In the famine, others ate Guanyin soil, but he had space to build a farm.

Li Bin poured Lin Kunlun a glass of wine and asked, "I wonder if Master Lin has received any news!"

"Mr. Li! Your family runs a restaurant, so you should be the most informed about this news! You should also know the wide range of impact of this drought! You have also heard what those traveling merchants said! The situation in the north is probably even more serious! The southwest can still be barely maintained by grass roots and tree bark! But the northwest is already short of water, and there are probably not many living trees now!" Lin Kunlun didn't know why, but he always felt that Mr. Li was not a simple businessman.

"Yes! The price of food changes every day! I wonder how Brother Lin thinks this situation will develop!" Li Bin suddenly asked softly!

"Master Li, don't you think this is a bit too much? How the situation will develop in the future is not something that ordinary people like us can consider! This is a question that those in high positions should consider!" Lin Kunlun shook his head to indicate that he did not want to discuss this issue! "How the situation will develop in the future is actually a lot of similar situations in history from ancient times to the present!"

"Mr. Lin seems very pessimistic! But the emperor today can be said to be a rare wise monarch! When he first ascended the throne, he eliminated the eunuch party and redressed unjust cases. It can be seen that he is a promising monarch! This should be a sign of the revival of our Great Kun Empire!" Li Bin saw that everyone else in the hotel had left, and couldn't help but say to Lin Kunlun.

"It seems that Brother Li is still ambitious! As far as I know, children from legal and business families in Dakun are not allowed to take part in the imperial examinations! It's really a pity!" Lin Kunlun said with a sigh.

"I don't know what's going on nowadays! It's a pity that the national treasury has probably been emptied throughout the dynasties! Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a severe drought, and the court has not provided any relief to the victims! Have you ever thought about the consequences if the drought continues! Sometimes it's fate, and it can't be stopped by human power! What we can do is try to find ways to stockpile more food! Take care of our families!" Lin Kunlun said with a sigh!

"Mr. Lin! Are you so disappointed?" Li Bin was still somewhat unwilling to give up.

"I hope I'm overthinking!" Lin Kunlun shook his head. He didn't know why Li Bin said this to him. But looking at his expression and demeanor, he should sincerely hope that the court can help those displaced refugees!

"Mr. Lin! You said it very well! I hope we can meet again!" Li Bin stood up and extended his hand to Lin Kunlun!

Lin Kunlun also stood up and shook hands with Li Bin.

"This is my badge! If Mr. Lin has any difficulties, feel free to come to this tavern to find me!" Li Bin took out a copper badge and handed it to Lin Kunlun.

"I'll remember this!" Lin Kunlun nodded and took the badge.

After Lin Kunlun left the restaurant, Li Bin returned to the private room upstairs! Li Bin pushed open the door of the private room, and the room was filled with a faint scent of tea. The sunlight outside the window slanted into the room, bringing a touch of warmth to the dim room. He walked to the window and looked at the bustling street in the distance, frowning, as if thinking about something.

On the street downstairs, Lin Kunlun's figure had disappeared in the crowd. Li Bin retracted his gaze and turned to sit at an exquisite wooden table, on which was a pot of hot tea and two teacups. He gently lifted the teapot and poured the tea into the cups. The fragrance of the tea filled the air, making people feel relaxed and happy.

"This Lin Kunlun is indeed not an ordinary person." Li Bin said to himself, and his evaluation of Lin Kunlun rose a few points. Although Lin Kunlun did not reveal too much in the conversation between the two just now, Li Bin could feel the worry and dissatisfaction in his heart.

"The Great Kun Empire is now in turmoil." Li Bin sighed softly. He knew that this drought was just the tip of the iceberg, and there were more problems hidden behind it. The corruption of the court, the greed of officials, and the suffering of the people were all problems that could not be solved overnight.

However, he did not want to give up. He had a dream in his heart, that is, he hoped that one day he could change the fate of this country and let the people live a stable and happy life. Although he knew that this road was difficult, he was still willing to work hard for this dream.

"Perhaps it is really time to break down before building up. Although those in high positions have also made some efforts!" Li Bin murmured to himself!

"Bin'er, why are you mumbling to yourself here!" A strong and cheerful voice came from the door at this time.

"Dad, you're here just in time! I've prepared the best pre-rain tea for you!" Li Bin stood up and greeted him with a smile.

"This pre-rain tea is really difficult to make! Especially in a year like this! I heard that the tea production in Jiangnan has also decreased a lot!" This middle-aged man is Li Wei, the county magistrate of Xishan County!

"This is it! I asked a friend in Jiangnan to get it for me!" Li Bin said with a smile!

"This tea is really good! It doesn't have the strong flavor of the tea in the southwest, but it also has a unique flavor that is fresh and elegant!" Li Wei asked after taking a sip of tea!

"Just now I heard you mutter something about 'no destruction, no construction'?" Li Wei asked curiously! His son had his own ideas when he was very young. Although he is only a scholar now, he prefers to do business. But Li Wei has always supported Li Bin's own ideas.

"Father! I just saw a very interesting person! Not only did he match the pair at our door, he also predicted that there would be major changes in the current situation! It seems that he is a talented person!" Li Bin said immediately!

"Whose young master is that? It's normal for some noble families to get some information! I've been worried recently! I heard that the imperial court is at war with the northern barbarians! Now the money and food are out of supply! Even the most elite troops in the north are in arrears! Taxes in the southeast are getting lower and lower every year due to land annexation! I'm afraid that taxes will really be levied in the west this year! As long as someone has some connections in the imperial court, it's normal to know this news! As long as taxes increase, there will probably be big changes in the world!" Li Wei said with a sigh.

As a county magistrate, he was the most close-to-the-ground official of the imperial court! Moreover, Li Wei liked to go down there and check the situation in person. He had known for a long time that the entire county could not collect much grain. In those years, he could not even feed the people in the county, let alone pay taxes to the higher authorities.

"What is father going to do then?" Li Bin asked curiously at this time.

"We are going to discuss this with the wealthy families in the county! Let them raise some grain to pay the taxes! Although they cannot pay the full amount, they have to pay at least a few percent! At the same time, I will also apply for disaster relief money from above, hoping to alleviate the suffering of the people." Li Wei frowned, with a trace of worry in his eyes.

Li Bin nodded. He knew that his father had always been a good official who cared about the country and the people, but this drought was too severe and it might not be so easy to solve.

"Father, the Lin Kunlun I just met seems to be somewhat dissatisfied with the court. He meant that the Dakun Dynasty has reached a point where it is beyond salvation." Li Bin told his father about the conversation he had just had with Lin Kunlun.

"It seems that people's minds have changed. Although His Majesty has been wanting to revive Da Kun since he ascended the throne, it's too late to reverse the situation. The court is full of greedy people. The tax revenue in heavy-tax areas such as Jiangnan is only two-tenths of what it was at the beginning of the country! In addition, the Da Kun Empire has always given fiefs to those royal family members! As the number of royal family members increases and the land they occupy increases, the tax revenue of the court becomes less and less! When the Da Kun Empire was at its strongest, it could organize hundreds of thousands of troops to go north to the grasslands! It could organize a fleet of tens of thousands of people to go south to Southeast Asia! But now there is no food relief even for the drought in several western provinces!" Li Wei said with a sigh.

"Father! So Lin Kunlun's analysis is correct! Although he didn't say it explicitly! But I can hear that he definitely thinks there will be a great chaos in the Great Kun Empire!" Li Bin asked his father again at this time.

"I have also received some military reports from the Northwest! A large number of refugees have formed in the Northwest! Those refugees are like locusts passing through! All the big and wealthy families in the places they passed by were robbed! Now the only thing they haven't attacked are the government offices and towns! So now the news is blocked! If the officials in the court really ask the western regions to pay taxes! I'm afraid more people will join in, and when the scale is large, it will not be impossible to capture cities!" Li Wei still told the news he received.

"I have written a letter to my mentor, the Minister of Rites Fan Hui! I have reported the situation in the west to him! I hope he can report this matter to the current emperor in the court! But I am afraid it will not be of much use! After all, the war in the north is tense right now! The court is in need of money everywhere!..." Li Wei knew at this point that there was no point in continuing.

Lin Kunlun didn't know that the Mr. Li he knew was the son of the county magistrate! He had found the largest grain store in the county!