Tang Mansion, located on a wide street in the outer city, was the residence of Tang Shiji, the second-rank official of the dynasty, Zuodu Censor.

As the chief minister of the current cabinet, Mr. Wen Ge, Tang Shiji always followed Mr. Wen's lead in the court, pointing out where to hit, opening his mouth and issuing a memorial, causing many ministers to stand up and dismount.

Today, Tang Shiji, Master Tang, heard the commotion outside the mansion, so he called the housekeeper to inquire. The housekeeper reported with a sad face, saying that people from the Nancheng Military and Horse Command Department had set up a porridge factory in front of the Tang Mansion and were now giving out porridge.

What do you mean? A porridge factory was set up in front of my house to give out porridge? Did the Wucheng Army and Horses Division get the courage of a bear's heart and a leopard's heart? Tang Shiji became angry at that time and said angrily: "Go and call their commander!"

Not long after the housekeeper turned around and went out, he ran back in a hurry and said: "Master, the door is blocked by refugees drinking porridge. You can't get out."

The gate of the Tang Mansion opened, and Tang Shiji led a group of domestic slaves out of the gate. After directing the domestic slaves to drive away a group of refugees blocking the door, he pointed at the porridge factory and said, "Who built this porridge shed?"

A patrol officer from the Nancheng Military and Horse Command Department immediately stood up, his forehead dripping with sweat, and he saluted respectfully: "I received an order yesterday to build a porridge factory here."

"Whose order?" Tang Shiji almost shouted.

Before the captain of the city patrol could speak, Li Tingbiao, who was patrolling around, came over with several royal guards and answered: "This is the order from the East Palace. His Royal Highness, knowing that Mr. Tang's family is poor, praised him for his gentleness and his benevolence and righteousness.

Set up the porridge factory in front of your residence, so that you can take your family out to get two bowls of porridge to drink, so that your poor family can be full."

After Li Tingbiao finished speaking, some refugees and beggars expressed their admiration: "Wow, His Royal Highness is so benevolent. He treats officials so well."

"Yeah, I just hate that I was born with a hard life and couldn't read. Otherwise, I could have been ranked number two in the exam, become an official and enjoy the blessings. I would have porridge to drink every day when I came out."

Tang Shiji was furious and said: "Fart!" As the censor of Zuodu, Tang Shiji rarely used foul language. He pointed at the porridge factory and said: "Tear down the porridge factory for me!"

Li Tingbiao shouted loudly and said: "Who dares! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince set up a porridge factory to appease the people and spread kindness. You demolish the porridge factory. Do you want to rebel?"

"You..." Tang Shiji was furious, but he didn't dare to play tricks with Jin Yiwei in person.

When the thousands of homeless people and beggars surrounding the porridge factory heard that the porridge factory was to be demolished, they immediately aroused public outrage and pointed at Tang Shiji and cursed. Many people spat at him and cursed the dog official.

Some brave refugees even picked up stones on the roadside and threw them at Tang Shiji. For a time, there was chaos in front of the Tang Mansion.

Tang Shiji was attacked by a stone and hit his head. He only felt a pain in his head, but there was no bleeding. He hurriedly ran away with his head in his arms, and sneaked back to the Tang Mansion in embarrassment with a group of domestic slaves guarding him.

This scene immediately aroused everyone's laughter, and there was endless laughter and curses.

Similar scenes were staged at several other soup kitchens. Each of the ten porridge factories was patrolled by several Jinyi guards to prevent officials from forcibly demolishing the porridge factories.

The highest official rank for the people in the Nancheng Military and Horse Command Department is only the sixth rank commander. Any official who pops up in the capital can scold them bloody. But the Jin Yiwei is different. Even if the chief minister of the cabinet comes in person, he cannot command the Jin Yiwei.

Moreover, many officials have a shadow of doubts about Jin Yiwei and dare not conflict with them.

After the porridge factory was moved, many refugees and beggars were worried that if the porridge factory was moved again, if they couldn't find it for a while, their food and clothing would be affected. So every day and night, countless beggars and refugees gathered around the ministers' homes, guarding the porridge factory.

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Thousands of people were guarding the area near the porridge factory, eating, drinking, and eating here. By the end of the day, the stench was already overwhelming.

In the corners outside these ministers' mansions, all kinds of garbage and feces are piled up, emitting a foul odor. Once it rains heavily, sewage flows across the walls, which is disgusting.

Moreover, some refugees are not of high quality and often sneak over the walls at night to enter the homes of these ministers and steal some things, which makes the families of these officials feel in danger.

A few days later, Tang Shiji finally couldn't stand it any longer. He found the Jin Yiwei patrolling near the porridge factory and pledged several thousand taels of silver.

Jin Yiwei said it was difficult to handle, and Tang Shiji gritted his teeth and directly raised the donation to 10,000 taels of silver. Jin Yiwei then smiled and ordered people to move the porridge factory and informed the refugees to go to a new soup kitchen.

As for the porridge factory that was moved, it was naturally transferred to the homes of several ministers who were later replaced. Zhu Cihong had already planned it and then carried out the same operation.

To Zhu Cixiang's surprise, the porridge factory had just been set up in front of the mansion of the second batch of ministers. In less than a day, they all took the initiative to donate money, spend money to buy peace, and requested that the porridge factory be moved.

Over the next few days, almost all the dozens of ministers who acted at the banquet were tortured, and Zhu Cihong also received another 600,000 taels of donation money.

The ministers have been tortured, and naturally it is the turn of the wealthy businessmen who were drawn in a small circle by Zhu Cihong. Donate those dozens of taels of silver, your family is very poor? I understand the public opinion and come here to take care of you. Come on! Do it

Had this bowl of hot porridge!

The ministers who had been tormented felt very unhappy and felt threatened, so they united and prepared to submit a memorial to Zhu Cihong.

Zhu Cixiang naturally had a clever plan. He divided the 500,000 taels of silver collected from donations, loaded them into twenty carts, and mobilized more than a thousand brave guard battalions to escort them all the way to the Meridian Gate. Then Li Tingbiao led the Jin Yiwei

He was sent to the palace and presented to Emperor Chongzhen in person.

When Emperor Chongzhen saw the five hundred thousand taels of white silver, he was immediately delighted. What he lacked most now was money. Liaodong was demanding military pay every day, which was about to trigger a mutiny.

This five hundred thousand taels of silver is a timely gift. Once sent to Liaodong, the border troops can be stopped immediately and guard the border safely.

Emperor Chongzhen was very happy. As for those ministers who reported on the prince, weren't they just refugees blocking the door, and no one died. How big of a deal could they write a letter of impeachment? How big of a deal could I change the prince? It's really baffling.

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Zhu Cihong took out another 10,000 taels of silver and had it delivered to the Ministry of Revenue, saying that it was the money to be returned to the Ministry of Revenue for disaster relief. He did not want to owe the Ministry of Revenue a favor because of this small amount of money.

After the silver matter was resolved, Zhu Cixi encountered another matter. Hearing that the Crown Prince was giving porridge in the capital, more and more refugees rushed to the capital. In addition, the number of beggars in various places was about to exceed 100,000!

Just giving porridge will definitely not work. We must find a way to completely solve the refugee problem. Otherwise, more and more refugees will come to the capital, and the security of the capital will become worse and worse. It will make people panic. In the end, it will be him, the servant, who is unlucky.

The prince whose purpose is to bring peace to the people.
Chapter completed!