At this point, Huang Qiong looked at the silent Lu Mengzheng, sighed softly and continued: "Secondly, the refugees in the capital and Luzhou County in Henan have reached a point where they must be dealt with. No matter how big the capital is, No matter how prosperous it is, its affordability is limited after all. Now the number of refugees around the capital has reached more than 200,000. These are more than 200,000 living people, not anything else."
"What kind of life do these refugees live now? They live by begging, selling their wives, and doing odd jobs for wealthy families and officials. They often go for several days without food and clothing. How many refugees froze to death in a heavy snowfall the year before last? Women among the refugees have now become the biggest source of brothels in the capital. In order to survive, these refugees have sold almost everything they can.
"In order to have enough food to eat, I even sold my wife and daughters. Mr. Lu, if the people don't have enough to eat, they will rebel. More than 200,000 refugees have almost surrounded the capital. I don't know, you Have you ever seen the outer city? In the outer city of the capital, there are shacks built by refugees everywhere, as well as dilapidated houses. Everywhere there are women supporting a family and smiling at the door. "
"If these refugees rebel, the capital city will be the first to bear the brunt. Think about last year, the victims who flowed into Shanxi Road went to extremes and caused much harm to the local states and counties. Even if it can be calmed down in the shortest time, the capital city will be uneasy , can the Qi Dynasty and the world still be at peace? But if it really comes to the point where the government forces the people to rebel, can you blame the refugees who have lost the land they depend on for survival? "
"Their land was plundered by the clan and powerful men, and they came to the capital in desperation, just so that their family could survive. If they really rebelled, they would have been forced by the government to have no way out. If they still have land at home, then Who would leave their homeland and choose to become a refugee? We are all for the superior, even if we cannot make the people in this world live a prosperous life and have no worries about food and clothing."
"But we must at least find a way for the people to survive. We cannot just watch them live without food and clothing, and eventually go to a dead end. Now that I have become the prince of the dynasty, in fact, I don't have to do anything, just wait and see. Just take over the position. But those who want to be in power will definitely not just rest on the blood and sweat of the people, but also brazenly plunder the people without doing anything for them."
"This is not my style, let alone my habit of doing things. Worrying about the world first is my choice, and it is the way of the king. Since you enjoy the support of the people, you must do some practical things for the people. . The matter of replenishing the frontier fortress with refugees is not only a matter of mutual benefit, but also a major matter that is beneficial to the country and the people. If I don't do it, I will definitely do it to the end."
"But you have also seen today that all the ministers in the court, including the prime ministers, cannot be said to be doing nothing, but in many things, they still choose to be wise and protect themselves. In fact, I really want to promote it from the top down. Change, rather than promoting change from the bottom up. Because once such a situation occurs, what awaits the court and the people of the world will be countless bloody storms."
"For the sake of the great Qi Dynasty, and for the people of this world, we no longer have to endure the pain of war. No matter whether it is right or wrong, no matter how difficult some things are, I have to push forward step by step. I have prepared to be alone. We are ready to move forward. Since a monarch has no relatives or friends, is it normal to call him a loner? As for the merits and demerits of a thousand years, let future generations comment on them. Why should I care about these things?"
"I am not the kind of person who always agrees with my opinions. I hope that there will be someone in the court who can give me different opinions on everything. But the prerequisite is not that Zhang Shangshu, who is usually unreasonable and arrogant. Mr. Lu, I know that you are a capable person, and I also know that you relied on your own ability to get where you are today step by step."
"Only you dare to speak about today's matter, which I admire very much. This is what the Prime Minister should really do. Anyone can shake his head, even I can do it. But as the prime minister, , and just shaking your head at everything, it will delay important things. To be honest, those people today really disappoint me. And this disappointment is deep in the bones. "
"It's not that they can't see the benefits of what I mentioned today. Including you, Mr. Lu, don't you have a clear mind in your heart? Those of you who have become a minister can do everything you can do under the disciples of the middle school. , among those who are involved in political affairs, who is a simple, stubborn and ignorant person? Today, their silence is just because they are afraid of taking responsibility. "
After Huang Qiong said these words, exhaustion could be seen in his bones. Dealing with this group of bureaucrats was more tiring than fighting on the battlefield when he was fighting the rebellion in Ningxia. At this time, he somewhat understood why the old man insisted on abdicating. The old man who always wanted to do something was really powerless when faced with this huge and corrupt bureaucracy. Twenty years of being a king has left me physically and mentally exhausted.
Faced with this officialdom where people of the same age and fellow villagers form allies and connect with each other. They usually engage in intrigues, but when it comes to doing serious work, they are mediocre. Even I feel tired, not to mention the old man with only mediocre qualifications. . No wonder the old man has been in power for twenty years and has had more than ten prime ministers, each one more powerful than the other. No wonder the common people commented on the nameless prime minister of this dynasty.
Now the old man simply threw away his hand and handed over the team of people he was no longer capable of to his own. How many days have you really been in power? I already felt tired. If you are an official who wants these things and shakes your head like an old man, you might as well put a group of sculptures there to save your worries. The officialdom of Da Qi Dynasty has really reached a point where it cannot be improved without thorough rectification.
Looking at Huang Qiong's resolute face, Lu Mengzheng, who had been in contact with this prince before, but also knew a few things about him, and his unruly personality, sighed softly: "Your Highness, it is precisely because of the capital. There are too many refugees around Zhao Mansion, so I suggested that this matter should be dealt with slowly. Your Highness’s original intention is to find a place for these refugees to live, and the starting point is good.”
"But in the past, the imperial court had always adopted a method of forcibly driving away refugees who came to the capital. Later, when Mr. Zhang Qian was appointed as Jing Zhaoyin, although he was worried that the refugees would cause trouble, he no longer drove them away, but strictly controlled the refugees' entry. City. But in the eyes and hearts of the refugees, the government has become a villain. You are just a refugee, and it is easy for them to think you are being driven away in disguise."
"Once the refugees' hearts are unstable because of this matter, and there are interested people in the middle trying to fish in troubled waters, the capital will not be able to imagine the world being in chaos. Your Highness, now that you have just taken charge of national affairs, the capital has caused such a huge chaos. This will be a big blow to both you and the imperial court." It’s not good. And you are now the prince overseeing the country. If trouble occurs, you will be the first to bear the brunt. Since Your Highness has the full authority to handle this matter, I can say whatever I want."
"Before, you were in charge of the government, which is very different from the one in charge now. It turns out that you were only in charge of the government. The emperor made the decision and you implemented it. There is the emperor's pressure from above, so others may not say anything. But now the emperor is in front of all the civil and military officials. , I will hand over the jade seal and all the treasures to you, which means that I will completely hand over the government to you. If there is any trouble again, you, the prince who oversees the country, will definitely become the target of public criticism."
"Your Highness, you are well aware of the current situation in the palace and the DPRK. If nothing else, your handling of Concubine De's wife's family in this way, although you understand the holy will, has already caused great criticism in the DPRK. This DPRK There are countless people in the middle and palace waiting and hoping that something will happen to you. The most important thing is that the armies in the capital have been at peace for a long time. Now the eight armies of the imperial forest are full of roosters and dog thieves. "
"It has become a gilded place for the children of officials and the children of aristocratic families to become officials. Except for the military horses you took to Longyou and trained, the rest of the military horses are almost gone except for bullying the common people and teasing the ladies of good families. What kind of combat power? Once the refugees cause chaos, it will be very difficult for these armies to pacify them in a short time. Let alone being attacked by the refugees into the palace, even if they invade the inner city, it will be a big deal."
"Your Highness, every move you make now, whether in the court or the palace, is watched by countless pairs of eyes. You are doing this for the country and the people, but those people may not think so. Their eyes, except for the emperor You can't see anything from the dragon chair under you. As long as you are knocked down, not to mention the casualties of the people and refugees in the capital, even if everyone in the capital is dead, what will it have to do with them?"
"As this matter grows, it's hard to guarantee that they won't do something secretly. Especially now that the prefect of Ningxia is also the former Yin of Jingzhao. I heard that when he was the Yin of Jingzhao in Jingzhao, he was a top-notch person. Back then. Those refugees suffered a lot when they were in his hands. It was His Highness who overthrew him and sent him to Qiongzhou. With this premise, those refugees would probably believe the rumors even more."
Huang Qiong was stunned by Lu Mengzheng's words. He did not expect that although the deputy prime minister had only been transferred to Beijing at the beginning of the year, he had such a thorough understanding of the situation in the capital and even the situation in the DPRK. Nor did he expect that he would say these words so openly and openly when they involved the fight between princes. If it had been anyone else, they would probably have kept silent even though they knew it.
Seeing Huang Qiong's puzzled face, Lu Mengzheng said with a wry smile: "Your Highness, in fact, when you suppressed the rebellion in Zhengzhou, you killed hundreds of rebellious officials and scholars in one go. The ministers at that time were on your sight. You. Everything you did in Zhengzhou has always been seen by me and kept in my heart. If I am not afraid of your displeasure, I am fully aware of your policies and strategies in Zhengzhou."
"I and Su Jin were Jinshi in the same year, and they can be regarded as close friends. He usually would not hide what you did in Zhengzhou's aftermath. But what you did in Zhengzhou at that time, I admired you very much. He is a prince who has just left the palace, has no influence around him, and does not even have any capital in the court. He does not use the confiscated miscarriage to bribe and please all the clans in the world."
"Rather, all of it will be returned to the people, and the people will not hesitate to offend the concubine who is in charge of the harem. As an empty-brand prince, I admire him very much for being able to do that for the people of Zhengzhou. I'm afraid it would have been any other prince. , none of them can do better than you. After I was transferred to the capital, I tried my best to read all the memorials you approved. You have a broad approach to handling government affairs and never stick to rules."
"The skills are also quite flexible and more realistic. After going to Longyou, I don't know why you decided to re-elect Zhang Qian and become the magistrate of Ningxia Prefecture. But whether it is to deal with the aftermath of Ningxia Prefecture or to deal with the officials and wealthy merchants in Xijing Collusion and harming each other to harm the people. Although they are a little impatient, they are wholeheartedly thinking about the people. I, the Qi Dynasty, are lucky to have you as the prince and king. "
"It is also a blessing to the world, and it is even more promising for ZTE. It is precisely like this, so I don't want your Highness to have any accidents because you should not worry about certain things. In fact, Your Highness, what you said before As soon as His Highness mentioned it, I already guessed the reason. But I still want to say that some things are more stable. It is better for Your Highness and better for the refugees."
