Chapter 492 A Family of纨绔 (Wán kù, a spoiled and dissolute family) Causes the Death of the Entire Court (45)

In just one night, the supply camp was completely emptied.

The next morning, Jin Shu appeared at the breakfast table early. As soon as breakfast was served, she picked up the bowl of shrimp porridge in front of her and drank it in big gulps.

She ate slowly, not in a hurry, but quickly, finishing the bowl of porridge in no time.

Jin Shu handed over the empty bowl.

"Give me another bowl."

Mrs. Jin looked at her with disbelief.

"Why is this child so hungry? You ate quite a bit last night, how come you're starving after just one night?"

Jin Shu kept her head down and ate her food, not having time to respond to her at all.

Seeing this, Madam Jin, though unaware of what had happened, still reached out and stroked her hair with heartache.

"Eat slowly, eat slowly, there's plenty more."

"Give me another serving of this sweet cake."

"Okay, eat slowly, I'll have someone prepare it for you."

Jin Shu was really starving.

Although forty-eight hours had passed, the physical exertion she had expended was real.

That means she hasn't eaten anything for a day and a night, especially after such strenuous physical labor.

Fortunately, she had been practicing cultivation for many years and knew some strange and unusual techniques; otherwise, she really wouldn't have been able to handle so much food and fodder by herself.

Magistrate Jin returned in a hurry midway through the journey, and urged Jin Shu to hurry up without even having a meal.

"The Li family's troops have already reached the Huai'an line. We need to prepare for battle immediately!"

Jin Shu was still leisurely drinking her porridge, casually tossing the token in her arms to Magistrate Jin.

“This is a token to command the army. Give it directly to Uncle Zhang; he knows more about these things than I do.”

Zhang Shixu is an all-rounder. He understands how to govern the country and deploy troops. Although Jin Shu holds the title of the ruler of a country, almost everything is done by Zhang Shixu.

Since he did a good job, Jin Shu naturally didn't want to bother with it.

"Why don't you care at all? You are the ruler of a country now, you should at least act like one."

Magistrate Jin was clearly not yet used to the change in his daughter's identity.

He spent several days trying to figure out why Zhang Shixu insisted on making a girl the ruler, and why Jin Shu in particular.

He thought of rebelling and becoming the king himself.

He couldn't understand it, especially seeing Jin Shu's leisurely and lazy appearance, he couldn't understand it even more.

“Father, you know perfectly well that I’m just a figurehead. What can you expect a figurehead to do?”

"You guys go ahead with your work, I won't go. The work in the fields isn't finished yet."

A perfectly good young lady, now the ruler of a country, spends all her time in the fields except for eating and sleeping.

It's already November, but the weather is getting hotter and hotter. There's been no cooling down, not even a drop of rain.

Every day, Jin Shu would be drenched in sweat in the fields, her once fair skin darkened considerably due to the constant exposure to the sun and wind.

But Jin Shu didn't care about any of this.

She doesn't rely on her looks to make a living. Since she decided to be a farmer, she has to do what a farmer should do and work diligently and honestly.

“After you’re done in the fields, go with your brother to the refugee area and help him out.”

Jin Shu nodded. After finishing her meal, she first took a carriage to circle around the fields to make sure the rice seedlings were alright, and then went directly to the place where porridge and grain were being distributed.

Jin Shou'an now looked every bit the part of an official, dressed neatly, with his hair tied up high, and even wearing the jade crown that he had previously refused to wear.

The porridge distribution site was orderly. Now the refugee area has been divided into sections and households. Each time porridge is distributed, each household is counted according to the number of people, one ladle per person, and the measurement is clear.

Anyone who violates the rules or bullies the weak will be dragged out of the city gate by Jin Shou'an's men immediately.

Over time, these starving refugees gradually came to understand that only by following the rules could they survive here.

"This can't go on forever; sooner or later we'll run out of money."

With responsibilities on his shoulders, Jin Shouan's brows now show a maturity he never had before, and of course, a lot of worry as well.

Today we worry that the lack of rain will prevent the crops from growing well; tomorrow we worry that the granaries will be emptied of rice and flour, and we'll have to figure out what to do next.

In short, Jin Shou'an took care of everything that Jin Shu should and shouldn't worry about.

"Ah Shu, what do you think we should do?"

"Once the grain in the granary is used up, the grain in the fields will be ready to ripen."

“If these people go without food for two days, they will definitely riot. The crops in the fields must be harvested before the granaries are empty.”

Jin Shu patted him on the shoulder.

"There's no use worrying about this. You might as well try to appease them in advance. Also, find me a hundred people who know how to farm and send them to the fields to help me with the farming."

"That's easy to handle, but these are minor matters now. Didn't they say a war is about to break out? Why are you still here? Even if you don't go into battle, you should at least be there to oversee things, right?"

Jin Shu, however, said with certainty.

"Don't worry, there won't be a fight."

"A fight won't break out? Li Yong is so eager to tear our Jin family to shreds, how could a fight not break out?"

"If you're really bored and have nothing to do, go to the fields and help me dig up the land. I recently hatched several thousand chicken, duck, and goose eggs, and now they've all hatched. I need someone to take care of them, so I think you'd be perfect."

Jin Shouan silently shut his mouth.

After all, the one who truly owns this family is Jin Shu.

At this time, panic was already gripping the people outside the city gates.

Everyone heard that the new emperor had personally led his troops to attack He'an County.

However, not everyone was worried. After all, some people had been kicked out for causing trouble, and when they heard that an attack was coming, one or two of them were so excited that they wished the army could just rush over and flatten the city gates of He'an County.

By this time, rumors had already spread inside and outside the city gates.

"The new emperor has ascended the throne and is purging the rebels. Everyone in He'an County will die. It's not too late to run now."

Outside the city gates, the displaced people who couldn't get into the city wished they could use a loudspeaker to shout and clamor.

"You won't let me in, are you? Even if you invite me in now, I won't go in!"

Listen up, everyone inside! If you don't come out now, once the new emperor's army storms in, you'll never get out again!

"I would never betray my country for a bite to eat! A true man would rather die a glorious death than live a shameful life. Let those people become the lackeys of the Kim family! I want to see how long they can remain so arrogant!"

"Why don't we form a small team and go to meet His Majesty? If we can achieve merit, we might even earn some military merit for ourselves!"

Those individuals outside immediately hit it off and formed an alliance.