The court uses the people to do things, then it must be in every aspect of the details. Everything is done in accordance with the statute, neither oppression of the people, nor by the people in their own pockets.
His Holiness had pressed the time for rushing the production of winter clothes very hard, and the officials in charge of the matter were in high spirits, striving to maximize their efficiency.
Since ancient times, fighting a war was actually more than just a war of soldiers, but more critically, it was a war of logistics. Nomads use jerky as rations, they do not need logistics, they can quickly launch an attack, this is their advantage, but in today's locust infestation, Da Heng food is abundant, this advantage they do not take advantage of.
When Gu Yuanbai discussed with the ministers, relying on Daheng's overflowing treasury and granary nowadays, he also said straight away, "I want to send more than just winter clothes to the northern border. Daheng's soldiers work hard, but hard can't even have a hard year, I want them to have a good year in front of the nomads."
The courtier bowed and pursued the question, "Your Majesty, what is a good year?"
"Well-fed and clothed, with piping hot meat soup to drink and fresh cakes to eat," Gu Yuanbai looked at them, "Those magnates sent a hundred thousand ducks to the border, and they're about to arrive, aren't they?"
"The person from the post station wrote that he is about to arrive at the northern border," the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior did not hold back his smile and narrowed his eyes, "General Xue wrote that the locusts began to wreak havoc in the north in July, and by the time he arrived at the northern border, the situation was already very serious. Autumn locusts die in March, and by mid-October, they should be in the waking stage."
The Councillor picked up, "One hundred thousand ducks were sent on their way in September, and any later, they can be delivered to the hands of the Northern Frontier by the end of this month. By then it will be just in time for the locust's waking period, and after eating the locusts, it will be just enough to add meat to the warriors as well."
"Howie did a good job this time," a couple of the ministers laughed, snickering, "Finally, it's kind of a big deal."
Gu Yuanbai smiled, ''Saving us a good deal of effort, but this is not enough. The locust plague has reached this point, as long as the food in the rear keeps up, the crisis is already considered over for the front. Ministers, what I want now is a victory with the nomads."
"Let the nomads know of Daheng's strength," the Emperor said, "they have always been proud of their war record, proud of their steeds and their cattle and sheep, and this time when the locusts come out and the army presses in, it would be a waste of this opportunity not to let them know how weak they are. "
"When they don't have food to eat and winter clothes to wear, our generals have to eat well and dress well, and have enough strength and spirit to deal with the nomadic cavalry," Gu Yuanbai said, "Grain, winter clothes, and meat ...... It's the end of the year. The people's families will still have a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, and these soldiers, who fought for me, should also have a good New Year's Eve."
The courtiers answered yes.
At lunchtime, Gu Yuanbai left the courtiers to have their meal in the palace. The meals in the palace were exquisite and tasty, but today there was a brightly colored dish of red and yellow, and the Privy Councillor tentatively tasted it, "Hehe, what is this, it tastes good."
It was sweet and sour, appropriately salty, and exceptionally tasty.
Tian Fusheng said, "Lord Zhao, this dish is Scrambled Eggs with Red Lantern Fruit."
The Privy Councilor wondered, "Why the red lighted fruit?"
"The red-light fruit is a kind of fruit found locally by the magistrate of the city of Huangpu," Tian Fusheng, "The fruit is beautiful in color, small and round, harmless to eat, and has a distinctive flavor, whether it is cooked or boiled in soup."
After eating too much big fish and meat, scrambled eggs with tomatoes are really appetizing. Ever since the Imperial Hospital determined that these red-light fruits were not harmful to the human body, Gu Yuanbai had moved tomatoes onto the vegetable table. Tomato scrambled eggs are just the basics, tomato beef brisket, tomato soup with noodles, and sugar mixed with tomatoes ...... he has eaten for several days.
The courtiers were extraordinarily curious about the red light fruits, and when lunch was over, Gu Yuanbai had people send cleaned red light fruits for them to taste one in each hand.
The ministers tried to taste it, the flavor is very wonderful, the juice is acidic, but the flesh is sweet, but don't say, the more this thing is eaten, the more delicious it is. Both into the dish, but also can be eaten raw, the ministers one after another praised: "Your holiness, this red light fruit is a good thing."
Gu Yuanbai couldn't help but hold back a smile, "But even better, I don't have much left here. This time, all the adults will just taste the flavor, and when it is planted and grown next year, only then can we know how many acres of this thing will be produced."
The courtiers couldn't help but show a few disappointed looks, and their chewing speed slowed down a lot as they ate the rest of the red-lighted fruits.
In the afternoon, the ministers returned to their respective government offices. Gu Yuanbai, on the other hand, left behind the Minister of the Household, led the people to change into their regular clothes, and rode out of the palace in a carriage.
His Imperial Majesty, the honorable and incomparable Emperor, led the way to the middle of the food market in the capital.
Gu Yuanbai personally asked from the head of the road to the end of the road in the vegetable market, from the selling price of an egg to the selling price of a catty of rabbit fur. His temperament was remarkable, and his clothes, even if they were low-key, stood out among the people. However, Gu Yuanbai's tone was gentle and his attitude was cordial, and the people he questioned, though formal, were not much afraid.
"Your Excellency, if you buy more, our price here will be cheaper," the farmer selling his own eggs rubbed his hands together and carefully said, "My family's eggs are big and good, they are the cheapest."
Gu Yuanbai looked at it, and indeed nodded, "Old Uncle, if I buy more, how much cheaper can it be?"
"One catty of eggs will be counted as twelve copper coins." The farmer said honestly.
Gu Yuanbai understood.
He traveled all the way here and understood the selling price of each object roughly clearly. When he sat with the Minister of the Household on the carriage for the return trip, he lamented, "The eggs outside are twelve copper coins a catty, but when these eggs enter the palace, they become one hundred and twenty coins a piece."
The Minister of the Household did not dare to speak.
"Should I say that I am worthy of being the emperor? Even this identical egg has become an egg laid by a golden chicken when it arrives at my table," Gu Yuanbai joked, "It's me who doesn't deserve to go and eat this twelve-cent-a-jin egg."
"Your Holiness," the head of the Minister of Revenue was dripping with sweat, "the accounts of the inner court, which ......"
"Lord Tang, look at how long it's been," Gu Yuanbai shook his head and sighed, "I've only cleared the inner court for less than a year, right? But the world is all about profit, the world is all about profit, this is less than a year's work, there are people who dare to drill holes in my eyes."
The Minister of the Household was completely at a loss as to what to say at this point, the carriage jolted and swung, the sweat on his back had already vaguely soaked through his clothes.
"Taifu Temple, Shaofu Supervisor. The government is in charge of the inner court of the library storage and cashier, the current Secretary of the House of Lords and the Secretary of the soup is also familiar with," Gu Yuanbai leisurely said, "the House of Lords has never been out of the matter, the House of Lords of the temple of the matter is one thing after another. A few days ago, the anti-corruption just passed, the former Secretary of the Imperial Household just sewing on the worry, which will resign to return to his hometown to observe filial piety to go. This newly appointed Secretary of State is not about the understanding of my temperament, he just came up honest not yet to two months, this will be the eggs to the golden eggs, you say, after I can still afford to eat eggs?"
The Minister of the Household's brain nerves are tense, both for this sentence "familiar with" and fear, but also hate the Secretary of the Imperial Household's brainless money-grubbing behavior.
His Majesty the Emperor's temper, his attitude and tolerance of corruption, does this Secretary of the Imperial Household not understand nowadays?
The carriage just stopped, Gu Yuanbai patted the arm of the Secretary of the Ministry of the household, language heavy deep long said: "I heard that the soup Qing is at home for the daughter of the family to look at the marriage, this daughter's marriage is an incredibly important thing, the soup Qing to see more thought, never arbitrarily on the decision."
It was only then that the Minister of the Household reacted to what His Majesty meant when he said this to him.
Recently, the Secretary of the Ministry of the household is indeed hesitant to form a family with the Secretary of the Household, the Holy Spirit is now alone to him to say such a word, I am afraid that is in advance to remind him, do not and the Secretary of the Household too much involvement, this is the Holy Spirit of his love and care ah.
Ministry of household secretary heart a relief, moved to tears, he bent over and performed a big salute, "the saint today's words minister word by word in his heart, the grass is difficult to repay the emperor's grace, the saint's love and care for the minister, I really ten thousand words difficult to say its one, only hate to be for the saint's liver and brain, ten thousand deaths."
Gu Yuanbai nodded, and after pacifying him with a smile for a few moments, he let him out of the car.
Taifu Secretary in fact since the anti-corruption has been honest, only recently began to have the intention of corruption, but he just did this hand and foot, was found by Gu Yuanbai, I have to say that it is also an unlucky egg.
In the capital, Gu Yuanbai was busy disposing of the Secretary of the Taifu while keeping a close eye on the matter of cotton clothing.
And on the northern border.
In the middle of October, the army that had traveled all the way in the haystack to deliver the food finally joined up with the soldiers of the northern border.
General Xue ushered in this long procession in the gale, and also the long, unseen grain wagon that was escorted in the center of this procession.
These grain wagons were each loaded in piles, one next to the other, and on both sides of the flat, desolate plain, refugees who heard the noise came out of the victims' dwellings and stared blankly at the grain.
The grain wagon that passed in front of them cast a shadow which covered them underneath, all but blotting out the sun and the clouds in the sky.
The soldiers stationed at the border gate looked at the grain without blinking, and the haggard look on General Xue's face became radiant in this instant.
"See? See?" The veteran general was excited, "I told you! I told you that His Holiness would definitely send a large amount of grain and grass! Do you believe me? Do you believe me?
These soldiers stationed at the border and these victims rescued by General Xue have been eating thin porridge for ten years.
After General Xue arrived at the northern border, he did everything he could to relieve the victims, however, there were too many victims, and the food he brought was not enough. While waiting for the court to send food, rumors spread from somewhere that the court was unwilling to send food to the northern border.
The soldiers who were brought to the northern frontier by General Xue from the capital disdained this statement, they were the soldiers who were raised by the saint, how the saint treats his soldiers, they know best. But the soldiers originally stationed in the northern border panicked, they have experienced the darkest period of time, even if this year the court to the border food stability, give them a change of armor and swords, but they are still afraid, panic began to spread among them, heard the matter of General Xue directly captured the spread of rumors to the source to be chopped up, and only temporarily will part of the soldiers to be stabilized.
But this part of the soldier's heart was still worried, and as the days went by, they even began to have despair rise in their hearts.
Then in the midst of this despair, they waited for the grain to be sent by the court.
The army that brought the grain was already approaching, but even as they approached, the grain was still out of sight, as if there was no end to it.
The soldier stationed at the northern border who never left froze, "How can there be so much food ......"
The soldiers from the capital were proud and full of pride, ''His Holiness loves us, so of course he will ship us more food. Isn't it just ten days of thin gruel? I don't even know why you guys are so panicked."
The soldier was so focused on the grain that he couldn't return his words in time to roll his eyes.
How many people could have seen this much grain in their lifetime?
Anyway, these generals who were stationed at the border all year round, not many of them had ever seen so much grain. Unconsciously, these people who had never seen so much grain were reminded by the people around them, and they touched their own faces, only to realize that they didn't know when, but their eyes were moist.
Why are you crying?
The soldiers were bewildered.
They just looked at the grain, didn't look at it enough, and looked at it a few more times, and they hadn't even worked out the flavor in their minds yet, so how come they were crying over so much grain?
As they were thinking about it, they heard sudden whimpering and painful cries resounding on both sides, getting louder and louder. The soldiers turned their heads to take a look, but it turned out to be the victims who had been gathered by General Xue in this area were hugging each other in twos and threes and crying bitterly. These victims who had numbness written all over their faces a few days ago, after seeing so much food seemed to suddenly have a channel for catharsis, and one person crying caused a large area of cries, which couldn't be stopped.
There's food. They're saved.