Shen Huaixu walked alone on the empty street, his heavy footsteps echoing softly on the bluestone slabs.

His heart was filled with grief, but he had nowhere to vent it, and could only let the feeling of powerlessness overwhelm him like a tide.

From being full of confidence at the beginning to now, in less than half a month, his energy and spirit have been completely worn away, and his once bright eyes have lost their former luster, leaving only a dimness.

He thought he knew everything about the Yellow River refugees, but as he traveled along the way, he found that the reality was far more complicated than he had imagined.

Not only did the Ministry of Revenue embezzle disaster relief funds, but officials in Yanzhou also openly and secretly deceived their superiors and lined their own pockets.

After layers of exploitation, very little grain was left for the people.

The repair of the Yellow River and the resettlement of the people both require financial support, but the government offices only have some old, stale rice left, and the disaster relief funds have disappeared without a trace.

Even with the best ideas, he couldn't overcome the predicament of having no rice to cook.

"Have all the officials arrived?"

Shen Huaixu walked into the government office, his voice tinged with urgency, and turned to ask.

He knew he had to remind them again, to try one more time, even if there was only a sliver of hope, he was unwilling to give up.

The servant glanced at him, hesitated, and looked troubled.

Shen Huaixu seemed to sense something and strode into the meeting hall, only to find it empty except for a clerk who slowly walked over and told him that the other officials were all "ill at home" and unable to come.

Shen Huaixu immediately realized that this was clearly just a perfunctory response.

What do you mean by being sick? You clearly just don't want to come!

They had no intention of repairing the Yellow River or resettling the refugees. Only by letting the disaster continue could the imperial court's disaster relief funds flow in continuously, allowing them to continue to exploit the situation and reap more money and benefits!

"roll!"

Shen Huaixu angrily rebuked, his voice echoing in the empty government office.

"This subordinate takes his leave."

The advisor was not surprised to see him angry; he simply cupped his hands in greeting, turned, and left.

"master……"

Seeing Shen Huaixu in this state, the servant wanted to step forward and say a few words of advice, but he didn't know where to begin.

"You go out too."

Shen Huaixu interrupted him, his voice tinged with weariness.

He seemed to have all his strength drained away, collapsing to the ground with a dull, lifeless gaze.

The servant opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He simply bowed his head and replied, "Yes," before silently walking out and gently closing the door behind him.

Shen Huaixu lowered his head and looked at the ground.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating his pale, thin face and adding to his haggard appearance.

He began to doubt whether his actions were truly meaningful, whether his desperate efforts and running around were actually useful, or whether it was just wishful thinking that could not save anyone at all.

"Squeak—"

The door was pushed open, and sunlight rushed in, making him squint slightly.

Shen Huaixu's eyelids trembled slightly as he slowly raised his eyes to look.

A moment later, he could finally see the person who had come into view.

Shen Jintang stood there, sunlight pouring down from behind her, enveloping her in a bright glow.

Her figure appeared exceptionally clear in the light, her outline soft yet distinct.

She was wearing a plain-colored long gown, the hem of which was gently lifted by the breeze, as if even the air itself had become lighter.

Sunlight shone on her hair, making the strands translucent, as if they were edged with a thin layer of gold, each strand shimmering with a subtle luster.

Her face was divided into two halves by light and shadow; the bright side was translucent and fair, while the shadow concealed a hint of coldness.

Shen Jintang's expression was very serious, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes were fixed on Shen Huaixu.

She walked up to Shen Huaixu, looked down at him, and her eyes revealed an unwavering determination.

Shen Jintang stretched out her hand to him, her voice clear and firm: "Get up!"

The sunlight shone on her hands, making her skin appear almost translucent and her fingers delicately defined.

Shen Huaixu just stared at her, feeling as if everything before him had been frozen in time.

He slowly raised his head, and his eyes gradually became clear.

I always felt that Shen Jintang had an indescribable sense of reliability, as if as long as I held her hand, I could see the dawn of hope.

So, without thinking, he reached out his hand.

Shen Jintang grasped his hand and, with a slight effort, pulled him up from the ground.

She turned and ordered outside, "Go, call everyone over."

His voice carried an undeniable authority.

The guards outside the door looked at each other, seemingly hesitant.

Finally, one of the bolder officers stepped forward and reported, "Your Honor, the officials from the county government have all claimed illness and are afraid they will not be able to come."

Shen Jintang slightly curled her lips, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes, and strode out, loudly proclaiming, "Call them all here! Those who are not seriously ill, walk over yourself; those who are too ill to get out of bed, carry them over with the bed. As long as they are not dead, come over here to discuss important matters!"

She paused, her tone carrying an undeniable ruthlessness: "I'm giving you half an hour. If even one registered official fails to show up, I'll chop off a finger from each of you. Everyone here, every single one of you, will be accounted for!"

These words, spoken neither too lightly nor too heavily, carried an undeniable deterrent force.

Shen Jintang's eyes were extremely serious, making it impossible to doubt her determination.

The officials were so frightened by her words that they turned pale and looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

Upon seeing this, Liu Huo immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Hurry up and go!"

The officials then seemed to snap out of their daze and replied in unison, "Yes...yes, we'll go right away."

Soon, the officials in the government office scattered and searched for the person.

Xinghui and Liuhuo also left, gently closing the door and leaving the space to Shen Huaixu and Shen Jintang.

The two remained silent for a long time, the only sound in the room being each other's breathing.

Finally, Shen Huaixu cleared his throat, breaking the silence. His gaze fell on Shen Jintang, and his tone was somewhat tentative: "Why are you here?"

Shen Jintang's eyes held a hint of nonchalance as he said indifferently, "Of course it's because he was demoted, otherwise who would come to a place like this?"

Her tone was soft, yet carried an indescribable irony.

Shen Huaixu seemed to be stung by her words, coughed softly, and looked at Shen Jintang with a somewhat dark and unfathomable gaze.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "You're a little different from when you were in Kyoto."

Shen Jintang found a chair and sat down, adjusting her posture slightly to make herself more comfortable. Then she slowly raised her eyes to look at Shen Huaixu, without answering immediately.

Shen Huaixu narrowed his eyes, as if carefully choosing his words, and finally said slowly, "Is what the Crown Prince said true? You are not Shen Jintang."