Although the first month of the year has passed, the severe cold of winter is still continuing. In the north, many people have been frozen to death due to the extremely cold weather. The situation is very serious.
Fu Yuheng was very worried about this. The supply of warm clothes and charcoal was limited, and they were only used in the imperial palace. The number of displaced people was increasing, which was very detrimental to the stability of the court.
For several days in a row, the emperor received memorials from local officials requesting financial assistance from the imperial court. Fu Yuheng had already allocated some funds from the national treasury to deal with them, but for tens of millions of ordinary people, it was just a drop in the bucket.
This incident made Fu Yuheng frown, and he kept a furrowed brow all day long, with a deep light in his gloomy black eyes.
Fu Yuheng, who was sitting in the Golden Palace, angrily threw the pile of memorials in his hands to the ground, his cold eyes filled with fierceness due to anger.
"The people in the north are starving and cold, and are displaced, but the officials of the imperial court refuse to donate! What's the point of me supporting you!"
After the incident in the north, he issued an order to encourage officials to donate money to help the people, but these court officials were unwilling to give even a penny.
Everyone lowered their heads and dared not raise them. How could they want to donate? The salary was meager, and the emperor was diligent in governing. It would be a problem for him to embezzle even a little.
Seeing that the officials were silent and pretending nothing happened, Fu Yuheng's anger was instantly aroused, and veins popped up on his forehead. "Aren't you usually eloquent? Why are you all pretending to be dumb today!"
As soon as Fu Yuheng opened his mouth, they dared not to remain silent. One of the ministers stepped out of the line and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's not that we don't care about the people of the world, but we are so poor that we can't donate!"
"You are so short of money, I know it very well!" He snorted coldly and didn't want to waste any more words with them. He would rather use this time to think of a countermeasure.
He left the court angrily, saying that if these officials did not take action after today, it would be disrespectful to him.
Fu Yuheng came out of his gloomy mood the next day, only because General Shen took the lead in donating money during the court session this morning. His salary was not much, but he also had a lot of gold, silver and treasures as rewards for his victories over the years. A full box of it was placed so brightly in the Golden Palace, which was a slap in the face to those officials who were watching the show.
Fu Yuheng praised General Shen generously in front of everyone. He was right about the man and it was a wise move to hand over the military power to General Shen.
Considering General Shen's straightforward personality, this box of gold, silver and treasures must be all the family's belongings.
After the court session, Fu Yuheng went straight to Shen Qingwan's residence. Seeing her slowly coming to greet him, he hurried forward to help her up, "No need to be polite."
Because of General Shen's donation, he became more pleasant to Shen Qingwan. His previously cold black eyes now had a hint of warmth, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised with a faint smile.
Shen Qingwan only knew that he was happy about General Shen's donation. News in the court spread quickly, not to mention that he deliberately spread it just to show off to those people.
"The Emperor finally smiled today." She teased. She had seen him frowning every time in the past few days, but today he seemed much more relaxed.
Fu Yuheng did not hide his feelings at all. He hugged her and said with a hearty smile, "General Shen's action today really pleased me." He stared at her beautiful face with a smile, "I really have good taste."
Both General Shen and Shen Qingwan were rare talents. One was taken into the harem to accompany him, and the other worked for him in the court.
"Your Majesty, thank you." She acted very calmly and just smiled faintly, as if she was not affected by this matter at all.
It was naturally a good thing that her father was valued and praised by the emperor, but she should not show her joy too much.
"General Shen has donated a lot. Although it is not enough to support us, I am already very pleased." It would cost a lot of money to help the northern refugees, and General Shen's box of gold and silver would definitely not be enough.
Shen Qingwan's brows slightly furrowed when she heard this, and after some worry, she said, "I am willing to set an example. All the charcoal and cotton clothes sent to me will be confiscated and given to the refugees." Looking at Fu Yuheng, whose expression was somewhat moved, she continued, "Although it is a small contribution, I also want to share the emperor's worries and care about the people."
These words touched Fu Yuheng's heart, and he couldn't help but hold her in his arms. He sighed slightly and said nothing more. As long as the two of them understood, it was enough.
Fu Yuheng's favoritism towards the Shen father and daughter made Lin Lianlian very jealous.
This woman is really good at taking advantage of every opportunity to show her loyalty!
"Come here, give me some ink." She ordered the palace maid coldly. How could she lose to Shen Qingwan? Even if she couldn't get there first, she couldn't fall behind.
I wrote a letter to Lin Shangshu, asking him to donate as soon as possible. Showing loyalty while no one else has donated is the best way to win the emperor's heart.
After seeing this, Minister Lin sighed silently. How could he bear to give so much money to the people? If he took too much, Fu Yuheng would doubt his salary, and if he took too little, it would not bring him any face.
The distressed Minister Lin took into consideration Lin Lianlian in the palace, and finally decided to donate half a box of treasures, but this also cost him his life!
Fu Yuheng was very pleased when he learned about it. As expected, with General Shen as the first to take the lead, many people would flock to him.
He praised General Shen highly in the hall and was very fond of Shen Qingwan, which would surely arouse the envy of many people. He could get a lot of donations by using this method.
"General Shen and Minister Lin are indeed my right-hand men!" Fu Yuheng's obscure eyes fell on Minister Lin, "Minister Lin has also set an example for everyone. This rescue was meritorious, and I will never forget Minister Lin's contribution!"
Minister Lin bowed his body with an apologetic smile, but he felt very weak in his heart, "Thank you, Your Majesty, I am only trying to help you."
"Minister Lin has excellent character, and I believe the daughter he has raised will also be excellent." He praised calmly. In addition to showing loyalty, the ministers also wanted to bring their daughter into the palace. "Lady Lin has excellent character and is virtuous. She has a father like Minister Lin as a guarantee. Today, I will raise her rank and promote her to Concubine!"
It is not a big deal to mention the position in the harem, let alone she is just a noble.
After hearing this, Minister Lin showed a look of joy and pride, but considering that there were still ministers in the hall, he endured it and knelt on the ground, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I thank you on behalf of my daughter!"
The news that Lin Lianlian, the daughter of Minister Lin, was promoted to the rank of imperial concubine spread quickly throughout the harem. She had risen so quickly in just a few months in the palace, which made some ladies envious.
But some people sneered at it. After all, it was still her father's credit. He only gave her the title of concubine to appease Minister Lin.