Refugees rose up everywhere

Are there any bedding left in the city?

A blanket this wet is no longer usable.

Furthermore, none of these houses are habitable.

"Reporting to you, sir, there have been quite a few refugees arriving recently, and any extra bedding has already been distributed."

Upon hearing this, Fang Weiyan frowned slightly. "Fine, I'll just buy some from Earth and bring them over."

It's not a big problem.

Thinking of this, Fang Weiyan instructed, "Have the carpenters in the city stop what they are doing and repair these houses as soon as possible. Inform them to do so as quickly as possible."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the minor official wiped the sweat from his brow, almost thinking he was about to be dragged out and beheaded again.

He still vividly remembered the last one.

Fang Weiyan made his rounds and when he returned, he saw that the medicinal soup had already been brewed and Tao Lingluo was distributing it.

Seeing this, Fang Weiyan felt relieved and left.

Back on Earth, the coin in my hand has already been given to the koi fish.

With the help of a lucky koi fish to change her luck, things should go much more smoothly for Su Qingyun.

Thinking of this, Fang Weiyan found the phone, dialed it, and told the other party the quantity of bedding he needed to order.

After having the other party deliver it to the warehouse, Fang Weiyan simply went to receive it.

After making the call, Fang Weiyan immediately went down the mountain again.

Fang Weiyan ordered a lot of bedding this time, 10,000 sets, as a precaution for future needs.

The bedding they bought was relatively inexpensive, costing only a few dozen yuan per set. However, buying 10,000 sets still cost Fang Weiyan hundreds of thousands of yuan.

By the afternoon, all the mattresses had been unloaded and stored in the warehouse.

Fang Weiyan offered cigarettes to the driver and the workers who helped unload the goods. After everyone left, he went into the warehouse, locked the door, and then began moving the goods.

There are over two hundred people in Pingjiang City who need mattresses, Fang Weiyan thought it over and decided to move a thousand over there, leaving the extras in the warehouse for now.

Fortunately, during the previous move, Fang Weiyan had already discovered that whatever he was holding could be teleported away with him.

In this way, Fang Weiyan only needs to move things back and forth. It's a little slower, but not particularly tiring.

By the Fang Weiyan finished his work, it was already dusk.

After drinking a bowl of the medicine, I immediately felt a surge of energy back in my body.

"How's the repair work going on the houses in the city?"

Fang Weiyan summoned the clerk and asked, "It's almost dark, and I don't want the people to still be sleeping in the same houses."

"Reporting to your Excellency, only fifty-one places have been repaired..."

Only fifty-one rooms have been repaired?

Fang Weiyan frowned upon hearing this. "Are there any other houses?"

"No, some houses still have several families crammed into one room."

Fang Weiyan frowned upon hearing this; there was nothing they could do without a house.

I looked up at the sky, and luckily, it wasn't raining yet.

Let's make do with these people for now.

"Let those people go into the warehouse and get some bedding to take home."

Fang Weiyan waved his hand, instructing the clerk to distribute the mattresses so that they could at least sleep more comfortably tonight.

Upon hearing this, the clerk immediately responded and was about to leave when he suddenly paused. "Sir, is it one item per household?"

One item for each of the one or two children, one item for the parents, and one item for any elderly person.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the minor official immediately agreed and left.

After leaving the yamen, he hurriedly gathered the people whose quilts in the houses were all wet and made them come to the warehouse.

The people were puzzled, but they still came to the warehouse.

Some of them were with their children, making sure their children didn't run around.

The children looked around curiously, wondering what was going on.

But when they arrived at the warehouse and saw the exquisitely crafted mattresses being taken out, they were all stunned.

"Could this have been sent to me by an adult?"

A group of people felt a mixture of anticipation and disbelief.

They felt that they shouldn't have such good fortune.

"Name, address, and number of people in your household must all be reported."

The clerk brought in a table and chairs and registered the names.

Upon hearing this, the mother in line quickly stated the name, "Lady Liu, lives in the Old West Alley of Pingjiang City, and has two children, Liu Qiu'an and Liu Anhe."

"Yes, give them two mattresses."

The official examined the man carefully, then waved his hand, indicating that he could take his things and leave.

He needs to keep detailed records of all expenses in the warehouse, lest something go missing and he be accused of embezzlement, which could be a capital offense.

Even without embezzlement, the loss of items from the warehouse still constitutes dereliction of duty.

Upon hearing this, Lady Liu was still somewhat incredulous. When she dazedly took the quilt and turned around to see the two children struggling to lift it above their heads, as if afraid it would drag on the ground, tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly knelt down to express her gratitude.

"Your Excellency's kindness and virtue are unforgettable!"

Seeing this, the two children nearby carefully picked up the blankets and knelt down as well.

Upon seeing this, the minor official quickly stood up, "No need for that. If you want to thank someone, you should thank the Prefect. There's no need for such formalities with me."

The official quickly helped the man up and then saw him off.

Lady Liu took the mattress and led her two children back home.

After the mattress was laid out, the child carefully patted the dust off his body, lay down on it, and seemed to sink into the mattress.

This feeling immediately brought a blissful smile to the face of the child standing nearby.

"Mother, this mattress is so comfortable!"

"Yes, I can finally get a good night's sleep!"

Another child chimed in.

Upon hearing this, Lady Liu could feel the softness of the mattress she was holding.

They'd never slept on a mattress like this before.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she nodded, tears welling in her eyes, as she looked at the two children.

After Lady Liu cooked some rice and fed it to the two children, they couldn't wait to run to bed.

The mattress made them reluctant to leave; they slept on it so comfortably.

Once the two children were snuggled into the blankets, an unprecedented feeling of comfort washed over them.

Looking at her child, who was still in the bedding, Lady Liu immediately smiled.

Although I don't know where the Prefect got so much money or when he bought so many things.

But for these ordinary people, none of that mattered; what mattered was that the adults treated them extremely well.

Moreover, it's perfectly normal that these common people didn't see the things the government bought.

"My lord, the number of refugees fleeing from outside the city has increased considerably. If this continues, I fear trouble may arise."

In Huaiyun Commandery, the garrison commander hurriedly found the commandery governor, his face filled with anxiety.

Recently, the number of people fleeing the disaster has been increasing.

At first, there were only a few scattered cases, which was easy to handle. We provided disaster relief for a few days and then arranged some work for them so that they would have something to eat.

But now, with more and more refugees fleeing, what are they supposed to do?

Many of the people there had their families with them, and it seemed that food was running low in the city.

It would be absolutely impossible for the prefect to use his own money for disaster relief.

But these people are starving, so it's normal for them to scramble for food.

"Why are there more refugees again?"

Upon hearing this, the prefect of Huaiyun Commandery immediately put down his teacup, frowned, and asked.

"The demons and monsters have been rampant since then, and many Underworld Administration in the underworld have been unable to withstand them and have perished. Without the protection of the Underworld Administration, these people have no choice but to flee."

Upon hearing this, the garrison commander immediately responded.

Upon hearing this, the prefect's face darkened. The increasing number of refugees meant he was being asked to provide disaster relief, and he knew perfectly well whether there was any grain in the granaries.

He's afraid that if things escalate, and someone from higher up sends someone down, he'll be worried.

Just a moment later, the prefect thought for a moment and realized something.

Approximately how many refugees have arrived?

"Refugees are fleeing from all over the country; there are probably tens of thousands of them."

The prefect's expression hardened slightly upon hearing this. "Tens of thousands?"

After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Gather the refugees and tell the outside world that there are tens of thousands of refugees, and that the number is still increasing, probably close to one hundred thousand."

After speaking, the prefect began preparing to report the matter, while summoning his trusted confidant and whispering a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing this, the confidant immediately understood and hurriedly left.

The following day, in Yanhuai City.

"What's going on? Why are there so many refugees appearing in various places?"

Emperor Kaide looked at the Underworld Administration register presented to him and immediately frowned and shouted.

Upon hearing this, the ministers below exchanged glances but remained silent.

Several ministers smiled inwardly at this moment; indeed, the refugees had gathered.

Now, let's see how you handle this.

If the refugees start to rebel, your throne will be in jeopardy.

The refugees rebelled, but the Underworld Administration couldn't easily intervene, since slaughtering civilians would only diminish their own cultivation.

Only the imperial court could suppress it by sending troops.

Sending troops to suppress rebellions sounds easy, but if rebellions break out in various places, where will the troops get their supplies?

That's the problem.

"Your Majesty, with so many refugees, the most important thing right now is to allocate relief funds and supplies as soon as possible. If we delay, many refugees may starve to death."

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Ministry of Works thought for a moment and then stepped forward to speak.

"Allocate grain funds? Makes it sound so easy. Does this grain fund come from your Ministry of Works?"

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Ministry of Revenue immediately jumped out and angrily rebuked him.

"If you don't allocate grain and funds, what will you do? Kill and bury all those people?"

The Minister of Ministry of Works was taken aback by this sudden rebuttal, but after realizing what was happening, he immediately retorted angrily.

When refugees appear, disaster relief is naturally needed; that's how it's always been done.

"But the imperial court is currently short of funds. Let local officials open their granaries to provide disaster relief!"

Upon hearing this, the Ministry of Revenue coldly replied, "The Ministry of Revenue has no money, that's all."

His position as Minister of Ministry of Revenue was worse than that of a street accountant; he managed less money than the accountant!

Anything else is fine with me, as long as I don't have money.

Should local governments open their own grain depots?

Upon hearing this, some people, harboring their own ulterior motives, exchanged glances and then fell silent.

How could they not know how many granaries in various places are filled with grain?

Most of them were taken out and sold for money.

In the past, we would sell new rice, buy back some old rice, and then claim losses from rodents and ants, making a lot of money.

In the past, people used various methods to make some money.

However, by now, the imperial court's management of its subordinates has become increasingly lax, showing a weakening trend.

The people below simply emptied the granary.

When disaster relief was needed, they still had to ask the imperial court for money.

For some local officials, this was actually an opportunity.

They could ask the imperial court for money, and then come up with a reason, saying that there was no more grain in the granaries.

These are the problems that Emperor Kaide is currently facing.

The register submitted from the Underworld Administration contained inquiries about grain requests from various regions.

There were a few who didn't ask for grain, but they wrote it down in the register, saying that if the grain in the granaries was used for disaster relief, it probably wouldn't last long.

That's what they say, but I'm afraid it's just an excuse.

They told the court they had provided disaster relief, but in reality they did nothing.

When they turned around, they said that all the grain in the granary had been used for disaster relief.

Emperor Kaide looked at his ministers below, who were arguing, but had not come up with a useful solution.

This made him realize that the relationship between the ruler and his subjects had already soured.

When the court assembly ended, the ministers were still unable to come up with a reasonable solution.

When Emperor Kaide returned to his study, he smashed a vase in a fit of rage.

Looking around the study, there weren't many decorations left.

Many items in the palace had been pawned due to a lack of funds.

After Emperor Kaide calmed down, he looked at the vase he had smashed and felt a pang of heartache.

If this vase were pawned, it could fetch a considerable amount of money.

One tael of silver could buy 380 catties of coarse grain, enough to save the lives of countless people!

Emperor Kaide sighed repeatedly, and as he looked at the booklet he had brought back, anger resurfaced on his face.

"What a despicable minister!"

"Father, what has angered you?"

Princess Jin'an walked in with small steps, and as soon as she entered, she saw the broken vase on the side.

Seeing this, she was taken aback. Her father was usually an extremely frugal man, so how could he have been so angry as to break a vase?

"It's all because of those traitors!"

Emperor Kaide, panting, briefly recounted the affairs of the court to his daughter.

Princess Jin'an was immediately alarmed upon hearing this. "If the court doesn't find a way to provide disaster relief, what if it incites a popular uprising?"

Emperor Kaide nodded. "I am well aware of this, but the national treasury is indeed empty right now. The army's pay has been delayed for several months. If this continues, I'm afraid we won't even be able to pay the salaries of the court officials."

Emperor Kaide looked distressed.

What can you do if you don't have money?

Several shipments of taxes from before, I don't know where those guys got them.

It was said that the palace was overturned, but the information obtained from the governor of Jiangling Commandery was that the Dragon King had never done such a thing.

Upon hearing this, he instantly realized that these ministers were playing dirty tricks on him.

The trusted confidants I sent out have investigated, but haven't found a single piece of information yet.

If he finds out any useful information and discovers who did it, he can take them down directly.

But without any evidence, how can you arrest someone?

Now that he holds sway over the court, it's no exaggeration to say that he faces numerous difficulties.

"What should we do?"

Princess Jin'an felt a sudden surge of anxiety upon hearing this.

If uprisings break out all around the Jiang Kingdom, the Jiang Kingdom might really be doomed.

Emperor Kaide sighed and unconsciously reached up to scratch his hair. When he took his hand down, it was covered with the hair he had pulled out.

Lately, he's been losing more and more hair...

"Put everything else aside for now. Among the refugees who fled here earlier, how many carpenters are there? Let them all go and repair the houses."

"We need to build twenty large warehouses here, to make those craftsmen put in more effort."

Fang Weiyan tapped on the map of Pingjiang City and spoke to the craftsman beside him.

Right now, the warehouses he's using are all too small.

A warehouse must be built, and it needs to be large enough.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey."

Upon hearing this, the craftsman immediately agreed and came down.

"In addition, more houses should be built. Many people share a single house. If there is anything lacking, please tell me, and I will do my best to meet your needs."

"Sir, we have enough materials like timber, but we are short of manpower..."

Upon hearing this, the craftsman thought for a moment and then cautiously spoke up.

Fang Weiyan was in a tight schedule, but they were indeed short-handed.

Carpenters are known for their slow and meticulous work; if they want to speed things up, they'll be even more short-handed.

"Go and select some suitable people to be your apprentices; they will receive the same salary."

Upon seeing that the other Fang Weiyan immediately waved his hand and said something.

It's just about needing people; it's not a big deal.

"Yes! Then we'll take our leave..."

The craftsman breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Fang Weiyan had agreed and promised to pay him a salary.

They were worried that if the apprentices they recruited didn't receive a salary, it would be difficult to recruit more apprentices.

After all, there are so many ways to make a living in Pingjiang City now, and there's no salary for being their apprentice, so who would be willing to do it?

According to the rules of their line of work, they don't get paid for the first three years; it's common for them to do menial tasks without complaint.

In ancient times, it was not an easy thing to become an apprentice and learn a skill.

Right now, the adults are willing to pay them salaries to hire apprentices, so finding apprentices is much easier.

The group left happily, Fang Weiyan's gaze returned to the sketch in front of him.