The Story of a Destitute Noblewoman Farming

"Lord Yun, what you said makes sense. If we can talk to the people properly and let them go home in peace, this matter can be considered a successful resolution. Minister of Revenue, is the disaster relief grain you were asked to prepare ready?"

"Your Majesty, half of the relief grain has been prepared, and the other half needs to be sent to the northwest. Now that the Tatars have returned, the northwest army is running low on food and wages. Furthermore, natural disasters have occurred frequently throughout the country this year, making it difficult to raise enough food in a short period of time. I have already gone to the vicinity of the capital to requisition grain, but I'm afraid it will take another three to five days."

The Minister of Revenue immediately stepped forward to respond.

"Is half of the relief grain enough for the victims to return to their hometowns and live there?" the emperor asked again.

"It's barely enough. If we can recover the local disaster relief grain, the problem can be solved."

"Okay, my dear Lord Yun, I will send you personally to comfort the victims. You must not use force unless absolutely necessary. I will also send people to protect you."

"I will definitely live up to your mission!" Yun Yi had actually discussed this result with the emperor in private. Just now, the emperor was deliberately trying to see how these ministers would react. However, most of these people were wavering. Now that Yun Yi stood up, those ministers had nothing to say.

Yun Yi received the order and took his men directly to the city gate.

He stood on the city wall and looked at the victims gathered outside. These victims were old and young, male and female. Fortunately, the weather was still hot, so there was no need to worry about them being frozen to the bone by the cold wind.

However, few of them had good clothes, and everyone was wearing tattered and dirty clothes. They came to the capital city with the help of people with ulterior motives and with their passion.

Their biggest wish is to stay alive and just want their families to have a full meal.

"Hurry up and prepare the porridge, and come with me to deliver the porridge later." The emperor has given orders to the soldiers guarding the city, and everyone must obey Yun Yi's words.

"Sir, if the city gates are opened, the victims will rush in without any regard for the consequences, and the capital will be in even greater danger." The general couldn't help but say this when he heard his words.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Hang me down from here later and bring the food down with me. What they need most now is to have something to eat." Yun Yu knew what he was thinking, but he was not such a reckless person.

"Everyone, I am a minister serving the emperor. My name is Yun Yi. I know you are here today just to protect your family from being killed by corrupt officials and to seek justice.

But you have been taken advantage of. Those bad guys don't care whether you are hungry or not. They just want to use you to force the emperor, but they don't really want to do good for you.

Think about it carefully. Even if the emperor was forced to step down by you and replaced by another emperor, would he dare to let you go back peacefully? I'm afraid he would also be worried that you would cause such a trouble again. Never end up hurting your family because of others.

Now I will come down with the porridge bucket. All of you, line up and drink a bowl of porridge each, so that your family can eat their fill. Don't worry, I won't let anyone tamper with the porridge, I'll eat the first bite.

You guys quickly line up, pay attention to the children and the elderly, don't cause any casualties, the porridge is here, I'll bring someone over right away."

Yun Yi shouted on the city wall, and someone immediately conveyed his words word by word to the ears of the victims.

When they heard that they would be given porridge immediately, the victims looked at each other, wondering whether what Yun Yi said was true or not.

However, when they heard that there was food, they couldn't help but drool. Seeing that some people in front of them lined up spontaneously, they subconsciously started to line up. On the city wall, Yunyi and those porridge buckets were escorted down one by one. The soldiers protecting Yunyi immediately set up the tables, lifted the porridge buckets onto the tables, and bowls were hung down one after another.

Yun Yi stood on the table and gestured to the victims waiting in line. He stirred the porridge spoon in the porridge bucket for a few times, then scooped half a bowl of the thinnest porridge from the surface and drank it. After drinking it, he turned the bowl upside down to show the victims.

When the victims saw him doing this, they couldn't help swallowing.

"Just come one by one according to your line up. Those who have been served can go to the other side. Don't worry, there will be porridge buckets coming down from the back so everyone can have some." Yun Yi shouted and those people looked at him expectantly. He picked up a bowl and scooped a bowl directly for the first person in front. His servants also followed his example and scooped porridge for the first person in each team.

Seeing that there was porridge really served in front of them, the victims were very excited. Those who scooped up the porridge immediately walked to the other side and squatted down to drink the porridge. At this time, they didn't care about their image and just wanted to taste this bowl of porridge they had not seen for a long time. This porridge was not thin, and it was even a little sticky. Although one bowl could not fill them up, it had already made their stomachs feel warm.

Yun Yi did not act like an official at all. He continued to serve porridge to the victims. When he saw small children, he bent down and served the porridge to them.

It took half an hour before the victims had their porridge. However, because of this bowl of porridge, they were no longer as excited as before. They all looked at Yun Yi with gratitude.

Everyone looked at Yun Yi as he scraped out the remaining porridge from the bucket and gave it to the old man who looked a little weak.

"My dear grandparents, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers and sisters, even though I am an official now, my family used to be on the border. You all know the border, it was the first place the Tatars entered. Whenever the Tatars came, my parents would take my brothers and me away.

I still remember the last time I was with my parents when I was a child. They took us to hide from the Tatars. I think you must have heard about the terror of the Tatars. They rode on horses and used scimitars to harvest the people of our Daqi.

In order to protect us, my parents were stabbed by the Tatars. My mother was killed on the spot, but my father was still alive. He brought us together until the soldiers from the military camp arrived, and then entrusted us to the care of my uncle.

At that time, I only remember that there were traces of fire everywhere, and blood everywhere. Those were the neighbors who used to live with us. They just fell in a pool of blood and never got up again.

I followed my uncle to his house when I was very young. I thought that my brothers and I would live a dependent life, but my uncle and my cousins ​​were very kind to us. Just when we thought we would grow up happily in the capital, my uncle was framed and killed by the regent's people during the war with the Tatars. We all became orphans and found it difficult to gain a foothold in the capital.

Just when we returned to my uncle's hometown in despair, I thought I would never have the chance to come to Beijing again, but my cousin was a person who would never accept her fate and would never be defeated by difficulties. No matter what setbacks she suffered, she could always find a way to lead us to live a good life.

We slowly returned to the capital city on our own, step by step. Seeing everyone's situation today reminded me of what happened at home back then.

Don't worry, everyone. I, Yun Yi, am the new top scholar this year, and I am also the person chosen by the emperor to negotiate with you. Our intention of negotiating is not to hurt you, but to enable you to return to your hometown as soon as possible and live a good life. This year, the emperor has exempted the land taxes in the counties affected by natural disasters, so even if you return home, you don't have to worry about paying taxes this year.

The Emperor has also promised that as long as everyone is willing to return home, the court will provide you with food and there will be special people to escort you back, so you don’t have to worry about being bullied on the way.”

"Wow, Lord Yun, I never thought someone as glamorous as you could have faced so many hardships. You didn't complain, but worked hard to live your life. But we listened to others and came to the Emperor to cause trouble. We are so sorry for the Emperor, and even more sorry for our own consciences. We have lost all conscience."