Chapter 1043: Chapter 879: Haste Makes Waste

The Emperor unfolded the paper in his hand and saw the words written at the top, "Qian Hui Chun has committed suicide and apologized on the twenty-eighth day of July in the sixty-ninth year. In the lower reaches of Hangtian Prefecture, near the Tianya River, signs of leaking have appeared on the river embankment. The court is urged to allocate Silver for repairs and distribute disaster relief Silver Tael as soon as possible."

The Emperor’s heart sank, and he looked further down; it was indeed Hu Maoshen.

Judging by the date on the paper, this information was already several days old, but Gu Chengyu’s message had arrived a day earlier than Hu Maoshen’s.

It seems Gu Chengyu has other means of conveying messages, faster than the usual carrier pigeon.

However, at this moment the Emperor could not focus on those matters; his mind was entirely occupied with the leaking embankment issue in Hangtian Prefecture and Yingnan Mansion.

Given this situation, the matter of reallocating grain from other Prefectures would have to be reconsidered.

If other States also experience flooding while their grain is loaned to the disaster victims of Changtian Prefecture, what then of the disaster victims in those States?

This is an unforeseeable matter, and one must always be prepared for the worst. After all, the National Treasury is empty, and by that time, no more disaster relief Silver can be provided.

The Emperor pondered for a moment, holding the paper tightly in his hand, before speaking: "The Magistrate of Changtian Prefecture has committed suicide and apologized. The river embankment in Hangtian Prefecture is leaking, I must allocate Silver to repair the embankment and aid the disaster victims. Shen Aiqing, the Ministry of Revenue should allocate eighty thousand Silver Tael, of which fifty thousand Taels are for settling the disaster victims, and the remaining thirty thousand Taels for repairing the leaking river embankment."

The Emperor rubbed his temples; Silver, Silver is needed everywhere. Suddenly, the Emperor thought of increasing taxes, but after a moment, he shook his head and set the thought aside for now.

Even if taxes are to be increased, it should not be on the common people but rather the wealthy merchants.

In this dynasty, commercial taxation is not stringent, merchants live a life almost like that of an Immortal compared to ordinary citizens.

The hierarchy of scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants places merchants last, their low status means they should contribute to the court.

Moreover, common people rely on their meager farmland, while merchants handle hundreds or thousands of Silver Coins daily, their Silver flows like water, indulging in lavish feasts, wealthier than even the Emperor himself.

But now is clearly not the time to propose commercial taxation reform; implementing such reform would not be without obstacles, and once enacted, the court would inevitably face another bout of turmoil.

Even if commercial tax reform proves effective, its impact would be far too slow, unable to address the immediate crisis!

The Emperor sighed again and then turned his gaze to Xia Qing. Last time, a million Silver Coins were extracted from Xia Qing; clearly, the Xia Family has considerable wealth!

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze towards Xia Qing like that of a wolf, revealing a hint of greed and cunning.

Seeing the Emperor’s expression, Xia Qing felt a chill down his spine.

He was all too familiar with this look; could the Emperor intend to target him again? Last time, extracting a million Silver from his clan nearly broke them.

If this were to happen again, the elders in his clan would surely cause an uproar.

After a moment, Xia Qing quickly looked up to find the Emperor staring at him thoughtfully. Xia Qing was greatly alarmed, his expression changing slightly.

Throughout the years, his clan has benefited significantly, obtaining much Silver thanks to his support.

And his ancestral land happens to be Yingnan Mansion. If the Emperor indeed targets him and Gu Chengyu happens to be in Jiangnan, he truly would be unable to intervene!

Yin Kun’s brows nearly knitted into a knot; only eighty thousand Silver Taels, how could that be enough?

Not to mention, three thousand of that is for repairing the embankment, leaving only fifty thousand to settle the disaster victims?

Yin Kun knew, though the Silver was scarce, the National Treasury truly has no more to give.

Even if he voiced opposition, it would be futile, as the Emperor could not conjure Silver from thin air.

"Emperor, if eighty thousand Taels are sent to Jiangnan, the National Treasury would only have twenty thousand left. How would that suffice? Setting aside the court’s expenses, what if somewhere urgently needs Silver Coin, the National Treasury wouldn’t be able to provide it."

Shen Shikang was deeply worried; the National Treasury has effectively been emptied, and if an emergency arises urgently needing Silver, where could he possibly acquire it?

The Emperor didn’t even spare a glance at Shen Shikang, instead, he turned his gaze to Xia Qing.

"Xia Aiqing, previously, I appointed your disciple Min Feng as the River Patrol Imperial Censor to inspect the river embankments in Jiangnan. He has been in Jiangnan for some time; why has no news been relayed back? Is there no issue with the Jiangnan embankments, and how then to explain Changtian Prefecture’s breached embankments?"

The Emperor was highly dissatisfied with Min Feng, as he had been in Jiangnan for several days with no report. Could it be that Min Feng wandered Jiangnan for pleasure?

Xia Qing was immediately shocked, it begins! The Emperor intends to use his junior disciple as a pretext to make difficulties for him.

"Reporting to the Emperor! Min Feng just arrived in Jiangnan, he must have first passed through Yingnan Mansion before reaching Hangtian Prefecture, thus the journey took several days. Emperor, perhaps you could wait a little longer. Min Feng is not someone who neglects the urgency of matters, please allow a few more days."

At this moment, Xia Qing secretly cursed; his junior disciple truly disappointed him.

Upon reaching Jiangnan, he should have first inspected Changtian and Hangtian Prefectures, as these two are closest to the lower reaches of the Tianya River.

Before Min Feng’s departure, he had instructed him to follow Hu Maoshen’s arrangements and sent adviser He Zhongkuan with him.

He Zhongkuan is a person of great strategy and acts with caution. Having He Zhongkuan there to advise, Xia Qing was reassured.

However, Min Feng had been gone for several days, and despite sending a letter urging action, there has been no response, truly causing anxiety.

"A few more days? I have received a secret report from Hangtian Prefecture detailing Min Feng’s itinerary in great detail."

The Emperor cast a cold glance towards Xia Qing, who always sought opportunities for Min Feng to distinguish himself, but in his view, this child was nothing but mud unable to support a wall.

It’s all about comparisons; Min Feng is worlds apart from Gu Chengyu.

Xia Qing’s face turned ashen; he was too impatient, pushing Min Feng to undergo experience under three years in the bureaucracy was indeed unwise.

Not to mention young people’s impetuosity, they are easily tempted.

Moreover, Min Feng’s impoverished background limited his insight. Xia Qing truly regretted his decision; had he known, he would have retreated from this assignment.

Forcing growth is futile!

Xia Qing felt a myriad of emotions, yet couldn’t help but think of Gu Chengyu. However, after just a moment, he sighed.

Such a prodigy, there are scarce few in the world. What merits does Liang Zhirui have to accept such a person as a disciple?

The wisest decision Liang Zhirui made in his life was choosing Gu Chengyu as a disciple.

Comparing the two disciples, Xia Qing had to admire Liang Zhirui’s good fortune.

Nevertheless, having chosen Min Feng, Xia Qing had no regrets.

Who doesn’t stumble a few times upon entering the bureaucracy; once lessons are learned from failure, one’s sense will improve.