Through countless dynasties, I can summon the heroes of Chinese history.

[Ding dong, the host's skill 'Holy Ruler' effect 4 has been activated. By the mandate of heaven, the lifespan will be long and prosperous. After becoming king, the five attributes will be permanently increased by 1. After becoming emperor, the five attributes will be permanently increased by 1 again.]

The host is currently the King of Laiyang, therefore all five attributes will be permanently increased by 1. The current five attributes are: Command 97, Strength 98, Intelligence 94, Politics 95, and Charisma 98.

This skill is awesome.

Any one of its five effects could be considered a divine skill.

Especially effect five, although it may not be immediately apparent, if it develops gradually, it will definitely lead to a qualitative change from a quantitative one. In particular, Jiang Ce now has the status of a king.

As for the first three effects, they are essential weapons on the battlefield. Whenever Jiang Ce goes into battle, he will be naturally stronger than others, after all, these are two points of the entire army's combat strength.

Moreover, the imperial soul that Jiang Ce inherited came from Li Shimin. As an emperor who fought on horseback, Jiang Ce naturally wanted to go into battle and kill the enemy. "I hold a bow and arrow, you hold a spear, what can a million men do to me!"

The thought that one day he would be in such a situation made Jiang Ce feel his blood boil.

However, the current environment quickly calmed Jiang Ce's hot blood.

He turned around, walked slowly to the window, and pushed open the window.

Outside the window, the city of Laiyang was brightly lit, and the people were celebrating their victory with great joy. Jiang Ce's deep eyes seemed to pierce through the dark night and see into the distant future.

Jiang Ce remained silent for a long time before letting out a slow sigh.

"This time, our army defeated the Eastern Yi army with a brilliant strategy, and our reputation has spread far and wide. Laiyang City has become a safe haven for the people of Laizhou in the midst of chaos."

"I'm afraid it won't be long before wise men and common people from all directions come to hear the news."

"But is this surging tide of people a blessing in disguise for Laiyang City, which is still struggling to establish itself?"

Jiang Ce didn't know either; only time would tell.

a few days later.

Zhao Xuan, the captain of Jiang Ce's personal guards, strode into the palace with a grave expression, then knelt on one knee and said, "Your Highness! Something has happened outside the city!"

Jiang Ce frowned instantly and asked in a deep voice, "Zhao Xuan, what's the matter that you're so panicked?"

Zhao Xuan frowned and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Your Highness is unaware of the situation. We can manage with a large number of people, but this group of refugees is very strange. The elderly, women, and children are only a minority among them. The majority are strong men, each with fierce eyes, exuding the ferocity of desperados."

"Just now at the soup kitchen, two groups of people drew their knives and started fighting over a single steamed bun, and blood splattered all over the edge of the pot!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Yan's expression changed instantly.

Jiang Ce's eyes suddenly turned icy cold. He strode to the window, pushed it open, and stared intently at the night outside the city.

The towering city walls lay dormant like a giant beast, yet within that impenetrable darkness lay countless pairs of hungry wolf eyes, greedily eyeing the city's lights and boundless vitality.

He attracted not lambs waiting to be fed, but a pack of ferocious beasts whose moral compass had been worn down by war, leaving them only with the instinct for survival.

The threat from the Eastern Yi army had just been eliminated, but he had brought an even greater fire upon himself. This group of refugees was the foundation that could build the foundation of Laiyang and even Laizhou, but they could also burn everything he had painstakingly accumulated to ashes in an instant.

Jiang Ce clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white and cracking.

Because he knew that the Empress was behind all of this, and the Yuan family, the undisputed behemoth of the Cangming Dynasty, was slowly beginning to show its fangs.

"The Yuan family."

Jiang Ce sneered, and then instructed Tian Yan to summon Wei Renpu, Chang Yuchun, Ning Bobiao, and others.

Soon, Chang Yuchun and others arrived one after another.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Jiang Ce had no time for pleasantries and immediately gave instructions.

"General Chang, you must immediately lead the Vanguard Battalion to the soup kitchen to maintain order and capture the ringleaders of the knife fight. But only punish the ringleaders; the rest should be taken to an open area outside the city and kept under guard. No beatings or scoldings are allowed."

"Issue my order again: close the city gates, leaving only the small west gate open for passage, to prevent villains mixed in with the refugees from taking advantage of the situation and causing trouble."

After assigning Chang Yuchun a task, Jiang Ce then looked at Wei Renpu and said, "Mr. Wei, go to the warehouse now to check the grain and divide all the stored grain into three parts. Keep one part for the people in the city to eat, give one part to the soldiers guarding the city, and take the rest to cook porridge outside the city."

"Remember, the porridge should be cooked until thick. Each person can only take one bowl per day. Do not take more than one bowl. The elderly, weak, women and children should be given priority."

The two men accepted the order and hurriedly left.

Jiang Ce then wrote several more notices and ordered them to be posted all over the city gates and streets.

The notice clearly stated: "Those who wish to stay in Laiyang City will be registered and included in the civilian register, allocated wasteland for cultivation, and provided with seeds and farming tools by the government. Those who wish to leave will be provided with three days' worth of rations and will be allowed to pass."

The refugees outside the city saw that the Laiyang garrison did not send troops to suppress them, but instead continued to distribute porridge, and their restless hearts gradually calmed down.

When the notice was posted, the crowd erupted in uproar.

In times of war, having land to cultivate and food to eat is an immense temptation.

Those who had been arrested for fighting thought they were doomed to die, but to their surprise, Jiang Ce personally interrogated them, asked only a couple of questions, and then released them from their bonds. He even promised that if they were willing to serve, they could be incorporated into the local militia to guard the area.

The three men were immediately filled with shame and knelt down to kowtow, vowing to follow him to the death. This allowed Jiang Ce to gain three top-tier generals.

As for the Empress's secret guards, several of them were exposed because of this instigation. Although some of them wanted to run away, how could they possibly leave this place under the pursuit of Sun Hanchuan, a half-step Celestial?

Because Jiang Ce made an example of someone, those who harbored cunning in their hearts had no choice but to temporarily quiet down and continue to hide in the shadows, waiting for the right time.

Over the next few days, Jiang Ce lived and ate outside the city, personally supervising the registration and sorting of the refugees. He ordered people to classify the refugees according to their physical strength and skills.

able-bodied men were incorporated into local militias or land reclamation teams.

The craftsmen gathered together to repair houses and make farm tools.

The elderly, weak, women, and children were responsible for spinning, weaving, and cooking.

In just ten days, the chaotic refugee camp was transformed.

The reclamation team plowed out vast tracts of wasteland.

The local militia were training very well.

Smoke rises gently from the chimneys, a far cry from the scrambling and chaos of the past.

That morning, Jiang Ce inspected the wasteland and saw busy figures everywhere.

An elderly man with white hair, carrying a bowl of warm porridge, walked shakily to him, his face choked with emotion, and said, "Your Highness, you are the second parents of the people of Laiyang!"

Before he finished speaking, the surrounding refugees put down their work, knelt down and shouted, "Your Highness is wise! We are originally citizens of Laiyang County. We only wandered outside begging because we could not stay here any longer."

"To encounter such grace now is truly a blessing from heaven."

Jiang Ce quickly helped the old man up, and looking at the vibrant faces in front of him, his tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed.

He knew that he had not only resolved the crisis, but also won the hearts of the people, which were more solid than any city.