"From the starting point, there is nothing wrong with the meal reduction order, the year of the famine should be diligent and thrifty to save food, even in the year of the harvest, the grass people also believe that they should maintain the heart of danger in times of peace, and actively prepare for the famine and war, which should be the basic national policy."

Yan Shu frowned and said, "In that case, why do you say that this move is ridiculous? Hey, you're still a little tender. ”

Su Jin bowed to Yan Shu and said: "Lord Yan, today's words are purely from the bottom of my heart, without a trace of disrespect, just when I saw that the lotus seed and lily soup that the emperor drank only had three or two lotus seeds, two or three lilies, I was really moved in my heart, the holy will fist, purely for the sake of the community, how can it not be respected." ”

Zhao Zhen's face was a little pale, and he said warmly: "I was entrusted by the emperor to take over my Great Song Dynasty, thousands of miles of fertile land, tens of millions of people need the imperial court to shelter, naturally I don't dare to take it lightly, a little bit of suffering is nothing." ”

Su Jin's face was moved, and he said: "The emperor has a good heart, but his good intentions may also have done bad things." ”

Yan Shu was about to be reprimanded, but Zhao Zhen stretched out his hand to stop him: "Let him continue, I haven't heard the truth for a long time." ”

Su Jin bowed in thanks, and at the same time cast an apologetic look at Yan Shu and said: "Lord Yan, it is not to dismantle your platform below, since your Excellency recommended you, and the emperor asked about this matter, how dare you have reservations, and today I will tell the words in my belly and the discernment, whether it is appropriate or not, the emperor and Lord Yan will not be too late to evaluate and punish the grass people after listening." ”

Yan Shu sighed, and looked at Su Jin with a 'resentment', when it came to this, there was nothing more to talk about.

"Your Majesty, Lord Yan, the thrift and thrift that the grass people said is not this meal reduction order, the people take food as the sky, since the previous dynasty Li Tang, more than a hundred years have passed, the people have been accustomed to three meals a day, even if it is green vegetable tofu and pickle gnocchi, as long as it can be mixed with a stomach of food, it is considered peace and joy, and now it is suddenly only allowed to eat two meals, and the habit is difficult to change, hunger is real, not to mention anything else, the grass people have only eaten twice a day in the morning and evening in order to understand the suffering of the court, and they used to be full and clothed. Today, I am hungry all the time, which is really bad, and I have a lot of complaints in my heart without saying it. ”

Zhao Zhen and Yan Shu were silent, they actually felt the same way, not having enough to eat always made people feel a sense of frustration, as if everything they did was meaningless.

"The grass people are the people, and the grass people believe that most of the people in the world have the feelings, and there is nothing wrong with thrift, but it is often not easy to grasp the 'degree' between this relaxation, either in the form or overkill, this meal reduction order is a combination of these two, both in the form and overkill."

Zhao Zhen probed his head and said, "How do you say this?" ”

Su Jindao: "Since there are laws to be promulgated, there must be supporting supervision and reward measures, and there must be special personnel to supervise and supervise them, are these all there?" If you don't have it, then you can rely on self-awareness, and what thing in the world can be accomplished by self-awareness? Everyone yearns for the Peach Blossom Spring, and the road is not left behind and the night is not closed, but who has seen it? Tao Qian's "The Story of the Peach Blossom Spring" didn't even find the road in the end? This shows that this idealized society only exists in the ethereal, or not at all in reality, but the emperor can send someone to see the outside, the restaurant is still open for three meals, and the people's homes are still three meals, even my chauffeur will run to the street at noon to buy a dozen buns and come back to have a good meal, what is the point of such a meal reduction order? ”

Zhao Zhen pondered and asked: "The reason why I didn't enforce it is because I didn't want to force public opinion, and I expected it a long time ago. ”

Su Jin said: "I understand what the emperor means, a little bit of saving is a little bit, as long as it can alleviate even a little crisis, it is good; However, the imperial court's cherished issuance of the meal reduction order ended up like this, wouldn't it damage the prestige of the emperor and the majesty of the imperial court? ”

Zhao Zhen said: "You mean that there must be supporting actions, and those that can't be consciously implemented will be enforced, right?" ”

Su Jin shook his head and said, "No, the grass people mean that this meal reduction order should be abolished." ”

Zhao Zhen's eyes widened and said, "Abolish? By no means, how can it be scrapped before the deadline is reached? This move also undermined the prestige of the imperial court. ”

Su Jin said: "This is what I said overkill, what I said is the phenomenon, and now the grass people tell the emperor what is the biggest drawback of the meal reduction order, which is also the main reason why the grass people propose to abolish this edict." ”

Zhao Zhen couldn't help listening to it anymore, so he nodded and said, "Sit down and say, I have some truth in listening to what you said." ”

Su Jin sat down and continued: "Your Majesty, the timing of the meal reduction order is really a failure, if it is an ordinary year, the emperor will make a month's meal reduction activity every year in order to promote the style of frugality, but the effect will be better and better, but at this time, it is a little inappropriate. ”

Zhao Zhen shook his head and said: "In this famine year, how can it be said that the timing is not good, it is the right time." ”

Su Jin said: "Your Majesty, don't blame the grass people for bluntly saying that this time is definitely the worst time, there are two disadvantages, try to analyze one or two for the emperor." ”

Zhao Zhen smiled and said: "You can talk about it, and you will be acquitted if you are wrong." ”

Su Jin said: "Thank you to the emperor, don't talk about the small drawbacks, there are two big drawbacks, and these two drawbacks may shake the society." ”

Yan Shu really couldn't help but say: "Hugh is sensational, how much is such an exaggeration. ”

Su Jin smiled and said: "Don't worry, Lord Yan, listen to what I will tell you, these two major drawbacks are one external trouble, the other is internal trouble, internal and external troubles occur together, and the situation is not optimistic; The so-called external invasion is the war in the northwest, although the grass people are introduced, but always concerned about the honor and disgrace of the Great Song Dynasty, the northwest Yuan Hao army and our army have confronted each other for four years, until now the war has subsided, and the two sides will rest and wait to move, and the emperor's meal reduction order is undoubtedly in the imminent calm added a fire. ”

Zhao Zhen was surprised: "How do you say this?" ”

Su Jindao: "Does the emperor's edict say that the order to reduce meals is to promote frugality? ”

Zhao Zhen said: "Exactly." ”

Su Jin said: "Even I can guess that it is an excuse for the emptiness of food, I don't know if the thief leader Yuan Hao can guess it?" ”

Zhao Zhen suddenly realized, Yan Shu also understood what Su Jin meant, and as soon as the meal reduction order came out, he clearly told Yuan Hao that the Great Song Dynasty was short of food; If the army has no food, what kind of war is there to talk about, Yuan Hao will inevitably take the opportunity to storm it, and sure enough, it is an external trouble.

Zhao Zhen said with a hint of luck: "However, the situation in the northwest is stable, and there is no major war." ”

Yan Shu frowned and said: "Your Majesty, Yuan Hao is waiting for time, if I am Yuan Hao, I will definitely wait for the opponent to do it when he is hungry and cold, how can I do it in such a hurry?" When the snow is heavy in the cold winter and I am short of food and grass, that is the best time. ”

Cold sweat was pouring down Zhao Zhen's forehead, and he realized the seriousness of the problem; He can't repay the luck to speculate that Yuan Hao will not figure out the lack of food in the Great Song Dynasty, that is gambling, once the gamble is lost, the situation will inevitably be bad.

Yan Shu said softly: "Don't worry, the emperor, we still have time, Yuan Hao's army will not come to invade for a while, there are Han Fan and Han Fan at the border pass, as long as the army food is sufficient, everything will be fine." ”

Zhao Zhen looked at Su Jin and said, "What about internal worries?" What do you mean by internal worries? ”

Su Jindao: "Your Majesty, the internal worry is the people's uprising, the meal reduction order is not issued, and the people's hearts are still stable, because even in the year of the famine, the imperial court will also help the victims, I believe that there are precedents for this, so although the hunger and cold, it will not lead to the people's uprising; But this order is equivalent to telling the people that there is not much food in the official warehouse, and once the people are desperate, they can do anything; For example, this Yangzhou rioter, should not have been so early in the crisis, but it happened, and the uproar, this is not to kill a few people who took the lead in making trouble can be solved, this kind of thing is like a fire on the wasteland, once ignited, the spark of the stars, can be a prairie fire, if you don't hurry up to find a way, the internal worries are greater than the external troubles. ”

Zhao Zhen sat in the chair with his buttocks, the color on his face was extremely ugly, as the owner of this land, how could he not be depressed and depressed and worried about such a mistake in making a major decision.

Yan Shu was also sweating profusely, it was not that he hadn't thought about it, but it didn't reach the level of attention, Su Jin was so broken that he was really scared.

"Su Jin, how do you think this Yangzhou matter should be handled?"

Zhao Zhen was in a hurry to go to the doctor, and he had forgotten that the person standing in front of him was a sixteen-year-old boy, and it was really unreasonable for him to ask about such a major national event.

Su Jin said calmly: "Your Majesty, this matter is very simple, just one word: grain." As long as the grain is transported to Yangzhou immediately, the market price will be stabilized, the grain market will be stabilized, and the chaos will disappear. ”

Zhao Zhen spread his hands and said: "There is a shortage of food everywhere, how can I get food relief?" ”

Su Jin said with a smile: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten what the grass people are calling to the capital to meet and drive?" ”

Zhao Zhen slapped his forehead and laughed at himself: "If you care, it's chaotic, look at me, I actually forgot the purpose of calling you, what do you do to deal with it?" Hurry up and talk about it. ”