Settling the disaster - stricken people has never been as simple as just exempting taxes.
Tax exemption can only make their lives easier in the next three years, but it can't solve the current problems. In Yangxian now, there are still many common people who don't know where their next meal will come from.
At present, the best solution is to open the granaries and distribute grain.
The people are like water, and the king is like a boat. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Even though Shang Luoshu is not a scholar, he understands this truth.
Without much hesitation, he immediately ordered Xia Shouzheng to open the granaries.
But when he led people to the scene, he found that if the grain in the granaries was evenly distributed, each household could hardly get a bowl of rice.
When he asked Xia Shouzheng the reason, Xia shifted all the blame onto Wang Dali.
Not to mention how much grain Wang Dali and his rural villagers could actually rob. Just considering the large amount of grain that Xia Shouzheng had borrowed continuously from Guangling in recent days, there shouldn't be so little left!
"Fang Qinhu, convey my order. Suspend all of Xia Shouzheng's duties. Let his deputy, the prefectural assistant, take over temporarily. Also, order all the personal guards outside the city to enter the city and be responsible for distributing grain."
"Moreover, send someone with my token and immediately go to Guangling and the nearest towns to borrow grain."
"Yes!"
In the yamen, Shang Luoshu was arranging everything methodically, as if he could solve all the problems they were currently facing. But Lu Yinxi, standing beside him, was full of deep - seated worry.
Her damned intuition was acting up again, and it was even stronger than before!
The young girl instinctively grabbed the corner of his sleeve and reminded him, "Luoshu, I always feel that this matter is not that simple!"
Shang Luoshu held her hand in return and said with a soft smile, "Xier, don't worry. I have a plan in mind. It's just..."
At this point, he paused for a moment. After a long while, he finally made up his mind. "Yinxi, I think what Prime Minister Lu said makes sense. You should go to Longxi."
Lu Yinxi, who had thought he would say some words of comfort, never expected that the man still wanted her to leave.
"Shang Luoshu... you..."
Before her words fell, the young girl seemed to sense something and looked towards the door. There she saw five familiar figures standing there. They still covered their faces, only showing a pair of cold and heartless eyes.
Previously, Lu Hu had told her the identities of these people - the Wolf Guards beside the Regent King!
The sudden appearance of five people in the yamen immediately alerted the yamen runners and personal guards around. They immediately drew their weapons and stood on guard.
But the Wolf Guards didn't take them seriously. All five pairs of eyes were fixed on the two people inside the room.
Shang Luoshu sensed the appearance of the Wolf Guards earlier than Lu Yinxi. He immediately protected the young girl behind him. Hongrui, who had been hiding in the corner pretending to be invisible, also rushed to their side at once.
"Master and miss, you go first. This servant will hold them off!"
She didn't deliberately lower her voice when she said this. Besides, it would have been useless even if she had. Martial artists' hearing was naturally more sensitive than others. The Wolf Guards couldn't have failed to hear her, nor would they fail to take action.
Just as Hongrui's voice faded, one of them attacked the three. Hongrui immediately took on his moves. Seeing this, two others also launched an attack.
Each move was fierce, aiming to kill!
The personal guards and yamen runners outside saw that the prince was being attacked, so they naturally rushed forward with their weapons to help. But they didn't expect that just the two people at the door could block their way.
Two Wolf Guards stood on either side of the door, each holding a long sword. Every time they waved their swords, the blades would be stained with more blood. The two long swords covered each other like a well - coordinated machine, cutting down people like melons and vegetables. In just a short while, their feet were already full of corpses, yet these two didn't even breathe any heavier.
The personal guards outside were intimidated and didn't dare to step forward for a moment.
In contrast, the situation inside the room was a bit better. The three Wolf Guards were evenly matched with one opponent each.
Hongrui was originally a killer, and Shang Luoshu had been fighting on the battlefield for years. They could both handle a one - on - one fight with a Wolf Guard. It was only Lu Yinxi who had problems.
Although she had struggled in the last days in her previous life, she had hot weapons at that time. Moreover, zombies were different from people. After several rounds of fighting, she was gradually at a disadvantage.
However, the Wolf Guard facing her wasn't extremely skilled. His specialty was the crossbow. Coupled with Shang Luoshu's occasional interference, Lu Yinxi could still hold on.
After blocking another killing move, Lu Yinxi was gradually running out of strength.
Even after half a year of recuperation, her body was just like that of an ordinary young lady from a good family. She was no match for a real killer like a Wolf Guard.
She held the dagger tightly with both hands. The young girl was completely out of her wits and didn't notice that a cold light with a fierce killing intent was coming towards her back.
She kicked the enemy in the lower body, but the opponent immediately saw through her intention and quickly withdrew. Lu Yinxi was temporarily out of danger.
Just then, she suddenly felt as if she had bumped into someone behind her. Before she could react, she heard a "puff" sound. Then, warm liquid seeped through her clothes and soaked her entire back.
When she turned around, the man was already lying in her arms, covered in blood. Someone in front of him pulled out the blade.
Blood splashed on her face as the man retracted his sword.
"Shang Luoshu!"
"Your Highness!"
Struggling to get rid of her opponent, Hongrui stumbled and knelt beside the two of them in a panic. Panic was written all over her face. Her trembling hands desperately pressed on Shang Luoshu's wound, but the blood still gushed out from between her fingers.
Hongrui could hardly think of anything else. She could only look at the young girl for help. "Miss Four, think of a way, Miss Four!"
At this moment, Lu Yinxi couldn't hear any sound. All she could see was red, and all she could hear was the sound of the blade piercing into the body.
How many times had this happened?
It was always like this!
Slowly raising her head, the young girl's gaze swept over the Wolf Guards in front of her one by one. They didn't intend to stop. Instead, they were stepping towards the three of them.
Strike while the iron is hot. That's what a killer should do.
But this also allowed Lu Yinxi to keep all five figures within her sight.
The clear and beautiful voice, filled with boundless hatred, turned into the soul - summoning bell of the Black and White Impermanence and rang in the main hall, like a ghost in a burial ground. You couldn't see it, but it could take your life...
The white pigeon landed in the yard. Recognizing it as the carrier pigeon that often flew between Yangxian, Chen Guang immediately caught it and took out the letter.
After quickly scanning it, he turned around and ran out of the mansion.
"Someone, prepare the horses!"
Fang Qinhu never expected that just because he had left for a while, the two masters would be attacked and fall. Especially His Highness the King of Jing. Now he was lying inside, losing a lot of blood and on the verge of death at any moment.
Looking at the doctors going in and out of the room, he tried his best to suppress the panic and anger in his heart. With red eyes and a hoarse voice, he asked, "Lu Hu, you were at the scene at that time. What exactly happened?"
In response, Lu Hu could only shake his head.
Thinking that with His Highness the King of Jing around, Miss Four should be safe, he had led his men to join the grain - distribution team. So when the Wolf Guards launched the assassination, Lu Hu wasn't there.
By the time he sensed something was wrong and rushed back, both Lu Yinxi and Shang Luoshu were already lying in the posthouse.
After a night, dawn was breaking.
Finally, several doctors walked out of the room, looking exhausted. Fang Qinhu quickly strode up to them.
"Doctor, how is my prince?"
Lin Zihan was still investigating the case and couldn't come back. Now he was the only one who could make decisions.
"Don't worry, my lord. The prince is out of danger. As long as he takes good care of himself in the following days, there will be no problem."
Hearing this, Fang Qinhu heaved a sigh of relief.
However, it seemed that God was determined to go against him. Before he could relax for a few seconds, someone stumbled into the posthouse, covered in blood.
"F, Fang Xiaowei, it's bad. The 50,000 - strong army outside the city has defected!"