The prince is more stable

Chapter 105: Refugees Gather
When he was very young, Zhao Xiaoqian knew a truth.

Never underestimate anyone, even if that person is just a small person as humble as dirt.

It can be seen that Zhang Xiaoyi is really like a fish in water in the market and has a wide network of contacts. Although most of the people who come and go are small people such as peddlers, idlers, singing girls, etc., Zhang Xiaoyi obviously has considerable prestige in the eyes of these people.

Zhao Xiaoqian watched silently for a long while, and finally asked, "How did you do it?"

Zhang Xiaoyi was stunned: "What the prince means is..."

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed at the idle men standing at the entrance of the first floor and said, "They seem to respect you very much. How do you do it?"

Zhang Xiaoyi smiled shyly, "I am just like them, a lowly person, trying to make a living in Bianjing City. We just look out for each other on a daily basis."

"When a noble person is beaten or scolded, I step forward to help and plead for mercy. When someone has a headache or a fever, everyone pools their money to take him to the hospital. When two groups are arguing over profit, I step in to mediate. After a while, everyone gives me some face."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him in surprise.

It is confirmed that the real-life Song Jiang is a warm-hearted brother.

If the Song Dynasty launched a severe crackdown in Bianliang, this guy would probably be the first to be taken to the execution ground.

"Xiao Yi, besides running errands and working as an agent, do you have any other business?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked with a smile.

Zhang Xiaoyi asked in confusion, "What other business?"

"For example, collecting protection money from door to door, watching over brothels, running underground casinos, etc..."

Zhang Xiaoyi shook his head: "I won't make dirty money. I will beat me to death."

Zhao Xiaoqian gave him a thumbs-up and praised him, saying, "Not bad, you've kept your bottom line. Even thieves have their code of conduct."

"Sir, I'm uneducated. What does 'Even Thieves Have Their Own Code' mean?"

"I stole your things, so I have my reasons."

Zhang Xiaoyi suddenly realized, but still felt something was strange.

Looking at Zhang Xiaoyi's simple appearance, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but have an idea in his heart.

He was in charge of official business for the Imperial City Bureau, but the Imperial City Bureau's spies were mainly located in officials' residences and government offices. There were relatively few spies among the people, but the intelligence from the people was also very important and could not be ignored.

Since Zhang Xiaoyi is so prestigious among the people of Bianjing, it seems...

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes became softer and the more he looked at Zhang Xiaoyi, the more he looked like a spy chief, and he found him particularly pleasing to the eye.

"Xiao Yi, will you continue to be an idler in the future?" Zhao Xiaoqian began to talk about life.

Zhang Xiaoyi chuckled and said, "Thanks to the prince's generous gift of a thousand taels of silver, I plan to buy a house in the next few days and get my mother's eyes treated. If there is any surplus, I want to do some business in Zhouqiao, such as opening an open-air tavern to provide a place for my brothers who are trying to make a living."

"Is it going to be like this for the rest of my life?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked with a smile.

"I don't have any big ambitions. Having enough food and clothing for the rest of my life is already a great blessing. What else can I do?"

"How about following me?"

Zhang Xiaoyi was stunned: "Why would the prince need me?"

"That's right. In the area around Zhouqiao and Panlou Street, I have to call you Brother Xiaoyi whenever I see you. Why don't I do that?"

Zhang Xiaoyi said in panic, "Your Highness, I am truly embarrassed."

Zhao Xiaoqian thought for a moment and said, "Come to the Imperial City Office tomorrow. I have something to tell you."

"Why can't I say it here and now?" Zhang Xiaoyi asked puzzledly.

"This is your territory. If the conversation breaks down, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave. But it's different with the Imperial City Division. If the conversation breaks down, you won't be able to leave."

Zhang Xiaoyi: “…………”

…………

Next, they prepared to welcome the Liao envoy, but the envoy was still on the way and might not arrive in Bian Jing in ten days or half a month.

Zhao Xiaoqian was also thinking about how to receive the Liao envoy.

Wouldn't it be a bit presumptuous to put a gun to his head as soon as we entered the city?
The next day, Zhao Xiaoqian slept until noon. After washing up, he walked out of the backyard of the palace, but suddenly heard a burst of lewd music coming from the backyard.

"My lord, my lord, come and arrest me!"

"I'm coming, I'm here, my beauties, where are you..."

In my two lifetimes, this was the first time I could sense such debauchery and immorality just by listening to the sound. Zhao Xiaoqian stood in the backyard for a long time, his eyes as empty as a dead fish.

This guy is a big shot who listens to advice and does all the crooked things without saying a word, without wasting a single day.

There is no need to imagine the father's happiness, his son has imagined it for him.

Even the money earned by the palace was due to his son's efforts.

Oh, and there's also a broken home where parents are divorced...

Although he was married into a royal family, for some reason, Zhao Xiaoqian felt that he had a miserable life.

Fortunately, the sad mood did not last long. A servant came hurriedly to report that the emperor summoned the prince to the palace for an audience.

Zhao Xiaoqian felt a little strange. He had just summoned him yesterday, so why was he seeing him again today?
Am I that important?
After putting on his official uniform, Zhao Xiaoqian hurried to the palace.

Inside the Funing Palace, Zhao Xu's face turned ashen, and Wei Jie stood before him in terror, not daring to breathe.

Obviously, the emperor was extremely angry at this moment.

Zhao Xiaoqian saluted cautiously, and Zhao Xu waved his sleeves, not even bothering to stand up.

When the emperor was furious, Zhao Xiaoqian was particularly well-behaved. He walked quietly to Wei Jie, kept winking at him, and silently asked what was going on.

Wei Jie also winked at him, but... the information was too complicated for Zhao Xiaoqian to read.

Finally, Zhao Xu spoke.

"Although the flood has passed, victims are still gathering outside Bianjing. Today, the Imperial City Office reported that there were as many as 200,000 victims outside the city. After urging from Kaifeng Prefecture, most of the victims have returned home, but 50,000 still remain outside the city."

Zhao Xiaoqian said in confusion: "Your Majesty, the flood is over. Logically, the victims outside the city should return to their hometowns and take care of their fields. Why..."

Zhao Xu said coldly, "That's a good question. They should all return to their hometowns and take care of their farmland, but many of them don't have any land."

"The 50,000 refugees who stayed behind were drawn together by the flood. Before the flood, they were already landless refugees, some from Jiangnan, some from Hebei."

"What about their land?"

Zhao Xu didn't say anything, his expression becoming increasingly grim.

Zhao Xiaoqian seemed to understand.

From ancient times to the present, land annexation has been a major problem that cannot be avoided in all dynasties, and it will always become more and more serious in the middle and late stages of any dynasty.

The court factional struggles and the back-and-forth of new and old laws in the Song Dynasty over the past few decades have finally shown their disastrous consequences, that is, a large number of farmers have lost their land and become refugees.

Now the consequences are laid bare outside the city of Bianjing, and it is difficult to pretend to ignore them.

The 50,000 refugees had no land and no home to return to. They lay outside the city and could not be driven away. In order to prevent chaos, the imperial court had to allocate a large amount of food and fodder to feed them every day.

If the problem of these 50,000 people is not solved, the court will have no choice but to keep them around forever.

I understand Zhao Xu's mood at the moment. He just woke up today and opened his eyes, and found that he had 50,000 more living fathers for no apparent reason. How the hell is that?

But these 50,000 refugees could not be beaten or killed, and millions of eyes in Bianjing City were staring at the emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty. How could the Song Dynasty officials, who prided themselves on their benevolent policies, dare to risk the wrath of the world?

"Zi'an has always been smart. Do you have any way to deal with these 50,000 refugees?" Zhao Xu looked at him expectantly.

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned: "Isn't this something you gentlemen should consider?"

"I've asked, but they couldn't come up with a solution. All the land in the world has its owner. We can't just resettle these 50,000 people in that owned land." Zhao Xu said irritably.

Fifty thousand refugees is not a small number. Even if each person is given two mu of land, it will take 100,000 mu of land to properly resettle them. Rounded off, it is equivalent to 67 square kilometers.

Where can they find so many ownerless fields for them to cultivate?

The Prince of Chu's Mansion is considered to be a large and powerful family. After all these years, they have accumulated a total of only 20,000 acres of land. If my father gets the urge to go to Yuqing Palace to make a wish one day, it will be even less.

The problem was very serious. Zhao Xu was a little furious. In the emperor's capital, 50,000 refugees gathered under the government's nose. How could he sleep at night?

Facing Zhao Xu's expectant eyes, Zhao Xiaoqian touched his flat belly.

"Your Majesty, your servant..."

Zhao Xu's eyes lit up: "Zi'an has a solution?"

"Well, that's not the case. What I meant was that I was hungry. I woke up in the morning and before I had my meal, I was summoned to the palace by the Emperor..." Zhao Xiaoqian said shyly.

(End of this chapter)