I Have A Martial Dao World

Chapter 57: 57. Relief Aid

Li Pei returned after only a few minutes, her face ashen.

"The Prefectural Governor has declined to meet with me, citing pressing official duties! Has he also colluded with that group?"

After pondering for a moment, she said, "Unless absolutely necessary, I do not wish to use force against the famine victims. Let's go outside the city first to assess the situation!"

~~~~~~~

As before, several people took a car driven by Zhang Jin to inspect conditions outside the city.

However, upon reaching the city gates, they found them tightly shut, unable to leave.

Li Pei suddenly had an ominous premonition and quickly climbed up to the city wall.

Seeing the situation outside, even the always composed Li Pei couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "How could there be so many!!!"

Stretching as far as the eye could see were emaciated, barely alive famine victims, cramming the space outside the city to the brim.

She remembered there being only around ten thousand people just two days ago, but now there seemed to be a sea of people stretching uninterrupted, at least 100,000!

~~~~~~~~

Below the city, a malnourished child weakly begged towards the top of the city wall.

His limbs were like sticks, his ribs clearly visible, making his belly protrude even more.

He begged ceaselessly, meanwhile saying, "Daddy, some noble has come to the top of the city wall! I see State Soldiers' officers accompanying her. Maybe if I bow more, I might receive a reward."

A gaunt middle-aged man, with cheekbones protruding and speaking weakly to his own son, groaned, "Zhu Zi, stop moving, save your strength…"

Zhu Zi bowed several more times before slowly making his way to a woman lying on the ground, "Mom, I've got a reward from a noble to buy you something to eat…"

The woman's lips were cracked, her face yellow and pale, and a few flies were flying in and out of her nostrils.

Zhu Zi tentatively checked for breathing but withdrew his hand as if shocked by electricity, quickly crawling to his father's side and crying, "Mom is dead…"

The middle-aged man opened his lifeless eyes, glanced in the direction of his wife, and said with a sense of relief, "It's good she's dead, it's good. If she's dead, she won't have to suffer anymore…"

A few people with greedy looks in their eyes also noticed the body, licking their lips and gathering around.

~~~~~~~

"Amidst a great drought, people resort to cannibalism..."

The mere six words in the history books resembled the hellish scene unfolding before them.

Lu Yao furrowed his brows, never having expected such a situation outside the city.

Having been born in the peaceful country of Blue Star, he was completely ignorant about famines; the concern for people in his homeland was the health issues brought on by obesity.

Everyone has a sense of compassion, and he found it hard to look at such a miserable situation.

Li Pei's face was iron blue. She turned and asked the State Soldiers' officer, who stood by with his hands tied, "Commander Xu, does the Prefectural Governor know about this situation? Why has relief not yet been dispatched?"

Commander Xu quickly bowed and replied, "Your Highness, the Commandery Princess, it wasn't like this at first, just these past few days they suddenly converged here. I've urgently reported it upwards. But there's been no response yet."

The man was big and burly, somewhat simple-looking, yet he was a master of the Marrow-Cleansing Realm. However, both in terms of strength and status, he was far inferior to Li Pei, and he didn't dare to be rash at this moment.

~~~~~~~

Li Pei took a deep breath and decisively said, "This situation is like oil on fire, a single spark could cause great disaster. Zhang Jin, bring out the Princess's ceremonial guard and request the Prefectural Governor to come to the city wall."

Zhang Jin was startled, instinctively trying to advise, "Your Highness, such an action will certainly bring censure..."

But he quickly shut his mouth, knowing too well what sort of person his master was. Despite being a woman, her passion for benefiting the country and serving the people was no less than any man's.

Zhang Jin left with a complex expression on his face.

Li Pei then turned to Lu Yao and the others, saying, "Martial arts are not omnipotent, you should head back first."

Lu Yao stepped forward and said, "My family has some 'surplus grain', and I am willing to help with the disaster relief..."

"Young Master Lu has a kind and generous heart, and I appreciate your intentions," Li Pei said with a bitter smile in her heart, knowing that individual wealth was but a drop in the bucket in such a situation.

Liao Ya also said, "My junior brother has some skills, perhaps he could truly offer some help, Commandery Princess you..."

At this moment, a uniform marching sound interrupted their brief conversation, as countless military soldiers escorted a man dressed in a large red official robe.

The military soldiers exuded an aura of agility, fully equipped in Western attire, with high morale, they were the Prefectural Governor's standard-bearers.

The man was none other than the Prefectural Governor of Yunzhou—Wen Renliang.

One would think his swift arrival was good news, but Li Pei's face soured, and she couldn't help but curse, "That old bastard!"

~~~~~~

Lu Yao quietly explained to the sisters:

"His quick arrival indicates he was well prepared, clearly expecting the Commandery Princess wouldn't ignore the situation. This way, not only can he leverage the situation, but it also means there's one more person to take the blame should anything go wrong. Quite the schemer~"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Governor Wen Renliang ascended the city walls.

Following him was Lu Shijie, Assistant Commissioner of Preparedness, with a look of resigned desperation.

He had been dragged here by the Prefectural Governor. With the Preparedness authority having jurisdiction over local military forces, his position as Assistant Commissioner made him an excellent scapegoat.

Lu Shijie never expected the riotous populace to reach the scale of 100,000; at this moment, he felt like he was screwed—what was originally a trap for Li Pei had now ensnared him as well!

~~~~~~~

Li Pei's expression was cool as she said, "Governor Wen, you have seen the tragic situation outside the city, please provide immediate relief to the afflicted."

Wen Renliang had big ears and a very fair complexion. "Commandery Princess, without rice, how can there be a meal? How can there be surplus grain to relieve the famine when I still need to maintain the concessions and supply the army?"

"Purchase it from the grain merchants, or conscript it! Today, we must organize manpower to 'distribute porridge'!"

Wen Renliang's expression remained calm: "To let the Commandery Princess know, most of the grain in Yunzhou City is in the hands of your future in-laws, hoarding it to sell at high prices."

"!!" Li Pei's expression changed, and she was speechless for a long time.

Wen Renliang continued unhurriedly:

"The importance of Yunzhou needs no embellishment—it must not fall to ruin. I have just received intelligence—the crowd outside has been beguiled by 'Mahayana Sect' sorcerers planning to assault the Prefecture government.

That cannot be referred to as 'disaster victims' but should be accurately called rioters. I will immediately order the state soldiers to annihilate them, but after the fact, I will need you all to jointly submit a memorial to the emperor."

Lu Shijie, who had kept silent until then, was the first to respond: "The Prefectural Governor speaks sense, and I will sign the memorandum!"

He was determined to keep his official position and had no intention of letting the disaster victims storm Yunzhou City.

The Liao Family Sisters were losing their composure! It was clear that he intended to label the disaster victims as rioters and violently eradicate them!

Just as they were about to speak out impetuously, Lu Yao held them back and glanced over at Li Pei's side.

The short-haired Commandery Princess, who seemed so inconsistent with the feudal dynasty, gazed at a small beseeching figure in the hellish scene outside the city and said softly:

"We have guns and cannons, and we have formidable martial artists, crushing these ants would be effortless..."

Lu Shijie eagerly said, "Exactly, that's the most effortless method. Left outside, they will also starve to death; it's better to give them a swift end."

Li Pei's lips curled into a smirk, reverting to that conceited and scornful young woman, and she smiled, saying:

"Governor Wen, I believe you do not wish to carry the reputation of a mass murderer. Let us distribute porridge to provide relief. I will go to this so-called 'future in-laws' of mine to requisition grain."

Wen Renliang looked deeply at Li Pei and bowed: "Then I must trouble you, Commandery Princess, to make the trip, and I will certainly cooperate fully with your efforts to distribute porridge."