Working overtime late into the night, and then having to get up early the next day to deal with the pile of things happening in the city.
The next morning, Li Aili heard Joanna's gentle, continuous knocking on the door, "knock knock knock".
Li Aili buried her head in the explanation.
Joanna said softly, "Your Highness, there is an urgent matter that requires your attention."
"Five minutes... Joanna... give me five more minutes."
Joanna, who already had a deep understanding of the prince she followed, was speechless.
"Your Highness, this is very important."
Arthur gently replaced himself with a fluffy feather pillow and tucked it into his wife's arms. Then he quietly got out of bed and fastened the belt of his robe.
"What is it?" the Duke asked in a low voice after leaving the bedroom and closing the door.
In bed, Li Aili was locked in a fierce battle between her ambition and drowsiness.
Intermittent sounds came from outside the door.
"...A lot of people came."
"Without Your Highness's permission..."
"...The city hall is waiting for Your Highness to make a decision."
Who is it?
The fact that the city hall is urging Joanna to find her... Hmm!
Li Aili opened her eyes with all her might.
The sunlight was blocked out of the glass window by the heavy velvet curtains.
Nevertheless, the moment Li Aili opened her eyes, she felt great discomfort in them.
I glanced at the time.
Great, 7:15 AM.
The meeting ended at 3:30 last night, and she didn't lie down again until almost 4:00.
Struggling to sit up, Li Aili grabbed a shawl, walked unsteadily off the bed, and pushed open the door. "What happened?"
Joanna looked at the Duke with a troubled expression, while the bubbles above her head were filled with calico kittens frantically scratching at the walls.
Li Aili glanced at the cats lined up and frantically scratching the wall, then looked away. "Is the problem serious?"
Joanna: "Yes, uh, no..."
She quickly reiterated the problem she was facing, "Your Highness, this disaster has caused devastating losses to all the surrounding towns."
"Even in Danton, which has the support of the Tankar elves, the number of casualties this time is terrible... As you know, even the lord of Danton is seriously injured."
Thus, Emerald City's 'outstanding record' of zero deaths during this great disaster instantly became famous.
Li Aili: "So?"
"So, a lot of people have come here, too many Your Highnesses, they all say they want to join Emerald City."
Joanna has fully adapted to her role as the Emerald City Administrator.
Normally, she wouldn't talk incoherently.
"A lot? How much? Take me to see."
The Duke reached out and took the cloak from Conrad, then turned and draped it over Ellie, covering her completely.
Then, he raised his hand and opened a spatial portal. His large hand gently touched Li Aili's back, protecting her as she stepped through the portal and appeared on the city wall of Emerald City.
Below the city wall, a vast sea of people.
Everywhere you look, there are simple tents or intelligent people resting in the open air.
Yes, intelligent races, not just humans, but also dwarves, goblins, orcs...
Among them were some dressed in finery, sitting in carriages and dissatisfied with the chaotic surroundings.
It is no exaggeration to say that within a 5-kilometer radius of the city wall, looking down from above, you can't see a single patch of land; all you can see are countless heads.
Li Aili: "..."
Her expression instantly changed from sleepy to utterly dumbfounded. ⊙Д⊙！ ！ ！
"...These...they're all for joining Emerald City?"
Even now, Joanna still felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the scene again.
Yes, it gives me goosebumps.
Emerald City has a population of just over 600,000, while those outside the city have at least two million.
Just kidding, we definitely can't let them just walk in!
What should we do?
Joanna and a group of municipal officials were overwhelmed for the first time by the sheer number of people wanting to immigrate to Emerald City.
Li Aili scanned the area below the city wall.
People are often numb after a disaster.
But upon seeing the Emerald City's astonishing magic crystal castle and its largely intact walls, hope rekindled in their eyes.
After becoming the city lord, Li Aili did not feel much happiness; instead, increasingly heavy responsibilities weighed on her shoulders.
With each step she took, she had to weigh in her mind whether the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
Is she seeing short-term benefits or long-term benefits?
Li Aili took a deep breath. "Bring all the 'Honesty Potion' in the city."
"Everyone entering the city drank a bottle of 'honesty potion' and then underwent questioning by the inspectors."
"Emerald City can take in refugees, but it will never accept those with ulterior motives."
"You should draft the proposal with the city hall."
"Temporary residence permits will be issued to residents who pass the approval process."
Joanna said, "But, but we might not be able to produce that many 'honesty potions' all at once."
Li Aili patiently guided, "Of course, so we need to limit the number of people per day, whether it's 100, 1000, or 5000, these are decisions that the city hall officials discuss and make."
Joanna immediately understood the brilliance of His Highness's move.
You can't accept everyone at once, nor can you reject everyone at once. Selecting some to accept and refusing the rest... these methods are very likely to cause riots among refugees.
Don't try to understand refugees who have lost everything in a disaster and are desperately seeking refuge in a foreign land.
Even the slightest provocation can drive them to fight for their lives.
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