Once the work-for-relief method is determined, the issue of the victims will come to an end.
Zhu Gaoxu put forward some symbolic opinions, and today’s meeting finally came to an end.
As soon as I walked out of the Nuan Pavilion of Qianqing Palace, a eunuch immediately presented me with a cotton robe behind me.
There was a charcoal fire burning in the Nuan Pavilion, so no one noticed the cold.
But after stepping out of Nuan Pavilion, it seemed as if he had entered a world of ice and snow.
It’s extremely cold in Yingtianfu (Nanjing) in November!
Especially the winter in the south is very different from that in the north. One is cold and the other is gloomy.
The dry cold in the North is a physical attack. Wear more clothes and you can easily defend against the wet cold in the South. It is a magical attack. No matter how much clothes you wear, you have to be resistant!
The south does not understand the coldness of the north, and the north does not understand the coldness of the south.
A gust of evil wind suddenly swept over, causing pain on everyone’s faces.
Suddenly, there was a violent coughing sound behind him.
Zhu Gaoxu looked back and saw that the person coughing was none other than Jin Zhong, the Minister of War.
According to history books, this old man died of overwork two years later. Now it seems that his body is extremely weak.
Zhu Gaoxu walked up to him and comforted him, ‘Old Jintou, you are already like this. Stop working so hard and go back to rest for a while!’
Jin Zhong was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile, ‘His Royal Highness Lao is concerned, but the Northern Expedition is imminent, and the Ministry of War still has too many things to arrange and deal with, so there is no room for delay!’
This old golden head is truly Zhu Di’s confidant!
Even though they are already so weak, they have not forgotten to do their duty faithfully and stick to their posts!
Now that Zhu Gaoxu is supervising the country’s governance, he will naturally not just watch Jin Zhong overwork and become ill from overwork.
‘Yang Rong, now you are temporarily in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of War, may you be qualified？’
Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and some did not quite understand what the King of Han meant.
Jin Zhong’s face changed slightly, ‘Your Highness, King of Han, I am not seriously ill, maybe I just contracted a little cold…’
‘Okay, okay, stop nagging. Someone will send Master Jin back to his home to rest, and let the Imperial Hospital send someone to take care of you. When the Imperial Doctor says you are fine, you can go back to work.’
Jin Zhong was stunned. How could there be any idea of forcing people to take a vacation to recuperate？
Huang Huai and other big bosses were also stunned. Was Jin Zhong just kicked out of the court by the King of Han？
That’s Jin Zhong!
Among the heroes of Jingnan, it is rare to support Zhu Gaochi!
Seeing Jin Zhong being carried away by several warriors in golden robes, Xia Yuanji suddenly became anxious, ‘Your Highness, King of Han, Jin Shangshu is an old minister of Jingnan…’
‘Nonsense, how can I not know this？ Once the imperial doctor diagnoses and treats him, you will know how serious Old Jintou’s illness is!’
Everyone was startled when they heard this, and couldn’t help but feel worried. Could it be that Jin Zhong was really seriously ill？
Zhu Gaoxu waved his hands angrily, unwilling to get involved with these giants.
These giants finally use the hearts of villains to save the hearts of gentlemen!
Wearing a cotton robe, Zhu Gaoxu still felt the biting cold. Then he suddenly realized that he was in Daming now, without heating or air conditioning.
In the Nuan Pavilion just now, you can burn charcoal to keep warm.
But this charcoal was extremely expensive for the common people.
Burning charcoal for heating？
That is the kind of privileged treatment that only princes, nobles, and dignitaries can enjoy!
Don’t underestimate this pot of charcoal, it’s worth dozens of taels of silver!
In the Ming Dynasty, where there was no air conditioning or heating, the people had only a handful of heating fuels, including charcoal, coal and firewood.
Among the three, charcoal heating has the best experience, but it is extremely expensive. Generally, only princes, nobles, dignitaries, and wealthy businessmen can afford it!
Because making charcoal is also a very hard physical job, the mountain people have almost no time to rest from morning to night. From chopping firewood to cutting wood into sections, then chopping firewood to build a kiln until burning charcoal, it takes about Ten days’ time.
Moreover, the firewood collected is generally hardwood, so that it can be burned to produce high-quality products that are resistant to burning and smoke-free.
For example, the imperial charcoal used by the Ming Dynasty royal family for winter is ‘Hongluo charcoal’, which is made from hardwoods in the mountains in Yizhou. Each charcoal is about a foot long and varies from two to three inches in diameter. It is warm and durable, gray but not explosive. There is still a slight aroma when burning!
This high-quality charcoal is rarely produced and expensive. Even the royal family cannot use it for a long time, let alone the common people!
Charcoal is expensive and coal is cheap, but no one dares to burn coal for heating!
Now these people don’t know what toxic gases are, and they don’t know how to take ventilation measures!
A pot of coal burns vigorously, and the whole family joins the crematorium!
What’s more, this coal has always been controlled by the imperial court and used to smelt steel and make weapons. In addition, the difficulty of mining is too high, so naturally there are very few people living among the people!
We cannot afford to burn charcoal, we dare not burn coal, and there is even less firewood and charcoal.
Lack of salary and firewood, this is one of the lamentable themes of those bitter and cold literati who have always made poetry popular!
I think back then, even the poet Du Fu lived in thatched huts and would be freezing when it rained or snowed, not to mention the vast number of poor people all over the world.
I can’t afford to burn charcoal, I dare not burn coal, I can’t burn firewood!
This is really forcing people to a dead end!
What can those ordinary people do？
How did they survive this extremely cold winter？
The Ming Empire is about to enter the Little Ice Age, with continuous natural disasters and extremely harsh climate. Every year’s severe winter will be a life-and-death struggle for the people at the bottom!
Stay healthy, get through it, and live another year!
If you are weak and can’t survive it, then you will have to suffer a year less!
That’s how it is in this world!
Everything is fate, nothing is up to you!
No wonder how many people at the bottom of the dynasties have been frozen to death in severe winters!
‘People suffer from the short winter days, but I love the long winter nights!’
Zhu Gaoxu sighed. The Aixinjueluo Gangu Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty could sit in the extremely warm Forbidden City and flourish in poetry. Can’t do it.
‘Old Xia Tou, old Song Tou, come here.’
Zhu Gaoxu waved to Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Song Li, the Minister of Industry. They were stunned when they saw this, but they still walked over quickly.
Prince Han looked worried and said in a deep voice, ‘It’s so cold today and it’s only the beginning of November. We can burn charcoal to keep warm, but what can the common people do？’
Xia Yuanji and Song Li were startled when they heard this, their faces turned red instantly, and they didn’t know how to answer.
They all know that every year in the severe winter, many people freeze to death and get frostbite.
But this has been the practice since ancient times, so no one cares, no one cares!
Because this is how we live every severe winter!
For the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, this was an unspeakable fig leaf!
As long as they don’t tear it apart, they can still sing praises, sing about peace in the world, and boast that their kings are saints and their ministers are virtuous!
If this fig leaf is torn open, there are countless innocent souls and bones underneath!
But what can these courtiers do？
How can mortals compete with the power of heaven and earth？
Even if they can compete, it is the privilege of a few powerful people!
Zhu Gaoxu noticed the expressions of the two of them and suddenly understood.
‘Let’s go to the Gongbu Craftsman’s Workshop with me.’
‘You have to do your best in everything so that you don’t feel guilty.’
Xia Yuanji and Song Li were startled when they heard this, then sighed and followed him.
These His Highnesses, the King of Han, seem to be really different!