"Yes, Your Majesty, I will make arrangements when I go back." Xu Guangqi quickly agreed, and then said with a little hesitation: "But... Your Majesty, the money is enough now, but there is not much food."

"It's okay, there will be food soon." Zhu Youxiao looked at Xu Guangqi and said, "Just go back and wait for news."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Xu Guangqi nodded and said, "If Your Majesty has no other instructions, then I will go and do it."

"Go." Zhu Youxiao nodded and signaled that Xu Guangqi could leave.

After Xu Guangqi left, Zhu Youxiao sat down slowly, with a very indifferent expression on his face, and was thinking about what to do next and from which angle to do it.

At this time, Chen Hong walked in from outside, holding two question books in his hand.

Chen Hong came straight to Zhu Youxiao and said, "Old Master, these two questions were just sent. One was from the Shandong governor Zhao Kui, and the other was from the Shandong envoy Zhou Fusheng."

Hearing these two people putting themselves in the question book, Zhu Youxiao smiled and said sarcastically in his tone: "I can't sit still! Take it here and take it."

Chen Hong did not dare to neglect and quickly presented two questions to Zhu Youxiao.

He reached out and brought the question book over. Zhu Youxiao first read Zhao Kui's, after all, he was the governor of Shandong.

He reached out and opened the question book. Zhu Youxiao read it quickly, and then a smile appeared on his face.

In this question book, Zhao Kui first confessed his guilt and admitted that he was ineffective in disaster relief. However, afterwards, he changed his mind and blamed all the charges on Qufu and the Prince Lu's Mansion, saying that they had many illegal acts in Shandong and controlled the yamen and various grain merchants in Shandong.

This means that both families own a lot of land and also have a lot of food. Treating victims in Shandong requires the cooperation of these two families. If these two families do not cooperate, the victims will not be able to receive good treatment.

In this case, he had no choice but to cooperate with the two companies. To put it bluntly, he endured humiliation and burdened it. It also showed that he gave all the disaster relief money and grain he received, part of which was used to buy grain, and part of it was used to exchange old rice.

Zhu Youxiao reached out to put down Zhao Kui's question book and sighed softly.

Is Zhao Kui's words true?

Of course it is true.

But was he really forced to do so?

Of course it is not a last resort.

There is a saying in this day and age that is, county officials are not as good as county officials.

You should know that Zhao Kui is the governor of Shandong and has the right to hold it in his hands. If he wants to do anything, no one can stop it. Whether it is the Prince of Lu or Qufu, the problem is not here. The question is whether Zhao Kui will do it.

After being an official for several years, life may not be easy if you offend Qufu; if you offend Prince Lu's Mansion, it may not be easy if you offend Prince Lu's Mansion. Of course, this is not the key. The key to the problem is whether there are any benefits there.

If Zhao Kui was allowed to embezzle the food and wages for disaster relief, it would be very troublesome. But if it was given to Qufu and the Prince Lu's Mansion, the matter would become much easier. In private, Qufu and the Prince Lu's Mansion would give Zhao Kui money and food, and he just needed to collect it quietly.

As for the so-called grain exchange, it is the ridiculous reason Zhu Youxiao has ever heard of. Using the new food from the court to exchange old grain and bran rice to get more grain to save the people, it seems that there is no problem. After all, for the victims, some food paintings, whether it is old or new grain, are already a good thing.

If one stone of new grain can be exchanged for two stones of old grain, it may be a good thing. They also say that to the outside world, but in fact they do not do that.

When the imperial court's disaster relief food is in the hands of these people, they will sell it at a high price. The hoarding and raising the price of food are so familiar to these people.

As for the old grain they took out, they were definitely not enough in quantity. Not only were they not enough in quantity, but they were not good in quality. They forced the people to buy their grain and sell their land and their children. They made great profits from it.

Officials at all levels were responding to disasters on the surface, and their slogans were also tremendous, and they also answered the above correctly: it was just that there were too many victims and too little food, so there was no way.

But in private, it was all the grain merchants and officials. All the grain merchants and officials made great profits, while gentry from all over the country took the opportunity to buy the land of the people. It can be said that this was a feast of wealth from top to bottom.

As for the losses, the only victims are the victims.

After coming to the Ming Dynasty for so long, Zhu Youxiao has learned a skill, that is, the ministers under his command cannot read them, or even do them. What they say is often different from what they do is the truth.

Just like disaster relief, they are busy on the surface, and they are very busy every day, and they use various methods to relieve disasters, and even faint from exhaustion, but they are privately filled with their own pockets.

Zhu Youxiao reached out and picked up Zhou Fusheng's question book and read it slowly.

This question is quite straightforward, and he directly impeached Zhao Kui, King Lu and Qufu, saying that they colluded with each other and embezzled funds for disaster relief, and said it was very rude. Obviously, this is the attack of the second-in-command against the first-in-command, and all the problems are the top-in-command.

However, both of them had a tacit understanding and did not mention the Shandong Governor, which surprised Zhu Youxiao.

Logically speaking, shouldn’t this matter be tied to the Shandong Governor?

It is hard to say that the Shandong Governor didn't know about this. You must know that this Shandong Governor Zhao Yan is not an ordinary character.

This is a very famous minister, who patrolled the border many times, is good at military tactics and strategies, is very good at military affairs, and is a civil servant who is more capable of fighting.

Although Zhao Yan's time to come to Shandong was short, it was impossible for him to know nothing. Such a shrewd official could not be played with by his subordinates in the midst of applause.

Now the governor and the envoy of the Imperial College have been included in the title book, but he, the governor, has no movement. The governor and the envoy of the Imperial College have not attacked him, as the governor. It seems that there is something that he does not know about here.

After putting down Zhou Fusheng's question book, Zhu Youxiao fell into deep thought.

Zhu Youxiao didn't know if Zhao Yan was the mastermind of this incident, but he could ask this person. Anyway, King Lu and Duke Yan Sheng were coming, so it would be no big deal to call Zhao Yan.

So Zhu Youchao said to Chen Hong: "Transfer an order to Shandong Governor Zhao Yan and let him come here."

"Yes, the emperor, I will go now." Chen Hong quickly agreed and said.

At the same time, there was a group of people outside Jining. The number was not large, with only more than a hundred people, and the team was not very grand. However, looking at the signs in front, you can tell that this was the car of King Lu.

For King Zhu Shouyong of Lu, the days have not been easy these days, and he is also very anxious. In just two days, King Lu's mouth was covered with fire and a boil appeared on his head. He was so angry that his virtual fire rose very much.

Who would have thought that His Majesty had come to Jining and summoned him? You know, the matter of King Fu had just been spreading, which made King Lu even more anxious.

King Fu is His Majesty’s uncle today, what ends up in the end?

The King of Lu was passed down by the son of Emperor Taizu. It has been passed down for many years, and the blood relationship has long faded. His Majesty has no psychological pressure to deal with him.

Although according to the ranking of the seniority, I should be the grandfather of His Majesty. However, at this time, I dare not be the grandfather.

When he arrived in Jining, he didn't know how His Majesty would deal with him. So this time, King Lu came, and it was a light car. For him, the more miserable he performed, the better. It would be that His Majesty could let him go.

"Your Majesty, you have arrived at the gate of Jining."

At this time, a voice outside the car said, his tone was very clear, but it clearly entered the ears of King Lu.

After hearing this, King Lu sighed and said helplessly: "What should be coming will come."

"Your Majesty, don't worry too much. Your Majesty called the Youth Prince to Jining, but there was no big deal." The voice outside continued, his tone filled with comfort.

He picked up the curtain of the car and glanced at the eunuch talking outside. King Lu smiled bitterly and said, "It's now, so there's no need to comfort me. Go to the city and go to pay homage to the emperor."

The eunuch is named Chen He, and he is the confidant of King Lu. He has always followed King Lu and usually gives advice to King Lu, so this time King Lu brought him too.

However, King Lu also knew that no idea was useful now, and everything depends on His Majesty's attitude, so he didn't want to talk too much to Chen He. Let's talk about it after seeing His Majesty.

The group entered the city directly, so the King of Lu naturally did not dare to delay and went directly to pay homage to Zhu Youxiao. As for other matters, we will talk about it after he met Zhu Youxiao.

After receiving the news that King Lu arrived, Zhu Youxiao also smiled on his face.

My own food and money are here!

Zhu You proofread the news from Chen Hong, who came in to report the message, said: "Let them come in, and let someone prepare a banquet. I want to keep the King of Lu for dinner."

"It's the emperor." Chen Hong quickly agreed.

"Just four dishes and one soup are ready." Zhu Youxiao thought about it and added again: "Tell the people below that they don't need to make too rich."

After hearing what his prince said, Chen Hong didn't know what to say.

The emperor of his family has always been very frugal, and he often eats four dishes and one soup. Chen Hong felt a little distressed in his heart, and the emperor probably had never had a very sumptuous banquet.

These four dishes and one soup are not rich at all, and they even specifically told them not to make them too rich. Then they can only be simple dishes and soup.

One meat dish, three vegetarian dishes. As for soup, it won’t be just egg flower soup, right?

Chen Hong felt even more distressed as he thought about it.

However, Chen Hong dared not say these words, otherwise he would not be able to bear the charge of instigating His Majesty to be arrogant and extravagant.

After Chen Hong left, King Lu walked in from outside.

After seeing Zhu Youxiao, King Lu did not dare to neglect and quickly knelt on the ground to salute.

You know, this is the first time he has met Zhu Youxiao and the first time he has left his fiefdom. In such a situation, he dare not neglect the slightest.

Zhu Youxiao was looking at King Lu and found that King Lu looked pretty good. Although he was a little tired, he could tell that he was in good spirits.

Seeing King Lu kneeling down, Zhu Youxiao quickly stood up from the chair and walked quickly to King Lu.

He reached out and helped King Lu up and said, "The prince of Lu, you don't need to perform this great gift."

"The rituals of the king and the ministers should not be abolished." King Lu said hurriedly.

"Okay, okay. Although this is our first time meeting, it is all the blood of Emperor Taizu after all. King Lu doesn't have to regard this place as a court, just treat it as a family in private." Zhu Youxiao said in a gentle tone.

Looking at the emperor who seemed to have no stranger and was very enthusiastic about him, King Lu not only did not relax his vigilance, but instead became even more nervous.

As the saying goes, if you show your diligence without any reason, you are either a traitor or a thief?

The emperor in front of him is so polite to a prince like him, I am afraid that he will have to pay more and may have to punish him.

The King of Lu had already remembered a sentence in his heart, and the golden cups were like drinking, and the hand and blades were not spared.

Zhu Youxiao naturally didn't understand what King Lu was thinking. He didn't expect that King Lu would have so many plays. He reached out and pulled King Lu to the side and sat down and said, "This is my first time leaving Beijing. After arriving in Shandong, he thought about meeting King Lu and talking about family affection."

After hearing Zhu Youxiao's words, King Lu's heart skipped a beat.

Family affection, no royal family has any family affection?

What's more, it's my family relationship with His Majesty who has already had five slaughter.

"I am afraid." King Lu said quickly: "Your Majesty is really convinced by the royal family."

Just like this, King Lu said it very slowly, looking like he had thought carefully.
To be continued...