Chapter 543 - 315: Frail Scholar Chen Qingzhou

Displaced refugees were a constant threat.

If mishandled, they could easily rise up in rebellion armed with nothing but clubs and bricks.

As the saying went: they were dead either way, so why not risk it all for the chance to achieve something great?

If Chen Yi could realize this, Elder Master Xiao and the others naturally understood it as well.

"Number Three, go find Liu Si. Ask him how he plans to settle those disaster victims.

"Xuanshuo, take the Punishment Hall’s men and head just outside the East City Gate immediately. Assess the situation there. If any evildoers are committing crimes, you know what to do.

"Lixing..."

"Understood!"

Before dawn had even broken, the Xiao family estate was already bustling with activity.

Armored warriors of the personal guard strictly patrolled the front and rear courtyards, while men from the Punishment Hall darted back and forth, delivering stream after stream of intelligence.

Even Xiao Wan’er, who had just woken up early in the morning, was summoned by the Elder Master.

Walking through the estate, Xiao Wan’er naturally noticed the solemn expressions on the armored warriors’ faces. Upon arriving at the Qingjing Residence, she asked, "Grandfather, you sent for me? Has something happened?"

Elder Master Xiao rested both hands on his walking cane, sitting upright in his grandmaster’s chair. He gave a slight nod and said, "The commoners of Guang’an, Le Jiang, Xingwen, and other counties had an abysmal summer harvest. A famine has broken out, forcing many to flee all the way here to the Prefecture City."

"Famine refugees..." Xiao Wan’er’s eyes widened. "There are refugees outside the city?"

Elder Master Xiao sighed. He was extremely reluctant to use the word "refugees," but it was the undeniable truth.

"Those commoners arrived last night, and in no small numbers."

"Then... why did you send for me...?"

"How much silver does our mansion currently have left?"

Xiao Wan’er looked at him in confusion. "We have less than forty thousand taels remaining."

Elder Master Xiao quickly weighed his options. "Take it all out. Later, I will send someone to deliver it to the Wan family."

"The Wan family?"

"I have already reached an agreement with Old Wan. At a rate of two taels of silver per stone of grain, we will buy enough provisions to provide relief to the commoners outside the city."

Xiao Wan’er understood his intentions. After a moment of thought, she offered, "Grandfather, let me handle the delivery."

"You? Out of the question."

"The crowds outside the city are a chaotic mix of people right now. What if..."

The incident with Du Cang had just recently passed, so Elder Master Xiao was naturally unwilling to let his granddaughter put herself in harm’s way again.

Besides, handing out porridge to refugees was inherently a thankless and exhausting task; whether Xiao Wan’er’s frail body could even endure it was highly doubtful.

Xiao Wan’er shook her head. "Grandfather, it is precisely for that reason that I should be the one to lead our people there.

"Although the Xiao family’s legacy is built on martial prowess, our roots are firmly planted in Shu State. We ought to lead by example in times like these."

It was true that she rarely left the Marquis’s Mansion, but she had read her fair share of books and understood what needed to be done and what did not.

Aiding the refugees was an absolute necessity. Furthermore, given the Xiao family’s current predicament, having her step up was the only way to properly demonstrate the family’s firm stance.

Elder Master Xiao was still hesitant. "It’s not that your grandfather is being unreasonable, but with your health..."

"Please rest assured, Grandfather. My health is no longer a major issue, and I’ll also have Chen Yi with me..."

"Chen Yi? What use could a frail scholar like him possibly be?"

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Xiao Wan’er hurriedly explained, "It’s precisely because Chen Yi is an educated scholar that he can help me navigate the complicated situation outside the city."

"I suppose that makes sense..." Elder Master Xiao muttered to himself for a moment. After glancing at Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang standing guard outside the residence, he finally nodded.

"Since you insist, you may lead the group.

"But remember, if anything unexpected happens, you must have the guards escort you back into the city immediately."

"I will..."

As Elder Master Xiao watched Xiao Wan’er hurry away, his expression was unavoidably conflicted. He felt a mixture of gratification and heartache.

If Xiao Fengchun and the others were still around, there was no way the prestigious Xiao family would force a terminally ill girl like Xiao Wan’er to show her face in public.

"Alas, such is our fate."

Elder Master Xiao let out a heavy sigh and turned his gaze toward the southeast—in the direction of the Governor’s Office. His eyes turned ice-cold.

"Liu Hong!"

The previous night, Elder Master Xiao had sent people to assess the situation at the government offices. The results were far from optimistic.

The Prefectural Magistrate’s Office shirked responsibility, claiming the Governor’s Office had not issued any explicit orders. Meanwhile, the Governor’s Office claimed they had a shortage of grain.

They insisted that until the grain merchants in the East and West Markets lowered their prices, the reserves in the official granaries could not be touched.

Upon hearing this, how could Elder Master Xiao not see right through Liu Hong’s scheming?

He had been so furious he was trembling.

If Xiao Jinghong hadn’t reasoned with him before leaving—arguing that the time wasn’t quite ripe to deal with Liu Hong—he would have long since donned his armor and led his men to slaughter their way into the Liu family estate.

But given the current crisis, he still had to find a way to placate the refugees outside the city to prevent any further chaos from breaking out.

"That son of a bitch Zhang Xuan... Where did he send the grain and silver coins I lent him?"

While Elder Master Xiao was burning with anxiety, Chen Yi was completely unhurried.

By the time he was informed that he needed to accompany the group to distribute porridge outside the city, it was already 7:00 AM.

He had just finished breakfast and was preparing to stay in the Spring Lotus Garden, intending to cultivate the Four Symbols Skill while waiting for news from the outside.

Since Xiao Jinghong hadn’t returned yet, he figured he should put in some extra effort so his Cultivation wouldn’t fall too far behind hers in the future.

Besides, he had already taken countermeasures the previous night.

With the grain from Lin Village, those refugees would at least have enough to make do for a few days.

However, when Xiao Wan’er came over with her attendants and explained the situation, Chen Yi simply acted as if he had done nothing and readily agreed to go.

After he changed into everyday clothes, the group boarded a carriage and hurried toward the city outskirts.

Aside from Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang, the three maids—Juan’er, Cui’er, and Xiaodie—naturally tagged along as well.

Prior to their arrival, however, Wang Lixing, Liu Si’er, and the other armored warriors of the Marquis’s Mansion had already transported the estate’s grain outside the city and set up a porridge distribution station. This had done much to put the minds of the people outside the city at ease.

Even so, the Prefecture City was still heavily impacted by the sudden influx.

Although the refugees weren’t nearly as terrifying as the Peacock King banner or the Barbarian Race scouts, the city’s residents were still filled with unease.

With tens of thousands of extra mouths to feed appearing out of thin air, people couldn’t help but wonder: Was there enough grain in the Prefecture City? What was the government office’s stance? And would grain prices ever drop again?