Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Strategy for Response

Li Qingyao gave Qin Hao a general overview of the situation and waited for his response.

As Qin Hao listened, his expression grew increasingly grim. He had grasped the situation. The disaster relief plan he had proposed could not actually save forty to fifty percent of the budget. While his methods were sound, the reality of this particular disaster was that the required funds far exceeded all projections.

It was due to the severity of the natural catastrophe. The displaced victims were wandering everywhere. The surrounding hills had been stripped bare by the starving populace. Because it was winter, they needed firewood for warmth, and even the trees had been felled without a single one left standing. Not a blade of grass remained. When it came time to rebuild their homes, there was no timber to be found. All construction materials would have to be sourced and transported from elsewhere. The resulting costs for procurement and logistics would be astronomically higher than anticipated. It was not that the court didn't want to save money for the soldiers in the north; the money simply did not exist. Even if they wanted to use a "work-for-relief" program to rebuild, there were no materials to work with.

In short, only parts of Qin Hao's plan were applicable—such as mobilizing local gentry for relief efforts, which was feasible. The rest was disconnected from the dire reality. With even the mountains stripped bare, the victims could not even sustain themselves. They could only wait for state aid to survive until the early spring.

Seeing Qin Hao’s darkening expression, Li Qingyao realized she had put him in a difficult position. This problem was intractable, which was why she had been so distressed. Moreover, the national treasury this year was indeed in a state of severe depression; there was simply not enough capital to deploy. She had wanted to see what Qin Hao would suggest.

Qin Hao spoke up. He did not offer a solution immediately, but instead asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, has the disaster relief actually begun yet?"

Li Qingyao, failing to notice the shift in his demeanor, replied immediately, "We are currently organizing grain supplies. The first batch was dispatched today."

Emperor Xuande, however, narrowed his eyes. He sensed that something was wrong with Qin Hao, though he could not yet discern what he intended to say.

Qin Hao took a deep breath, his gaze sharp and cold. "Good. Truly excellent. To my knowledge, this disaster has been ongoing for four days. You tell me that even the first batch of relief grain has yet to arrive, and you are still worrying about saving money? Do you have any idea how many people will starve to death in four days?"

"I have said that military preparedness is important. But if the families of the soldiers on the frontier all starve to death, tell me, who are they supposed to protect? The country?"

"Don't joke. Once they lose their families, they have no reason to protect a damn thing!"

Li Qingyao’s heart trembled, her pupils dilated, and it was as if her mind had been struck by a heavy hammer. She was completely unable to answer Qin Hao’s question.

Emperor Xuande watched Qin Hao, gauging that he was truly angry. A subtle, cryptic smile touched the corner of his lips. Seeing his daughter struck speechless, he interjected, "Qin Hao, as far as I know, the moment the news of the disaster reached the capital, we began preparing the grain. This year's harvest was poor and our reserves are thin, but the grain was sent out on the second day of the disaster. Because winter has set in and the roads are treacherous, transport is slow. The first batch should arrive by tomorrow. What is currently on the move is the second batch."

Upon hearing this, Qin Hao’s expression softened. He realized he had overlooked the limitations of ancient transport, and the fact that the response had been so swift suggested the Emperor of Dajing was not a man of incompetence.

Li Qingyao looked at her father in disbelief. She had no idea when the grain had been sent.

Emperor Xuande explained with a smile, "The news arrived during the hours of the Pig (9:00 PM to 11:00 PM), and the grain was dispatched during the hours of the Tiger (3:00 AM to 5:00 AM). The six ministries were fully mobilized to complete the loading and transport at the earliest possible moment. It was all accomplished while the citizens of the capital were asleep. Your Highness, do not be arrogant or underestimate the civil officials of this world. They may be pedantic and prone to political infighting, but they are not entirely incompetent. Over these years, while you have won many verbal battles in court, the actual improvements you have secured for the military are few and far between."

After these words, Emperor Xuande turned to Qin Hao: "The Princess was unaware of the grain transport; she was merely hoping to find a comprehensive solution for the current crisis."

Li Qingyao felt a profound impact. She had always believed she was formidable, capable of easily managing the imperial court. But faced with her father’s question and reflecting on the events of the past few years, she was suddenly awakened. It was true; her performances in court were impressive, but they were merely minor victories. If not for that, she wouldn't still be struggling to secure better treatment for the military officers this year.

Qin Hao agreed with the Emperor: "The Teacher is right. Ministers who can navigate the struggles to reach high positions in the six ministries are, in all likelihood, not incompetent. Even if they are just putting on a show, they must have the ability to sustain that facade. If they were truly incompetent when their efforts were actually needed, their careers would be over."

Li Qingyao retorted, unconvinced, "Qin Hao, you have looked down on those civil officials too."

Qin Hao replied confidently, "That is because I am superior to them. I have the qualifications to look down on them; the solutions they cannot conceive, I can."

He was not boasting. During his rest the previous night, he had spoken with Wu Tong and gained a general understanding of the stage the Dajing Dynasty was at. Furthermore, how could the officials of Dajing compare to a soul-transmigrator from the modern era, someone who had witnessed the failure of countless ancient dynasties and stood on the shoulders of giants?

Emperor Xuande understood his implication immediately. "Qin Hao, have you thought of a solution?"

Qin Hao nodded.

Li Qingyao urged, "Tell us quickly."

Qin Hao did not hold back: "There are two methods. The first is faster, but it comes with conditions."

"What conditions?" Li Qingyao asked.

Qin Hao said, "If we move the victims to other cities, can those cities accept them? Do they have the capacity to support these victims until early spring? Or can they provide the building materials to help the victims restore their own cities?"

Li Qingyao pondered for a moment and shook her head: "That won't work. Last year’s harvest was poor, and we already conducted a relief effort. If these victims go to other cities, they will only drag those cities down into destruction as well."

Qin Hao sighed: "I understand."

"From what I know, the concentration of land ownership in the Dajing Dynasty has only just begun. In the absence of disaster, the people can sustain themselves. But the current result is that the resource output of the disaster-stricken areas is severely lacking. They cannot save themselves and require an allocation of resources. The surrounding cities only produce enough for their own consumption and have no spare capacity. Yet, the cost of moving resources is an alarming expense. Moreover, the mountains that have been stripped bare will not recover in a short time; the disaster area will remain a region of barren output for a while."

"Therefore, there is only the second method."

"Move the people from the south to the north."

Emperor Xuande looked at Qin Hao deeply. He had not expected Qin Hao to have reached the same conclusion as him. He had been listening intently, finding Qin Hao's new terminology, like "resource output," quite novel and easy to understand. But he never expected Qin Hao to propose moving the southern population to the north.

It was not that he hadn't considered it. But the opposition in the imperial court was ten or a hundred times greater than the opposition against improving the treatment of military officers. One had to understand that many of the ministers in court hailed from powerful clans and aristocratic families. The roots of these families were firmly planted in the south. If the commoners were moved away, the interests of these powerful clans would suffer. Thus, they had a million reasons to oppose such a migration.

As the saying went: "The families are like iron, the dynasties like flowing water." Even when the late Emperor founded the Dajing Dynasty and everything was in ruins, he could not topple the influence of these great clans. Now, for him to try and uproot their foundations would be even harder.

Li Qingyao was the first to object: "That is not feasible. It simply cannot be done."

Qin Hao smiled and hit the nail on the head: "Because we must consider the interests of the powerful clans, is that it?"

Li Qingyao frowned: "You know that, and yet you still suggest it?"

Then, she realized something. Her face lit up with excitement: "Do you have a way to persuade these powerful clans?"