While the outside world was in turmoil, Pingnan City remained relatively peaceful in a remote corner.

For at least the next two weeks, both of her shops thrived. Although she occasionally heard people talking about the court being at a critical moment of internal and external troubles, she just smiled and let it go, hoping to live peacefully for as long as possible.

Inside the yamen (government office).

Zhang Shengmin's desk was piled high with memorials, all of which had been returned by the imperial court.

Previously, he had repeatedly submitted memorials hoping that the court could reduce taxes, but they all went unanswered. Later, his memorials couldn't even leave Yingzhou and were returned to him unopened.

"My lord, a letter from Licheng." Shan Qiu strode in from outside, his face darkening from days of running.

Zhang Shengmin rubbed his throbbing temples and asked, "Who came?"

"It was written by Prefect Jia Huan himself." Shan Qiu's tone was crisp and clear, without any hesitation.

Zhang Shengmin squinted wearily, his gaze falling on the letter. "You read it for me."

Upon hearing this, Shan Qiu read the letter word for word and said, "My lord, the soldiers of Licheng have been fighting against the scattered soldiers of the refugees and have been defeated in three battles. They are now unable to hold on and request that you send troops to support them."

"Absurd!" Zhang Shengmin's voice suddenly rose, and he pushed the memorial on the table to the ground, scattering it everywhere. "He, a prefect, wants me, a mere county magistrate, to help him? Isn't that a huge joke?"

"How many troops does he have in Licheng, and how many do I have in Pingnancheng? Do we even have eight hundred men, including the militia? If I give him my men, what will happen to Pingnancheng?" Zhang Shengmin was furious. These memorials were rejected by Jia Huan. Did Jia Huan really think he didn't know?

He knew exactly what was going on.

"Jia Huan is a good fence-sitter. He doesn't dare to submit my petition for the people. He acts like a loyal minister. But if he were truly a loyal minister, how could he stand by and watch those people of the great Shang Dynasty starve to death outside the city and send troops to suppress them?"

"Why not just let them into the city and solve the court's urgent problem?"

Zhang Shengmin was only thinking about protecting a corner of Pingnan City; he couldn't care less about anything else right now.

"What's the situation outside the city?"

Danqiu frowned and said in a deep voice, "Three days ago, a small number of refugees had gathered, but the number was not large, about fifty people."

“Alright.” Zhang Shengmin stroked his short beard and said, “Summon all the merchants in the city to the yamen. At noon, I have something to discuss with them.”

Sun Miao'er was also among the merchants who had been summoned.

She is now considered a well-known merchant in Pingnan City. Her two shops are not large, but business is exceptionally good.

When she arrived at the yamen, she finally got to meet all the prominent people in Pingnan City.

However, neither the richest man, Hu Tingzhi, nor his acquaintance, Ji Changru, came. The only person she could talk to was Wang Xueru's father.

"Good, I knew it. Hu Tingzhi is usually rolling in money, but when it comes to something, he disappears without a trace!" Zhang Shengmin didn't see Hu Tingzhi among the people who came, which was not unexpected.

After all, Hu Tingzhi's wealth was not without reason. He was rich because he was shrewd and cunning. He seemed generous, but in reality, he was very meticulous in his business dealings.

The waiter at Duhuanlou respectfully handed over the silver notes, saying, "Reporting to you, sir, my manager is indeed unwell. This five thousand taels of silver was sent by him on my orders."

"Hmph, five thousand taels of silver." Zhang Shengmin also snorted with an ambiguous tone, it was unclear whether he was pleased or angry, and he did not ask Hu Tingzhi any further questions.

Sun Miao'er knew, of course, that the Prince of Wei was asking for 300,000 taels of silver a month. Five thousand taels of silver was nothing to Hu Tingzhi, just a drop in the ocean. Besides, how could someone from the Prince of Wei possibly give silver to the court?

This five thousand taels of silver was merely something he used to prove his innocence.

Zhang Shengmin immediately spoke up, “Gentlemen, you must have heard about what happened in Licheng. The refugees and the government troops are locked in a stalemate, which is exhausting the people and wasting resources. I’m afraid it will be Pingnan City’s turn next. I called you all here to hear your opinions.”

"If Pingnan City does not allow refugees to enter the city, it will likely be a protracted war, and the common people will suffer the most."

"If we let those refugees in, I'm afraid you merchants and wealthy people will have to put in a lot of trouble."

Zhang Shengmin's meaning was obvious: he had given them two paths to choose from, but neither of them was a good option.

If the refugees don't come in, fight them. If you can't win in the end, the refugees will turn into bandits and storm in.

The government doesn't pay for the refugees; the merchants raise funds to support them, which could be a bottomless pit. Everyone should be aware of this.

These words caused an uproar among the merchants. Some said, "Sir, we are all ordinary people. Although we earn a little more than ordinary people, we all have elderly parents and young children to support. We really can't afford to feed the refugees!"

Wang Shicheng then spoke up: "My daughter is currently trapped in Licheng, facing a difficult situation, all because of the refugees. Our Pingnan City doesn't even have as many people as Licheng. If we really fight the refugees, I'm afraid we won't be able to defeat them!"

"What's so scary about refugees? They're just a bunch of country bumpkins farming, probably they don't even know how to use a knife!" Some people didn't take it seriously.

"Even a rabbit will bite when cornered!" Wang Shicheng retorted stubbornly. "We're all starving to death anyway. In their eyes, we'll be food and money. Who cares about anything else then!"

Zhang Shengmin was driven crazy by their noise. He looked at Sun Miao'er and asked, "Manager Sun, do you have any good ideas?"

He remembered that at the last banquet at the Wang family mansion, it was Sun Miao'er who proposed to stand up for the villagers of Fushui Village. He figured she must have some unique insights into such matters.

Sun Miao'er sat among a group of elderly men, which seemed a bit out of place, but she was not awkward. On the contrary, she was more composed than them. "Sir, I think the refugees can be let in."

"What?!" someone exclaimed.

Zhang Shengmin remained expressionless and said, "Manager Sun, please continue."

Sun Miao'er said solemnly, "We can let the refugees in, but not all of them. Pingnan City can provide food for the refugees who come in, provided that the male refugees voluntarily join the Pingnan City militia."

Zhang Shengmin's expression suddenly turned serious. Her method was indeed feasible, but as a county magistrate, privately organizing a militia was a capital offense. If the imperial court blamed him, he would lose his head.

“Those who are unwilling to submit and become militia members should not be allowed to enter.”

After listening to her, Zhang Shengmin remained silent for a long time. Could he still afford to consider so much now? He had to think back to his initial motivation for becoming an official: was it merely for temporary fame and fortune to bring glory to his ancestors, or was it to ensure a better life for the people?