Disaster relief was not something anyone could do just because they wanted to. Under normal circumstances, even if Jin Feng wanted to carry out relief, the local officials would make things difficult at every turn, doing everything possible to divert the relief grain into their own hands, skimming at least half before distributing the rest to the disaster victims.
Jin Feng had encountered this kind of situation in his previous life, let alone in the corrupt administration of Great Kang.
But this time, from prefectural governors down to county magistrates, no one dared to make things difficult for the Jin Chuan Merchant Association.
As for the even lower level village and town officials, whoever dared to bare their fangs would be caught by the escort guards and beaten on the spot.
Many small officials were still unconvinced after being beaten, so they ran to the county offices to cry to their patrons, only to be severely dealt with by those same patrons.
It was not that the prefectural governors and county magistrates had changed their nature, but that they were better informed than the village and town officials. They knew what had happened in Xichuan City a few days earlier, and they knew that the Ninth Princess and Qing Xin Yao were being completely serious this time.
Those nobles had all been arrested, and one had even been beheaded and his body hung outside the city. Would the Ninth Princess be soft hearted when dealing with people like them?
Under the deterrence of the Ninth Princess’s thunderous methods, the disaster relief work progressed extremely smoothly.
In the time that followed, the scope of relief expanded outward from Xichuan as the centre, spreading in a fan shape toward the south, northeast, and north.
Every day, countless common people borrowed grain from the Jin Chuan Money House, then the next day went to various construction sites nearby.
After receiving the news, Jin Feng, the Ninth Princess, and the others finally felt at ease.
“Wu Yang, what about Xu Fatty and the others? Keeping them locked in the dungeon all the time is not a solution.”
Qing Xin Yao put down his teacup and asked.
Over the past few days, several people had already come to see him.
These people were all lobbyists sent by various families, some giving subtle reminders, others issuing open threats.
It left Qing Xin Yao thoroughly annoyed.
Hearing this, the Ninth Princess subconsciously looked at Jin Feng.
But Jin Feng lowered his head and blew on the tea leaves, as if he had not heard Qing Xin Yao’s words at all.
The Ninth Princess immediately understood Jin Feng’s meaning and said coldly, “Was it not agreed earlier? Choose a day and execute them in public.”
“Wu Yang, I have already sent people to confirm it. Xu Fatty and the others truly have no grain left. Why not release them?”
Qing Xin Yao asked tentatively.
The ties among the nobility were deeply intertwined. This time, the Ninth Princess had arrested far too many people, almost implicating more than half the court.
If Xu Fatty and the others were killed, the court would be thrown into violent turmoil.
“Release them?” The Ninth Princess put down her teacup and said coldly. “Impossible.”
“But Wu Yang, the forces behind this group are truly enormous. Once the news reaches the capital, even His Majesty will be put in a difficult position.”
Qing Xin Yao continued to persuade her. “Leave some room in doing things, so that you can meet again in the future. We already have the grain we wanted, so why must we wipe them out completely?”
How could the Ninth Princess not understand this reasoning.
So she turned to look at Jin Feng again.
But Jin Feng was still staring at his teacup, with no intention of joining the conversation.
The Ninth Princess silently sighed and said, “Brother Xin Yao, in fact, arresting them and executing them mean the same thing. Both mean tearing our faces completely with the families behind them.”
“Wu Yang, have you really thought this through?” Qing Xin Yao asked. “Once this blade falls, there is no taking it back.”
“I have thought it through.”
The Ninth Princess was also a decisive person. After confirming that Jin Feng’s resolve was firm, her tone also became resolute. “It is time to let those families see whose realm this world truly belongs to.”
Seeing this, Qing Xin Yao’s expression also became serious. “Then when do you plan to carry out the execution?”
“Brother Xin Yao, what you just said has reminded me. These people must be killed quickly, otherwise once the imperial edict arrives, we may not be able to kill them.”
The Ninth Princess turned to glance at the sundial in the courtyard. “Qin Er, go and have the dungeon make preparations. Send them on their way at noon.”
“At noon today?”
Qing Xin Yao was so shocked that he stood up immediately.
Jin Feng could not help but raise his head as well.
It was already the hour of Si. There was less than one hour left until noon.
“If Brother Xin Yao has other ideas, you can arrange it as you see fit.”
The Ninth Princess’s tone returned to its usual calm.
Her expression was so tranquil that it was as if she were not discussing the life and death of nobles, but what to eat at midday.
“I…”
Qing Xin Yao opened his mouth, but in the end did not dare say anything.
The Qing family was already under great pressure. If he interfered further in the execution of these nobles, the nobles would tear the Qing family apart.
So after sitting back down, Qing Xin Yao also lowered his head to look at his teacup, allowing the Ninth Princess to arrange for Qin Er to leave.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became silent.
Qing Mulan found it too oppressive. Suddenly remembering Jin Feng’s reminder at Yulei Mountain, she spoke up. “By the way, sir, did you not ask me to remind you about cotton?”
“Cotton?”
The Ninth Princess also took the opportunity to ask, “Sir, what is cotton?”
“Cotton is…”
Jin Feng once again explained the matter of cotton to the Ninth Princess and Qing Xin Yao.
“If Great Kang were to obtain such a divine thing, it would surely benefit countless common people.”
After listening, the Ninth Princess’s face flushed with excitement. “Sir, do you think the words of the high person are trustworthy?”
Previously at Xihe Bay, Jin Feng had told her about potatoes and maize. At the time, the Ninth Princess found it astonishing, but after calming down, she felt it was not very credible.
This was because, according to Jin Feng, those things all came from the words of a wandering high person.
If that high person had gone to a continent tens of thousands of li away and seen potatoes and maize, why did he not bring back some seeds?
So later, the Ninth Princess treated it as a mythical tale.
Now Jin Feng said again that far to the west of the Tangut and Tubo lands, there was something called cotton.
Overseas tens of thousands of li away was unreachable, but west of the Tangut and Tubo lands was something that could be attempted.
This made the Ninth Princess very tempted, yet also somewhat unsure of the truth.
“Absolutely trustworthy. Without the guidance of that high person, there would be no Jin Feng of today.”
Jin Feng said firmly. “Moreover, whether Your Highness believes it or not, I will do this matter regardless. Once I bring back the cotton, Your Highness will know.”
“Sir, to the west of the Tangut and Tubo lands, are there really other realms?”
Qing Xin Yao asked with a face full of doubt.
“Of course there are. This time when I went to the Eastern Sea, I heard from the Eastern Sea navy that in recent years, many European pirates have frequently appeared. If Lord Qing does not believe it, when you later see Lord Wei, just ask him and you will know.”
“The Europeans mentioned by the sir, this palace has seen them in memorials,” the Ninth Princess said. “The memorials say they all have golden hair and blue eyes. Is that true?”
“Yes,” Jin Feng said. “The high person calls the land we are on the Eurasian continent. We are at the easternmost part of the continent, and the Europeans are at the westernmost part. The high person said that there is also constant warfare there. The current situation is unclear.”
The historical process of Great Kang was completely different from that of Jin Feng’s previous life, so he could not be sure what the situation in Europe was like now.
“Then beyond the Eurasian continent, are there other continents and realms?”
Qing Xin Yao asked again.
