After three days of tight travel, Zisai and others finally arrived at their destination.
As soon as I arrived at the city, I saw that all the people's faces were as yellow as wax.
"What happened to them? Why are they all staying on the street?" Zi Tong looked at the people outside the car window with deep confusion in his eyes.
"It has been drought here for several months, and there is no grain harvest; the people's life is naturally miserable!" Zisai glanced at the people outside the car window: "The reason why they gathered here is to wait for the government to
Hand out food!”
Zi Tong frowned slightly: "Since the drought has lasted for so long, why did the Emperor not send you until now?" By doing this, wouldn't he be ignoring the lives and deaths of the people?
Zisai turned his eyes to Zitong: "Before me, the emperor had sent two ministers here, and the relief food was also delivered in waves, but it is not an option to continue like this..."
"So, the emperor's brother ordered you to come here to solve the drought problem here!" Zi Tong took over Zi Sai's words before he finished speaking.
Zisai nodded.
Zi Tong stared at Zi Sai with bright eyes: "Then have you thought of a solution?"
"No!" Zi Sai shook his head: "We have to wait until the disaster situation and terrain here are inspected before we can draw a conclusion on the specific measures!"
"Ah?!" Zi Tong's lips parted slightly, and a look of disappointment flashed across her eyes: "So, you are not completely sure of solving the disaster here!"
"Well!" Zisai didn't want to take the people out of dire straits, but that was within his ability.
"Look at how pitiful they are!" Zi Tong looked downcast as he looked at the sallow and skinny people who kept flashing past.
Zi Sai sighed silently, as if he was talking to Zi Tong, or to himself: "It will eventually pass!"
"I hope!" Zi Tong murmured, and then thought of a serious question: "By the way! The drought here is so serious, how do they solve the problem of daily water use?"
"There is a snow mountain a thousand kilometers away. The people use water for daily use. The officials go to the snow mountain to fetch snow. After the snow turns into water, it is distributed to the people!" Zi Sai told Zi Tong the result of his previous inquiry.
Hearing that at least the people would not lose their lives due to lack of water, Zi Tong felt a little relieved.
"As long as people don't have to worry about their lives, everything will be solved one day!"
A flash of admiration flashed in Zisai's eyes: "Maybe it's time for me to change my opinion of you!"
"What do you mean by that?" Zi Tong pursed her lips subconsciously, feeling that there was something in his words.
"It's not interesting!" Zi Sai's lips curled up slightly and his eyes turned outside the car again.
"It's weird that it doesn't make sense!" Zi Tong muttered in a low voice, but did not ask further questions.
About a quarter of an hour later, the carriage slowly stopped outside the local government office.
The prefect, who had been waiting for a long time, hurried forward to greet him: "I respectfully welcome Master Zisai!"
"Master Yuan, no courtesy!" Zi Sai said to Zi Tong with hope, "This is the righteous daughter of the Supreme Emperor, Princess Zi Tong!"
Master Yuan heard this and hurriedly paid homage: "When I pay my respects to the princess, I am often negligent. I hope the princess will show her kindness!"
"It's okay! Please get up quickly!" Zi Tong is still not used to the ancient etiquette of paying homage at all times.
Master Yuan stood up: "Master Zisai! Princess! Please come inside!"
"Yes!" Zisai responded and walked towards the mansion with Mr. Yuan.
"Master Zisai! The food here can last for ten days at most. I wonder if the emperor can give an order to send someone to transport food here?" Master Yuan carefully checked Zisai's words.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yuan! The food for disaster relief will arrive here in three to five days!" Zisai opened his lips lightly, his expression as cold as ever: "Have there been any riots here recently?"
"It happened once half a month ago, but the casualties were not very large!" A wry smile escaped Master Yuan's lips: "Although the food distributed by the emperor can save the lives of the people, it cannot allow them to eat three meals a day.
We are full and drunk; that’s why riots keep happening!”
Zisai's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was thinking about something.
Zi Tong's smart eyes were always paying attention to his expression.
Zisai's eyes suddenly looked at Lord Yuan, and he said, "Master Yuan! You first arrange a room for the princess to rest! Regarding the disaster, let's go to the study to discuss it in detail!"
"Yes!" Mr. Yuan responded and waved to the maid not far away.
"I don't want it!" Zi Tong shouted. At the same time, Rou Yi hugged Zi Sai's arm tightly: "I'll go with you; I promise I won't talk nonsense, let alone cause you trouble!"
Zisai frowned slightly: "Be obedient!"
Seeing his face sinking, Zi Tong slowly lowered his head and responded muffled: "Oh!"
"Take the princess to the east wing to rest!" Mr. Yuan spoke at the right time and ordered the maid.
"Yes!" The maid touched her body and made an inviting gesture to Zi Tong: "Princess! Please come with me!"
Zi Tong nodded, turned back three times and followed the maid away; until Zi Sai's figure was no longer visible, his eyes turned to the maid beside him: "You are working in the government office, so the food should be good, right?"
The maid smiled slightly and respectfully replied: "Princess, you don't know, but we adults have always loved the people like children. Since the disaster, everyone in the government office, including you, has been eating the same food as the common people!"
"He really loves the people like his own son!" He is indeed a good official who can put aside his dignity and share the joys and sorrows with the people.
The maid smiled and said nothing.
"By the way! Do you have anything interesting here?" Zi Tong asked.
When the maid heard this, her expression suddenly became tense: "Princess! You'd better not leave the house at will, because the people don't know when they will launch a riot. If you accidentally hurt your golden body, you will be in trouble!"
Zi Tong had just heard Master Yuan mention the riots, and now that the maid had mentioned it, he couldn't help but ask, "Do riots often happen here?"
"In the beginning, there would usually be a riot every two or three days; but as time went by, the people became relatively calm; the last riot was half a month ago!" The maid told the truth and did not hide anything.
"Then how did Mr. Yuan deal with the rioters?"
"At the beginning, your Excellency would disperse the rioting people without any investigation, but those people did not give up and often started riots for no reason. In the end, Your Majesty had no choice but to temporarily imprison the rioting people in prison..." Maid
After a slight pause, he continued: "... Your Excellency said that the time to resolve the disaster is to let go of the rioting people!"
"This is not a bad idea!"
While talking, the two walked to a room.
"Princess is here!" The maid gently opened the door in front of her: "Do you want to rest for a while first, or..."
"You go and do your own business, I'll take a rest!" Zi Tong spoke directly without waiting for the maid to finish.
"Yes!" The maid was full of happiness, and then slowly stepped back.
Zi Tong walked into the wing, looked at the simple but clean and tidy room, and nodded with satisfaction; then his eyes caught a glimpse of a soft bed not far away, and he was overjoyed, stepped forward quickly, and decisively kept himself in the soft room.