Zhou Fu'an was overjoyed when he heard this. It really took no effort to get it without trying to find anywhere. Nowadays, there is a great famine in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If you have food in your hand, it will be a mountain of gold and silver! A sure profit! . He originally wanted to buy this batch of grain at the market price of three taels of silver per stone. However, how could Huang Qianshan miss this perfect opportunity to extort money? He told Zhou Fu'an with a stern face: "These two hundred thousand shi of grain are not ordinary goods. They are high-quality wheat from Kaifeng. The grains are full. Each shi is worth six taels of silver." Zhou Fu'an frowned in embarrassment after hearing this. Now the grain he sells is ten taels of silver per stone. If he purchases it at six taels per stone, the money he makes will be greatly reduced. Huang Qianshan noticed Zhou Fu'an's hesitation and his face darkened: "If Boss Zhou is not willing to buy it, then just go ahead. I believe there are people who are willing to take over this business." Zhou Fuan weighed the pros and cons in his mind. He knew that cooperation with Huang Qianshan could bring stable supply and profits, but at the same time, he had to pay higher costs. In the end, in the battle between greed and reason, greed prevailed. He gritted his teeth and stamped his feet: "Okay! I'll make the deal at the price you said!" As Qin Hui's order was issued, the Ministry of Household Affairs began to get busy. The task they faced was to distribute the 300,000 shi of grain in proportion to the population of each state and county. However, this seemingly fair plan gradually turned sour during the implementation process.
Officials at all levels, like greedy hungry wolves, regard the food originally used for disaster relief as their own. They used various excuses to deprive and embezzle, leaving a part at each level. In this way, the food that was supposed to save the lives of disaster victims was lost in the hands of officials at all levels. When the food finally arrived in the disaster-stricken areas, it was less than 100,000 dan. In the face of the victims who are crying for food, this food is nothing more than a drop in the bucket. In and around Xuanzhou City, hungry people were wandering everywhere. Their faces were sallow and thin, and their eyes were full of despair. On October 20th, Zhao Yingluo disguised herself as a man and quietly came to Xuanzhou with Xia He, Dong Xue and a few guards. She witnessed all this, and her heart was filled with anger and helplessness. She had thought that the court's disaster relief food would at least alleviate the plight of some of the hungry people, but the sight before her completely disappointed her. At the disaster relief food distribution area, officers and soldiers held whips to maintain order. Those hungry people who dared to crowd in were often severely beaten. Seeing that there were hundreds of victims here, but only a dozen sacks of relief food, she couldn't help but stepped forward to ask why. "Why are there so few relief grains?" When the officers and soldiers saw that she was well-dressed, they thought she was the son of some official family, so they politely told her: "This man doesn't know something. This disaster relief food was originally supposed to be distributed in more than a hundred sacks. But those officials suddenly There are layers upon layers of corruption, and that’s all we have left.” Zhao Yingluo was furious after hearing this: "These people are simply looking down on human life! How can they bear to watch these innocent people suffer from hunger?" She turned around and came to a more secluded place, changed her men's clothes into women's clothes, and put on a veil to cover her face. "I have to find a way to solve this problem without letting these people suffer." Zhao Yingluo said firmly. She thought for a moment and decided to use her influence to call more people to pay attention to this disaster and take action. After returning to her residence, Zhao Yingluo immediately wrote a memorial, asking the emperor to thoroughly investigate the embezzlement of disaster relief food, and demanded that those corrupt officials be severely punished. She handed the memorial to a trusted guard and asked him to travel to the capital day and night. At the same time, Zhao Yingluo also launched a massive protest locally. She led the victims to the state government office, demanding that state officials disclose the distribution of relief food and severely punish corrupt officials. The protest has attracted growing attention. Many scholars with a sense of justice joined in to support Zhao Yingluo's actions. Finally, under the pressure of public opinion, the imperial court had to send a censor to Xuanzhou to investigate the matter. After some investigation, the censor found that what Zhao Yingluo said was true. Officials at all levels engaged in serious corruption in the distribution of disaster relief food, resulting in the loss of large amounts of food.
The imperial court was furious, ordered severe punishment of relevant officials, and recovered some of the lost relief food. Zhao Yingluo's actions not only saved the lives of many hungry people, but also triggered the court's reform of the disaster relief grain distribution system. Since then, the imperial court has strengthened its supervision of disaster relief grains to ensure that every grain of grain is delivered to its destination. After receiving the court's approval, Zhao Yingluo did not stop her actions. She knew very well that relying solely on the power of the court was far from enough. To truly solve the famine problem, it was also necessary to mobilize the power of the people. So she began to travel around, advocating wealthy businessmen, landowners and ordinary people everywhere to participate in this disaster relief operation. She set an example and personally participated in disaster relief work, calling on everyone to donate generously to provide food and materials for the victims. Inspired by Zhao Yingluo, many people reached out to help. They donated their own food, money and various materials, sending warm care to the disaster areas. Some wealthy merchants also opened porridge shacks to provide free meals to hungry people. As more and more aid poured into Xuanzhou, the local disaster situation was effectively alleviated. People began to gradually emerge from the shadow of hunger and despair and rekindled their hope in life. Although this disaster brought endless pain to Xuanzhou, it also awakened the kindness and compassion deep in people's hearts. Under the leadership of Zhao Yingluo, everyone worked together to spend an unforgettable winter. During that cold winter, Zhao Yingluo stayed in Xuanzhou and fought side by side with the victims. Her deeds spread throughout Jiangnan and became a legend. Many people were moved and admired her courage and selfless dedication. The people of Xuanzhou will never forget that winter. They witnessed the glory of human nature and how a woman shouldered the burden of disaster relief with her weak body. Under the leadership of Zhao Yingluo, Xuanzhou gradually regained its vitality. The victims regained their confidence in life and began to rebuild their homes. And those kind-hearted people who emerged during the disaster have also become heroes in the hearts of the people of Xuanzhou. Zhao Yingluo did not stop her steps. She knew that this disaster was only a temporary relief and that if the poverty situation in Xuanzhou was not fundamentally changed, similar disasters might still happen again in the future. So she began to think about how to promote Xuanzhou's economic growth and improve people's living standards. She went deep into the fields to understand farmers' production conditions and encouraged them to adopt advanced agricultural technologies to increase food production. At the same time, she also paid attention to the development of handicraft industry, promoted the spirit of craftsman, and helped Xuanzhou create unique handicrafts. Under Zhao Yingluo's leadership, Xuanzhou's economy gradually prospered. Farmers' lives have improved significantly, and urban industry and commerce have also flourished. People began to believe that this land has unlimited potential and that as long as we unite as one, we can create a better future.
