Chapter 909 Fundraising for Charity (1)

The midsummer sun is like a big fireball, shining fiercely on the earth, as if it is about to emit all the heat. The leaves on the trees on the side of the road were all curled up in the sun, and the few sparrows standing on the trees were listless.

While shaking her fan, Yu Rong said, "This weather is really killing people!"

Honghua said: "Madam, why don't you add another basin of ice!" The weather was too hot, and Yurong, who was starting to be frugal, also put a basin of ice in the room.

Yurong shook her head and said, "This ice is so expensive, I don't want it anymore. You send someone to fetch two barrels of well water, and I'll wash my face." The weather is getting hotter, and the price of ice has tripled, and there are still The upward trend continues.

There are two wells in this house, one in the front yard and one in the back yard. The well in the front yard is for the servants of the mansion, and the well in the back yard is exclusively for Yurong, Yizheng and Mr. Gao's family.

After washing her face, wiping her body and changing her clothes, Yu Rong felt refreshed. Before his butt was hot, he heard Hongyin say that Yizheng was back.

Seeing her son, Yurong asked, "Why are you on vacation today?" Yizheng studied in a private school with his husband, who had previously served as a bachelor of the Imperial Academy and was very talented. There were not many people in that private school, only nine people. Yizheng was able to enter not only because he learned it well, but also because this gentleman has received Jiang Wenrui's favor.

Yizheng said: "The refugees are making trouble on West Street, and one of my classmates happened to pass by there and was injured. The master was afraid that there would be another accident, so he gave us a holiday."

Yurong said: "I said earlier that if these refugees are allowed to enter the city, something will happen sooner or later." The fact is as she expected, something really happened.

Yizheng said, "Mom, I'm going to find Grandpa Gao." He had to tell Grandpa Gao about this.

Half an hour later, Mr. Gao came to see Yu Rong. Seeing Yurong, Mr. Gao said: "Madam, I'm afraid the capital will be unstable during this time. People in the mansion, if you can go out, you should try not to go out!"

Yurong asked with some surprise: "Is it so serious? There are so many officers and soldiers in the city and they can't deal with these refugees?"

Mr. Gao shook his head and said, "It's not just the refugee problem. Food is so expensive that ordinary people can't afford it. In this situation, I'm afraid there will be trouble again." Much more serious.

Yurong said: "Listen to Mr.." After a pause, Yurong said with some excitement: "Sir, do you want to sell all the grain we have stored?" This year the capital was also hit by a drought, but Not serious, about 20% to 30% reduction in production. Yurong's 800 mu also harvested more than 200,000 catties of grain. New grain is exchanged for old grain, and the grain stored in the grain depot is now the grain stored last year.

As soon as Mr. Gao heard this, he knew that Yurong wanted to make a fortune, and he didn't object, he just said: "Madam, according to this trend, the food will definitely increase. Even if we want to sell food, it will take some time Sell."

Yurong said with a smile: "Then sell it after a while!" Not to mention the grain in the cellar, the grain stored in this house is enough for them to feed for three to five months.

Seeing this, Mr. Gao said: "Madam, if we want to sell grain, we can only sell it to those big grain stores, but we can't sell it ourselves." The price of selling to grain stores must be lower, but it is safe.

Yurong also just wanted to make a fortune, but she didn't dare to take risks: "Mr. Gao arranged this matter." She was still very relieved of Mr. Gao.

Smashing, cheating, robbery, and similar things happened one after another, making the whole capital panic. This incident naturally alarmed Yan Wushuang.

Su Shan, the commander of the imperial army, said: "Your Majesty, it is not appropriate to let refugees into Beijing. Otherwise, there will only be more similar incidents." He wanted to drive out the refugees who were released. But Yan Wushuang didn't speak, and he couldn't speak.

Yan Wushuang thought for a while, and agreed to Su Shan's suggestion,

In addition, an area was set aside in the north for the refugees to live in.

Mr. Gan, Minister of the Ministry of War, said that refugees can be prevented from entering the city, but they cannot be left alone. They must be provided with food and then persuaded to return to their hometowns. Otherwise, once so many refugees rioted outside, the consequences would be disastrous.

Yan Wushuang nodded and said: "You are right, the refugees outside the city should indeed be resettled."

Mr. Geng, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, complained in his heart. The treasury has run out of money, and resettlement of refugees is a huge expense. He doesn't know where to find money.

After discussing the matter, Yan Wushuang ordered Tie Kui to lead troops to build huts outside the city for the temporary residence of the victims. In addition, these disaster victims must be resettled and law and order maintained.

Tie Kui accepted this order, his face as black as the bottom of a pot. Yan Wushuang, a bastard, actually asked him, a dignified second-rank general, to resettle the refugees.

Seeing this, the eunuch who delivered the decree was a little upset, and left the barracks without even asking for a reward, and returned to Beijing.

Meng Nian happened to be present when the eunuch reported the incident. After hearing this, Meng Nian frowned and said, "Tie Kui is too presumptuous. The emperor asked him to resettle refugees, but he is unwilling." In Meng Nian's eyes, the people below should be as loyal to Yan Wushuang as he is .

Yan Wushuang said: "I'm afraid it's because of the Pingdingshan incident that made him worry." He didn't care if Tie Kui thought too much, as long as he got the job done.

Meng Nian snorted and said, "The king wants the minister to die, and the minister has to die. But those people who asked him to kill Pingdingshan dare to complain in their hearts. No wonder the emperor was worried about him before."

Yan Wushuang said: "If everyone was like you, I wouldn't have to work so hard." After a pause, Yan Wushuang said: "Don't talk about him, how is the situation in the northwest?"

Meng Nian said: "Not two days after the news of Yunqing's extermination of the northern captives came back to Hao City, the martial law was lifted in Hao City. Your Majesty, do we still have to carry out our previous plan?"

Yan Wushuang said: "No need, it's better not to provoke Han Yuxi in this situation." Once the woman got angry, she didn't know what she would do.

Meng Nian thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei and other places have also suffered disasters. Your Majesty, their life is no better than ours."

Yan Wushuang said: "You still missed Northwest and Jiangnan. The harvests in these two places are not bad this year." Compared with him, Han Yuxi is much more relaxed.

The two were talking about something, and Eunuch Min said outside: "Your Majesty, the imperial concubine is asking to see you."

Nothing, Yuchen will not come to the imperial study. Yan Wushuang said: "Concubine please come in!"

Yuchen was actually wearing a plain blue palace dress with Qi Luo Cui soft gauze on the outside. On the head is a jasper exquisite hairpin, decorated with thin silver thread beaded tassels. Even at an advanced age of thirty or more, his skin is still as thick as fat and his face is like a lotus. People can't take their eyes off it.

But no matter how beautiful people see too much, they will not feel too much. Yan Wushuang asked: "The imperial concubine came to the imperial study, what's the matter?"

Yuchen said: "I heard that the refugees outside have no food to eat, and my concubines want to do their part." Yuchen wanted to call the noble concubines in the capital to donate to the victims outside.

Yan Wushuang nodded in agreement. The disaster relief money that this woman's relatives donated must be limited, but they can use this trend to call on all civil and military officials to donate together. Yan Wushuang said: "I am very pleased that the imperial concubine has such a heart, and Meng Nian can help you in this matter!"

Yuchen said respectfully: "Yes!" This showed that Yan Wushuang agreed.

After leaving the imperial study room, Nanny Gui asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, what does the Emperor say?" If the Emperor agrees, it would be an honor and a merit for the imperial concubine to take the lead in calling on those wives and ladies to donate.

Yuchen nodded and said, "The emperor has already agreed."

Back at Zhanghua Palace, Yuchen wrote a post, inviting the wives and ladies of officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital to attend the banquet. She didn't hide it either, and the post directly stated that this banquet was mainly to raise funds for disaster relief.

After sending out the persuasive posts, Yuchen asked someone to fetch the account book from the warehouse, and then picked out a lot of things from it.

Tie Kui's wife Xiao Shi also received the invitation. After taking the post, Xiao went to the front yard to look for Tie Kui: "Master, how much do you think we can donate then?"

Tie Kui didn't want to give any money, but he also knew that it would be impossible not to donate: "We donate as much as others donate."

Xiao was a little bit embarrassed: "Isn't that appropriate?" Who didn't know that their Dasheng caravan was fighting for money with the shops in Japan, and even now, business is booming. If the amount donated is the same as others, wouldn't it be called a miser?

Tie Kui was unhappy in his heart: "What's wrong? If others want to talk, let them talk."

Seeing this, Mrs. Xiao asked, "Master, is something wrong?" As a wife, how can she not know who her husband is. My husband is not stingy, and usually helps those subordinates who are living in poverty, but this time it is really abnormal.

Tie Kui said: "It's nothing."

Xiao thought for a while and said, "Master, what do you think if we donate one thousand taels?" Like others, this matter is not easy to grasp.

Tie Kui hummed and said, "One thousand taels is one thousand taels, nothing more."

Xiao Shi nodded and said, "Okay."

At this time, Zhong Shantong had something to report. Xiao Shi didn't interfere with outside affairs, and immediately went back to the backyard.

Zhong Shantong saw that Tie Kui's expression became more and more ugly, and said, "My lord, the matter is already like this, and it's useless to get angry."

Tie Kui snorted coldly and said, "Yan Wushuang has come up with a new trick to call on everyone to donate to the disaster victims. I'm afraid this time, I'm going to bleed out." How many. Yan Wushuang's target is probably the civil and military officials in the court and wealthy businessmen in the capital. And he has a great reputation, so it would be impossible not to donate three to five thousand taels.

It's not that Tie Kui is cold-blooded and unwilling to help these refugees, it's just that instead of donating the money to Yan Wushuang, it's better to exchange it for food and send it outside the city. But he was just thinking about it in his heart, but he didn't have the guts to actually do it. Otherwise, Yan Wushuang would definitely not be able to spare him. Before Yun Qing led his troops into the capital, he was afraid that he would have been killed by Yan Wushuang.

Zhong Shantong said: "My lord, if you let the emperor know about your attitude, you will definitely be very upset."

Tie Kui said: "Last time I killed those refugees in Pingdingshan, and was assassinated by Falcon. This time I was asked to resettle the refugees again. If I am happy, Yan Wushuang will be suspicious!" He also knows Yan Wushuang too well. It was because of his nature that he deliberately expressed dissatisfaction. Of course, this time Tie Kui only needs to vent out his psychological grievances, and there is no need to act.

Zhong Shantong nodded and said, "Master, if Yan Wushuang really wants you to donate, how much do you plan to donate?" The property under their name earns a considerable profit every year. If you donate less, you will definitely not be able to pass the test. But if he donated too much, not to mention Tie Kui, even he would feel distressed.

Tie Kui said: "It depends on the situation." He didn't want to donate too much, but he had to bow his head under the eaves. Since Yan Wushuang had made up his mind, they couldn't do without donating.

Besides Xiao Shi who got the post, Lu Yao and Yu Rong also received the post. Seeing the donation on the post, Lu Yao didn't want to go. Although Han Jiancheng is not good looking, he also has two concubines, and each of these two concubines gave birth to a daughter. Lu Yao had three sons and a daughter by herself, and the expenses of this family of eight were not a small sum. In addition, Lu Yao has to help her natal family secretly, so her money is not easy.

Lu Yao said to Han Jiancheng: "Master, if the donation is too small, the imperial concubine and empress will feel uncomfortable. If the donation is too much, we will not be able to get that much money. Master, I'd better call it sick and not go!"

Han Jiancheng said: "It is the grace of the imperial concubine that I can get the current job. Now that the imperial concubine is holding a fundraising banquet, wouldn't you be slapping the imperial concubine if you don't go?" The location is not low. It is also for this reason that Han Jiancheng thought about buying property in Liaodong. After setting up a property and having an errand, the days are definitely not bad.

Lu Yao also understood the truth, but she was shy: "Then how much should we donate?" She gritted her teeth and donated three to five hundred taels, but if it was three to five thousand taels, she really couldn't afford it.

Han Jiancheng thought for a while and said, "The imperial concubine is also aware of our family's situation. You can ask the imperial concubine about this to see what she means?"

Lu Yao nodded.

Yurong didn't have Lu Yao's entanglement, she just threw it aside after accepting the post. Orphans and widows, life is not easy, how can there be money to donate.

After Yizheng found out about this, he persuaded Yurong to donate: "Mother, these refugees are so pitiful, we can help them if we can!"

Yurong said: "Ah Zheng, the prices outside are so expensive now, food has risen to forty yuan a catty, and oil and salt have also increased many times. Although mother still has some money in her hand, she has to feed twenty people in the house. There are so many people, I don’t know how long it will last.” Yurong was still talking about the price of coarse grains, and fine rice flour is more expensive.

After a pause, Yurong said: "If the situation is not going to improve, mother will reduce the number of people in the mansion." Except for those who must be kept, such as the guards in the mansion, she is going to let out those rough women and little maids. . The morals of the world are not good, just do the work of cleaning and washing by yourself.

Yizheng was stunned for a while, and then said: "Mother, it's not this far!"

Yurong said: "Everything must be prepared for the worst, and it will be too late if it comes to an end. Besides, you are still young, and you will have a lot of money to spend in the future." Studying politics and marrying a wife is a big sum of money Expenses, so Yu Rong now wished she could split a penny in half and spend it! Who would like to donate. (to be continued)