Knight of the Blue Lagoon (The Past of Tao v)

58.

No one can tell me the bitter advice, but the blue bird understands my heart.

~

Su Su came to the house of the Minister of Rites. After hearing this, the Minister of Rites also thought that the matter was serious. He believed that other ministers were causing trouble. Although he did not think that Daozhi had any bad intentions. After all, Daozhi had just been appointed minister not long ago. After all, he was still too young. No matter what, we should not risk the food that the people rely on for survival. If something goes wrong, there will really be chaos.

When leaving, Su Su asked,"Master Shangshu, you must stop Dao Zhi.""

"Su Su, you are really a woman who can think of the people so much. Don't worry, I still have some face."The Minister of Rites was very pleased with Su Su's actions.

"Sir, what is the strategy for persuading Tao?"Su Su asked again, a little worried.

"To be fair, as far as I know Dao is a reasonable person."The Minister of Rites answered confidently

"What if you still can't convince Dao Zhi?"Su Su was still worried.

The Minister of Rites frowned slightly and thought for a while:"If the truth doesn't make sense, I will report to your majesty and ask your majesty to persuade him. Don't worry about it. Leave this matter to me."

"My lord, I'm sorry, so without further ado, I'll take my leave."Su Su.

Daozhi seemed to know that the Minister of Rites would come, and had prepared tea. The Minister of Rites did not mince words:"Daozhi, has the disease disaster in Chenzhou been properly handled?"

"Not yet"

"Are the deaths of Chenzhou victims serious?"The Minister of Rites asked again

"very serious"

"Daozhi, can Chenzhou's grain harvest be guaranteed this year?"The Minister of Rites asked again

"Can not guarantee"

"Is Tao Zhi short of money?"The Minister of Rites continued to ask

"No shortage of individuals"

"There is something strange in this, can we know the truth?"The Minister of Rites finally asked

"of course I know."

Through the answers to this series of questions, the Minister of Rites believed that it was enough to change Dao Zhi's mind:"In this case, why do you act in the opposite direction at this critical moment?

Daozhi did not answer directly:"Can you allow me to ask Lord Shangshu a few questions?""

"Excuse me."The Minister of Rites

"What are the consequences of the Chenzhou disease disaster?"

"The population of Chenzhou will be greatly reduced, and the grain output of Dongfu State will also be seriously affected."The Minister of Rites

"Yes, what's the use of hoarding so much food if the people don't have it?"

"So what's the point of asking for money?"The Minister of Rites

"If there is a turmoil and people flee in all directions, I am afraid that they will not be able to take any food with them. At least they can have money. Even if they flee to other countries, they can survive with some money and will not have to beg for food."

"this……"The Minister of Rites could not answer for the moment

"Why do adults think they buy grain? Is it because there is no food to eat? If you are an adult, I believe that their grain fields may not be able to be eaten in three to five years without harvesting any grain. Their only purpose is to make the court short of grain and then sell it at a high price."Daozhi.

Daozhi looked at the Minister of Rites and continued:

"Judging from the current disaster situation in Chenzhou, no matter what, it is difficult to ensure that the court will not be short of food next year. The panic buying now can only let the people eat for a few more days but cannot solve the underlying problem. Moreover, the court can no longer spend money to buy food. Lord Shangshu Those in charge of taxation should know better than I do below. Even if the imperial court has money to collect grain, it will definitely lead to an even more intense rush to buy grain. Can the imperial court be able to rob them? The people can't rob them. They will definitely panic when the time comes. Under the disaster, if the disaster is allowed to Spread, how to deal with it? If panic is unavoidable and it is better late than early, why not save some money? When the day comes when there is really no food to eat, give some settlement money to the people who are willing to leave and let them find another way to make a living in other countries. Isn't it more practical?"

"This is strong words, even if it is what you say, it cannot be done."The Minister of Rites cannot accept Tao Zhi's logic at all.

"Preparing for the worst does not mean being disloyal to the court and not caring about the people."Tao Zhi understood that the Minister of Rites was determined to live and die with the people.

"I will see you, Your Majesty Zou Ming, tomorrow."The Minister of Rites

"After participating in the performance of the other three ministers, it was announced to the public. Although it is immoral, under what law should your majesty deal with it? How to dispose of it? Regardless of whether they were dealt with or not, it is already known to the whole world, and they will panic if they don't panic. Even if they have to deal with them, they are buying food secretly. They can evade it by saying that they don't know, and just find a steward to accept it, just like the wealthy squires during the parade in the south. What can your Majesty do?"Daozhi

"That cannot be ignored."The Minister of Rites

"The most important thing at the moment is to stabilize people's hearts. Ya Shengyan does not worry about scarcity, inequality, poverty, or insecurity. Dao

Zhi knew that he could not persuade this high-ranking veteran of the two dynasties, so he could only suggest:"Is it possible that you and I will each give a secret memorial and let His Majesty decide?""

"Okay, let's do it."The Minister of Rites agreed readily.

Daozhi quickly wrote a secret memorial, sealed it and handed it to the Minister of Rites. The Minister of Rites returned to his residence and thought about it for a long time. He wrote a long article about the current Dongfu Kingdom in Blue Lake. After analyzing the situation, I thought it was enough to convince His Majesty, so I stopped and rushed to the palace overnight.

~

The eunuch guarding the gate said that His Majesty had rested and asked him to come back tomorrow morning. The Minister of Rites begged repeatedly but could not persuade the eunuch, so he rushed in directly, alerting the eunuch who was serving His Majesty. The Minister of Rites explained the reason and asked again and again, and the eunuch had no choice but to hand over the memorial. To His Majesty.

While still under the candlelight, King Dongfu first opened the Tao Zhi's Secret Notes, which contained only one sentence. After patiently reading the Secret Notes of the Minister of Rites, King Dongfu asked the eunuch:"What do you think of the Minister of Rites?"

"How can you, the minister of the DPRK, be evaluated by me, an old slave like you?"Eunuch.

King Dongfu stood up and walked around the study:"Just say what you say. I won't blame you for anything.

The eunuch replied cautiously:"It is rare for an old minister in the court to be loyal and diligent for so many years." King

Dongfu looked at the candle and nodded slightly:"Sincerity is indeed rare, and his sincerity can be learned from heaven." After a while, King

Dongfu sighed:"The house is dark, no matter how bright the candle is, the light cannot illuminate the entire house."

Then he turned around and asked,"What about Tao Zhi?""

"Not long after he was appointed Minister of War, he was young and promising."Eunuch.

King Dongfu folded the two memorials back to their original state, pondered, and said a little to himself:"Only by breaking the wall can the sunlight shine in and the room will be bright. It takes courage to break the wall. If you are not careful, The house will also span."

The eunuch understood what His Majesty meant. After a while, the eunuch reminded:

"Lord Shangshu is still outside. Would your Majesty want to see him?"

King Dongfu hesitated for a while, and then wrote a note

"It is not easy for me to be the Minister of Rites and a veteran of two generations."The eunuch said casually

"Relying on sincerity alone is not enough. In times of crisis, dangerous methods are needed. You personally hand it over to the Minister of Rites. If the king is not secretive, his ministers will lose their authority; if their ministers are not secretive, they will lose their virginity; if they are not secretive, they will suffer consequences. Today's events have come to naught just like this memorial. King Dongfu handed the note to the eunuch and burned the two secret notes.

As soon as the eunuch reached the door, he was stopped again:"Take this cloak with you. It was windy at night and the minister is old.""

The Minister of Rites was still waiting anxiously outside. When he saw the eunuch rushing over, he said after reading His Majesty's note:"I want to see Your Majesty."

"There is no need to see you. Your Majesty has been working hard all day. In the middle of the night, please do not disturb Your Majesty again."The eunuch stopped

"Sorry for the trouble."

The eunuch walked to the Minister of Rites and said:"Everyone in the court, your Majesty, your sincerity, don't you know? Your Majesty has His Majesty's considerations. We ministers can just do our duty. This matter is not your Majesty's. It's up to you to take care of it. Your Majesty, you have fulfilled your duty to Your Majesty and the people by coming here late at night. It's late at night and it's cold. Please go back and rest."

"The matter is of great importance, please let me know again. I must see Your Majesty."The Minister of Rites sincerely invites you to

"The old slave thinks it’s better to forget it. His Majesty Mi Zuo looked at it carefully. After speaking , the eunuch put the windbreaker on the Minister of Rites:"This is your Majesty's windbreaker. It has gone through many ups and downs. That year, the rivers in the east flooded and the people were displaced. Last time, the border thieves invaded and killed the people of Dongfu and the north." Drought... His Majesty always wears this windbreaker to visit the people. Your Majesty said that the wind was strong at night. Lord Shangshu is old and has been working hard for the country of Dongfu day and night. He should take good care of himself."

The night wind was blowing the windbreaker. The Minister of Rites held the corners of his clothes tightly with both hands. He burst into tears and left in disappointment. The eunuch watched the back of the Minister of Rites slowly disappear into the dark night before going back to report. His Majesty sighed:"It's embarrassing. I hope he understands. The eunuch comforted him:"

He will understand. No one cares about the people more and can care about the people more than your Majesty.""

Wei ZhenWillNox