Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

The following day, in the imperial court of the Great Xiao Kingdom.

Xu Zhiyuan's memorial passed through Yin Weiyong and was delivered to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, this is an urgent report from the magistrate of Anhua City. This famine has already triggered a chain reaction. Now, the famine victims are all converging on the outskirts of Anhua City, and it won't be long before they occupy the trade routes and grain routes. If we don't provide disaster relief in time, I'm afraid Anhua City will also be occupied by the famine victims, and they will eat up all the food in the city."

"If Anwar City also becomes a disaster area, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Yin Weiyong explained Xu Zhiyuan's meaning and then handed over the memorial.

Xiao Dingbang's face turned ashen after hearing this, and he looked at Xiao Yang to the side: "Second Prince, didn't I order you to personally oversee the disaster relief? Didn't you tell me that it was under control?"

Xiao Yang knelt on the ground with a thud: "Reporting to Father Emperor, the disaster-stricken areas are indeed under control! Unexpectedly, the disaster victims were running around like locusts. Your son... Your subject is ordering people to deal with it! Xu Zhiyuan, that lowly county magistrate, must be exaggerating."

Upon seeing this, Xiao Xiangqing stepped forward: "Father, Lord Xu is a well-known incorruptible minister. Although he is only a county magistrate, his abilities are evident to all. He manages Anhua City, a very important city, in an orderly manner! Moreover, Lord Xu wrote to us a few days ago."

"If they write again for help, the disaster must be dire. Moreover, some of my scholar friends have also written to me saying that while the disaster in the Great Xiao Kingdom is indeed under control, the homeless refugees have become a plague again. Wherever they go, they devour the good towns. Therefore, how to settle these refugees is now of paramount importance!"

After saying that, Xiao Xiangqing looked at Xiao Yang and said, "Second brother, I wonder, what method do you have in mind to solve this?"

Xiao Yang's face turned grim, and he was momentarily speechless, stammering, "What method? Naturally, we'll distribute grain as disaster relief!"

Xiao Xiangqing said, "Second brother, do you know how many refugees are currently displaced? How many cities have been ravaged by these refugees? Do you know how much money and grain it will take to completely settle these refugees and help them survive until the autumn harvest? If distributing grain and providing disaster relief were effective, why has the disaster continued to this day?"

Xiao Yang was getting a little impatient with the question: "Of course I know! Eighth Prince, even Father didn't say anything. Are you questioning me?"

Xiao Xiangqing questioned, "Then tell me, Second Brother, how many refugees are there right now...?"

"Who are you? Even Father Emperor didn't ask, so what right do you have to question me!" Xiao Yang asked.

After reading Xu Zhiyuan's memorial, Xiao Dingbang's expression changed repeatedly, and his blood rushed to his head.

He genuinely didn't know the disaster was so severe; Xiao Yang had clearly kept it from him.

If this matter is not handled properly, it could really bring disaster to the country!

"Second brother, tell me. How many refugees are there now! And what methods have been used for disaster relief?" Xiao Dingbang almost roared as he asked.

Xiao Yang had never seen Xiao Dingbang roar at him like that before, and subconsciously lowered his head: "Reporting to Father, there are probably several thousand refugees in exile."

Xiao Dingbang slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Several thousand people? According to Xu Zhiyuan's investigation and estimate, there are at least 300,000 disaster victims! Xiao Yang, it was only a disaster in a few counties at first! I sent you to provide disaster relief, how could you let this completely insignificant natural disaster turn into a man-made disaster that swept across a third of the Great Xiao Kingdom! It's fortunate that some disaster victims fled to Anhua City!"

"Otherwise, how long do you intend to keep this from me?"

Xiao Yang's face turned ashen, and he knelt on the ground with a thud: "Your son... Your subject... This... I'll go investigate right away..."

Xiao Dingbang slammed his fist on the dragon throne again in anger: "Investigate? Are you here to investigate?"

Xiao Yang prostrated himself on the ground: "Reporting to Father, Your Majesty, I... Your subject will immediately go and find a way to provide disaster relief!"

"Disaster relief? What are you providing relief for now? Do you know how much grain it would take to support one disaster victim and keep them alive until next year's harvest?"

Xiao Yang stammered, "Your...your subject will go and investigate immediately..."

"Useless!" Xiao Dingbang was furious.

He then looked at Xiao Xiangqing on the side: "Eighth Brother, do you know?"

"Your Majesty, according to my investigation, the actual number of refugees should be around 500,000! There are still more than 200 days until tomorrow when the harvest will begin. Moreover, many places have already missed the best season for planting, and the cycle will be delayed for about a year."

"Considering each person's ration of one jin (500 grams), a conservative estimate is that each person needs 400 jin (200 grams) of ration per year. A rough estimate is that just to keep these disaster victims alive until next year, 500,000 shi (250,000 bushels) of grain will be needed. Including planting crops for them, at least 700,000 shi of grain will be needed. And this is a conservative estimate! The final estimate is that it may be around one million shi of grain."

Xiao Dingbang's expression finally softened considerably.

"Rong Heping, how much less grain do we estimate we will produce this year?"

Rong Heping, from the Ministry of Finance, bowed and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this year there have been numerous riots and disasters! The total grain revenue is likely to decrease to three million shi. This amount of money and grain is not even enough to cover the expenses of the Great Xiao Kingdom. If we were to use it for disaster relief, the food shortage would cause grain prices to skyrocket, leading to an even more severe famine. Therefore, it is not advisable to directly provide disaster relief funds."

Xiao Dingbang then looked at Xiao Xiangqing: "Eighth Brother, do you have any disaster relief methods?"

Xiao Xiangqing's face was grim as he said, "Father, I have no better solution than this!"

Xiao Dingbang turned his head to look at all the civil and military officials in the court.

"My dear ministers, do you have any ideas? And who else is willing to take charge of these matters?"

All the civil and military officials lowered their heads, and none of them responded.

After all, this is a hot potato. What can be done for disaster relief? It's just opening granaries and distributing food.

But judging from the emperor's tone, he's unwilling to distribute grain.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; are you going to risk your life to provide disaster relief when there's no food?

Moreover, this matter was ruined by the Second Prince. They must have embezzled the disaster relief funds at the beginning and ate their fill.

Taking over now would just mean cleaning up the mess; nobody's stupid.

Xiao Dingbang looked at the officials, all of whom had their heads bowed and were completely silent; not a single person spoke.

His gaze involuntarily fell upon the memorial in his hand, in which Xu Zhiyuan wrote that Xiao Ce had contacted him and had a solution.

"Is there really no way?"

None of the court officials looked up, afraid that their eyes would meet Xiao Dingbang's and they would be called out by him!

Xiao Dingbang then looked at the princes.

The princes all nodded in agreement, including the eighth prince, Xiao Xiangqing, who had been picking a fight with Xiao Yang.

Xiao Dingbang snorted coldly: "None of you have a solution, and no one wants to resolve this matter, right?"

The entire venue was deathly silent!

Xiao Dingbang's voice grew increasingly cold: "The entire court of civil and military officials are no match for a piece of trash!"