Huangming

Chapter 161 Deep and Steadfast, Profound and Reliable, Providing Relief to the People

On the fourth day of the second month of the first year of the Tianqi reign, at the third quarter of the hour of Mao (5:4

Outside the new government office palace, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and palace lanterns swayed in the breeze, illuminating the figures of palace servants rushing back and forth.

The Imperial Guards stood at attention, swords at their sides, their eyes scanning the surroundings like hawks to ensure everything was in order before the imperial carriage set off.

Zhu Youxiao did not sleep all night, and bloodshot veins were visible in his eyes. The tragic situation of the refugees in the suburbs of Beijing still lingered in his mind.

He gestured for Wei Chao to come closer, his voice low but undeniable: "Issue an order to Shuntian Prefecture: I want to see the disaster relief plan within three days."

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Wei Chao bowed in agreement, then turned and hurried away, as if afraid of being delayed even for a moment.

At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), auspicious purple clouds appeared in the east.

As the sun rises, its golden rays bathe the imperial carriage in a dazzling light.

Zhu Youxiao, dressed in a black dragon-patterned robe and with a jade belt around his waist, ascended the imperial carriage with a stern expression.

The civil and military officials accompanying the emperor had already lined up to wait respectfully. When the emperor boarded the carriage, they all bowed their heads in greeting, and no one dared to utter a word.

"Let's go——"

With three sharp cracks of the whip, the Imperial Guards' iron cavalry cleared the way, their thunderous hooves shattering the morning's silence.

The dragon flag fluttered in the wind, billowing like clouds, demonstrating the emperor's majesty.

Zhu Youxiao sat upright in the imperial carriage, his gaze passing through the light gauze curtains as he looked at both sides of the official road.

The old woman who peeled bark from the trees yesterday is nowhere to be seen. Only a few bare elm trees stand in the same spot, as if silently protesting the hardships of the world.

"If he embezzles even a single grain of relief grain, I will have him sliced ​​into a thousand pieces!"

He gripped the armrest tightly, his knuckles turning white, his heart churning with anger.

At 9:00 AM, in the Forbidden City.

Outside the Meridian Gate, the civil and military officials who remained in the capital had already knelt to welcome the emperor.

Zhu Youxiao's imperial carriage slowly entered the imperial city. The imperial guards by the Jinshui Bridge knelt down in unison, and the clanging of their armor resounded.

"Welcome back to the capital, Your Majesty!"

A deafening roar swept in from the Meridian Gate, causing the bronze bells on the eaves to tremble slightly.

Zhu Youxiao's expression remained unchanged; he simply raised his hand and said, "Rise."

He raised his eyes to look at the majestic palace, a hint of coldness flashing in them.

These deep palace walls could not contain his determination.

Qianqing Palace.

Dong Nuan Pavilion.

As soon as Zhu Youxiao stepped into the palace, he saw a mountain of memorials piled up on his desk, with the top one being a report from the Ministry of Revenue on the disaster situation in Beizhili.

He sneered, flicked his sleeve, sat down, dipped his brush in ink, and heavily wrote red annotations on the memorial:

"If no effective disaster relief plan is found within three days, everyone in the Ministry of Revenue will be dismissed and punished!"

The pen strokes are sharp as knives, penetrating the paper with force.

Outside the palace, the morning sun had risen high in the sky, its rays shining brightly, yet it could not dispel the gloom between the emperor's brows.

"Your Majesty, Hong Chengchou, the principal clerk of the Ministry of Justice, is already in the office of the Nine Ministers awaiting the imperial decree."

Wei Chao slowly approached to deliver the message.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao slowly concealed the anger between his brows, suppressing the surging rage in his chest.

A ruler should be like a deep pool and a towering mountain, remaining calm and composed even when faced with raging waves.

However, at this moment, he deliberately let the anger burn in his eyes.

The force with which he gripped the imperial brush until his knuckles turned white, and the sharp, penetrating edge of his vermilion-inked comments on memorials, all transformed into silent thunder.

Zhu Youxiao lightly tapped the imperial desk with his knuckles.

This anger was three parts genuine, but seven parts were the tactics of an emperor.

Zhu Youxiao wanted to make those courtiers who were used to trying to guess the emperor's intentions see clearly: I would rather act like a tyrant than allow you to neglect the people's livelihood!

Those kneeling figures at the foot of the steps should understand that the current emperor cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes—if anyone dares to embezzle a single grain of relief grain, they will be executed by a thousand cuts!

of course
He had a deeper meaning: he wanted to use the copy reports from the Six Departments Corridor, the sound of horses' hooves on the post road, and the ink marks of the Huangming Daily to spread the message all the way to the desolate villages in Beizhili where even the elm bark had been gnawed away.

Let the old woman huddled under the thatched eaves know that the emperor above the nine heavens is furious for her; let the refugees kneeling to welcome her along the way see that behind the imperial carriage's curtains, those crimson eyes hold the same pain as theirs. This great Ming dynasty, in the end, can only continue to exist by the breaths of hundreds of millions of people.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.

Zhu Youxiao understood this principle deeply.

That crooked tree on Coal Hill has been watching him all along!

Tap tap tap~
Steady footsteps approached from outside the hall, eventually stopping outside the door of the warm pavilion.

Hong Chengchou, dressed in a blue official robe with a token hanging from his waist, stood solemnly below the steps with his eyes lowered.

He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and after the eunuch announced his arrival, he bowed and stepped inside.

"Your Majesty, I am Hong Chengchou, a Principal Clerk of the Ministry of Justice."

Hong Chengchou's voice was neither humble nor arrogant, but it revealed a hint of caution.

He bowed deeply, his forehead lightly touching the gold brick, awaiting the emperor's words.

Zhu Youxiao sat upright behind his desk, his gaze sharp as he scrutinized the young official from top to bottom.

The warm chamber was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the occasional soft crackling of the charcoal fire in the bronze stove.

After a long pause, the emperor finally spoke slowly:
"Flat body."

Hong Chengchou thanked the emperor and stood up, but still kept his head slightly lowered, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face.

During the emperor's spring hunt, he was furious and summoned Hong Chengchou in a fit of rage. Hong Chengchou was extremely cautious.

“Hong Qing.”

Zhu Youxiao tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his voice low and deep, "I've heard that you're very capable in the Ministry of Justice, and that you once resolved more than ten backlog cases in three days?"

Hong Chengchou's heart skipped a beat, and he cautiously replied, "I have only done my duty and dare not claim credit."

"Ah."

Zhu Youxiao sneered, his gaze sharp as a hawk, and said, "I summoned you today not to hear these empty words."

Hong Chengchou's heart tightened, and his kneeling posture unconsciously became much more dignified.

Fortunately, the emperor did not punish him. He simply raised his hand and pushed the memorial forward, saying, "The disaster in Beizhili is severe, with refugees everywhere, land lying fallow and no one to cultivate it, and the imperial relief has been slow to arrive—the Ministry of Revenue is incompetent, and I have already severely reprimanded it. But the disaster and the refugees cannot wait, and I order you to go to Shuntian Prefecture immediately to assist in the disaster relief work."

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou suddenly looked up and met the emperor's unfathomable eyes.

In that gaze, there was both thunderous rage and earnest hope.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately knelt down and kowtowed:

"I will not refuse even if I die!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly, his stern expression softening somewhat.

He reached for a token on the table and said in a deep voice, "I hereby promote you to Imperial Commissioner for Disaster Relief in Beizhili, grant you the title of Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, bestow upon you the Imperial Sword and the Imperial Decree Flag, and authorize you to inspect the disaster situation, resettle the displaced people, and supervise the relief work on my behalf."

Hong Chengchou accepted the token with both hands, feeling its weight as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

He took a deep breath and solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your trust!"

After a moment's thought, Hong Chengchou said, "I'm afraid that we'll have to resort to force for disaster relief."

Zhu Youxiao immediately said, "You can mobilize the soldiers of the Beijing Garrison and the garrisons in various places."

Hong Chengchou knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "I will certainly handle this task well!"

Zhu Youxiao stared at him for a moment, then finally waved his sleeve and said, "Go, I await your good news."

Hong Chengchou bowed again, then bowed and left the warm pavilion.

The sunlight outside the hall was so bright that it momentarily dazzled him.

He gripped the token tightly, already knowing in his heart: this trip was not only about the lives of countless people, but also about the emperor's ruthless methods in governing the court.

With refugees everywhere in Beizhili, disaster relief was no easy task.

But it was done.

This is absolutely a great achievement.

He was highly valued and promoted by the emperor. If he cannot prove his ability now, how can he continue to enjoy the emperor's favor?
Inside the warm pavilion, Zhu Youxiao watched him leave, his anger gradually subsiding, leaving only a deep and thoughtful expression.

Originally, he intended to appoint Hong Chengchou to reorganize the Three Guards of Tianjin, but compared to reorganizing the Three Guards of Tianjin, Beizhili was his base of operations. If this place was not managed well, he would not be able to sleep soundly.

The three garrisons of Tianjin, the problem of displaced people, the land issue, border wars, and the problem of regional princes.
The Ming Dynasty was truly full of troubles!

(End of this chapter)