Huang Jue, after three marriages

Chapter 307 Disappointment
After dark, palace lanterns were lit in the palace.

On both sides of the path outside the imperial study room, lampposts were also lit up, giving them a dim yellow color in the clear autumn night.

The lights in the imperial study room were much brighter than outside, but the atmosphere was extremely depressing, and even the wind blowing in from the window was slightly trembling.

The corners of Zhao Hao's lips were tightly pursed, and he stood in the corner of the room without saying a word, with his eyes slightly lowered, listening to Yun Qinghong telling the emperor about Jiangnan.

Thoughts are surging in my heart, and I have to suppress them so as not to express them.

He expected that Cai Xiang would strike, and he also knew that Zhen Guogong and the emperor might not be aware of it, but he really didn't expect that the matter had reached such a point that these two people hadn't noticed it yet.

And Han Xiang and Qin Yushi, who he thought would at least fight against Cai Xiang or give relief, this time, they both sided with Cai Xiang.

Perhaps, it was because he was so popular in the capital this year that Han Xiang and Qin Yushi both felt that the Zhen Guo Gongfu was a threat and the frontier army was a threat, so he was so disregarding the country's safety!
With 40 troops on the frontier, if it is normal, the food and grass needed for a year will have to be several million tons. Once a war breaks out, the food and grass needed will have to be doubled or tripled.

Generally, grain is transported to the border army twice in spring and autumn. This year's spring grain has already been deducted by one-third. It was supposed to make up for the autumn grain, but now, the grain that was supposed to be shipped to the border army has not been delivered. However, Duke Zhen and the emperor actually listened to what the household department and the cabinet said, and waited for all the autumn grain to be harvested before distributing it.

The weather at the border gate is no better than that in the capital city. It started to snow heavily in September and a half. Now there is no food delivery. Wait for half a month and January, and the border gate will be frozen for thousands of miles. How will the food team pass?

That's not to mention, he knew that the Ministry of Households ordered repeatedly to divert the grain for other purposes, but the emperor didn't notice it.

He didn't even understand what he said so clearly just now, and only said that there would be no problem.

Just like this, I am afraid that when the emperor announced that the Ministry of Households came to ask, the Ministry of Households could not provide even a quarter of the military rations.

Coupled with the weather, this winter, the imperial court's grain may not be enough.

In the previous life, at least half of the food and grass had reached the border.

this time……

When Zhao Hao came back, he was relieved because he had already raised 150 million dans of grain. He felt as if he was being pulled to death, and his mouth was full of bitterness.

He was still careless.

In other words, he still doesn't understand people's hearts and can't play with the secrets of these politicians.

He also thought that Han Xiang and Qin Yushi, who were ruined by Cai Xiang in their previous lives, would have some sense of justice.

And the emperor...

One of them made it clear to him that if the rations are not enough, it will be difficult for the frontier army to survive the winter. Then next spring, if foreign enemies attack, the weak frontier army will not be able to guard against it, but he stupidly replied, if there is no war, Will it be able to support the delivery of spring grain next year?
Such an emperor...

He shouldn't have hoped for it.

However, what made him feel even more distressed was that Duke Zhen didn't take any precautions.

He had clearly sent three letters to the Duke of Zhen, asking him to urge the Ministry of War and whisper in the emperor's ear more, no matter how much, let the Ministry of Households send food to the border as soon as possible.

Can……

If it wasn't for reports from outside that Yun Qinghong had entered the palace, he would have almost yelled at his father in front of the emperor.

And the emperor was obviously more interested in talking to Yun Qinghong than talking to him, and even deliberately kept him to listen.

(Of course, the palace people were still screened out)
Zhao Hao knew that the emperor wanted to tell him tactfully that it wasn't the emperor's intention. You see, the situation in the south is so bad. Human lives are at stake. It makes sense for the emperor to focus on the south, right?
Even, when those officials said tomorrow that food should come from the south, the emperor would agree.

Yun Qinghong calmly talked about the beheading of corrupt officials in Jiangxi, he saw Zhao Hao from the corner of his eyes, and he sighed inwardly.

Zhao Hao, still underestimated the shamelessness and energy of civil servants.

Zhao Hao didn't understand at all that for those civil officials who had enjoyed peace for a hundred years, the war at the border was nothing more than a small fight by the Rong people on the border to grab supplies and people from the small border town, and the border town was thousands of miles away from the capital. far away.

Therefore, they don't care about the life and death of the frontier soldiers at all. Anyway, there are many people in the Song Dynasty, and now that you have suppressed Zhao Hao, the dead soldiers can be summoned from the people.

Compared with trivial matters like border towns, the influence of the Duke of Zhenuo on the emperor is what they care about. Civil servants and military generals do not go on blind dates. In the Song Dynasty, the civil servants always overwhelmed the military commanders. How can I bear this breath?

In their minds, they would never have imagined that if the border gates were lost and the gates of the country were opened, the vast land of the Song Kingdom behind them would become empty, and the Rong people would drive straight in, and the country would be ruined and their families would perish.

Whether it is the Ministry of Households or the Ministry of War, you don't need to talk, as long as you take some classics and specially modified data, you can fool the emperor.

The emperor knew nothing about common affairs, and couldn't understand the methods in the data at all. When the household department said there was no food, the emperor couldn't even ask why there was no food.

Not to mention the emperor, when those things were brought in front of Duke Zhen, Duke Zhen had nothing to say, even Zhao Hao couldn't find fault.

Therefore, he never told the emperor about the losses in the south and the remaining production, and only chose what the emperor could understand.

Let the emperor feel that he did the right thing and killed the right thing.

The emperor listened to Yun Qinghong's words, and his gloom when he first heard Zhao Hao's words finally dissipated, he praised him repeatedly, and even asked some interesting points in detail.

It wasn't until one-third of the candles in the imperial study were burned that he realized that it was getting late and he was hungry.

He smiled and said: "It's too late to hear Yun Qing's words. A few lovers, why don't you stay and have dinner with me?"

Yun Qinghong glanced lightly at Zhao Hao, bowed and said, "Your Majesty loves me so much, I just returned to Beijing..."

"Yes, yes, I forgot, and Zhao Aiqing just returned to Beijing." The emperor interrupted Yun Qinghong, and said with a smile: "You guys go back to the residence first, so you can rest."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhao Hao bowed deeply.

"Cough cough." The emperor coughed lightly, looked at Zhao Hao's really ugly face, and said with a trace of embarrassment: "Zhao Qing said, I know, and I will ask about it tomorrow morning, no matter what, Tomorrow, we will have to distribute food and go to the border."

"Your Majesty, military rations are of great importance. If war breaks out, it will not be a matter of counting cities at the frontier." Yun Qinghong hurriedly followed up and said, "Why don't your majesty issue an order now to order General Zhao to go to the granary to pick up rations in person? As much as you want, transport it to the border town before it freezes."

What are you waiting for tomorrow, tomorrow will be fooled by those civil servants, it will be strange if this order is followed.

After finishing speaking, Yun Qinghong smiled apologetically at Zhao Hao and said, "The state affairs are critical, so I can only work hard on General Zhao."

"I am not afraid of hard work." Zhao Hao bowed again to the emperor.

Confused about this, the emperor was indeed a little uneasy, so he called Eunuch Ding to bring the jade seal and drafted the imperial edict by himself, but when he was writing, he didn't know how to write it.

This is the food, where is the food?
Yun Qinghong took a step forward with understanding, and said in a soft voice: "I don't know how many granaries are there, but the granaries in the northern suburbs of the capital must have food. Thinking about it, for the safety of the country, the officials of the Manchu Dynasty can also understand that the emperor heart of fist."

The grain in the granary in the northern suburbs is exclusively for the officials' salaries in the capital and the three surrounding places. The thousands of officials in the capital plus the food rationed by the imperial court is definitely not a small number.

It is the fastest and best place to fill up the autumn grain after harvest.

Moreover, even if it is taken, as long as the emperor uses the excuse that officials should be the heads of all people and that it is urgent to save the country, the Ministry of Households can only suffer from being dumb and mobilize additional food to make up for it.

Naturally, the emperor couldn't think of the trick, so he picked up the pen and wrote it as soon as he had the space. Even Eunuch Ding next to him didn't see the specific content, so he handed the imperial decree to Zhao Hao after finishing writing.

Let Eunuch Ding send them out of the palace.

(End of this chapter)