Chapter 129: Saving the Country in a Roundabout Way

"In that case, I have no choice but to use some tricks to force Lord Sun to show up. There are at least 100,000 refugees in Jinzhou. Before we arrived in Lan County, we encountered 10,000 bandits in the nearby mountains and forests. If Lord Sun doesn't show up, I will have to send someone to inform him that there is endless food and porridge in Lan County, and call on all the refugees nearby to rush to Lan County. By then, you will not only be facing our 5,000 refugees, but tens of thousands of refugees! With just a few hundred of you, it is simply a fantasy to want to defend Lan County! I'll give you an incense stick of time to think about it. If you don't go and call Lord Sun, I will have someone pack up the food and send the messenger away! By then, with 15,000 refugees pressing on the city and the two sides fighting again, I wonder how long you can hold Lan County—"

The soldier guarding the city was stunned.

Are there still tens of thousands of refugees nearby?

If they were to lure all of them here, wouldn't they just attack the city and start burning, killing, and looting?!

The soldier was undecided and didn't dare to make a decision, so he could only hurriedly order: "Hurry, hurry, go find Lord Sun!"

And Xu Qingying sat down.

She sat down.

At such a tense moment, she actually sat down on the ground.

I really didn't eat enough and I have no energy, so I'd rather save some energy.

The people behind him were also shocked. They were still negotiating one second and sat down the next.

Jiang Yongkang burst out laughing when he saw this.

The others followed suit and sat down with Xu Qingying.

However, Feng'er and Xu Huiming were actually so nervous that they felt like vomiting. Their bodies were tense, as if they were sitting on pins and needles. Their facial features were all on alert, and their sharp eyes kept observing the top of the city wall, fearing that someone would shoot an arrow from behind and they would die here.

At such a critical moment, the two of them couldn't help but look at Xu Qingying.

Xu Qingying was very calm, even meditating with a calm mind, completely ignoring the threat of the rows of cold arrows on the city wall.

Jiang Yongkang said, "When two dynasties are negotiating, envoys should not be killed. They don't have the guts to attack us from behind. We have four to five thousand men behind us. If we start a fight, no one will be able to escape unharmed."

Having said that, Feng'er was still nervous.

She is still far from it. Look how calm the girl is.

However, after hearing what Jiang Yongkang said, Xu Huiming calmed down a lot. Now he thought carefully about what Xu Qingying had just said.

He had to admire his sister. As the saying goes, all is fair in war. No matter whether there were ten thousand refugees around him or not, as long as his sister said there were, then there were.

What's more, Lan County has been closed for many days, and the people are deaf and blind. They must have no idea whether there are refugees nearby. It doesn't matter whether it is true or false, as long as County Magistrate Sun believes it.

Sure enough, not long after, a young man in a hurry appeared on the city wall.

So young that even Xu Huiming envied her.

Magistrate Sun was only in his twenties, with fair skin, and he looked like the son of a wealthy family. To have passed the imperial examination at such a young age and been exiled to such a wealthy Lan County, it was clear that his family background was not simple.

Xu Huiming did not dare to underestimate the enemy.

Sun Qingchen did not dare to be arrogant, nor did he dare to look down on Xu Qingying and his group. Although he ordered the city gates to be closed, he was always paying attention to the situation of the refugees outside the city gates. He knew that Xu Zhenying's team arrived later, but who would have expected that he would take in so many people so quickly?

Sun Qingchen had never encountered such a difficult thing in his life.

He felt that passing the imperial examination was not difficult, nor was becoming a county magistrate. The difficult part was dealing with local dignitaries. The difficult part was watching the people being displaced while closing the city gates and letting these people starve to death outside the city.

The wealthy families were unwilling to give out porridge, fearing that their kindness would not be effective and would instead attract more refugees.

The refugees at the city gate were frequently making trouble, and the siege was imminent. He did not have enough troops, and the letters for help he sent out fell on deaf ears.

The gates of the city were filled with crowds of refugees, and the people inside the city could not enter or leave. They were living off their savings and could not hold out for long.

Sun Qingchen had thought about taking in refugees, but Lan County was so small, and the population in the city was only about 10,000 at most. Where would he get the extra money, grain, and land to feed so many people?

Moreover, once the news of Lan County accepting refugees gets out, it will only attract more refugees to come, which will cause endless troubles.

However, Sun Qingchen knew that these refugees were farmers from the vicinity of Jinzhou, who had fled because of the disaster. Therefore, he could not bear to use harsh measures against them, and usually asked the city guards to drive them away.

At this moment, he poked his head out from the top of the city wall and saw five people sitting in the snow below.

The leader was a young man.

Fine snowflakes were floating in the sky, like crystal clear goose feathers, falling on the boy's head and body.

The young man was no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, with a pale face, and he looked quiet and steady as he sat there.

Sun Qingchen was thinking in his mind: My subordinates reported that the other party was a young man, but this was not a young man at all, he was clearly a brat.

Well, let's test his strength first.

"I am the magistrate of Lan County. Who are you?"

After all the commotion, the real culprit finally showed up.

Xu Qingying stood up, looked up at Sun Qingchen on the city wall, clasped his fists and said, "My name is Xu Zhenying, and I'm the leader of this group of refugees. I have a win-win strategy for you, Lord Sun. I'd like to invite you to come out of the city and discuss it with me."

The advisor beside Sun Qingchen twitched his beard. "Oh, you're so bold! You actually dared us to come out of the city to meet you. If we want to talk, why don't you come up?"

"It's not impossible. Please open the city gate and let me in to talk."

The lawyer froze, not expecting Xu Qingying to trick him with her words.

How did the city gate open in just a few words?

Sun Qingchen looked at the young man's cheeks, blue with cold, and then saw his bright, clear eyes. He was able to win over five thousand people so quickly, and he was so dignified and unyielding. Sun Qingchen naturally liked this outstanding young man, but he also knew not to underestimate the enemy. So he asked, "Young man, do you really have a plan for a win-win situation?"

"If Magistrate Sun doesn't believe me, how about allowing the five of us to disarm and enter the city for a discussion? The city is heavily guarded. Could it be that Lord Sun is afraid of a weakling like me?"

"Okay!" Sun Qingchen wasn't afraid, but his advisor was cautious. "Sir, this person dared to enter alone. I'm afraid he must have some real skills."

Sun Qingchen patted his clothes, adjusted his jade crown, and said fearlessly, "What's there to be afraid of? This young man is capable and courageous. If he can truly solve the problem of these refugees, I wouldn't mind giving him the position of county magistrate!"

The master immediately bowed in fear and said, "Sir, please don't joke."

"You know you're joking. Open the city gate and let him in."

The people at the city gate were obviously stunned.

Old Liao stroked his chin and said meaningfully, "I was wrong. This girl is really capable. No wonder she can suppress so many people at such a young age. It's true that heroes emerge from youth. A young girl can do the same."

Liao Chun was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out. "Why did that bastard official open the city gate and let them in? What did that damn girl just say to him?"

When the Xu family members saw Xu Qingying and others walk directly into the city, they became even more worried.

Xu Degui watched them drop their weapons. Although he was worried, he did not forget to immediately take people to get them back.

During the escape, a few bowls are worth a fortune, let alone ironware.

Miao was much more resilient this time and stopped crying. But now that both children were incarcerated, she couldn't help but worry. "What should I do? They all say Magistrate Sun is a good man. I don't think he would harm Huiming and Ying'er."

Xu Degui put away all his weapons and said, "Don't be afraid. Our daughter has her own ideas. Seeing how calm she is, we know she has a plan in mind."

Soon, the city gate was closed again.

Xu Qingying was strolling leisurely, being led by a soldier past the city wall. The cold wind blew through the wall. The wall was very thick, about five or six meters deep. Even in the snow, such a thick wall seemed to exude a chill.

She only saw a figure at the end.

There must be more than just Sun Qingchen coming.

The person holding a knife in front for protection should be the county lieutenant. At this moment, he is staring at Xu Qingying and her group with vigilance.

The county lieutenant raised his sword and looked the group up and down.

The leader was very young and looked smiling. He didn't seem to be here to negotiate, but more like he was here to have fun in the city.

The big guy following behind him had a muscular body and strong arms, but his eyes were very honest. He actually smiled when he saw him.

The young man next to him had broad shoulders and a slender waist, as well as sharp eyes. He was obviously a martial artist.

These people are definitely not ordinary refugees!

Ordinary refugees had already become so hungry that their eyes were numb. They were not like these refugees who were tired but full of energy.

I heard that there are bandits everywhere outside Lan County. This group of people can get here smoothly, so they should not be underestimated.

The soldiers checked whether they were carrying any weapons, and then the two groups met for the first time at a distance of about five or six meters.

"Master Sun, I'm honored to meet you." Xu Qingying was the first to bow and greet.

It was obvious that Sun Qingchen was a man of action. He was also anxious and angry, and had no intention of being perfunctory. He said straight to the point: "You said you had a good plan to take in refugees. Tell me about it."

Xu Qingying was also unequivocal. "I don't have any good ideas. I simply want to ask the county magistrate to give the refugees a way out. I can see that Lord Sun is a good official and doesn't want the refugees to starve or freeze. Lord Sun is worried that the refugees entering the city will be uncontrollable, that it will be easier to invite the gods than to send them away, and that there won't be enough food in the city to feed so many people. We can buy time to resolve these problems. The most important thing right now is that the hungry refugees will definitely cause trouble, so we must appease them first. I think starting tomorrow, we'll send twenty or thirty trustworthy women into the city to do the purchasing. Most of them will be peasant girls with clean backgrounds. Having them do the purchasing won't pose any threat to the people in the city, and it will also give the refugees outside a way out."

Sun Qingchen's disappointment was beyond words. He had thought that this boy was a man of great talent who could really solve the refugee crisis in Lan County. However, he was just an ignorant man who wanted to buy food.

"Jinzhou suffered a severe food shortage this year. Grain is more expensive than oil. A bushel of rice costs almost one ounce of silver. You have five thousand people. Even if you eat gruel every day, your daily food needs would be one thousand ounces of silver."

Sun Qingchen said nothing more.

The lawyer was not polite at all, "You think you are rich! If you were really rich, you wouldn't come to me to beg for food!"

Xu Qingying was unhappy, but she didn't show it on her face. "Unfortunately, I am indeed very wealthy, and I can more than support 5,000 people. It all depends on whether there is food in Lan County."

"If there was grain in Lan County, I wouldn't have turned away all the people. Boy, you don't understand the current situation in Jinzhou. Even if you are rich, you can't buy food! The people know that the harvest is poor this year, and they are all clinging to the little food at home to save their lives. How could they be willing to exchange it for silver! Right now, food is more valuable than life!"

Xu Qingying smiled faintly, her eyes cold. "If I can buy my life, how much more so can I buy food? My Lord, why don't you tell the people in the city that I, Xu Zhenying, will send someone to buy it tomorrow. The price is whatever they want. As long as they are willing to sell their food, I, Xu Zhenying, will be willing to buy it with silver. If everyone is trading equally, and no one feels that they are being taken advantage of, my Lord, I'm afraid there is no reason to stop it."

What Xu Qingying said was reasonable and could not be refuted, and there was no trace of doubt in it.

The lawyer was also stunned. "Are you really that wealthy? Food is not cheap in the city right now—"

"Whether you can provide food or not is your business, and whether we can afford to buy it is ours. As the saying goes, a person is born with talents that will be useful, and even if all his money is spent, it will come back. Money is dead, but life is alive. I, Xu Zhenying, have no other skills, but I can earn a few cents. This little money can save thousands of lives, which is a great deed! Moreover, the world is changing, and people's hearts are unpredictable. In such difficult times, we must help each other."

This is a very domineering statement.

The lawyer pursed his lips and thought to himself: It’s all nice to talk, but you have to pay with real money.

"Well said!" Sun Qingchen's eyes lit up. He took Xu Qingying's hand, not even bothering with his disheveled appearance. "What a great way to make a fortune after spending all your money. If that's the case, then it's settled. Tomorrow you send some women into the city to buy food and temporarily alleviate the food crisis. But you should know that there's not much food in Lan County. So many people can't hold out for more than a few days. You should leave quickly."

Xu Qingying rolled her eyes. "That's true, of course. But even if we leave, we still have to buy food, otherwise what will we eat and drink on the road? But I heard that wealthy families usually have their own granaries. Since food is so scarce in Lan County, why don't you let the wealthy families open their granaries to help the people?"

Sun Qingchen didn't hide the truth from her, but he was vague. "Your words and actions are elegant and calm, so you must be a scholar. The interests involved will probably become clear to you once you graduate from high school and are sent abroad."

Xu Qingying smiled modestly, "Thank you for your words, sir. No matter how bright my future is, I still have to get through this hurdle first."

Seeing Xu Qingying's methodical approach and her ability to act decisively, Sun Qingchen felt a genuine admiration for her talent. He pulled her aside and whispered, "If the situation outside becomes truly dire, I can allow you to enter the city alone. You can study here with me and wait until the situation stabilizes before taking the exam."

Xu Qingying was stunned.

I didn't expect that Lord Sun was so simple and honest.

How can she capture his city in a few days?