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

A calm yet imposing voice rang out at the entrance of the shed.

Wang Lu was startled by the sound and looked up. He saw several people standing outside the shed in the wind and snow. The one in the lead was not Wei You, but a middle-aged scholar with a thin face and calm eyes like an ancient well. Wei You was standing respectfully half a step behind him.

The celadon teacup in Wang Lu's hand fell onto the low table with a "clatter," spilling scalding tea that made the back of his hand shudder.

Completely unaware, he suddenly stood up, his smug smile freezing instantly, turning into astonishment, followed by a rapidly spreading panic.

Although he had never seen Liu Yu in person, seeing this situation, Wei You's attitude, and the imposing manner of the newcomer... how could he not guess?

"I...I am Wang Lu, the magistrate of Anci County. I was unaware of your arrival, Your Excellency. I have failed to greet you properly. I deserve death! I deserve death!" Wang Lu practically tumbled and crawled out of the warm teahouse and fell to the ground in front of Liu Yu, kowtowing repeatedly. His voice trembled violently with fear, and the hem of his fox fur coat dragged in the snow and mud, filthy and disgusting.

Liu Yu did not immediately tell him to get up. His gaze slowly swept over the warm charcoal fire and exquisite tea and snacks in the teahouse, then over Wang Lu's thick and shiny fox fur coat, and finally settled on his frightened face, which was covered in cold sweat and pressed tightly against the snow.

His tone was unreadable, yet every word was like an icicle: "Magistrate Wang has quite the refined taste. Outside the city, the dead are starving and crying out in hunger and cold, the people are freezing and waiting to die. But inside your teahouse, it's warm as spring, with the aroma of tea wafting through the air, and you're all dressed in fur robes, feeling quite comfortable."

Wang Lu pressed his forehead against the cold snow, not daring to lift it, and said in a trembling voice, "This humble official...this humble official is terrified! Because, because I have been dealing with the relief work for the refugees for days, I have been exhausted and have caught a cold, so, so I am resting here for a while...I have strictly ordered that the porridge distribution outside the city be done in sufficient quantities, so that, so that the people will not have to worry about freezing or starving again..."

"To prevent the people from freezing and starving?" Liu Yu repeated, a cold smile playing on his lips.

He stopped looking at Wang Lu and instead asked, "What do you plan to do with all those dead people you saw on the road?"

Wang Lu hurriedly replied, "Your Excellency, I...I have already arranged for people to find a spacious place outside the city to dig a large pit as a public burial ground, where the deceased will be buried together and laid to rest in peace."

"Unified burial, may they rest in peace..." Liu Yu murmured, his gaze fixed on the trembling figures beneath the distant city wall.

"And what about those who are still alive? Now they have what you call 'porridge' to drink, but where do they sleep on this snowy night? Are they sleeping right here in this freezing cold?"

"This...this..." Wang Lu was speechless, cold sweat pouring down his back.

"Your Excellency... I am also troubled by this matter! The number of refugees is large, and the number of houses in the city is limited, making it truly difficult to accommodate them..."

"Difficult to settle?" Liu Yu's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Then let them freeze to death!"

Wang Lu was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your Excellency, please understand! I had absolutely no such intention! Absolutely no such intention!"

"Absolutely not?" Liu Yu pointed towards the soup kitchen outside the city.

"You set up soup kitchens outside the city, leaving tens of thousands of people to freeze in this snowy, freezing weather. Isn't that trying to kill them? If they were inside the city, at least they could find shelter from the wind and snow! Why don't you let them in?!"

"Then...then how will the city accommodate so many people pouring in? How will it maintain order? What if it causes an epidemic..." Wang Lu tried to explain.

"Where do you live? Where do your family and relatives live?" Liu Yu interrupted him, questioning him sharply.

"Don't you all live in the city, in warm, luxurious houses?! You have a place to sleep, but can't you think of a way to help these homeless people?! The imperial court entrusted Anci County to your jurisdiction; the people here are your people! Ask yourself honestly, have you ever treated them like your own parents and children?!"

Wang Lu was speechless when asked the question, and he lay prostrate on the ground, trembling.

Liu Yu's chest heaved as he suppressed his anger: "I've already delivered the grain to you. If that's not enough, I can petition the court and ask the Ministry of Personnel for more! But from this moment on, if another person freezes to death or starves to death in Anci County, I will impeach you to the court for dereliction of duty and disregard for the lives of the people!"

Wang Lu's face turned ashen, knowing that Liu Yu's words were by no means a threat.

In desperation, a hint of shamelessness arose in his mind. He looked up, his face contorted with grief, and said, "My lord... it's not that I'm shirking my responsibility, but I'm truly powerless! Refugees are flooding in, housing is in dire need, and food is scarce. I... I'm utterly overwhelmed and helpless! If... if you were to become the magistrate, I... I don't know how you would handle this?"

These words were almost defiant, and Wei You, who was listening nearby, frowned and was about to reprimand him.

Liu Yu, however, was not angry. He simply looked at him coldly and said, "Immediately vacate your county government office and the county school. All vacant buildings in the city's temples and Taoist monasteries are to be requisitioned. Summon the wealthy families and gentry in the city, explain the greater good to them, and order them to open some of their residences and warehouses to accommodate refugees, or to donate firewood and clothing!"

He paused, staring at Wang Lu's pale face: "As for you, go and do two things right now."

"First, finish distributing this porridge, then move all the porridge kitchens to a sheltered spot inside the city! Second, as I just said, immediately make room! By tonight, I want to see at least half of the refugees have a place to stay where they can be sheltered from the wind and snow!"

"M-My lord..." Wang Lu wanted to say something more.

"This...this is against the rules...The county government is a place of office, and the county school is a place of education. Forcibly seizing temples, monasteries, and wealthy houses may cause controversy..."

"rule?!"

Liu Yu finally couldn't contain his pent-up anger and kicked over the charcoal brazier that was burning brightly next to the tea stall!

The glowing embers and ashes were scattered all over the ground, hissing and emitting plumes of white smoke on the snow.

"The people are almost all dead, and you're still talking to me about rules?!" Liu Yu's voice was hoarse with excitement.

"Let me tell you, in my jurisdiction, Liu Yu, saving lives is the highest rule! That's what I did in Ji County! And you must do the same in Anci County! Get to it immediately! If you dare to disobey or delay even for a moment, I will immediately dismiss you and replace you with someone more capable!"

Having said that, Liu Yu stopped looking at Wang Lu, who was slumped on the ground, and with a flick of his sleeve, turned and strode away.

Wei You followed closely behind. As he passed the servant who was still foolishly holding up an umbrella, trying to shield Wang Lu from the snow, he suddenly waved his hand, knocking the oil-paper umbrella to the ground. He glared fiercely at the servant and the distraught Wang Lu on the ground, snorted coldly, and quickly followed Liu Yu.

The wind and snow continued, and on the official road leading from Jicheng to Anci, Liu Yu and his entourage rode swiftly.

His heart, however, was colder and more resolute than the weather.

The depravity of Youzhou, the incompetence of its officials, and the suffering of its people were far worse than he had anticipated.

While it is important to appease distant peoples, if internal problems are not addressed and people's livelihoods are not guaranteed, everything else is just empty talk.

"Wei You," Liu Yu suddenly spoke, his voice sounding somewhat faint in the wind and snow.

"Issue my order, in the name of the Governor's Office, to send documents to all counties and prefectures in Youzhou, clearly stating what I have seen in Anci County and my demands, and ordering all prefectural governors and county magistrates to immediately investigate the relief and resettlement situation. Anyone found to be perfunctory, negligent, or disregarding the lives of the people will be severely punished without exception! In addition, in my personal capacity, I have written several letters to my old friends in Jizhou and Qingzhou who still have grain reserves, and shamelessly... asked them to borrow some grain."

"promise!"

Wei You solemnly obeyed the order.

Liu Yu's arrival may not be able to immediately quell the border troubles and wipe out the rebels, but at least it can bring a tangible warmth and hope to the bitterly cold and war-torn land of Youzhou.