Although danger was closing in, the atmosphere in Heyin—and especially in Fugu City—was not particularly tense.
People went on with their labor and their work as usual.
Everything seemed just as it had always been.
It wasn't that the commoners were heartless. They simply believed their governor would defeat the enemy. A miracle had happened once, so it could happen again, right?
Ever since the news was announced, "suspicious" figures had occasionally appeared outside the administrative office. They usually waited until the night was still dark, then crept close, quickly left behind a bag of millet, provisions, or a few sets of men's clothes made of ramie, and ran off.
Some who were unsteady on their feet were caught by the guards.
Only after being persuaded again and again did they agree to take their offerings back.
The matter also reached Shen Tang's ears.
Gu Chi smiled. "The people of Heyin have truly given their hearts to you."
Only after suffering hunger did people understand how rare it was to have a governor who wholeheartedly served them, giving them land to farm, food to eat, and clothes to wear. Whether these commoners were moved by simple, heartfelt loyalty or were acting out of self-interest—if Shen Tang fell, the good days they had only just managed to secure would come to an end; both sides would suffer—either way, they would support her with all their might.
But most of them were the elderly, the weak, women, and children. How could they help?
By donating military supplies, of course.
Gu Chi knew that self-interest was the greater motivation.
Before his lord arrived, Heyin had been a wretched, barren place crawling with villains. To use his lord's words, if Tang Sanzang arrived in the morning, he'd be off to the Western Paradise by