A five-year-old goddess, raised to become an emperor for all time through a bronze mirror.

Chapter 171 Food Shortage...

"Lord Zhang, you will lead the imperial physician team to various locations outside the city to ensure the prevention and treatment of the epidemic."

Pei Yunjing turned to another minister, his tone revealing an unquestionable authority.

"I accept your order."

Lord Zhang knelt before Pei Yunjing, bowed, and then quickly left the study to prepare for the departure of the imperial physician team.

Pei Yunjing then turned to several ministers in charge of city defense and said:

"My lords, the city wall is the shield of the capital's safety, and there must be no mishaps. You must increase manpower to closely monitor the condition of the city wall, and repair it immediately if any damage is found."

"We will obey the prince's orders!" the ministers replied in unison, and then went about their respective tasks.

After dealing with these urgent matters, Pei Yunjing returned to his desk and continued writing his memorials.

He knew that this freezing rain was not only an opportunity to test himself, but also a moment to see if he could shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the country.

Suddenly, a soldier with a panicked expression rushed into the study like a whirlwind, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist, and reported urgently:

"Your Highness, an urgent military report has arrived from the palace: there is a severe food shortage!"

Now, in the midst of famine, supplies for disaster relief are extremely scarce. Even more heartbreaking is that within the capital, many beggars have already perished from the bitter cold!

Upon hearing this, Pei Yunjing's heart trembled violently, and an expression of disbelief appeared in his deep eyes.

For many years, the palace has always had ample food supplies and has never experienced a food shortage.

This sudden bad news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving him completely stunned.

Suddenly, Pei Yunjing stopped holding the brush tightly in his hand. The ink at the tip of the brush dripped down and quickly spread on the snow-white Xuan paper, forming a mottled black mark.

His once relaxed brows furrowed tightly, like two deep ravines, revealing his inner anxiety and worry.

After a moment, he slowly put down his pen, stood up abruptly, and strode to the kneeling soldier.

Pei Yunjing looked down at the soldiers, his face grim, and questioned them in a low, stern tone:

"Is the claim of a grain deficit true? Why was such a serious situation not reported to me beforehand?"

This is no small matter...

The soldier dared not look up and meet Pei Yunjing's imposing gaze; instead, he lowered his head deeply and answered in a trembling voice:

"Your Highness, this is absolutely true. In recent years, disasters have struck various places, causing the palace's food reserves to become increasingly strained."

However, the sudden freezing rain made matters worse, destroying the grain stored in many granaries, which led to such a severe deficit.

The officials in charge of managing the grain in the palace, fearing responsibility and punishment, chose to conceal the truth. Now, the situation has become increasingly serious, to the point where it can no longer be hidden.

Pei Yunjing's expression was solemn. He knew that the food issue was the foundation of the country. If it was not handled properly, it would not only trigger popular uprisings but also shake the foundation of the nation.

His brows furrowed, his eyes sharp, and he issued the order without hesitation:

"Immediately issue the order to thoroughly investigate this grain deficit. Whoever is suspected of dereliction of duty will be severely punished without exception! At the same time, open the royal granaries immediately to provide relief to the people."

"Yes, Your Highness, Sixth Prince!" the soldier replied with a fist and palm salute, then hurriedly left to carry out the order.

Pei Yunjing turned around and solemnly instructed the attendant beside him:

"Quickly prepare horses for me, as I need to personally go to the royal granary to check the situation and supervise the distribution of grain throughout the process."

The servants dared not delay and sprang into action. After a flurry of activity, everything was ready.

Before long, Pei Yunjing, dressed in simple casual clothes, nimbly mounted his horse, then cracked his whip, and the steed galloped off, heading straight for the royal granary.

Along the way, the sound of horses' hooves echoed through the streets and alleys, attracting the attention of passersby; Pei Yunjing was anxious and kept urging his mount to speed up.

When he finally arrived at his destination, what he saw made his heart sink.

!!!

How could this be?

The granary, which should have been full of grain, was now completely empty, with only a few bags of grain scattered forlornly in a corner.

Moreover, much of the grain has begun to mold and spoil due to improper storage, emitting an unpleasant odor.

Seeing this, Pei Yunjing was furious and immediately shouted an order:

"Guards! Immediately inventory all the still edible grain, without error! Be quick, and distribute this life-saving food to the people as soon as possible!"

At Pei Yunjing's command, the granary instantly became bustling with activity.

The officials and soldiers moved swiftly, like well-trained ants, each performing their duties and cooperating with one another.

Everyone wore a serious and focused expression, making the whole scene appear both tense and orderly.

Pei Yunjing stood to one side with his hands behind his back, his sharp, hawk-like eyes scanning the entire room, not missing a single detail.

For him, this was not just a simple task of counting grain, but a major event concerning the survival of millions of people.

Because he knew all too well that even a tiny grain of rice could be a lifeline for a starving family, he could not tolerate the slightest carelessness or waste.

Just as everyone was engrossed in the investigation, Pei Yunjing suddenly noticed something amiss.

With his years of experience and keen insight, he quickly discovered signs that some of the grain had been misappropriated.

Pei Yunjing's face instantly darkened, a flash of anger crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Without the slightest hesitation, he decisively issued the order: "Guards! Arrest all these officials involved and bring them back to the yamen for rigorous interrogation!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of authority, making people dare not disobey him in the slightest.

He knew very well that at a time when the nation was in peril and the people were starving, any act of corruption would undoubtedly be a heinous crime against the country and its people.

They must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others; otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable.

However, Pei Yunjing did not stop there.

After dealing with the immediate issues, he began to think deeply about how to solve the current predicament from its root cause.

After all, the existing food supplies are clearly far from enough, and if a long-term and effective solution cannot be found, similar crises will continue to occur.

So he turned to his attendant and ordered, "Quickly, fetch paper and pen!"