Ang Lee looked up. There were 5,000 victims in the open space not far away, and there were only 200 temporary tents for people to live in. On average, 25 people would share one tent. The living environment was very tense. There was nothing in the tents. There were no beds or quilts. They could only lie on simple wooden shelves made of temporary branches.
There were also few food supplies. There was only thin porridge in the pot. It would be strange if it could fill one's stomach, but it could barely sustain one's life.
There was more fruit food in the tropics. Many victims would run to the nearby trees to pick fruits to fill their stomachs and make their stomachs less hungry.
Looking at these victims, Ang Lee felt that they were so pitiful! As the people of a weak country, it was difficult for them to get enough help. It was estimated that such days would continue for a while.
"Your Highness, there are few tents here and not enough food. We should transfer more."
When Ang Lee had first arrived in Heling Country, the disaster had already happened here. However, after so many days, the people and materials that the imperial court of Heling Country had used to rescue the disaster area were so thin. It made people feel that the imperial court of Heling Country didn't want to help the disaster at all, as if they were doing it perfunctorily.
"Assistant Minister Li, you may not know this, but the tents of Heling Country are piled up in the eastern front line. There are only these tents in the capital. It will take at least three to five days before more tents can be transferred here. As for food, Xiao Wang has always been worried that the rebels won't be easy to eliminate, so more food has been transferred to the east. There is not much food that can be used for emergency rescue, so we can only save it and let the victims eat some porridge. It is more important to save their lives first. Now that the main force of the rebels has been annihilated, there is no need for the east to stockpile too many supplies. The food will be transferred here in three to five days, and the situation here will be greatly improved."
The King of Heling Country explained in person.
If one was not in charge of the household, one would not know the cost of daily necessities. This was especially true for poor families. They could not wait to break a dollar into eight petals. The King of the Heling Kingdom was equivalent to the head of a poor family. In the face of his family's wealth, he had to spend every penny on the blade, not daring to waste the slightest bit.
Since the main force of the rebel army had not been eliminated, he had to give more resources to the army. As for disaster relief, he seemed a little reluctant. After all, the death of a few victims was not a big loss for the Ha Ling Kingdom. However, if there was a shortage of supplies in the army, the consequences would be very serious. The army was the foundation of a country, and no ruler could ignore it.
Therefore, when there was a natural disaster, the Ha Ling Kingdom continued to transfer a large number of materials to the eastern front line to support its army. As for the natural disaster in the west, it only symbolically mobilized a small number of people and materials to carry out a certain degree of rescue for the victims. Even if they saved a little, they would save as much as they could.
It had to be said that the King of Heling Kingdom's approach was very rational. If there was a problem with the army, it would be much more serious than the disaster victims.
In the history of Hua Xia, there had been many uprisings caused by the disaster victims. However, very few of them had been able to rise to power in the end, because they were just a group of starving peasants who could not raise much of a storm. When there was a problem with the army, it often directly seized the throne of the emperor, causing the whole country to collapse and the emperor to become a prisoner.
Therefore, any imperial court must first appease and take care of the army, followed by the disaster victims and the aristocracy. Only by controlling the army, a violent machine, could the country be stable and safe.
Of course, this was mainly because the old King did not understand the strength of the Tang Dynasty army. After the Tang Dynasty army offered to help, he did not believe that the Tang Dynasty army could wipe out the main force of the rebel army in a short time. Therefore, he considered continuing to transfer a large number of materials to the east. If they believed that the Tang Dynasty army could end the battle quickly, they would not have transferred so many materials to the east.
Ang Lee nodded and asked his subordinates to bring him some meat. He walked into a tent in person, intending to send warmth to the disaster victims.
As soon as he entered the tent, Ang Lee smelled a very unpleasant smell. With more than 20 people gathered in a small tent, it was impossible for the smell not to be there.
These disaster victims were generally sallow and emaciated. It was obvious that they had not eaten a full meal for so many days, so it was impossible for them to look good.
After seeing the meat in Ang Lee's hand, these disaster victims showed a look of expectation and even some greed in their eyes. After being hungry for so many days, their expectation of food was needless to say.
"Give it to me, give it to me."
"I'm hungry. Give it to me!"
The disaster victims were very hungry. When they smelled the aroma of the meat, how could they bear it? They all stretched out their hands and asked for it.
Ang Lee only had one piece of meat in his hand, but there were more than 20 disaster victims in the tent. One piece of meat was clearly not enough to satisfy all of them. At this moment, the question of who to give it to became a very big problem.
Seeing the sallow and emaciated disaster victims, Ang Lee was very hesitant. He didn't know who to give it to. However, although Ang Lee only had one piece of meat, his subordinates had definitely brought more. It was no problem to satisfy twenty people, but there were more than five thousand disaster victims here. He couldn't be biased and give it to only the disaster victims in this tent! The remaining disaster victims were also very pitiful. What should they do?
"This official only has one piece of meat in his hand, but there are more than 20 of you. What do you think should be done? Who should I give it to? "
Li An asked as he looked at the twenty or so victims.
"Give it to me! I've been hungry for three days. "
"I want it. I've also been hungry for three days."
"I've been hungry for four days."
"Give it to me. I still have a child to feed. I'm hungry."
"Give it to me. Give it to me."
All the disaster victims were fighting for the piece of meat in Ang Lee's hand in disorder.
"Assistant Minister Li, there are too many disaster victims here. It's not a problem that can be solved with one piece of meat. It's the same no matter who you give it to. Why make things difficult for them?"
The King of Ha Ling Kingdom felt that Ang Lee's approach was inappropriate. It was already good enough for these disaster victims to have a mouthful of food. Why bother to prepare meat for them? Now the disaster victims were all fighting for it. If the news spread to other tents and all the disaster victims came to ask for meat, it would be difficult to deal with.
Ang Lee nodded and said, "What Your Highness said makes sense. This piece of meat may cause trouble. It's not the scarcity but the uneven distribution. If one disaster victim eats the meat, the other disaster victims will feel unbalanced. If all of them are satisfied, there won't be enough meat. This is indeed a problem! But I've already taken out the meat, so I can't take it back! Won't the disaster victims laugh at me? "
"This …"
Suddenly, the King and the ministers were in a dilemma and didn't know how to deal with it.
"What do you think should be done?"
Ang Lee looked at the disaster victims and asked.
A child said, "We can divide the meat and each of us can have a bite. This way, everyone will have meat to eat."
This piece of meat was not very big. If one person ate it, it could fill their hungry stomach. But if it was divided into many portions, each piece would be very small. It could be said that it was not even enough to fill the gap between the teeth. It would not be satisfying to eat it.
However, Ang Lee was very happy after hearing this. This child's concept was sharing. No matter how small the thing was, he knew how to share it with others. This quality was very precious.
"Look, so many of you are not even as good as a child. This is sharing. No matter how small the food is, everyone should have a share. This is the right way to think. It's not good to eat alone. "
Ang Lee directly taught everyone a lesson, even the King of Ha Ling Kingdom.
"Share? Yes! It should be shared, not enjoyed alone. "
The people of Ha Ling Kingdom suddenly learned a new word, which was sharing.
"Come, cut up all the pieces of meat we brought. All the disaster victims will have a small piece each so that all the disaster victims can eat meat."
Ang Lee ordered.
This time, they were here to inspect the disaster area. No matter what, they had to provide some living materials for the disaster victims. Only then would it be reasonable. Otherwise, this trip would have been in vain.
The subordinates obeyed and immediately cut up all the pieces of meat they brought and distributed them to all the disaster victims so that all the disaster victims could eat a mouthful of meat and feel the warmth of the sun.
"Your Highness, let's eat too!"
Ang Lee ate a small piece of meat himself and handed a piece to the King.
Looking at the satisfied smiles on the faces of the disaster victims, Ang Lee was also very happy. This was his result. If it were not for his proposal, how could these disaster victims eat meat?
"Friends of the disaster victims, your King is the same as you. If you eat a piece of meat, your King will only get a piece. These days, your King has been living frugally every day. Even I, a guest, have not been able to eat my fill! Why is this so? Because there are disaster victims like you who have no food to eat in Ha Ling Kingdom. Your King does not dare to waste food. Let me tell you a piece of good news. The rebellion will soon end. Ha Ling Kingdom will gradually become rich. Your life will get better and better. Within three to five days, you will all be able to eat your fill. "
Ang Lee lied as soon as he opened his mouth. He did not blush at all when he lied. This was a skill that he had practiced for many years in the officialdom. If he had not been an official, he would not have had this ability.
Naturally, the King of Ha Ling Kingdom could tell that Ang Lee was lying, and it was a white lie. Naturally, he was very happy and decided to flatter Ang Lee and the Tang Dynasty.
"People, Ha Ling Kingdom has been suffering from natural and man-made disasters, especially the rebellion of the rebel army, which seriously affected the national treasury and made me unable to provide enough food to relieve the disaster victims. However, Assistant Minister Li led the brave soldiers of the Tang Dynasty to reinforce us. They cooperated closely with the main force of the imperial army and wiped out the main force of the rebel army in one fell swoop, eliminating the major problem of Ha Ling Kingdom. Assistant Minister Li is a friend of Ha Ling Kingdom, and the Tang Empire is even more our friend. We must always remember Assistant Minister Li and the efforts made by the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty to help us eliminate the rebel army."
The King of Ha Ling Kingdom boasted.
Then came the sound of gratitude. The disaster victims of Ha Ling Kingdom were very grateful for what the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty had done for them and expressed that they would always be friends with the Tang Empire and be friends with the Tang Empire.
Obviously, the King was also good at lying. He just said that the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty and the imperial army had cooperated closely and wiped out the main force of the rebel army in one fell swoop. It gave people the impression that the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty and Ha Ling Kingdom had worked together to wipe out the main force of the rebel army. However, the actual situation was not so. The main force of the imperial army of Ha Ling Kingdom did not contribute. The entire main force of the rebel army was wiped out by the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty. The 20,000 soldiers that Ha Ling Kingdom had spent a lot of resources to support had not made any decent contributions except for confronting the rebel army for many years and preventing the rebel army from attacking the palace.
"Your Highness, there should be some surplus food in the palace and the homes of the ministers. Why don't you send some to the disaster relief first and make up for it when the provisions from the east are sent back? Only in this way can we solve the urgent needs of the disaster victims."
Ang Lee suggested.
"Ah! It's not very good to use the surplus food of the palace and the ministers' homes! "
The King felt that it was a bit of a fuss. In order to save some disaster victims, he had to use the food of himself and the ministers, which was a little unacceptable.
"After the volcanic eruption, the land became more fertile, which is a good time for planting. It's a waste to let these disaster victims lie here. They should be mobilized to build houses and farm as soon as possible to restore production. But now they are all hungry, so they can't work. So, they must all be fed. Only when they are full can they have the strength to work."
Ang Lee explained.
Looking at the rich land and lush woods in the disaster area, Ang Lee felt that it was too wasteful to let these disaster victims lie here and wait for rescue. They were all good laborers. How could they be left idle here?
If these disaster victims were to be immediately put into production, they must be fed. Only when they were full could they have the strength to work.
"Yes! Assistant Minister Li's words are reasonable. The ultimate purpose of disaster relief is to let the people have no worries about food and clothing. But if we can't mobilize their labor force and let them work to support themselves, the burden of the imperial court will be heavy. Xiao Wang will arrange for everyone in Tortoise City to donate food if they can. "
The King of Heling Kingdom finally thought it through and said.
Ang Lee nodded and inspected the disaster victims with the King. From time to time, he would ask about their well-being and make a show of it to gain the favor of the disaster victims so that they could wait for rescue with peace of mind.
After the volcanic eruption, a lot of volcanic ash was produced, which was very good nourishment. Plants liked it best. In places with volcanic ash, the growth of plants was far better than in areas without volcanic ash. This was the main reason why the people would rather risk their lives to live in volcanic areas.
"Assistant Minister Li, good news! There's an unexpected discovery. "
An accompanying official of the Tang Dynasty said happily.
"What unexpected discovery? What made you so happy? "
Ang Lee asked.
"Iron ore, a lot of iron ore. There was a landslide next to the mountain, exposing a lot of stones. I just went to have a look. It's iron ore, the kind with high iron content."
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