Chapter 77: banquet

The next day arrived at the meeting. As expected by Yuan Luo, there was a fierce dispute in the court regarding the assignment of the new jinshi.
Although there are also internal struggles between families, such as the Jiang Zuo clan headed by Wang Xie clan and the Dongshan clan headed by Wei Clan for many years, all forces are unanimously aligned in the face of suppressing the underdogs.
"The emperor, Niangniang, these new school hairy boys, although the articles are very colorful, they are all on paper. Governing the country is not a fuss. If they are rashly sent to important official posts, they will only miss major events. During the Warring States Period, Zhao Kuo's masters of the art of war pointed out the country, eloquently spoke, and really got to work..." Tan Bohan said righteously.
That makes a lot of sense. Yuan Luo stroked her nail sleeves and smiled and said: "Prime Minister Tan has made a lot of sense. This palace also believes that newcomers are best to start from the bottom and have more experience. It just so happens that Lingzhou and Yuezhou have been vacant for local officials recently. Arrange these people there."
Prime Minister Tan's expression choked.
Lingzhou and Yuezhou are both the territories of the East China Sea King. They are notoriously sacred places, so how can this pile of mud legs be cheap.
After that, it was naturally another dispute.
After several days of discussions between the DPRK, the final result was a half-step backward.
Several talents that Yuan Luo is optimistic about are all arranged in practical positions. Originally the focus of everyone's attention-Xinke Tanhua Lang Shen Dongliu led the errand of the Ministry of Industry, and took charge of the widening work of the western Huanghe River as a running from Liupinshui Chengsi.
This surprised everyone. It is a thankless job to manage the river course. It has been a big drought since the beginning of spring this year. It is too late to dig a well. If there is money to repair the river course, it is almost done.
Throw the person to the cold yamen, the imperial concubine empress has heard the recent wind, so let's clear the relationship. Everyone thought about it.
Compared with the arrangements for newcomers to the imperial examination, there is another major issue that is more related to the lives of thousands of people.
Since the beginning of spring, as Yuan Luo had predicted, the rain has been pitiful. The drought was followed by locusts, which swept across from several states and counties in the west, making the counties and counties that were originally devastated by the drought even worse. Several states and counties have already made urgent papers, requesting funding for disaster relief.
Fortunately, Yuan Luo had started hoarding grain and grass before, and sent it out.

In the evening, in the study of Zichen Hall.
After calculating the accounts in his hand, Yuan Luo pushed a few books, her eyes flushed, no matter how she counted, the number was still lacking. Although a few things such as the racecourse and cloisonne have brought her rich returns. But it still can't match the speed of spending.
Ships that went to the south to purchase grain sent back news of soaring grain prices, which made Yuan Luo's small vault even more burdensome.
The most important sum was the secret expenditure, which she allocated to Shen Dongliu to prepare for the improvement plan of the Huanghe River in the upper reaches of Suzhou. This is absolutely impossible to save.
In the disaster-stricken states and counties, the imperial court also allocated money and exempted several states and counties from taxes, but it was still a drop in the bucket, especially the national treasury was already unable to make ends meet.
Some regret that the library has been opened too much. I knew I should be more frugal.
Yuan Luo thought about simply borrowing from a big businessman.
However, in this era, behind the big businessmen, most of them are noble families.
In this world, it is almost impossible for an ordinary person with no foundation to do business well. Even if you start from nothing, you will become a vassal of a powerful force in the future. Of course, you can also choose to be loyal and unyielding. The result is direct disappear.
When the resources of the entire country were controlled by aristocratic families, it was impossible to form the Shanxi merchants and Huai merchants groups like the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
So the goal is still to be placed on these families.
She was hesitating how to squeeze silver from the family's hands, another incident deeply aroused her resentment.
There are courtiers who do not have long eyes. The above table says that the twelve measures issued by Yuan Luo to deal with the locust plague are against the law of heaven!
"Locusts are the insects of destiny, the emperor of insects, do not kill them at will, otherwise it will cause greater natural and man-made disasters!"
What made Yuan Luo most powerless was that there were more than one or two courtiers holding this idea. Even some courtiers of Confucian background seconded this matter.
After closing the memorial, Yuan Luo gritted her teeth, originally didn't want to use this trick...

On the evening of that day, the emperor held a banquet in the Wanshou Palace, inviting the Manchu civil, military and nobles to attend.
After three rounds of wine, Yuan Luo brought up the top priority in the court. It is clear that there is a shortage of silver in the relief of the disaster-stricken areas, and the courtiers and nobles need to work together.
All major families have become accustomed to the way the imperial concubine eats the blackmailers. After all, the snow disaster had searched the ladies and young ladies of various houses before.
The addition of locusts to the drought this time will be more harmful than the previous snow disaster, so the reapplication of technology is also expected.
Therefore, there is no need for Yuan Luoduo to say that Lu Qian took the initiative to stand up to make a toast to the emperor, and said sincerely: "The emperor, my mother, this drought has continued, and the land is thousands of miles away, locusts are raging, and the people are not living. I am waiting for a high position. …"
After a while, Lu Shangshu took the lead to express that as a good minister who was concerned about the country and the people, he was determined to use half of his savings to donate to the disaster area, share the worries for the court, and relieve the emperor.
This half of the savings is worth ten thousand taels of silver tattoos!
In all fairness, this number is not too much, at least it will not make the aristocratic family feel the pain of cutting the meat, and it is not too small, and it will not make the imperial concubine and empress become angry.
After all, as a Hubu Shangshu, a dignified second-tier member, the salary and reward for a year is only four thousand taels.
Following Lu Shangshu's loyalty, various families and officials stood up and responded. You are eight thousand taels, and I am five thousand taels, but I quickly collected hundreds of thousands of taels.
Yuan Luo listened to it, calmly. She knew in her heart that the major families had already anticipated this trick of her own, and they would pass the anger when they thought about it.
If you don't say enough, you can immediately drown yourself with saliva stars by quoting scriptures.
auzw.com
Thinking of this, Yuan Luo raised his wine glass and said with a warm smile: "Everyone is concerned about the country and the people, this palace feels the same..."
The imperial concubine deeply affirmed all the adults' assistance to the imperial court and their care for the people in the disaster area.
No one knows how to say beautiful words, and beautiful words from American people are especially beautiful.
The ministers in the palace heard it happily. Originally, they were worried that the imperial concubine was too small and would have to tear it up. Now it seems that the imperial concubine has been in charge of the affairs for several years and gradually became sensible.
For a while, the guests and hosts in the hall were full of joy and happiness.
The palace people offered many good wines and delicacies like flowing water. Everyone solved the big trouble and enjoyed it with peace of mind.
Lu Qian smiled and said: "This palace imperial dining room is really unusual. This soup is very delicious, I don't know what it is made of."
Nei Rong, the Shangshu King of the Criminal Ministry, laughed loudly: "Master Lu is too modest. Your little kitchen in Lu's is not much better than the dishes in the imperial dining room in the palace."
Both of them were the heads of a powerful family, and both were important court officials.
Yuan Luo saw that the dishes were almost eaten, put down the wine glass, and said: "Today you are summoned not only to raise funds for disaster relief, but also to work together to come up with a good way to deal with the disaster. You think that the "Governance" issued by the court "The Twelve Strategies of Locust" is not good enough. So how do you think locusts should be controlled?"
Everyone was surprised that this topic had already been discussed in the morning, why the concubine brought up the old thing again.
Someone immediately said: "According to the usual practice in previous years, when the weather turns cold, this insect plague will naturally disappear."
Liu Qian, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, smiled and said: "The emperor and the empress are worried about the people, they can go to the Temple of Heaven to pray day and night, as long as they are sincere, they will surely be blessed by heaven, and the disaster will be resolved soon."
Yuan Luo laughed: "According to Qing, is it because the ancestors and saints of the Xianghe Dynasty in the Jianyuan Dynasty were not sincere when they prayed to heaven?" The two dynasties also experienced locust plagues, and the emperor went to pray for blessings and sacrifice to heaven. Of course, Haha.
Liu Qian suddenly became dumb.
The other ministers stood up and said, "Manny, think twice. The ministers also heard that in previous years of disasters, there were people who hunted and killed locusts without authorization, and the whole family got the plague inexplicably, even affecting the entire village, and the chickens and dogs did not stay."
"Furthermore, after culling the locusts, there are many recurrences in the second year. This is a sign that the anger of the sky cannot be violated!"
"Yes, the minister has also heard of someone who eats locusts, their bodies are swollen and dead, and they are retribution."
Among the "Twelve Strategies for Controlling Locust" issued by Yuan Luo without authorization, one of the important items is to use money to encourage the people to kill the locusts. The court organizes the purchase of the killed locusts. The purchased locusts are built in workshops in various places, dried and ground into powder for consumption as food.
...
Yuan Luo said calmly. "First, the calamity is serious. When the hunger is full of the ground, the plague will naturally occur. It is not the fault of killing the locusts. Second, the locust plague that recurs in the second year is because the killing was not early enough and not thorough enough. Let the locusts lay their eggs in the ground before they will come back next year..."
In ancient times, there was a lot of awe of locust plagues, not only because of the special names of locusts, but also because of the many repetitions in the process of eliminating locusts, and the plagues.
Prime Minister Tan frowned and interrupted her: "Where did Niang Niang hear the fallacy and heresy? I heard Niang Niang’s "Twelve Strategies for Locust Control" was compiled by a group of old farmers and poor people. Such a simple method, I'm afraid Wrong country and people."
Yuan Luo ignored him and continued to speak out the shocking words, "Third, if you will be retributed by the heavens after eating locusts, this palace will test the poison with your own body. The 36 main dishes at the palace banquet today are mostly half. They are all made of locusts. My palace has eaten a lot..."
After saying this, the whole hall fell into silence.
For a moment, Lu Shangshu's difficult voice came: "Manny..." Wouldn't it be the same thing they had just eaten?
Yuan Luoyi interrupted his words: "Like Lu Shangshu just now, locusts are rampant, and the people don’t live a life. I am in a high position. I am all sincere and fearful. I am supported by the people of the world without retribution. This time is for the people of the world, even if it is. There is no sense in this palace."
Looking across the hall, Yuan Luo smiled and threw a blockbuster: "Of course, everyone eats it too. Everyone cares about the hearts of the people of Li people, this palace can feel it."
The idea of ​​backwardness in this backward era is to give drastic medicine!

"Wow, what's the situation? Why are so many adults swaying on foot, and they have to be supported by attendants?" Standing under the corridor outside the Qianqing Hall, Cai Yunheng looked from a distance and couldn't help being curious.
He and Gu Yizheng led people on patrol, and when the palace banquet was over, the guests left one after another.
As the most noble group of people in this huge empire, most of them have pale faces, cold sweat on their foreheads, and some unhelpful swaying, and they have to be supported by attendants to go.
"Is the imperial concubine poisoned at the palace banquet?" Cai Yunheng was whimsical.
Gu Yi laughed, "Poisoned all the ministers and nobles to death? Then sit back and watch the chaos in the world, and the smoke is everywhere."
Cai Yunheng touched his chin, and continued to talk along the topic: "Well, it is speculated that the imperial concubine should be Bei Rong's work. Otherwise, he would not do such a thing."
"Don't be poor, go and inquire about it."
Actually, they didn't need to ask, what the imperial concubine did at the palace banquet quickly spread throughout the palace.
Many ministers thought that eating locusts would kill people, so they took everyone to try.
This woman is really... Zuo Bingfan's expression is complicated. He wouldn't be surprised what he did.
"These people are too squeamish, aren't they just eating a locust? It's actually quite fragrant, especially when it is roasted over fire." Cai Yunheng spurned.
Gu Yi was also speechless. On the battlefield in northern Xinjiang, he sometimes led troops to rush into the rear to investigate the enemy's situation. The dry food he brought was not enough, so he could only pick up goods on the spot. Most generals had the experience of eating locusts and voles.
Of course these dignitaries are different. The family's exquisite Zhongming Ding can eat the essence of the meat, the dragon liver and the phoenix marrow can eat, and the reptiles in the ground are absolutely forbidden.
Watching these ministers sway out of the door of Qianqing, there was a sudden inexplicable sense of refreshment in my heart, this behavior of the imperial concubine.