Chapter 229: I, the official, damn it, not allowed!

As soon as Du Ruhui spoke, all officials in the hall stared up in disbelief, looking at him incredulously.

7,823 strings and 56 wen cash — this... could almost be said to be Du Ruhui's entire fortune, right?

Not to mention the cloth and grain afterwards.

You should know, Du Ruhui is different from Cheng Yaojin and the others; Du Ruhui is a very upright person.

Other high officials outside have some holdings here and there, not relying entirely on court salaries.

Cheng Yaojin's ilk is even worse; who knows how many properties he has in Chang'an, basically living without relying on his salary at all.

But Du Ruhui has none; his current residence was a gift from Li Shimin, and all the valuable furnishings in his home were given by Li Shimin.

Most of the money he has saved was painstakingly accumulated over many years.

That is precisely why officials from all departments are so shocked.

After saving money for so many years, you went all-in?

"Lord Du, that's not right!" Those with careful minds sensed something wrong and quickly stood up to stop him.

"My lord, you wholeheartedly serve the people, sparing no expense to donate all your wealth for disaster relief; we admire you......"

"Enough talk!" Du Ruhui shouted angrily: "The people on both banks of the Yellow River affected by the flood live in peril, their lives hanging by a thread, and could lose their lives at any moment. Yet at this critical juncture, the court has no money or grain; as an appointed official of the court, how can I stand by and do nothing?"

"The Ministry of Revenue can't produce money, neither can His Majesty; you shirk responsibility, he ignores it, and now I, as an official, am donating my own saved wealth to His Majesty for disaster relief—what else do you have to say that it's not allowed?"

"Not allowed! Not allowed!"

"I, the official, damn it, not allowed!!!"

"Since I wear this official robe and belt of gold and jade, I ought to eat the emperor's stipend, serve the lord faithfully, share the emperor's worries, and think for all the people under heaven."

"What's more... how I spend my own wealth is my own business; what do you think you are?"

"You even want to control how I spend my money, as if you could control heaven and earth?"

The official who had just spoken up was directly left dumbfounded by Du Ruhui's scolding.

Is this still the mild-mannered Du Ruhui who used to speak gently?

How come he keeps saying "damn it"?

Your Majesty, aren't you going to manage this?

"Hey!" Cheng Yaojin interjected: "I think Lord Du is right; it's his own money, he can spend it as he wishes—what business is it of yours?"

"Exactly!" Fang Xuanling also stood up and said: "How shameful that you, a fourth-rank official, wear a deep red robe."

"You don't want to handle disaster relief, but Lord Du wishes to manage it and donate money, yet you jump in to obstruct."

"How is it that you so desperately want the people to receive no disaster relief grain?"

"What are your intentions!!"

At this moment, Dai Zhou shook his head and added, "As the saying goes, red official robes are stained with the people's blood."

"Lord Yu, your conduct like this is hardly worthy of the robe you wear."

"You... you all!" Yu Jing pointed at the crowd, unable to utter a complete sentence, practically fuming to the point of vomiting blood.

Do I really mean that?

You all, damn it, take off your hats one by one, each one damn it higher than the last.

Have you considered my opinion?

Seeing them echoing each other, Wang Gui felt his left eyelid twitch suddenly, sensing that something bad was about to happen.

Li Shimin's mouth corner kept twitching; after it rose, he forcibly pressed it down, and when Yu Jing tried to speak, he forcibly interrupted: "Enough!"

"What does all this noise look like?"

After saying that, his expression eased, he slightly raised his hand and said: "Everyone, rise; why are you kneeling?"

"Your subjects, thank Your Majesty."

Only then did the officials rise again.

Li Shimin turned his head to look at Li Chengqian, who had been watching from the side: "Crown Prince!"

"Your servant is here!" Li Chengqian hurried forward.

"What do you think should be done about this?"

Li Chengqian, who knew the inside story, understood that after the coordinated performance by Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, and others, the plan had reached its final step, lacking only a final twitch.

That is, his twitch.

Li Chengqian pondered for two seconds, then said: "Your servant believes that Lords Fang and Du are absolutely correct."

"Since the Yellow River region has suffered a flood, and the situation is worsening, we naturally cannot stand by and do nothing."

Li Chengqian paused, then quoted: "As Xunzi once said, the ruler is a boat; the people are water. Water can carry the boat, water can overturn it."

"We can lose wealth, we can lose grain, we can even lose many things, but we must absolutely not lose the people's hearts."

"Therefore, disaster relief is a must!"

Upon hearing this, many officials present instinctively nodded in agreement.

Li Shimin gave Li Chengqian an approving glance and said: "Please continue."

Li Chengqian nodded and said: "There is a major problem with disaster relief; just now I saw you officials arguing for half an hour, essentially saying that the court has recently endured many natural disasters and simply has no money or grain to spare."

"But the court is not the court of one person; it belongs to the people, it belongs to the officials."

"As Lord Du said, to eat the emperor's stipend and be loyal to the emperor's affairs; having put on this uniform, one naturally must bear the corresponding responsibility."

Upon hearing this, both civil and military officials felt their eyelids twitch.

By this point, even the stupidest person would realize something is wrong.

Many officials wanted to speak up, but Li Chengqian gave them no chance, directly bowing to Li Shimin.

"Your servant is lacking; in recent years I have spent heavily and truly cannot produce as much wealth as Lord Du."

"But your servant is willing to donate all the remaining money and grain from the Eastern Palace, to serve this court and the people of the Yellow River region, doing my part."

His words sparked a chain reaction, and Fang Xuanling, Dai Zhou, Wei Zheng, Wen Yanbo, Xiao Yu, Gao Shilian, as well as generals Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong, vied to speak first.

They all said they would donate money, starting at a thousand strings.

The faces of the remaining officials turned green.

Damn it, are you even letting people live? Every other day it's thousands upon thousands of strings—are you trying to show off how rich you are?

Only Wang Gui and Cui Minqian, among the aristocratic families, furrowed their brows.

But they soon relaxed.

Forget it, Li Shimin's intention is obvious—nothing more than trying to force everyone to donate money.

But this is entirely voluntary; how can you still force us?

By then, if I say I only have this much money, what can you do to me?

Or do you expect to search our homes?

Li Shimin looked at the many trusted ministers kneeling before him, feigned hesitation, then let out a heavy sigh.

"Never mind, just as the Crown Prince said, the disaster certainly needs relief."

"And the court indeed has no money to spare; even now we have to rely on you, my loyal subjects, to contribute your personal wealth."

"I, I feel ashamed!"

Having said that, Li Shimin descended, helped up Du Ruhui before him, and said, "But I will not let you, my loyal subjects, suffer a loss."

"I have decided to order the Ministry of Works to quarry stone and erect merit steles in every commandery and county, inscribing upon them the names of you, my loyal subjects, and how much money and grain you have donated, so that future generations may look up to them."

Upon hearing this, it was like a thunderclap in Wang Gui's mind...

It exploded with a boom!

"......"