Chapter 228: Li Shimin's Performance

"Pass it on, let all of you beloved ministers have a look."

Li Shimin handed the secret report in his hand to Wushe, his complexion extremely grim as he said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wushe, following the order, took the report and first gave it to Wang Gui to review.

After the latter finished reading, his eyes flickered, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Then the report was passed by him to Du Ruhui, who, looking at the contents, couldn't stop his eye corner from twitching.

Chai Shao really wrote about the severity in detail: how badly the fertile fields were washed away, how raging the flood disaster was, how terrified the common people were.

Seeing this, Du Ruhui could only want to laugh.

"Lord Fang, please take a look."

Fang Xuanling took the report, read the contents without any ripple, and then kept passing it down.

Li Shimin gave them some time to read, then spoke: "Beloved ministers, what do you think should be done about this matter?"

"Your Majesty!" Fang Xuanling stepped forward immediately, "I believe the several elders just now were correct: the flood disaster erupted from the Yellow River mouth breaching its levee, compounded by continuous heavy rains; if we sit by and do nothing, it will inevitably cause a great calamity."

"At that time, the common people will surely suffer heavy casualties, with wails reaching the heavens."

"I think we should promptly have the Ministry of Revenue gather money and grain, take the waterways to quickly go to disaster relief, and soothe the people in the flood‑affected region."

"So as to prevent last year's incident from playing out again in Chang'an."

Mentioning last year's incident, many officials' gazes tightened, and they stepped forward to voice agreement.

"Minister Du, what do you think?" Li Shimin was not in a hurry, but asked again.

Du Ruhui thought for a moment, stepped forward, clasped his hands and said, "I think Lord Fang's words are reasonable; if it were an ordinary flood, there would be no need to be so urgent."

"But this is a flood caused by the Yellow River mouth breaching, and everyone understands the situation of the Yellow River."

"Therefore, I earnestly request Your Majesty to gather money and grain at the fastest speed; this matter cannot be delayed."

"Minister Wang, what about you?" Li Shimin turned his head again toward Wang Gui.

Wang Gui was somewhat surprised.

Why did Li Shimin suddenly consider his opinion?

One must know that he had always been at odds with Li Shimin, and Wang Gui himself understood that Li Shimin was gradually losing patience with him.

If it were not for his strong ability to handle affairs, plus backing from major noble families, he would have already fallen from power.

Li Shimin's sudden inquiry of his opinion today is rather suspicious.

Wang Gui deliberated for a moment and said, "I think Lord Fang and Lord Du, as well as the other colleagues, are correct; the Yellow River mouth breaching indeed cannot be ignored."

"It is best to provide disaster relief as quickly as possible."

He did not put forward his own opinion, but echoed others' statements.

In this way, if anything went wrong, he could not be blamed.

From beginning to end, he felt this matter was somewhat strange.

Last month, Li Jing returned his troops to the court, yet the meritorious officials Chai Shao and Li Daozong were nowhere to be found.

Also missing were fifteen thousand elite soldiers.

Now they suddenly told him that Chai Shao had gone to the other side of the Yellow River and discovered the flood.

Moreover, recent undercurrents in the court are raging, and the one who usually jumps most joyfully, Changsun Wujie, has disappeared.

Wang Gui felt that now he should steady his hand.

"......"

Seeing that all the high officials kept shouting disaster relief! Disaster relief! Dai Zhou, who had just been promoted to Minister of Revenue, suddenly could not sit still.

"Your Majesty, I do not oppose disaster relief; I think the gentlemen' words are reasonable. Since the flood has erupted, it certainly cannot be ignored."

"But now the treasury is empty, and the autumn harvest has not yet arrived; the Ministry of Revenue truly cannot produce money..."

"Can't produce money, can't produce money!" Cui Minggan said coldly, "When has your Ministry of Revenue ever been able to produce money?"

No matter the matter, wherever disaster relief is needed, whenever, no matter who the Minister of Revenue is, you all keep saying you can't produce money.

"So if you can't produce money, does that mean the disaster won't be relieved?"

"Should the common people affected by the flood just die?"

Dai Zhou squinted, turned back, and said sharply, "Lord Cui, there's a hidden meaning in your words; are you perhaps suspecting this official of corruption?"

"Then, shall I, the Minister of Revenue, let Ministerial Attendant Cui take my place?"

"You will bring out this money and grain for disaster relief?"

Cui Minggan did not take Dai Zhou's words, but retorted, "Then I would like to ask Lord Dai, the Ministry of Revenue collects so much money and grain each year; where exactly is it spent?"

"Why is it that at critical moments, there is always no money nor grain?"

Dai Zhou snorted coldly, "I stick to that sentence: if Ministerial Attendant Cui doubts me, you may submit a memorial to Your Majesty, have me removed, and you take the position of Minister of Revenue."

"Otherwise, Ministerial Attendant Cui, please shut up."

"I..."

"Enough!" Li Shimin shouted, "What place do you think this is?"

"Is it a place where you can argue at any time?"

The two fell silent instantly.

Li Shimin pretended to ponder and said, "I have understood everything you beloved ministers just said."

"However, the Ministry of Revenue truly cannot produce much money or grain now; the disaster‑relief matter may have to be deliberated at length..."

"Your Majesty, that is not permissible!" Du Ruhui timely stood up, "I just said that the Yellow River mouth breaching will cause the flood to worsen, and disaster relief must be immediate."

"How can we deliberate at length?"

"Please, Your Majesty, think it over three times!"

Saying that, Du Ruhui crawled on the ground, his forehead pressed tightly against the earth.

Fang Xuanling: "I second that, I hope Your Majesty will think thrice!"

"We second that, we hope Your Majesty will think thrice!"

Seeing Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling take the lead, do the wind‑following officials still need to think?

They knelt down in unison.

Li Shimin angrily said: "Think thrice! Think thrice! How do you expect me to think thrice?"

"The Ministry of Revenue has no money, my privy purse likewise has none—what can I use for disaster relief, what can I use to think thrice?"

"Your Majesty......" Du Ruhui spoke again.

"Enough!" Li Shimin shouted angrily, "What are you kneeling for, trying to force me?"

"Your servant, I dare not!" Du Ruhui replied respectfully.

"Not dare?" Li Shimin let out a cold laugh, stepped down from the top seat slowly, came before the civil and military officials, and said to himself:

"Last year's great drought, I almost scraped the earth three feet deep, squeezing out all the money and grain the Ministry of Revenue could wring out; my privy purse was so clean that even mice would shake their heads at it."

"Even the money earned by the Empress and the palace ladies weaving cloth was taken out."

"By this point, Li Shimin's tone carried three parts anger, three parts self‑mockery, and four parts bitterness."

"At this moment, all the civil and military officials knelt down."

"Starting this year, I can't even afford a proper birthday banquet for the Empress; when my Princess Gao Yang married, her dowry consisted of jewelry sold by the Empress and Changle, painstakingly gathered."

"When floods struck the Yellow River region, I felt the same anguish, and I likewise do not wish to see the people displaced."

"But tell me, what can I do?"

"You speak!!"

"With those final words, Li Shimin almost burst out in rage."

"Inside the hall, at this moment it was utterly silent."

"Everyone understood that Li Shimin might truly be angry."

"Otherwise he wouldn't have said such things."

"Du Ruhui knew the act was almost over, so he deliberately strained his voice and spoke in a hoarse tone: 'Although this is the case, I still believe that disaster relief is urgent.'"

"I wish to donate 7,823 strings of cash plus 56 wen, along with 100 zhang of cloth and 2,000 jin of grain!"

"Your servant! I earnestly beg Your Majesty to provide disaster relief!"

"......"