Chapter 1029: Chapter 865: Disaster Relief Silver

"Mr. Duan!" Yang Chaoying turned around to look at Duan Zhijie, feeling somewhat grateful towards him.

Holding a stick in his hand, isn’t he here to help?

In such a critical moment, Duan Zhijie’s courage to stand up was truly admirable.

"Lord Yang? These are..." After all, Duan Zhijie was an official of the court, how could he be so unaware?

Seeing Yang Chaoying unharmed and engaged in conversation, Duan Zhijie was now filled with confusion.

He dropped his stick and began to scrutinize the other two people speaking with Yang Chaoying.

Upon seeing Hu Maoshen’s face, he immediately realized it was Mr. Hu who came to the rescue.

Duan Zhijie hurriedly moved forward, thinking of greeting Hu Maoshen, "This humble official pays respect to Mr. Hu!"

Hu Maoshen nodded slightly, "Doctor Duan, no need for formalities!"

Duan Zhijie was not surprised to see him here; it seemed Min Feng and his group had already arrived in Hangtian Prefecture.

Duan Zhijie, being a Ministry of Industry doctor, happened to be assigned by the Ministry of Industry to inspect the river embankment in Jiangnan.

The disturbance earlier was so huge, yet Duan Zhijie only appeared after things settled down, while others were still nowhere to be seen.

There’s no need to guess that these people were surely cowering and hiding in the government office!

"You’ve probably seen this person as well; he was originally the Imperial Academy Attendant Mr. Gu. Recently, however, he has been promoted to Right Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice."

Duan Zhijie’s heart was filled with fright; previously, Gu Chengyu was a level below him.

Unexpectedly, Gu Chengyu surpassed him, now two ranks higher.

But why was Gu Chengyu here? Could it be that the Emperor sent him to assist Hu Maoshen in handling the flood crisis?

He felt it was very likely, otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t suddenly promote him three levels, but the imperial favor seemed excessive.

Others ascend one rank at a time, while Gu Chengyu, like sesame seeds suddenly blossoming, rose quickly.

"This humble official pays respect to Mr. Gu! Congratulations on your promotion, Mr. Gu!" Duan Zhijie suppressed the inner turmoil, his expression appearing very sincere.

Gu Chengyu had no time to ponder Duan Zhijie’s thoughts; after exchanging pleasantries, he had to start organizing the flood victims.

"Doctor Duan, no need for such formality!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Gu Chengyu addressed Yang Chaoying, "Lord Yang! These disaster victims have been loitering outside Hangtian City for several days now. I can suppress them once, twice, but after that, it may be uncertain."

Everyone present understood the logic behind Gu Chengyu’s words; these disaster survivors weren’t yet in dire straits.

It was summer, and there were plenty of wild vegetables outside the city to stave off hunger, but once they’re all dug up, what would the victims do?

Are they truly going to watch them starve? The court has yet to distribute relief funds, but the victims’ stomachs can’t wait.

When truly at a dead end, these victims might risk their lives. If you’re going to die anyway, why not have a full meal before the end.

"Mr. Gu speaks truly, but I am also quite helpless! The embankment of Hangtian Prefecture is still leaking, and there’s no surplus grain or Silver Coin in the city. Such a multitude of disaster survivors, how can a small Hangtian Prefecture accommodate them all?"

The population of Changtian Prefecture hovered around eighty thousand, making it a medium-sized prefecture based on population and tax grain.

Among them, the village population near the lower reaches of the Tianya River combined to approximately over forty thousand.

After excluding those who drowned before, at least twenty thousand remain. It’s simply impossible for Hangtian Prefecture to accommodate so many.

"Mr. Gu, before you arrived, did the Emperor have any plans regarding disaster relief funds?"

Yang Chaoying looked at Gu Chengyu with eyes full of hope, leaving Gu Chengyu somewhat speechless.

In fact, before departing, the Emperor had personally spoken to him.

The Emperor stated frankly that the National Treasury was depleted, a fact known by all court officials.

Even with tea tax Silver being injected into the National Treasury over the past two years, the court owed quite a bit of military pay.

With Silver entering the National Treasury, the military pay must be repaid first, right?

Additionally, at the beginning of this year, the court reinforced and repaired various embankments, leaving the barely filled National Treasury empty once more.

There are annual expenses like salaries for the Imperial Family and various ceremonies, all are expenditures.

With the tea tax implemented for just over two years, resolving the National Treasury’s depletion would require several more years.

Hence, the Emperor hinted to Gu Chengyu that the relief funds must be calculated by the Ministry of Revenue before final confirmation.

As for how much Silver might be available, it’s a worrying matter.

Gu Chengyu perceived the Emperor’s helplessness and melancholy, he realized the relief funds might not be substantial.

Using the saying, even the Emperor doesn’t have surplus grain these days!

The Emperor stands as the most revered person across the world, yet cannot spend Silver freely.

"Disaster relief funds must undergo verification by the Ministry of Revenue, afraid this will take some time."

Before arriving, Gu Chengyu had already devised strategies, though implementing them would invariably require Yang Chaoying’s assistance.

Yang Chaoying felt terribly disappointed knowing the Emperor’s predicament as a government official.

However, disaster relief is a pressing matter, even lending money requires the Ministry of Revenue’s involvement.

"But Mr. Gu, as you’ve witnessed, accommodating these disaster victims is indeed problematic. Historically, plague often follows flooding. If gathered in large numbers, an outbreak would spread rapidly. These victims were ordinary citizens; they are lives too!"

Yang Chaoying’s face was gloomy, and he dared not speak further. If the victims outside the city contract the plague, the city residents wouldn’t escape unharmed.

The plague is extremely difficult to control; once infected, if not treated, it leads to death. The previous dynasty encountered such a situation.

At the time, an entire county’s population contracted the plague, prompting the court to order a city lockdown.

Regardless of infection status, if you were in the county, you were confined, and ultimately that county became a deserted city.

Such is the terror of the plague, often untreatable.

"I’ve come this time specifically to address this issue, even though the Emperor has entrusted me with full authority. But being unfamiliar with the area, even with a plan, its implementation relies heavily on the support of everyone here. I hope all present will offer substantial assistance so we can resolve this matter together!"

Hu Maoshen deeply agreed, nodding in concurrence. In the face of a flood, personal grievances must be set aside.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Gu, if you need anything, just instruct!"

Yang Chaoying, upon hearing Gu Chengyu was prepared to tackle this mess, eagerly nodded.

Even Duan Zhijie felt immensely moved; upon entering the city, the plight of the disaster victims shocked him.

Unable to return home, with no Silver or food in hand, each victim had become emaciated and skeletal!