was interrupted by Queen Zhou like this, Hu Guang didn't have to worry about it for the time being. But when he got up early the next morning, he immediately called a meeting of the relevant courtiers.

In the Wenhua Palace, Hu Guanggao sat on the throne. A group of courtiers in scarlet robes at the bottom, including the cabinet assistants, the six Shangshu and the eunuch Bingbi of the celebrant were on both sides, which was a high-level official meeting.

Hu Guang saw that it was almost over, and then said with a serious face: "It's only the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I have summoned you. ”

If it was in the past, the first day of the new year was a day of rest, and the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve was a year of observance, and it should still be sleeping at this time. However, this year, the emperor had already issued an edict that it would not be a good year, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he raised the seriousness of the matter under discussion, so that the courtiers below had to deal with it in good spirits.

However, they are also a little strange, Jian Yu has retreated, what else can rise to the point of making the emperor sleep uncomfortably?

So, as the head of the hundred officials, the first assistant Wen Tiren stepped out of the ranks, bowed down and asked for instructions: "Make it difficult for the monarch's father to sleep and eat, and the sin of the ministers, please also ask Your Majesty to show me, and the ministers will do their best!" ”

"The ministers will do their best!" All the other courtiers followed suit.

Hu Guang nodded and said solemnly: "There is a serious shortage of food in Gyeonggi, and Zhuqing should know about it. Yesterday, I got a secret report from Jinyiwei, saying that the provinces around Beijing are also seriously short of food. The reason for this is that around October last year, there were people who went on a large scale to buy grain. Now the whereabouts of the food are unknown, and this will seriously affect the disaster relief of the capital and the imperial court. ”

When these courtiers first heard this, they were a little disappreciative in their hearts, after all, the food issue had been discussed before, and there had been a conclusion.

But when they heard that the surrounding provinces were also seriously short of food, they immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

Wen Tiren's face also became serious, and after Hu Guang finished speaking, he immediately said: "Your Majesty, this matter is not trivial, the minister thinks that the matter of transporting grain one by one before must be taken seriously, and the Imperial Procuratorate can send the imperial history to the provinces to supervise this matter!" ”

The matter was so serious that it would affect everyone present, so no one stayed out of it and spoke up. I only heard that the newly promoted auxiliary minister Zhang Zhifa immediately followed: "The minister is willing to go to the Hu Guang area and supervise the grain and grass!" ”

The cabinet ministers went over in person, and the court attached great importance to this matter.

Another auxiliary minister, Xue Guoguan, was even more radical, and immediately shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, the grain merchant is so hateful, taking advantage of the time when Jianyu is raging, he wantonly buys grain and hoards Qiju, and the minister thinks that he should be strictly investigated and punished!" ”

After a pause, he threw out an even more astonishing opinion: "The minister thinks that the grain control policy of the Jingshi can be implemented in the world, so that those profiteers will not be profitable, and there will be no such thing again!" ”

In later generations, in the era of food shortage, there was indeed a time when the whole country implemented the food rationing system. At that time, however, the state's control over the local level had reached an unprecedented level, so there was a basis for implementation.

Now in the Ming Dynasty, the tentacles of the government have only reached the county level. If you want to realize the food control of the entire Ming Empire, I am afraid it is impossible. Hu Guang knew this, and if he wanted Emperor Chongzhen, he would not know.

Therefore, when he just wanted to veto it after listening to it, he saw that the auxiliary minister Zhou Yanru and the household secretary Bi Ziyan were one step ahead, and they both came out to oppose it and said no.

Among them, Zhou Yanru even scolded Xue Guoguan and said: "Xue Dazui, what kind of heart do you have, you dare to say such a ridiculous thing, do you want to make the world chaotic?" ”

"Ridiculous, why is there chaos in the world?" Xue Guoguan immediately retorted loudly, "Isn't it good for you to go out for a walk and see the food control in the land of Jingshi?" ”

Speaking of this, he suddenly raised his voice and continued to argue in front of the emperor: "Do you know that since the Apocalypse, food in Shaanxi has become increasingly scarce, and how many people have starved to death? Thieves are everywhere, because if you don't become a thief, you will only starve to death! Nowadays, whether it is Shaanxi, Gansu, Henan, and Shanxi have also been in drought, and it is likely that the disaster of Shaanxi will reappear. Do you know? ”

The seriousness of the matter was indeed beyond Zhou Yanru's cognition, but he didn't believe it a little, and immediately sneered: "Alarmist! ”

When Xue Guoguan heard this, he was furious, and he wanted to step forward and swing his fist, but fortunately, there happened to be a household Shangshu standing between the two of them. Bi Ziyan blocked it, and several other courtiers came to persuade him, and the palace was a little chaotic for a while.

Hu Guang watched them go from arguing to making a move, but he didn't get angry, he was just afraid that the courtiers below were as silent as mud bodhisattvas.

Shoufu Wen Tiren was the first to reprimand: "What are you two going to do? Are all the books of the sages read in vain? This is the imperial front, the discussion will be discussed, who will try it again? ”

Zhou Yanru was not convinced, and immediately replied: "It's Xue Dazui who wants to do it!" ”

"You thief, you don't care about the suffering of the people, you can only talk nonsense in the court, you should be beaten!" Xue Guoguan took the lead and immediately refuted.

It seemed that Wen Tiren's prestige was not enough to deter them, so Hu Guang had to open his mouth and shouted: "Enough! ”

As soon as he opened his mouth, no one dared to say more, and they all bowed down to listen to the holy will.

Hu Guang waited for a while before he said slowly: "It is not feasible to implement grain control in the whole country for the time being, but as Xue Qing said, the drought in the northwest will be extended, and it will continue for many years, and this matter must not be taken lightly." ”

After a pause, he glanced at Zhou Yanru and continued: "I feel that the current food problem must be paid enough attention, so according to Zhang Qing's words, I sent important ministers from the court to Huguang to supervise it. ”

Speaking of this, he named Zhou Yanru and said: "Zhou Qing, you are from the south, you are familiar with the situation over there, I need to leave immediately and go to Huguang to supervise the grain matter." Remember, first, it is necessary to let the local government collect grain and transport it north as soon as possible; Second, we must not hurt the local roots, and we must not cause civil unrest due to local food shortages and starvation deaths. Which is the proportion, can you know it? ”

"Wechen obeys!" Zhou Yanru was named, so he had no choice but to receive the order.

Hu Guang turned his head to look at the silent celebrant again, and said to Cao Huachun, the eunuch of Bingbi and the governor of Dongchang: "Jinyiwei's side is short of manpower, and Dongchang has also sent people to investigate to see who dares to hoard Qiju grain to make huge profits regardless of the lives of the people!" ”

"Slaves obey!" Cao Huachun immediately agreed.

After Hu Guang gave these instructions, he remembered something, so he turned his head and said to Shoufu Wen Tiren: "No matter how the grain from the south to the north is transferred, it will eventually be replenished from one place in Daming to another, and in the next twenty years or so, the grain will definitely not be enough." Therefore, I asked Honglu Temple to send people to spread the word to the Nanyang countries and let them pay tribute to food, and we must pay more attention to it. Wen Qing, this matter will be followed up and participated in by the cabinet, and it is necessary to let the Nanyang countries try to pay tribute as much food as possible to alleviate the worry of food shortage in the Ming Dynasty! ”