130: Chapter 130 Nanshan 130: Chapter 130 Nanshan Although he did not know what Lin Yi was planning, now that the young Emperor had heard what was on Lin Yi’s mind, his whole heart finally settled down completely.
As long as Lin Yi could resolve this matter, then it would not be a problem.
And now that he had received Lin Yi’s thoughts, he was completely assured.
However, when the young Emperor looked at the Minister of Dali Temple, the murderous intent in his eyes was naturally undisguised:
“Oh, so according to your view, we should deploy the troops to expel them?
Then let me ask you, if there are casualties during the expulsion, how shall we deal with it?
Or say, if these people become dissatisfied and rebel during the expulsion, how shall we handle it?”
After these words were asked, unexpectedly, the Minister of Dali Temple remained calm and collected, bowed slightly toward the young Emperor, and then said:
“Your Majesty, these are but refugees.
If there are some deaths or injuries during the expulsion, that is within a reasonable range.
After all, Your Majesty, you are the sovereign of a nation, hence you shouldn’t be excessively compassionate.
There’s an old saying, ‘The merciful cannot command armies,’ and that’s the rationale.
Moreover, if they really rebel, then it’s even better to handle, just execute them on the spot.
By doing so, not only will it deal with these rebels, but it will also save the court a considerable amount of food expenses.
It’s a win-win situation.”
The moment these words were spoken, the young Emperor’s face suddenly turned ashen.
Let alone the young Emperor, even Lin Yi was inwardly cursing at this moment.
Just listen, are these even human words?
Even a beast wouldn’t say such things, how could such a person have risen to his current position?
And from this, it’s clear to see that the Fourth Prince must not be much better.
After all, the saying ‘As the beam is crooked, the rafter will be awry’ has always been true.
The reason the young Emperor asked this was naturally to test the waters with the other party.
Now having received an answer, she did not get angry but instead smiled, nodded to the other party, and then turned her gaze to the courtiers:
“Do all of you ministers share the same sentiment?”
After hearing the young Emperor’s question, they looked at each other, nobody stood forward to speak.
All stood there whispering to each other, apparently also discussing the feasibility of this matter.
This scene made the young Emperor completely see the current court situation.
And as for the Minister of Dali Temple, after seeing this, his gaze subtly sought out the Fourth Prince, filled with an inquiring look.
And the Fourth Prince just nodded subtly without any change in his expression.
After getting the affirmation from the Fourth Prince, this guy became even more proud.
After waiting a while and seeing that nobody was speaking, the young Emperor then nodded:
“You may step back for now, I have my own judgment on this matter.”
After saying that, she immediately turned her gaze to Lin Yi, who was still inwardly cursing:
Lin Yi, who was still inwardly cursing, was startled upon hearing this.
Then he realized the young Emperor was calling him.
He immediately bowed to the young Emperor:
“Your servant is here.”
“This matter of the refugees has always been your responsibility, so let this matter be your responsibility to the end.”
But remember, it is not suitable to use the military for this matter.
You may arrange the specifics yourself, as long as you lead them all away from the outskirts of the Capital City.
As for where to take them, first go and have a look.
Once you find a suitable place, report back to me privately for a decision.”
After hearing these words, Lin Yi was first stunned, then a surge of wild joy filled his heart.
[Heh, our dear little Emperor is reliable indeed.
The task was right to be given to me.
I was worried that you might actually take that son of a turtle’s advice seriously.
Had we really mobilized the military to drive them all away, not to mention how much that would disappoint the people, just speaking for myself, it would be a tremendous loss!
So many sources of free labor are hard to come across.
Hehe, but our dear little Emperor really understands me.
It seems I still need to put in some effort tonight.]
Of course, while he thought so in his heart, his face showed not the slightest sign of it.
He maintained a greatly troubled expression, bowed to the little Emperor, and performed another salute:
“This subject understands the decree, Your Majesty.
Rest assured, I shall not let you down.
I shall handle the matter of the refugees properly.
Just now, I was pondering over this issue as well.
Since these refugees cannot be left outside the Capital City, nor can they be sent to the States,
I was thinking why not find an unclaimed mountain range to build a place for them to settle.
Come next spring, when all is warm and flowers bloom, we can then arrange for their return.
In this way, the refugees will temporarily have a place to stay.
By then, I will think of ways for them to do something within their capacity, preferably something that barely sustains them, and they can also accept the court’s support.
After all, it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.
Although our National Treasury still has some stored grains, we cannot simply idle away till all is used up.”
The little Emperor was naturally satisfied with Lin Yi’s response.
Thus, without waiting for the others around to speak up, he nodded in agreement with Lin Yi’s suggestion right away.
“Very well, do as you have proposed and find a suitable place to settle them temporarily.
You may choose any place you see fit around the Capital City, no matter where it is, no matter whose land it is, there will be no problem.”
These words were very clear, and they were not solely meant for Lin Yi.
It was also a message to the court’s Civil and Military Officers.
Letting Lin Yi take his pick, with no issue regarding whose jurisdiction the chosen land fell under.
This was clearly telling Lin Yi that even if the land of a Prince was chosen, there would be no issue, since nothing outweighs the importance of handling the refugee crisis.
While the assembled seemed uneasy about the situation, not a single one of them dared to voice any objections.
After all, they all knew that Lin Yi, though currently favored, would likely not be so foolish as to anger everyone here.
Should this fellow indeed be unwise and encroach upon the properties of these high officials, he would certainly face considerable backlash.
When it comes to money and property, no one is willing to compromise.
As expected, what Lin Yi said next relieved them all and also made them think that Lin Yi was indeed a promising talent.
“Your Majesty, I had already sensed that it was not right for these refugees to surround the Capital City.
Therefore, for this matter, I had already conducted surveys.
The number of these refugees is not small, and the amount of land they need is substantial.
If we were to use the land of these distinguished officials, it would be unfair to everyone.
After all, no one’s land is simply granted for nothing.
Therefore, after my selection, I believe Nanshan is quite suitable.
I have also observed that, although the outer terrain of Nanshan is steep, beyond the outer gorges, it is quite flat inside.”