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墨書 Inktalez
"We want food, give us food..." The synchronized voices echoed outside, making Qing Luan's steps heavier with each passing moment.
Holding a stick and gripping iron tools, the gathered townsfolk stood at the entrance, their expressions alarming.
"What do you want?" At that moment, Old Man Lin exerted his authority as an official, and his presence immediately quelled the crowd.
"Prefect, we know you are a good person, but how much longer can we endure without help from the court?!" A representative stepped forward, speaking with anguish. "The children are crying from hunger, and the elderly can't even get out of bed. Why has there been no news from the court for so long?"
For them, the court represented hope, but after waiting so long without any sign of it, all that remained was despair.
"We are too remote here; it takes time for the court to send someone," Old Man Lin said, unwilling to let them down as he continued weaving his lies.
"Miss Zhu, they have been rushing here from the capital for several days. How could the court's people not have arrived yet?" Someone protested, gripping their tool tightly. "Is the court abandoning us?"
"Yes, they must be abandoning us; they want us to starve to death..."
"Exactly, exactly!"
One statement stirred a wave of unrest; everyone waved their tools in agitation, their emotions escalating.
"Everyone quiet down," Qing Luan said as she stood on a raised platform with Xuanyuan Rui beside her. Seeing that the situation could escalate further and potentially harm Old Man Lin, she addressed the agitated crowd. "Whether Lin Prefect is good or bad is clear to everyone. The arrival of officials from the court is not something he can control. He wants us all to receive proper arrangements as soon as possible, but without help from the court, he is also helpless—rather than waiting for the court to send someone, we should unite and help ourselves!"
"How do we help ourselves?" someone shouted back.
"We have no food; we're starving to death! How can we save ourselves?!"
"The court hasn't sent anyone because they want us to starve. Without food, we can't even think about rebuilding our homes..."
The words of despair and anger spilled from the agitated crowd, causing Qing Luan to tighten her lips, fully aware of how difficult it would be to persuade them.
"Shut up!" Xuanyuan Rui roared, his aura radiating a murderous intent that silenced the restless citizens. Instantly, the lively scene fell quiet. "Who wants to die right now? I wouldn't mind sending them on their way..." His cold threat hung in the air as if it were a matter of course.
At his words, the crowd erupted in shock, and those who had been so fervent stepped back in fear. They had gathered only to pressure the Prefect for a solution; they were causing a ruckus because they wanted to live. If someone were to be killed by a blade, it would all be for nothing.
Seeing the citizens obediently retreating, Qing Luan's lips twitched slightly. The saying that good people are easily bullied was truly evident at this moment.
"I understand everyone's feelings, but please listen to me. Just because the court hasn't sent anyone doesn't mean we all have to die—if we want to survive, we must find a way ourselves." She had some plans in mind, but implementing them now would be quite challenging.
"How do we find a way?" After Xuanyuan Rui's outburst, the crowd was hesitant to show too much emotion, but questions still arose.
"We still have some leftover food; it can last a few more days for the children and the elderly. The women can go gather wild vegetables, and those who are strong can go fishing... The weather is calm now; those with boats can go out together. At least we’ll have something to hope for; otherwise, we're just waiting to die..." Qing Luan's expression grew increasingly serious, her gaze sharper, making everyone lower their heads.
After several rounds of persuasion from Qing Luan, most of the crowd dispersed, leaving only a few who remained behind, murmuring among themselves.
"My lord," several men quickly glanced at Xuanyuan Rui before stepping forward to address the Prefect. "A few of us can go fishing, but if we catch fish and give them all away, how will we be compensated?" Not everyone could fish; if they did this, they would end up losing out.
"Then you can eat for yourselves," Qing Luan replied coldly upon seeing the greed flickering in their eyes. "At this point, you’re only thinking of yourselves and don’t feel ashamed!"
The man felt a flash of embarrassment but quickly raised his head and said, "I'm just speaking the truth; not everyone can fish. We’re not wrong for wanting to survive!"
“Is that not wrong?” Qing Luan sneered, “So you ate my food and that’s justified?”
“Well… you offered it yourself,” the man stammered, intimidated by her cold smile but still trying to defend himself.
“Fine, I did offer it before, but I won’t be giving any more in the future,” Qing Luan replied with a hint of meaning in her words. Then she lowered her head and coldly said, “You can go if you want; it doesn’t matter if you don’t feed others. I just hope you won’t regret it!” Human nature truly is ugly at times like this.
“What do we have to regret?” one person retorted angrily, sneering, “Hmph, just don’t come begging us later, Miss Zhu!” They had already run out of food themselves; let’s see what they would eat in the future.
A few of them left in a huff, leaving Old Man Lin sighing heavily.
“These people… they deserve to die!” Xuanyuan Rui muttered through gritted teeth.
“You can’t blame them for their nature,” Qing Luan said calmly. She had seen too many people like this; there was no need to waste her anger on such trivial matters.
With Qing Luan’s words, every household began to get busy. Those with boats prepared fishing nets to head out to sea, while those without boats started gathering mushrooms and wild vegetables in the mountains.
The kind-hearted ones shared their food for everyone to eat together. Those with selfish motives hoarded their supplies and even demanded silver from others, ultimately isolating themselves in anger from the community.
A few days later.
“Miss,” Qin'er exclaimed as she ran over with a bright smile.
“Qin'er, where have you been?” Sister Yun immediately asked upon seeing her.
"I've returned to the fishing village," Qin'er said, her face dusty from travel, but her smile was exceptionally bright.
"The fishing village?" Sister Yun recalled that it was only a few days' journey from here and immediately asked in confusion, "What are you going back to the fishing village for?" The young lady had come here to save someone; why would she return?
"That's a secret!" Qin'er playfully replied, then looked around and asked, "Where's the young lady?"
"The young lady went up the mountain with Lin Prefect, and Xuanyuan General accompanied them," Sister Yun said. If Xuanyuan Rui hadn't been there, she would have definitely gone along.
"Quickly go find the master and bring her back," Qin'er said, her excitement evident, leaving Sister Yun feeling perplexed. Qin'er wore an expression of urgency and helplessness.
"What are you doing?" Sister Yun said unhappily. "The young lady is trying to figure out how to save someone..." Everyone had been busy these past few days, and finally, there was no trouble; she wished things could be a bit more peaceful.
Seeing Sister Yun's impatience, Qin'er leaned closer and whispered a few words in her ear, then smiled and asked, "Can we go now?"
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