Chapter 282 Disaster Relief
Tuli Khan was very unhappy. First of all, Zhao Deyan insisted on holding a court meeting while he was enjoying himself, and made him come here in the cold wind and snow.

What's more, he actually wanted to distribute his grain to those lowly herdsmen without any clear reward, even though according to previous customs, he didn't have to worry about anything.

At most, after the snow melted a little, he would lead the surviving herdsmen south to plunder. If they won, he would give them more food, and if they lost, he would just let them die, and then everything would be quiet.

Anyway, these people are like the grass on the grassland. They will pop up again when spring comes and will never die out.

Zhao Deyan, who had always been full of confidence, only realized at this moment that although he had changed a lot, the fundamental things had not changed at all.

He looked around, trying to find a few officials who supported him, especially those he had promoted. If everyone worked together, perhaps they could make changes little by little.

But the result disappointed him greatly. No one supported him, and no one asked for his permission. He had to overcome numerous difficulties to transport food to help the victims.

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"Your Majesty, the counties of Hebei and Hedong have been severely affected by the disaster."

"Open the granaries in Bingzhou and Youzhou to provide relief to the people. The Ministry of Civil Affairs and local government should arrange for disaster relief and comfort for the people. I will also order the imperial censors to supervise. If anyone dares to embezzle and disobey my order, they will be beheaded, their property confiscated, and their entire family exiled."

"I will obey the Holy Instructions."

The Imperial Astronomical Observatory had an early warning of this year's disaster. After all, the situation last year was not very good, and in a disaster year like this it usually takes two or three years to make contact.

Therefore, this year not only was grain allocated from Huainan and other places intensified, local military settlements also worked extremely hard, and the court also purchased large quantities of grain from wealthy merchant families who had accumulated more grain.

The imperial court was in a tight financial situation every year due to the successive wars, but the wealthy families in various places had always had savings. After all, the chaotic times had only just ended, and they were still subconsciously storing food.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs does not have much money, but Your Majesty has provided a large amount of gold, silver and other valuables from the treasury, which has enabled us to fill many large warehouses and prepare for famine and disaster relief.

"Your Majesty, the grain that was transferred to Huainan Road last month has been exhausted, and the local government has requested that more be transferred."

"Your Majesty, the leaders of the Zangke and Tangut tribes are waiting to be summoned. They are also here to ask for food."

Li Jiancheng stroked his forehead and sighed. His treasury had been emptied. It seemed that he had to resort to the tactic of exchanging land for grain. If that didn't work, he could only use the court's next autumn grain as collateral and forcibly requisition the accumulated grain and fodder from the wealthy households.

"There are still many undivided fields and forests in Liaodong. I will issue an edict to the whole country to exchange grain for land."

The Minister of Civil Affairs Wang Gui stepped out to receive the order. This was indeed an emergency measure. It seemed that there were many people who failed to follow the emperor and who had not produced any high-ranking officials or wealthy families after the founding of the country. They had been envious of the land in Liaodong.

Although it is a bit barren, it would definitely be a loss if it was only used for farming, but it is a fiefdom and the imperial court will not care too much about what is done there. This is completely different.

For example, the fiefdom of the King of Qin covered an area of ​​two counties. All officials there were appointed by the King of Qin himself, and even the laws and taxes could be set at his discretion.

The emperor received the chief of the Zangke tribe, Xie Nengyu, and the chief of the Dangxiang tribe, Xifeng Bulai, in the Wude Hall.

Just like Dong Xie and Nan Xie, the two chiefs and their followers were all dressed in round-necked robes, but the accessories still had the characteristics of their tribe, and it was obvious that they had received etiquette training in the Honglu Temple.

It was impossible to kneel down and perform the ceremony in an orderly manner. After all, they came to ask for life-saving food and were carrying the lives of the entire clan, young and old, on their shoulders.

"Your Majesty, the most holy Son of Heaven, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, we, the humble people like pigs and dogs, have come to see you, hoping to be like Dong Xie and Nan Xie, bathed in your grace and become the people under your rule." The emperor said solemnly in his court robes and crown, "As you wish, I will accept all of you into the Tang Dynasty and become my subjects.

From today on, I will establish Zangzhou, Guizhou, Liezhou, Fengzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuanzhou, and appoint you leaders as governors. I treat all the people under my rule equally, and I hope you will also know how to be loyal to your emperor and father and serve your country. "

The chiefs bowed their heads happily, stood up and danced, and presented the pendants around their necks, representing their dedication of their heads to the Supreme Emperor.

Amid their eager eyes, Li Jiancheng ordered the allocation of food that had been prepared long ago, and ordered Xue Wanche and Wang Shichong to lead officials and generals to provide relief.

Then the emperor held a banquet to let the leaders of the tribes see what ritual and music were.

The Tang Dynasty's sphere of influence gradually extended southwards in a gentle manner. In years of disaster, it used food to pave the way and appease and provide relief to many tribes that were still wandering.

The emperor was known for his benevolence and benevolence. He also set up provincial and county schools in remote areas, and showed favor to the sons of barbarian chiefs by allowing them to study at the Imperial Academy in Chang'an or Luoyang.

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In Liaodong, Luo Yi, the Protector General of Andong, reprimanded his subordinates in a harsh voice. Their subordinates were no longer as obedient as before, and some even relied on the support of Yichi Wende, the Duke of Xuantu County, to oppose him.

It didn't have to be like this originally. Luo Yi actually knew that he was in the wrong, but his arrogance did not allow him to be submissive to his subordinates.

Who told him that all the wealth he had accumulated had been taken away by Zhang Huli to honor His Majesty? Now he wanted to get some more from below. Is that too much?

These damn surrendered generals, have they forgotten who put them in this situation?

But Luo Yi couldn't help feeling discouraged. He really regretted that he shouldn't have coveted the position of Protector General. He thought that the emperor was far away and he could get whatever he wanted.

As a result, the imperial court divided his power in a short time, and 36 military governorships were distributed in four directions. If there was no war, he, as the governor, had almost no power to directly command and gather troops, let alone how to show off his military power.

Wei Zheng ignored his good intentions and recommended the thief Yiji Wende to the emperor, giving the surrendered generals a new backer to rely on.

"Protector General, the navy reported that dozens of Japanese warships came to harass us again, but they retreated after a brief battle.

Luo Yi frowned. The Japanese were just like flies. They would flee at the slightest disadvantage.

But in an instant, Luo Yi's frown relaxed, and he asked his confidant who came to report: "Are the ships that Your Majesty ordered to be built along the coast still under construction?"

The confidant replied affirmatively: "Who dares to slack off on your Majesty's orders?"

Luo Yi looked east and suddenly laughed: "The Japanese dared to attack us, so I can fight back. As the saying goes, if the enemy can do something, I can do it too. If the enemy can go, I can go too!"

"What does the Protector-General mean?"

"Send people to find out the route to Japan, and then explore the ports that can be reached. After the spring, this governor will personally punish the thieves on behalf of Your Majesty!"

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(End of this chapter)