"Yes, Your Majesty, the minister will arrange it when he returns." Xu Guangqi hurriedly agreed, and then said with a little hesitation: "It's just...... Your Majesty, there is still enough money, but there is not much food. ”

"It's okay, there will be food soon." Zhu Youxiao looked at Xu Guangqi and said, "You just go back and wait for the news." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Xu Guangqi nodded and said, "If Your Majesty doesn't have anything else to order, then the minister will go and get busy." ”

"Go ahead." Zhu Youxiao nodded and motioned for Xu Guangqi to leave.

After Xu Guangqi left, Zhu Youxiao sat down slowly, the expression on his face was very indifferent, and he was thinking about what to do next and from which angle.

At this time, Chen Hong walked in from outside, holding two question books in his hands.

Chen Hong went straight to Zhu Youxiao and said, "Emperor, these two questions have just been sent. One is from Zhao Kui, the political envoy of Shandong, and the other is from Zhou Fusheng, the envoy of Shandong. ”

Hearing that these two people gave him a question, Zhu Youxiao smiled, and said with mockery in his tone: "I can't sit still!" Take it and take a look. ”

Chen Hong didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly presented the two question books to Zhu Youxiao.

Stretching out his hand to take the question book, Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhao Kui's first, after all, he was the political envoy of Shandong.

Stretching out his hand to open the question book, Zhu Youxiao took a quick look at it, and then a smile appeared on his face.

In this inscription, Zhao Kui pleaded guilty first and admitted that he was ineffective in disaster relief; But then the conversation changed and blamed all the charges on Qufu and Lu Wangfu, saying that they had a lot of lawlessness in Shandong, and controlled the yamen and various grain merchants in Shandong.

It shows that both families own a lot of land, and they also have a lot of food. The treatment of the victims of the disaster in Shandong requires the cooperation of these two families, and if these two families do not cooperate, the victims will not be able to get good treatment.

Under such circumstances, he had no choice but to cooperate with the two companies. To put it bluntly, it is to endure humiliation and bear the burden, and at the same time, it also shows that all the disaster relief money and grain he brought were given to these two families, part of which was used to buy grain, and part of it was used to exchange for old rice.

Zhu Youxiao stretched out his hand to put down Zhao Kui's question book and sighed softly.

Is what Zhao Kui said true?

Of course it's true.

But is he really a last resort?

Of course, it is not a last resort.

In this year, there is a saying that is very revealing, that is, the county officials are not as good as the county management.

You must know that Zhao Kui is Shandong's political envoy and has the right to hold it in his hand. If he wants to do something, no one can stop him. Whether it is Lu Wangfu or Qufu, but the problem is not here, the question is whether Zhao Kui will do it.

has been an official for a few years, and if I offend Qufu, I am afraid that life will not be easy; If you offend King Lu's mansion, I'm afraid it won't be easy in Shandong. Of course, this is not the point, the question is whether there are any benefits in it.

If Zhao Kui is allowed to embezzle the food and salary for disaster relief, it will be very troublesome. But if it is given to Qufu and Lu Wangfu, then things will become much simpler. In private, Qufu and Lu Wangfu will give money and food to Zhao Kui, and he just needs to keep it quietly.

As for the so-called grain exchange, it is the most ridiculous reason Zhu Youxiao has ever heard. It sounds like there is no problem with exchanging the new grain of the imperial court for the old grain and bran rice, and being able to get more grain to save the people, after all, for the disaster victims, some paintings of food, whether it is old grain or new grain, are already a very good thing.

If one stone of new grain can be exchanged for two stones of old grain, maybe it is really a good thing. That's what they say to the outside world, but that's not what they do.

When the imperial court's disaster relief grain reaches these people, it will be sold by them at a high price. Hoarding and driving up food prices are all too familiar to these people.

As for the old grain they took out, it was certainly not enough in quantity, not only in quantity, but also in quality. The quantity is not enough, and the quality is not good, forcing the common people to buy their grain, forcing the common people to sell their land and children, and they make a lot of profits from it.

Officials at all levels are ostensibly providing disaster relief, and the slogan is also earth-shattering, and there is also a correct answer to the above: It's just that there are too many people in the disaster and too little food, and there is really no way.

But in private, it was up and down, the grain merchants and officials all made a fortune, and the gentry everywhere took the opportunity to buy the land of the common people. It can be said that this is a feast of wealth from top to bottom.

As for those who suffer, it is only those who have suffered.

After coming to the Ming Dynasty for so long, Zhu Youxiao has learned a skill, that is, these courtiers under his command can't watch what they say, or even watch them do, what they say and what they do are often different from the real truth.

Just like the disaster relief thing, they are busy with disaster relief on the surface, they are very busy every day, they are relieved in various ways, and even faint from exhaustion, but in private they are filling their own pockets.

Zhu Youxiao reached out again and picked up Zhou Fusheng's question book and read it slowly.

This question is relatively straightforward, and it directly impeached Zhao Kui, King Lu and Qu Fu, saying that they colluded with each other and embezzled disaster relief food, which was very polite. Obviously, this is the second-in-command attack on the first-in-command, and all the problems are the first-in-command.

However, the two of them tacitly did not mention the governor of Shandong, which made Zhu Youxiao a little surprised.

It stands to reason that this matter should not be detained on the governor of Shandong?

It is difficult to say that the governor of Shandong did not know about this matter. You must know that Zhao Yan, the governor of Shandong, is not an ordinary character.

This is a very famous courtier, who has patrolled the border many times, is good at the art of war and strategy, is very good at military affairs, and is a civilian official who is more capable of fighting.

Although Zhao Yan's time in Shandong was short, it was impossible not to know anything. It is impossible for such a shrewd official to be toyed with by his subordinates.

Now that the political history and the punishment envoy are on the book, he has not made any movement as the governor, and neither the political history nor the punishment envoy have attacked him as the governor, so it seems that there is something in this that he doesn't know.

Putting down Zhou Fusheng's question book, Zhu Youxiao fell into deep thought.

Whether Zhao Yan is the mastermind of this incident, Zhu Youxiao doesn't know, but he can find this person and ask. Anyway, King Lu and Yan Shenggong are coming, and it is not a big deal to call Zhao Yan.

So Zhu You said to Chen Hong: "Send a decree to Zhao Yan, the governor of Shandong, and let him come here." ”

"Yes, my lord, the slave and maid will go." Chen Hong hurriedly agreed and said.

At the same time, a team of people came from Jining, the number was not large, only more than 100 people, and the team was not very grand, but looking at the sign in front of it, I knew that this was King Lu's car.

For Zhu Shouyong, the king of Lu, the past few days have not been easy, and he is also anxious in his heart. In just two days, King Lu's mouth was already full of fire bubbles, and there was a boil on the top of his head. The whole person was on fire, and the false fire rose very strongly.

Who would have thought that His Majesty would actually come to Jining and summon him. You must know that the matter of King Fu has just come out, which makes King Lu even more anxious.

King Fu is the uncle of His Majesty today, what happened to him?

His own King Lu was passed down by the son of Emperor Taizu, how many years has this been passed on, the blood relationship has long been weak, and His Majesty has no psychological pressure to clean himself up.

Although ranked according to the eldest generation, he should be His Majesty's grandfather. But at such a time, I don't dare to be this grandfather.

When I arrived in Jining, I didn't know how His Majesty would clean up his own. So this time King Lu came, and it was a light car, for him, the worse the performance, the better, it was best for His Majesty to let himself go.

"Lord Wang, you have arrived at the gate of Jining."

At this time, a voice outside the car said, the tone was very clear, but it clearly entered King Lu's ears.

After hearing this, King Lu sighed and said helplessly: "Those who should come will come." ”

"The prince doesn't have to worry too much, His Majesty called the prince to Jining, and there may not be any big things." The voice outside continued, his tone full of comfort.

Lifting the curtain of the car and glancing at the eunuch talking outside, King Lu said with a wry smile: "It's all this time, so there is no need to comfort this king." Go into the city and meet the Son of Heaven. ”

This eunuch's name is Chen He, he is King Lu's confidant, he has been following King Lu, and he usually gives King Lu more ideas, so this time King Lu also brought him.

However, King Lu also knew that it was useless to have any ideas now, everything depended on His Majesty's attitude, so he didn't want to talk too much to Chen He, and the matter would be talked about after meeting His Majesty.

The group entered the city directly, and King Lu naturally didn't dare to delay, so he went directly to see Zhu Youxiao. As for other things, let's wait until he meets Zhu Youxiao.

After getting the news of King Lu's arrival, Zhu Youxiao also had a smile on his face.

Here comes their own food and money!

Zhu You proofread Chen Hong, who came in to report the news, and said: "Let them come in, and let people prepare a banquet, and I want to stay with King Lu for dinner." ”

"It's the Emperor." Chen Hong hurriedly agreed.

"It's just four dishes and one soup." Zhu Youxiao thought for a while, and added again: "Tell the people below that you don't have to do too much." ”

After listening to the words of his own emperor, Chen Hong didn't know what to say.

The emperor of his own family has always been very frugal, and he often eats four dishes and one soup. Chen Hong's heart was a little distressed, and the emperor probably hadn't eaten too much of a banquet.

These four dishes and one soup can't be talked about rich, and they even deliberately explain not to make them too rich. It can only be a simple dish and soup.

One meat dish, three vegetarian dishes, as for the soup, it won't be egg drop soup, right?

Chen Hong thought about it and felt even more distressed.

However, Chen Hong didn't dare to say these words, otherwise, he would not be able to bear the charge of instigating His Majesty's arrogance and lasciviousness.

After Chen Hong left, King Lu walked in from outside.

After seeing Zhu Youxiao, King Lu didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly knelt on the ground to salute.

You must know that this is the first time he has seen Zhu Youxiao, and it is also the first time he has left the fiefdom. Under such circumstances, he did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

Zhu Youxiao was looking at King Lu and found that King Lu's expression was not bad. Although I was a little tired, I could see that I was in good spirits.

Seeing King Lu kneeling, Zhu Youxiao quickly stood up from the chair and walked quickly to King Lu's side.

Stretched out his hand to help King Lu up and said, "Prince Lu, you don't need to make this big gift. ”

"The courtesy of a monarch and a minister cannot be abolished." King Lu hurriedly said.

"Alright, alright. Although it is the first time we have met, after all, we are all the blood of Emperor Taizu, and King Lu does not need to treat this place as a court, just as a family in private. Zhu Youxiao said softly.

Looking at the emperor, who didn't seem to have any strange feelings and was very enthusiastic about himself, King Lu's heart not only did not relax his vigilance, but became even more nervous.

As the so-called nothing to be courteous, either a traitor or a thief?

The emperor in front of him is so polite to a prince like himself, I am afraid that he will have to pay more, and he may have to punish himself.

King Lu had already remembered a sentence in his heart, the golden cup is like drinking, and the white blade is not forgiving.

Zhu Youxiao naturally didn't understand what King Lu was thinking, and he didn't expect King Lu to have so many plays, so he stretched out his hand and pulled King Lu aside to sit down and said, "This is the first time I have left Beijing. After arriving in Shandong, I wanted to meet King Lu and talk about my family. ”

Listening to Zhu Youxiao's words, King Lu's heart chuckled.

Family affection, how can the royal family have any family affection?

What's more, it is still the family relationship between himself and His Majesty that has long been out of the five suits.

"The minister is terrified." King Lu hurriedly said: "Your Majesty takes into account the affection of the Heavenly Family, which is really the convincing of the clan. ”

Just this sentence, King Lu said very slowly, with a thoughtful look.

He really didn't dare to say much, he was really afraid that any sentence would anger His Majesty in front of him, and there would be no way to clean it up at that time.

Zhu Youxiao didn't look at King Lu either, and continued to say to himself: "Emperor Taizu has a lot of heirs, and the Ming clan is flourishing. I am very happy in my heart. ”

"The common people all say that they fight tigers and brothers, and go into battle as fathers and sons. Now that my Ming clan is prosperous, it is naturally a blessing for the Ming Dynasty. ”

After hearing this, King Lu cried out in his heart.

This time it's over, and I can't get out.

This is the salute before the soldiers, that is, as the saying goes, say good things first. If you don't follow up, you won't give your majesty face. Once you don't give this face, how polite you are in the front, how ruthless you will be in the back.

Thinking of this, King Lu gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty's words are reasonable. I am prosperous, and the children of the clan can introspect. For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, the children of our clan should naturally do more things, do our best, and die, even if it is broken bones, it is not hesitating. ”

Zhu Youxiao turned his head to look at King Lu, a little surprised, did he need to say so impassionedly?

Why do you always feel that your conversation with King Lu is not on the same channel?

Could it be that there is something wrong with the way you talk?