Chapter 75 - The New Problem

"Your highness, we have to pay some sort of security money to the police officer in the city or else they are not going to let us to open the business. If we are late then they will start to pester us like a thug in the market. They are worse than poop in the bucket which make us find another sort of way out if we have problem. They can be angel if you have money, and they can be worse than the criminal itself," The old lady walks in front the other to tell the truth of the corruption in the police station.

"The man in the Uncle Chen Shop… can you testify?" Jin Yu is looking toward the old and young man on the witness stand.

"Your highness… the police are helping us to wrap everything in the shop. The head of precinct is always there when we need help," the youngest man is cutting the older man to speak up in front of Jin Yu as predicted by Ni Qing. Jin Yu is nodding to find out about their scheme as he can see a faint smile from minister Chu.

"How long have you work in Uncle Chen Shop? What is his shop speciality?" Jin Yu suddenly pop the question as a cat tries to play with his meal.

"emmm… I work with Uncle Chen for almost five years and his speciality is nicely cook meat bbq. No one can beat Uncle Chen for his technique," the young man is kept on talking about the wrong thing. The whole city knows that Uncle Chen famous as wine maker. He even supplies wine to the palace. Jin Yu smiles to find the hole on his testimony. In the corner of his eyes, he can see minister Chu face turn pale after listening to the testimony.rummage

"really… should I try his technique and invite him to my palace?" Jin Yu is interrogating the young guys who does not aware about his lies already exposed.

"You should your highness, but Uncle Chen is not feeling well and go back to his hometown. You will need to wait, your highness," He bows with his hand claps together after speaking.

"where are you from, young man?" Jin Yu keeps asking him a question.

"I am come from the southern border of Dayu Kingdom, your highness. However, the famished due to drought makes me to come to the capital to earn some money for my family as no help from the government," The young man is telling the information.

"is that correct? We dispatch some rice and other stuff to relieves the draught in the south area. Why did you say there is no food or relieves from the government?" Jin Yu is interesting to find the answer when it means he will reveal other corruption.

"Your highness, I can swear to my deceased grandfather due to famished, he killed himself so less people to eat. There nothing comes from the government, even the local governor is taking advantages by selling bad quality rice. We have to eat congee everyday and work to rummage so we can fill out our stomach," He kneels on the ground. The truth, minister Chu's subordinate hires him from the capital entry gate and promise to pay him a good money if he can give a false testimony. They even give him some rice and chicken to eat before sending him to the court.

"Prime Minister, what is the status of the food relieves to the south area?" Jin Yu is asking the question.

"The Social ministry is sending almost 100 ton of rice; 100 ton of barley and some other stuff needs to support for the draught in the southern area. It already writes down by the ministry of finance as we need to open our harvest warehouse to make sure enough stuff to the southern region," The prime minister is reporting to the emperor.

"do we open any central kitchen to cook free meal to the people in the southern people?" Jin Yu is asking his prime minister with anger.

"Yes, as reported by the governor of the south capital. They are using the supply from us to open the kitchen," The prime minister is reporting as he knows or else, he will tell the emperor in their secret meeting. At the moment, he just finds out about the indication about the silk farmer manipulation into their food chain. Someone tries to take control and create havoc on the price of the silk. It will affect the country economy if the government not interfering it sooner than later.

"what is open the kitchen for the people? The kids is eating dirt because we are hungry. The governor is selling the rice to the neighbourhood country or to the rich family in the southern area while they give us some old rice or bad quality rice mixes with some dirt or rock. I can take you back to my hometown, your highness. If you are willing to come back with me and save our town people, I will tell you the truth about this scheme, your highness," the young boy is kneeling and putting his head face down to the ground.

"tell me… the faster we finish this case then we can go to your hometown and safe your family. Why do you lie to the emperor? do you know it is capital crime and the punishment is death?" Jin Yu is making his gaze a bit softer to the boy.

"I arrive this evening in the border when one of Lord Chu subordinate is picking me up. they offer me some job to tell you the story and give me a handsome reward after I finish. The gives me new clothes and more importantly is food. I just ate a nice fluffy rice and chicken leg after six months. I was planning to use the money from this job to buy as much as rice and some barley for my village. We really need food, or we all die of hunger," the boy is crying on the ground. The old lady from the market pities the boy and kneeling down before hugging the boy. She can see the skinny body from the boy with the oversize clothes to cover his body.