PNB Chapter 147 New News
Chapter 147 New News
Prince An is a shameless person; he knows Jiang Xinyu is incredibly skilled at arguing, yet he still insists on provoking her every time.
It's not that he's necessarily unable to win a verbal argument, but Jiang Xinyu is not only eloquent but also quite capable in combat.
He was afraid that if he won the argument, he would get beaten up.
For example, right now, when Jiang Xinyu said that everyone should receive the favor equally, he instinctively wanted to refute her by saying that Xiao Yuan, a eunuch, had no favors to enjoy.
But for the sake of his leg, which had finally been healed, he swallowed those words back.
Ye Xiao has not left the manor since he entered it. His spies in the Eastern Depot said that the young master Ye seems to have broken his leg and is recuperating in the capital manor.
Xiao Yuan's leg broke as soon as he entered the Governor's Mansion after returning to the capital. His family had to hurriedly call him away from the Eastern Depot.
Various pieces of evidence suggest that Jiang Xinyu is involved in this matter.
This woman is indeed interesting, and she has Xiao Yanwang completely under her thumb.
He knew a lot about palace intrigue, but he had never heard of someone like her who could overcome all odds with sheer strength.
But it must be said, this trick is indeed effective.
Prince An had expected the Governor's Mansion to cause some kind of embarrassment, but to his surprise, everything was calm and there wasn't even a ripple.
To be honest, I'm quite disappointed.
Jiang Xinyu, after saying a few words to Prince An, picked up a plate of pastries and started eating them.
“Night owls don’t come into the house unless they have something to do. You must have come all this way early in the morning just to check on our backyard.”
"Tell me, are you here to deliver a message or do you need something from me?"
Seeing that Jiang Xinyu was enjoying her food, Prince An took a piece of the pastry in front of him as well.
"They both exist, and they're essentially the same thing."
A flood has occurred in Xuzhou. The imperial court has not yet received a report, but it is estimated to happen within the next few days.
Jiang Xinyu was a little puzzled, "What does this have to do with you, a leisurely prince?"
Even though you're in a wheelchair, how could your father send you to manage the floods?
That's absolutely despicable.
Prince An spat, "Your father is no good either!"
Jiang Xinyu chuckled, "My dad wasn't any better, so I like it when he curses me a bit more!"
Damn, only then did Prince An remember that this girl's relationship with her father wasn't very good.
"I'm talking to you about something serious. If you don't like your dad, I'll teach that old bastard a lesson for you another day."
You help me think of an idea first.
He Bi, the prefect of Xuzhou, was my maternal uncle, and he was the only high-ranking official among my maternal relatives.
I live a secluded life and there are many things I can't do in public, so he's the one who takes care of my uncles.
Every few years, when there is heavy rainfall, the Yellow River breaches its banks near Caocun in Chanzhou. This year, the water level has already exceeded the warning line.
If the dikes collapse and the floodwaters reach Xuzhou, He Bi's position as prefect will likely be in jeopardy without a proper solution.
Jiang Xinyu clicked her tongue twice, "Your uncle's name is quite unique, huh? I hope his son won't be named He Ku (meaning 'why suffer')."
Prince An gave a cold laugh. "The imperial envoy for disaster relief is Xiao Yuan. What, are you still going to investigate what my cousin's name is?"
Cough cough cough, this time it was Jiang Xinyu's turn to choke, she quickly drank some tea to swallow the snack.
"You tricked my husband into going to the front line of flood control just so I could come up with an idea?"
"Damn it, I'll beat the crap out of you today, you little brat!"
Jin Zekang reflexively jumped a long way away.
"It wasn't me, it was the third brother who did it, specifically Zhang Zhongyi."
This disaster relief effort is unlikely to go smoothly; they intend to take the opportunity to eliminate Xiao Yuan.
They have people in several prefectures near Xuzhou, and the disaster relief supplies and funds are definitely not going to be delivered effectively due to the layers of embezzlement.
Now you know why I contacted you, we're in the same boat.
By the way, your rudeness is truly an insult to civility.
"You're the grasshopper, your whole family are grasshoppers, your entire lineage is grasshoppers."
If you keep arguing, I'll not only insult your civility, but I'll also insult you, you believe me?
Jiang Xinyu glared at Jin Zekang with hostility, "Why does the court have to send Xiao Yuan when there are so many officials?"
Is this what the Eastern Depot does?
Jin Zekang snorted coldly, "From confiscating property and exterminating entire families to chasing chickens and catching dogs, the Eastern Depot is a special force directly under the emperor, so it's nothing new for them to do anything."
Didn't Xiao Yuan tell you that?
If the emperor wanted to know, they would even investigate what color underwear a certain minister wore and which concubine he slept with.
Jiang Xinyu chuckled, "Got it! The Eastern Depot is like a brick; it can be moved wherever it's needed!"
"Your understanding is correct."
Jin Zekang dusted off his robe and sat down.
"The border has been unstable in the past two years, and the Yellow River floods are a major issue."
The emperor knew perfectly well that someone was embezzling the disaster relief funds, and he wouldn't feel at ease unless he sent a swift and decisive officer.
Furthermore, with Xiao Yuan contributing cement this year, there's a 90% chance that the imperial envoy for disaster relief will fall to him.
I will write a letter asking He Bi to cooperate fully, and I will also trouble Chief Supervisor Xiao to contribute more to the disaster relief efforts.
"Don't put it so nicely. If He Bi could handle things, why would you have made this trip? Isn't it just to have my husband take care of your aunt's husband?"
If you're asking for a favor, at least show some respect. If you're still treating me like a fool, get out!
Jin Zekang, perhaps used to Jiang Xinyu's outspokenness, coughed lightly and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"I owe you a favor this time. Please, Chief Supervisor Xiao, do me the best to protect my uncle."
As soon as Prince An finished speaking, he cursed inwardly. He had been led astray by this woman. What kind of "uncle" was that? That term was so corny.
Jiang Xinyu tapped the table thoughtfully. Although the Eastern Depot was an intelligence agency, its focus had always been on the capital and its surrounding areas, and news from more distant prefectures and counties was often delayed.
Since Jin Zekang has come looking for him, he must have already received the letter from home, so the accuracy of this news is probably very high.
Disaster relief has never been an easy task.
Of course, this is not necessarily true for corrupt officials, especially those with powerful backers.
Although dangerous, it is also an excellent opportunity to make money.
As the emperor's savior, Xiao Yuan was certainly on a mission, naturally placing him in opposition to those corrupt officials.
People die for wealth, birds die for food; destroying someone's livelihood is no less serious than digging up their ancestral graves.
If Xiao Yuan were to perform his duties diligently, he would offend many people; if he were to collude with them, he would likely not escape unscathed.
Make bricks without straw.
If the imperial court fails to allocate funds for grain, the people will have nothing to eat. If an uprising breaks out, the officials in the disaster area will be the first to suffer.
However, it was impossible for Xiao Yuan, who had traveled thousands of miles from the capital, to bring food to the disaster area.
In those days, transportation was underdeveloped and vehicles had limited carrying capacity. If you wanted to transport enough grain, the manpower required would be enormous. Just feeding the people and horses would consume half of the grain.
If the number of escorts is reduced, it will be even worse; they might be intercepted by some real or fake bandits along the way.
There is another way: let the imperial court issue silver notes for Xiao Yuan to carry and buy locally.
Unfortunately, this was impossible, as the imperial court had never had a rule of issuing silver notes.
Moreover, grain prices in nearby prefectures and counties are not necessarily stable. Since Zhang Zhongyi set up a scheme to trap Xiao Yuan, it is highly likely that local officials will not be very cooperative.
You can't expect the dozens of people in the Eastern Depot to go door-to-door buying grain.
She needs to think carefully about the specific disaster relief measures and make a comprehensive plan to see which modern common sense methods can be applied.
There's no need to tell Jin Zekang about this; she did think of something that guy could do.
"I'll discuss the disaster relief with Xiao Yuan later. Don't worry, we'll try our best to save your uncle."
But don't just sit idly by; you should also do your part to ensure the disaster relief goes smoothly.
Here's what you'll do: first, forge a letter from He Bi to your family.
It means that Xuzhou is likely to suffer a disaster, but he doesn't have enough money and wants your help.
Knowing that you, a leisurely prince, are not wealthy, we won't ask for money. Since a rich merchant is willing to do good deeds and donate, we hope that you, as a descendant of the phoenix and dragon, can write a "Fu" character as a reward.
Go back and take the letter to your father. Don't worry, he'll do what he says about exchanging two pieces of calligraphy for disaster relief funds.
To put it nicely, this isn't an auction of the emperor's calligraphy; it's a reward for patriotic businessmen with a kind heart, understand?
Jin Zekang gave him a thumbs up in admiration.
He knew he hadn't come to the wrong place; this woman certainly has a lot of tricks up her sleeve.