Chapter 1219 The Refugees of Qingyuan City

"I would like to trouble you to use this money to rebuild an academy here!"

"And there must be dedicated rooms for students to live in."

"The future of this country does not depend solely on military generals and soul masters. Scholars also have their own ways of serving the country. The so-called way of governing a country still requires scholars to assist the emperor."

Tang Lan patted the scholar on the shoulder and encouraged him with a smile.

Upon hearing Tang Lan's words, the middle-aged man's previously lifeless eyes immediately lit up.

"You...you really want me to do this!"

"Now that the world is in chaos, there are not many people like you who have the world in their hearts."

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Zhang Yuanyi. To be honest, my status in the Douling Empire is only that of a commoner at the lowest level."

"I believe that I am fortunate to meet you today because the dead are blessing me from heaven, and also blessing all those who suffer."

As he spoke, Zhang Yuanyi actually tried to kneel down and bow to Tang Lan.

But Tang Lan quickly helped him up.

Tang Lan understood that the refugees who arrived here were not all, but a minority.

It is believed that many refugees have already died on the way or in the conflicts within the city.

War is always merciless; it is like the gaping maw of a monster, opening its mouth to devour the lives of humans, who are as insignificant as ants.

Then, Zhang Yuanyi took the initiative to distribute the food that Xueyue had purchased to the refugees.

The refugees lined up in a long queue, receiving supplies in an orderly manner. Most of them were adult men and women, but some were elderly people with children.

"Huh? Mr. Liu, what happened to you?"

"I clearly remember that when you left Xiwan City, you brought a large family and a caravan of carriages with you!"

Just then, Zhang Yuanyi noticed a short, stout man in the crowd and said with slight surprise.

The man's gaze was already somewhat evasive, as if he didn't want to be recognized by Zhang Yuanyi.

But after Zhang Yuanyi called his name, he let out a helpless sigh.

The short, stout man explained, "I encountered robbers on the road, and they stole all my valuables."

The hired guards were so frightened by the sight of the ruthless robbers that they all ran away.

In the end, I became all alone and lost everything.

"I, along with my three concubines and my legal wife, have all left me, without leaving me a single gold soul coin."

By this point, the short, stout man was already heartbroken and had completely lost any hope or desire for the future.

He was like a soulless shell, afraid of death and thus forced to bear all the punishments the world brought him.

"Don't dwell on the past. As long as you're alive, anything is possible!"

Zhang Yuanyi gave a bowl of porridge and a few steamed buns to Boss Liu, patted Boss Liu on the shoulder, and gestured for him to go and rest for a while.

In fact, Zhang Yuanyi was quite well-known in Xiwan City; most of the refugees there knew him and respected him greatly.

The following day, inside the city lord's mansion.

"Alas, you have no idea!"

"The number of refugees fleeing from Xiwan City this time is countless. It was already under tremendous pressure for me to allow them into the city!"

"With Qingyuan City's current reserves, if we try to supply food to so many refugees at the same time, the city's food supply will probably be exhausted in less than two months."

"Being in this position, I, as the city lord, am caught in a dilemma, with no way out!"

In the council hall of the city lord's mansion, the city lord Lü Zhiyi treated Tang Lan and others as honored guests. When discussing the matter of rescuing disaster victims, Lü Zhiyi poured out his grievances, revealing a tearful smile on his face.

According to his calculations, the number of refugees in Tonganan this time is in the tens of thousands, and there will be several more batches of refugees arriving later.

In terms of the allocation of personnel and resources, no matter how we calculate and coordinate, it has completely exceeded the carrying capacity of Qingyuan City.

"You can report this to the capital, just say it's my order."

"I think you should know who I am now!"

Tang Lan suddenly smiled and spoke.

"I know, I know!"

"The imperial court has issued an edict to announce to the world that you have been appointed as the Imperial Preceptor. You also possess an imperial sword, which is equivalent to the emperor's personal presence. We city lords will naturally obey your orders."

"Don't worry, I will do my best to report this matter and try to resolve the refugees' food and lodging issues as soon as possible."

Suddenly faced with Tang Lan's sharp and oppressive gaze, large beads of sweat immediately appeared on Lü Zhiyi's forehead.

You should know that if he displeases the person in front of him, the other party has the right to kill him with a single sword stroke.

Compared to one's own life, even the most difficult things seem simple.

After receiving Lü Zhiyi's assurance, Tang Lan nodded in satisfaction.

Subsequently, at Lü Zhiyi's invitation, he stayed at the city lord's mansion for two days.

Over the past two days, Tang Lan and the others have indeed seen Lü Zhiyi running around busily.

At Tang Lan's insistence, Lü Zhiyi began to gather all the city's resources to supply these refugees.

This action greatly boosted the morale of the refugees below, who chanted in unison, "Long live the Douling Empire!"

In fact, ordinary people don't need much. As long as their desires are met, the empire will prosper and last forever.

Tang Lan was awakened by a series of noisy sounds in the early morning.

Unexpectedly, the entire city lord's guard team had already gathered in the mansion, and everyone was carrying a weapon.

The city lord stood in front of him, his expression turning extremely ugly.

Pushing open the door, Tang Lan walked out of the courtyard and soon arrived at a spacious courtyard not far away.

"Lord Lü, where are you headed? It seems you've encountered some trouble!"

Tang Lan called out to Lü Zhiyi and asked with a smile.

"Grand Preceptor, you may not be aware that last night a sudden riot of soul beasts broke out outside Qingyuan City. Many refugees who were fleeing were attacked, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries."

"This happened suddenly. I was just about to take the city lord's guards and the city defense troops outside the city to take a look!"

A look of anxiety appeared on Lü Zhiyi's face.

He was very worried that this was a sign of a beast tide. If that were the case, given Qingyuan City's current resources, the city would probably fall and its inhabitants would perish in less than two months.

The number of soul beasts is so great that the beast tide they form is several times more terrifying than the tens of thousands of soldiers of an empire.

"I'll go with you to take a look!"

"Anyway, there's nothing to do right now."

Tang Lan glanced at the room where Tang Ya and the others were crowding in the distance and then said to Lü Zhiyi.

"Alright, please follow me, Grand Preceptor!"

Upon hearing Tang Lan's words, Lü Zhiyi was immediately delighted. He then began to organize his men, and the group marched out of the city in a grand procession.

Along the way, Tang Lan did see many wounded refugees, and even some of the city's garrison soldiers were injured.