NFBE Chapter 664 The earth dragon turns over
Chapter 664 The earth dragon turns over
Shen Ruyi replied with a letter, instructing him to continue the investigation and to go to the Chu King's fiefdom once she had finished her work here.
I always felt that there was some surprise waiting for me in the Chu King's fiefdom.
They also transferred some soldiers from nearby areas specifically to deliver silver and valuable supplies.
The officials sent by the government arrived one after another, and without taking a break, they immediately began to take over the work here.
After they finished dealing with everything in Jiakang City, a group of people from the Chu Prince's Mansion came specifically to see Princess Qinghui.
There are many highly skilled martial arts masters and guards among them.
As soon as they entered the city gate, they were apprehended by Shen Ruyi's men. They were then arrested and interrogated thoroughly, but no new problems were discovered.
All the guards and experts were killed to prevent the news from leaking out.
After all, she definitely had to go to the King of Chu's fiefdom.
Actually, there are many ways to send messages, such as using carrier pigeons.
After finishing all that, Shen Ruyi planned to lead the team on their way, but the night before they were to set off, an earthquake struck.
Shen Ruyi was shaken awake from her sleep. Others might not be familiar with earthquakes, but she was different.
She was very familiar with this; the first wave was a major earthquake.
Shen Ruyi threw on a coat and rushed outside, then, sensing something was wrong, she shouted loudly.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly and shouted to everyone to run out immediately.
After shaking intermittently several times, it finally ended.
This happened so suddenly, like a stroke of genius from heaven.
The good days were gone in an instant.
What is certain is that this source is neither too far nor too close.
But she definitely had to replan her route because she needed to go to the worst-hit areas of the disaster zone for relief work.
The King of Chu's fiefdom was not going to be conquered in a few moves.
The next morning, Shen Ruyi spent money to acquire a large quantity of grain, cloth, and medicinal herbs.
Leading the team towards the disaster area, she wasn't sure where the epicenter was, so she could only check as she went, heading towards whichever road was most severely affected.
At least go and do your part.
Of course, he also wrote to the Emperor about the matter, as the court had to make arrangements for this incident.
Relying solely on local officials to resolve the issue is clearly unreliable.
The further Shen Ruyi went, the more severe the disaster became; many roads were cracked open.
It is now basically confirmed that the epicenter was to their west.
Many houses in the area collapsed, and people were buried underneath.
They couldn't just stand by and watch someone die, so they led a team to help dig out and rescue the person.
Fortunately, most of the houses here are thatched or wooden. Although they are not very sturdy, they also cause the least harm to people when they collapse.
The aftershocks continued intermittently for more than two days before finally ending.
Shen Ruyi was also a very bold person, and she insisted on going that way. Of course, she didn't just blindly go; she also considered the terrain.
They walked and stopped along the way, helping and saving people along the way.
One place was so badly damaged by the earthquake that a whole hilltop was moved over, completely covering the nearby ravines and villages.
According to a young man who survived in the neighboring village, his father witnessed the earth crack open and a huge gash appear, causing the entire village to sink.
With another tremor, the crack closed up again, and then the village vanished.
In this situation, even if you wanted to help, there's nowhere to start.
The young man's father was immediately terrified and started talking nonsense, repeatedly shouting, "It's all gone, all gone, swallowed up, swallowed up, God is angry, it's been swallowed up."
His father has truly gone mad, lost his mind, and keeps repeating the same few phrases, saying them to anyone he meets, regardless of whether he knows them or not.
Shen Ruyi could understand the other person's madness. It would be strange if they weren't terrified to the point of going crazy after watching a village disappear right before their eyes.
It can only be said that humans are insignificant and worthless in the face of nature. Anyone who encounters such a small creature will die, even if you are the most powerful person in the world.
Although the houses in the surrounding villages were completely destroyed and the grain was buried, at least there was still hope for rescue.
What's truly terrifying and horrifying is when an entire village is swallowed up.
So, before they even reached their destination, they had already scattered almost half of the grain.
Halfway through, Shen Ruyi secretly moved some space out when no one was paying attention, but it was still far from enough.
While passing through a county town, they bought a large quantity of coarse grains at a high price, hired two convoys, and continued towards the epicenter with the necessary supplies.
She didn't have time to deal with these opportunistic price gouging tactics.
Once she's done with her work, she'll definitely give the company behind it a good talking-to.
Anyone who dares to profit from the national crisis will be executed.
When Shen Ruyi finally arrived near the epicenter, she didn't see a single living person or any other living creature.
The faults and elevation changes on the ground indicate that a tremendous change must have occurred here.
After investigating, Shen Ruyi confirmed that the incident of the village being swallowed by the crack had also occurred here at that time.
That's why there wasn't a single living person or creature among them.
The place appeared clean and tidy, yet it was eerily quiet and desolate, devoid of even the chirping of birds, utterly silent.
Standing in this empty space, I felt an indescribable sense of desolation and loneliness.
Who could have imagined that the laughter and chatter of the past, the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs, would become the souls of the dead, buried deep underground, with no way to call for help?
Even the playboys who usually joked around were unusually quiet and heavy-hearted at this moment.
Ever since the earth dragon turned over, these young masters have been fighting on the front lines alongside Shen Ruyi and the shadow guards.
The same digging and shoveling action, but the original intention has long since changed.
Previously, they were responsible for digging pits to bury the dead; this time, they are digging pits to rescue the living, which carries a different meaning.
The former is for death and the end, the latter is for life and living.
On the fourth day after the earthquake, young master Wang Hao, having just rescued an entire village, lingered before approaching Shen Ruyi and asking her a question he was particularly curious about.
"Your Highness, you are a prince, why would you do such a dangerous thing in such a dangerous place? Isn't it said that a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall?"
These lowly people... how can the safety of ordinary people be as important as your personal safety? If something happens to you, many people will not survive.
Shouldn't we keep our distance? Why are we going up there?
This is a major upset, unlike other assassinations or covert attacks; there's no way to defend against it, it's uncontrollable.
Shen Ruyi glanced at Wang Hao's muddy fingernails, rough hands and eyebrows, and coarse clothes, and replied:
"Then why were you so desperate when you were saving people, and what happened to all your expensive clothes?"
The other person scratched his head sheepishly, "I forgot at the time, I only remembered that there were still living people down there, and we should save them."
As for those clothes, they didn't suit this place, so I pawned them. That way, I can get more food in return.
Shen Ruyi smiled slightly, "I share the same thought as you. You wanted to say they were lowly people, didn't you?"
They are indeed considered lowly people in the eyes of the powerful and wealthy, but the powerful and wealthy in the world rely on these lowly people to support them.
It's not that the common people can't live without the powerful and wealthy, but rather that the powerful and wealthy can't live without the common people.
Without the tireless labor and hard work of these commoners, these powerful and wealthy people wouldn't even be able to afford a hot meal.
Since we are all parasites sucking the blood of these lowly people, it is our duty as the powerful and wealthy to protect their safety.
We can't just leech off others, enjoying the conveniences they provide without taking any risks.
This is unreasonable; there's no such thing as a perfect thing in the world.
Moreover, if these so-called lowly people all die as a result, what will these powerful and wealthy people eat and drink?
Who will support these powerful and wealthy individuals who live a life of debauchery and extravagance?
We can't expect these powerful and wealthy people to farm and raise chickens and ducks themselves.
Therefore, saving these people is saving ourselves. This is what we owe them, and it is also what we owe them.
Only when ordinary people live and work in peace and contentment can we, the people living in peace and contentment, live well.
Don't forget, whether you spoiled rich kids or I, a prince, we are all powerful and influential.
They're all people who leech off these people. After all, it's them who pay all sorts of exorbitant taxes to support us.
They grow grains to provide us with food and drink, and raise silkworms to make clothes for us to enjoy.
We cannot simply enjoy without giving back.
Protecting them and helping them through their difficulties is what we, the powerful and wealthy, should do.
One cannot abandon the life and death of others after taking full advantage of them; this is from the perspective of interests and stance.
Rather than saying we are saving the other side, it's more accurate to say we are saving ourselves.
Someone has to farm this land, someone has to run this business, and someone has to pay the taxes.
We and they have a mutually dependent relationship.
Saving their lives is saving our own wealth and prosperity; only when they are well can we be well.
People tend to consider things from their own interests, so Shen Ruyi only talks about matters of interest.
This way, it will be easier for people to accept.
After all, expecting these privileged young men and their powerful relatives to develop a love for the people is simply insane, unrealistic, and impossible.
How could those who have already benefited possibly care about the lives or deaths of those blood packs? How could they possibly allow themselves to feel any remorse?
Therefore, one can only be cold-hearted and ruthless. Only in this way can one continue to enjoy all of this as a matter of course.
But she refused to do that; she wanted to tear off that veil.
Wang Hao did not agree with the King of the East Sea's statement.
“That’s not right, Your Highness. If it weren’t for us powerful and wealthy people, where would they get land to cultivate?”
They are dependent on us, not the other way around.
"You're wrong. Have you ever considered that they might be living better lives without us powerful and wealthy people?"
If we didn't hold so many land use rights, they wouldn't have to pay such high rents and taxes.
Here, we are the ones who benefit, not the ones who suffer losses.
You know about the crime of Jiakang City encroaching on people's land a few days ago, right?
I don't need to elaborate on how ordinary people's land ended up in the hands of these powerful and wealthy individuals.
These powerful and influential people own vast tracts of land, yet they pay almost no taxes, with all the benefits going into their own pockets.
Looking at these ordinary people, what percentage do they actually gain? After paying taxes, how much is left? Do I need to elaborate?
It is these ordinary people who own small amounts of land who support us, not these powerful and wealthy individuals who evade taxes.
Shen Ruyi had to brainwash these people beforehand, so that they would have a concept of this matter, paving the way for her later actions.
She wanted to get as many people as possible to stand behind her and agree with her point of view.
Wang Hao remained silent.
That's a difficult question to answer. What should he say? After all, his family does the same thing.
It wasn't just his family; almost all large families did this.
The land is being acquired larger and larger, but taxes are being avoided whenever possible.
Some don't even pay a single cent.
However, everyone does it this way, and over time they have gotten used to it and accepted this practice, feeling that it should be done this way.
No one needs to say that anyone is wrong, after all, the law does not punish the masses.
But when someone suddenly pointed it out, I felt a little uncomfortable for a moment, and it sounded a bit jarring.
I thought to myself, "The King of the East Sea is really sharp-tongued."
"What is it, Young Master Wang? Do you think there's something wrong with what I said? Or do you have other opinions? If so, please share them so we can discuss them."
These young masters have been behaving quite well these past few days.
It's astonishing that these people, born with a silver spoon in their mouths, would go out with their bare hands to dig in the dirt and save the people they see as lowly.
This has completely exceeded Shen Ruyi's expectations of these young masters.
Many young noblemen even pawned their valuable clothes and belongings in exchange for grain.
Whether their motivation is to follow orders or to put on a show for others.
As long as the results are all good, that's fine.
Therefore, Shen Ruyi was willing to chat with the other party for a while longer. Of course, she also needed to take this opportunity to properly express her loyalty to the emperor.
Words spoken by others can be far more effective than those spoken directly by the person directly involved.
Wang Hao quickly replied, "No, I have no other opinions or thoughts. Your Highness is right, what you said is true."
But that's how everyone goes through it; everyone's the same, every family is like this.
Shen Ruyi replied, "Yes. What you said is right. This is almost the default mode now. Everyone does it this way, and everyone has gotten by this way."
The reason why people dare to do this is simply because they feel that the law does not punish the masses. If others are doing it, why can't I?
However, what I am saying is also an indisputable fact: the expenses of the powerful and the court are maintained by these ordinary people.
The powerful and wealthy are the real parasites of our Great Li Dynasty. If you don't believe me, just look at the homes we've confiscated.
Surely those gold, silver, and jade artifacts in their storeroom couldn't have just fallen from the sky.
That's all the hard-earned money of the people, that's all the money they extracted from the lowest levels of society.
They exploited these ordinary people layer by layer, just so that they could become superior people and enjoy all kinds of wealth and glory.
They even wished they could squeeze every last drop out of these ordinary people.
You've been involved in many house raids, and you've witnessed firsthand the kind of lives ordinary people lead.
Those ordinary people live such miserable lives. In your opinion, who is responsible for this? Is it because they are not hardworking enough?
Or what is the reason? Why do they work hard from dawn till dusk, struggling all year round, only to find themselves unable to even fill their stomachs?
Those in power can wear gold and silver, live a life of extravagance and luxury with just a few words, enjoying wealth and honor that they could never finish enjoying in several lifetimes.
Why don't you tell me? What are your personal thoughts on this? Tell me.