Chapter 260: We Will Definitely Have a Better Home
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Emperor Ling Hui was very excited to know in advance that Marshal Gu had taken down the Southern Frontier and expanded the territory of Ling Kingdom by a quarter.
He said emotionally to the courtiers, ‘Marshal Gu and the soldiers have worked hard! We must reward the soldiers guarding the border who can’t go home. Let them feel the spring breeze of the Imperial Court and how much it values them! ‘
There were few people in the Southern Frontier. The best reward was to give money and food to their wives.
The courtiers looked at each other. Only Li Guozhong stood up and said, “Your Majesty, the battle has just ended. The treasury’ is empty, and the people have yet to recuperate. We can’t reward the soldiers for the time being.”
Not to mention rewards, it was difficult to pay anything now.
Without any money in the national treasury, Sheng Huaixuan handed over all his hundred years’ worth of family a.s.sets. Emperor Ling Hui’s personal treasury was also very abundant.
When Emperor Ling Hui heard Li Guozhong’s words, the smile on his face froze.
It was not that he did not want to take out the silver to reward the army. If there was a precedent, as long as the treasury’ was empty, this group of ministers would ask him for money. Wouldn’t his personal treasury also become the national treasury? Then why would he keep these ministers!
His subjects should be helping him to resolve his concerns!
He definitely could not spoil them!
Emperor Ling Hui was about to speak when Song Liansheng helped him out. “Rewarding the soldiers is your duty! The treasury is empty, so you have to think of a way to fill it up!”
Li Guozhong’s expression was constipated. Before Emperor Ling Hui could be happy for a moment, Song Liansheng said, ‘The land of the Southern Frontier is spa.r.s.ely populated, and the people are valiant. If you want them to completely a.s.similate and stabilize the territory of the Ling Kingdom so that Marshal Gu doesn’t have anything to worry about, I suggest that we exile the prisoners and migrate the people so that the Southern Frontier can truly become a part of our Ling Country! ”
The Yan Kingdom had more than 800 years of history. There were as many royal family memebers as there were hairs on an ox. If Emperor Ling Hui wanted to eradicate all these people, it would waste their effort, he might as well strip them of their t.i.tles and a.s.sets and send them to the deserted southern frontier.
There was nothing there, so he was not afraid that they would cause trouble.
Li Guozhong glanced at Song Liansheng in surprise. In this way, they did not have to exploit the people and the treasury would be rich.
Emperor Ling Hui felt that this was a good idea. Just as he was about to discuss with them which areas to move the people to the Southern Frontier, Chu Mingxuan, who had been traveling overnight, entered the hall.
After not seeing him for more than half a year, Chu Mingxuan had lost a lot of weight. His originally ordinary face looked very weathered after traveling overnight. At a glance, compared to the handsome Emperor Ling Hui, one might even think that Chu Mingxiuan was his father.
Before Chu Mingxuan came in, he had already asked his wife about the topic that Emperor Ling Hui and the courtiers were discussing.
Chu Mingxuan guessed that Emperor Ling Hui did not like to use his personal treasury and was secretly happy about it. His chance to officially show his face as the future heir to the throne had arrived.
Chu Mingxuan knelt down with a plop and recounted his recent hard work.
He pretended to be crying, but the courtiers knew very well that Chu Mingxuan’s battle achievements before returning to Jingnan City were all achieved by Gu Junyan. Gu Junyan died in an accident, so Emperor Linghui transferred him the military power. In the end, tens of thousands of people from a city died. He had to attack more than ten times before he could take down the city.
When Chu Mingxuan returned to Jingnan Prefecture, he had the foundation of Emperor Ling Hui’s control over the government and a large number of people to stabilize the situation. How could he be tired?!
He was tired but still had the time to marry a secondary consort. It was simply laughable.
However, the ministers only dared to complain in their hearts and did not dare to reveal any thoughts.
After all, this was Emperor Ling Hui’s only son.
Emperor Ling Hui was annoyed to see him crying. His gaze landed between his legs, and he was even more annoyed. He frowned and said, “If you have nothing to do, stand aside and wait for the meeting to end!’
Chu Mingxuan suddenly raised his head and did not dare to say anything else. He hurriedly said, “l still have a joyous occasion to report to Father! ”
Emperor Ling Hui asked impatiently, “What is it?”
Chu Mingxuan straightened his chest, his eyes flashing with pride. “Father, I discovered a gold mine in Luochuan Manor! It must be an auspicious sign from the heavens that the true heir has ascended the throne!”
No matter how dissatisfied Emperor Ling Hui was with Chu Mingxuan, when he found out that he had discovered a gold mine, he could not help but praise excitedly, “Good! Good! Good! Our Ling Kingdom is blessed by the heavens. Our country will definitely be safe!”
The courtiers immediately knelt down and said loudly, “The country is safe! The country is safe!’
Chu Mingxuan deliberately showed off himself. “Father, I suggest that we move the previous batch of refugees over.’
“Since they abandoned their hometown back then and haven’t been living in the countryside for long, they won’t be as resistant as the other commoners if they move places.”
Emperor Ling Hui nodded in agreement. ‘Mingler’s idea is feasible.”
Li Guozhong was about to say that doing so would probably disappoint these commoners. It was not easy for them to settle down, but they had to migrate again. Just thinking about it made him feel despair.
However, Emperor Ling Hui agreed. He could only say, “If we migrate the people, the journey to the Southern Frontier will be long. We have to compensate these people. If they die on the way, I’m afraid it will damage the emperor’s reputation.
Emperor Ling Hui nodded. He wanted to say that he would compensate each refugee with five taels of silver, but when he thought about how the soldiers of the Southern Frontier had yet to be paid, he changed his mind and changed it to one tael of silver.
Even if all the refugees were included, the number of people going to the Southern Frontier still seemed to be too few. Emperor Ling Hui added that as long as they took the initiative to go to the Southern Frontier, each family could obtain an additional tael of silver.
After the gold mine was detected on the Jade Spiritual Mountain, the worry in everyone’s eyes increased every day. Some people dreamed that their house had been forcibly demolished by the government at night. They were so frightened that they rolled out of bed and b.u.mped into themselves on the head.
Everyone waited anxiously and finally received the instructions from the
Imperial Court.
There were one bad news and one good news.
The bad news was that the Imperial Court would send someone to take over the Jade Spiritual Mountain in the near future and develop the gold mine. Their carefully built home would no longer exist.
The good news was that all the refugees were required to migrate to the southern frontier and everyone could be together again.
However, some people felt that this was not good news. The Southern Frontier was an uncivilized and barbaric place. There was nothing there. If they went, how could they have their current good days?
However, they had no right to refuse. They could only pack their bags and leave for the Southern Frontier within ten days.
The Jade Spiritual Mountain had a gold mine, and the people of Lintian Village did not feel good either. They only had two choices. They could either integrate into other villages or move to the Southern Frontier like Youjia Village.
If they integrated into other villages, the government would only give them two mu of land! They would not even give them any money to replenish their supplies. In fact, they might as well follow the Youjia villagers to the Southern Frontier and farm. There would be a tael of silver as compensation and the government even provided food on the way.
Bai Wutong stood quietly on the windowsill and looked down at Youjia Village.
Everyone came and went in a hurry, looking worried.
Chu Tianbao quietly hugged her lower back and promised her, “Wife, we will definitely have a better home than this.”
Slowly, Bai Wutong turned and leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat to hide the moisture in her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure it will.” Everyone would..