Start with a red name

When asked by Geng Xuan, Xue Zhiheng simply shook his head and said:
"Based on my observation, this should not be the work of a single force, but rather a tacit understanding among many forces that have not spoken out."

Geng Xuan was taken aback, then slowly nodded.

Xue Zhiheng continued:

"The strength and determination you have shown, Boss, are too great. No force dares to be the first to make things difficult for you."

But they didn't want to see you and the Giant Bear Gang continue to develop peacefully, so they went along with it and created the current situation.

At this point, Xue Zhiheng paused, then quickly added, "..."
"Of course, this is just my inference based on experience, and there is no real evidence."

Geng Xuan nodded and said:
"This is very likely the truth."

At this moment, Fang Jintang, Luo Qing, and the others all frowned.

What they saw was that all the forces in Yuanzhou were showing hatred, rejection, and even confrontation towards the Giant Bear Gang.

Although this emotion was not expressed openly, it was enough to alert them.

What Geng Xuan saw was exactly the opposite; it was another side of the story.

He looked at Xue Zhiheng and asked:

"You mean that none of the various forces in Yuanzhou dare to make things difficult for us right now?"

Xue Zhiheng said:

"It has only been half a month since the high-ranking officials of Wusou Palace were all killed."

We've also spread the word that Dong Guan's forces are planning to cause trouble in Yuanjing. Now, all the factions are trying to hide in their shells, afraid of standing out too much.

At a time like this, no one would be unwise enough to step forward and make things difficult for us.

Even excluding their leader, Su Ruiliang, the current Giant Bear Gang is not someone who can be easily manipulated.

Within Yuanzhou, there are only a handful of forces with this capability.

Moreover, they are all from large and powerful families, and it is impossible for them to risk damaging their own foundations or even following in the footsteps of Wuyou Palace to take the fall for other forces.

The key point is that everyone now knows that the person who hates "Su Ruiliang" the most is Dong Guan.

Although the exact cause cannot be fully ascertained, it is known that many of his plans in Yuanzhou were thwarted by this "Su Ruiliang".

Under these circumstances, even the top powers in Yuanzhou harbored suspicions, or even hatred and hostility, towards this suddenly emerging "Su Ruiliang".

The correct approach is not to proactively challenge him, but to simply wait for Dong Guan to make his move.

Before that, all they had to do was remain silent.

If it's convenient, like a mass exodus of starving people, one can exert some influence behind the scenes and do it easily.

Going further and deliberately exposing oneself to "Su Ruiliang's" sight, and being marked as an "adversary" by him, would be extremely foolish.

From Xue Zhiheng's words, Geng Xuan had already grasped this meaning.

So he asked again:

"So, does that mean it wouldn't be a problem for the Giant Bear Gang to be more proactive and aggressive in Yuanzhou than they are now?"

Xue Zhiheng frowned and thought for a moment, then said:

"Unless the core interests of those top powers are touched, and there are no explicit acts of hostility... I think they'll all pretend they don't see it for the time being... right?"

Finally, he looked at Xu Ziming and Xu Qiwen.

The Xu family of Yuanjing, who were once a top power in Yuanzhou, obviously have more authority to speak on this matter than he does.

Xu Ziming gave a positive and clear answer to this.

He nodded and said:

"Given this situation, as long as there is no attack on the fortified city or the gang headquarters, based on my understanding of all the forces involved, I will choose to play it safe and wait."

Hong Quan, standing nearby, exclaimed in astonishment, "Isn't this a bit too spineless?"

Yuanzhou's top power, he still held it in some rosy light.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Ziming chuckled twice and said:
"Bloodlust? To become a decision-maker in a top-tier power, the first thing to discard is bloodlust, and being driven by personal emotions... Our family's short-lived patriarch is a perfect example of the opposite!"

At this point, Xu Ziming looked at Geng Xuan and quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying:

"Those people just think we've gotten on a pirate ship by mistake, and they all want to see our miserable end."

But what they didn't know was that my Xu family had turned misfortune into a blessing, gaining a truly great opportunity!

Faced with Xu Ziming's flattery, Geng Xuan accepted it without hesitation.

Then he said, "I remember that Wuyou Palace Garrison City has a lot of money, grain and wealth, right?"

Xu Ziming hurriedly said:
"Yes, although we have recently recruited a lot of temporary members, our expenses have increased."

However, we also took over all the properties within Yuanjing City that originally belonged to Wuyou Palace. Therefore, the amount of money, grain, and wealth has not only not decreased compared to when we first captured Wuyou Palace's fortified city, but has actually increased.

Geng Xuan nodded and said:

"According to what you said, the wave of famine refugees fleeing the famine has already begun to emerge in various parts of Yuanzhou."

The area east of Yuanjing is the most densely populated part of Yuanzhou, and the situation is even more pronounced there.

Although they are all fleeing this way now.

But on this long journey of fleeing famine, which stretches for three or four thousand miles, even if no one deliberately makes things difficult for them, it would be quite good if two or three out of ten of them could survive on their own.

I hope you will do everything in your power to push this forward, even if it means pouring all the money and provisions from Sanssouci Palace into it.”

Xu Ziming, Xue Zhiheng and the others were all stunned when they heard him say these words.

Even those who knew him better, such as Fang Jintang, Luo Qing, and Hong Quan, remained silent.

Geng Xuan paused, then said:

"After some thought, I believe this push mainly involves three aspects."

First, security protection.

It's unrealistic to accompany them throughout the entire process. Once the famine crisis fully erupts, even if the entire Giant Bear Gang were to be deployed, it would be impossible to manage everything.

Therefore, this kind of security protection mainly involves formulating reasonable escape routes and ensuring the safety of these escape routes.

It will not be obstructed or sabotaged by human intervention or other means.

Secondly, soup kitchens were set up along the way to meet the basic needs of the famine-stricken refugees.

At the same time, this is also the best way to guide them to flee the famine along the route.

Another point is to prepare as many carts, horses, boats, and vessels as possible to minimize the time they spend fleeing the famine.

Upon hearing Geng Xuan's request, Xu Ziming and the others' first reaction was that "Su Ruiliang," the gang leader, had gone mad!
While the profits from Sanssouci Palace were certainly substantial, the plan was far more ambitious.

If we really did as he asked, squeezing every last drop of profit from Sanssouci Palace would be incredibly easy.

Even that might not be enough.

The key issue is that such a massive amount of resources are being used on a group of insignificant people.

Even if you squeeze them dry, can you extract even one percent of their potential profit?

With this in mind, they, who had recently been crying and begging to join the Giant Bear Gang, naturally couldn't possibly raise any objections.

Not long ago, they said they were "willing to give their all and follow his lead." Now, although Su Ruiliang's demands are so outrageous that they can't understand them, they are still far from the point of "giving their all."

The benefits that "Su Ruiliang" gave them were already in their hands after they visited the Baidi Temple.

At this point, they had no other choice but to agree.

Therefore, after a brief silence, everyone clearly agreed to Su Ruiliang's absurd, willful, and arbitrary demands.

After agreeing with the others, Xue Zhiheng also struggled a little.

He said:

"Boss, those famine refugees are indeed pitiful and pathetic."

But once the scale of the famine-stricken refugee movement reaches hundreds of thousands, or even millions, then there are all kinds of people!

Moreover, when people are starving, they are capable of doing anything.

There are also many people who are cold-hearted and selfish at heart.

If we keep showering them with favors and showing them kindness, we won't get gratitude; instead, they'll take advantage of us and think it's all their due...

Even though it hasn't happened yet, I'm almost certain that once we do as you ask, a lot of disgusting things will happen.

If this were due to the covert instigation of hostile forces, that would be one thing.

But I'm almost certain that, far more than anything, it was spontaneously generated within the very starving people we've been working so hard to save!

"..."

Geng Xuan remained silent.

Back then, when I first entered Moon Dew Plains, I saw a large number of vagrant settlements.

He had a very intuitive understanding of the saying, "When people are starving, they will do anything." When famine refugees began to flood Yuanzhou like a torrent, for those who were extremely hungry, the other famine refugees around them were the easiest food to obtain to fill their stomachs!
In addition, other chaotic phenomena can also be foreseen.

In the face of such a calamity, having a compassionate heart alone is far from enough.

Such good intentions could very well lead to extremely bad results.

We also need to use ruthless methods!

Having understood this, he said to Xue Zhiheng and the others:

“You must see the essence of the matter. My request, my fundamental purpose, is to bring as many starving people as possible here alive.”

Anything that goes against this is something you need to deal with, or even eliminate.

This naturally includes those restless and unstable elements hidden among the famine refugees.

"When you encounter this kind of person or this kind of thing, you should kill them without hesitation."

...Moreover, we are not the government, so we don't have to wait until the other party actually commits a crime before taking action.

Once such restless and unstable elements are discovered, they can even be dealt with in advance to ensure overall stability.

At this point, Geng Xuan paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces, and warned:
"With your experience, making this kind of judgment should not be difficult."

But I don't want you to take the easy way out and just cut off all the work with one stroke, and start killing indiscriminately.

...If that's the case, you will not only have accomplished nothing, but you will also be guilty!

Xue Zhiheng, Xu Ziming, and the others were all startled and hurriedly said they dared not.

Geng Xuan looked at Tang Caizhu, who had remained silent and followed the crowd throughout, and specifically asked:

"Senior sister, is there anything you'd like to add?"

In truth, the faction led by Tang Caizhu is the one that has benefited the most this time.

After receiving a significant infusion of good fortune, Xu Mama, who was also at the peak of the Marrow Refining stage, had accumulated more experience than Xue Zhiheng, Xu Ziming, Xu Qiwen, and others.

At her peak, she was only a hair's breadth away from achieving the perfection of skin refinement.

This stroke of good fortune propelled her directly to the peak of the first realm, placing her on the same level as Tang Caizhu in terms of cultivation.

Although her age and accumulated experience meant her combat strength couldn't compare, this step she took allowed her to surpass the peak of the Marrow Refinement realm.

In addition, there are two beloved disciples, Zheng Qingyan and Yan Wenxuan, both of whom are senior late-stage Marrow Refinement cultivators.

When the two attack together, they can fight against experts at the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage without being defeated.

This time, with the infusion of good fortune, they all reached the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage.

Originally, apart from Tang Caizhu being the face of the group, they were much weaker in other aspects compared to the Blood Fang Gang led by Xue Zhiheng and the Xu family led by the two elders of the Xu family.

However, as this stroke of good fortune ended, they directly surpassed others, and their combat strength was even greater than that of the Xue and Xu families combined!

All these changes were known only to him and Tang Caizhu.

On the contrary, Xue Zhiheng and Xu Ziming, who were the most active participants, were completely unaware of this.

What amazed Geng Xuan even more was that despite such a dramatic transformation, Tang Caizhu and the others remained calm and composed, without becoming arrogant.

While Xue Zhiheng and the two elders of the Xu family were vying to speak and show off, Tang Caizhu simply followed the crowd throughout.

The others, feeling perfectly justified, huddled behind her, showing no intention of showing themselves, and silently swallowed the essence pills to digest what they had gained.

Faced with Geng Xuan's direct question, Tang Caizhu, who had been slightly distracted, snapped out of her reverie and quickly shook her head, saying:
"I have nothing to say..."

As he spoke, seemingly realizing that his words were somewhat inappropriate, he quickly added:
"Our leader is so kind and compassionate, we will definitely do our best to do this!"

Geng Xuan nodded: "Then I'll leave it to you, Senior Sister."

After dealing with what he considered the most important thing about returning to Yuanzhou this time.

Geng Xuan looked at Fang Jintang and said, "You also need to make arrangements for the resettlement and reception of these famine refugees."

Fang Jintang thought for a moment, nodded first, and then said with a wry smile, "This is really quite difficult."

Geng Xuan chuckled and said:

“If this were easy, it wouldn’t have fallen into your hands… There’s no one in this area with more power than you right now, and only you can handle this. You should take on more of the work.”

Although he felt a lot of pressure, Fang Jintang reluctantly nodded emphatically, as it was rare for "Su Ruiliang" to "praise" him like that.

"Don't worry, I will do my best to handle this matter well."

He paused for a moment, then said, "If some markets and neighborhoods in Moon Dew Plains were to participate and cooperate, this matter would be much easier."

"Oh? What are you thinking?" Geng Xuan noticed something from his change in mood and quickly asked out of curiosity.

Fang Jintang said:

“Those famine refugees who wanted to get here had to travel from east to west, traversing the entire capital region.”

Then, following the gap on the east side of Cenling, we headed south and entered the area north of Yuelu Plain.

Turning west, it would take another seven or eight hundred li to reach this place.

But right now, all we need here is strong laborers.

Those who are physically weak, such as women, children, the elderly, and those who are injured or ill from the long journey, have no need to continue the westward journey.

"Settling them in Moon Dew Plains nearby will not only save them the hardship of traveling nearly a thousand miles, but also save a lot of resources and money."

"Should we settle some of the women, children, and elderly in the nearby Moon Dew Plain?"

Geng Xuan paused for a moment, then asked, "Can they carry this load?"

His question was interesting; he didn't ask "whether Yuelu is willing to pick," but rather "whether she can be moved to pick."

Because he was very certain that, regardless of whether Yue Luyuan was willing or not, as long as he was sure that she could shoulder this responsibility, then at his request, Yue Luyuan would only make the choice of "willing".

Fang Jintang gently reminded him:

"Master, you forgot that you interrupted the second grain requisition by Wuyou Palace for Yuelu Plain."

Therefore, each neighborhood in Yuelu Plain has reserved enough food for the winter. Although there will be some shortages, it is enough to last until the next harvest season.

Although the markets have donated all their stockpiled grain, you have also left them enough food to eat.

This is a rare place in Yuanzhou where famine does not occur.

I believe that with just a little effort, even if there are millions of starving people who need the Moon Dew Plain to provide sustenance, it is possible.

With Moon Dew Plains' potential, they can hold out for a while.

After hearing Fang Jintang's words, Geng Xuan nodded in understanding.

However, he quickly countered with a question:

"Although Moon Dew Plains is not facing a famine, the food supplies will only be enough to keep them going until the next harvest season."

While placing so much burden on them now might allow them to hold on for a while, it's not impossible.

But once this period is over, the entire Moon Dew Plain will be dragged down.

At that time, the number of starving people will increase by millions.

Fang Jintang did not answer the question directly, but asked instead, "Chief, you don't intend to keep the more than two million shi of grain and meat stored in the 'Ochre-Red Eye' basin for other uses, do you?"

Geng Xuan shook his head and said, "If there is a need, all of it can be used for disaster relief."

Fang Jintang nodded, and then said:
"Isn't there a waterway next to that outpost camp that leads directly to Moon Dew Plains?"

Now that it's the dry season, some river channels may be difficult to navigate, so we can take this opportunity to dredge them.

At that time, we can directly transport the large quantities of supplies stored in the basin to the waterway.

The pressure on Moon Dew Plain will soon be completely relieved.

Geng Xuan suddenly realized and praised, "That's right, your idea is excellent, let's do it that way."

After the matter was settled, Geng Xuan thought about it again and found that there was basically nothing else that required his attention.

After a while, he remembered something and asked Fang Jintang:
"Is the central treasury's silver reserves sufficient for our needs?"

Fang Jintang nodded and said:

"The reserves of money and grain are sufficient. The largest expenditure recently was the monthly allowance for December, plus some pensions, which totaled about 200,000 taels."

Although there were many other expenses, the total amount was not too high.

There are still nearly 600,000 taels of silver in the treasury.

However, with a larger influx of able-bodied men, the situation will not be so optimistic by the end of January.

If there are no major incomes by February, the cash reserves will be completely depleted.

Fang Jintang paused, then continued:

"Compared to money, I am more worried about cultivation resources. The monthly allowance and part of the pension for December alone have consumed nearly 20,000 blood-replenishing pills."

"We won't have enough next month." (End of Chapter)