"Are you serious?" she asked back, then chuckled. "Don't worry, the imperial court won't abandon you. There's already a place that can accommodate you, but there are just too many of you. We need to think of another way."

Xu Yuehuai stood up and extended her hand to him: "Let's go, we'll go to the city gate. Don't worry, I have food here, I will definitely not let you go hungry. However, if you dare to rob or steal, I will definitely take you to the yamen."

"Great!" Zhao Ping immediately perked up.

They'll do anything as long as they can fill their stomachs.

The sun remained scorching, making the already disgruntled refugees even more irritable.

Before Qi Guze arrived at Qinglong Gate, the people from the Ministry of Revenue arrived ahead of time.

The guards, upon seeing them, immediately knew it was an imperial decree from above and rushed over to ask, "What did they say?"

"The Minister said to get rid of all these people immediately. The national treasury is empty, and the Ministry of Revenue can't come up with a single coin, let alone grain. If we let them in, wouldn't that mean we'll all die without a burial place?" the Minister of Revenue said viciously.

Before the soldiers defending the city could even begin to act, the people outside had already started making a ruckus, smashing the city gates and throwing stones, and it was clear that they could no longer hold them back.

Fortunately, at this critical moment, Qi Guze arrived with Pei Xuan.

Upon seeing this scene, his expression immediately turned cold, and he began to rebuke in a deep voice: "What are you doing?"

"Your Highness, we are acting on the orders of the Minister of Revenue to drive away the displaced people, so that the people of the capital will not be in a state of unease," the Minister of Revenue said hastily, bowing with his hands clasped.

His attitude was respectful, but his tone was undeniably disdainful.

Qi Guze's expression did not improve at all because of this explanation; on the contrary, he remained stern: "His Majesty has already ordered me to handle this matter. Your Ministry of Revenue personnel do not need to interfere anymore."

"Guards, take him away." He was clearly resentful.

These refugees were already resentful because the city gates were closed, and now with this troublemaker appearing, it's practically impossible to appease them.

But he cannot slack off.

This person had no idea what was being discussed in the imperial court; he only knew that he had to keep these people out of the city gates, otherwise, once they broke in, Chang'an would become a living hell.

His attitude had lost its previous respect and instead became accusatory: "They came from the south to the north, and we don't know if they are carrying any diseases. If we let them into the city, how will the people of Chang'an cope? Who will be responsible for their lives?"

"I take full responsibility!" Qi Guze declared.

These words were powerful and reassuring to everyone present.

But the man from the Ministry of Revenue was clearly there to cause trouble on purpose, continuing to nag and pester them. His intention was clearly to prevent the refugees from settling down, because if they started making a scene, who knows what kind of changes might occur in Chang'an.

Just as the man continued to pester him, Qi Guze swung his sword, and the man's head was severed, blood splattering everywhere.

This action startled the onlookers.

Qi Guze remained cold and said, "Disaster relief is of utmost urgency. If anyone tries to sabotage the effort, that will be his fate."

Upon hearing this, not only did the surrounding people quiet down, but even the chaotic refugees outside the city fell silent.

At the very least, they could be certain that the dynasty had not abandoned them.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?"

Although he spoke clearly, no one was willing to actually let those people in. If they really carried some kind of disease, Chang'an would be doomed.

Qi Guze gave Pei Xuan a wink.

Pei Xuan immediately ordered a table to be set up at the city gate, and then invited two doctors to come and provide medical consultations.

After finishing all this, he cupped his hands in greeting to Qi Guze: "Your Highness."

"Open the city gates," Qi Guze ordered. "After the city gates are opened, all guards must stand at the gates and allow only one person to pass at a time. They can enter after registration is completed."

His words caused an uproar in the room.

The city gate was open, yet it seemed not to be open at all.

Even though he said that, the refugees outside still couldn't contain themselves. Some of them wanted to rush in, fearing that if they were a step too late, they would starve to death outside.

"Any registered citizen can get a bowl of hot porridge to fill their stomach. The court will take care of the rest." Qi Guze knew that people wouldn't stand in long lines willingly, so he could only use these words to intimidate them.

Fortunately, those people only wanted to fill their stomachs.

Following this trend, they started lining up on their own.

Meanwhile, Xu Yuehuai had already taken out some food. Right now, those refugees were starving and had completely lost their minds. To bring them back to their senses, they had to be fed first.

Everyone was working in an orderly manner to accommodate the refugees, and Pei Xuan was the most exhausted among them.

He truthfully recorded the basic information of each refugee: where they lived, why they fled the famine, and who else was in their family.

After registration, two doctors were on hand to examine the people. Only those who were confirmed to be completely healthy were sent to the newly opened area. Those who might have contracted the disease were isolated separately.

However, no matter what kind of person you are, someone will always offer you a bowl of hot porridge.

On the city wall at that moment, a pair of eagle eyes were fixed on their movements, his face was ashen, and his clenched fists made the veins bulge.

"My lord, there are no troublemakers down here, so we have no opportunity to make a move," the subordinate reported truthfully. "However, a few refugees went to Xiangmanlou ahead of time and were taken by Xu Yuehuai. Perhaps we can start from there."

"After Qi Guze finishes this good deed, his status in the court will likely rise even higher." He revealed his murderous intent.

"What does Your Excellency the Prime Minister intend to do?" The Minister of Revenue also slowly walked up the city wall.

The one who was just killed by Qi Guze with a single sword strike was his trusted confidant. They originally planned to make a fortune from this incident, but they never expected that the heavy responsibility would fall on Qi Guze's shoulders. As a result, their lives are now as precarious as walking on thin ice.

The prime minister did not speak.

Since Qi Guze returned to Chang'an, the Emperor has clearly trusted him more and has even weakened his power as Prime Minister. If he is allowed to complete this matter properly, his position in the court will only be further diminished in the future.