The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 1225

In years of famine, the autumn winds swept across the land, leaving nothing but barren land. The people who relied on crops for their livelihood lost what they depended on.

In an instant, the entire city was overgrown with weeds, the people were emaciated and their eyes gleamed with greed at the sight of anything that could fill their stomachs, even forgetting the existence of humanity.

"What...what are you doing!" Several young men barged into the woman's house, and she instinctively protected her child.

The man stared at the trembling child in the woman's arms like a vulture.

Several people rushed forward like bees and snatched the child from the woman's arms.

"How...how could you do this? This is a life, a life!" The woman was being held and couldn't move at all, so she could only cry out helplessly.

The man wouldn't listen; hunger filled his brain, making him lose all reason.

"Get out of my way." The man shoved the woman aside and dragged the child off the ground.

Outside in the open space, there was a large cauldron with flames so high that they could illuminate half of people's hearts.

Several children were tied up to one side, while the people below stared at the flames like hungry wolves.

"In this year of famine, even I am helpless. The imperial court doesn't care about us anymore. We can only learn from the ancient methods and resort to cannibalism." The pale-faced elder announced this from above.

The mothers of the chosen children wept below, their faces buried in their hands, but no one stepped forward.

At the critical moment, someone reported to the imperial court, and the prefect's army arrived to prevent this tragedy from happening.

However, the prefect had no food and could only report the matter to the imperial court.

Inside the palace——

“Given the current situation, my opinion is to open the granary,” Xu Tian said, staring at the King of Yinglan who was in charge.

King Yinglan knew that the court was already on its last legs, and if the granaries were opened again, who knew what would happen?

"Since it was you, Xu Tian, ​​who proposed opening the granaries, then I would like to ask, how much grain do you want the court to provide?" King Yinglan did not immediately refute, but instead asked in return.

Xu Tian said without any hesitation, "Since we are opening the granaries, we must ensure that the people suffering in dire straits can alleviate their hunger, so that they don't do something so inhumane."

Upon hearing this, all the high-ranking officials in the court exchanged glances, clearly understanding just how severe the famine was.

Even alleviating these difficulties is extremely difficult, let alone resolving them, which is even more challenging.

"Xu Tian, ​​do you know that the national treasury is not rich anymore?" King Lan Ying said calmly.

"Not wealthy? I don't think so. In the palace now, the concubines are extravagant and wasteful. They must have forgotten the rules of the ancestors. Even on minor holidays, the royal family has to host banquets for the officials. Is that how the national treasury is not wealthy?" Xu Tian seemed to have already anticipated what the King of Yinglan would say.

Hearing this, everyone fell even more silent, because everything Xu Tian said was true.