Facing Zhangsun Minzhi's approach and interrogation, Ji Ruxue's face was already flustered. She would never reveal the Emperor's plan.
"If you don't want to say it, then forget it." Zhangsun Minzhi suddenly said.
Ji Ruxue heaved a sigh of relief. The Empress 'brother-in-law was quite understanding.
Unexpectedly, Zhangsun Minzhi sealed his acupuncture points and he couldn't move.
Ji Ruxue instantly panicked. He knew that Zhangsun Minzhi was bold enough to do anything. He even dared to give the emperor a hard time during the day, let alone deal with a small villain like her.
"Even if you kill me, I won't say a word.”Ji Ruxue said stiffly.
......
......
......
"I'll talk!"
Ji Ruxue took a deep breath and came back to her senses. If she didn't give him a satisfactory answer, she would probably die crying and laughing here today.
"What will happen tomorrow?" Zhangsun Minzhi asked the doubts in her heart. Why did she try so hard to bring him into the palace?
Ji Ruxue said indifferently,"
"Tomorrow, His Majesty will send 60,000 city guards to suppress 400,000 refugees outside the city. He asked me to bring you into the palace at all costs to prevent you from getting involved in this matter.”
Boom!
These words were like thunder exploding in Zhangsun Minzhi's ears. His eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Li Shi Min doesn't know that this move will force the 400,000 refugees to rebel?”
"400,000 refugees, each of them spitting, Li Shi Min would drown!”
"Even if there are 400,000 pigs, won't they resist?”
Ji Ruxue sneered." Prime Minister Pei Ji has everything planned out. Tomorrow, the commander of the City Defense Army, Zhang Liang, will go to the refugee camp and lie to the refugees that they have found a place to settle down. There are thousands of acres of fertile farmland and abundant products. It's a paradise."
"Actually, it's a sealed canyon with only one exit. There were already troops lying in ambush in the valley. The valley was filled with plants and vegetation that could easily burn. The entrance of the valley was heavily guarded.”
"When the time comes, send troops to block the valley entrance. No one will survive.”
"What about the plague?" Zhangsun Minzhi asked in a deep voice."Isn't Li Shimin afraid of the plague?" And his reputation, wasn't he afraid of leaving a bad name in history books?”
"Plague? After that, he would set fire to all 400,000 people and then seal the canyon, not allowing the strategists of the imperial court to enter or leave.”
Ji Ruxue's expression was cold. When she first learned of this plan, she was as shocked as Zhangsun Minzhi.
"As for the reputation, His Majesty is no longer afraid. In his eyes, the stability of the Great Tang Empire was more important than anything else. There was no food in the city to feed these 400,000 refugees.”
"Why don't you go to the nearby prefectures to gather rations?" Zhangsun Minzhi scolded. Why didn't he go to the aristocratic families to collect food?”
Ji Ruxue shook her head. She felt that Zhangsun Minzhi did not understand the situation in Guanzhong.
Zhangsun Minzhi suddenly remembered the knowledge in the book.
Chang 'an City's food supply mainly came from Ba and Shu in the southwest and Luo and Yang in the east.
However, Ba Shu was a natural barrier and the journey was difficult. Twenty carts of grain had departed from Shuzhou and arrived at Chang 'an City. Only one cart was left. After all, the commoners on the road had to eat.
There was also Luo Yang.
There were water and land routes to transport grain from Luoyang to Chang 'an.
If they took the waterway, they would have to pass through Sanmenxia. However, in this place where the current was rapid, every three boats would sink, and the cost was very high.
If they took the land route, they would have to pass through Hangu Pass. The Hangu Ancient Road was steep, and it was difficult to pass people, not to mention passing by car, which was inconvenient for transportation.
As a result, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty had the habit of bringing all the civil and military officials to Luoyang to eat every year because there was not enough food in Guanzhong.
Emperor Yang felt that it was too troublesome to go to Luoyang to eat every year, so he simply moved the capital to Luoyang.
It could be seen that the land resources in Guanzhong were limited, and the food supply was insufficient.
Now.
Therefore, Chang 'an City was already short of food. Suddenly, more than 400,000 refugees came from the north. This was more than 400,000 mouths.
Coincidentally, there was a drought and locust plague. In the southeast of Guanzhong, Lantian, Shangzhou, and other thirteen states suffered from food famine one after another. These states were not able to eat their fill, so they could not take in this group of refugees, nor could they transfer grain.
Not to mention the fact that Yuchi Gong was leading his troops on the front lines to defend against the Turks. As the saying goes, a war could cost ten thousand taels of gold.
Thus, the Great Tang Empire could only make a bold decision and starve these refugees from the north to death to ensure the stability of the empire.
" It's only been two years since the coup of the Black Tortoise Sect," Ji Ruxue said faintly." His Majesty has just ascended the throne with his martial strength, and his power is unstable. How could he dare to go to the aristocratic families to collect food and anger them?"”
"Just because there is no food to feed them?”"I have 100,000 boxes of instant noodles. I can feed them for a month!" Zhangsun Minzhi said angrily. It was enough for them to find a place to rebuild their homes and become self-sufficient.”
"They will not become a burden to the Great Tang.”
Ji Ruxue's expression finally changed.
To feed 400,000 refugees for a month by himself?
This was more than Li Shimin and she had imagined. They had thought that Zhangsun Minzhi could only feed them for a few days.
However, this still couldn't solve the refugee problem. As long as it wasn't solved, they might be a hidden danger.
"There aren't that many fertile fields outside Chang 'an City.”Ji Ruxue said.
"I have something that can turn wasteland into fertile land.”
"What if we finish the 100,000 boxes of instant noodles?”Ji Ruxue said.
"I have something that can save millions of lives.”
At this moment, Ji Ruxue was somewhat convinced by him. She wanted to let His Majesty know that the imperial court still had other choices and new hope.
This hope was the youth before him, Empress Zhangsun's younger brother.
Changsun Minzhi!
Ps: Some scenes have been deleted. Please support the new book. Thank you!
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