The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

As soon as Pei Ju spoke, the people's eyes were immediately focused on Chen Huai'an, their faces filled with anticipation.

Chen Huai'an twitched the corners of his mouth, somewhat helplessly.

He pondered for a moment, looked around at everyone, and said, "Minister Pei is right. The court has already collected a large amount of grain."

"But the imperial court... won't support idlers. His Majesty has given everyone the opportunity to survive, and even to live well, provided that everyone takes action."

"If anyone is lazy and spends all their time thinking about getting something for nothing, then I'm sorry, the imperial court will not distribute disaster relief grain indefinitely. If you starve to death, you deserve it!"

Pei Ju's eyes widened slightly. Were those words a bit too harsh?

Chen Huai'an ignored Pei Ju's opinion and looked at the people in front of him, saying, "My words may be cruel, but they are the truth."

"Do you know how much the imperial court pays its servants for reclaiming wasteland and repairing water conservancy projects?"

Everyone hesitated, and dared not ask for a long time.

After a long while, a man dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, sir, how much is the salary paid by the imperial court?"

Chen Huai'an held up two fingers: "Twenty coins, every day!"

"twenty!"

The crowd erupted in a frenzy, with gasps of surprise and disbelief written on everyone's face.

The imperial court not only didn't impose corvée labor, but instead gave them twenty coins as wages?

Don't underestimate the twenty coins.

Ordinary farming families toil in the fields all year round, and after deducting taxes and keeping enough food for themselves, they can only pocket a hundred or so coins.

In good years with favorable weather, the harvest is barely enough to feed the whole family and prevent them from going hungry.

In times of famine, like this year, one can only leave it to fate.

Twenty coins a day, that's six hundred coins a month!

This income would be enough to live quite comfortably even in Chang'an.

Chen Huai'an continued, "Not only that, His Majesty has also ordered that the court provide food, lodging, and security. You'll work a fixed five hours a day, and no one will bully you or deduct your wages unless you try to cheat or shirk your duties!"

"Gentlemen, let me ask you this: under these conditions, anyone willing to work can support their family. If someone still thinks of getting something for nothing, doesn't it deserve for them to starve to death?"

"Yes, they deserve it!" Many people were unable to contain their excitement.

In this world, ordinary people have no right to be lazy; they survive entirely on their own two hands.

Such a good opportunity is hard to find even with a lantern. If someone refuses to go, they're just asking for trouble and can't blame anyone else.

Chen Huai'an raised his voice a notch and said loudly, "Then let me ask you again, are you willing to live a meager and humble life relying on the meager disaster relief grain provided by the imperial court?"

"I'd rather pick up my tools, earn my living with my own hands, honestly and securely, without worrying about food or clothing!"

"Live like a human being?!"

The people looked at the young and upright figure in front of them, and felt as if something had hit their hearts hard.

These seven simple words touched them deeply.

This was the first time anyone had ever spoken to them like this, and it was the most weighty thing they had ever heard in their lives.

Live like a human being!

"We are willing to work. We don't want to live a humble life. I want to live with dignity, relying on my own two hands!"

"Yes, we are willing to work. I never want my daughter to go hungry with me again."

"We're not lazy. We have our own hands and our own feet. We want to live like human beings!"

Shouts rose and fell, gradually coalescing from a few scattered words into a chorus that lingered in the streets for a long time.

Chen Huai'an looked at the countless bright, sparkling eyes, nodded slightly, gestured to Pei Ju, and the two slowly left.

Xu Zhang then shouted, "Everyone, those who want to sign up for work, go directly to the relief point to register and verify. You will be in the same place as those who receive disaster relief grain. As long as the government verifies that you are indeed good people affected by the disaster, each household can send one adult male to work. You will register on the same day, and someone will come to notify you to enter the camp and start work within ten days."

"If your family is really in dire straits, you can take a disaster relief food package as an emergency measure. The two can be taken care of without any delay."

These words caused another stir in the crowd, and everyone's face lit up with joy.

They finally saw hope.

Hope to survive!

"..."

"Boss, boss, something terrible has happened!"

Zhang Ming's grain shop owner hurriedly found him, his tone filled with barely concealed panic: "The imperial court has opened its granaries and released grain, and a large amount of grain has been transported in from outside."

"Grain prices...grain prices have collapsed!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ming, who was guarding the gate of Wang Bai's short-term rental house, suddenly felt dizzy. Having not slept all night, he collapsed to the ground, his eyes glazed over.

"It's over, it's all over..."

Lu Xun gritted his teeth and said, "That's impossible. Even if the imperial court has grain, it certainly won't be much, and they won't be able to provide relief for long."

"With the current drought, even if it rains, it won't help; the crops that have withered in the fields can't be saved!"

"As long as we hold our ground, we still have hope once the imperial court runs out of grain!"

A glimmer of light returned to Zhang Ming's previously lifeless eyes.

The shopkeeper said bitterly, "It's no use. News has already come that the imperial court hired a large number of people to reclaim wasteland at the beginning of this year. In just a few months, they managed to reclaim tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, all of which were planted with crops."

"They also repaired the irrigation system and stored snowmelt and rainwater, and the crops are growing well."

"Moreover... moreover, the imperial court built granaries in Jiannan and other areas last year, so that a large amount of grain can be transferred in immediately when the spring harvest arrives."

"More importantly..." the shopkeeper's voice was hoarse, "Just now, the two ministers of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue personally came forward and stated that the imperial court would pay for the workers, and all of them would be disaster-stricken people."

Zhang Ming's heart died again.

Lu Xun also collapsed, his face ashen.

Ma Yan hadn't given up, and roared furiously, "Where's Wang Bai? Where is that damned Wang Bai?"

"If it weren't for this despicable person, if we hadn't believed him, how could we have ended up in this situation?"

The shopkeeper's lips trembled as he said, "When I came here, I saw Wang Bai..."

"What?!" Enraged, Ma Yan rushed over and grabbed the shopkeeper by the collar, roaring, "You saw Wang Bai? Where is he? What is he doing?!"

Lu Xun and Zhang Ming immediately stood up and surrounded them with ferocious expressions.

"Tell me right now where that son of a bitch Wang Bai is! Tell me!"

"Take us there! Take us there quickly!"

The shopkeeper, head bowed and oblivious to the three men's attitudes, closed his eyes in anguish: "I saw Wang Bai's grain shop reopen... the selling price is... one hundred and eighty coins per shi!"

Upon hearing this news, the three of them were instantly struck dumb, standing there in a daze.

A range of emotions flashed across their faces: astonishment, confusion, and disbelief.

After a long while, Zhang Ming, seemingly insane, shouted, "Hahahaha, Wang Bai! What a Wang Bai!"

"We've fallen for their trap! We've all fallen for their trap!"

"Wang Bai! I curse your ancestors for eighteen generations!!!"

"..."