novelaction Chapter 419 is truly hateful!
Chapter 419 is truly hateful!
Seeing that the elderly Mr. Song was not at all shy, he sat down quite naturally. Mu Xin Nuan immediately became quite curious about this man.
"What the princess just said is theoretically correct. It's just a pity that it's difficult to implement. Putting aside everything else, there's a lot to learn about distributing porridge."
Mu Xin Nuan smiled calmly and said respectfully, "I would like to hear more details."
"Leaving aside the quality of the porridge and whether anything is added to it, just consider how much of it will actually reach the local people's stomachs. If this cannot be guaranteed, then everything else is meaningless."
Mu Xin Nuan lowered her eyes. Had they brought up governance again? Duanmu Chu Ze couldn't possibly have overlooked this. Perhaps he had already sent people out to scout ahead.
Duanmu Chuze nodded. "Old Master Song is right. I have already sent people to handle this matter. I will get back to you soon. Also, regarding the grain, it seems that no matter how greedy the officials there are, they can still see the situation clearly at this time."
Mu Xin Nuan nodded in agreement. Although people are greedy, they are not foolish enough to choose profit over life.
There aren't just a few dozen or a few hundred refugees now! There are tens of thousands! And this is only in one prefecture. If the local officials don't handle this properly, the situation will escalate, and they might lose their positions and even their lives.
"Your Highness, in your opinion, is appeasement sufficient?"
"I would like to ask for your insightful opinion, Mr. Song."
Seeing the prince's humility, Old Master Song nodded in satisfaction, then stroked his beard, displaying the demeanor of a learned man.
"Your Highness, in my humble opinion, this problem can only be solved by combining kindness and severity."
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, but Duanmu Chuze smiled and asked, "How can we combine kindness and severity?"
An arrogant glint appeared on the old man's face. "So-called refugees can be divided into two types. One type is the common people who need the court's relief, and the other is the villains who deliberately cause trouble. When dealing with the common people, a policy of appeasement can certainly be adopted, but when it comes to villains, there can be no leniency whatsoever!"
"So, in your opinion, sir, we should proceed with both simultaneously?" Lu Shaofeng felt something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Old Song scoffed lightly, "Hmph. Of course not! We should appease them first. If there is no improvement within a few days, and instead, there are continuous conflicts among the refugees, then we will have no choice but to take necessary measures. Throughout history, there have been many instances of cities being destroyed by plague."
Mu Xin Nuan was startled, her face paled instantly, and she immediately turned to look at Duanmu Chu Ze. But she saw no joy on his face, only a hint of hostility rising within her, knowing that Old Master Song's words had not pleased him.
"Hmm. I will consider it carefully. Old Master Song is getting on in years, why bother coming in person? If I ever encounter any difficulties in the future, I will come to him for advice."
The old Mr. Song seemed quite satisfied with the prince's attitude and words, nodding, but his words were somewhat insincere: "How dare I, how dare I?"
"Someone, escort Mr. Song back, and then go to the storeroom to select a set of top-quality tea utensils to personally deliver to Mr. Song's residence."
"Yes, Your Highness." De'an replied and quickly came over to help Mr. Song walk outside.
For a long time, the study was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"Aze, what did he say?"
Duanmu Chuze raised his hand to stop her from continuing, "His statement is indeed recorded in history. However, he also said that it was a plague. What we are mainly dealing with now is the refugees. In order to ensure long-term peace and stability in Yan, we must bind the people to the land, enable them to live and work in peace, and maintain their kinship with the land. This is the best policy."
Lu Shaofeng's eyes lit up. "Does Your Highness mean to cultivate wasteland?"
“That’s right! However, this wasteland probably won’t be ready for cultivation until spring. There are three things we need to do now.”
"Please give your instructions, Your Highness."
Seeing everyone's respect for the prince, Mu Xin Nuan raised an eyebrow. This must be true admiration, right? Thinking about the old man's behavior just now, she really didn't want to see him again.
"First, there is the issue of food and clothing. The grain has been delivered to the affected counties. In addition, we need to continue to find ways to get some cotton clothes and quilts for the winter. Second, select some strong young men from among them. Send some of them to the mountains to work with the government to mine coal. As for the others, I have other arrangements for them."
Lu Shaofeng's eyebrows twitched slightly; he had clearly guessed most of what the other plan was.
"Third, as Mr. Song just mentioned, there are methods for dealing with the plague. Now, what we need to think about is how to prevent the spread of the plague among these disaster victims?"
"I'll think of a way!" Mu Xin Nuan was the first to respond. "Don't forget, my medical skills are not fake."
"Alright! I'm at ease leaving it to you." This time, Duanmu Chuze wasn't worried about tiring her out; instead, he nodded with great satisfaction. He really couldn't be completely sure how many of the officials in Yan were trustworthy and capable, so he felt more at ease having his own people handle some matters.
"What Your Highness just said is indeed reasonable. Agriculture is inseparable from the land. Once farmers lose their land, not only will the government be unable to collect taxes and corvée labor, but a large number of displaced people may also gather in the mountains and forests, taking desperate measures. According to historical records, these forces have been a significant force in the dynastic changes of every dynasty. Therefore, we should adopt corresponding policies to regulate and control them. Only when the people benefit first can our government benefit."
Lu Shaofeng's argument immediately won the praise of Duanmu Chuze.
“Excellent! Chief Secretary Lu’s words are brilliant! Food is the most important thing for the people, and the relationship between the court and the people is nothing more than that between water and a boat. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Alright, let’s settle this matter for now.”
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Aze, I will do my best to prevent the plague from occurring, so please don't do this unless absolutely necessary?"
"Don't worry, Nuan. No way. That old Mr. Song isn't one of our people at all. Can't you see that? He just wants to see me turn this Yan region into something unrecognizable and make it worse and worse."
Mu Xin Nuan frowned slightly when she thought of Mr. Song's attitude and words. "Such a person is truly hateful for using the lives of so many people as bargaining chips!"
Duanmu Chuze smiled dismissively, "No need to pay him any attention! Just treat him like a clown. Let's focus on our work. Giving him some face today is just to keep him in line for now. We can't let him jump out and boss us around, can we?"