freenovelworld Chapter 779 This is no natural disaster! This is clearly a man-made catastrophe!
Chapter 779 This is no natural disaster! This is clearly a man-made catastrophe!
"Young Master Qian, we've found another one trapped here!" a constable shouted.
Qian Zhenyun immediately went to investigate the sound.
Gu Qingchen quietly followed.
That was one of the most severely collapsed houses; almost all the bricks, tiles, and timber were piled together, forming a huge mound of earth.
Qian Zhenyun directed the constables to clean up carefully.
"Slow down!" Qian Zhenyun's voice was tinged with anxiety. "There are still people inside!"
He personally took action, using his hands to remove the rubble, and soon, a faint sound came from below.
"Help... help..."
The voice was very soft, with a sob in it, like that of a child.
Qian Zhenyun moved even faster, lifting heavy bricks with his bare hands until his fingertips bled, but he didn't care.
Gu Qingchen looked at his blood-stained fingertips and her heart skipped a beat.
She wanted to step forward to help, but she knew that her presence would only cause him trouble.
She could only stand silently to the side, watching him and praying for him.
Finally, a small, thin figure was carefully rescued from the rubble by Qian Zhenyun and several constables.
It was a boy of about seven or eight years old, pale-faced, covered in blood, with one leg crushed and mangled.
"Father! Father!" Qian Zhenyun shouted loudly.
Doctor Qian immediately rushed over with several of his apprentices.
They quickly examined the boy's injuries, and Physician Qian frowned deeply.
"This child is too badly injured," Doctor Qian sighed. "His leg bone is shattered; I'm afraid he can't be saved."
Qian Zhenyun's face suddenly darkened.
He looked at the dying child, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes.
Unfortunately, despite his studies in literature and martial arts, he had no interest in medicine and knew nothing about it.
"Do everything you can to save him!" Qian Zhenyun said in a deep voice. "No matter what, we must save his life!"
Doctor Qian nodded and immediately led his apprentices to carry the boy to a makeshift clinic nearby.
Qian Zhenyun stood there, watching the direction the boy was carried away, and clenched his fists.
He knew that this scene was just the beginning. In the face of this disaster, how insignificant the power of an individual seemed.
He needs more resources and more help.
Just then, Gu Lu walked over, patted Qian Zhenyun on the shoulder, and looked tired.
"Zhenyun, the supplies from the Imperial Household Department have arrived, but the quantity is far from enough. Moreover, there are still many places in the south of the city that we simply cannot cover with our manpower."
Qian Zhenyun nodded; of course he knew.
He looked at Gu Lu, his eyes flashing with contemplation.
He knew that the Crown Prince would not offer him any substantial help. His only reliance was on Gu Lu and himself.
He needs a way to mobilize more resources.
"Brother, do you have a way to transfer some more manpower from the capital?" Qian Zhenyun asked.
Gu Lu shook his head, a hint of helplessness on his face: "I have brought all the people I can from the Dali Temple. The Jingji Guard can only mobilize one team. Any more than that, and it will cross His Majesty's bottom line."
He paused, then said, "As for the Ministry of Revenue, the Crown Prince has ordered that all disaster relief supplies must be allocated by the Eastern Palace. It's simply impossible for us to get grain directly from the Ministry of Revenue."
Qian Zhenyun frowned deeply.
He knew that the Crown Prince was gradually tightening his control over him, making it impossible for him to escape.
He stood in the wind and snow, looking at the devastated land before him and at the desperate and helpless victims.
He couldn't just stand by and watch them die.
He had to come up with a solution.
Gu Qingchen stood not far away and heard their conversation clearly.
She knew that Qian Zhenyun was facing a more difficult predicament than she had imagined.
The crown prince not only wanted to ruin his reputation, but also to make him bear the crime of "failing to provide adequate disaster relief, resulting in the deaths and injuries of the victims".
She was anxious, but she couldn't reveal her identity.
Just then, she saw Qian Zhenyun's gaze suddenly fall on an area not far away that was surrounded by constables.
There, several people who looked like officials were gesturing and seemed to be arguing about something.
"What happened?" Qian Zhenyun asked Gu Lu.
Gu Lu glanced at it, his face turning grim: "It's people from the Ministry of Works. They say the houses in this area collapsed because of poor design and shoddy construction. They're shifting blame and arguing endlessly."
A cold glint flashed in Qian Zhenyun's eyes.
He strode over.
"My lords, now is not the time for arguing."
"Right now, the most important thing is to save lives!"
Several Ministry of Works officials looked somewhat uneasy when they saw him.
They certainly knew that Qian Zhenyun was the Crown Prince's study companion, and they also knew that he was now in charge of disaster relief.
"Young Master Qian!" One of the Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Works bowed and said in a perfunctory tone, "We are discussing how to find the root cause of the building collapse so as to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future."
"The root cause?" Qian Zhenyun sneered. "The root cause lies with you officials who hold positions without doing your jobs!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of several Ministry of Works officials changed.
"Young Master Qian, what do you mean by that?" The Vice Minister of Works asked, his tone tinged with displeasure.
"What do you mean?" Qian Zhenyun's gaze swept over them, carrying an undisguised mockery. "How much of the silver allocated to the Construction Bureau by the capital each year ends up in your private pockets? And how much of it is used to build these shoddy projects?"
"Now that the heavy snow has fallen, houses have collapsed, and the people are suffering, you are here shirking responsibility and arguing endlessly! Do you deserve your official hats? Do you deserve His Majesty's trust? Do you deserve these innocent people!"
Qian Zhenyun's voice carried a chilling aura, putting immense pressure on the officials present.
They never expected that Qian Zhenyun would dare to criticize them so bluntly in public.
“Young Master Qian, don’t make baseless accusations!” another official couldn’t help but retort. “The collapse of the buildings was a natural disaster; what does it have to do with us?”
"A natural disaster?" Qian Zhenyun took a step forward, his eyes blazing with anger. "What a natural disaster! If you hadn't cut corners, these houses wouldn't be so vulnerable! If you hadn't treated human life so lightly, these people wouldn't be displaced and hanging by a thread!"
He pointed at the ruins, his voice deafening: "This is no natural disaster! This is clearly a man-made calamity! It's a man-made calamity created by you corrupt officials!"
Qian Zhenyun's words were like a thunderclap, exploding across the ruins.
Upon hearing Qian Zhenyun's words, the surrounding disaster victims' eyes blazed with anger.
They used to think it was just their bad luck, that God was blind. But now, after hearing Qian Zhenyun's words, they suddenly realized the truth.
It turns out that this was not just a natural disaster, but also a man-made one!
It was those corrupt officials who ruined their families and caused their deaths!
"well said!"
A clear, crisp voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
Gu Qingchen stepped out from the crowd, took off her hood, revealing a pale but determined face.
Her gaze fell on the faces of those Ministry of Works officials, carrying undisguised sarcasm.
"My lords, Qian Zhenyun is right." Gu Qingchen's voice was clear and firm, standing out sharply in the wind and snow. "This is no natural disaster; it is clearly a man-made catastrophe!"
She walked to Qian Zhenyun's side and stood beside him, facing the ashen-faced officials from the Ministry of Works.
"The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is willing to step forward and thoroughly investigate this matter!" Gu Qingchen's voice carried an undeniable authority. "I want to see which officials dare to be so audacious and disregard human life right under the Emperor's nose!"
As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.
The officials from the Ministry of Works were visibly shaken.
They never expected that Gu Qingchen from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would appear here!
Moreover, she actually said such a thing in public!
This is simply a public slap in the face to them!
Qian Zhenyun looked at Gu Qingchen, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He never expected her to appear here.
What I never expected was that she would stand so publicly by his side, speaking out for him and for these innocent people.
Gu Lu also walked over. He looked at Gu Qingchen with a hint of approval in his eyes.
"Qingchen, you've arrived." Gu Lu's voice carried a hint of relief.
“Brother Lu.” Gu Qingchen nodded, her gaze still fixed on the Ministry of Works officials. “These people cannot be let go!”
The Vice Minister of Works' face turned pale and then red. He tried to remain calm and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Gu Qingchen.
“Miss Gu, you are mistaken! The collapse of the houses was indeed a natural disaster, and it has nothing to do with us. As a young woman, it is inappropriate for you to meddle in court affairs!”
"Imperial court affairs?" Gu Qingchen sneered. "The people are displaced, their families are destroyed, and their lives are ruined. Doesn't that count as imperial court affairs? You officials, holding your positions without doing your jobs, are you not also acting in the imperial court's affairs?"
Pointing at the collapsed houses, her voice suddenly rose: "How much silver does your Ministry of Works take from the national treasury every year? Where does all that silver go?!"
"My Zhenguo Duke's Mansion is willing to step forward and thoroughly investigate all the accounts of the Construction Department! I want to see which officials dare to be so corrupt and lawless, and treat human life so lightly, right under the Emperor's nose!"
Gu Qingchen's voice carried an unquestionable authority, making the officials present feel immense pressure.
They never expected that this young master of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would be so domineering and ruthless.
They never expected that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would stand up so clearly and resolutely to seek justice for Qian Zhenyun and for these disaster-stricken people!
“Miss Gu, what are you doing…” An official tried to retort, but was intimidated by Gu Qingchen’s sharp gaze.
"I am acting on behalf of Heaven!" Gu Qingchen's voice was firm and resounding, echoing through the wind and snow.
She looked at the disaster victims behind her and shouted loudly, "Fellow villagers, rest assured! The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion will not stand idly by in the face of today's events!"
"The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion will cover all medical expenses for all residents injured due to the collapsed houses!"
"The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion will provide temporary shelter and food for all homeless disaster victims!"
"The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion will fund the reconstruction of all houses that collapsed due to shoddy construction!"
Gu Qingchen's voice was like a warm current, warming the hearts of all the disaster victims in this icy and snowy place.
They looked at Gu Qingchen with eyes filled with shock, gratitude, and hope.
They never expected that in this moment of despair, a young woman of noble birth would stand up and seek justice for them!
"Thank you, Miss Gu!"
"We will never forget Miss Gu's great kindness!"
The disaster victims knelt down one after another to express their gratitude to Gu Qingchen.
Gu Qingchen ignored their kneeling and bowing. She simply looked at the Ministry of Works officials, whose faces were ashen, and a mocking smile appeared on her lips.
"Gentlemen, are you still going to shirk your responsibilities?"
The face of the Vice Minister of Works had turned deathly pale.
He knew that Gu Qingchen's appearance had completely disrupted their plans.
The involvement of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has escalated the matter to a level beyond their control.
His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Qian Zhenyun looked at Gu Qingchen, his eyes flashing with a complex light.
He knew that she stood up for him.
He knew that she was using the prestige and wealth of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to help him through this crisis.
A warm feeling welled up in his heart, but it was also tinged with worry.
Her high-profile involvement in this matter will undoubtedly provoke strong dissatisfaction from the Crown Prince.
He looked at Gu Qingchen, a questioning look in his eyes.
Gu Qingchen didn't look at him, but instead coldly ordered the Ministry of Works officials, "Brother Law, take all these people back to the Dali Temple! Investigate them thoroughly!"
"Yes!" Gu Lu immediately accepted the order and directed the constables to take all the Ministry of Works officials away.
The Ministry of Works officials were ashen-faced; they knew that this time, they were finished.
Gu Qingchen watched their retreating figures, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
She turned around, looked at Qian Zhenyun, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Young Master Qian, now you can go all out and do a good job in disaster relief."
Qian Zhenyun looked at her, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes.
He knew that she was helping him and protecting him in her own way.
A warm feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.
He knew that everything he had done had not been in vain.
She deserves everything he gives.
The heavy snow continued to fall, but the ruins in the south of the city were no longer filled with lifeless despair.
Gu Qingchen's appearance was like a ray of light, illuminating this land shrouded in darkness.
It also illuminated Qian Zhenyun's heart.