When he arrived, Ning Chen had just met with the ministers.
They were also worried about the issue of military pay, so after discussing it for a while, they all went back to think of a solution.
Hearing that Ye Jun was here, Ning Chen frowned, "Tell Ming Xiuyi that I will find a way to send the military pay, and tell her not to worry about General Ye's safety."
This means that he has no intention of meeting him. After all, he only has time to rest for a stick of incense before he has to meet the next wave of ministers.
Huai An, who was delivering the message, said, "Ming Xiuyi said that she didn't come to ask about General Ye's situation, but she wanted to share some thoughts with the emperor about the military pay."
Huai'an was very nervous when he said this.
It is an ancestral rule that the harem cannot interfere in politics, but Ming Xiuyi asked for permission. He had been taken care of by Ming Xiuyi for many years, so he couldn't help but speak up.
It's really difficult.
Unexpectedly, Ning Chen was silent for a moment, then said, "Let her in."
Huai'an thought he had heard it wrong. He was stunned for a moment before he reacted and hurried out to ask for help.
When Ye Jun came in, the servants in the room tactfully retreated.
Only two people were left inside.
"I pay my respects to His Majesty. Although I am not allowed to say this, I want to share His Majesty's worries and I am worried about my brother, so I dare to say this at the risk of my life."
"Get up." Ning Chen looked at her and waved his hand.
After Ye Jun stood up, he whispered again.
"Am I such a pedantic person? You have good ideas, and I have adopted them before. In this situation, just tell me. If they are useful, it will be your credit."
Hearing this, Ye Jun did not relax at all, and bowed again with a serious expression.
"In the past, the emperor always asked first and I spoke later. This time, I took the initiative to speak, which is different. However, this matter is of great importance. Even if the emperor wants to kill me, I have to give it a try."
"Nonsense." Ning Chen frowned, sighed, walked forward, and held the person in his hand. "You are already a mother, why do you still talk about death? Tell me, I don't blame you."
If Ning Chen was still a little concerned just now, he has now completely let it go.
Ye Jun just spoke.
"In my opinion, waiting for the military rations to arrive from the capital will not work. The fastest way is to transfer the rations from the counties close to Lingzhou."
"It's not that I haven't thought about this, but now in July and August, the rice, wheat, and soybeans in the north are either not yet ripe or still in the fields. The granaries in various places deliver grain to the court once a year. Now, after half a year, there is not much left, and we still have to wait for the autumn harvest to have grain."
Ning Chen looked embarrassed, his brows were tightly knitted, and his whole body exuded a sense of powerlessness.
But what Ye Jun said the next second made him feel refreshed.
"The government has no grain, but the people and merchants must have stored grain. Your Majesty can borrow grain from the people for emergency and return it with 10% or 20%. Now that the country is in crisis, the people will definitely be willing to lend. If Lingzhou runs out of food and is lost, and the Liao army breaks into Nanqi, who can escape unscathed?"
"Borrowing grain is a good idea. We can raise a lot of it in a day or two from the nearby counties and cities, and it can be transported quickly as well." Ning Chen's eyes brightened.
Because the Nanqi treasury was well-stocked and there was no shortage of grain, everyone was thinking about how to transport the grain to Lingzhou as quickly as possible, and never thought of borrowing first and then repaying.
"I will discuss this matter with the ministers. You can go back first. Don't worry too much about what's happening outside. Your brother will be safe."
Ning Chen squeezed Ye Jun's hand and began to think about the proposal he had just made.
"I have one more thing to report to the emperor." Ye Jun suddenly continued.
Seeing her serious expression, Ning Chen frowned and said, "Go ahead."
This time, Ye Jun knelt down first.
Without waiting for Ning Chen to pull her, she kowtowed and spoke seriously at the end.
"My father died on the battlefield. I only have this one brother. When the war started, I was extremely worried. Swords are merciless on the battlefield, and injuries are inevitable. This is something I can't control, but I can still do my part to provide support from the rear."
"I trust the emperor, but I don't trust the Yao family, so I wrote a letter early in the morning and asked my grandfather to find a way to send all the food in the house to the border of Lingzhou. If there is really a shortage of military pay, it can be used for a day or two. If there is no food, it would be the best."
"I don't want to keep this a secret from Your Majesty. I believe in Your Majesty, and I hope that Your Majesty will trust me."
Providing supplies to the army privately is a very dangerous thing.
Firstly, the Chu family is an imperial merchant, so it is inevitable that people will suspect that the Chu family is using the country's grain to subsidize Ye Zhe privately. Secondly, it will easily lead to associations.
Your Chu family can secretly provide food and grass now, can you provide other things in the future? Is the military power in Ye Zhe's hands still safe
Looking at Ye Jun kneeling on the ground, Ning Chen felt complicated.
It was true that he doted on Ye Jun, but he was the emperor after all, and he had to worry about the Ning family's country.
But Ye Jun told him so frankly that it made him feel a different kind of emotion in his heart.
It's the feeling of life-long friendship and mutual trust.
But at this moment, Ning Chen didn't say anything about forgiveness or not, his mind was too complicated.
"I understand. You can go back first. Don't tell anyone about this matter. You are not allowed to do anything rash again. I will take care of everything."
"Your Majesty, you obey my command. You must take care of yourself even though you have been busy." Ye Jun stood up, bowed, and said softly.
As he spoke, he glanced at Ning Chen's face, then quickly lowered his eyes.
But even so, Ning Chen still caught a trace of loneliness and worry in the woman's eyes.
When Ye Jun walked to the palace gate and was about to step over the threshold, Ning Chen finally couldn't bear it.
He said coldly, "Go back and have a good rest, don't let your mind wander."
Although the voice was low and cold, Ye Jun felt a little relieved.
She turned around and smiled at Ning Chen, her beautiful eyes bright as a deer.
He bowed towards the inside, their eyes met, but they said nothing.
The servants waiting outside were relieved to see her come out with a relaxed look on her face.
The emperor is in a bad mood right now, so no one dares to be careless.
On the way back, Nan Zhi lowered her voice and asked, "Xiu Yi, did the emperor listen to your opinion?"
"The harem is not allowed to interfere in political affairs. What interest do I, a concubine, have? Everything is decided by the emperor." Ye Jun said indifferently.
Nan Zhi's expression changed, and she lowered her head quickly, "I spoke out of turn."
Ye Jun waved his hand, "Okay, I don't blame you, go back quickly, and don't mention this matter again outside of Jiuchen Palace."
If the news of the harem interfering in government affairs gets out, it will be no joke.
On this front, Ye Jun has done everything he should do, and the rest depends on how Ning Chen arranges it.
However, dealing with and negotiating with ministers has never been an easy task.
When the ministers heard that they had to borrow grain from the people, there were indeed a few voices of opposition.