After listening to Wen Yiheng's so-called three "to" strategies, Su Jiudong couldn't help but smile: "I was going to imitate the previous Quzhou flood to find rich people to raise funds for disaster relief, and then open a medical workshop, but I didn't expect that this time there was a new method." ”

Wen Yiheng said indifferently: "A tree will not be struck by lightning twice in a row. Directly applying the situation in Quzhou to raise funds for disaster relief and open a medical workshop, it has little effect on the drought situation, and it still has to be adapted to local conditions, so the disaster treatment and solution must be adapted. ”

"And this drought is at the right time, unlike the previous fundraising after the flood, we must read to solve the problem of drought relief as soon as possible, and we can't delay too much, so this time I want to pry open the wallets of those officials and rich households, and I only plan to complete it within five days."

"Just five days? Are you sure you can get them to spit out the money in such a short time? Su Jiudong said with a joking half-belief.

"Yes! I Wen Yiheng said five days, that is a real five days, more than one day or less day does not count. Wen Yiheng simply opened his palm and five fingers to the sky, facing Su Jiudong.

Su Jiudong looked at Wen Yiheng's slap "five" with his hand, and the emotions leaked in his eyes were also full of ambition for this plan, and he couldn't help but nod in agreement, all moving according to Wen Yiheng's plan.

The next day, Wen Yiheng accepted the worship of officials on the high platform in the east of the city in the west of the surrendered city, which was to thank him for leading the troops to the north, shocking Su Jinguo, and rescuing the original group of people who were captured by Su Jinguo as hostages.

The feats here are really magnificent, so in addition to the presence of officials, there are also people from the West Surrender City who spontaneously came to congratulate Wen Yiheng.

At noon, Shi Yiqing, the protector of the capital, led a group of officials to hold a pilgrimage to Wen Yiheng in accordance with the etiquette system.

Wen Yiheng looked at the many ragged people who were kneeling down in front of him and had suffered from the drought, and then looked at the officials on the left and right sides of the high platform, who were neatly dressed, had food and blood on their faces, and were not affected by the drought at all, and only felt heavy in his heart.

Su Jiudong saw Wen Yiheng's gradually revealing displeasure, and couldn't help but snort at him, Wen Yiheng immediately comprehended his emotions and asked everyone to get up.

"Wen Xiang not only subdued Su Jinguo this time, brought back the captive people of the surrendered city in the west of our country, but also protected the border from enemy riots, and the utilitarian benefits are all in the present era, which is really a wise move!" Shi Yiqing led the officials to praise in unison before they dared to stand up.

Wen Yiheng responded quietly: "This northern expedition to Sujin also depends on the continuous support of the Western Surrender City in the rear. Without your assistance, we will be isolated, and it will be impossible to capture Sujin Kingdom in one fell swoop. ”

"Therefore, the sudden drought in the city this time is even more inseparable from the help of you and me."

Wen Yiheng raised his hand to beckon Shi Yiqing and ordered him to read out a "Donation Letter" in public.

Wen Yiheng ordered Shi Yiqing to draft this letter of donation, the content of which is nothing more than a brief description of the drought in the western surrendered city, the death of crops, the high price of rice, and the displacement of many people, and the most important thing is to call on officials and wealthy households in the city to ask for donations.

Wen Yiheng set his eyes on the officials on the high platform: "This time, relying only on the deposit of silver and grain in the government for disaster relief is tantamount to a drop in the bucket. The so-called high flame of everyone collecting firewood, if you and I officials all respond to the donation to participate in it, it is also a merit of saving people. ”

There is an iron and stupid official who wants to open his mouth and say to Wen Yiheng: "There is a drought in the city, and you say that relying only on the silver and grain deposits in the government is a drop in the bucket, then the officials are also clean on their sleeves, and the amount donated is only a drop in the bucket." ”

Other officials chimed in: "Yes, yes, those of us who are officials in the far frontier are not high, and our lives on weekdays are also at a level of food and clothing." After the drought occurred, he lived a life of tightening his belt, and he really couldn't donate much silver. ”

Guan Nei Daoist Shi Hu walked out of the queue of officials, saluted Wen Yiheng, and said loudly in front of everyone: "At present, we should pin our hopes on the capital, and only wait for the court to allocate funds for disaster relief, which can alleviate the urgent need of the current drought." ”

Unlike Wen Yiheng's suggestion to call on officials to donate money, Hu Buyi's proposal to wait for the imperial court to allocate funds was immediately recognized by most officials except Shi Yiqing.

Wen Yiheng was not surprised that he personally came forward to call on officials and wealthy households to donate today, but not many people responded, and even suppressed his inner dissatisfaction and maintained a semblance of stability.

Faced with Hu Buzhi's so-called proposal to wait for the imperial court's appropriation, Shi Yiqing immediately expressed his dissatisfaction: "Hu Buzhi, as the governor of the lower governor, you are not unaware that this official has already sent a letter to the imperial court asking for assistance. ”

Shi Yiqing was prompting and hinting that Hu Buzhi also knew that the drought was suppressed by the prince Yun Mulin and not allowed to report it, and then questioned Hu Buzhi.

"The drought is urgent, and if you really have to wait for the imperial court's appropriation for disaster relief, I'm afraid it will be half a month later. If we officials only want to wait for the relief of the imperial court and do not actively rescue and do nothing, won't we make the hundred hearts chill and disappoint the saints? ”

Hu Buzhi spread his hands and made a rogue trick: "Lord Shi, it's not that the lower officials are unwilling to act, but that many officials are in a similar situation to the lower officials, and the family really doesn't have much money, even if they want to be generous, they are powerless Chinese..."

Hu Buzhi finished playing the scoundrel, and then threw a hard bone to Shi Yiqing: "If Lord Shi wants to donate, you might as well set the bulk of the donation on those rich households." They are rich, and they have more money than we are officials. ”

Hu didn't know that Ding Shi Yiqing didn't dare to take those rich families in the city, especially the richest Rong Di rich households, so he had no fear to offer this "sincere" suggestion to Shi Yiqing.

Wen Yiheng sat on the high platform and listened to the officials on the left and right passing the buck to each other, you come and go, obviously the more you listen, the more angry you become, but you can't attack in front of the people.

So even if Wen Yiheng had accumulated a lot of anger in his heart, he could only quietly come out and announce to everyone:

"Now the imperial court disaster relief has not been able to arrive in the city on time, in order to relieve the hardships of drought and famine among the people in the city, the prime minister decided to set up an altar on this high platform three days later to pray for rain, asking the heavens to show the power of heaven and the rain to bless."

After three days, the officials of the city, from the envoys of the capital to the county officials, must fast for three days. For three days, no meat or alcohol is allowed to be touched, so as to express to God our sincere respect for heaven. ”

Wen Yiheng used the superstitious psychology of the ancients to ask for the opening of the altar Qiyu, which did cater to the approval of the ordinary people under the high platform, but many wealthy people who were forced to participate in the rally were indifferent.

Many wealthy households in the city have the same mentality, thinking that Wen Yiheng is the first official to donate anyway, and it has nothing to do with them, so they simply don't donate.

The rich people in the audience knew that Wen Yiheng, who was sitting firmly on the high platform, had already seen their expressions and saw through their minds in one fell swoop.

Wen Yiheng waited for the voice in the audience to gradually become quieter before continuing to announce: "This Qi rain needs the power of the whole city to make the heavens understand. Therefore, in addition to the officials in the city, all the wealthy families in the city must also be treated equally. ”

Changshi Hu didn't know how to ask: "Dare to ask Wen Xiang, I don't know how to set the standards for rich people?" It can't be as big as a wealthy person, or as small as a shopkeeper who makes a living, all of them are counted as rich households, right? ”

Wen Yiheng saw that this Changshi Hu didn't know him, and he was the official who jumped the highest except for Shi Yiqing, the protector of the capital, he couldn't help but look sideways at him, and then explained: "The property valuation of the registered Yin Cao is more than five hundred taels, and they are all considered wealthy. ”

"Rich families must fast for three days as usual, and they also have to participate in the Qiyu ceremony three days later, and burn incense on the altar with the city officials, in order to express the unified position of the people of our Dayin Dynasty and the officials of the DPRK and China to fight together."

Wen Yiheng's proposal to take five hundred taels as the limit was also the result of private verification and discussion with Shi Yiqing.

Although the city is an important border town, the people in the city live a life of food and clothing on weekdays, and most of the locked silver coins will not exceed more than one hundred taels. But anyone who has more than 500 taels of silver can be sure that he is a rich man.

Wen Yiheng's announcement ended, and the sound that erupted from the high stage was louder than the announcement of the opening of the altar just now, and the people cheered, while many rich people who had the right to speak chose to be silent, and then they exchanged their heads and whispered.

After listening to Wen Yiheng's words, Yin Jigui, who had the most right to speak among the wealthy Rong Di households, immediately lowered his face and turned pale.

Before the rich people listening in the audience finished the exchange, Wen Yiheng immediately added: "This time the opening of the altar Qi Yu, all the officials mentioned and the rich households in the city must participate, especially the rich households. ”

"After the opening of the altar on the same day, this minister will be named one by one according to the booklet provided by Yincao. If there is no one to gather the rich families whose names are registered, they will confiscate all the family property according to the size of the value, and pay tribute to the drought in the city, which is beneficial to the future. ”

Wen Yiheng's meaning has been conveyed very clearly, if the rich people in the audience are not willing to fast, then they will be named one by one according to the roster on the day of Qi Yu, and the rich families who did not show up will wait to be confiscated.

Wen Yiheng took such tough measures against the rich households, and the rich people in the audience couldn't help but beat drums in their hearts at this time, and they all wondered about Wen Yiheng's intentions of this move, whether they wanted to force donations this time, or directly take the road of confiscating their homes.

Wen Yiheng announced that he was finished, and immediately ordered people to distribute the grain brought back from Sujin Kingdom to the people in the audience.

Wen Yiheng walked off the high platform without looking back, and returned to Shi Yiqing's Qincha Xingyuan to enjoy lunch with Su Jiudong, leaving the officials behind him to communicate and discuss with the rich families themselves.

After lunch, Su Jiudong listened to Wen Yiheng's description of the call for donations between officials and wealthy households in the morning, and after learning the 500 taels as the standard for wealthy households, he put forward his own opinions:

"I think that a lot can be done about industrial valuation. I estimate that in the next three days, there will definitely be many wealthy people looking for someone to entrust them, and ask Yin Cao to do tricks on the roster, trying to reduce the concealment of their property valuation to less than 500 taels. ”