great Qin had not yet passed through Hangu Pass to the east, and if Lord Chang'an had not introduced many immortal arts to the mortal world, the Great Qin might indeed have suffered a famine this year."

"Of course, our Great Qin has already swallowed up eight-tenths of the world. Even if Guanzhong is barren this year, as long as Guandong is prosperous, it will be enough to help our Great Qin tide over the difficulties."

"Therefore, I think we can take the severe drought into consideration, but we must not hastily conclude that the only disaster this year is the severe drought."

Ying Le suddenly said, "I think what the Prime Minister said is very true."

"Since the weather in Guandong is good and the drought in Guanzhong is evident, I suggest that we take advantage of the slack season to transport grain and grass from all over Guandong to Guanzhong to replenish the granaries in Guanzhong."

Lü Buwei shook his head and objected: "This battle is located in the northeast of the world. The exact cause of this year's disaster is still unknown. The grain from Guandong should be supplied to Chang'an Jun first."

"It would be too costly to transport food and fodder into Guanzhong ahead of time!"

Dispatching food is not a simple task that can be accomplished with just a click of the mouse.

To dispatch food, corvée labor was needed, and if corvée labor was used, money and food had to be paid to Qianfa!

What if the natural disaster this year did not occur in Guanzhong but in Guandong? Then the grain would have to be transported out of Hangu Pass again. The amount of grain consumed in the round trip would definitely be a heavy burden that Daqin could not bear this year!

Ying Le emphasized, "If the disaster this year is a drought in Guanzhong, then food and grass should be transported from Guandong to Guanzhong."

"If the disaster this year is a drought, we should also transport food and grass from Guandong to Guanzhong."

"There is chaos in Guandong, so we can dispatch troops to suppress it."

"If Guanzhong is in chaos, then Great Qin will be in chaos!"

"Guanzhong, no chaos!"

The daily debate began in the imperial study.

The tight budget and doomed future prospects forced all court officials to become very calculative. Apart from fully supporting the logistics and supplies of Ying Chengjiao's troops, every decision and every place where money might be spent had to be made with extreme caution.

Until a loud shout struck the imperial study like thunder!
"Chang'an Jun's urgent military report!"

Suddenly, the Qin emperor and his ministers were alerted, and Ying Zheng immediately ordered: "Pass it on!"

The door of the imperial study was wide open, and an unfamiliar messenger was carried into the study by two eunuchs.

He smiled at the eunuch beside him with some restraint, and with his legs sore, he managed to sit upright. He bowed to Ying Zheng and said, "I am the messenger of the Chang'an Jun Department, the captain Kuafu, and I pay my respects to the king!"

"Our military report is here!"

(End of this chapter)