This was the first time the court heard news about King Zhenbei since the three northern counties were captured.
And as soon as it came, there was a big flood, and it was such a big thing as asking the court to control the flood and provide disaster relief.
Anyone who has anything to do with King Zhenbei must be handled with caution.
What's more, it's a major event like a flood in the Canglan River.
They couldn't help but be careless.
"What do you think?" Emperor Renxuan's dull voice sounded from the dragon chair.
Prime Minister Wei Qing immediately stood up and said: "The Canglan River is the largest river in our country. Every summer, the water level rises and serious floods occur."
"The words of King Zhenbei must be true."
When everyone in the court heard this, they immediately nodded secretly.
Prime Minister Wei is worthy of being Prime Minister Wei, and he immediately grasped the key to the matter.
Yes, both the imperial court and Emperor Renxuan were faced with this news.
The first thing to do is not to discuss who should be sent to control the floods, or how much food should be distributed for disaster relief.
But whether this news is true or not.
If it were true, then there would be the above discussion.
If it's fake... the meaning behind it is a bit cryptic.
Everyone present was not a fool and naturally understood the meaning.
After hearing Wei Qing's answer, Emperor Renxuan did not rush to a conclusion, but asked: "Where is Da Sinong?"
Upon hearing this, Da Sinong Hao De immediately came out and said, "We are here."
"Has Canglan County Governor sent a report to ask the imperial court for disaster relief?"
Naturally, disaster relief requires food, and Hao De, as one of the Nine Qings, Da Si Nong, is in charge of all food and financial revenue of the Da Qian court.
So it was right to ask him.
Just asking this question is a bit meaningful.
King Zhenbei has already said the same news.
Why do you need to confirm it again from Canglan County Sheriff?
The meaning is self-evident.
"A few days ago, the governor of Canglan County did send a report, saying that the Canglan River was rising and flooded, and asked the court for relief." Hao De's tone was slow and clear, so that everyone in the court could hear it clearly.
Suddenly, everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as it's true.
"In this case, among the noble families, who is willing to go to the Canglan River to control the water?" Emperor Renxuan said loudly.
When all the courtiers heard this, they fell silent one after another, acting as if they were mute and did not speak.
Floods in the Canglan River have existed since the founding of Taizu, and it has lasted for more than 300 years today!
In more than three hundred years, how many courtiers have had experience in water control?
Some of them came from a family of water control, some were bachelors who studied scriptures and studied water control for more than ten years, and some were doers who mobilized the masses and worked hard.
But what's the result?
Three hundred years have passed, and these people have turned into dust.
However, the Canglan River still exists, and the flooding is getting more serious day by day.
They really have little confidence that they can do what so many ancient sages and sages failed to accomplish.
Seeing a silence in the court hall, Emperor Renxuan called his name again and said: "Hongqing family, I remember that you are from a family of water management. You should have some experience. Why are you silent?"
Among the officials, Hong Quan stood up immediately after hearing this and said with a bitter look on his face: "Your Majesty, floods in the Canglan River are a commonplace thing."
"The reason why so many sages have retreated is because the rivers are overflowing and the sand is silting up."
"As a result, the water level is rising step by step, and the dams have been repaired again and again, but to no avail."
"Once the embankment bursts, it will plummet for thousands of miles. It will be like the sky and the earth falling apart, and it will be difficult to resist."
"In the face of such a flood, Wei Chen...Wei Chen is not very talented and has little knowledge. He has no regard for the grace of God and is unable to take on such a big responsibility. Wei Chen feels ashamed."
Emperor Renxuan frowned slightly when he heard this.
I also called on several ministers who had considerable experience in water control, but the answer they received was without exception: nothing could be done.
Emperor Renxuan couldn't help but rub his eyebrows, feeling a little tired.
In recent days, he had heard these four words so much that his ears almost became calluses.
But I can't blame these people. It is indeed difficult for them to solve a problem that has not been solved for three hundred years overnight.
Although Emperor Renxuan was strong, he was not unreasonable.
Seeing that the atmosphere at the scene was stagnant, Prime Minister Wei Qing stood up again and said: "Your Majesty, the flood leader is right. Floods in the Canglan River are a commonplace thing. It is unrealistic to solve it overnight."
"Why don't we discuss sending food for disaster relief first? This is the top priority!"
Emperor Renxuan nodded and said, "Hao Qing, there is still money and food in the treasury, can it be enough for disaster relief?"
"Your Majesty, there are still five million pounds of money and two million pounds of grain in the treasury."
Upon hearing the news, Emperor Renxuan fell silent.
To be honest, five million taels of silver is equivalent to five million taels of silver according to the exchange rate.
Not too little, but not much more.
These days, armor and weapons require both high-quality iron ore and specialized craftsmen to cast them, which is incredibly expensive.
Not to mention military pay, food transportation and other expenses.
As for two million kilograms of grain, it seems like a lot.
But after calculation, it is not enough.
An adult man needs to eat at least half a catty of grain a day.
That’s fifteen kilograms a month. Two million kilograms of grain is enough to feed hundreds of thousands of people for a month.
Calculating it this way, not only is it not rich, it is actually a bit stretched.
If you want to start a war with Beiyan, such a small amount of food and money will definitely not be enough.
But it's still early, and when the autumn harvest comes, the court can still collect a wave of grain and pay a wave of taxes.
Calculating it this way, it’s almost the same.
As long as there are no anxious months, it should be just enough to decide the winner with Beiyan.
But... once it is used for disaster relief, I'm afraid this battle will be lost.
Emperor Renxuan was silent for a moment, and then turned his attention to several figures in the hall.
"The national treasury is empty, and it coincides with a national crisis. I cannot escape the blame."
"You gentlemen, please do your best."
Hearing this, everyone was stunned and realized that it was just donating money and food.
The rest of the people were fine, but the officials from the five major families in Qiandu frowned and felt a bit ominous.
Sure enough, the next moment, Emperor Renxuan was heard saying: "The national crisis is approaching, and the ministers can donate some food as appropriate to help the people of Canglan tide over the difficulties."
"I'm not forcing it, you can have more... you can have less."
Emperor Renxuan's tone, whether more or less, deliberately paused for a moment so that everyone could hear it clearly.
Upon hearing this, Captain Zhang Lang immediately stood up and said, "We are willing to donate five thousand catties of grain to help the people of Canglan."
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Wei Qing followed closely and said, "We are also willing to donate five thousand catties of grain to help the people of Canglan get out of trouble."
When the courtiers heard this, they immediately looked at each other with ugly expressions.
Zhang Lang was a member of the emperor, so it was not surprising that he donated five thousand catties of grain.
But you, Wei Qing, come from a poor family and join in the fun. Can you afford five thousand kilograms of grain?
Now the tone has been set so high that even if you don’t want to donate less, it won’t work.
For a time, everyone in the court looked sad.
