Jiang Pengji gave a slight smile and slyly replied, "If a county governor truly loved his people, why wouldn't he pay out of his own pocket? The law does not punish the majority, and the imperial court could not save the masses. In the end, wasn't it the people who saved themselves?"
It would be easier to rob the rich than to help the poor.
"People create opportunities. If one were to build their achievements on their predecessors, eventually they would lose." Jiang Pengji's eyes flashed with interest. "Those nobles are outrageously wealthy. How could they miss out on those events that benefit the people?"
Those nobles plundered the locals in order to benefit themselves.
"As for those who took the money and rations, that's easy. Xu County indeed had a yearly drought, but the people didn't need to go hungry. The imperial court had been sending money and rations and even reduced their taxes every year. The result?"