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Chapter 439 Charity Auction
Jiang Chen then looked at Xu Changqing, "Xu Changqing, did you investigate the granaries of the various prefectural and state governments as I instructed?"
"I have already arranged for people to investigate. According to the intelligence sent back so far..."
Speaking of this, the look on Xu Changqing's face became very ugly.
Jiang Chen had already anticipated this in his heart. He slammed his desk and shouted, "Speak!"
Xu Changqing was startled and said, "Based on the current investigation, the actual amount of grain stored in the granaries of the prefectural and state governments is probably only twenty percent of what was previously reported."
"Bang!"
Jiang Chen slammed the table again and sneered, "Twenty percent, huh? Only twenty percent!"
The ministers also felt a surge of anger in their hearts.
These people below were really audacious!
They even dared to touch the grain in the granaries!
"How many people have been found?" Jiang Chen asked.
Xu Changqing said, "More than two hundred people have been found to be involved."
Jiang Chen's face was extremely cold. He said coldly, "Jing Yue, cooperate with Xu Changqing in the investigation."
After speaking, Jiang Chen looked at Wu Zuo, the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice, "Once the investigation is clear, execute their entire families! At the same time, all their property will be confiscated into the national treasury!"
"Yes!"
Jiang Chen looked at the stunned ministers again and shouted, "What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and get to work!"
After the ministers dispersed like startled birds, Jiang Chen returned to his bedroom and found Consort Shu.
"Beloved Consort, this time, the charity foundation will have to take action again," Jiang Chen said.
Consort Shu had also learned about the drought situation in the past few months and nodded, "Your Majesty, this charity foundation was originally established by you. I am just a figurehead."
"Good."
Jiang Chen nodded, "Then, Beloved Consort, temporarily set up soup kitchens in various prefectures and states. They don't need to be too good, but they must be able to ensure that people don't starve to death."
Consort Shu carefully noted it down.
After thinking for a while, Jiang Chen asked again, "If we spread it across the entire Great Wei, will the charity foundation have enough money?"
Consort Shu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the charity foundation now has two million taels!"
"How much?"
Jiang Chen thought he had heard wrong.
"Two million taels!" Consort Shu reported the number with some pride.
"How can there be so much?" Jiang Chen was extremely surprised.
He had initially agreed with Consort Shu that donations would be entirely voluntary.
Could it be that some great philanthropist had donated one million taels at once?
Consort Shu said with a hint of pride, "It was I who borrowed Your Majesty's prestige to earn it."
"It also involves me?" Jiang Chen was a little curious.
"Your Majesty, the collection of poems published at the Autumn Poetry Gathering was not directly sold in various places, but rather adopted another method."
"I used these poetry collections as thank-you gifts to those who donated to the charity."
"No matter how much they donated, even if it was only one wen, they could get a copy of the poetry collection. However, the amount of the donation would be written on the cover of the poetry collection."
After listening to Consort Shu's explanation, Jiang Chen understood the reason and couldn't help but laugh.
"Beloved Consort, you are too clever."
In short, Consort Shu was using the scholars' set of lofty and face-saving psychology.
Although it was said that even donating only one wen could get the poetry collection.
But for these scholars, if they really only donated one wen to get this poetry collection, then in the future, when everyone gathered together and took out their poetry collections.
Other people's books all had one hundred taels, dozens of taels written on them, while your poetry collection cover had one wen written on it, then you would be too embarrassed to greet others!
Face is more precious than money!
Especially the scholars in the Jiangnan area, who were not short of money, regarded it as a matter of showing off and comparing with each other.
The highest one directly donated ten thousand taels!
Although doing so was already against the purpose of the charity foundation, Jiang Chen didn't mind.
Letting these rich people spend a little money was not a problem!
After thinking about it, Jiang Chen's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Beloved Consort, we have to get some more money for the foundation to help the people of Great Wei overcome the disaster!"
The next day, a nationwide invitation from Consort Shu spread throughout Great Wei.
On the seventh day of the seventh month, a grand charity auction will be held in the capital!
This news attracted the attention of all the influential people in Great Wei.
Not because of charity, but because of the items auctioned at the auction!
According to the released information, there were works by famous calligraphers and painters of the current era and even past dynasties, as well as handwritten works by His Majesty, and various precious antiques.
For many gentry and landlords, these were things that they couldn't buy even if they had money!
But now, as long as they had money, they could buy them!
This made them immediately excited.
Just imagine, what an honor it would be to have His Majesty's handwritten work hanging in the hall in the future?
For a time, gentry and landlords with some wealth from all over the country flocked to the capital.
The waiting time passed quickly, and the seventh day of the seventh month soon arrived.
Because there were too many people, the venue for the auction was changed again and again.
Finally, it was decided to be held in a large manor outside the capital.
Xu Changqing, the Minister of Revenue, served as the host of this charity auction.
Jiang Chen and Consort Shu also arrived at the scene after the auction started.
This scene made the gentry and landlords who came to participate in the charity auction extremely happy.
In their lifetime, they could actually see His Majesty's true face.
Regardless of whether they got anything at this trip or not, it was worth it!
The auction started quickly, and when the first item was brought out, everyone was shocked.
It was actually a work by the most famous painter of the previous dynasty!
The ministers who knew the origin of this item all looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief.
If they remembered correctly, this work was treasured by His Majesty. Now, he was actually taking it out for auction?
Many people even suspected that it was a fake.
Jiang Chen would naturally not use fake products to fool people, although the purpose of his charity auction was to collect some money from these gentry and landlords to relieve the disaster.
But he would not smash the signboard of the charity foundation himself.
Moreover, for Jiang Chen, these calligraphy and paintings did not have much meaning.
Instead of letting them stay in the palace and become moldy and decayed, it would be better to take them out and make a contribution.
Soon, the price was called to fifty thousand taels.
Just when the gentry who bid thought that fifty thousand taels could win it, a voice suddenly sounded in a corner.
"Fifty-five thousand taels!"
The joyful expression on the gentry's face sank, and he immediately followed, "Sixty thousand taels!"
"Sixty-five thousand taels!"
"Seventy thousand taels!"
After the gentry called out the price of seventy thousand taels, the voice in the corner did not sound again.
The gentry breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he felt very pained.
Just by calling the price a few more times, he spent twenty thousand taels more.
He stretched his neck, wanting to see which bastard made him spend more money, but because there were too many people, he couldn't find him at all.
Jiang Chen and Consort Shu, who were sitting in the front row, smiled at each other.
This person was naturally his shill!