My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

In Youzhou, the snow seems to fall exceptionally early and exceptionally mercilessly in winter.

On the city wall of Ji County, Liu Yu, the newly appointed governor of Youzhou, stood behind the battlements, wrapped in a worn-out thick fur coat, gazing at the plains outside the city.

What lay before my eyes was not fertile land, but scorched earth ravaged by war and refugees, and black dots that moved slowly toward Jixian like ants, only to fall one after another in the cold and hunger.

Those were people who fled here from the eastern and southern parts of Youzhou and even the northern part of Jizhou to escape the burning, killing, and looting by the rebel army of Zhang Chun and Qiu Liju.

The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, lashed against my face, chilling me to the bone.

Liu Yuqing's lean and refined face was etched with the marks of time and worry.

He has been in office for several days, but he has inherited a mess that is riddled with problems.

The rebel army ravaged the area, and many county officials either died or fled, bringing the administration to a near standstill.

The number of refugees increased dramatically, and people lacked food and clothing. Coupled with the severe cold, people died silently from cold and hunger every day.

The saying "a timely snow promises a bumper harvest" was, in Liu Yu's eyes, a sign that the heavy snowfall was not a good omen, but a death knell hanging over the heads of countless people struggling to survive.

Without stopping, he urgently allocated limited grain and fodder from the counties that were still under his control in the name of the imperial court, and temporarily filled and promoted officials who were vacant due to the rebellion, striving to restore the most basic order and relief capacity in the local areas as soon as possible.

However, once the decree is issued, how it is implemented is not entirely within his control while he is stationed in Jicheng.

On this day, Liu Yu decided to stop relying solely on written reports and instead personally visit the neighboring counties and townships.

Ji County, being the seat of the prefecture, was in a slightly better situation due to his personal supervision, but what about other places?

Accompanied by his trusted confidant Wei You and several close guards, he braved the wind and snow, exited the south gate of Ji County, and headed towards Anci County, which had suffered severe damage.

The further south you go, the more bleak the scenery becomes.

Along the official road, one could see corpses lying dead by the roadside from time to time. Some were covered by a thin layer of snow, while others were exposed to the cold wind, their faces bluish-purple.

The refugees who were lucky enough to survive, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, walked with faltering steps, their eyes empty and numb, driven only by the most instinctive desire to survive.

When they saw Liu Yu and his group of well-dressed men on horseback, a glimmer of hope flashed in their eyes, but it quickly faded, and they mechanically made way for him.

After traveling a few miles outside Anci County, one could see a large, dark crowd gathering.

Beneath the city walls, in the snow, sat or lay down, all of them emaciated, shivering refugees.

Cries, groans, and children's sobs mingled with the howling wind and snow, making one's heart clench.

Near the city gate, there was a simple porridge stall with several large pots on a makeshift stove, emitting thin steam.

Some officials were lazily maintaining order, and the line for porridge was very long, with everyone craning their necks and staring longingly at the few pots.

Liu Yu reined in his horse, his face darkening. He immediately saw the problem.

The soup kitchen was actually set up outside the city!

This means that the refugees who receive the porridge can only drink that meager amount of warmth in the freezing cold, and then continue to endure the long night in the snow.

Further away, some refugees, who clearly didn't even have the strength to walk to the soup kitchen, lay down in the snow, their fate unknown.

He dismounted, handed the reins to his attendants, and strode toward the soup kitchen.

Wei You and others followed closely behind.

Arriving at a pot of porridge, Liu Yu reached out and snatched the wooden ladle from an official who was absentmindedly stirring the porridge.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" The official was startled and caught off guard. Seeing that it was a simply dressed, unfamiliar middle-aged man, he became somewhat annoyed.

"Even if you're starving, you don't have to fight over spoons, do you? Get in line!"

He did not know Liu Yu.

Liu Yu ignored him, and simply picked up the wooden spoon to examine the so-called "porridge" in it.

The soup was thin and watery, with only a few grains of rice visible, and the noodles were so thin you could almost see your reflection in them.

A surge of anger instantly rose from the depths of Liu Yu's heart.

The official was about to retaliate when he caught a glimpse of Wei You behind Liu Yu out of the corner of his eye.

He had seen the county magistrate smiling obsequiously beside this man from afar, and knew his status well.

Seeing Wei You not only following behind the middle-aged man but also acting respectfully, his heart skipped a beat, his face turned pale instantly, and he swallowed the rest of his words, his legs even feeling weak.

"What are you doing?" Liu Yu's voice was not loud, but it carried a suppressed coldness as he glanced at the bewildered officials in the soup kitchen.

"My lord..." the official who snatched the spoon stammered.

"Little ones are distributing porridge..."

"Serve porridge?" Liu Yu suddenly threw the wooden ladle back into the pot, splashing up the murky "porridge water".

"This is supposed to be porridge?! It's just watery broth, you can see your reflection in it! Is this for feeding people or birds?! Add five more pounds of rice to every pot immediately!"

"My lord, this...this..." The official was ashen-faced and stammered.

The amount of rice put in each pot of porridge was a rule set by the county officials. How could those in charge not know where the extra grain went?

How dare I add rice without permission?

"I called you Jia Mi! Can't you hear me?!" Liu Yu's voice suddenly became stern.

Wei You had long been unable to stand it any longer. He snorted coldly, pushed aside the few minor officials blocking his way, strode to the place behind the porridge stall where rice bags were piled up, picked up a bag of rice, walked to the pot, and with a "whoosh," poured most of the bag of rice directly into the pot.

"What are you all standing there for? The magistrate has ordered that rice be added immediately! All porridge pots, do as ordered! If there isn't enough, go to the granary and get more!" Wei You shouted sternly, his gaze sweeping over the dumbfounded officials.

"The...Lord Liu?!" Only then did the officials realize that the unassuming yet imposing middle-aged man before them was none other than the newly appointed highest-ranking official of Youzhou—Lord Liu Yu!

He was so frightened that he scrambled to move the rice sacks, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Liu Yu stopped looking at them, took a deep breath of the cold air, suppressed the anger and pity churning in his chest, and turned to walk into the city.

The scene along the road from the city gate to the county government office was even more appalling.

The streets were crowded with refugees who had nowhere to go, under the eaves and against the walls. Many of them were wrapped in tattered clothes and huddled together on the cold ground for warmth.

Some corpses that were clearly lifeless were simply wrapped in straw mats or rags and dragged out of the city by county officials like cargo, their faces expressionless.

The snow was left with messy and glaring drag marks.

Liu Yu closed his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

Snowflakes landed on his face, melting quickly and mixing with the hot, wet tears that were hard to suppress seeping from the corners of his eyes, making it impossible to tell whether it was snow water or tears.

He wiped it away forcefully with the back of his hand; his fingertips were icy cold, and his heart felt even colder.

"My lord, the tea stall ahead... Magistrate Wang seems to be over there." Wei You took a step closer and reported in a low voice.

Liu Yu opened his eyes and looked in the direction Wei You pointed.

At the street corner ahead, in a teahouse covered with a thick felt tarpaulin, providing some shelter from the wind, a charcoal fire was burning brightly. Beside a low table, Wang Lu, the magistrate of Anci County, was sitting comfortably, wrapped in a brand-new fox fur coat, holding a cup of hot tea, chatting and laughing with a secretary beside him. It was as if they were in two different worlds from the hungry and cold refugee world outside the teahouse.

Liu Yu's face darkened completely, and he strode straight toward the tea stall.

When the yamen runners outside the tea stall saw someone approaching, they immediately reported to the county magistrate.

"Your Excellency, Lord Wei has arrived."

Inside the shed, Wang Lu took a sip of hot tea, let out a contented sigh, and said to his advisor, "This awful weather, at least we have this hot tea... Hmm? Wei Dongcao is here? Quickly, invite him in to warm up."

He had already received a report from his subordinates, but he didn't care, taking it as just Wei You's routine inspection.

"No need to invite me, I'm right here."