I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

When the Huanghuai region was devastated by floods and the people were displaced, Chen Jia and Chen Jue were extremely anxious and determined to do their best to help the victims. They knew that sufficient funds and supplies were crucial to help the victims get out of trouble as soon as possible. So they decided to discuss the transfer of funds with the prince, purchase food and fodder, and plan to collect donations in the prosperous Jiangnan.

On this day, Chen Jia and Chen Jue went to the palace to meet the prince. The three of them were in the study, and the atmosphere was solemn. Chen Jia spoke first, with a worried look on his face: "Your Highness, the Yellow River and the Huai River have flooded, and the disaster is serious. The victims are short of food and clothing, and their situation is difficult. The most urgent task is to allocate funds to purchase food and fodder to solve the urgent problem."

The prince nodded slightly, frowning, "Chen Jia is right. The people of Huanghuai are suffering, and the court will not sit idly by. But although the treasury has reserves now, various affairs require expenses, and the funds that can be allocated are limited."

Chen Jue continued, "Your Highness, in addition to the government funding, the Jiangnan region has always been wealthy and has many gentry. If we can persuade them to donate, we will be able to raise a lot of funds to help with disaster relief work."

The prince thought for a moment, his eyes fell on Chen Jue: "Chen Jue, what you said makes sense. But most of the gentry in Jiangnan are shrewd and sophisticated, and it is not easy to get them to pay. Are you sure you can convince them?"

Chen Jue cupped his hands, his expression firm: "Don't worry, Your Highness. For the victims of the Huanghuai disaster, I am willing to do my best. I will definitely find a way to persuade them to donate generously."

The prince nodded and said, "Okay, in that case, I will send you to Jiangnan to collect donations. If you need anything, you can report to me at any time."

After Chen Jue received the order, he immediately prepared to set off. Chen Jia reminded him, "Sir, this trip to Jiangnan is a heavy responsibility. The gentry in Jiangnan may make things difficult for you, but you must persist and strive for more assistance for the victims."

Chen Jue held Chen Jia's hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, my lady. I will live up to your trust. You are in the capital, so you must also assist the prince in arranging the purchase of food and fodder and other matters."

After arriving in Jiangnan, Chen Jue took a short break and began to prepare for a meeting with the gentry in Jiangnan. He first sent people to find out the backgrounds and preferences of several major gentry and carefully prepared a response strategy.

A few days later, Chen Jue hosted a banquet for a group of Jiangnan gentry in a spacious mansion. After three rounds of drinks, Chen Jue stood up and said solemnly: "Everyone, I invited you all here because of the floods in the Huanghuai area. The people are in dire straits. Houses have been destroyed, farmlands have been submerged, and countless victims are starving and have no clothes to wear."

A gentleman frowned, put down his wine glass, and said, "Sir Chen, we deeply sympathize with the disaster in Huanghuai. But although we have some family businesses, business has not been good in recent years, so we are really powerless to help."

Other gentry also echoed: "Yes, yes, the world is difficult now, and we can't even take care of ourselves, so how can we have the energy to help others?"

Chen Jue had expected such a reaction. He smiled and said calmly, "I am not unaware of your difficulties. But this disaster relief will be of great benefit to you both in public and in private."

A gentleman asked curiously, "Oh? What do you mean, Lord Chen? Please explain it clearly."

Chen Jue looked around at everyone and said, "From a fair point of view, Huanghuai is an important grain-producing area in our dynasty. Now it is hit by a disaster. If there is no timely rescue, the grain production will decrease next year and the grain price will inevitably soar. Jiangnan is a prosperous commercial area, and all walks of life will be affected. How can your business be immune?"

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but nod secretly, and their expressions relaxed a little.

Chen Jue continued, "From a personal point of view, you are all highly respected people in Jiangnan. If you can donate generously to help the victims of the Huanghuai disaster, such a good deed will surely be spread as a good story among the people and win you a good reputation. In the future, your actions will surely be smoother."

However, one of the gentry still disagreed and sneered, "Master Chen, although what you said makes sense, we can't just donate away the family property we have worked so hard to accumulate. Moreover, who can guarantee that these donations can actually be used for the victims?"

Chen Jue was well prepared. He said calmly, "This gentleman is right. To reassure everyone, we will set up a special account for this donation. The use of each amount of money will be recorded in detail and announced regularly. Moreover, I will arrange for someone to supervise and ensure that every cent of the donation is used for disaster relief."

Despite Chen Jue's sincere words and thorough analysis, some gentry still looked hesitant and were unwilling to pay easily.

Chen Jue thought for a moment and decided to use his trump card. He said slowly: "Everyone, I believe everyone knows that the court attaches great importance to this disaster relief. If the disaster relief is ineffective, the court will definitely investigate thoroughly. At that time, if it is found that someone only cares about his own selfishness in the face of such a disaster and is unwilling to lend a helping hand, I am afraid that the court will not sit idly by."

As soon as these words came out, everyone's faces changed slightly. A gentleman hurriedly asked: "Master Chen, what do you mean by this? Will the court blame us?"

Chen Jue said seriously, "Now the emperor is worried about the disaster in Huanghuai, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is working hard day and night. If the disaster relief work is delayed due to the selfishness of some people, the court will naturally hold them accountable. You are all smart people, and I believe you will not lose the big picture for the small."

When the gentry heard Chen Jue mention the court's attitude, they began to whisper to each other.

At this time, a more open-minded gentleman stood up and said, "Sir Chen, we are deeply moved by your words. We cannot stay out of the disaster of Huanghuai. I am willing to take the lead in donating money and do my part for disaster relief."

With a leader, other gentry responded one after another: "Yes, we will donate too."

Chen Jue was overjoyed and said quickly, "Everyone, I would like to thank you on behalf of the Huanghuai disaster victims."

Thanks to Chen Jue's efforts, the gentry of Jiangnan donated generously and the amount of donations was quite considerable.

Chen Jue worked tirelessly to sort out the collected funds and quickly arranged to send them to the disaster-stricken areas of Huanghuai. At the same time, he wrote a letter to inform Chen Jia and the prince of the details of the Jiangnan fundraising.

After Chen Jia received the letter in the capital, he was overjoyed and said to the prince, "Your Highness, Chen Jue lived up to your trust and raised a large amount of donations in Jiangnan. With this money, the relief work for the Huanghuai disaster victims can be carried out more smoothly."

The prince smiled with satisfaction and said, "Chen Jue is indeed capable. He has made great contributions to this disaster relief effort."

At the same time, Chen Jia was also busy in the capital. She actively assisted the prince in arranging the purchase of grain and fodder, and negotiated with grain merchants from all over the country to ensure the quality and quantity of grain and fodder.

"This batch of grain and fodder concerns the life and death of the victims, so the quality must be strictly controlled. As for the price, you must also be reasonable and not take the opportunity to raise prices." Chen Jia said to the grain merchants in a serious tone.

The grain merchants said one after another: "Madam, rest assured, we will not make money from disasters."

Thanks to Chen Jia's efforts, the procurement of food and fodder progressed smoothly, and large quantities of food and fodder were transported to the Huanghuai disaster area, providing basic living security for the victims.

In the Huanghuai disaster area, the victims who received donations and food were filled with gratitude. An old man said with tears in his eyes: "Thanks to Lord Chen and his wife, the Crown Prince, and the kind people in Jiangnan, we can survive."

With the joint efforts of Chen Jia, Chen Jue and the prince, the disaster relief work in the Huanghuai area was carried out in an orderly manner. The victims were gradually properly resettled and their lives slowly returned to normal.