After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Chapter 1293: Chapter 1258: Disaster Relief (Part 3)

At this time, only a telegram needs to be sent out, and those like Ming Yu, Zu Ti, and Zhao Shen who are in the disaster areas can telegraph to connect with the grain depot and organize local relief efforts.

Overnight, the scattered disaster relief officials obtained the locations of the grain depots and the quantities of grain, along with detailed disaster relief plans.

Xun Fan was troubled by the hardships of the people, "One disaster follows another, only last year was somewhat prosperous in terms of weather, why is survival so difficult for the people?"

Yu Hong sighed as he accompanied him, about to speak, when a junior official rushed over with a sheet of paper, "Prefectural Governor, a letter has just been sent from General Zu’s camp saying the disaster relief grain has arrived, and we should receive it tomorrow to prepare for relief efforts."

Yu Hong and Xun Fan were invigorated, quickly taking the paper and seeing the grain depot located in the prefectural administrative area, they were surprised, "I know this warehouse, it was requisitioned by the military, but I did not know it was used for grain storage."

After speaking, he frowned, "Since the imperial court has stored grain here, why did they not distribute relief grain earlier?"

Xun Fan quickly thought, "The grain seeds had only been sown ten days ago and were just seedlings; to harvest them would take at least three months. If relief grain were distributed early, what would happen in the next three months?"

"Yuan Li used severe measures to warn others, confiscating three families’ assets without stopping grain prices from rising. If the imperial court had distributed all their grain early, wouldn’t the next three months would be at the mercy of grain merchants?" Xun Fan clenched the paper and said, "The Great General endured the scorn to ensure slow but steady distribution, so more people could survive."

Previously, grain prices soared, but the common people had not reached the point of desperation, due to rumors of empty state coffers and lack of relief grain distribution, nobody dared to consume stored grain excessively, even during busy farming periods, they maintained just enough not to starve.

This allowed them to endure through the critical months of transition from spring to summer, and by early summer, the winter wheat in the fields was harvested.

Those less affected by the disaster had their own stored grain at home, while those heavily affected showed it, foraging wild herbs and leaves outside, knowing who to distribute relief grain to.

Yu Hong sighed, "She truly calculated every step, considering everyone."

Xun Fan softly said, "Many possess such wisdom, but few in high positions have such foresight, enduring reprimands from courtiers with such patience."

Starting from mid-March, it began raining, continuing intermittently until today, nearly three months long.

During these three months, petitions requesting relief from the imperial court, letters from local officials pleading for relief grains and funds, and impeachment papers accusing Zhao Hanzhang of reckless deeds, eliminating dissidents during the disaster piled on her desk.

Yet she appeared indifferent to the courtiers’ anxiety and anger, continuing to handle governmental affairs routinely, pushing them to engage in flood control and disaster relief, deploying people to capture grain merchants from noble families, imposing fines, and confiscating assets...

To the courtiers, for three months, despite imposing such hefty fines and confiscating so much wealth, each time they asked her for relief funds and grain, she claimed the state treasury was empty.

This inevitably led people to suspect her of embezzling the funds, hoarding with stinginess, unwilling to allocate them for relief efforts.

If not for Ji Yuan and Chang Ning knowing her plans, they too might have shared such suspicions.

After all, her grandfather was Zhao Changyu; she inherited a frugal nature.

As the court began extensive relief efforts, those who didn’t qualify to receive relief grain grew dissatisfied and anxious, prompting the opening of new grain shops on the streets, with prices set at twenty-two wen per dou, limiting each person to a purchase of one dou.

They immediately put aside their sorrow, rushing home to gather money, bringing families along, each carrying a cloth bag, pretending not to know each other to purchase.

After purchasing once, one would turn and rejoin the queue to buy again, but the clerk collecting payment had keen eyes, "Why are you here again, this is your second time, and your family has bought seven or eight dou by now? Enough for your household to eat for a month."

"Nonsense, I live alone."

"Don’t think we can’t see through this just because you don’t speak to one another, you and those two young girls look exactly alike, can you really say you’re not mother and daughter?" The clerk advised, "Go ahead, go ahead, rest assured, we have plenty of grain in storage, come back tomorrow to buy more."

"If your family truly has so much grain, why impose purchase limits?"

"The purchase limit is for your benefit; otherwise a grain merchant could buy everything in one go, raise the prices, and sell it back to you, crying won’t help then," said the clerk. "Do you know who our owner is?"

The people lined up to buy grain shook their heads in unison.

The clerk proudly declared, "Our owner is the Great General’s mother! Madam is compassionate towards the people, spent all her assets to buy grain, lowered prices for you, rest assured, the grain in our warehouse is piled to the ceiling, enough for everyone in the county to eat for half a year."

"Really?"

"Would the business of the Great General’s mother be fake?" Had Uncle Cheng not instructed against using the Lady’s name as a banner, he would have mentioned it.