After my inner voice was eavesdropped, I became the favorite of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 22

Emperor Taizong was extremely anxious. His inner anxiety was like a summer afternoon thunderstorm, which came suddenly and with amazing power. He was afraid that if he got angry, it would be like the thunder that shook the earth, and those officials who only cared about self-preservation and ignored the suffering of the people would be scared out of their wits, and even lose their official positions or even their lives. He sat on the dragon throne, clenched his hands into fists, and his knuckles turned white from the force. He thought to himself: How can this country tolerate such a pest?
"Investigate! This matter must be investigated thoroughly!" Taizong slammed the table with a sound that made the candlelight in the hall flicker a little. He shouted loudly, his eyes revealing unquestionable determination.

"Let's go back to the palace now. I want to see who is so bold as to fool me!" He stood up and walked hurriedly, as if every step was stepping on the heartstrings of the officials.

"Wait, don't leave in a hurry, call Cheng Aiqing into the palace as well." Taizong frowned, and the trivial matter of brewing wine that he was originally concerned about was now thrown out of his mind. He snorted coldly, turned around and walked into the palace, but he was still thinking about this sudden change in his heart.

"In that area of ​​Jiangnan, there are people who are so bold that they hide the truth and don't report it when something big happens." Taizong muttered as he walked, his tone revealing anger and disappointment that was hard to conceal.

"This is just courting death!" Wei Zheng shook his head and sighed. He had no sympathy for those who violated Tang laws and harmed innocent people for their own selfish desires. In his opinion, these people violated both national laws and the principles of heaven. If they were not severely punished, how could the public anger be quelled?

So, Wei Zheng and Taizong acted separately, and Wei Zheng went straight to Cheng Mansion to inform Li Qingge. He thought to himself: Li Qingge is a very smart person, and maybe he can provide some clues to this matter.

In a blink of an eye, all the officials in the palace stood straight, but their hearts were as nervous as if there was a rabbit in their chests. Everyone looked at each other with confusion and fear on their faces:

"Why is Your Majesty so angry today?" an official muttered in a low voice.

"I have never seen His Majesty so angry," another official echoed.

"It must be something serious." Another official said worriedly.

There was a lot of discussion among the people, and everyone was guessing what had happened to make His Majesty so angry.

As for Li Qingge, she was stunned for a moment after hearing the news, but soon figured out the key. She thought to herself: There must be another flood in Jiangnan, otherwise why would His Majesty be so angry?
"How come this guy can always predict the future? Does he really have a way to solve this disaster?" someone whispered, revealing a bit of jealousy and confusion in the tone.

"It's a blessing for the Tang Dynasty to have him here." Someone else sighed, his tone full of admiration and gratitude for Li Qingge.

Taizong was anxious and angry at first, not knowing what to do. But after hearing what Li Qingge said, he felt more at ease. He thought: As long as Li Qingge is here, I can always come up with a good solution. So, he began to express his concerns in front of all the officials:
"I always thought that the world was as peaceful as Chang'an, but I didn't expect that there would be heavy rains in the south of the Yangtze River, the rivers overflowed, and tens of thousands of people suffered." Taizong's tone was heavy and sad, as if he could feel the suffering of the people in the distant south of the Yangtze River.

"How come I haven't heard anything about such a big thing until now? Why is that?" Although Taizong's tone was calmer, his words revealed an indescribable majesty and questioning, which made all the officials nervous.

"Floods in the south of the Yangtze River? How come we don't know about this?" an official asked in surprise.

"If this really happened, why didn't our colleagues in Jiangnan report it immediately?" another official was also puzzled.

"Could it be... there will be an assessment this year, and they are afraid of losing their official hats, so they deliberately hide it?" another official speculated.

"How audacious!" When the officials heard this, they were furious. They thought: Your Majesty has just solved the problem of drought, and now there is a flood. Who knows how many people will be affected.

"Don't worry, this news has not been confirmed yet. It might just be a rumor." Fang Xuanling stepped forward to reassure everyone. His tone was calm and rational, trying to calm the panic and speculation of the officials.

"Yes, if this is true, who would dare to conceal it? Wouldn't that be seeking death?" another official echoed.

"Flood in Jiangnan? I think it's probably a rumor." Another official also said, shaking his head.

"Yes, yes, yes..." All the officials echoed, secretly hoping in their hearts that this was just a rumor.

While everyone was talking about it and panicking, Taizong suddenly frowned. He realized that he might have been misled by the rumors. He got angry when he heard the merchant's words just now, and didn't think carefully about whether it was true. Besides, how could such a big thing be concealed? He thought to himself, and his eyes revealed some hesitation and confusion.

Just as Taizong was hesitating and pondering, a clear and firm voice suddenly came over:

"Rumors? That's not necessarily true. We can check the population movement. The counties will report to the court." Li Qingge stood up. Her tone was calm and rational, like a stream of clear spring pouring into the chaotic hall.

“Officials in Jiangnan may be able to suppress the news, but once the flood comes, merchants and refugees will definitely flee to other counties. We just need to see if there are any abnormalities in the data to find out the truth,” she continued, her eyes revealing a bit of wisdom and determination.

Li Qingge laughed secretly in her heart, but she knew that she couldn't stand out now. She pretended to be hesitant to speak, thinking: This is the policy of ruling by inaction, the most feared thing is to stand out too much. Once you become a celebrity, it will be difficult to be lazy in the future, how can you expect the system to give you rewards? But then again, no matter whether this news is true or false, Taizong will definitely send people to investigate, and the truth will naturally be revealed to the world at that time. Why should I say more?
When Taizong heard this, his eyes lit up. He thought to himself: This kid is really smart! Yes! We have data reported every month, and we can find out whether there is any disaster in Jiangnan by checking. He looked at Li Qingge with eyes full of appreciation and affirmation.

"That's right! We can find out the truth of the disaster in Jiangnan with just one check." All the officials echoed this, secretly admiring Li Qingge's wit and sharpness. This sudden turmoil seemed to have found a breakthrough in its solution because of Li Qingge's words.

The sudden change of the situation, the sorrow of Jiangnan

Li Shimin's eyes suddenly lit up, his face was filled with excitement, and he couldn't hide his excitement. He seemed to have seen a ray of light that penetrated the heavy fog before his eyes.

"As expected!" He was secretly delighted, thinking that his decision to summon Li Qingge was absolutely right. His heartfelt words actually directly pointed out the big problem, giving him hope of solving the dilemma.

"What Fang Qing said makes sense, but whether it is a rumor or not, we still need to investigate in depth." Li Shimin said calmly, while Li Qingge's previous analysis echoed in his mind. There was an unquestionable firmness in his words, as if he had seen the truth of the matter.

"I was also thinking, if there is a flood in Jiangnan, then there must be abnormal population movement, we just need to check carefully..." Li Shimin repeated Li Qingge's words, secretly surprised. Hey, this kid, his thoughts coincide with mine! However, my Tang emperor is extremely wise, but his decisiveness really makes me, the emperor, a little inferior. He couldn't help but admire Li Qingge a little more.

Li Qingge saw it all and secretly felt lucky. He never dared to slack off in the face of the suffering of the people. He had a premonition that the situation might change in the near future, so he was in a hurry to open up the thousand acres of fertile land in case of emergency. Otherwise, it would be so comfortable to be an idle official in peace. But he didn't want to see the people suffer, and he didn't want to let the disaster spread because of his slackness.

"Your Majesty is right. I will go to Jiangnan to find out the truth." Fang Xuanling's eyes lit up when he heard this. After bowing and saying goodbye, he set off in a hurry. His figure stretched out in the sunlight, with a kind of determination and firmness.

The hall suddenly became lively, with officials discussing and expressing their opinions.

"This must be a rumor. Who would dare to do such an immoral thing? Aren't they just courting death?" an official said indignantly, his face full of disdain and anger.

"That's right. This concerns the foundation of the country. How can it be covered up so easily? How dare those officials be so bold?" Another official echoed, with a slight tremor in his voice, obviously shocked by such a thing.

"Only a fool would do this. How could the officials of our Tang Dynasty be so stupid?" An elderly official shook his head, his eyes flashing with wisdom, and he was obviously skeptical about this kind of thing.

"The matter has not been investigated clearly yet, so don't jump to conclusions." A calm voice sounded, trying to calm the argument.

……

Most officials breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was just a false alarm. They thought to themselves that there was no need to investigate this matter, as it was undoubtedly a rumor. Fang Xuanling would be able to confirm this once he went there. They smiled with relief, as if they had already seen the outcome of the matter.

However, not long after, a guard rushed in hurriedly, his face as pale as paper, with beads of sweat on his forehead, obviously he had run all the way here.

"Your Majesty! There are abnormal population movements in several counties in the south of the Yangtze River. Tens of thousands of victims have poured in in just a few days!" His words were filled with fear and anxiety that were difficult to conceal.

"But what I don't understand is how come the local officials didn't know anything?" As soon as the guard finished speaking, everyone in the room was shocked. No one could believe their ears. They looked at each other, with confusion and shock in their eyes.

Those who had previously sworn that it was a rumor were now pale with embarrassment. They had never imagined that the officials in Jiangnan would be so derelict in their duties. Weren't they afraid of losing their heads? Their hearts were filled with doubts and confusion.

What was even more shocking was that such a big thing was covered up layer by layer. If it had not been leaked by chance, who would have known that Jiangnan was suffering such a big disaster? Their hearts were filled with sympathy for the people affected by the disaster and anger towards those officials who failed to do their job.

"Why is this happening? Why didn't the county officials report it?" an official shouted angrily, his voice filled with grief and anxiety that was hard to conceal.

"This matter is too strange and it is hard to tell whether it is true or false." Another official murmured, his eyes flashing with wisdom, obviously thinking about the answer to this question.

"A detailed investigation is necessary to find out the truth." A calm voice sounded, trying to calm the argument and point out the key to solving the problem.

"Send capable people quickly, perhaps the truth can be revealed in half a month." An official suggested anxiously, his heart filled with concern for the people affected by the disaster and awareness of the urgency of time.

……

There was an uproar in the hall. Li Shimin frowned, feeling extremely anxious. He knew the urgency of time and the severity of the difficulties faced by the people affected by the disaster.

"The 15th day? During the drought in the past, I witnessed the suffering of the people with my own eyes. The 15th day is enough to cause countless lives to be destroyed." Li Shimin was secretly anxious in his heart. [The 15th day? Why are you so slow! The evidence is already in front of us, what are you still investigating? If we delay any further, I am afraid that more accidents will occur!] His heart was filled with deep concern for the people affected by the disaster and anger and dissatisfaction with those officials who delayed time.

[The county officials did not report it, not because they did not know, but because they protected each other.] Li Shimin thought of this, and his mood became even heavier. He suddenly realized a question that he had never thought deeply about before - the emperor was far away, and how terrible it was for those local officials to protect each other! Their behavior not only led to the spread of the disaster, but also put countless innocent people in trouble.

[How to prevent such things from happening again?] This thought flashed through Li Shimin's mind. But then, the reality of the problem was put in front of him again - how to get those displaced disaster victims help as soon as possible? His heart was filled with anxiety and helplessness, but he knew he had to make a decision as soon as possible.

"Your Majesty! You can't hesitate any longer! Send an envoy to Jiangnan to investigate! The lives of the people are in danger!" Fang Xuanling shouted anxiously, with an urgency and anxiety that was difficult to conceal in his voice. He knew the urgency of time and the severity of the difficulties faced by the affected people, so he couldn't wait to hope that Li Shimin could make a decision as soon as possible.

"Your Majesty! Please make a decision quickly!" Wei Zheng also echoed anxiously, with a firm strength in his voice, as if trying to persuade Li Shimin to take action as soon as possible. These two important officials of the Tang Dynasty had already concluded that there must be a flood in Jiangnan based on only a few clues, and they knew that if they delayed any further, more innocent people would die.

"This..." Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, his heart full of contradictions and struggles. He wanted to send envoys to Jiangnan as soon as possible to investigate the disaster and organize disaster relief work, but he was also worried that his decision might be too hasty and cause more accidents. However, after seeing the anxious and determined eyes of Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng, he finally made up his mind.

[Li Shimin, Li Shimin, since you have believed this rumor, why don't you believe in your own decision? Hurry up and provide disaster relief! Don't delay any longer!] He said to himself silently in his heart, [Rules? The emperor's authority is the rules! What's wrong with being willful once in a while? Why do we always stick to those old conventions?] At the moment of making the decision, he seemed to see a ray of light penetrating the heavy fog in front of him, illuminating his way forward.

Finally, Li Shimin seemed to be pushed by an invisible force. He stood up suddenly and announced loudly: "Pass the order! Immediately send envoys to Jiangnan to investigate the disaster and organize disaster relief work with all our strength! We must ensure that every affected citizen is properly resettled!" There was an unquestionable firmness and strength in his voice, as if he had seen the joy and peace of the affected people after being rescued.

"Hey, I'm the emperor, I keep my word!" Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, his eyes were firm, and his tone was full of unquestionable majesty. He knew very well that as the king of a country, every word he said was very important, and it was related to the rise and fall of the country and the safety of the people.

"Don't talk about life or death at this time." He waved his hand and interrupted the minister's chatter impatiently. He knew that at this critical moment, any hesitation and delay might make the disaster worse.

"Let's put the rules and etiquette aside. Saving lives is the most important thing. Why are you hesitating?" He glanced at the officials in the hall, and a sense of anxiety surged in his heart. These ministers who usually talked about benevolence and morality were looking at each other at this moment, hesitant.

After a while, Li Shimin's mouth curled up slightly, and the big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground. He thought to himself: As long as the food arrives, the disaster will be alleviated, and it won't be too late to investigate then. He felt as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw from the abyss, and he felt much more relaxed. "Don't argue, I have made up my mind, and we will investigate and rescue the disaster at the same time." He said firmly, with a firm tone that could not be refuted.

"Let's transport the food first. If we find out it's just a rumor, it won't be too late to transport it back." He added with a confident smile on his face. He knew that although his decision was risky, it was the most feasible solution at the moment.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked at each other, smiled bitterly and shook their heads. Their faces were full of helplessness and worry. As important officials of the court, they were well aware of the current situation of an empty treasury and a shortage of food.

"But what?" Li Shimin frowned, feeling that things were not simple. He looked at Fang Xuanling sharply, waiting for his answer.

"With the war, disaster relief and tax cuts, the treasury is almost empty and there is not enough food to go around." Fang Xuanling made a bitter face and finally spoke of his difficulties. His words were filled with a sense of heaviness and helplessness, as if every word weighed on his heart.

Isn't this obvious? How could it be a rumor? Delaying the investigation for half a month is actually to take a breather and prepare more food. Now your majesty has to rescue the disaster first, but where will the food come from? The officials in the hall were full of doubts and worries.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and knitted his brows. He felt heavy in his heart, as if he was being pressed down by a huge rock. He knew that without food, there would be no disaster relief, which would not only make the disaster worse, but also destroy the prestige of the court.

"We have already saved everything that can be saved in the palace. If we cut back further, we will not be able to make ends meet." Du Ruhui shook his head and sighed. There was a hint of helplessness and bitterness in his words, as if he was talking about a cruel reality that could not be changed.

Li Shimin and the queen were very frugal, and they also disciplined their children strictly and never wasted money. But now the palace is already tightening its belt to make ends meet, and if it cuts back further, the palace people will not be able to survive. If such a thing happened in a peaceful and prosperous era, wouldn't it be laughed at by others if it got out?

"Let's borrow grain from merchants for emergency use, and return them with interest in a year." Li Shimin's scalp tightened. This was the best solution he could think of. He knew that this decision was a bit risky, but he had to do it for disaster relief.

"This is a good idea, but someone has to be able to do it. Who will go?" Fang Xuanling frowned again, looking embarrassed. He knew that this task was difficult and not something that ordinary people could accomplish.

At this moment, Li Qingge frowned slightly, but she was not impatient. As a female general, although she usually seemed low-key and leisurely, she was full of wisdom and strategy deep in her heart.

[Hehe, this is a good idea, but merchants are cunning, and the borrowed grain may not be enough. We need to find a way to get more grain. For example, a thousand acres of good farmland can be harvested in three days, so we need to plan carefully.] She calculated secretly in her heart, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

[Keep a low profile and don't show off.] She said to herself, with a look of firmness and determination. She knew her task was arduous, but she was confident that she could complete it.

"Harvesting a thousand acres of fertile land in three days?" All the officials in the hall began to discuss the matter. They were all shocked by this astonishing number.

"This is not a joke, right? How is this possible?" a minister asked in confusion.

"When I heard him say this, it didn't sound fake. It's amazing!" another minister exclaimed.

"Does he really have so much food? And can he harvest it in three days?" More people began to talk, and they were all amazed by Li Qingge's ability.

Li Shimin was also stunned, he could not believe his ears. He was so excited, as if he saw the hope of disaster relief right before his eyes.

"I recommend General Cheng!" A minister suddenly stood up and strongly recommended Li Qingge.

"I recommend him too!" another minister echoed.

"General Cheng is the most suitable one!" More voices were heard, and officials all strongly recommended Li Qingge.

Li Qingge herself was stunned. She didn't expect that the officials would suddenly recommend her so strongly. She muttered to herself: [Why are you throwing such a heavy burden to me? ]

[How dare merchants disobey the emperor? It doesn't matter who goes. For the sake of fairness, it's better to send me, an "idler", who doesn't need any special skills.] Although she felt a little depressed, she also knew that this was a responsibility she could not shirk.

[I've been underestimated again.] She muttered in her heart, but soon understood the system's intention. She knew that this system of lying flat without doing anything was always testing her, and she couldn't just lie flat forever.

"Ding! System warning: If the host is looked down upon again, just lie still and your reward will come!" The system's voice suddenly sounded, catching Li Qingge off guard.

"Give the host a skill called 'Silver Tongue', which can hypnotize people and make them believe in the debate." The system continued, "But, what you say must be logical, otherwise it won't work."

What's the use of this skill? It has to be triggered passively? Li Qingge muttered in her heart, but soon understood the system's intention. She knew that this skill would definitely be useful during the debate in the hall.

"General Cheng, I'll leave this to you." Li Shimin smiled and patted Li Qingge's shoulder, feeling much more relaxed. He knew that Li Qingge had food at home, and now he had taken on such an important task. In three days, the food in Jiangnan would be settled. When the disaster is over, those who concealed the news, hum, none of them will be able to escape! He thought to himself, and a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

After leaving the court, Li Shimin was still furious. He felt so aggrieved that he could not believe that there were such big problems under his rule. When he thought of the people who were affected by the disaster, his heart was like a knife. But strangely enough, this anger came and went quickly, and in a blink of an eye, he was as calm as iron. Thinking that Li Qingge was here, what was there to be afraid of? Although he did not understand how he could manage the harvest of a thousand acres of fertile land in just three days, Li Qingge's sincere eyes, his reliable words and deeds made people feel at ease.

Li Shimin curled his lips and showed a relieved smile. He was very happy in his heart: Tang Dynasty had a capable person like Li Qingge, it was a great blessing! He imagined Li Qingge talking freely in the court and those difficult problems were solved in her hands, and his heart was full of expectations.

At this time, Li Qingge had already returned to Cheng's house. The first thing she did was to reward herself, after all, she had worked hard these days. She thought to herself, "Hey, I'm afraid I won't have time to enjoy my leisure time now. The grain warehouse is almost full, but I still have to pretend." She thought again, "This job belongs to me. I have come across it by chance. I have to do it well. In a few days, I have to show everyone my real ability." She also thought proudly, "Even if I offer ten thousand dan of grain, others don't know that it is the credit of my thousand acres of fertile land. It can not only appease the people's hearts, but also get a leisurely and comfortable reward. This deal is worth it!" Thinking of this, Li Qingge was so excited that she went to bed leisurely after finishing her meal, strictly adhering to her "sleep after eating" health regimen.

As for the businessmen, she planned to think about it slowly later. She lay on the bed, thinking about how to face those cunning businessmen tomorrow, and she had already made up her mind.

In the court, officials were busy discussing countermeasures. "For the sake of General Cheng, give his son a chance. With the order from His Majesty, how dare those merchants disobey? They will definitely express their opinions." Someone said so. "But that little bit of food is just a drop in the bucket compared to the disaster relief." Some people were worried. "It's better to have it than not. The Tang Dynasty is in such a difficult situation now. How can we take care of everything?" Everyone discussed it one by one. "We can only take it step by step and act carefully." Someone else reminded, "I'm afraid that those merchants will see that Li Qingge is young and inexperienced, and deliberately hide the food and not take it out. If he doesn't do it well, he may be deceived by the merchants." After this, the officials became more worried, fearing that Li Qingge would be bullied by the merchants. But now that things have come to this, they can only wait and see.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Li Qingge, waiting to see her performance. They were filled with anticipation and curiosity, wondering whether this young woman could complete this difficult task.

The next morning, the business community in Chang'an City was in an uproar. "I heard that His Majesty is going to provide disaster relief!" "Yes, he also ordered merchants to donate grain first and then compensate us later." "Then when will we get the compensation after we donate grain?" "That's hard to say." "Are we going to donate for nothing?" "I heard that the leader this time is Li Qingge, the son of Cheng Yaojin, the famous loser." When the merchants heard this, they were all happy, thinking that this would be easy to deal with. They gathered together to discuss how to deal with this "waste", intending to use the smallest cost to exchange for the greatest benefit.

At noon, the Qiankun Restaurant was bustling with activity, with gorgeous carriages coming one after another. Passersby stopped curiously, wondering if some nobles were having a party. "What kind of big scene is this? Is it a banquet for the nobles?" "No, no, it's a gathering of wealthy businessmen in Chang'an City, waiting to see Li Qingge." "Li Qingge? The son of Cheng Yaojin?" "Yes." "It looks like something big is going to happen." Everyone was talking about it, and no one could guess the reason behind it.

At this moment, Li Qingge came over leisurely with her hands behind her back. She was wearing a light blue long skirt, the hem of which swayed gently in the wind, like a blooming lotus. Her face was delicate, and her eyes revealed a calm and confident look. Without even glancing at the wealthy businessmen, she walked straight to the front of the restaurant and knocked gently on the door.

"Who is it? We are closed today, go away!" As soon as the door opened, a waiter poked his head out with an impatient look on his face. He thought it was just an ordinary person and wanted to send him away.

"In that case, let me introduce myself." Li Qingge said lightly, "Let me tell you, I am Li Qingge." Her voice was crisp and pleasant, with an unquestionable majesty.

The man was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that the person in front of him was the legendary Li Qingge, the woman who had made a name for herself in the court. But then he thought, she's just a woman, what's there to be afraid of? So he said arrogantly, "Li Qingge? I haven't heard of her. We don't welcome you here, go away!"

"Li Qingge? Please invite Master Cheng in!" At this time, a smart merchant nearby shouted hurriedly, his voice full of awe. He had heard that Li Qingge was currently in the emperor's favor, and offending her was equivalent to offending the emperor!
When the clerk heard this, his legs went limp with fear. He fell to his knees, kowtowed like crazy, and sweat streamed down his face. "It turns out to be Master Cheng. I was blind and ignorant. Please forgive me for any offense." He felt extremely regretful. If he had known it was Li Qingge, he would not have dared to be so negligent.

"Get up." Li Qingge smiled and waved her hand, and walked into the restaurant with her hands behind her back. Her figure was tall and elegant, standing like a green pine tree in the crowd. Hundreds of people had gathered in the restaurant hall, and they all stood up to greet Li Qingge when they saw her coming in. But under this respect, there was a bit of contempt and curiosity. They all wanted to see what this young woman was capable of that could make them, the business giants, bow down to her.

Hey, it's obvious that they don't take me seriously! Li Qingge's mouth curled up a self-deprecating smile, but her eyes flashed with an unyielding light. She was wearing a simple blue shirt and a simple long sword on her waist, which made her look heroic and feminine.

"Oh, look at that look, it's like he's treating me like a transparent person. But you look down on me, and I'm not willing to pay attention to you." She muttered to herself, but her face was nonchalant. She knew very well that in this palace full of power and struggle, only strength can win the respect of others.

"Don't think that I can't handle this disaster relief without you. I have already made up my mind. Before long, I will make you look at me with new eyes." She thought to herself, with a firm and confident look in her eyes. She knew that this disaster relief was not only a test of her ability, but also a chance for her to prove her worth.

However, she also understood that she had to put on a good show, otherwise those old officials would accuse her of not doing her job properly. If this matter got to the emperor's ears, it would not be a good thing. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh. She didn't care about those officials, and she didn't even care about Emperor Taizong of Tang. The only thing she was worried about was her father's health.

"My father is old and has fought in so many wars. He should enjoy his retirement now. If I make him worry about my affairs, I would be unfilial. Although I am not from this era, I still care about this cheap father." She muttered silently in her heart, with a hint of tenderness in her eyes. She knew that she had traveled to this era and became a female general, but deep in her heart, she was still a daughter who longed for family affection and warmth.

"Master Cheng is here, please take a seat!" With a noisy welcome, Li Qingge walked into the lobby of Qiankun Restaurant. The wealthy businessmen were smiling on the surface, but their eyes were shrewd and calculating. They were dressed in gorgeous clothes, glittering with jewels, and looked rich and powerful. However, Li Qingge could see their hypocrisy and perfunctory in their eyes.

"Welcome, Master Cheng!" "If you have any instructions, please tell us. We will fully cooperate." These wealthy businessmen spoke one after another, and their words were sincere, but Li Qingge sneered in her heart. She knew that these people were just businessmen with eloquent words and ulterior motives. They were polite on the surface, but in fact they were perfunctory and had no intention of helping sincerely.

"Why? It's the Emperor who has spoken, otherwise who can invite them? Even if they are reluctant, they have to pretend." She muttered to herself, but kept smiling. She knew that this time they came to collect food for disaster relief, so she had to stay calm and rational.

"Okay, let's not waste any more time. I'll just get straight to the point." She cleared her throat and began to paraphrase Taizong's words, "The floods in Jiangnan are severe, like ferocious beasts, and the people are suffering. The national treasury is empty, and I hope you can lend a helping hand." Her voice was firm and powerful, as if carrying an irresistible majesty.

The wealthy businessmen all frowned after hearing this, as they knew that disaster relief was no small matter and would require a large amount of food and money. However, they were all hesitant, as if they were calculating their own gains and losses.

"You are all smart people. You should know that these grains will be returned to you with interest in the future." Li Qingge added with a smile, but in fact, she had been feeling sleepy for a long time. If it weren't for the wrong occasion, she would have wanted to find a place to lie down. Why bother dealing with these sly people?

"Since it is the emperor's will, we will naturally obey and dare not disobey. Fengtianju is willing to pay 500 hu!" Qian Fengtian, the owner of the money shop, laughed loudly, as if he was showing off his generosity. However, Li Qingge curled her lips with disdain. She knew that this little money was nothing to Qian Fengtian, and he was just perfunctorily doing it.

As expected, businessmen value profit over loyalty. Other wealthy businessmen also made offers, but those numbers were nothing to them. They rushed to offer prices one after another, as if they were in a silent contest. However, Li Qingge could see their hypocrisy and perfunctory attitude from their eyes. She knew that these people had no intention of sincerely helping with disaster relief.

"These people are so stingy. The food they gave me is so little. Maybe they are in collusion." She muttered to herself, but she kept smiling. She knew that she couldn't show weakness in front of these businessmen, otherwise they would become more arrogant.

"Qian Fengtian is the richest, but he only offered 500 hu, which is obviously a bid to undercut others." She thought to herself, with a cold look in her eyes. She knew that these people were just perfunctory and had no intention of helping with disaster relief. However, she didn't care about it. Because she knew that she had other plans.

"How cunning. But I don't lack this little food." She muttered to herself, but she kept smiling. She knew that these people were just testing her bottom line. However, she didn't intend to let them succeed.

The contempt in the eyes of the businessmen became more and more obvious, and they regarded Li Qingge as a small character who was not worth mentioning. However, she did not care about these things. Because she knew that she did not need the recognition and support of these people. She had her own plans and plans.

"Master Cheng, what do you think of these grains?" Qian Toyota asked with narrowed eyes, his face full of calculation. However, Li Qingge just smiled slightly and did not directly answer his question. She knew that these people were just testing her reaction.

"I think it's too much. It's not easy for you to do business, why be so generous? Half is enough." She said with a smile, turning around to leave. She didn't want to continue to entangle with this group of people, because she knew they were just perfunctory. And she didn't need their food at all. She had a thousand acres of fertile land and was self-sufficient in food. This time she came just to go through the motions and shut up those court officials.

"Just wait for your surprise." She muttered to herself, with a confident smile on her face. She knew that she would definitely surprise those wealthy businessmen this time. Because she planned to donate the most food in the name of wealthy businessmen in this disaster relief, so that she could make a great contribution without revealing anything and trigger the reward of the inaction and lying system.

"Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I saved countless lives, the system will definitely give me a big reward." She thought to herself and left Qiankun Restaurant with brisk steps. A group of businessmen looked at each other in disbelief. They never thought that this seemingly insignificant female general would have such an amazing move and plan. But Li Qingge had already embarked on the journey of disaster relief with confidence. She knew that this disaster relief was not only a test of her ability, but also an opportunity for her to prove her worth. She would definitely impress those who looked down on her!
(End of this chapter)