Do you know: I should be fat and you should be thin!

Zhou Ning was not surprised; where there are bandits, there are naturally refugees, all of whom were originally refugees who became bandits.

"Go back first and count the number of refugees. I will go there myself later!" Zhou Ning said.

"Yes!" the doorman replied and left.

Zhou Ning pronounced the sentence, ordering all eight surviving bandits to be "dealt with according to law." After adjourning the court, he summoned all his subordinates to the Second Hall for a meeting.

Second hall!

"The floods in Hebei are so severe that the number of displaced people in our county will surely continue to increase. But if we don't do anything about it, these displaced people will be forced into becoming bandits sooner or later. Gentlemen, how should we provide disaster relief?" Zhou Ning asked.

Wang, the registrar, said, "Your Excellency, I still have to check the accounts of official goods and expenditures, supervise the collection of taxes this year, and handle the issuance of documents in the yamen. I really can't spare the time."

A thankless and arduous task... I'll decline!

County Lieutenant Gao said, "Your Excellency, please do not worry. I will personally lead the team to arrest the thieves and maintain order in the county."

Zhou Ning said, "Everyone has their own job, I'm only asking about the refugee situation this time, what do you think is the most appropriate course of action?"

Registrar Wang said, "Your Excellency, the imperial court stipulates that households must report summer disasters no later than April and autumn disasters no later than July. After verifying the disaster situation, a report must be submitted to the prefecture before relief can be provided. This year, our county has had relatively favorable weather, and the total crop loss should not exceed 20%. These refugees are not native to Tianchang County, so they do not meet the county's requirements for early disaster relief. If this affects next year's grain reserves, I'm afraid the imperial court will blame us."

"Yes, if the disaster is truly this severe, the refugees will certainly not have only come to Tianchang. I believe the Prefect will make a decision. In my humble opinion, it would be better to send people to inquire about the situation in the other counties, and we can follow suit. As the saying goes, one should not be ahead of others in seeking favors and benefits, nor should one lag behind others in virtue and achievement. We should prioritize stability," suggested County Lieutenant Gao.

The remaining five officials all nodded in agreement.

Zhou Ning bowed and said, "My lords, there is only a one-word difference between 'vagrants' and 'bandits.' They have nothing and rely entirely on begging for a living. A single wrong thought can lead them to commit heinous crimes! In the face of this natural disaster, I need your help. If we succeed in disaster relief, the credit will go to you! If the governor blames us or His Majesty punishes us, I will bear the responsibility and will never implicate you!"

"Your Excellency, please reconsider!"

The registrar and seven other officials rose to return the greeting.

Zhou Ning said, "I've thought it over. It's harvest time now, and our county is short-handed for continuing construction of public facilities. We can hire refugees to continue the work. The floods in Hebei have also reminded us that although our county has had favorable weather this year, we must be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. The construction of dikes and reservoirs is urgent, and all of these require manpower. If there are many refugees, don't we still have hundreds of acres of wasteland in our county? We can have them clear the land and cultivate it for His Majesty, reducing the pressure on our grain reserves. As I said before, I will take full responsibility for any punishments. Are you all willing to give your full support?"

Registrar Wang gritted his teeth and said, "Using work relief as a substitute for labor has existed since ancient times. Your Excellency's concerns are all for the benefit of the people of Tianchang County, and I admire you greatly! I will certainly give your full support!"

"I am overjoyed to work with you! I would like to trouble the Registrar to assist me in verifying the disaster-stricken households, registering and cataloging the supplies, and checking the distribution details. We must ensure that no one claims or misses any supplies," Zhou Ning said gratefully.

Registrar Wang nodded and sat down, then asked the crowd, "Don't you all know the magistrate's character? Is there anyone who still doesn't trust him?"

After a moment's hesitation, the officials expressed their willingness to support the initiative!

"Very good! County Lieutenant Gao, I'll be responsible for leading the constables to maintain order in the county during this period. All the local militia and garrison troops are also under your command! You must stop the looting of grain. If any starving people steal grain, as long as they don't injure anyone, they can be dealt with leniently. If they injure anyone, they should be imprisoned as a warning to others!" Zhou Ning said.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency!" County Lieutenant Gao said loudly.

"Listen up, everyone! I will oversee the distribution of relief supplies throughout the entire process. If anyone tries to embezzle or embezzle, don't blame me for being ruthless! By the way, County Lieutenant Gao, I promised to host a banquet for the local militia patrolling yesterday at Yue Lai Ju Restaurant in Qing Shui Lane with eight tables. Have the manager keep track of the bill; I will settle it tonight. The hundred strings of cash reward will be given to you after the distribution of the money. You should divide it equally among the people; don't embezzle any. Go and carry it out!" Zhou Ning instructed.

"This humble official takes his leave!"

"This humble official takes his leave!"

After handing over the hundred strings of cash reward to County Magistrate Gao, Zhou Ning immediately went to the county town entrance to help verify the number of displaced people and designated a temporary resettlement area for them to survive.

After finishing these tasks, Zhou Ning rushed back to the county government office to write a note, preparing to submit a report to the Yangzhou Prefecture, requesting the opening of the granaries to distribute grain!

Once the application form was completed, it was sent to the prefectural capital by fast horse, and Tianchang County immediately began setting up tents and distributing porridge.

In the afternoon, Zhou Ning met with more than ten wealthy local households to discuss donating grain and supplies. He then personally advised the four grain merchants of Tianchang County not to maliciously inflate rice prices, or they would bear the consequences!

Zhou Ning was busy until evening. He returned to the designated temporary refuge area for displaced people and planned to recruit them to work for the county starting tomorrow.

Unexpectedly, the refugees ate their fill in the afternoon and felt they had encountered a kind and compassionate official, so none of them wanted to leave!

The elderly, women, and children were one thing, but nearly four hundred able-bodied men were also lazy and refused to serve in the military.

"You bastard! Stop making the porridge right now!"

Zhou Ning got angry!

"Why did you stop serving the porridge? These corrupt officials are treating human life like dirt!"

"Look everyone! The officials don't care about the lives of us ordinary people!"

Some of the displaced people started shouting and arguing, causing panic and even a stampede.

"call out!"

Suddenly, an arrow pierced through the air and shot through the man who was shouting the loudest!

"Murder!"

"There's no law! These corrupt officials are treating human life like dirt!"

The refugees in the front row were terrified. They tried to resist, but seeing even more people with bows drawn and arrows at their sides, they retreated in fear!

Seeing the arrow's formidable power, Zhou Ning guessed that the one who fired it was Gu Tingye. He shouted, "Today is the first day, and everyone will have plenty of thin porridge. But starting tomorrow, except for children under twelve and the elderly over fifty, anyone who refuses to cooperate with my work-for-relief program will not receive a single grain of rice! County Lieutenant Gao! Maintain order! Anyone who instigates trouble will be imprisoned and await sentencing!" He spoke each word with tremendous force, like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger, ensuring that hundreds of people heard him clearly!

"Don't worry, Your Excellency!" County Lieutenant Gao was startled.

He didn't expect Zhou Ning to shoot and kill a refugee, which is illegal!

"Guards! Take the body away and summon the coroner for an autopsy. I must find out who dared to commit such a heinous act in front of me!" Zhou Ning ordered before storming off.

The refugees: "..."

Back in the back hall of the county government office, Zhou Ning was exhausted after a busy day.

Wei Zhi handed him tea and said with concern, "Disaster relief will take a long time, Ning Lang, you should take care of your health. We can't rush this."

Zhou Ning remembered the matter of internal energy and decided to make two preparations. He grabbed her slender waist and squeezed her pert buttocks.

"Sister Wei, get ready, I want to consummate our marriage tomorrow night!"

......