The Biography of Concubine Wen Xi in Qing Palace

Chapter 397 Guilty Edict [Eighteen More]

This earthquake and natural disaster originated in Pinggu and spread to all directions.

On that day, suddenly the ground sounded like a huge cannon, and it seemed like thousands of horses were rushing towards them. The ground gushed black water, the mountains collapsed, and the houses shook like a boat sailing in the wind and waves.Most of the people who were not crushed to death by the house had their heads broken and their bodies were severely injured.

From that day on, the emperor ignored his own pain and managed politics in Qianqing Palace for more than fourteen hours.

During the period, aftershocks continued, or several times a day, or some days after the earthquake, the fields and crops were destroyed, and there were too many people without food.Most of the lucky survivors fled the disaster area with their families.

Therefore, the emperor discussed with the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and decided that for those whose houses collapsed due to disasters and could not be repaired, people from the Eight Banners would receive four taels of silver per house, and those outside the Eight Banners would receive two taels of silver per house.For those who died due to the earthquake, and their families were unable to bury them, two taels of silver would be given to each person.

However, the earthquake affected a wide area. Along the Pinggu and Sanhe areas, it affected more than [-] counties in six provinces including Hebei, Shaanxi, Shaanxi, Liaoning, Jiaotong, and Henan. Over ten thousand people were killed or injured within three days and had to report to Beijing.

The severe earthquake and ground subsidence that accompanied the epicenter were intertwined with the fires and rain disasters caused after the disaster. In addition, as late autumn and severe winter approached, countless people suffered from hunger, cold and infection, and the lives of poor people were even worse. .

In addition to organizing the imperial court to send troops to earthquake disasters, the emperor also added 10 taels of silver on the grounds that the distribution of money and silver was not discussed.He also decreed that the Pearl of the University, that the officials of the Eight Banners and their subordinates who have money in their pockets should "commonly save each other and contribute money to help them".At the same time, officials, gentry, tycoons, and actor Mingxiu were called to donate to the earthquake disaster.

However, even with such painstaking and proper arrangements, the people still complained, and people said tut tut.

Due to the earthquake disaster caused by the imperial court, it is really difficult to fill the vacancy in people's lives after the disaster, but the treasury is almost empty. If it hadn't been for Wannao's proposal to let the maids who have reached the age of [-] out of the palace the month before last, Yu Yin in the palace may be even more precarious now. .

That day and night, Wan Lai was thinking about the emperor's injury, so she came to see him under the stars, when she entered, she saw the emperor was holding the memorial, her eyes narrowed into a narrow slit, struggling to read.

Not to mention that the person has lost a lot of weight, now Wu Qing looks even more creepy.

Liang Jiugong went all the way into the house, and whispered anxiously in her ear from time to time: "Your Majesty, please persuade the emperor. Since the earthquake, for several days in a row, the emperor has added some soup and water. It is a good meal." I haven't eaten any food. My body is already wounded, what should I do if this continues?"

Looking at the emperor's current appearance, Wanyu seems to understand his past situation and decision better.

For the people of Liming, this man in front of him can even put his own life and death at risk. In the face of such righteousness, perhaps sacrificing himself and his eldest sister is an inevitable trend.

But this matter was understandable, but it couldn't be truly forgiven.

Even if it was because the emperor saved his own life that day, he would not have blamed her.But how can elder sister not complain?
People must have walked away with resentment in their mouths. Such an unseemly way of death was a slap in the face of the emperor with all his spare energy.

Seeing that he is so embarrassed and anxious now, Wanyu couldn't bear to mention her own affairs when the state affairs were at stake, so she took some of the emperor's favorite snacks from Liang Jiugong and went inside to comfort her.

"How can natural disasters and man-made disasters be overcome by complaining about yourself? If the emperor's body is broken, and the people of the world will lose their backbone, don't they still suffer?"

The emperor seemed to be very tired, even raising his eyes to look at her took a lot of effort: "Wan'er, I dreamed about the late emperor last night. He only reprimanded me for being incompetent. I have fought with Wu Sangui for several years and lost countless lives. It aroused the wrath of Tiangong, and punished our people to suffer."

"What's the matter with the emperor? You are the Son of Heaven, how can God punish you?"

"If this is not the case, how can you explain that the disasters in Yunnan and Guizhou are so shallow, but the people who are protected by me are so pitiful?"

Wan Yu spoke silently for a while, but when the emperor sighed, she shook her head and said: "The rewards of flowing silver are nothing compared to the pain of losing their relatives and houses. Feel more at ease in my heart. But I racked my brains, but I couldn’t find a way.”

Wan Yu thought for a moment, her eyes were full of stars, and she asked: "The emperor is willing to exchange his own suffering for the happiness of the people?"

"That's natural." The emperor's answer almost blurted out without thinking.

Seeing this, Wan Yu went down with a blessing and persuaded: "Then please ask the emperor to exempt the one-year rent, tax, money and food for the disaster-stricken city, so that when he rebuilds his home, he won't have to suffer from heavy taxes."

The emperor put the memorial aside, waved at Wanyu and ordered her to come forward, then took her warm palm, and said softly: "You are the only one who dares to say so much."

The next day, the emperor drafted a decree saying that the disaster-stricken area will no longer have to pay rent, tax, money and food before August of the next year. The common people forgive it.

The imperial edict said: On the [-]th day of the fifth month in the year of Shi Shuzi, there was a great earthquake in the middle of Sichuan, and everyone in the world was shocked. That's all, if the top cannot be in harmony with the heart of heaven, and the bottom cannot understand the people, it is my crime, so I punish myself for my crime.

The emperors of the previous ancestors ordered fourteen crimes against themselves. At that time, "floods and droughts are frequent, earthquakes are frequent", "winter thunder and spring snow, meteorites rain soil", the ancestors belonged to themselves, and the world is known as Naiming, so I should follow the example of my father , I issued an imperial edict to sin against myself, even today, the four directions are so extreme, seeing the virtuous but not being able to give up, seeing the unworthy but not being able to retreat, the crime of being alone, this is one of them.

Since I have been in the imperial court, I have worked diligently to seek for the harmony of the heart of heaven and the peace of the common people. However, when the time comes, there will be a sudden earthquake. It is all because of my lack of merit, lack of political coordination, and the inability of ministers and workers to work together, so that yin and yang are inconsistent. And, disasters and surprises are the second.

In addition, there is a secretary who said: "The earthquake at the ugly time has caused tens of thousands of deaths and injuries in the past five days, especially young children. Several people across the wilderness were either the pillars of that time, or the foundation of the country, or the high virtues of the year." Shao, my people are tired because of me. Every time I mention this, I will sigh and sleep.

From the twelfth day onwards, the four quarters heard about the movement, and our country’s high righteousness raised more than 60 billion in money and goods. Although this catastrophe, it really showed the style of our country to the world. As a result, my country is vast, and there are many people who are generous and elegiac. However, the road conditions on the Sichuan are very difficult, and sometimes there are soldiers and heroes who sacrifice their lives and are not allowed to enter. Our country has clear laws and regulations, and the imperial court has dispatched matters for disaster relief in Sichuan. Hope you All the people of Sichuan should not put themselves in danger, so that the search and rescue will not be exhausted.

Everyone is generous, and I want to sin against myself even more, whether openly or secretly, I do it out of emotion, I do it out of my heart, I do it out of my heart, all of them are good deeds. As for the act, those who wish to show will be revealed, and those who wish to be hidden will be hidden. There are not many words.

This is a statement that sins against myself, and it is also a statement that is public, and it is even more shocking. I am terrified, and I speak here.

(End of this chapter)