Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1171 - 1168_1

Chapter 1171: Chapter 1168_1

"..." The Minister of War was stunned by the emperor’s question, and after a while, he reddened and replied, "I have not given it much thought."

"Minister of Revenue, if you disagree with using military provisions, then what ideas do you have to placate the people of Zezhou?" The emperor turned to the previously opposing Minister of Revenue and asked again.

"I believe, first, we need to find and penalize those behind the plot of merchants closing their stores, that way, other businesses will dare not to follow suit," replied the Minister of Revenue.

The emperor nodded in agreement, "That’s reasonable. So, how long should it take to find those hidden culprits?"

"Shen Zhuangyuan only left for Zezhou yesterday, by the time he investigates and identifies the mastermind behind this, it might be too late... If General Di sends someone to investigate, it might speed up the process..." the Minister of Revenue began hesitating in his speech. How could he know how long this investigation might take? What if it takes a month or two? By then the situation would have gone cold!

Who can survive a month or two of starvation?

"Exactly, how soon is that?" the emperor continued.

"... Maybe seven or eight days, at the fastest!" The Minister of Revenue said quietly. He had no knowledge of the circumstances, so how could he be certain? However, since the emperor asked, he couldn’t avoid answering.

"Seven to eight days, long enough for people to starve to death. What would you do if, even after finding the culprits, all the grain in the grain stores was gone?" the emperor persisted.

This was indeed a possibility, since the grain stores in Nangong Country probably had all their reserves moved or destroyed early on. They wouldn’t leave anything for the soldiers of Minze Country!

"....." The Minister of Revenue didn’t dare to speak, as he also didn’t know what could be done.

"Your Majesty, during a food relief operation to the south, an entire batch of military provisions was stolen. The frontline soldiers are definitely running low on food now. If even more food is transferred to the civilians in Nangong Country, then the soldiers will definitely not have enough food for survival. We cannot use the military provisions, Your Majesty. I beg you to reconsider!"

"In this court full of officers, is there no one else who can think of a way to appease the people of Zezhou?" The Emperor deliberately emphasized the "people of Zezhou."

The people of Zezhou already belong to Minze Country now, and if they still consider them as citizens of Nangong Country, they can simply annihilate all these people, leaving an empty city. Then there would be no need to placate anyone! The emperor thought angrily, although his face showed no emotion, nor did he voice his thoughts.

Although the emperor didn’t show any significant change in expression, everyone in the study room was alert enough to sense his annoyance.

All fell quiet.

"So, is everyone planning to let the people of Zezhou go hungry for a month before they eat and seek medical treatment?" The emperor’s words were flat, yet they shocked every official present.

The emperor’s words required an answer. Thus, everyone uttered in unison, "We dare not, Your Majesty!"

The emperor snorted coldly before turning to Shen Chengyao, "Shen Aiqing, do you have any ideas?"

"I propose that we first use military provisions to provide porridge for the relief of the locals, and then transfer some state grain from Nanyue Prefecture to Zezhou to replenish the military food."

"In that case, if the food transportation from Nanyue Prefecture is delayed and the soldiers run out of food, causing them to lose the battle, how would you manage then?" The Minister of War disagreed.

"I hold the belief that we cannot allow the civilians who just surrendered to us to lose faith! They have been starving for some time now. When people can’t bear it anymore, they resist. Even if we transfer grain from Nanyue Prefecture, there is a chance that the soldiers will go hungry. However, as long as they eat sparingly, it will only last a few days, given that protecting the nation and its citizens is their responsibility as imperial soldiers. I believe they would be willing to share some of the food with the civilians!

The two counties in Zezhou were hard-won territories obtained by the soldiers at the cost of their blood and lives, and we cannot lose them easily. I believe the soldiers would feel the same! They would rather starve for a while than have to start all over again! Whoever loses the people’s heart, loses the world. I believe we should not let the people of Zezhou suffer! Besides, starvation can kill. If the civilians who have just surrendered to us starve to death, we will definitely lose the support of the people when we attack other cities of Nangong Country in the future, making our task even more difficult."

Everyone fell silent after Shen Chengyao spoke, his words rang true.

After listening to Shen Chengyao, the emperor didn’t express his opinion, but he turned to Shangguan Xuanyi, "Prince Rui, do you have any thoughts?"

"Divert the military grain." Shangguan Xuanyi succinctly said three words and said nothing more.

"Are there any better ideas from you officers besides this, so that the people of Zezhou won’t go hungry sooner?" The emperor turned to the other officers after hearing this.

"Your Majesty, I believe that this is the best solution. There is no other method that can bring faster relief to the people there," the Prime Minister answered.

"Ministers of Revenue and War, do you have a better solution?" The emperor asked the two officials again.

"My Lord, I was foolish, my thinking was unclear just now. Shen has made a valid point, and now I also believe that diverting military grain is the best method," The Minister of War, being flexible, said.

"My Lord, I also think that Shen’s method is the best. I was short-sighted just now." The Minister of Revenue saw that the emperor was clearly in favor of diverting the military grain, so he had to accede, and he could not think of a better method either.

"Good, then issue orders immediately to use the military grain for the relief of the people."

"Father, there were two urgent reports that I submitted earlier," Shangguan Xuanyi spoke up again.

On hearing this, the emperor opened the second letter and began to read. Once he finished, he burst out laughing, "Haha, very clever indeed, adapting to circumstances given the urgency."

The Emperor only said one sentence and did not reveal the content of the letter. All the high-ranking officials in the room looked at each other, wondering.

Everyone started guessing what the letter might have contained that made the emperor so delighted.

"Your Majesty, has there been another victory for our army? Has another city fallen into our hands?" The Prime Minister ventured a guess.

"No, the issue of the starvation of the people in Zezhou has been resolved. The King of Qi has diverted some military grain for the relief of the people and has also sent military doctors to treat the people."

All officials: "..."

Isn’t this a case of taking action and then reporting? However, the emperor was so delighted after reading the letter. Perhaps only the emperor’s son would dare to take such an action without fearing decapitation!