The most dissolute couple in the capital

The next day, at the grand court assembly in the Taiji Hall, all the officials looked very somber.

The emperor sat high on his dragon throne, his brow furrowed, looking down at his ministers who were arguing endlessly. An urgent military report about the floods in the south lay on his desk, each word dripping with venom.

However, the courtiers below turned a natural disaster into a grand debate.

Zheng Wenyuan stepped out of the line, holding a tablet in both hands, displaying the refined and aloof demeanor of a noble family.

He bowed slightly, his voice clear and melodious: "Your Majesty, the Book of Documents says, 'Only virtue moves Heaven, and there is no place it cannot reach.' The recent floods in several southern prefectures appear to be due to unusual celestial phenomena, but in reality, they are closely related to the lack of proper education in the regions. I have heard that the people of those prefectures have often behaved uncleanly and disregarded etiquette, which has angered the River God. The most urgent task, besides the court allocating grain, is to send renowned scholars to the disaster area to preach the words of the sages and appease the people."

Zheng Wenyuan paused for a moment, then continued, "As for the disaster relief funds and provisions, I propose that the Ministry of Revenue allocate them to the local areas, and entrust them to the prestigious local families for procurement and distribution. These families have deep resources and are well-versed in the art of overall planning; they will surely be able to make the best use of these funds and provisions and properly resettle the disaster victims."

Upon hearing this, many officials from prominent families in the court nodded in agreement, praising Lord Zheng for his profound foresight and truly embodying the "style of a great Confucian scholar."

The so-called "dispatch" is probably just an attempt to pass the disaster relief funds through one hand, and the many tricks involved are self-evident.

Just as the entire court was beginning to nod in agreement with these high-sounding words, a loud, cold laugh suddenly rang out from the ranks of military officers.

The Right Martial Guard General stepped out of the ranks. Though unarmored, his imposing figure was like an iron tower, and his voice boomed like a bell: "Lord Zheng, even a rough man like me understands your scheme!"

Zheng Wenyuan frowned slightly and turned around: "What do you mean by that, General?"

"Literal meaning!" The general strode forward, his gaze piercing as he starved him. "The people's houses and fields have been washed away by the flood, they're so hungry they can only eat tree bark, and you go and preach to them? What, Lord Zheng, can you turn the Four Books and Five Classics into porridge, or bake the words of sages into pancakes and serve them to the disaster victims? You say the people are unclean and have angered the river god? According to you, the soldiers guarding the border can't bathe for ten days or half a month, covered in blood and mud, so why doesn't the river god flood the border?"

Although these words were straightforward, they were all very practical.

Zheng Wenyuan was momentarily speechless, his face darkening slightly. He said coldly, "General, you don't understand the principles of governing a country. The disaster victims are ignorant and prone to riots after a major disaster. If there are no powerful families to guide and pacify them in the local areas, the court's money and grain will only cause chaos if they are directly distributed."

"We, mere commoners, truly cannot understand Lord Zheng's reasoning!" The general retorted, raising his voice several decibels. "But I know that in warfare, provisions must be delivered directly to the soldiers. Anyone who dares to embezzle or misappropriate them is guilty of a capital offense! If the court's disaster relief funds are allocated to your aristocratic families for their own use, will they end up in the bowls of the disaster victims or in the private coffers of you officials? Taking the court's money to enhance your family's reputation, only to have the people starve to death, will you then label them as ignorant? Such cunning and manipulation is something we military generals can only admire!"

These words were rather harsh, almost a direct accusation of embezzlement. Zheng Wenyuan was so angry he trembled: "General, don't make false accusations! We were acting with the public good..."

"Since it's all out of public interest, that's easy!" The general crossed his arms and interrupted him confidently. "Why doesn't Lord Zheng immediately submit a memorial requesting that all the private granaries of your Xingyang Zheng family be opened and donated free of charge to the disaster victims in the south? All talk and no action, using the Emperor's treasury to show off your generosity—this kind of 'armchair theorizing' attitude is something I could never learn even after a lifetime of training on the battlefield!"

The emperor, seated on his dragon throne, not only refrained from stopping the military officer from speaking, but also felt a sudden relief from the pent-up anger that had been building up in his chest for the past few days. He coldly surveyed the assembled officials, rendered speechless by the questioning, and then broke the standoff:

"Alright. Disaster relief is of utmost urgency and cannot be discussed on paper. Since you all have objections to the allocation of resources, let us elect one person as imperial envoy to go south and personally oversee the disaster relief efforts. Who is willing to go?"

Upon hearing this, the courtiers who had been speaking eloquently fell silent, staring quietly at the bricks and stones before them.

Everyone knows that the South is a quagmire right now, with not only floods but also a high possibility of an epidemic. Going there would be a life-or-death situation.

Going to the south for disaster relief? That's a tough job. Everywhere is mud and starving people, and you have to guard against disaster riots. Going there to make money is fine, but nobody's stupid enough to go to the front lines to suffer and take responsibility.

Just then, Prince Li Zhao of Yan, dressed in a black python robe, stepped steadily out of the ranks. Her posture was upright, her eyes were firm, and she knelt down without the slightest hesitation.

"Father, I request permission to go south to oversee disaster relief."

These words shocked the entire court.

Li Zhao raised his head, his voice clear and resolute, his arguments coherent: "Disaster relief is like putting out a fire. Now the dike has breached, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crying out for food. If anyone is inclined to deceive and exploit the situation at every level, it will inevitably lead to a popular uprising. Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the elite troops of the capital garrison south. Anyone who dares to embezzle disaster relief funds, regardless of their noble birth, will be executed without prior notification!"

At this moment, another senior minister stepped forward: "Your Highness, Prince Yan! Although you hold a title, you are still a woman. For a woman to manage important affairs of the outer court is like a hen crowing at dawn, which is against propriety! Moreover, the disaster-stricken areas in the south are muddy and filled with refugees. If Your Highness's precious body were to be harmed, who would bear the responsibility?"

Li Zhao slowly stood up and turned to look back coldly.

"In times of national crisis, what distinction is there between men and women?" Li Zhao exuded an aura of authority with each step. "Since you feel it is improper for me to go, why don't you go yourself? I've heard that there isn't even a clean chamber pot left in the south. Starving refugees will resort to cannibalism. Your splendid court robes would likely be reduced to nothing but bones if you went. Will you go?"

The old minister was rendered speechless, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and could only lower his head in embarrassment.

The emperor slammed his hand on the dragon throne and abruptly rose to his feet: "Excellent! Prince Yan possesses both courage and decisiveness, and has won my favor! Issue my decree, appointing Prince Yan as Imperial Envoy, to travel south with the Imperial Sword to oversee all disaster relief matters! Anyone who dares to obstruct him will be punished for disobeying an imperial edict!"