The scorching sun blazed down, baking the earth. The extreme heat wave persisted, and restless emotions continued to spread.
The refugees looked up at Li Shuchen as if gazing upon a savior.
Under the focus of thousands, Li Shuchen's thin lips parted slightly, his voice cool yet carrying a power that soothed people's hearts.
"Please rest assured, you are all citizens of Li Country. This prince will certainly protect you all. At the hour of noon, porridge and grain will be distributed!"
Hearing his promise and the specific time given, the refugees gradually began to believe.
"There's still an hour until noon. Why don't we wait a bit longer?"
"That's right, let's wait. Prince An is trustworthy. A few days ago on the road, he distributed water and food to us. He's a good prince!"
"I hope Prince An really does what he says. Amitabha... May the Bodhisattva bless us... May the Heavens protect us... May the Earth God watch over us... May all deities and Buddhas bless us..."
Under the scorching sunlight, time seemed to pass very slowly.
It was too hot packed together, so the refugees gradually dispersed, seeking shady spots to wait.
With so many eyes around, there was nowhere to hide. Qi Huan didn't rashly enter the space again, but instead crouched in the shade of a tree, occasionally looking up at the city wall, longing to catch a few more glimpses of Li Shuchen.
At the same time, she made a birthday wish in her heart.
May we never be apart, may we always be together.
When noon arrived.
The city gates slowly opened. The black-armored guard troops, gripping long spears, quickly took up positions on both sides of the gate. Li Shuchen rode out on horseback, followed by several mule-drawn carts.
"Line up for porridge."
The brief command, amplified by his inner force, carried an unchallengeable authority as it spread through the vast crowd of refugees.
Joy burst forth in the refugees' eyes - Prince An really was distributing porridge! They were saved!
They quickly grabbed their bowls and got up to queue. The occasional person who tried to cut in line was driven back by the guards' long spears, herded like ducks to the end of the line.
White rice porridge was ladled into bowls. The refugees reverently carried their bowls to the side and began slurping it up.
In the worn earthen bowls, there was broth on top and rice grains below.
The broth soothed their throats, the rice filled their stomachs. With a bowl of rice porridge in their bellies, the refugees were like withered trees encountering spring, catching a glimpse of hope for life once more.
Li Shuchen's gaze swept over their smiling faces, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly, only to fall again the instant he saw Governor Wu.
"Your Highness Prince An, how... how could you seize the grain from Tan's Rice Shop to feed these troublesome commoners?"
"This prince is merely retrieving, on Governor Wu's behalf, the official grain that you misappropriated, and distributing it to the citizens of Yunzhou for you."
"This prince delights in helping others. What wrong is there in that?"
Hearing this, Wu Liangxin's heart sank.
How did Prince An know he had transferred the government's stored grain to Tan's shop?
He quickly squeezed out two tears: "Your Highness jests. A few days ago, the granary caught fire, and all the official grain was lost..."
"No need to quibble. Tan Fu has already confessed. The only reason you're still standing here is because you and Commander Mo, who went to arrest you, missed each other."
Wu Liangxin was stunned.
After coming to his senses, he quickly cursed Tan Fu's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart.
Calming down, Wu Liangxin realized it might not have been Tan Fu's loose lips, but rather that the man before him had used severe interrogation methods.
The wise man submits to circumstances.
Wu Liangxin stopped arguing and instead pulled out the corner of a banknote from his sleeve, winking at Li Shuchen.
If the Emperor could sell official positions, surely his son Prince An would also look favorably upon money and forgive his small transgression.
Sure enough.
Li Shuchen leaned down and took the banknote.
Wu Liangxin had originally intended to just show him the banknote and give it to him privately later, but didn't expect him to take it directly.
Wu Liangxin couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
Prince An accepts bribes so blatantly... As expected of the Emperor's son.
On horseback, Li Shuchen glanced at the amount, felt its thickness, then looked down at him and asked, "Is this all?"
"..."
Wu Liangxin was dumbfounded.
Not enough?
He painfully bit his lip, thinking to himself: Truly worthy of being the Emperor's son, equally greedy.
Wu Liangxin had no choice but to pull out another roll of banknotes from his other sleeve.
He liked the smell of banknotes, so he habitually carried two rolls with him for a stronger scent. He never expected it would come in handy at this moment.
After receiving the banknotes, Li Shuchen turned and ordered: "Yan Wu."
"Here."
"Take this to buy cloth and hemp rope."
"Yes, sir."
Then, Li Shuchen commanded the nearby guard troops: "Arrest him."
Wu Liangxin immediately panicked: "You... you... you took my money! How can you..."
Li Shuchen interrupted him, correcting: "Nonsense, this is clearly the ill-gotten gains this prince has recovered."
Without an imperial order to confiscate, he couldn't directly search Wu's mansion. He'd have to wait for the imperial envoy to arrive. But in the meantime, there was no harm in accepting the banknotes Wu Liangxin had voluntarily handed over.
The mule carts went back and forth several times, and the porridge distribution lasted until late afternoon.
The guard troops divided the refugees into several groups, selecting a few strong young men from each to help manage and prevent people from receiving porridge multiple times.
Most of the refugees received a bowl of porridge, giving them hope for survival once again.
When Yan Wu returned with several carts of cloth and hemp rope, Li Shuchen ordered: "Help them set up tents."
Space within the city was limited, and with so many refugees, management would be difficult. To avoid chaos, Li Shuchen temporarily settled them outside the city.
After days of drought without rain, there was no need to consider waterproofing. The tents were simply set up with cloth draped over supports, providing the refugees a place for shade and rest.
The refugees enthusiastically got to work. After making a round of inspection, Li Shuchen also personally helped out.
He built a beautiful and sturdy tent for Qi Huan.
As night fell, the moon shone brightly.
All around was quiet, the refugees lying motionless in their tents, conserving energy.
Under the cover of darkness, a figure leapt down silently from the west city wall, moving noiselessly through the shadows.
Finally, he stopped outside the tent he had built with his own hands.
Li Shuchen deliberately concealed his presence until he entered the tent and was discovered by those inside.
Several basins of ice had been placed in the tent, making it slightly cooler than outside. A picnic mat was spread on the ground, with mille-crêpe cake and snacks laid out. Qi Huan was cutting the cake while Yan Jiu and Yan Qing sat around her, fanning.
They had opened a small hole in the top of the tent, allowing moonlight to pour in, bathing Qi Huan in a soft, glowing radiance.
As the door curtain swayed, she lifted her eyes. The moment she saw Li Shuchen, her face blossomed into a radiant smile.
Qi Huan handed the knife to Yan Jiu and passed the cake plate to Yan Qing. She then softly said to them, "You two eat first. I'll take Shuchen away."
Yan Jiu immediately replied, "No need, no need. We'll go out."
Just as he finished speaking, he realized that both His Highness and Miss Qi had vanished.
Exchanging a knowing glance with Yan Qing, the two immediately understood.
Miss Qi had whisked His Highness away to heaven!
Meanwhile, in another place...
The usually spacious area now felt somewhat cramped, as the passenger seat was occupied by a tall, imposing man.
While Li Shuchen was still in a daze, Qi Huan climbed onto his lap, skillfully wrapping her arms around his neck.
