Mu Jingrui's heart beat faster. If he had been a step later, the consequences would have been disastrous.
He held Shangguan Wanning's hand tightly and stared into her eyes seriously.
"Jingrui? Why are you here?" Shangguan Wanning felt the warmth coming from Mu Jingrui's palm, and a bright and relieved smile bloomed on her face.
Mu Jingrui secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you talking about? Aren't you studying medicine with Doctor Qin? Why are you here?"
There was a hint of doting in Mu Jingrui's scolding, and Shangguan Wanning felt warm in her heart.
"Don't rush to blame me, find a way to stop them."
Mu Jingrui handed Shangguan Wanning to his accompanying men, jumped onto the wall, and subdued the general guarding the city gate.
He pulled out a token from his bosom and said coldly, "I am here to inspect the disaster situation on the orders of the Crown Prince. Tell your men to stop immediately. If you dare to hurt another civilian, you will be buried with him."
The general defending the city had no choice but to order his men to stop.
At this time, corpses were scattered all over the ground outside the city, and blood had soaked the mud and snow. The cries of pain struck people's hearts.
The officers and soldiers stopped attacking the victims, but Mu Jingrui did not force the soldiers defending the city to open the city gates.
He simply sent someone to pick up Shangguan Wan Ning and placed her in the county government office.
It was not until the evening that Shangguan Wanning waited for Mu Jingrui to come to see her.
After meeting each other in a foreign land after two months, both of them seemed to be in a heavy mood.
"Does your hand still hurt?" Mu Jingrui asked softly as he looked at Shangguan Wanning's bandaged elbow.
"It's okay, just a minor injury." Shangguan Wanning waved her hand nonchalantly, allowing Mu Jingrui to feel at ease.
Mu Jingrui sighed softly, "You are quite courageous. You dare to rush to save people in such a chaotic situation?"
"I just want to prevent more casualties..." Shangguan Wanning seemed to have thought of something and asked, "When can those disaster victims outside the city enter the city?"
"I have no intention of letting them into the city."
Mu Jingrui’s words surprised Shangguan Wanning.
From her understanding of him, he was indeed the kind of person who could remain completely indifferent towards irrelevant people.
"Is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered to provide disaster relief?" Shangguan Wanning needed to confirm again because many things were different from what she experienced in her previous life.
"yes."
"You lead the charge for him?"
Mu Jingrui shook his head.
"The emperor doesn't know that I belong to the prince's camp. I came here to inspect according to the emperor's order. I am assisting local officials in maintaining order and public security. However, before I left, I received news that the prince had indeed received the emperor's decree and had already set out with food for disaster relief."
"The Crown Prince has been ordered to provide disaster relief, so he has the responsibility to help more victims. You are on his side, so you should help him win over the people. If you don't help those victims outside, they will die."
Mu Jingrui looked at Shangguan Wanning. After all, she was inexperienced and her mind was too simple.
"Ning'er, you think things are too simple."
Mu Jingrui frowned and said, "Do you know how many disaster victims there are outside? Have you ever thought about whether there will be enough space in the city to accommodate them if they are all allowed to enter the city?"
"This..." Shangguan Wan Ning was stunned. She had indeed not thought about these questions yet.
And, this seems to be a very critical issue.
"The snowstorm is severe now, and the victims are starving. The people in the city are not much better off than them. If a large number of victims enter the city but cannot be properly resettled, the public security in the city will become a problem. Can you guarantee that the victims will not burn, rob and pillage in order to get enough food and clothing?"
Shangguan Wanning was stunned.
When it comes to survival, people's moral bottom line becomes very low, or even nonexistent.
"At least the city is relatively stable at the moment. Allowing the victims to enter the city is not the best option. Ning'er, the victims are citizens of the court, and so are the people in the city. Be fair and consider everyone's safety."
Shangguan Wanning lowered her head and remained silent.
She admitted that what Mu Jingrui said made sense.
"Then...are we just going to watch the disaster victims outside the city and do nothing?"
"Of course not." Mu Jingrui could see that Shangguan Wanning was distressed and comforted her, "You don't have to worry too much. I have thought of a temporary solution."
Mu Jingrui discussed this with the county magistrate for an afternoon and felt that this method was worth a try.
"I've seen the topographic map of the surrounding area. There are several warehouses ten miles outside the city. They are owned by several officials in the city. They have stored some goods such as wood in them. The county magistrate has already discussed with them to move all the goods out and temporarily provide shelter for the victims."
"It's better to let them have a roof over their heads than to let them sleep on the street. It won't cause more people to freeze to death." Shangguan Wanning sighed softly, "They have a place to live, but what about food and clothes?"
"The county magistrate has taken out all the liquid silver in the government office and purchased rice, flour and warm clothing from merchants in the city. He will distribute them to the victims, hoping that they can hold out until His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrives."
Shangguan Wanning was in a heavy mood. There seemed to be no better solution than this at the moment.
Everything went according to Mu Jingrui's plan and went smoothly in the first few days, but problems soon emerged.
The county government has almost run out of money. If it can't hold out for another day or two, I'm afraid it won't even be able to supply porridge.
"According to the travel time, it will take His Royal Highness the Crown Prince at least seven days to arrive..." Mu Jingrui was also a little anxious.
"Is it... that there is really no way out at all?" Shangguan Wanning looked at Mu Jingrui's sad face. It was hard to imagine that the god of war who would be feared by all in the future would be worried about a few bowls of rice at this moment.
Mu Jingrui remained silent.
"Maybe... there are more." Shangguan Wan Ning expressed the thoughts that had been hidden in her heart. "As far as I know, there are several wealthy businessmen in the city. They are financially strong. If they are willing to donate a little, maybe they can hold on until His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrives."
"I've already tried what you said. They kept crying poor to me. After all, they are all legal merchants, and I can't rob them openly."
"That's because your method is wrong." Shangguan Wanning raised the corners of her lips and smiled sweetly, "Just wait for me. General Mu, I promise that I will make them donate supplies willingly tomorrow."
Mu Jingrui looked at the light in Shangguan Wanning's eyes and felt a ripple in his heart, as if something was gently touching his heart.
Shangguan Wanning, in the name of the young lady of the Prime Minister's Mansion, invited the wealthy businessmen and their wives and daughters in the city to have tea at the county government office.
In this remote and secluded county, it is rare for important figures to come, and face must be given to the daughter of the prime minister.
Almost all the invited people were present.
"Thank you all for coming here. I came to your precious place by chance. I am grateful for your care these days. I will drink a cup of tea instead of wine as a token of my gratitude."
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